We’re no experts but we’re not convinced… You may or not be aware, but the west of Ireland is something of a hotspot when it comes to sightings of unidentified flying objects (UFOs). Several sightings, for example, have been reported in the town of Boyle in Roscommon, including an alleged UFO crash in 1996 that […]

10 years ago

The incident is believed to have happened last Thursday. Gardaí are investigating the alleged rape of a female student on the Belfield campus of University College Dublin (UCD) last week. The incident is reported to have taken place on the UCD campus, close to O’Reilly Hall, one of the biggest buildings on campus. A Garda […]

10 years ago

Wetherspoons will soon arrive in the sunny south east. UK pub chain JD Wetherspoon will soon open their first premises in Waterford City, having been granted conditional approval to do so by Waterford City & County Council. Plans have been afoot to open a Wetherspoons in the city for some time and, according to Beat […]

10 years ago

Police responded to a “fear for welfare incident” at an address at Stevenage on Friday night. Paedophile football coach Barry Bennell, the man at the centre of the child sex abuse scandal that has come to light this month, has been taken to hospital after he was found unconscious at an address in Stevenage on […]

10 years ago

Drinks are on this guy this Christmas. Christmas came early for a Ladbrokes punter in Dublin this weekend, when a €5 accumulator with odds of 4,995/1 came good, earning him a tidy sum of €24,777.90 in the process. The customer, a regular at the bookmaker’s North Strand branch in Dublin, placed the winning ‘Result Rush’ […]

10 years ago

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has confirmed that Pope Francis will visit Ireland in 2018. Kenny held talks with the Pope at a meeting in the Vatican on Monday morning after Pope Francis was formally invited to attend the World Meeting of Families in Dublin in 2018 by the Conference of Irish Catholic Bishops. Pope Francis has […]

10 years ago

Original plans to impose a more severe tax on working holiday visitors may or may not have been described as a “bloody outrage”. The Australian government has agreed to support a 15% tax rate on working holiday visitors travelling to the country. The move comes after plans to introduce a prohibitive tax of 32.5% met […]

10 years ago

“You know, she did fantastically well.” Sunday’s 3-1 win over Bournemouth was the icing on the cake on a pretty special weekend for Arsenal’s Theo Walcott. Walcott and his wife Melanie welcomed a little boy, Arlo, into the world on Friday and, as is the custom amongst footballers, he celebrated scoring in Arsenal’s victory with […]

10 years ago

Another week, another episode of jaw-dropping television from the BBC. Accuse us of getting carried away if you must, but we’re not sure if there’s ever been a TV programme that has reached the levels of quality produced by Planet Earth 2 in recent weeks. Every weekend, it has helped ease the Sunday night fear […]

10 years ago

Just what commuters wanted to hear of a Monday morning. Commuters making their way into Dublin have been warned of major traffic delays after a bus broke down on Bachelor’s Walk on the North Quays early on Monday morning. DUBLIN: A bus has broken down on the North Quays at Bachelors Walk in the right […]

10 years ago

“When we die, keep talking for 200,000 inside.” Bana Alabed, the seven-year old Syrian girl who has garnered worldwide attention for shedding light on life in war-torn Aleppo on Twitter, posted a heartbreaking “last message” on Sunday night as the Syrian army made rapid advances on the rebel-held city. According to the BBC, several thousand […]

10 years ago

“Support for an all-Ireland soccer team is growing. We are stronger and more successful together.” Sinn Féin have proposed the idea of United Ireland soccer team that would see players from the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland national teams playing together on the same side. In a short video published on their Facebook page, […]

10 years ago

1.2 million social welfare recipients will receive the bonus by the end of this week. Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Pascal Donohue and Minister for Social Protection Leo Vardakar last week signed the Christmas bonus order and the bonuses will be paid from tomorrow, November 28 to Friday, December 2. Signed Christmas bonus order […]

10 years ago

Better luck next time, Mel. Nobody who was at the Aviva Stadium last night to witness Ireland’s thrilling victory over Australia will forget it in a hurry, not even Mel Gibson, whose compatriots ended up on the wrong side of a 27-24 defeat. Gibson, as you may know, has been spending a lot of time […]

10 years ago

Spent time in many of these places? Singapore is the most expensive city in which to live in the world, according to the Worldwide Cost of Living 2016 report by the Economist Intelligence Unit. The report, which ranks 140 cities around the world based on how expensive they are to live in, ranked Singapore at […]

10 years ago

Pity the poor owner waking up to this sight. We haven’t a notion who first executed it, but the old ‘cover a car in shrink wrap’ prank has existed for as long as we can remember and has proved quite popular over the years. The wrap itself doesn’t (or at least shouldn’t) cause any damage […]

