Honoured for playing mother to writer Christy Brown, she took the first award of the evening and paid tribute to those fellow Dubliners. “I’d like to thank Christy Brown, just for being alive,” she said from the podium. “I’d like to thank Mrs Brown, his mother. Anybody who gives birth 22 times deserves one of these, I think.”

Ireland was, at the time, a relative stranger to the Oscars, but her win paved the way for fellow nominees such as Saoirse Ronan, Ruth Negga and, this year’s winner, Jessie Buckley.

Fricker may not have been entirely happy about appreciations leading with that Academy Award win. Speaking to this newspaper in 2025 about her searing memoir She Died Young: A Life in Fragments, she explained that her aim was to not mention the “O-word”, but it “slipped into the final version”. “I was livid,” she told Patrick Freyne.

Brenda Fricker: ‘It was real violence, and I needed protection. Where was my father? There was blood all over me’

Fair enough. It was quite a career and quite a life. Other film roles included Veronica Guerin, Omagh and Sheridan’s The Field. She spent many years playing the nurse Megan Roach on the BBC medical drama Casualty. In recent years she received justified praise for revealing a history of sexual abuse in that memoir. Fricker, in person and on screen, radiated an earthy integrity that cannot be faked.

Brenda Fricker’s life in pictures: Beloved actor, Oscar winner and unmistakable Dubliner

She was born in Dublin to busy parents. Bina, her mother, who was from Gneeveguilla in Co Kerry, taught languages at Stratford College in Rathgar. Her father, Desmond Frederick Fricker, wrote for The Irish Times and broadcast on RTÉ. In that memoir, she spoke frankly of great suffering. Her mother seems to have been volcanically aggressive.

“It was real violence, and I needed protection,” she told The Irish Times in 2025. “Where was my father? I worshipped him. There was evidence. There was blood all over me. Blood seeping through the socks. He saw that. It’s hard to explain. Somebody should have inquired, ‘What’s going on here?’ In those days you didn’t interfere with your neighbours.”

There was further grief in childhood. At the age of 14, Fricker suffered serious head injuries in a car accident and was confined to the Meath Hospital for two years. “I missed a lot of school. My head was in a vice, which made studying difficult,” she said in 2003. “So when I finally came home and began to feel tired, people put it down to the accident.”

It transpired that she had tuberculosis.

“Then began an interesting social battle, and I heard my parents arguing for the first time,” she said. “My mother wanted to nurse me at home but my father said no, and I ended up pretty quickly in Blanchardstown.”

Brenda Fricker, Irish Oscar-winning actor, has died aged 81

After leaving school, she took work as a trainee reporter at The Irish Times before falling into acting almost by accident. Word got to her that Micheál MacLiammóir, the charismatic impresario at the Gate Theatre, wanted someone for a small role. She was in. She never looked back.

She was a cast member of Tolka Row, Ireland’s first soap TV opera, and, in 1977, appeared in an episode of Coronation Street. In 1986, she made her first appearance in Casualty. The stalwart Megan Roach became a fan favourite, but Fricker eventually stepped away from the role in 1990. She believed the character “started off with a wonderful sense of humour, [but] lost it all and all she ever seemed to do was push a trolley around and offer tea and sympathy”.

She nonetheless returned for guest appearances, including a final turn in 2010.

Another vital early screen performance was as the lonely Bridie in Pat O’Connor’s version of William Trevor’s celebrated The Ballroom of Romance for BBC and RTÉ.

My Left Foot transformed her life and the Irish film industry. Based on Brown’s book of the same title, the film told how the author, despite his cerebral palsy, rose to become a hugely inspirational writer.

Daniel Day-Lewis, who won an Oscar in the lead, famously stayed in character when not before the camera. This proved a challenge for Fricker. “I’d have to feed him his food,” she said later. “I fell for this for a while. I did it for a week and then I thought, What the f*** am I doing this for? So then I cottoned on. Feed yourself. I am going off to play pool.”

Jim Sheridan, a great friend, remembers her as an irrepressible character.

“She was asked to wash her dog, and she was heading down to the beach in Bray, and then she decided ‘No f***ing way. I’m going back, and I’m having a shower, and the dog’s having the shower with me,” he told The Irish Times.

Sheridan believes she saw some downsides to that breakthrough.

“I think when she played the mother in My Left Foot, she got pissed off because it consolidated her as a mother,” he said. “It was also the age she was. She was in her mid-40s. And that’s exactly the age you become a mother in film. That’s hard for an actor.”

The first Irish woman to win an acting Oscar, Fricker was, nonetheless, established as a character performer of extraordinary robustness. She was tough as the estranged wife to Richard Harris’s character in Sheridan’s The Field, and Properly funny in I Married an Axe Murderer. She shared a cast list (if not scenes) with Donald Trump in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.

“She gave out to me, saying, ‘You told me not to do that part, and it’s the only one I made any real money on,’” Sheridan said.

Fricker was married to Barry Davis from 1979 until 1988. During that period, she was pregnant six times but miscarried on each occasion. She retained great affection for him after the divorce.

In recent years, following the release of that memoir, she engaged publicly with a sad history of mistreatment. As well as relating her mother’s violence, she wrote about a disturbing abuse by an elocution teacher when she was just eight and a rape at the age of 17.

But she was a survivor. Her last film, Tadhg O’Sullivan’s The Swallow from 2024, in which she played a lonely women renegotiating her past, was a triumph.

