Easter weekend train services in Offaly to be affected by Irish Rail worksIrish Rail has given notice that train services to and from Offaly over the coming Easter bank holiday weekend will be severely impacted by works being carried out between Galway and Portarlington. Services will be affected from this Friday evening (Good Friday, April 3) up to and including the morning of Easter Monday (April 6). During that period no passenger trains will operate between Dublin and Galway - instead rail services to stations such as Clara and Tullamore will be replaced by bus transfers between Dublin and Galway, with these operating to a revised schedule. "We don't schedule works at St Patrick's weekend, which is particularly important for tourism. However the February, Easter, May, June, August and October Bank Holidays are often used for works," it stated.

This is the moment a woman landed herself in A&E after fracturing her shoulder when falling into a recycling bin as she cleaned it out. Jane Green, 63, was mid-soaping down and washing the receptacle on her drive when its wheels rolled out from underneath her, crashing into the ground. Ms Green’s fall comes just as the government’s new Simpler Recycling policy is due to be implemented on March 31. Instead, homes will get four bins designated for residual waste, food waste, paper and card, and all other dry recyclable materials. Items including candles, drinking glasses, irons, pips, kettles, sawdust and wet wipes must not be thrown in the recycling by residents.

Ironically, with the advent of the camera-phone, we’re taking more and more photos but looking at them less and less. I really, really do. However, there are limits to the useful, life-enhancing, knowledge-gleaning functions our phones so wonderfully provide. The function in question, which fails on all accounts listed above, is its capacity to record events, public events, for posterity. Not so long ago, a friend sent around a recording taken at a live gig.

A new State-backed savings scheme will only charge tax on people’s savings when their balance surpasses a certain threshold, Tánaiste Simon Harris will say on Tuesday. The Tánaiste will say that “Ireland still does not have a sufficiently diversified savings and investment culture”. Too much of people’s hard-earned savings remains in low-yield deposits, where inflation can erode value over time. Mr Harris told the Cabinet last week that a capital gains tax will not be applied to income generated through the new Government investment scheme. The scheme is set to emulate a Swedish savings scheme known as Investeringssparkonto (ISK).

Athlone train station, where bus transfers will be in effect for all Dublin to Galway services this Friday night, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday morning. Athlone Easter weekend train services to be severely affected by Irish Rail worksIrish Rail has given notice that train services to and from Athlone over the coming Easter bank holiday weekend will be severely impacted by works being carried out between Galway and Portarlington. During that period, no passenger trains will operate between Dublin and Galway - instead rail services will be replaced by bus transfers between Dublin and Galway, with these operating to a revised schedule. On the Dublin to Westport line, bus transfers will be in effect between Dublin and Athlone, with these, again, operating to a revised schedule. It means the only trains serving Athlone between Good Friday evening and Easter Monday morning will be operating between Athlone and Westport.

Tiger Woods' ex-wife Elin Nordegren has been left 'concerned' about the golf legend following his shocking DUI arrest. The source told the outlet: 'The kids are close with Tiger, so of course Elin cares too. 'Elin's concerned that he had another car crash and got arrested,' they added. At the end of February, Woods and Nordegren were reunited as the proud parents supported their son Charlie following his latest golfing achievement. Join the debate Should Tiger Woods put his family’s well-being ahead of his personal independence and privacy?

A veterinary inspection has been ordered before a case of serious animal welfare breaches on a Gorey farm can be finalised by Judge John Cheatle. Garda Sergeant Victor Isdell gave evidence at Gorey District Court that gardaí had received calls in relation to animal carcasses on lands in Gorey. At the lands, owned by Tom Ellis (55) of Ballyellis, Goery, Wexford, a total of 250 animal carcasses were found, mostly sheep. The court heard that since the incident Ellis has engaged with mental health services, attended animal welfare courses and had €2,000 available to donate to an animal welfare charity. However, Judge Cheatle said he was not satisfied the matter could be finalised at this stage, describing it as the worst animal welfare case he had seen in his lifetime.

