Bridgerton star Yerin Ha says ‘magical’ new series is ‘a real Cinderella story’
Bridgerton star Yerin Ha says ‘magical’ new series is ‘a real Cinderella story’By Carla Feric, Press Association Entertainment ReporterBridgerton star Yerin Ha described the latest series of the Regency romance show as “so magical”, adding that it is “a real Cinderella story”. The hit costume drama is based on a series of books of the same name by Julia Quinn, and follows the eight siblings of the Bridgerton family in their quest to find love. Yerin Ha and Luke Thompson star in the latest season of Bridgerton as Sophie Baek and Benedict Bridgerton (Ian West/PA) Photo by Ian WestSpeaking to the Press Association, Ha said: “I remember at the reading, the way everybody was reacting to the scenes. “She’s desperate and she’s surviving and it’s really cut through society, so she’s trying to maintain her reputation, while having this dark secret that she can’t reveal. “There’s a lot at stake for her.”Four episodes of series four of Bridgerton were released on Netflix on January 29th.
Source:Irish Independent
January 29, 2026 13:00 UTC
Xabi Alonso gets ringing endorsement from Liverpool team-mate over job – 'Change needed'
Xabi Alonso gets ringing endorsement from Liverpool team-mate over job – 'Change needed'Ex-Spain and Bayern Munich star Javi Martinez has endorsed Xabi Alonso to become Liverpool manager, with reports continuing to heavily link the former Reds midfielder with the Anfield postView 3 Images Javi Martinez believes Xabi Alonso would be the perfect fit for Liverpool. Javi Martinez has backed Xabi Alonso to take over as Liverpool manager, insisting the Reds require a shake-up. Arne Slot is facing mounting pressure on Merseyside with the Premier League champions languishing in sixth place and confronting a fight to secure Champions League qualification for next season. The former Liverpool midfielder was sacked by Real Madrid at the start of January after their Supercopa final loss to Barcelona. "Xabi Alonso is a young coach that brings a lot of new things, it's [from] the Pep [Guardiola] school.
Source:Daily Mirror
January 29, 2026 12:50 UTC
More than 36,000 homes completed in 2025
More than 36,000 homes completed in 2025By Cillian Sherlock, Press AssociationNew dwelling completions rose by more than 20 per cent last year, with 2025 seeing the highest number of completions since the Central Statistics Office tracked the figures in 2011. The new data from the CSO shows there were 36,284 new dwelling completions in 2025, an increase of 20.4 per cent from 2024. The number of apartments completed in 2025 was 12,047, up 38.7 per cent on last year. By Local Electoral Area, the most completions in 2025 were in Clondalkin in Dublin, with 1,399. That plan, announced in November, saw the scrapping of annual targets set by the last coalition, which set incremental increases from 41,000 homes in 2025 up to 60,000 in 2030.
Source:Irish Independent
January 29, 2026 12:31 UTC
An hour and a half of sunshine in a week? No wonder Irish weather chat has intensified – The Irish Times
And with each gloomy day the Irish obsession with weather has reached new heights. At the time of writing, there have been a total of 1.5 hours of sunshine recorded at Dublin Airport weather station over the past week, that includes four days with zero sunshine. An Irish therapist living in the United States writes about how his gay and immigrant clients were growing more and more anxious in Trump’s America. Nice words, comforting words, challenging words, but even I know they are just words, and words often can’t stop or delay the inevitable. Buckley is well-placed to become the first Irish woman ever to win the best actress prize, writes Donald Clarke.
Source:The Irish Times
January 29, 2026 12:24 UTC
Ireland ended 2025 in technical recession, CSO data indicates
Ireland’s economy shrank in the last three months of 2025, according to early estimates from the statistics agency. The latest GDP decline was mainly driven by contraction in the multinational dominated Industry sector, the CSO said. That will be clearer when the more definitive Quarterly National Accounts are published in early March, which drawn on additional data sources. Regardless of the final numbers for Q4 the Irish economy grew strongly in 2025 as a whole, in GDP terms. GDP is the standard measure used to compare economies but in the case of Ireland it is volatile even at the best of tines because of the outsized impact of multinationals.
Source:Irish Independent
January 29, 2026 12:12 UTC
Figure skater’s against-the-odds Olympic qualification a fitting tribute to late parents – The Irish Times
Maxim Naumov after skating in the Legacy On Ice US Figure Skating Benefit in Washington in March, 2025. His coach had a notion that the two should work on a few routines to see if they might make a potentially great figure skating pairs team representing the Soviet Union. Evgenia 'Zhenya' Shishkova and Vadim Naumov perform at the 1995 World Figure Skating Championships in Birmingham, UK. “It’s all about being resilient,” said Maxim Naumov shortly before competing at this year’s US Figure Skating Championships in St Louis, Missouri. For the free-skate performance that clinched his place at the Olympics, Naumov chose The Irrepressibles’ In This Shirt as his musical accompaniment.
