Writers Seán Mac Mathúna (left), Dermot Bolger and Mary Beckett, runners-up for the Hughes Irish Fiction Award, with then lord mayor of Dublin Ben Briscoe at the award ceremony in October 1988. Mac Mathúna has died at the age of 89. Photograph: Paddy Whelan/The Irish TimesThe death has occurred in Dublin of the writer Seán Mac Mathúna, aged 89. Following this he became a judge on behalf of The Irish Times for the Irish Literature Prize. Mac Mathúna was also the author of a bestselling historical novel, Hula Hul (2007), a love story set in Kerry during the Civil War.

A schoolboy was found dead by his cousin after attempting to replicate a scene from Squid Games as a prank, an inquest heard. Sebastian Cizman, 12, was found unresponsive at his family's home in Glasshoughton, West Yorkshire, during his younger brother's First Holy Communion celebrations. Sebastian was a fan of a game based on Netflix dystopian thriller Squid Game and police found an image on his phone of a character from the show who was found hanging, the inquest heard. After speaking to his family, police believed he may have been attempting to recreate what he had seen on Squid Game but things had gone wrong. Sebastian had shared an image of the hanged Squid Game character on a WhatsApp group on the day of his death.

Ballynacargy GAA Club delegate Johnnie Penrose, with Delvin's Sean O'Brien at the Westmeath GAA County Convention. Clubs opposed to GAA's to involvement with AllianzBallynacargy GAA Club called on Westmeath GAA to begin ending the process of all commercial involvement with Allianz Insurance, in light of the findings in the recent UN report showing that the company is profiting from the illegal occupation of Palestine. A motion to this year's County Convention had solid support from all clubs. Since the Westmeath convention, the GAA have confirmed that a report from its ethics and integrity commission recommended retaining its association with Allianz. “Bringing a motion to the County Convention is really a change or rule.

2026 is set to make an icy debut in Ireland as temperatures are to plummet over the coming days. Friday will be a day of sunny spells, with some showers of sleet and snow possibly in the north. Saturday and Sunday are set to be “very cold with wintry showers”, mainly in the north and northwest. "The high pressure is continuing to dominate, the weather is set to be chilly and bright, with some light rain and showers at times,” Met Éireann meteorologist Ailís Hankinson said. “It is set to turn colder for the weekend, with a more northerly flow bringing the Arctic air down.

State’s €10.5m legal bill as parents fight to have their children assessedMore than 1,000 Assessment of Needs cases taken against the Government as timelines missedEducation Minister Norma Foley wants to reform the system. Photo: CollinsSenan Molony Today at 06:30The State has spent nearly €10.5m on legal defences to challenges by parents regarding Assessment of Needs (AON) – even though it lost almost every case.

Community CentreThe Community Centre committee will be holding a fundraising weekend over the Bank Holiday weekend at the beginning of May. Enniscrone-KilglassYour newsWould you or your family, community group, school, etc. 3rd Prize – Family Membership for KEUFC. Their production will be staged in Skreen/Dromard Community Centre on January. Everyone who is interested is encouraged to commit to attending in order to have enough people participating If you or someone you know is interested, contact the Community Centre office on 0876649635.

Rangers moved to within six points of Hearts in an increasingly exciting William Hill Premiership title race with a 2-1 win over St Mirren at Ibrox. On a bitterly cold night in Govan, midfielder Thelo Aasgaard scored in the 39th minute with his second goal in two games before centre-back Emmanuel Fernandez added a second in the 52nd minute. Defender John Souttar came in for Dujon Sterling, who was missing altogether and Mikey Moore took over from Connor Barron. Moments later, at the other end, Rangers midfielder Nico Raskin failed to hit the target from 12 yards after being set up by Gassama's cutback. Moore's dipping shot from 18 yards on the angle was then tipped on to the crossbar by George.

It would be fun if it were the future, though I think Australian people would make reluctant oracles. One of the most confusing and interesting aspects of living in Australia is the time difference that separates you from home. It’s a sort of border – every morning I wake up and my friends and family in the other hemisphere are experiencing a yesterday that is untouchable to me. When I made the decision to move to Australia, I did so knowing this would inevitably happen eventually. The Irish day conducts itself while I sleep, and I inevitably awake to updates from home.

