Paul Keegan, Taylor Slevin, Stephen O’Connor, Kailin Blessing and Daire O’Connor at the Tubberclair GAA dinner dance in the Athlone Springs Hotel last Saturday. Tubberclair GAA celebrates success on several frontsOn Saturday night last, Tubberclair GAA gathered in the Athlone Springs Hotel to celebrate the phenomenal year of 2025 both on and off the field. On show were the plunders from the following campaigns: Junior Championship 2020, Intermediate Championship 2025, Under-20 Division 1 Championship 2025, Division 5 League 2025 and Junior B Championship 2025. MC on the night, Martin McCabe welcomed everybody to the dinner dance and asked Tubberclair GAA Chairman Adrian Dolan to give the opening address. For Tubberclair GAA, it's now a case of roll on for the 2026 season, with the club hoping it will have plenty more to celebrate in the future.

But what about taxpayers who have not been caught gaming the system but are simply challenging a Revenue assessment of their tax liability? The Government is ushering legislation through the Oireachtas that would fundamentally change this, leaving the decision to the discretion of the tax appeals commissioner hearing the case. “The terms of s41 (13) [of the 2015 Workplace Relations Act] require that all hearings shall be conducted otherwise than in public. The effect is that the prohibition on public hearings is removed and proceedings may, but not must, be heard in public.”But there is no such absolute ban on public hearings before the tax appeal commissioners; quite the opposite. The Irish Tax Institute argues, not unreasonably, that people may well confuse named tax defaulters with named challengers of tax assessments, with clear negative connotations.

Brent crude jumped 6.6 per cent to near $108 a barrel as the war kept the Strait of Hormuz — a key artery for Middle East shipments — effectively shut, tightening supply. The passage would reopen “naturally” once hostilities subside, the US president said, without providing details or a clear timeline. Stocks sold off after Trump’s speech undermined a nascent global rally, as concerns grew that a prolonged war would keep crude prices elevated and weigh on economic growth. Cross-asset volatility also picked up after Trump’s speech, with the dollar strengthening against — reinforcing its appeal as the haven of choice during the war — and Treasuries falling on inflation concerns. The change of tone in Trump’s speech damped hopes for a quick conclusion of the conflict that has already roiled financial markets and pushed several equity gauges into correction territory as investors pared risk.

Dean Kelly makes a high catch at midfield for Westmeath during their victory over Dublin in the Leinster MFC at Kinnegad on Tuesday. Dillon hails minor footballers after memorable victoryFollowing his side’s memorable victory over Dublin in the Leinster MFC on Tuesday evening, Westmeath manager Mick Dillon paid tribute to all who have helped the players along the way. To put it in context, Tuesday’s victory was Westmeath’s first over Dublin at minor level since 2000 and only their fourth in history (1952, 1963 and 2000 the others). Dillon said the players have set high standards and are comfortable at performing against the top teams at this level. But you look at that bunch of guys with Westmeath; an outstanding bunch,” remarked Dillon.

Today, the Scottish Labour leader said Ms Reid should not be an MP if there is "any hint of any wrongdoing" found in a Metropolitan Police Investigation into her husband. The Scottish Labour leader added that any findings of wrong doing of Ms Reid would lead to immediate action but he would not "prejudge" the probe. He said: “If there is any hint of any wrongdoing at all, then this person should not be a Scottish Labour MP but I am not going to prejudge that investigation. Of course I am, and that’s why we took swift action and that’s why she’s not a Scottish Labour MP while that investigation takes place.”Ms Reid’s husband was arrested on suspicion of spying for China, which he denies. Scottish Labour has also dropped its election candidate for a key Holyrood constituency after he was charged with fraud.

I’m going to return this month to the theme of my last blog on Northern Ireland’s continued existence in a new or united Ireland, as outlined by SDLP leader Clare Hanna in her essay in the recent publication What Northern Ireland Means to Me. A clause recognising the passionate royalism of Northern unionists would be an impossible further step too far for the instinctive republicanism of the Southern electorate. A new Ireland based on city-regions – in which Northern Ireland could remain a large city-region – is utterly impractical, says O’Leary. I would like to add Mark Hennessy, Ireland and Britain editor of the Irish Times, to that list. 1 Making Sense of a United Ireland, p. 1352 https://www.irishtimes.com/politics/2026/03/24/shared-ireland-programme-cannot-be-used-to-push-cause-of-irish-unity-jack-chambers-says/?

