Drones, cars and dogs running off the lead can tip the balance against shorebirds’ survival
The source of the disturbance, two dogs off the lead, splashed out into the water to disperse the last of the swimming gulls. The main causes of disturbance to shorebirds are people and their dogs. The use of drones in coastal areas may be a similar threat as birds often regard these in the same way as they do birds of prey. But training and use of a lead by the owner will ensure that, in sensitive areas, dogs can be controlled and disturbance avoided. These have the potential to reduce the pressure on waterbirds and other wildlife at important sites on the coast.
Source:The Irish Times
November 08, 2025 09:06 UTC
‘Make them see something’: Political communication skills, from Ivan Yates to Zohran Mamdani
It was the revelation that in late September he had given four hours’ media training to the Fianna Fáil candidate Jim Gavin that spelt trouble for him. He was dropped as co-host of the Path to Power political podcast, co-presented with journalist and broadcaster Matt Cooper, as a consequence. It later emerged that Yates had given extensive media training to Fianna Fáil TDs over the past few years, bringing an inevitable focus on what that training actually involved. Photograph: Alan BetsonLorcan Nyhan is head of training at The Communications Clinic, one of the leading companies in this area. Asked about the winning candidate’s preparations for the election, a spokeswoman said Connolly received no media training other than prepping with her campaign team.
Source:The Irish Times
November 08, 2025 09:03 UTC
Musk plans potential Tesla-Intel partnership
Tesla is designing its fifth-generation AI chip to power its autonomous ambitions, and Musk at the company’s annual meeting laid out potential manufacturing plans. “You know, maybe we’ll, we’ll do something with Intel,” Musk said to a cheering crowd of Tesla shareholders. Musk has teased the AI5 chip before and reiterated that Tesla was also partnering with Taiwan’s TSMC and South Korea’s Samsung. The AI chips power Tesla’s autonomous driving systems, including the Full Self-Driving software. “Even when we extrapolate the best-case scenario for chip production from our suppliers, it’s still not enough,” he said on Thursday.
Source:The Irish Times
November 08, 2025 09:03 UTC
Put down the rake: Why you should leave your garden to nature this autumn
The result is that leaving faded flower stems to overwinter and fallen leaves to rot down is no longer disapproved of by the majority of gardeners. Instead, it’s seen as a practical, pain-free, eminently nature-friendly and decorative way to support biodiversity, providing food and shelter for garden wildlife when it’s most needed. For example, the ripe seed heads of many different kinds of popular garden plants, such as varieties of echinacea, eryngium, rudbeckia, helianthus, phlomis, aster, teasel and sedum can act as a nutritious, oil-rich winter larder for visiting garden birds. Even the discarded prunings of woody shrubs can offer a valuable overwintering habitat for garden wildlife if left as an undisturbed pile of brushwood in a quiet corner of the garden (for example, behind the garden shed). Just avoid chopping up the pruned material too finely, which would defeat the purpose of it acting as shelter and food for garden wildlife over the winter months.
Source:The Irish Times
November 08, 2025 09:01 UTC
The Irish Times view on debating immigration: complexity must be reflected – The Irish Times
He coupled this with criticism of slow enforcement of deportation orders for those refused international protection. The conflation of the two was unhelpful, particularly against a backdrop of criminal attacks on international protection accommodation centres. Others again are applicants for international protection, often left waiting far too long for a decision while the State struggles to provide adequate accommodation. A substantial number of Ukrainian citizens have also been entitled to temporary protection since the Russian invasion in 2022. In the case of those seeking international or temporary protection, Ireland has both legal obligations and an ethical imperative to offer safety to people fleeing persecution and war.
Source:The Irish Times
November 08, 2025 04:01 UTC
Spain issues fine for AI-generated sexual images in landmark sanction
Photograph: EPASpain’s data-protection agency has issued a fine to a minor who distributed AI-generated nude photographs, in the first case of its kind in the country. The application ClothOff had generated the images, using genuine pictures of the girls when they were clothed. About 20 girls were in the images, which had started to circulate among local children on social media and to be posted on pornographic sites by the time parents were alerted. This is the first time a sanction has been issued for AI-related image manipulation in Spain. The Bill includes raising the age for use of social media to 16 and making parental controls more available on digital devices.
Source:The Irish Times
November 08, 2025 03:31 UTC
Unused gift cards deliver millions in profit for One4all company
The company that sells One4all gift cards in Ireland has reported a profit of €5.8 million last year. GVS Gift Voucher Shop oversees the sale in Ireland of One4all gift cards, which can be purchased online as well as through a number of vendors such as An Post, Tesco and Dealz. Cost of sales increased marginally from €13.2 million to €14.6 million, while administrative expenses fell from €9.1 million to €6.8 million. The directors said they were satisfied with the performance of the company and confident in future turnover and profit growth. The company’s parent is TSC Ventures, which has a number of subsidiaries that sell gift cards in Ireland and the UK.