Simon Harris: 'There are a significant number of people in emergency housing, emergency homeless accommodation that don’t have a housing right.' Photograph: Brian Lawless/PA WireA “significant number” of people in emergency accommodation for homelessness “don’t have a housing right in Ireland”, Tánaiste Simon Harris has said. He said that an examination of monthly homelessness statistics showed there was a “significant number ... that don’t have a housing right”. “A lot of people who are in emergency homeless accommodation, or certainly some people who are in emergency homeless accommodation, don’t have a housing right in Ireland,” he said. Anyone who presents for and is provided emergency accommodation has a right to housing or establishes that right very quickly.

The Taoiseach was told about levels of use of ChatGPT in Ireland while meeting OpenAI’s chief financial officer Sarah Friar, aboveThe proportion of Irish people using artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT is lower than in some other countries, the company behind the application told the Taoiseach. The Taoiseach was told about levels of use of ChatGPT in Ireland while meeting OpenAI’s chief financial officer, Sarah Friar, according to records released under the Freedom of Information Act. Correspondence shows OpenAI sought the meeting with Mr Martin and it took place in Government Buildings on May 27th. A Government statement to The Irish Times said: “There are currently no plans to roll out ChatGPT to classrooms” in Ireland. OpenAI did not set out countries where 50 per cent of the population use ChatGPT weekly in response to a query from The Irish Times.

A while ago I was sitting with a woman friend in a restaurant with our children, having been abandoned by our husbands for “the rugby”. I asked around about Big Stop Relaxing Energy. “We know exactly how lucky we are, appreciate what we have and would like to enjoy it.”I don’t make New Year’s Resolutions as a general rule but I am making an exception this year. I can no longer in good conscience continue to exude Big Stop Relaxing Energy. But Big Stop Relaxing Energy is, in many cases, no longer necessary in an era where many men more than pull their weight domestically speaking.

We’ve picked six economic pressure points to watch out for in 2026. Photograph: Mark Abramson/The New York TimesUS growth driven by consumer spending and spending on AI also remains relatively strong. The Department of Finance is expecting receipts to climb again in 2026, to a record €34 billion. Four years ago the Government adopted, then quickly abandoned, a 5 per cent spending rule. The initial economic boost caused by surging military spending appears to be over and activity has slowed markedly.

“A taboo has broken around the 1951 Refugee Convention,” said Dr Sophie Capicchiano Young, a lawyer specialising in international refugee law who is Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow at the Irish Centre for Human Rights at the University of Galway. “The answer is not to push aside the Refugee Convention. Photograph: Frederic J Brown/AFP/Getty ImagesIts agreement was partly driven by a failure to agree on refugee rights before the second World War, which had catastrophic consequences. Agreed at a United Nations assembly in Geneva, the Refugee Convention provided protection for the millions of people who had been displaced in Europe by the war. “That’s precisely what’s happening in international refugee law.”

Man Utd legend Andy Cole shares health latest as he battles daily struggleManchester United legend Andy Cole has opened up about his kidney failure diagnosis and subsequent transplant, a health battle that continues to impact himView 3 Images Manchester United icon Andy Cole has made a new health admission (Image: In The Mixer)Manchester United icon Andy Cole has candidly spoken about his ongoing struggle with kidney issues. Despite this, Cole continues to grapple with his health issue and has now offered a heartfelt glimpse into how it impacts him. Watch All Out Football's episode with Andy Cole here. "If I wake up tomorrow and, as I call it, it's a kidney day, you get on with it. Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Manchester United content from Mirror Football.

Meg Lynch, 28, said she was 'nearly beaten to death' while stood getting a drink from a vending machine. 'As a district nurse, around 12:00 I was attacked at work, at the hospital I am based at. 'A scene remains in place at the community hospital while enquiries into the incident continue. St Helens Local Policing Superintendent Sarah Rotherham said: 'We understand that this incident would have caused concern for the local community and I hope the public feel reassured by the increased police presence. 'I would ask anyone with concerns to speak to one of our officers or contact their local police station.'