Qatar Airways travel updateQatar Airways told passengers: “Qatar Airways has published its latest revised schedule, reflecting the gradual increase in flights to and from Doha. The latest update, valid until April 15, provides additional frequencies to more than 90 destinations across Qatar Airways’ global network. “Please be sure to check the Qatar Airways website or app and ensure your contact details are correct and updated.”You can view the 90 destinations here. The return service will continue to operate direct from Paris to Perth until May.”Emirates travel updateFollowing the partial reopening of regional airspace, Emirates is operating a “reduced flight schedule”. British Airways travel updateIn their latest update from March 16, British Airways told its passengers it has extended the temporary reduction in its flying schedule due to “continuing uncertainty”.

The national minimum wage has increased every year from 2015 to 2025 from €8.65 an hour to €13.50 an hour. The level of increases to the minimum wage varied each year but regardless of the size of the increase the ESRI found that there was no pattern with respect to the magnitude of the minimum wage increase. “In some years, the minimum wage increase was relatively large, while in other years it was small. However, larger minimum wage increases over this period did not coincide with a higher likelihood of minimum wage employees becoming unemployed,” the report said. The ESRI did acknowledge that the minimum wage increases that it focused on for this study coincided with a period of strong economic growth and low unemployment.

Ben White gets green light to start vs Japan as Thomas Tuchel admits England concernArsenal defender Ben White made his England return as a substitute in the draw with Uruguay when some supporters booed him onto the field, but he is set to start against JapanView Image Ben White is back in the England fold after being recalled by Thomas TuchelBen White has been given the green light to start against Japan - even after being booed by England fans. ‌Arsenal defender White made his first appearance for England in three-and-a-half years against Uruguay after quitting the World Cup in 2022. ‌England boss Tuchel said: “He has our support and I think he feels our support and the support from the group. He was good, again good in training and good in the group.”‌Tuchel's forward concernsTuchel has admitted that he is concerned about the output of his forwards. Japan are 19th in the FIFA rankings while England’s first World Cup opponents Croatia are 11th.

Double cop-killer Dezi Freeman, 56, spent 216 days on the run before he was shot dead in a hail of bullets following a three-hour standoff with police on Monday. Victoria Police Special Operations Group found the fugitive hiding in a shipping container on a Thologolong property, near Walwa, on the Victoria-NSW border. An investigation has been launched into those who may have helped Freeman remain on the run. He warned anyone who helped Freeman faced a significant stint in jail. 'That's a really important question and a really important fact that our investigators will work their way through,' Police Commissioner Bush conceded.

A killer who evaded capture for 40 years was finally unmasked after investigators detected his saliva on the seal of a fake confession letter. 'The deceased should have been safe in your company,' Justice Joseph McGrath said as he handed down the sentence. Ms Fulton, a 39-year-old mother-of-four in 1986, had started divorce proceedings in the year before her death, Justice McGrath said. 'You had a motive to kill,' Justice McGrath said. 'Shortly after you arrived at home, you killed the deceased,' Justice McGrath said.

Three bidders remain in contention to buy PTSB, with American private-equity firms now competing against the Austrian bank Bawag. Earlier this month PTSB confirmed that Bawag was one of “a number of parties” participating. Lone Star was among the most active buyers of distressed Irish property assets following the financial crash of 2008-2010. Two years ago Lone Star sold the Irish property business Quintain to another Texas firm, TPG, for about €200m. Sixth Street, with which it is partnering to bid for PTSB, is an active private-equity investor in football.

Arnold Schwarzenegger has received an honorary doctorate degree from Ulster University (UU) in Belfast, Northern Ireland. At the time, he held up his honorary doctorate from Trump University and said: 'This is nothing. I could never have dreamed that I would be back here all these years later to receive an honorary doctorate from Ulster University. That is why institutions like Ulster University are so important — this is where you build your knowledge, your confidence, and your future. 'I want to say thank you to Ulster University, the Vice-Chancellor and the Chancellor for this honorary degree.

Prince Harry and other famous names are seeking 'very substantial' damages over claims of wrong-doing by newspapers, the High Court heard on Monday. Harry and six other public figures – including Baroness Lawrence, mother of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence – are all seeking damages over allegations of unlawful information gathering. In written legal submissions, Mr White said the privacy claim was part of a 'political campaign' by Press reform group Hacked Off. Claimants in the case include musician Sir Elton John, actress Liz Hurley and Baroness Lawrence, 73, who Mr White described as a 'trophy claimant' for the group. The judge told Mr Sherborne: 'It is for you to demonstrate that there has been a wrong.'