Living with Alzheimer’s disease: ‘I feel for our children and seeing them cope is the hardest thing for me’
Living with Alzheimer’s disease: ‘I feel for our children and seeing them cope is the hardest thing for me’Seán McNally was just 59 years old when he was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. As a new TG4 documentary charts his struggles, his wife Emer tells Arlene Harris about the effect it’s had on their family – and how they stay positiveSeán and Emer McNally feature in TG4's documentary 'Néaltrú – An Scriosadh Mall'. Photo: TG4Arlene Harris Today at 06:30According to The Alzheimer Society of Ireland, there are currently over 64,000 people living with dementia in Ireland and over 4,000 of those have an early-onset form of the condition, which means they were diagnosed under the age of 65.
Source:Irish Independent
January 30, 2026 11:36 UTC
Here’s a holiday hack I’ll be repeating next year – and it included a flight for €15pp
Instead of booking lengthy trips over Christmas, you could save hundreds by jetting off in January next yearThere are some people, including myself, whose office or business doesn’t shut down for a fortnight, and while it seemed like the whole world was enjoying an endless round of parties and get-togethers over the festive period, my husband and I were working right up until Christmas Day, then, after a few days off, were back at the coal face again until New Year’s Day.
Source:Irish Independent
January 30, 2026 11:33 UTC
From schoolmaster’s house to bachelor pad to dream home for long lost lovers in Kildare
Desmond Courtney lived alone in an old schoolmaster’s house for 20 years – until a romantic reconnection changed everythingAsking price: €689,950Agent: Sherry FitzGerald McDermott (045) 531 423When Desmond Courtney bought The Schoolmaster’s House in Ireland’s horse heartland in 2002, he turned it into a “bachelor pad”. A bathroom at The Schoolmasters' House, Brannockstown, Kilcullen, Co Kildare“During the pandemic in 2020, I randomly contacted Desmond on social media. The living room of The Schoolmasters' House, Brannockstown, Kilcullen, Co Kildare“I did a full revamp of the house, including colour schemes, floors, doors, and finishes, and oversaw the restoration of original features. The kitchen of The Schoolmasters' House, Brannockstown, Kilcullen, Co KildareThe kitchen was painted deep racing green, to go with the terracotta tiled floor. The dining area of The Schoolmasters' House, Brannockstown, Kilcullen, Co KildareOutside, the house and garden have “rich land”.
Source:Irish Independent
January 30, 2026 11:33 UTC
Donal O’Donovan: Only in Ireland could data show we’re simultaneously in a boom and a recession – what’s really going on?
Donal O’Donovan: Only in Ireland could data show we’re simultaneously in a boom and a recession – what’s really going on? Sometimes you must look past the quirks of the figures to see the real picturePharma giants play an important role the Irish economy. Stock image. Photo: GettyDonal O'Donovan Today at 06:30Ireland’s maddeningly hard-to-credit economic data has done it again. The Irish economy grew faster than anywhere else in Europe last year, but we ended 2025 in a technical recession.
Source:Irish Independent
January 30, 2026 11:33 UTC
Peaceful, light-filled Blackrock home restored by architects with large ‘suntrap’ garden
They found San Antonio, a double-fronted 668 sq ft semi-detached home, built circa 1950s, quite quickly. The kitchen of San Antonio, 7 St Fintan’s Villas, Blackrock, Co DublinIt was not habitable, however. The garden of San Antonio, 7 St Fintan’s Villas, Blackrock, Co DublinIn addition, they rewired and re-plumbed the house, and installed provision for electric charging of a car. In addition, they restored a plaque with ‘San Antonio’, the name of the house, which hangs at the front. The back of the garden at San Antonio, 7 St Fintan’s Villas, Blackrock, Co DublinThe house is located across the road from Deansgrange graveyard.
Source:Irish Independent
January 30, 2026 11:32 UTC
One in 12 teens aged 15-19 have attempted suicide
One in 12 Irish teenagers aged 15-19 have attempted suicide in their lifetime, while more than a 10th have repeatedly self-harmed, a new report has found. They did find that teens do not have the same poor mental health in recent years than they did during the pandemic. One in 12 reported having attempted suicide in their lifetime, and one in five reported poor mental health. Trans and gender-diverse young people reported the highest rates of poor mental health at 52%, as well as for repetitive self-harm, at 44%, and suicide attempts, at 23%. 'It’s really hard to hear'Professor Mary Cannon, Professor of Psychiatric Epidemiology and Youth Mental Health at RCSI, described some findings as worrying.
Source:Irish Examiner
January 30, 2026 11:30 UTC
An unsettling natural hazard: Here's everything you need to know about sinkholes
Sinkholes are among the most unsettling natural hazards because they offer no drama beforehand. They require the right rock, the right water chemistry, the right underground space and just enough time. The entire state sits on limestone bedrock, a rock type that dissolves slowly when exposed to weakly acidic groundwater. China’s sinkholes have become landscapesSinkhole in Guangxi, ChinaIn southern China, sinkholes operate on an entirely different scale. Irish limestone is relatively shallow, limiting the size of underground cavities that can develop.