“To have someone bring so much generosity, integrity, insight and humour to our work together was remarkable,” O’Sullivan told The Irish Times. “An even greater privilege, though, was the relationship that followed – the same qualities she brought to her work made her a wonderful, beautiful friend.”

That was Brenda Fricker’s response when the former lord mayor of Dublin texted her in February, informing her that she will take her place among Ireland’s creative masters – U2 and George Bernard Shaw, to name just two – in receiving the Freedom of the City.

Fricker, the first Irish woman to win an Academy Award for acting and who was best known for her performance as the mother of a boy with cerebral palsy in My Left Foot, has died aged 81.

She has been hailed as “a national treasure” and “an iconic figure in Irish film and theatre.

President Catherine Connolly credited Fricker’s historic Oscar win as one of the factors that led to the revitalisation of the Irish film industry.

“Brenda leaves behind a rich legacy of work on film, on screen and on stage. Importantly, she will also be remembered for her humanity, humour and authenticity, which shone through to audiences all over the world,” she said.

“In speaking of the challenges and traumas which she faced in her life, Brenda showed great courage and provided help for others in facing their own challenges. She will be deeply missed.”

Former lord mayor of Dublin Ray MacAdam told The Irish Times: “Brenda was one of our greatest ever actors and one of our most cherished cultural figures. Brenda Fricker didn’t just win an Oscar in 1990, she won a permanent place in the hearts of Dubliners and Irish people.”

Brenda Fricker opened the door to a new Ireland when she won her Oscar for My Left Foot

“She embodies the very best of Dublin’s talent, resilience and warmth – but, above all, she was genuinely authentic.”

Jim Sheridan, who directed her in My Left Foot and The Field, said he was “sad and upset” at the news of her passing, but remembers her as an “outstanding” actor with “an unbelievable personality”.

“She was just perfect to be with [Richard] Harris in The Field because she was so quiet, and so powerful,” he said of the 1990 drama based on the John B Keane play of the same title.

Fricker’s 2025 memoir, She Died Young: A Life in Fragments, detailed her experiences of abuse and sexual assault dating back to her childhood. While Sheridan said he knew “bits and pieces” of the sadness she experienced in life, he didn’t know it “to the extent of the book”.

“I think when she played the mother in My Left Foot, she got pissed off because it consolidated her as a mother – it was also the age she was, she was in her mid-40s ... that’s hard for an actor,” he said.

Fricker “truly was among the greatest exports this country has ever produced and an ambassador for Irish talent on the world stage,” Tánaiste Simon Harris said.

“Quite simply, we will never see the likes of her ever again,” he said, adding that she was “one of Ireland’s most celebrated and cherished actors” who “scaled incredible heights”.

Her 1990 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress “was a defining moment for Irish cinema,” he said, as was “her emotional acceptance speech, in which she dedicated the award to ‘all the people of Ireland’.”

“She was a consummate performer who graced our screens and stages with remarkable talent and authenticity. Brenda brought depth and humanity to every role she undertook,” he added.

Former president Michael D Higgins said despite her Academy Award, “what she’ll most be remembered for is the wide range and versatility of the roles she took, and above all, her reputation among fellow actors for kindness, generosity and support.”

Fricker, who worked as an assistant to the Arts Editor of The Irish Times before becoming an actor, featured in over 30 films throughout her life, as well as the first soap opera on Irish television.

When she accepted her Oscar in 1990, she concluded her acceptance speech by thanking “members of the Academy for giving me this, which I will take very proudly with me back to Ireland.”

Pidcock was one of the key instigators of a mass breakaway that formed on the rolling roads of the Jura and Doubs, on the long approach to the 9km climb of the Ballon d’Alsace, overlooking Belfort.

A stage that the race leader, Tadej Pogacar, had described as “weird”, produced an unexpected outcome as Pidcock, who had started the day 7min 43sec behind Remco Evenepoel, moved into fourth place overall, only nine seconds behind the Belgian.

“It was always the objective to make it into break,” the double Olympic gold medallist said. “I think it worked out perfectly. I was also after the stage win, but it was difficult in the end without any team-mates. But I can’t be disappointed.”

Pogacar meanwhile is edging closer to a fifth Tour de France win, which would officially tie him with the other five-time winners – Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Induráin.

Lance Armstrong won seven Tours before being stripped of them all for doping.

Asked whether he considered the record for Tour wins to be five or seven, Pogacar smiled and batted the question away. “I got this question in the morning,” he said. “I can’t say anything. I don’t go for records, I just want to finish this Tour with yellow in Paris. This is the main focus.”

Ireland’s Ben Healy finished 31st in stage 13 and is 81st overall.

The longest stage of the 2026 Tour was another fast and furious race and for once the breakaway did succeed. A third of the peloton was unleashed on the rolling road to the Ballon d’Alsace as Pogacar and his UAE Emirates XRG team finally loosened their grip on the peloton.

Exhibiting the first signs of fatigue immediately after the stage finish, a red-eyed Pogacar described the peloton as “flying”.

The biggest winner of the original group of 37 that grew to more than 50, but finally dwindled once they entered the climbs of the Vosges, was Pidcock, who also took third place in the sprint finish, behind Schmid.

Pidcock’s uneven Tour has seen him almost win in Ussel, crash into a parked car in Le Lioran and hover on the edge of the top 10 but he is now clearly becoming more competitive as the race continues and can reasonably start to contemplate a top-five result.

For a rider who in the past had admitted that he finds the demands of the three-week Tour mentally draining, Pidcock has found his focus at just the right moment. A stage winner on Alpe d’Huez in 2022, Pidcock faces five days of racing before the peloton returns there on July 24th and 25th for back-to-back stage finishes.