Source:The Irish Times
January 29, 2026 12:00 UTC
Two people killed in separate incidents on Ireland’s roads on Wednesday evening
In Co Laois, a pedestrian aged in his 70s was struck by a car, while a man in his 30s died following a single vehicle road crash in Co Monaghan. The incident involving the pedestrian happened at approximately 7pm yesterday evening on Main Street in Abbeyleix, Co Laois. Gardaí and emergency services arrived at the scene of a collision involving a car and a pedestrian on Wednesday evening. Meanwhile, a motorist in his 30s has died following a single vehicle road crash in Co Monaghan. Anyone with information is asked to contact Monaghan Garda Station on (047) 77200, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.
Source:Irish Independent
January 29, 2026 11:53 UTC
What does the US want from Iran?
Speaking beside Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu in Florida, Trump said if Iran was working to build up again “we’ll knock the hell out of them. After Netanyahu suggested that Iran may be attempting to rebuild its nuclear programme, the country’s foreign minister called for renewed talks with the US. January 6th: ‘Make Iran Great Again’Days after Trump launched strikes on Venezuela and captured the country’s president Nicolás Maduro, Trump was pictured posing with a “Make Iran Great Again” hat. With protests in Iran spreading and reports of dozens dead, Trump again said that if Tehran “violently kills peaceful protesters” the US would “come to their rescue”. The speaker of Iran’s parliament warned that Israeli and US interests in the Middle East would be “legitimate targets” if Washington attacked Iran.
Source:The Irish Times
January 29, 2026 11:49 UTC
The Irish Independent’s View: Every storm exposes new weaknesses – we must find better responses
And it didn’t take long for Housing Minister James Browne to declare that Met Éireann will be held accountable for its role in not providing timely alerts about storms. But any implication someone in Met Éireann is secreting away intelligence about what’s coming at us from out of the heavens is risible. Climate change has not occurred overnight and this is purportedly the age of communications, after all. Keith Lambkin, Met Éireann’s head of climate services, said climate change has caused our rainfall to increase by 7pc. We are all too painfully familiar with climate change, but what about a step change in government response?
Source:Irish Independent
January 29, 2026 11:33 UTC
How your county is weighing in on fighting climate change
But climate change is not just about weather. In Weathering Change: Your County’s Climate Story, the Irish Independent examines the major climate risks facing each county, and assesses how the county and city councils are living up to their plans. It’s getting hot in hereEurope’s Copernicus Climate Change Service recently added 2025 to the top three hottest years since human records began. The climate expert rarely misses a UN global climate conference. So, while climate change is not just about weather, much of the response to climate change by councils around the country deals with the effects of climate change, rather than tackling the causes.
Source:Irish Independent
January 29, 2026 11:33 UTC
Rob Kearney: ‘Judging it by today’s laws, the game would have had six red cards and 13 yellows. That just about sums it up’
Rob Kearney: ‘Judging it by today’s laws, the game would have had six red cards and 13 yellows. Photo: SportsfileRob Kearney Today at 06:301 I love golf, football and GAA, but all my big sporting memories and matches that jump out are rugby. The earliest one is a Schools Cup match from 1997: Clongowes Wood College versus Blackrock College. It was the semi-final of the Leinster Senior Cup. My oldest brother, Richard, was playing openside flanker for Clongowes.
Source:Irish Independent
January 29, 2026 11:32 UTC
Concern as 43,000 young people in Ireland now living with alcohol dependency amid ‘surge’ in youth drinking
Concern as 43,000 young people in Ireland now living with alcohol dependency amid ‘surge’ in youth drinkingAlcohol Action Ireland has called on the Government to take meaningful actionThe report found one in three young drinkers had alcohol-use disorder. Photo: GettyDarragh Nolan Today at 06:30There are 43,000 young people in Ireland living with alcohol dependence, according to a new report.
Source:Irish Independent
January 29, 2026 11:32 UTC
‘When worrying about bills or rent, you’re not in salad mode’: Why Ireland’s health gap between rich and poor is becoming a chasm
‘When worrying about bills or rent, you’re not in salad mode’: Why Ireland’s health gap between rich and poor is becoming a chasmWhile the wealthy are leading healthier lifestyles, the less well off have fewer safe spaces to be physically active and greater exposure to junk food – leaving Ireland on course to become Europe’s most obese country‘The culture of exercise is shifting’: There are now far more avenues of accessible types of exercise, but many can be expensive. Photo: GettyDanielle Barron Today at 06:30The statistics don’t lie – Ireland is getting healthier. We are living longer, alcohol consumption is down, and self-reported health outcomes are up.
Source:Irish Independent
January 29, 2026 11:31 UTC
FIVE Premier League clubs learn potential Champions League last-16 opponents after finishing in top eight as Newcastle are forced into play-offs with Real Madrid and PSG on dramatic final day
England's Champions League clubs have learned their potential last 16 opponents after five of them finished in the top eight to automatically qualify. Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea, and Manchester City are all through to the last 16, leaving only Newcastle to negotiate the play-offs. And Manchester City - who just made the last 16 by finishing eighth - will play Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Bodo/Glimt, or Benfica in the knockout stages after beating Galatasaray 2-0. Real Madrid - 15pts 10. In terms of big play-off ties, Mourinho could face Real Madrid again with Benfica - having just defeated them 4-2 in Lisbon.
Source:Daily Mail
January 29, 2026 11:29 UTC
Crews working to fix boiler pipe at St. Joseph high rise building
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Source:The Herald
January 29, 2026 11:02 UTC