10 years ago

No let-up in sight. The cold weather we’ve experienced in Ireland in recent weeks is set to continue for the foreseeable future, with temperatures set to drop to as low as -2 in the coming days. According to Met Éireann, there’s good news in that conditions will be mostly dry and settled in the early […]

10 years ago

Roll on December 16. Christmas is less than a month away, but the most anticipated holiday of the calendar year is very much at the back of the minds of giddy Star Wars fans, whose focus is solely on events nine days before it. We’ve already got a couple glimpses of what’s going to be […]

10 years ago

For a short while at least. Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in New York, one of the most recognisable buildings in the world, was briefly given a new name on Google Maps on Saturday, much to the amusement of many and the disgust of supporters of US President elect Donald Trump. For approximately nine hours, […]

10 years ago

Jose Aldo is now the undisputed UFC featherweight champion. The UFC has confirmed that Conor McGregor has relinquished his UFC featherweight title belt, ending his brief reign as the only simultaneous two-division champion in the history of the organisation. There had been speculation that McGregor would have to vacate the featherweight title he won after memorably […]

10 years ago

The Irish President labelled the late Castro as “a giant among global leaders”. President Michael D Higgins has come in for criticism from a number of different sources for his praise of Fidel Castro, the former Cuban President who died at the age of 90 on Friday night. In a statement released on Saturday morning, […]

10 years ago

And all for a great cause. Adults are as interested in the Late Late Toy Show as children are, so the usual attendances in pubs on a Friday evening might be down a little next Friday or at least until it’s all over around 11.30pm or so. Residents of Galway who are over 18 and […]

10 years ago

If you haven’t seen number one yet, you should. It’s a delight. It won’t be long now until we’re inundated with ‘best of’ lists from 2016, but considering that a lot of us will be spending a lot of time in front of the telly in the next month or so, this is an important […]

10 years ago

There’s a deep respect for The Notorious within the Irish dressing room. Outgoing Irish rugby team manager Mick Kearney has revealed that Conor McGregor is the Irish sportsman the Irish players would most like to deliver a motivational speech. Today’s clash with Australia is Kearney’s last as team manager after four years in the role, […]

10 years ago

Tom Hanks, once again, proves that he’s an absolute champ. You’d think that one the biggest movie stars on the planet might have the slightest flaw in his personality but after years and years of mainstream exposure, we can’t detect any reason to dislike him. Not one. He might just be the most likeable man […]

10 years ago

The President of Ireland released a statement following news of Castro’s passing overnight. President of Ireland Michael D Higgins has said that the late Fidel Castro “will be remembered as a giant among global leaders”. News of the death of the former Cuban President and leader of the communist revolution in the country emerged late […]

10 years ago

Powerful stuff from Paul Williams on the Late Late Show. The Irish Independent crime correspondent spoke of recently encountering notorious criminal John Gilligan on the grounds of Jessbrook, the equestrian centre in Kildare that was supposed to have been taken from Gilligan by the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB). Gilligan, who is the chief suspect in […]

10 years ago

“Out here, it’s survival of the fittest. Only the law of the jungle applies.” That line certainly felt appropriate for Ireland’s bruising encounter with New Zealand last weekend, a match that felt more like a battle than an actual sporting contest at times. Australia being Australia, little is likely to change when Joe Schmidt goes […]

10 years ago

Castro’s death was announced on state television by his brother, President Raul Castro. Fidel Castro, former President of Cuba and leader of the communist revolution in the country, has died aged 90. His death was announced on state television by his brother, President Raul Castro, on Friday night. “The commander in chief of the Cuban […]

10 years ago

Diego, woah-oh-oh. J-League Not surprisingly, it was not a good week at the top of the J-League, with a rather mediocre 46 points representing the highest score amongst the teams in the top five. Christy O’Neill will hardly care all that much, however, as his charges, The Klopp End, remain in first place with 15 […]

10 years ago

For the time being at least. The houseboat that washed up on the shores of north Mayo looks set to remain in the area for the foreseeable future after efforts to track down its owner have proved fruitless. The houseboat, which is believed to have drifted all the way from Newfoundland in Canada to Cross […]

10 years ago

Thinking of working Down Under for a while? This might make up your mind. Young travellers from Ireland with an urge to experience life Down Under can now do so at a very reasonable price thanks to a new global youth campaign from Tourism Australia. Tourism Australia have joined up with travel companies in a […]

10 years ago

Owens was the victim of a vicious assault in Maynooth on Sunday night. The Roost pub in Maynooth is to donate takings from the door this Thursday night to Kym Owens, the 18-year old student who was the victim of a vicious assault on Sunday night. Owens, from Castleblaney in Monaghan, was found unconscious on […]