The high speeds and mass break on the road to Belfort were further indications of how the absence of many sprint stages has impacted the race. “Everyone’s looking for opportunities because they are few and far between,” the Netcompany Ineos director of racing, Geraint Thomas, said. “Obviously the Paris stage has changed now and it does put more emphasis on the sprinter days.”

Even so, there is a feeling that some in the peloton have also been keeping their powder dry for the intimidating final week, which includes five summit finishes, the first two of which come this weekend at Le Markstein and the Plateau de Solaison.

“In the earlier stages you definitely saw that, when there was only one rider even trying,” the EF Education Easy Post sports director, Charly Wegelius, said. “That told a story about the fatigue and what was coming down the road.”

With so many of the Tour’s stages favouring Pogacar and his UAE team, Wegelius said that there was a realisation that “so-called medium mountain stages could be out of reach and lumpy sprint days have become quite hotly-contested”.

Pidcock’s elevation to a higher ranking overall has also created a further headache for second placed Jonas Vingegaard, who now has to monitor riders from four different teams: Evenepoel, with Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, Pinarello Q36.5 and Pidcock, Juan Ayuso of Lidl-Trek and French teenager Paul Seixas, riding for Decathlon CMA CGM, as the race heads into a tough weekend of mountain racing in the Vosges. – Guardian

Meanwhile, oil prices rose ​as the United States and Iran expanded their attacks to hit key infrastructure. The United States struck bridges and an airport in Iran, and Tehran responded by hitting a power and desalination plant in Kuwait.

Dublin

The Dublin market dipped on Friday, losing almost 2 per cent by the closing bell to notch up a weekly loss for the index.

The market was hampered by declines in banking shares and other heavyweight stocks. Bank of Ireland and AIB both ended up in the red on Friday, leading to weekly losses of 2.3 per cent and 1.6 per cent respectively.

Kerry Group saw its stock fall 2 per cent on Friday, erasing some of the gains it had made over the week. Glanbia also lost value on Friday, falling almost 2 per cent to a weekly loss of 5.2 per cent.

Insulation specialist Kingspan also declined, losing 1.5 per cent over the session, while Ryanair was down 2.5 per cent.

London

London’s FTSE 100 ended higher on Friday as utilities shares rose and ​energy giants gained, tracking higher crude oil prices amid escalating Middle East tensions, while the focus was on politics as Andy Burnham became the British Labour Party leader.

The blue-chip FTSE 100 ​index gained 0.3 per cent at 10,600.4 points, while the midcap FTSE 250 dipped 0.5 per cent to snap a six-day ⁠winning streak. Both indexes, however, clocked weekly gains.

Energy stocks ⁠gained 2.1 per cent as oil prices rose on ​concerns over supply disruptions.

Personal goods fell 5 per cent after Burberry warned that the conflict in the Middle East was hurting tourist spending in Europe, sending shares in the British luxury brand down 6.4 per cent.

GSK fell 2 per cent after the drugmaker said it would halt development of its experimental treatment for refractory ​chronic cough after the therapy failed a late-stage trial ​and missed key efficacy goals across multiple dosages.

Europe

The pan-European STOXX 600 index fell 0.34 per cent to 641.53 points. It was largely unchanged for the week.

Saab rose 9.73 per cent after the Swedish defence and aerospace group reported a bigger-than-expected increase in second-quarter operating profit.

Volvo Group dipped 0.64 per cent even ​after the Swedish truckmaker reported a 35 per cent jump in second-quarter profit.

New York

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq hit multi-week lows on Friday as investors reassessed this year’s AI-fuelled rally, triggering volatility in chip stocks, while a new AI model from ​China further soured sentiment.

Some of the chip stocks extended the previous session’s losses, with heavyweight Nvidia down 1.3 per cent.

The decline, combined with an early gain in Apple, pushed the iPhone-maker ahead of Nvidia to briefly become the world’s most valuable company.

Losses in other mega-cap stocks also weighed on markets. Meta Platforms ‌fell ‌5.2 per cent.

Shares ⁠of Netflix tumbled 9 per cent, after the streaming giant forecast third-quarter ⁠numbers below Street estimates on Thursday, ​weighing heavily on the communication services sector that slid 2.4 per cent.

Buy midday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 127.51 points, or 0.24 per cent, to 52,425.46, the S&P 500 lost 56.07 points, or 0.74 per cent, to 7,477.70 and the Nasdaq Composite lost 335.74 points, or 1.30 per cent, to 25,546.21. – Additional reporting: Reuters

Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Minister for State for Road Safety Seán Canney have recently said they were leaning towards a blanket ban because of the prevalence of serious head injuries among young people.

However, speaking on Friday, O’Callaghan was more circumspect. Pointing to a meeting of senior Ministers on the issue this Monday, he said he would not pre-empt the discussion.

“There’s obviously a balancing act that needs to be weighed up here,” he said.

“On the one hand, there is the threat that’s caused to the public from the proliferation of e-scooters. I have to say, however, the Garda here is doing a good job in seizing not just e-scooters but scramblers since the start of this year.”

He said that there had been 1,200 seizures in 2026.

No matter what laws were in place, or what level of enforcement imposed, he continued, there would always be examples of people breaking the law.

He said the Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) report which showed a high number of serious head injuries in children who had e-scooter crashes was “really worrying”.

“We need a broad response to this,” he said. “Certainly, if they’re not going to be banned, they need to be regulated. We need to ensure that that happens.”

