Another lotto millionaire for Athlone! Athlone strikes again with its second millionaire in a week, as a Daily Million player scooped the €1 million top prize in Monday’s 9pm draw. The National Lottery’s latest millionaire purchased their winning Quick Pick ticket, on the day of the draw, March 30, from Smith's SuperValu in Monksland. The Daily Million numbers for Monday’s 9pm draw were: 2, 3, 5, 8, 12, 31 and the Bonus was 18. SuperValu Store Manager, Tim Dolan, was delighted to receive the phone call to confirm that his store sold the winning Daily Million ticket.

Ukraine, following guarantees from the US and Europe, had surrendered its nuclear deterrent which seems to have mistakenly persuaded Russia’s president Vladimir Putin that the country was “up for grabs”. Kyiv is entitled to receive assistance from the US and Europe of whatever nature is needed to repulse the Russian invader – something I quite understand Trump does not understand. The Strait of Hormuz was open, had been for some time, and would have remained so, had Trump, along with Israel, not launched an unprovoked attack on Iran. A military analyst of three weeks’ standing would have forecast that the Iranians would retaliate by closing the Strait – something I quite understand Trump did not. These are just a few of the things Trump does not understand.

Actress Collien Fernandes has accused her former husband, actor Christian Ulmen, of sharing deepfake sexual videos of her online. In particular, he disputes allegations of creating deep-fake videos, where a face of one person is digitally appended to another person’s body. Undeterred, Fernandes has become the figurehead of a campaign in Germany to push back against the largely unregulated world of digital violence against women. People gather to protest against online assaults against women in Hamburg, Germany, on March 26th last. Pushing back, the Süddeutsche Zeitung daily has warned against releasing long-pent-up fury blaming all men for all male violence against women.

Cork's Apple employees were treated on Tuesday to an on-campus set by singer-songwriter Rita Ora to celebrate the company’s 50th anniversary. The tech giant flew the How To Be Lonely singer in for a private show at the Hollyhill campus to mark the occasion. Rita Ora performed a private gig at Apple's Irish HQ in Cork this week. Tuesday’s gig comes as revenues at the Cork-based Apple HQ business rise to a record 235bn dollars. The $235.3bn in revenues last year represent 56.5% of Apple Inc’s global revenues of $416.16bn last year.

Jacques Nienaber believes his Leinster out-half Sam Prendergast will emerge all the stronger for his recent disappointments with Ireland. “I don’t know how he is personally, I didn’t ask him,” said Nienaber, Leinster senior coach. A “devastating” blow for the player, said Nienaber who, nonetheless, made the point that this is the game they are in. It's not the first time it's happened to a rugby player. It's not going to be the last time it happened to a rugby player.

Three taken to hospital after ‘chemical incident’ at schoolBy Jonathan McCambridge, Press AssociationThree people were taken to hospital following a “chemical incident” at a school in County DerryEmergency services were called to Coleraine Grammar School at 4.15 pm on Tuesday. A statement from the school said there were no pupils on site at the time. No pupils were on site due to the Easter holiday and three members of staff were advised to attend hospitalColeraine Grammar School statementThe school statement said: “There has been a chemical incident at Coleraine Grammar School which resulted in hazardous gases being released in a confined area. “No pupils were on site due to the Easter holiday and three members of staff were advised to attend hospital. A statement said: “Firefighters were called to reports of a chemical incident at a premises on Castlerock Road, Coleraine.

The final journey Jesus took to the cross remains one of the most studied and sacred paths in history. Now, a researcher has reconstructed what he believes were Christ's last movements through Jerusalem in the days leading up to his crucifixion. Jesus' journey begins at the the Temple Mount located in the Old City of Jerusalem. The Temple Mount is now a walled compound with the Dome of the Rock to the north and the Al-Aqsa Mosque to the south. According to the Bible, Jesus was crucified at a location called Golgotha, or Calvary.

President Catherine Connolly: 'These seven members bring a unique expertise and range of experience to the Council of State.' Photograph: Charles McQuillan/GettyPresident Catherine Connolly has appointed academics, legal experts and activists in the areas of human rights and the Irish language as members of the Council of State. The President appoints seven members of the Council of State, which also has members including current and former taoisigh and chief justices. Another Council of State appointee, Colin Harvey, is a professor of human rights law at Queen’s University Belfast and a Commissioner on the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission. She previously served as a member of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) from 2020 to 2025.