Source:The Irish Times
November 08, 2025 03:19 UTC
Judge’s link to regulator leads to adjournment of ex-councillor’s charity theft case
The former Cavan councillor, Sean McKiernan, who is in his 40s, is charged with the theft of €172,000 from Navan Mental Health Housing Association Ltd in 2019 and 2020. He has pleaded guilty two charges: the theft of €5,270 from the charity on September 26th, 2019, and theft of €800 from the organisation on April 6th, 2020. When he returned the judge said he was a member of a charitable services committee linked to the Charities Regulator. He said he did not think it would be appropriate for him to continue to deal with the case. The judge adjourned the case at Trim Circuit Court for discussions between prosecuting and defence lawyers.
Source:The Irish Times
November 08, 2025 01:54 UTC
Ireland looking to bounce back and make statement win against Japan
Quilter Autumn Nations Series: Ireland v Japan, Aviva Stadium, Saturday, 12.40pm – Live on RTÉ2 and TNT SportsA rebooted Ireland team have had a reset after last week’s deflating and disappointing defeat to the All Blacks. In normal circumstances therefore, hosting the Brave Blossoms might almost seem anticlimactic, and something of a no-win game, but now it is not only a must-win game, but one Ireland need to win convincingly as well. Ireland captain Caelan Doris. “First day, a little bit challenging, kind of missed the evening scroll a little bit, but by day two, it was great. So trying to get a bit more line speed in this week would be a focus.”Something of a stylistic outlier in the modern game, Japan will be good value for the near full-house.
Source:The Irish Times
November 08, 2025 00:46 UTC
Garda whistleblower says she took work leave as she was ‘terrified’ of new analysis chief
“Things started to deteriorate quite rapidly after Mr Scanlan arrived,” she said. She said Mr Scanlan “seemed to fawn over me” and “became overfamiliar very quickly”. Ms West said Mr Scanlan then failed to attend work the following morning, Tuesday, September 17th. She said it “became clear” that Mr Scanlan’s failure to turn up to work “sent panic through Assistant Commissioner O’Sullivan”. She said it became clear to her upon approaching the officers “that they had a very serious welfare concern” for Mr Scanlan.
Source:The Irish Times
November 07, 2025 23:54 UTC
Alleged Dublin gang leader in custody in organised crime probe
The man arrested on Thursday remains in custody under organised crime legislation. The Dublin man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was detained in Dublin under organised crime legislation as part of an operation targeting a criminal group. The man arrested on Thursday remains in custody under organised crime legislation which allows suspects to be detained for up to seven days. EncroChat was an encrypted messaging network popular among organised criminals due to its perceived secrecy. Some of the material appeared to link the arrested man to organised crime activity, including the murder of Lawlor.
Source:The Irish Times
November 07, 2025 23:23 UTC
Ballet teacher who sexually abused young girls is jailed for seven years
A ballet teacher who recorded himself sexually assaulting two girls in a costume storage room has been jailed for seven years. The charges include two counts of sexual assault against an eight-year-old girl and a nine-year-old girl, exploitation of a child, and possession and production of child sexual abuse material. Judge Garavan said Morrison “robbed these young children of their innocence and childhood”, and the girls will never get over this “appalling abuse”. On a device seized from Morrison’s home, gardaí found more than 1,000 images depicting child sexual activity or exposure. The court heard Morrison had a difficult childhood and had been physically, emotionally and sexually abused.
Source:The Irish Times
November 07, 2025 22:24 UTC
DUP’s Emma Little-Pengelly will not attend Catherine Connolly inauguration
DUP Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly said she had received an invitation but could not accept. Photograph: Stephen Collins/Collins PhotosNorthern Ireland’s Deputy First Minister has said she will not be attending the inauguration of Ireland’s next president, Catherine Connolly. Emma Little-Pengelly said she had received an invitation for the event but added that she had other commitments for Remembrance Day. However, the DUP’s Ms Little-Pengelly has said it will not be possible for her to attend due to other engagements. Both Mr Higgins and Mary McAleese took office on November 11th, which is also Remembrance Day.
Source:The Irish Times
November 07, 2025 22:09 UTC
Woman asks how she can trust men as ‘monster’ father given 12-year sentence for rape
Mr Justice Paul McDermott noted in the Central Criminal Court that the convicted man (51) has not acknowledged any wrongdoing. He was found guilty following a trial last July of five sample counts comprising rape and oral rape on dates between 2012 and 2020. The court heard the girl’s mother and father split up when she and her younger sister were small. Their mother wanted the girls to have a relationship with their father and they visited him at weekends, the court heard. The girl confided in a friend about the abuse and she eventually told her mother what her father was doing to her.
Source:The Irish Times
November 07, 2025 20:43 UTC
No shortage of talent or experience in Ireland XV to face Spain
Spain v Ireland XV, Leganés, Saturday, 4pm Irish time – Live on Rugby Pass TVThere’s enough in the Ireland XV to pique the interest. Top-end pace is a rarity in Irish rugby but in Baloucoune and Shayne Bolton, this team harbours two of the quickest. Kelly won a single senior cap for England but, after the requisite time frame has elapsed, he is once again eligible for Ireland. Scrumhalf Ben Murphy is the fifth member of the backline to have senior Ireland international status, having made his debut during the summer tour. In my school (Terenure), for example, there were swimming, badminton, and Gaelic football teams, but rugby was the most important.
Source:The Irish Times
November 07, 2025 20:30 UTC