The CHI report found the number of children and young people admitted to hospital with traumatic brain injuries following e-scooter incidents has increased by 50 per cent year on year.

There were 1,130 attendances to emergency departments at CHI between January 2021 and last August due to e-scooter-related injuries. A dozen children were treated by Temple Street’s neurosurgery team with traumatic brain injuries between June 2024 and May 2025.

In the Dáil on Thursday, Tánaiste Simon Harris said the situation was now “at a tipping point where we need to move and move quickly”. He is to meet senior Ministers to discuss options including a potential ban.

It also helps they’ve been the number-one team in the world for large tranches of the last 32 years.

Australia suffered defeat on 21 occasions in Eden Park and during the period in question (1994-2026) the Wallabies only won three times on New Zealand soil: Christchurch (1998) as part of a 3-0 Bledisloe series win; Wellington (2000) when they retained the cup by drawing the series 1-1; and Carisbrook, the House of Pain in Dunedin (2001) in a 2-0 series win.

Those three Aussie wins in their neighbour’s stadiums came during a five-year period (1998-2002 inclusive) in which they either won or drew the series to retain the Bledisloe Cup; a golden period if you will in every respect. In the last 24 years the Wallabies have managed one draw on New Zealand soil (2020 in Wellington) and their only victories outside Australia were a couple of wins in Hong Kong.

Taking the Aussies to Eden Park has been risk averse for the period in question. The All Blacks drew two matches at Eden Park during that run, the first in the match after France’s win in 1994. The Springboks were the visitors, and it was part of a 14-match tour to New Zealand.

Rob Kearney on Ireland v New Zealand: ‘This backline is the best we have available’

Pieter Muller, who would go on to play for Greystones, and Ollie Le Roux, who enjoyed his time at Leinster, were part of the touring squad that were 2-0 down in the Test series when they played the All Blacks but managed an 18-18 draw, having led 12-9 at the interval. The ‘Boks went on to win the Rugby World Cup the following year.

The second draw was against the British & Irish Lions in 2017. The Test series stood at 1-1, but four penalties from Owen Farrell and a howitzer from Elliot Daly saw the Lions cling on for a 15-15 draw with Jordie Barrett a try scorer from the home side.

A late contentious decision from French referee Romain Poite in which he adjudicated accidental offside rather than a penalty, when Ken Owens played the ball in front from a Liam Williams knock-on, was a tough pill to swallow for the home side.

Andy Farrell was the Lions defence coach, Tadhg Furlong was tighthead prop, while Robbie Henshaw, another member of the current Irish squad although not playing in Auckland on Saturday, played in that series.

Ireland have lost four previous matches against the All Blacks at Eden Park – they hadn’t beaten New Zealand at that point in their history – during that period, although they did manage a win at the Auckland ground during a World Cup game against Australia.

The closest they came to winning was in 2006 when going down 27-17. Clarke Dermody, the incoming Ulster forwards coach, was a try scorer for the All Blacks, while current Ireland forwards coach Paul O’Connell crossed the All Blacks line.

The closest anyone got to New Zealand at Eden Park was France, who lost the 2011 Rugby World Cup final 8-7.

Will it be fifth time lucky for Ireland on Saturday morning? There aren’t too many glass ceilings left for Farrell to play through in his time in charge.

New Zealand’s unbeaten run at Eden Park since 1994 (most recent game first)

27/09/2025 – Australia: 33-24

06/09/2025 – South Africa: 24-17

17/08/2024 – Argentina: 42-10

13/07/2024 – England: 24-17

24/09/2022 – Australia: 40-14

02/07/2022 – Ireland: 42-19

14/08/2021 – Australia: 57-22

07/08/2021 – Australia: 33-25

18/10/2020 – Australia: 27-7

17/08/2019 – Australia: 36-0

25/08/2018 – Australia: 40-12

09/06/2018 – France: 52-11

08/07/2017 – British & Irish Lions: 15-15

24/06/2017 – British & Irish Lions: 30-15

16/06/2017 – Samoa: 78-0

22/10/2016 – Australia: 37-10

11/06/2016 – Wales: 39-21

15/08/2015 – Australia: 41-13

23/08/2014 – Australia: 51-20

07/06/2014 – England: 20-15

14/09/2013 – South Africa: 29-15

08/06/2013 – France: 23-13

25/08/2012 – Australia: 22-0

09/06/2012 – Ireland: 42-10

23/10/2011 – France: 8-7

16/10/2011 – Australia: 20-6

09/10/2011 – Argentina: 33-10

24/09/2011 – France: 37-17

09/09/2011 – Tonga: 41-10

06/08/2011 – Australia: 30-14

10/07/2010 – South Africa: 32-12

18/07/2009 – Australia: 22-16

02/08/2008 – Australia: 39-10

14/06/2008 – England: 37-20

21/07/2007 – Australia: 26-12

02/06/2007 – France: 42-11

19/08/2006 – Australia: 34-27

17/06/2006 – Ireland: 27-17

03/09/2005 – Australia: 34-24

09/07/2005 – British & Irish Lions: 38-19

19/06/2004 – England: 36-12

16/08/2003 – Australia: 21-17

22/06/2002 – Ireland: 40-8

25/08/2001 – South Africa: 26-15

01/07/2000 – Scotland: 48-14

24/07/1999 – Australia: 34-15

27/06/1998 – England: 40-10

09/08/1997 – South Africa: 55-35

22/06/1996 – Scotland: 36-12

22/07/1995 – Australia: 28-16

22/04/1995 – Canada: 73-7

06/08/1994 – South Africa: 18-18.

