Sir , – Fintan O’Toole’s article (“Ireland’s Christmas story is still underpinned by separation anxiety,” December 23rd) stirred memories of how emigration shaped the rural community of my childhood. In the period between 1945 and 1960 almost half a million people left the island of Ireland. In my mother’s family, three of four brothers left, nothing unusual there. Young men, home from the UK for Christmas or holiday, would spend time in our small family pub before returning to the building sites. My mother always had a kindly way with these lads and quoted what she had once heard about emigration, “Fair play to them, the ones that stayed couldn’t keep the slates on the roof.” – Yours, etc,NUALA GALLAGHER,Castleknock,Dublin 15.

Claudia Winkleman has landed herself a new celebrity chat show after her shock departure from Strictly Come Dancing. Fans will be over the moon to know that she'll be back on our screens in Spring 2026 to host The Claudia Winkleman Show on BBC One. Speaking about her new gig, Claudia said: 'I can’t quite believe it and I’m incredibly grateful to the BBC for this amazing opportunity. Head of Entertainment Commissioning at the BBC, Kalpna Patel-Knight, said: 'Claudia is a true national treasure - warm, witty and endlessly entertaining. Managing Director of So Television and Executive Producer, Graham Stuart, added: 'Graham Norton has made the Friday night talk show slot a dazzling appointment to view.

Kelly Brady has been nominated for the Her Sport Young Athlete of the Year awardBrady nominated for prestigious young athlete of the year awardReflective of her contribution to the Athlone Town women's team in 2025, Kelly Brady has been nominated for the Her Sport Young Athlete of the Year award. The Her Sport Awards, sponsored by Lidl Ireland, celebrate the women who defined a record-breaking year for Irish sport. The striker, about whom there is much transfer speculation at present, finished her debut season in the league by winning the SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division, Sports Direct Women’s FAI Cup and SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division Golden Boot Award for top goalscorer. The 23 year old striker was also named the Soccer Writers Ireland 'Women's Personality of the Year' for 2025. The ceremony and live celebration of the Her Sport Awards will take place on January 23 2026 in the Helix.

Every day this week, our foreign correspondents will accept the challenge of finding the best meal possible in their city for the equivalent of €120. You would struggle to spend €120 on a meal in Damascus. Its total was just 525,000 Syrian pounds (about €39.18). We went to Beit Jabri, a restaurant in the courtyard of an old Damascene house. Of course the bill would have been more expensive if alcohol had been included: while it is possible to get alcohol in some restaurants, Beit Jabri, like many others in Syria, does not serve it.

Archive papers show the “deep concerns” over Wylfa nuclear safety scareIRELAND considered taking legal action against the former Wylfa nuclear power station on Anglesey following a serious safety incident in the early 1990s, newly released government archive documents have revealed. The then Chief Inspector of Nuclear Installations told the court the incident was potentially the most serious he had encountered during his career. A briefing note dated November 29, 1995, stated that any legal case would have needed to be based on scientific evidence demonstrating the “injurious effects of operations” at UK nuclear plants. Concerns were also raised about other UK nuclear sites, including Sellafield in Cumbria and the Dungeness power station in Kent. In response, Mr Bruton requested that experts from Ireland’s Radiological Protection Institute be allowed to attend safety inspections at some UK nuclear installations.

Joshua was enjoying his break before the tragedy, having dispatched Jake Paul. 'The end goal was to get Jake Paul, pin him down and hurt him. 'Jake Paul has done really well, I want to give him his props. 'You have to give Jake his respect for trying, trying and trying. But he came up against a real fighter tonight that's had a 15-month lay-off.'

British boxer Anthony Joshua has suffered “minor injuries” after the car he was travelling in crashed in Nigeria, resulting in the deaths of two people. Joshua, seated in the rear of the vehicle, sustained minor injuries and is receiving medical attention with another injured person. Further updates on the incident will be communicated as investigation progresses.”Two persons sadly lost their lives, one sustained injuries, while two others escaped unhurt. Anthony Joshua was rescued alive and sustained minor injuries. I am praying for the lost lives, AJ and anyone impacted by today’s unfortunate accident,” Paul said on X.

Oliver Glasner issues blunt Marc Guehi statement after Liverpool transfer hintOliver Glasner has made it clear he wants to keep Marc Guehi at Crystal Palace in January despite the England defender being out of contract at the end of the season and refusing to sign an extensionView 2 Images Marc Guehi of Crystal Palace (Image: Sebastian Frej/Getty Images)Oliver Glasner has reinforced his determination to retain Marc Guehi at Crystal Palace in January. ‌Glasner was instrumental in Palace blocking Guehi's switch to Liverpool during the summer following discussions with chairman Steve Parish. With the January transfer window set to open later this week, the Austrian has made his position crystal clear regarding his skipper's future at Selhurst Park, reports the Liverpool Echo. Glasner, who confirmed back in October that Guehi would not be penning fresh terms with the club, had earlier disclosed that he anticipated the defender would complete the campaign at Crystal Palace. You then have to accept that in certain games during a season you are short of a right full back.