Jet fuel supplies could be disrupted in May and June if the war in Iran continues, Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has said. Ryanair chief executive Mr O’Leary told Sky News that disruption to jet fuel supplies was not expected until May. He said that Ryanair has already bought 80% of its fuel, but that rising fuel prices have resulted in aviation fuel costs doubling to $150 a barrel. He has his finger on the pulse of this,” Mr O'Brien said. When asked whether people will be advised to holiday at home, Mr O’Brien said the Government is “not looking at curtailing travel at this stage”.

A number of jobs are under threat in County Roscommon following Ladbrokes decision to close 39 of its 100 betting shops in Ireland. The UK firm has a number of shops operating in the county, including in Castlerea and Ballaghaderreen. It’s understood that the betting group has started the process of informing staff of its proposal. It's understood that that the planned closures are due to sustained cost pressures, changes in customer behaviour and the growing competitive threat from the unlicensed market. The company said it is continually reviewing its retail estate to ensure our business remains competitive and financially sustainable.

The 2026 National Sheep Welfare Scheme (NSWS) is now open for applications. The 2026 NSWS, which has an approved budget of €22m, is a continuation and expansion of a similar scheme that operated in 2025. The minister said: “The scheme launched today is separate from, but complements, the multi-annual Sheep Improvement Scheme (SIS) funded under Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan until 2027. Applications for the 2026 NSWS must be submitted before midnight on May 15, 2026 and can be made by a farmer or an approved FAS advisor acting on their behalf, via the agfood portal. The full terms and conditions of the National Sheep Welfare Scheme (NSWS) and other relevant scheme information are available on the department website.

Niall Horan announces extra Dublin show as part of UK and European tourKenneth FoxIrish popstar Niall Horan has announced an extra show at the 3Arena in Dublin as part of his UK and European tour. The former One Direction member was meant to play two nights of his 'Dinner Party' Live On Tour, but will now play three instead. Horan will play back to back show on November 9th and 10th, as well as a show on the 12th. The tour, named for his new album, Dinner Party, the UK and European leg will kick off on September 22nd, 2026, at Utilita Arena in Birmingham, and include shows at London’s O2 Arena, Dublin’s 3Arena, Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam, and Paris’ Accor Arena. There’s something about sharing a table that feels like sharing a future, and Dinner Party brings the listener into that experience with warmth, wit, and sincerity.

If memory serves, my Honda 50 did about 90 miles to the gallon, so the mileage I got paid for work trips was highly profitable. As a result, my investment in my Honda 50 secured a much greater rate of return than have the pension contributions I’ve been making in the decades since. That said, the Honda would probably be viewed by pension experts as a high-risk investment – and the truth is it didn’t survive my return to Dublin. Indeed, its demise and my return to Dublin are intimately related events, but I don’t intend to tell that story here for reasons of personal standing. As an undergraduate I did, for a time, have the use of a Yamaha 180, another machine, like the Honda 50, that was so reliable and was so uncool it almost was cool.

Japanese football fans have been praised for their 'class' and 'respect' after cleaning up after themselves following their team's victory over England at Wembley yesterday. The smattering of Japanese fans who witnessed a huge victory for their nation earned further credit by tidying up the away section before leaving Wembley and heading into central London. Hajime Moriyasu's team faced Scotland on Saturday night at Hampden Park, where fans also left their section of the national stadium spotless at full-time. They were lauded for their tidiness during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar too, cleaning up after themselves following their landmark 2-1 victory over Germany. 'It's not just part of the football culture but part of Japanese culture,' he said.

IN THE space of four days, commentating on the Ireland U20’s win over Scotland that delivered a Triple Crown and second place in their Six Nations championship followed by PBC’s emphatic victory over St Munchin’s in the Munster Schools Senior Cup final, I left Musgrave Park with a profound sense of hope for an ailing province badly in need of emerging talent. In a seriously concerning period for Munster Rugby, the state of which grows more exasperating by the day, green shoots are visible on the horizon.