All Blacks country by country breakdown of wins at Eden Park

Australia: 21

South Africa: five; one draw

France: five

England: five

Ireland: four

British & Irish Lions: two; one draw

Scotland: two

Argentina: two

Wales, Samoa, Canada, Tonga: one each.

The stock was close to a two-year ​low in early trading, with the decline set to wipe out $35 billion (€30.6 billion) from Netflix’s market value of about $313 billion, if losses hold.

In its latest disclosure pullback, the streaming giant cut the frequency of its viewing-hours report to once a year ​from twice starting in 2027, following last year’s scrapping of subscriber counts, leaving investors in the dark as the business faces greater competition ⁠from traditional media as well as YouTube.

“Whenever you take away a data point from investors ‌when results ‌aren’t ​as good as they have been you will get punished by the market,” said Ben Barringer, head of technology research at Quilter Cheviot.

Netflix stock has declined more than 40 per cent over the last year, as the company’s failed pursuit of Warner Bros Discovery and subsequent financial results caused investors to worry that the leader in streaming has lost momentum.

Netflix forecast a second consecutive quarter of slowing sales growth, contributing to investor anxiety about the streaming giant’s future. The company projected revenue of $12.9 billion (€11.27 billion) in the current quarter and earnings of 82 cents per share, both slightly shy of analysts’ expectations.

Although Netflix still has more subscribers and viewership than any other paid streaming service, its sales growth has slowed. Netflix endured a months-long drought of new hits in the first half of the year, during which many returning shows struggled to retain viewers in the new seasons.

The company sought to reassure restive investors by outlining a plan to sustain growth in the coming years and touting recent hits such as I Will Find You, an adaptation of a Harlan Coben novel, which was Netflix’s most-viewed new original series this year.

The company reported second-quarter sales of $12.6 billion and earnings of 80 cents a share, in line with Wall Street’s consensus.

“We don’t manage the business on a quarter-to-quarter basis,” chief financial officer Spencer Neumann said on a call with analysts.

Netflix has reached only about 45 per cent of its addressable market and accounts for just 5 per cent of global TV viewing, he said. The company will add $6 billion in sales this year.

Netflix is investing in new kinds of programming, such as live sports and video podcasts. Podcasts are attracting more viewers during the day and on mobile devices, while live programming has helped bring in a lot of customers relative to its actual share of viewing, the company said.

Netflix has announced a flurry of new deals with popular social-media personalities in recent weeks, including YouTube stars Alan Chikin Chow and Nick DiGiovanni, and just rolled out a partnership with French broadcaster TF1.

The company’s total spending on programming will grow about 10 per cent this year, slightly more than the average of the past few years. The company also touted its use of generative artificial intelligence on about 300 shows. – Reuters/Bloomberg

The commission’s refusal overturns a decision by Dublin City Council to grant planning permission to Ventaway in July of last year.

Ventaway is headed up by developer David Kennan and Winthrop engineering group founder Barry English and the decision is the latest blow to Ventaway’s plans to redevelop the site.

The council’s planning permission was stalled after three parties, An Taisce, St Laurence O’Toole Trust and The Administrator of the Parish of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and City Quay National School lodged appeals with the planning body.

However, St Laurence O’Toole Trust and The Administrator of the Parish of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and City Quay National School withdrew their appeals in January , leaving An Taisce as the sole appellant.

In its decision, An Coimisiún Pleanála refused planning permission after finding the proposed building, due to its design, scale and massing, “is excessive, bulky and overbearing within the context of the subject site”.

The commission concluded that the proposed design, incorporating a collage of architectural expressions, fails to break down the building into clearly articulated forms to reduce the massing, bulk and overall extent of its scale at this location.

The commission also found the proposed design was not of sufficient architectural quality so as to not detract from the character of the river Liffey conservation area.

In the decision signed off by commissioner Chris McGarry, the commission found that the design, massing and scale, including the uniform building height for most of the building footprint, would result in a negative visual impact on views of the Custom House when viewed from identified “key views”.

However, An Coimisiún Pleanála’s refusal does not end Ventaway’s plans for the site as it currently has a proposal for a 24-storey tower for the same site before the commission under consideration.

Ventaway first lodged its 24-storey proposal with Dublin City Council in 2022 and it was refused planning permission in May 2024 by An Bord Pleanála.

However, following a High Court challenge by Ventaway, Judge Richard Humphreys quashed the May 2024 refusal and remitted the application back to the commission for fresh consideration and a decision is due shortly.

Even Better Value Enterprises Ltd (EBVEL) is linked to a firm that was involved in a forged Garda vetting-cert scandal.

Judge David Nolan on Friday acceded to a petition brought by a director of EBVEL, Judith Kundodyiwa, seeking the winding up of the company on account of a debt exceeding €700,000 owed to her.

The judge also confirmed Declan de Lacey of Fides Chartered Accountants as liquidator over the company.

EBVEL is linked to a number of other companies trading under the Good People name, which provided medical staff and accommodation, including for vulnerable children using the services of Tusla.

Last year, a 22-year-old employee of the Good People companies was convicted of 55 counts of forging Garda vetting certs to be provided to Tusla.

The winding up petition stems from a dispute that broke out in 2023 between Kundodyiwa and another EBVEL director, Gerard Chimbganda.

The pair in 2017 established Minana International, trading as Good People. Kundodyiwa, a consultant in obstetrics and gynaecology in the Royal Bolton Hospital in England, claimed Chimbganda took a number of unlawful actions, including removing her as a director of Minana and reducing her shareholding from 50 per cent to 5 per cent.