10 years ago

Make sure your flight is not affected before you travel. A number of flights to and from Dublin Airport have been cancelled as a result of the Lufthansa pilots’ strike on Wednesday. Eight Lufthansa flights between Dublin Airport and Munich and Frankfurt are amongst just under 900 flights cancelled by the airline on Wednesday, approximately […]

10 years ago

Ryanair chief Michael O’Leary says it could happen in “the next five to ten years”. Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary has spoken of the possibility of passengers flying with Ryanair for free “in the next five to ten years”. The airline is already renowned for offering cheap air fares and O’Leary says he can envisage a […]

10 years ago

We think there’s something in our eye. Barack Obama has a little under two months to go until his term as President of the United States comes to an end and the reality begins to dawn on the world that Donald Trump will succeed him as the most powerful man of the planet. On Tuesday, […]

10 years ago

There’s no title as of yet, but it’s going to be about Dick Cheney. Oscar winner Adam McKay, the director of classic comedies such as Anchorman and Step Brothers, as well as the 2015 hit, The Big Short, is to direct a drama about former US Vice President Dick Cheney next year. According to Deadline, […]

10 years ago

Tickets on sale at the end of the month. It’s been a massive 2016 for Irish duo Picture This and 2017 looks like it could be even better after the band announced details of a UK and Ireland tour next summer. The band, consisting of Athy duo Ryan Hennessy and Jimmy Rainsford, have pencilled in […]

10 years ago

You can probably guess what it is. Did you guess Bastardstown in Wexford? If you did, you’d be dead wrong as the only place in Ireland to warrant a place on the ‘Magnificently Rude Map of World Place Names’ is, of course, a small town in northeast Donegal called Muff. That’s right, the town with […]

10 years ago

It’s going to be Baltic. Met Éireann have issued a weather warning for the midland counties in Ireland, where air temperatures are set to drop to as low as -4 degrees overnight. While midland counties will be the worst affected as far as the below freezing temperatures are concerned, the rest of the country won’t […]

10 years ago

*Clears diary for Friday night* Popular Dublin nightclub Krystle will celebrate its reopening by providing a free bar for customers this Friday night, November 25. The Harcourt Street venue, which celebrates its tenth birthday at the end of this month, has undergone a renovation that cost €1.1 million over recent months and they plan on […]

10 years ago

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. With just over a month to go until the big day, it’s nearly become acceptable to start getting excited about Christmas. For anyone visiting Galway right now, it’s almost impossible not to do so, such is the impression being left on locals and visitors alike by the […]

10 years ago

Faith in humanity restored. Acts of generosity are a welcome sight at all times, but particularly so in the run-up to Christmas, which can prove to be a tough time for some but also has a habit of bringing out the best in people. An Irish worker in the US found that out first hand […]

10 years ago

The people of Roscommon can rest easy; it’s all been disposed of. For most regular folk, especially in Ireland, the only exposure to the deadly compound cyanide is to hear it referenced in the movies. Certainly, it’s not something you expect to encounter on a regular basis in the west of Ireland, let alone in […]

10 years ago

That’s our kind of Black Friday. Black Friday used to be reserved for post-Thanksgiving bargain-hunting in the US, but thanks to the Internet, it’s become something of a global phenomenon in recent years. Retailers in Ireland have readily hopped on board the bandwagon with tempting offers in the lead-up to Christmas, as has Dunne’s Bar […]

10 years ago

Say what you like about Ronaldo, but this is hugely admirable stuff. He had plenty of doubters earlier in his career, but it’s now pretty much undisputed that Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the top two footballers in the world right now and one of the best the world has ever seen. While his greatness […]

10 years ago

How many of these airlines have you flown with? Qatar Airways is the best airline in the world to fly with, according to a survey by AirHelp. AirHelp, a company that seeks to compare the merits of various airlines in the best interests of passengers, ranked 77 airlines based on three separate criteria and deemed […]

10 years ago

This is just fantastic. A picture made its way to Irish Farmers’ Journal this week of a six-year old girl from Waterford named Lexi, who is currently recovering from a kidney and liver transplant she had in Birmingham. The photo, which was sent into The Dealer of Irish Farmers’ Journal by Lexi’s aunt Carmel, shows […]

10 years ago

After more than 34,000 entries in 20 categories, here are the winners. Many of you might not know this, but Instagram is not only a place to share pictures of the food you’re eating in the fanciest places in town, although, don’t get us wrong, it is absolutely fit for that purpose too. We’re joking, […]

10 years ago

Trust us, this is brilliant. Plenty of sports stars have become experts in the art of avoiding difficult questions they’d rather not have to answer these days, but how could you say no to a nine-year old kid? Rory McIlroy became the latest man in the hot seat as part of the European Tour’s ‘BIG […]

10 years ago