Mark Coleman is sitting at the head of the boardroom table upstairs in Páirc Uí Chaoimh. It is Coleman who brings the theme and torrent of “external noise” into the conversation. “It probably comes easier for the older fellas, but it's the younger fellas who might struggle with it a bit. I never saw Mark Coleman doing that before, don’t know where it has come from. “There's new fellas on the panel who probably don't have any silverware with Cork.

A council is seeking legal advice on a decision to rename Prince Andrew Way in Carrickfergus, Co Antrim following intervention from a solicitor advising another local authority. In January, Mid and East Antrim Borough Council agreed to engage with the British Royal Household before pressing ahead with the renaming of the road against previous legal advice and without drafting a street naming policy. A report to councillors at the time indicated Mid and East Antrim Borough Council does not have a street naming or renaming policy but its legal team has advised one should be developed before the renaming proceeds. It was recommended officers develop a policy that includes the street naming process for new developments and renaming of existing streets, roads or developments to enable the process of renaming Prince Andrew Way to be progressed. DUP Councillor Marc Collins tabled a question seeking an update on the renaming of Prince Andrew Way at a meeting of the borough council in The Braid, Ballymena, on Monday evening.

Widespread removal of ditches has changed the face of Ireland enormously and we continue to lose up to 6,000km of hedgerows every year. If the weather is any way kind during Easter, people will be enjoying the outdoors and breathing the bracing spring air. They will be walking and driving past hedges, but do many stop and think about the riches they contain? As well as providing safe nesting for birds, hedges have many other important benefits for plants and animals. Hedgerows also provide farm animals with shelter.

Czechia beating Denmark on penalties, as they did against Ireland five days earlier, ends their 20-year wait for the World Cup. “I really think it’s good that the Czechs won because it shows us how close we are to this. “If it’s a possibility, we will try to have some but I don’t think it’s an option. “We’ve jumped from being in the lower 20% of teams to being one of the top European teams for penetrating opponents. “He hasn’t played for England and doesn't look like he is going to the World Cup,” noted the Ireland boss.

Edoardo Molinari has been named as one of Luke Donald’s vice-captains for Europe at the 2027 Ryder Cup. Molinari will again join captain Donald at the 2027 edition, which will take place in Ireland at Adare Manor in September next year. The great thing about him is that he leads by example. And at the same time, he’s very motivated to win.” Captain Donald praised Molinari’s role in helping the team’s statistical analysis. He has made such a difference to our team,” Donald added.

Mr Trump did not mention a looming deadline he set for Iran to open the strait. Since the start of the war, the Trump administration has sent mixed and at times contradictory signals about the US’s objectives. “Exactly which of the American people’s interests are truly being served by this war?” ​Mr Pezeshkian asked in a letter posted in English on his X account. Mr Trump has downplayed concerns about Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, dismissing it as too deeply buried underground to matter. He had previously argued that preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon was a major justification for the war.

The draw for the Men’s FAI Cup first round was made on Wednesday at FAI HQ in Abbotstown with 24 teams competing in the first step on the road to the Aviva Stadium. League of Ireland clubs will enter in the second round.

Gross Government debt fell by €5.7bn last year, leaving the total money owed at €209.9bn, new data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) shows. Tax revenue for the first two months of the year stood at €13.6bn, of which €900m was corporation tax. while total gross exchequer revenue stood at €18.6bn. However, corporation tax receipts are expected to increase over the course of 2026 as Pillar 2 tax reforms come into full effect. Given the high number of multinational firms with operations here, corporation tax receipts are expected to be higher this year.

Dermatology care currently accounts for almost a tenth of the people on hospital waiting lists with those considered non-urgent having to wait three years in some regions. Among the 60,700 people on the lists are 3,600 children, according to the Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA). Dermatology care includes skin cancers, eczema or rashes among a range of issues. This comes as Hiqa published a report on the potential benefits of using telemedicine to tackle dermatology waiting lists. Teledermatology would see GPs take photographs of lesions or rashes and send these for triage by a dermatologist.