Proceedings were issued by each of them in Ireland and the UK. They entered mediation and a settlement was agreed whereby EBVEL would buy out Kundodyiwa’s shares for €2.25 million.

Kundodyiwa successfully petitioned the High Court for the appointment of a provisional liquidator to EBVEL when scheduled payments to her under the settlement agreement were not fulfilled.

Kundodyiwa said in an affidavit then that she sought the appointment of a provisional liquidator to EBVEL in circumstances where the affairs of Minana, EBVEL and related companies have been conducted unlawfully and fraudulently, and where there was a history of misappropriation and misuse of corporate funds.

At Friday’s hearing, John Kennedy, counsel for Kundodyiwa, told the court that some payments had been made in respect of the €2.25 million sum, but some €730,000 owed was still outstanding.

In the circumstances, Kennedy said they were seeking the winding up of the company.

Michael Connolly, barrister for EBVEL, said his client was not opposing the petition.

The judge said it seemed appropriate to make an order winding up EBVEL. He also confirmed de Lacy as liquidator of the company.

James “Fergie” Chambers, a self-described “professional revolutionary” and the heir of one of the richest families in the US, lived in Dublin in the past year.

He was arrested on the island of Ibiza, following a request from the United States, according to the Audiencia Nacional, Spain’s high court.

Chambers left the US in 2023, briefly moving to Tunisia, where he funded a football team, before settling in Dublin with his family.

His movements and activism in the past three years are the subject of a documentary directed by an Irish film-maker that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January.

He also became a prominent donor to pro-Palestinian causes, paying the legal fees of Palestine Action in the UK, and donating $1 million (€874,000) to humanitarian organisations in Gaza in February.

His partner, Stella Madrid Schnabel, the daughter of a well-known New York artist and filmmaker, Julian Schnabel, responded to the arrest by accusing the US government of “political persecution”.

In a statement, she said: “Fergie is being jailed because he uses his wealth to support Palestine and those suffering genocide in Gaza.”

Chambers appeared last Saturday in front of Spanish National Court judge Antonio Piña, who ordered his detention without bail pending the outcome of his extradition case.

“From now on, there is a 40-day period for the United States to present the formal extradition paperwork,” the Spanish court said in a statement to The Irish Times.

“If the person requested authorises the extradition, he is sent to the United States quickly. If he does not agree, a hearing is held to decide whether he will be extradited or not.”

The final decision will then be put before Spanish government’s council of ministers, led by prime minister Pedro Sánchez.

A number of Spanish politicians have published statements in recent days calling on the government in Madrid not to honour the extradition request.

The case was raised in the Dáil on Thursday by People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy who said it was evidence of the “long reach” of US foreign policy and an attempt to crack down on pro-Palestine solidarity.

In response, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he was not familiar with the case but had no doubt the Spanish government would adopt a “fair and honourable” approach to the matter.

Chambers inherited a large fortune from the Cox family, who made billions developing telecommunications in the US. He cut off ties from the family and the family-owned Cox Enterprise, which was valued at $23 billion in 2025.

Selling his stake, Chambers made $250 million, which he said he would use to fund a variety of left-wing causes.

The American heir regularly made extreme comments on his social media, apparently condoning the Hamas attacks on Israel when he posted “No faction of the Palestinian resistance, Hamas or other, has done *anything* wrong,” on Twitter in October 2023.

On the Fourth of July this year, the 250th US Independence Day, a post on his personal Instagram showed a picture of a burning US flag with the caption “250 years of unmitigated horror ... Death to Amerikkka, to hell with any of those celebrating.”

According to the Open Collective, a website tracking charity donations, Chambers’s foundation, The Babochki Collective, transferred $750,000 in funds in 2023 – $350,000 to the Atlanta Community Press Collective, an “abolitionist, not-for-profit media collective” in October of that year and $400,000 to an anonymous beneficiary in December.

While in Ireland, Chambers continued to fund Palestinian causes through The Babochki Collective, which claims to have donated a further $1 million to humanitarian aid organisations in February of this year.

Palestine Action: UK government’s ban is lawful, court of appeal rules

This included $300,000 to the Sameer Project, an initiative, led by Palestinians, to supply emergency shelter and aid to displaced families in Gaza, $400,000 to Meca for Peace, an organisation working for the “rights and wellbeing of children in the Middle East”, specifically Palestine and Lebanon, and $300,00 to PHM global, a campaign to rebuild Palestine’s health infrastructure in Gaza and the West Bank.

His “revolutionary” persona is the subject of a documentary by Irish director Sinéad O’Shea that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year and was screened at the Galway Film Fleadh last weekend.

Titled All about the Money, it portrays Chambers during his time moving between America, Tunisia and Ireland and offers a psychological insight into the controversial figure and his radical, and often contradictory, views.

Ireland will round off what has been a largely disappointing Junior World Championship in contesting the ninth-place final. Having lost to England and Argentina in the pool stages, they beat the USA, and just about squeezed past Fiji to reach this point in the tournament.

Drawing a straight formline from the Six Nations where Ireland won four of five matches, England, whom Andrew Browne’s side beat, will contest the third-place playoff against New Zealand. Wales and Scotland, who also lost to Ireland in the Six Nations, oppose one another in the fifth-place final.

