It was 24 years ago to the week that the name of Ireland featured in a World Cup draw. For all the individual talent in England, their teams were unable to usurp the German, French and Spanish powerhouses in the Champions League. October 14: Crumlin-born Pico Lopes qualifies for the World Cup with Cape VerdeAnother Rovers resilience story of a different hue. Not only has he achieved it as Hoops captain but World Cup matches loom next summer against Spain, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia. October 28: Abbie Larkin goal in Belgium seals World Cup playoff for IrelandUefa’s obsession with competitive games has created a plethora of extra playoff games.

Introducing a new so-called cost-of-disability payment is a key priority for Budget 2027, social protection minister Dara Calleary has said. Mr Calleary said there would be regular meetings between his department and disability organisations, with a particular focus on one-on-one meetings. He said there are proposals for a direct second-tier child benefit, which would see people on the Child Support Payment lose out. We can’t have a situation where people in the lowest incomes are going to lose because we introduced the second-tier payment. On universal payments, Mr Calleary said it was “very difficult” politically to move to more targeted interventions compared to previous budgets.

The Government has vowed to crack down on employers who do not sign up for the new auto-enrolment pension scheme, "getting tough" with fines of up to €50,000 for those who ignore the new laws. It will see a pension contribution automatically deducted from their salary and transferred to a retirement savings account. Currently, there are 82,000 employers who have signed up for the scheme, representing 668,000 employees as of December 30. The National Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings Authority (NAERSA), the independent body overseeing the rollout and implementation, will be responsible for pursuing such companies. Mr Calleary said the existing State pension will have a role in the future, but given Ireland’s changing demographics, it is necessary for an auto-enrolment scheme.

Penny Lancaster looked sensational as she was seen leaving the Ritz on Monday evening after treating her family to a lavish dinner at the renowned establishment. She opted for a little sparkly black dress which she paired with a brown furry jacket and black heels. Meanwhile her rock star husband dressed to impress in a black bejewelled jacket, cream waistcoat and white shirt. The pair were joined by Rod's son Liam and his wife Nicole, his daughter Ruby and her husband Jake and his and Penny's sons Ali and Aiden. Clearly feeling the festive love, Ruby and Jake were seen sharing a passionate kiss as they left the venue.

Senne Lammens' agent raises suspicions about last-minute Man Utd transfer U-turnSenne Lammens joined Manchester United in a £18.2million deal from Royal Antwerp this summer and his agent has opened up on the club's plans to keep Andre OnanaView 2 Images Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens has impressed since his summer move from Royal Antwerp (Image: Getty Images)Senne Lammens' agent has claimed that Manchester United originally planned to retain Andre Onana at Old Trafford to mentor the Belgian shot-stopper. Lammens joined United this summer in an £18.2million deal, with additional clauses, from Belgian Pro League outfit Royal Antwerp. The Cameroon international departed United on loan to Turkish Super Lig outfit Trabzonspor shortly after Lammens' arrival in M16. "But actually, for a long time, the intention within United was for Onana to stay and for Senne to be given time to adjust. ‌"Ultimately, they changed their tune right at the very end, Onana left, and fully embraced Senne.

Liverpool news: Arne Slot slammed for 'stupid' transfer decision as star eyed for exitArne Slot and Liverpool have been slammed for an early January transfer window decisionView 3 Images Arne Slot's been told he's already made a January transfer mistake (Image: AFP via Getty Images)With the January transfer window just a day away, Liverpool have been earmarked as one team who should be entering the market. A lack of attacking options due to the absences of Mohamed Salah and Alexander Isak has led to the majority of fans believing Arne Slot should be bolstering his forward line. On talkSPORT, he said: "As a Liverpool fan, I'm really disappointed on the back of Isak getting injured, maybe out for the season. Needless to say, Chiesa hasn't had many opportunities from Arne Slot to impress since signing for the club in the summer of 2024. View 3 Images Federico Chiesa refused to rule out a return to Juventus (Image: Ed Sykes/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)"Never say never," Chiesa told Italian news outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport .

‌Garner, 24, departed Old Trafford for Goodison Park in 2022 in a transfer worth up to £15million. ‌After impressing in more than a century of games for Everton, United appear to be considering whether to tempt Garner back to his first club. Napoli show true feelings on Rasmus Hojlund as new clause in Man Utd transfer emerges READ MORE :Conor Gallagher faces Man Utd transfer dilemma as ex-Chelsea star eyes World Cup spot READ MORE :Crystal Palace ace Adam Wharton and Bournemouth midfielder Tyler Adams are also of interest to the Red Devils, as is Joao Gomes of Wolves. Ruben Neves is another player United are looking at as he nears the end of his contract with Saudi club Al-Hilal. The ex-Newcastle star is unlikely to be available in January and United could find themselves with stiff competition in the summer.