Source:Irish Examiner
January 30, 2026 11:19 UTC
From a 17-year-old history maker to a three-time Olympian – meet Team Ireland for next month’s Winter Olympics
Team Ireland athletes, from left, freestyle half-pipe skiier Ben Lynch, alpine skiiers Cormac Comerford and Anabelle Zurbay and cross-country skiier Thomas Maloney Westgaard ahead of the Winter Olympic Games in Bolzano, Italy. Photo by David Fitzgerald/SportsfileTeam Ireland have confirmed a four-strong squad for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, which get under way on Friday, February 6. Anabelle Zurbay – Alpine SkiingTeenager Anabelle Zurbay has been selected for the alpine skiing events, competing in both slalom and giant slalom, with the latter her preferred discipline. Based in Colorado, Zurbay is the youngest member of the Irish team and will make history as the youngest Irish athlete ever to compete in Olympic alpine skiing, having turned 17 last December. “Most of my teachers are pretty accommodating with my busy schedule.”Ben Lynch – Freestyle SkiingBen Lynch will represent Ireland in the freestyle skiing halfpipe.
Source:Irish Independent
January 30, 2026 11:07 UTC
Galway’s Town Hall Theatre marks 30 years
TUAM native Fergal McGrath, Manager of Galway’s Town Hall Theatre finds he learns something there every day.Photo: Ray RyanGalway’s Town Hall Theatre marks 30 yearsTHE building housing Galway’s Town Hall Theatre has had many uses over the past 200 years — a courthouse, a dance venue, a town hall and even a boxing arena. This weekend its life as the heart of the arts in Galway reaches its 30th anniversary. The major refurbishment of the Town Hall Theatre was officially opened by then Minister for the Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht, and Galway West TD, Michael D Higgins on February 1, 1996. Little did anyone attending on that day contemplate that he would go on to serve as President of Ireland for two terms. Read the full story in this week's edition of The Tuam Herald, on sale in shops or buy our digital edition here
Source:The Herald
January 30, 2026 11:03 UTC
Storm Chandra floods made three times more likely by climate change
Cleaning up after Storm Chandra flood damage in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford. Photograph: Dara Mac DónaillClimate change made this week’s floods almost three times more likely to occur, analysis by Maynooth University and Met Éireann has found. The researchers said the high volume of rain that fell in the seven days up to and including Storm Chandra turned the heavy but “not particularly remarkable” rainfall during the storm into a “devastating” flood event. “Storm Chandra hit the eastern Irish coast when soils were saturated and rivers high after several days of high rainfall,” they said. [ ‘No one was pumping the water’: Rathfarnham deals with Storm Chandra aftermathOpens in new window ]The attribution study then found climate change made the rainfall and flooding that followed twice as likely.
Source:The Irish Times
January 30, 2026 11:02 UTC
More rain warnings in Ireland bring risk of flooding on already saturated ground
Met Eireann extended the rainfall warning it and will come into effect from noon for counties Dublin, Carlow, Kilkenny, Louth, Waterford, Wexford, and Wicklow. In Northern Ireland, there is a yellow-level warning for rain in place until 6pm on Friday, bringing a risk of further flooding and travel disruption. It comes as communities in Wexford and south Dublin reel after flooding during the week, forcing families to flee their homes and damaging businesses. Clean-up operations continued amid the threat of more rain in some of the worst-affected towns, like Enniscorthy and Aughrim, and areas in South Dublin. The scale of the flooding in some areas has heaped pressure on forecaster Met Eireann, the Government and local authorities over whether the warnings were sufficient.
Source:The Herald
January 30, 2026 10:53 UTC
Robbie Keane reacts to possible Europa League Celtic reunion
Celtic know they will face either Keane's Ferencvaros or Stuttgart in the knockout round. For Keane, going up against his former club and former boss O'Neill would be a special occasion. Speaking on TNT Sports, he said: "Well, obviously the connection to Celtic, of course, I played there. Read more:"Ludogorets we've played and we've done well against them. Ferencvaros ended the league phase in 12th position, with Celtic finishing 21st in the table.
Source:The Herald
January 30, 2026 10:49 UTC
Adrian Weckler: Entering the US set to become an app-based dystopia with social media tracking
Adrian Weckler: Entering the US set to become an app-based dystopia with social media trackingAmerica’s Customs and Border Protection agency – in the news over the shooting of Alex Pretti – has beefed up its digital tracking of visitorsBig brother: The US wants to compile much thicker files on us, before and after we arrive there. Photo: GettyAdrian Weckler Today at 06:30Travelling to the US could soon become an app-based dystopia where facial scans and social media tracking are the norm.
Source:Irish Independent
January 30, 2026 10:45 UTC
Man Utd can now save millions on 'admired' manager candidate thanks to Jose Mourinho
And a famous Jose Mourinho victory may have provided Red Devils fans something to smile about amidst the club's absence. Benfica's encounter with Real Madrid at the Estadio da Luz was a sight to behold on Wednesday evening. While Real Madrid looked likely to also secure their place in the round of 16 headed into their match with a struggling Benfica, fate had other plans for Alvaro Arbeloa. View 3 Images Anatoliy Trubin scored a dramatic winner for Benfica (Image: AFP via Getty Images)FOLLOW OUR MAN UNITED FB PAGE! Should United determine they favour the current Marseille manager over Glasner or alternative candidates, Mourinho may have just assisted his former employers.
Source:Daily Mirror
January 30, 2026 10:43 UTC
The Rossies in action this weekend: all you need to know
The county men’s senior footballers and intermediate ladies’ footballers continue their respective league campaign this weekend. Here are all the details. SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 1STAllianz Football League Division OneAt King and Moffatt Dr. Hyde Park: Roscommon v Monaghan, 2 p.m. (S. Hurson)Lidl LGFA Division Three LeagueAt Tempo Maguires, Enniskillen: Fermanagh v Roscommon, 2 p.m. (A. Campbell)
Source:The Herald
January 30, 2026 10:35 UTC