Injuries have been a significant issue, both before and during the tournament, but the coaches and players might reasonably have expected a little bit more in performance terms. Daniel Green shifts from outhalf to fullback, Charlie Molony moves to the right wing, with Cashel’s Rob Carney restored to outside centre. Charlie O’Shea is fit again and will wear the 10 jersey.

There are no changes to the pack, while the team will be led once again by flanker Josh Neill in the continued absence of the injured Sami Bishti. Galwegians’ Luke Murtagh, who last played in the Six Nations, is named as the replacement tighthead prop.

Ireland retain eight of the starting team from a 30-27 Six Nations victory over Italy in Cork, while Italy have seven survivors from that game, one they led 17-15 at the interval.

The tournament places a massive physical stress on young bodies and minds with a healthy chunk of Ireland’s team asked to play through the five match days.

Lineout woes have been a destabilising factor in previous games, so too handling, discipline and some of the defensive alignment and basic tackling. Ireland’s attack has been excellent for the most part and they have managed to score tries freely, a characteristic that they are going to have to continue. Daniel Ryan has been a standout in that respect.

There’s plenty of talent, it’s just a question of energy levels and if Ireland can summon a rounded performance that properly represents it.

IRELAND: Daniel Green; Charlie Molony, Rob Carney, James O’Leary, Daniel Ryan; Charlie O’Shea, Christopher Barrett; Max Doyle, Duinn Maguire, Blake McClean; Joe Finn, Donnacha McGuire; Josh Neill (capt), Alex Lautsou, Diarmaid O’Connell. Replacements: Rian Handley, Adam Cooper, Luke Murtagh, Seán Walsh, Charlie Keane, Luke Coffey, Seán David Walsh, Jack Deegan.

ITALY: Pietro Cieli; Luca de Novellis, Giacomo Falchetto, Riccardo Cassarin (capt), Luca Rossi; Roberto Fasti, Mattia Andretti; Emiliano Mastropasqua, Valerio Pelli, Erik Meroi; Simone Fardin, Enoch Opoku Gyamfi; Antony Miranda, Davide Sette, Jaheim Wilson. Replacements: Ettore Patricio, Giacomo Messori, Luca Trevisan, Fabio Salvanti, Carlo Bianchi, Nikolaj Varotto, Alessandro Ragussi, Alessio Scaramazza.

Referee: R Campbell (Sco).

But back in the Swinging 1970s, it was a short-lived attempt to enliven the Dublin pub scene with an infusion of funk dancing or, as it was better known at the time, “go-go”.

The RTÉ website has a charmingly dated video from 1974, which in docudrama style follows two of the protagonists on a typical working day. One is “Brenny” Hooper, the suit-wearing young businessman behind the campaign to bring go-go to Ireland.

The other is Jean Smith, a “convent-educated” 22-year-old seen having breakfast at the decadently late hour of 11am before leaving for work in her yellow bell-bottoms and bandanna to become “Michele la Fleece” while entertaining lunchtime customers in the pub near O’Connell Bridge.

Other acts at the venue then, day and night, included “Miss Tina Montez” and “Miss Mitzi Monroe”, along with such male dancers as “Fin McCool” and “The Hopper”.

Their shows were advertised in the Evening Herald with the question: “Dare you bring your wife?” (although RTÉ assured viewers that the attire of performers was nothing you wouldn’t see “on any Irish beach in summertime”).

Wives or no wives, reports spoke of packed attendances early on. There was even a “Playboy Go-Go Tour” advertised at one point to destinations unspecified.

But the phenomenon appears to have been fleeting. This was the era in Irish politics, as defined by Hall’s Pictorial Weekly, of the Minister for Hardship and Richie Ruin, whose budgets must have helped bring go-go to a stop. Whatever the reason, according to the archives, it does not seem to have reached 1975.

***

The phenomenon was remembered in passing on Thursday night at an event in the latest of several pubs to occupy the same Aston Quay site: Bill Aherne’s.

This is an entirely different establishment, whose name hints at an umbilical cord link with one of Dublin’s great literary bars. Sure enough, it turns out that the new pub is owned by the man behind The Palace, Willie Aherne, who named it after his grandfather.

The companion bars do not have a physical link, quite, but they occupy the same city block: one facing south on Fleet Street, the other north towards the Liffey. Hence their nicknames among aficionados who have spent too long in France. The older bar is now the Palace (en ville), the new one the Palace (sur mer).

***

Christopher Nolan’s movie version of Homer’s Odyssey may accidentally attract a few new readers to James Joyce’s early 20th-century Dublin version of the epic, Ulysses. Others, meanwhile, need no such excuse.

Thursday’s event in Bill Aherne’s was the latest annual instalment of Paddy Dignam’s month’s mind, in which the fictional character buried on June 16th every year is formally commemorated by Joyce addicts who’ve endured 30 days’ cold turkey since Bloomsday and are now suffering withdrawal symptoms.

Unusually for a month’s mind, the latest instalment attracted a multiple of the attendance at the original (if fictional) funeral. Most were hard-core Joyceans, although a few innocent American tourists who just happened to be on the premises also got sucked on. It was an evening of prose, poetry and music (but no go-go dancing), by the end of which poor Paddy – God be good to him – was once again suitably commemorated.

***

At the Bastille Day garden party in the French Ambassador Céline Place’s residence on Tuesday, many of the guests stayed late to watch the first World Cup semi-final on a large screen.

Earlier, we had sung along with the lyrics of the Marseillaise, as it predicted that “le jour de gloire est arrivé”. Alas for our hosts and most of those watching, the day of glory did not extend to the football, in which it was Spain who stormed the Bastille.