Man Utd news: Scott McTominay return details as new signing confirmedThe latest news from Manchester United on the last day of 2025, with some big transfer news to welcome in the new yearView 3 Images Scott McTominay may be returning to Manchester (Image: Photo by SSC NAPOLI/SSC NAPOLI via Getty Images)There are set to be big changes at Manchester United heading into 2026. Scott McTominay return details emergeAccording to Caught Offside, United are keen on bringing back Scott McTominay to Old Trafford. ‌View 3 Images Scott McTominay has been a sensational signing for Napoli (Image: Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)Transfer confirmedUnited have confirmed the signing of Lea Schuller from Bayern Munich. Matt Johnson, Director of Women’s Football at Manchester United, said: "Lea's goalscoring record is phenomenal, her style of play will give our attack an exciting new dimension. I still have so much that I want to achieve in my career, and I know that Manchester United is the perfect club to join.

In lieu of martinis and gin and tonics, Dry January participants reach for alcohol-free mocktails, wanting to still participate in the social aspect of drinking. While mocktails reduce overall consumption of alcohol, which has consistently been linked to cancer and other chronic health conditions, dietitians speaking to the Daily Mail revealed they are not always an inherently healthy choice. Tiffany Bruno, registered dietitian and director of education at Switch4Good, told the Daily Mail: 'Mocktails vary greatly depending on the ingredients. Pre-made mixers and syrups used in mocktails can also contain artificial additives including sweeteners, colors and emulsifiers, which have been linked to health issues ranging from hyperactivity to cancer. It's also key to slow the never-ending flow of mocktails before calories and sugar can pile up.

Ruben Amorim explains Man Utd decision that left Gary Neville baffled after woeful drawJoshua Zirkzee started and scored in the first-half of Manchester United's Premier League draw against Wolves to leave many questioning Ruben Amorim's decisionView 2 Images Ruben Amorim has explained why he decided to substitute Joshua Zirkzee against Wolves (Image: Sky Sports)Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has explained why Joshua Zirkzee was substituted at half-time in Tuesday night's disappointing Premier League draw against Wolves. ‌After half-time, Zirkzee did not come back out with his teammates and was replaced by academy star Jack Fletcher. ‌Ruben Amorim left furious as dismal Man Utd held to point by rock-bottom Wolves READ MORE :As the game's final moments played out, Gary Neville questioned the decision to take off Zirkzee at half-time. "It's going to be a painful aftermath for Ruben Amorim, he is going to get serious questions in his press conference," he said on Sky Sports. Article continues belowJoin our new MAN UTD WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Manchester United content from Mirror Football.

Premier League: Burnley 1 (Laurent 23) Newcastle 3 (Joelinton 2, Wissa 7, Guimaraes 90+3)Early goals from Joelinton and Yoane Wissa set Newcastle on their way to only their second away win of the Premier League season as they held off battling Burnley 3-1 at Turf Moor. Joelinton’s first Premier League goal in 365 days put the Magpies ahead just 65 seconds in and six minutes later Wissa marked his first league start for the Magpies with his first league goal for them. Burnley had been forced into a more enterprising display by a terrible start. The second goal was scrappy. NEWCASTLE: Pope, Miley, Thiaw, Schar, Hall, Tonali, Guimaraes, Joelinton, Barnes, Wissa, Gordon.

Gardai are continuing a concentrated road safety campaign until January 5 after one of the darkest years for road deaths in the State. “There have been 189 deaths on our roads so far this year,” Supt Geraghty said. Separate to the issue of drink and drug driving, Supt Geraghty referred to the high death toll overall, including the most recent losses on our roads. He said: “Last week during week four of the road safety campaign, tragically three further people lost their lives on Irish roads. “That brings to 189 the number of people who have died on Irish roads this year,” Supt Geraghty said.

It is one that hits anyone who has suffered the loss of ​someone close to them, including friend​s, sibling​s, partner​s or parent​s. That's not what I meant, I was just trying to, you know, to let you know that I'm thinking about you’. “What really wounds and is really hurtful is this assumption that a baby is expendable. My friend turned to her and said that yes, she was still grieving, because her baby was still dead,” Máirie said. “Sometimes, people who did not know us that well but knew of our loss would ask ‘What are their names?'

‌United endured their worst-ever Premier League season last term and had a similarly woeful start this time around. ‌Speaking to FourFourTwo, the former United star said: “For me, it’s fundamentally that the club is rotten from the bottom up at the minute. View 2 Images Man United sit sixth in the Premier Leagye (Image: Getty Images)What's gone wrong for Man United over recent seasons? Can the team win the Premier League title by 2028? We have two or three summer windows to build a team to start competing to win the Premier League.

The HSE is urging the public to ensure they are up to date with vaccination. Photograph: GettyHospitals throughout the country remain “very busy” with 677 people hospitalised with a respiratory illness, the Health Service Executive has said. There were 2,321 new respiratory illness cases notified over the past week, which includes flu, Covid-19 and RSV. The HSE said while there are signs flu levels may have peaked with 1,777 cases reported last week, down from 3,547 the week before, reporting of respiratory illness levels over the Christmas period can be affected. It has warned the public to remain vigilant, as levels of flu and other respiratory illnesses are expected to increase over the New Year period.