“It will be a very gradual easing of restrictions.” Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has said there will be a very gradual easing of restrictions from 5 March, but cautioned it would only happen if case numbers of Covid-19 are low. Varadkar said people should not expect Ireland to jump from Level 5 to Level 3 restrictions […]

5 years ago

It’s Wednesday. Gone are the days when you’d be guaranteed a midweek movie on RTÉ on a Wednesday night. In fact, there’s no movies on Irish channels at all later. So we’ve had to look a little further afield for choices today and the pickings are of the slim variety. Here are the best movies […]

5 years ago

It’s Tuesday. The week began so promisingly with the news it was the last Monday in January. Yes, we take the minor victories where we can these days. While things have deteriorated slightly in the intervening time, we’re not going to let that stop us from bringing you the news of the movies on TV […]

5 years ago

“It does have to be done by agreement.” Schools will reopen on a phased basis in February and early March, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has said. Speaking on Claire Byrne Live on Monday night, Varadkar said the reopening would begin with the return of children with additional needs and would then be followed by primary schools […]

5 years ago

Ah here. A man in his 50s has been arrested and charged in relation to five incidents of theft at churches in Cork. Gardaí in Midleton were alerted to the incidents and after reviewing CCTV footage, observed a man fishing envelopes out of a church donation box. As part of the investigation, Gardaí carried out […]

5 years ago

Even with restrictions extended, Micheál Martin said there will still be a “significant number” of people in hospital at the end of February. The current public health restrictions will remain in place until at least 5 March, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has confirmed. Speaking on Tuesday morning, Martin confirmed media reports about the extension of the […]

5 years ago

The company said the reports were “completely incorrect”. AstraZeneca has defended its Covid-19 vaccine following reports in the German media, quoting unnamed sources in the German government, which expressed doubts over the vaccine’s effectiveness among those aged over 65. On Monday, the Handelsblatt economic daily reported the efficacy of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine had been overestimated […]

5 years ago

“We wouldn’t want to open up flights before Christmas so people who maybe would like to take a summer holiday in August, people maybe would like to see relatives this Christmas they haven’t seen, that would probably be off the agenda.” Passengers arriving into Ireland without a negative PCR test in the 72 hours before […]

5 years ago

It’s Monday. Sound the celebration klaxon, we’ve made it to the last Monday of January. Soon we shall be in February and shortly thereafter, March. It’s at that point you will begin to get reminders and prompts on your phone from our first lockdown last year. Unfortunately, this new virus – which is not just […]

5 years ago

Contact vulnerable friends and family and make them aware of these scams. An Garda Síochána, the HSE and the Department of Health have issued a warning to the public about potential scams relating to the Covid-19 vaccine. Gardaí said members of the public have reported receiving text messages in recent days regarding Covid-19 vaccinations. The […]

5 years ago

“In Ireland, the fallout of the pandemic on employment has disproportionately hit young adults as well as people in low-paid occupations, all of whom are more likely to be paying rent.” The wealth of Ireland’s billionaires increased by €3.28 billion during the Covid-19 pandemic, a new report from Oxfam has claimed. The charity’s Inequality Virus […]

5 years ago

“The figures speak for themselves – showing massive savings for non-smokers when compared with smokers.” A smoker could pay anywhere from €6,000 to €60,000 more than their non-smoking counterpart for life insurance, a new study has revealed. According to figures released today by Royal London, non-smokers benefit from a reduction in life insurance premiums, meaning […]

5 years ago

A Garda was taken to hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries following the incident. A man in his 30s has been arrested following an incident near Tullyearl in Donegal Town on Sunday afternoon, 24 January. Gardaí signalled for a jeep, that appeared to be driving in a dangerous manner, to pull over just after […]

5 years ago

Watch the festival from your sitting room. The Dublin Smartphone Film Festival is now entering its fourth year and remains the only international film festival exclusively for filmmakers using smartphones or tablets. This year’s festival takes place on 30 January and while Covid-19 has meant that no event can take place, there’s still an opportunity […]

5 years ago

They’ve asked people not to order on the app this evening. Some Deliveroo workers in Dublin have said they are taking strike action this evening in protest over their pay and conditions. The workers are seeking increased delivery fees for transporting meals from restaurants and are also seeking new measures to improve their safety while […]

5 years ago

“We are starting to see the first signs of a lower prevalence of the disease in the population.” The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has been notified of 52 additional deaths related to Covid-19. The HPSC said that 50 of these deaths occurred in January. The median age of those who died is 82 years and […]

5 years ago

“The vast majority of people are complying with the non-essential travel regulations. This is very welcome.” An Garda Síochána has said it has issued almost 1,000 fines to members of the public for non-essential travel. As of close of business on Thursday, 21 January, Gardaí have issued 771 fines for non-essential travel while approximately 200 fines […]