Mikel Arteta plots Aston Villa revenge and wants Arsenal to make them 'suffer'Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta wants fellow Premier League contenders Aston Villa to "suffer" at the Emirates Stadium after winning the reverse fixture earlier this monthView 2 Images Aston Villa snatched victory against Arsenal in the final minute of added-on time (Image: Alex Pantling/Getty Images)Mikel Arteta wants Arsenal to make Aston Villa “suffer” as he seeks revenge for their “cruel” defeat to their title rivals earlier this month. Goals from Matt Cash and Emi Buendia ended the Gunners’ 17-match unbeaten run at Villa Park on December 6. ‌And Unai Emery ’s side extended their winter hot streak to 11 consecutive wins with victory at Chelsea. Now Villa visit the Emirates seeking a victory to draw level on points with Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table. He was replaced by Gabriel Jesus after 71 minutes and Arteta must now decide whether to start the Brazilian against Villa.

Alan Shearer makes brutal joke off the back of Florian Wirtz's first Liverpool goalFlorian Wirtz finally scored his first Liverpool goal in the 2-1 win against Wolves at Anfield, but Alan Shearer joked fans shouldn't get carried away for one key reasonView 3 Images Florian Wirtz is off the mark in a Liverpool shirt (Image: James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)Alan Shearer playfully warned fans not to get too excited about Florian Wirtz scoring his first goal for Liverpool, given it was against 20th-placed Wolves. The goal had been a long time coming, six months after the midfielder's £116m transfer from Bayer Leverkusen. ‌The situation is so bleak for Wolves that one fan, 'John', pleaded with The Rest is Football podcast hosts Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and Micah Richards to avoid discussing his club this week. ‌View 3 Images Alan Shearer couldn't help but poke fun at the Liverpool man (Image: PA)The Premier League's record goalscorer was particularly taken with Wirtz's blossoming connection with one Liverpool colleague. View 3 Images Florian Wirtz finally scored his first goal for Liverpool against Wolves (Image: Getty Images)"I was confident that I would score one day.

Welcome to Lifestyle Editor Picks of the Week, where I highlight my favorite recent purchases and the little (or big) luxuries worth investing in. Right now, I have their phone case in the Sweet Cherry print on my iPhone, which is bright pink with red cherries printed all over it. The phone case also has a bumper around the sides, which means that if you drop it, your phone is less likely to be damaged. For trips to visit family and friends, I love packing my suitcase with the adorable packing cube set from Mark & Graham X Jennifer Lake. Packing with packing cubes makes your suitcase so much more organized, I think they're a lifesaver.

However Lily Allen kept it real as she appeared to swerve a fancy airport lounge as she headed off on holiday with her children on Sunday. Lily's decision to not check into a private lounge comes after she revealed she is undergoing therapy for 'shopping like an insane person' to celebrate her latest success. I'm convinced I'm a billionaire. Her latest album West End Girl, which was released in October to rave reviews, details her recovery from her marriage break-up. Lily was seen cosying up to Freud, son of entrepreneur Matthew Freud and ex-wife Caroline Hutton, at Stringfellows nightclub, before they shared a kiss.

Ferne McCann has revealed the results of her health and fitness journey over the past two years with inspiring comparision snaps. She also shared a snap of herself taken just before she embarked on her long-term health plan, weeks after she welcomed her second child. Ferne has been candid about her weight loss journey and revealed last year she had shed 2.5 stone after overhauling her lifestyle with a focus on nutrition and high-intensity interval training. She has kept up her healthy lifestyle and maintained her weight over the past year, sharing regular updates on social media. Ferne and fiancé Lorri Haines welcomed their first child together, Finty, in July 2023 after getting engaged in July 2022.

Photograph: Alan BetsonA 45-year-old multigenerational restaurant, China Sichuan is known for its upmarket Sichuan dishes which incorporate quality Irish ingredients. The wine list has more than 400 bottles and 30 by the glass in varying sizes. An award-winning 85-page wine list starts at €28 and includes icons such as Domaine Romanée-Conti and Château Pétrus. JCThe Pig’s Ear4 Nassau Street, Dublin 2; 01-6703865 thepigsear.ieThe Pig's Ear, Dublin. The generous wine list is put together by people who love wine, boasting 22 by the glass.

Brick thrown through window in arson attack in north BelfastBy Claudia Savage, Press AssociationPolice are appealing for information after a brick was thrown through a window in an arson attack in north Belfast. The incident is being treated as an attack with intent to endanger life. At around 8.15pm on Sunday, December 28th, police were alerted to reports of a fire at a residential property in the Lowwood Park area. “It appears that a brick was thrown through a window at the front of the property, smashing it. “Two adults were present in the property at the time but, thankfully, no injuries were reported.”He added: “We are treating this attack as arson with intent to endanger life.