5 years ago

A cold one. Met Éireann has extended its snow and ice warning to cover all of Ireland. The Status Yellow snow and ice warning comes into effect at 6pm on Saturday and remains in place until 12pm on Sunday. Met Éireann said there would be falls of rain, sleet and snow which would cause icy […]

5 years ago

The woman remains in a serious condition in hospital. Gardaí have arrested a teenager following a serious assault on a woman in Dublin on Wednesday night (20 January). The juvenile is currently detained at Store Street Garda station under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984. The woman in her 40s was serious assaulted […]

5 years ago

It’s *checks notes* Thursday. It’s January and we’re in the midst of some Level 5 restrictions. It’s a tough time for many so here’s some handy numbers that may be of use to you or others. Samaritans: 116 123 Aware: 1800 804 848 Pieta House: 1800 247 247 Jigsaw: 1800 544729 Alone: 0818 222 024 […]

5 years ago

Ireland is on course to meet its initial vaccination target of 140,000 healthcare staff and long-term care home residents by Sunday. Every citizen in Ireland will be offered a Covid-19 vaccine by September, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has said. Speaking in the Dáil on Thursday, Donnelly set out a more optimistic timeline to have […]

5 years ago

Exotic has since claimed he was “too GAY” to be pardoned. Tiger King star Carole Baskin has said she is “thankful” that her rival Joe Exotic did not receive a pardon from Donald Trump, which is understandable considering he did attempt to have her killed. Exotic is currently serving a 22-year prison sentence in Fort […]

5 years ago

“It is important to state that there are no plans to legalise cannabis in this country.” Funding has been made available for a programme to provide cannabis-based medical products to patients in Ireland. The programme, which will begin later this year the Department of Health said, will be added to the HSE Service Plan 2021. […]

5 years ago

He signed them on Wednesday. Joe Biden began his presidency on Wednesday by signing a number of executive orders on a host of issues, including Covid-19, the environment, immigration and ethics. In his initial acts as the 46th US president, he signed no less than 15 executive orders – the first of which were targeted […]

5 years ago

Take note. Two separate snow and ice warnings have been issued for seven counties ahead of a colder spell of weather beginning today (Wednesday, 20 January). Met Éireann issued a Status Yellow snow and ice warning for Wicklow which is in effect from 10am on Wednesday until 7pm on Wednesday evening. It warned that sleet […]

5 years ago

Stolen vehicles were discovered at the scrapyard. Three men have been arrested following the search of a scrapyard in Crossakiel in Meath. Detective Gardaí from Navan, with the assistance of Detective Gardaí from Kells, carried out the search under warrant of the scrapyard and identified the two vehicles which had been reported stolen previously. The […]

5 years ago

“The needs of this group of students are such that no one should be in any doubt of the importance of this goal, and its urgency.” The government has abandoned plans for a phased reopening of schools for children with special education needs (SEN). In a statement issued on Tuesday night, the Department of Education […]

5 years ago

32 officers are currently off work due to either testing positive or being close contacts. Downpatrick police station in Down has been temporarily closed after a number of staff tested positive for Covid-19. The PSNI announced the station would be closed for deep cleaning after 10 police officers tested positive. Contact tracing has already begun […]

5 years ago

Biden was emotional while speaking in his adopted state of Delaware. US President-elect Joe Biden paid tribute to his Irish roots as he quoted James Joyce in a farewell speech in the state of Delaware. In an emotional farewell to his home city of Wilmington, Biden teared up twice before paraphrasing Joyce. “James Joyce once said, […]

5 years ago

A good news story. The first person in Ireland to receive the Covid-19 vaccine has been given her second dose today. Annie Lynch, a 79 year-old woman from Dublin, was the first person in Ireland to be vaccinated against Covid-19 last month and today received the second dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. The mother of […]

5 years ago

89 of the deaths occurred in January. The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has been notified of 93 additional deaths related to Covid-19. The HPSC said that 89 of these deaths had occurred in January, three of the deaths had come in December and one death is still under investigation. The median age of those who […]

5 years ago

First wet, then cold. Met Éireann has issued a weather advisory for Ireland from midnight on Tuesday until Sunday night. The weather will turn colder from Wednesday and conditions will become increasingly wintry for the remainder of the week. There will be a risk of frost and icy conditions in some areas with some falls […]

5 years ago

Uniformed Gardaí were also redeployed from administrative roles to the front line over the last week. 69 Garda reserves and 71 Garda trainees have been called up by An Garda Síochána to support the policing of Level 5 restrictions. In a move to maximise front-line capacity, An Garda Síochána attested 140 Garda trainees and Garda […]

5 years ago

Great news. We have some breaking snack-related news… Nutella is launching its new biscuit range in Ireland for the very first time. Following the success of its release in Europe this year, the Nutella-filled biscuits will be hitting the supermarket shelves in Ireland this month. In better news, you’ll have your choice of products as […]

5 years ago

“The Government must take responsibility for poor and untimely communication and mixed messages over the past two weeks.” The Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation has called on the Department of Education to reconsider their plan to resume in-school special education this week. The INTO said the “grave safety concerns” of […]

5 years ago

He’s set to appear in court on Tuesday morning. A man has been arrested and charged for breaching Covid regulations in Kildare on Monday. Gardaí in Naas, responding to a complaint, arrested the man in the vicinity of Punchestown Racecourse. The man was one of two people who deemed to be in breach of the […]

5 years ago

Quiz time. How well do you know the NBA? Well, you’re about to find out if you take this quiz. We’ve given you the location of all 30 basketball teams in the NBA. You have five minutes and all you have to do is complete their names. If the quiz is not displaying properly, please […]

5 years ago

“There are now more sick people in hospital than any time in the course of this pandemic.” There have been eight more Covid-related deaths in Ireland, the Health Protection Surveillance Centre has said. The HPSC has also been notified of 2,121 new cases of Covid-19. 753 of the cases are in Dublin, 236 in Cork, […]

5 years ago

The end of an era. The creators of Peaky Blinders have confirmed the next season of the show will be the last. While the current series will end after its sixth and final season, its creator and writer Steven Knight said the story “will continue in another form”. The news comes as filming resumed for […]

5 years ago

People are required to stay at home except for exercise or other essential purposes. Over 400 fines have been issued by An Garda Síochána for non-essential travel since Monday, 11 January. Gardaí said the vast majority of the fines, over 300, were issued this weekend for suspected breaches of the public health regulations relating to […]

5 years ago

For those seeking quality audio. Two years ago it was tough to find a good pair of truly wireless earbuds but time has moved on and audio brands are clambering over themselves to manufacture earbuds at every price point. If you’re thinking of purchasing a pair in the solid mid-range area, then Sennheiser’s CX 400BT […]

5 years ago

Take note. Several baby food products sold in stores across Ireland have been recalled. Nutricia is recalling some batches of its Cow & Gate and Aptamil muesli range due to the possible presence of apple stalks. The first product affected in the recall is the Cow & Gate My First Muesli Baby Cereal 10+ months […]

5 years ago

Very sad news. The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has been notified of 50 additional deaths related to Covid-19. All of these deaths occurred in January and the HPSC said the median age of those who died was 82 years, while the age range was between 45 years of age and 96 years of age. No […]

5 years ago

“We know this hasn’t been easy and has involved great sacrifices.” An Garda Síochána has called on the public to “stay the course” and to remain at home this weekend to support Public Health Guidelines and Regulations. Gardaí said the vast majority of the public have been compliant with restrictions but a minority are not complying. […]

5 years ago

It’s unclear at this moment how this will affect the vaccine rollout in Ireland. Pfizer is to temporarily reduce its deliveries of the Covid-19 vaccine in Europe while the company carries out upgrades on its production capacity. The Norwegian Institute of Public Health announced the news on Friday, stating that vaccine deliveries to Norway and […]

5 years ago

The first big smartphone reveal of 2021. Samsung has announced its latest slate of flagships with the the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21 Plus, and the Galaxy S21 Ultra. All of the new devices in the S21 series are 5G ready and you’ll notice that there’s been some big design changes from previous series, especially in […]

5 years ago

“The penetration of the virus throughout all ages of the population is a particular cause for serious concern, as is risk of severe disease that all of these people face.” The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has been notified of 28 additional deaths related to Covid-19. 26 of these deaths occurred in January while the dates […]

5 years ago

Four others were also fined after being spotted emerging from the rear of a gym. Three individuals received fines this week after they were stopped by Gardaí over 80km from their homes without a reasonable excuse. Gardaí stopped a car in Ringsend, where the driver of vehicle stated that he and his two passengers travelled […]

5 years ago

“We are working together towards a phased return.” Special schools and classes for children special educational needs will reopen next Thursday after being closed since before Christmas. It follows an agreement with school staff unions over assurances of the safety of reopening classes in accordance with public health guidance. In a joint statement on Thursday, […]

5 years ago

Wednesday. Another day, another lockdown, another night in front of the TV. Good movie news has been in plentiful supply today with the revelations that Netflix is going to release a new movie every single week for 2021 with some of the biggest names in the world starring and directing in them. But for now, […]

5 years ago