Among the crowd then was Malcolm Byrne TD. When I ran into him elsewhere next day, he reminded me that we had both also been in the much smaller gathering at the Canadian ambassador’s residence for another World Cup watching party in which our hosts were knocked out.

The possibility arose that, as perhaps the only common denominators between the two events, one or both of us was a curse. So what also arose, briefly, was the thought that we could influence the outcome of Wednesday night’s semi-final.

But, perhaps luckily, there is no English embassy, only a British one, in Dublin, or, in the absence of a party, at least one of us might have been tempted to camp outside it and watch the game on an iPhone.

Not that England needed curses from anywhere else, with the unwise words of Jude Bellingham soon to incur the dreaded “Nod of Messi”, which in the manner of Medusa turned England to stone. As for Sunday’s final, even if Spain and Argentina are not hosting World Cup parties, I for one promise to stay well away from both their embassies.

Branach Developments, the developer, with a registered address at Thomastown, Caragh, Co Kildare, and the site owners, Mullnassa and Threshford with registered addresses at Rock Road, Blackrock, Dublin, must also pay costs incurred by South Dublin County Council and a local resident, John O’Neill, in challenging the development.

The costs orders include one requiring BKC Solicitors, for O’Neill, be paid €60,000 on account by August 7th.

A judgment by High Court judge Richard Humphreys, published on Friday, sets out a timeline for specific actions to be taken.

These concern demolition and site remediation up to an inspection by a South Dublin County Council engineer on November 2nd confirming approval of the landscaping plan.

There was broad agreement by the parties about the steps required, the judge noted.

The actions include appointment of contractors for demolition works between July 6th and August 17th and the commencement of some demolition works before August 17th, including the removal of windows, doors, roof tiles and any other salvageable materials.

Required actions between August 17th and September 21st include the demolition or deconstruction of all units, including the breakout and removal of foundations and the removal of all new roads and footpaths.

The plan provides for a “post-clearance visual validation” to be carried out by a council engineer, between September 21st and 28th, confirming complete removal of all structures, foundations and buried waste, if any, before any topsoil is placed.

Other steps to be taken from then over specified periods ending on November 2nd include soil remediation and landscape reinstatement, hedgerow and tree-planting.

The plan follows the judge’s decision in June directing the 29 houses must be removed and the “highly sensitive” site remediated in line with a specified remediation plan.

In a subsequent direction to the respondents to provide a €150,000 bond, the judge said that although that would only cover “a fraction” of the cost of the works required, it would provide “some assurance that the remediation will actually be carried out”.

US air strikes hit bridges in Iran’s southern Hormozgan province, killing at least seven people, Iranian state TV reported. The bridges were a key transit point for Bandar Abbas, Iran’s main port.

Further US air strikes brought down a tower in Chabahar port on the Gulf of Oman that the US military claimed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) used to facilitate attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. The US also targeted key electrical infrastructure and Iranshahr airport.

Iran’s energy ministry told citizens to reduce their use of electricity and air conditioning after the power grid came under strain due to US strikes on energy facilities. The ministry said areas in the south “are currently experiencing extreme heat and attacks on power infrastructure”, as temperatures in Iran soared.

Strikes on civilian infrastructure not being used for military purposes could constitute a war crime, human rights experts have said.

The days of US strikes had killed at least 38 people and wounded more than 400 in Iran by Friday morning, said a spokesperson for Iran’s health ministry, Hossein Kermanpour.

Trump is falling into the old trap of an American ‘forever war’

The attacks appeared to be the follow-through of Donald Trump’s promise to expand strikes against Iran, including the targeting of infrastructure and power plants. The US president reportedly met senior department heads this week to discuss an expanded aerial campaign to force Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

The current round of fighting entered its seventh day on Friday and further undermined the interim deal between Iran and the US, which was meant to keep the strait open and give room for negotiations to lead to a permanent truce. Iran has shut the strait and the US reimposed its blockade of Iranian ports and ships on Wednesday.

After the US strikes on Friday, the IRGC threatened a “devastating price” for countries hosting US bases if attacks against infrastructure continued.

“The American enemy and the hosts of its bases in the region should know that crossing red lines and attacking civilians and civilian infrastructure will have a very severe and devastating price to pay,” the IRGC said in a statement.

The Iranian military responded to US strikes by targeting Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Oman and Qatar. Qatar, one of the mediators between the US and Iran, had been mostly spared from Iranian retaliation in the recent rounds of violence. Qatari authorities said falling debris wounded a child as air defences intercepted missiles.

In Kuwait, authorities said Iranian strikes hit a power and desalination plant, damaging the water facility. The country relies on desalinated water for about 90 per cent of its drinking water. Officials said they were working to assess the damage and get the plant running again.

Strikes in Iraqi Kurdistan killed eight members of armed Kurdish opposition groups, which the groups blamed on Iran. Tehran also claimed to have struck the al-Tanf military base in Syria, although Syrian authorities denied this to Agence France-Presse.

The renewed fighting has focused on the Strait of Hormuz, which handled about a fifth of the world’s oil and gas supply before the war. Though the memorandum of understanding signed by the US and Iran last month said the strait should be open to traffic, both sides interpreted the deal differently.

Washington and Tehran advanced competing plans for ships to transit the strait, with Iran attacking some ships that took the US route. Shipping in the waterway has been drastically reduced over the last few days as violence escalated, though most ships that continued to transit used the Iranian route.

A tanker travelling through the strait, on the route closest to Oman, came under attack on Friday, according to the British military. The tanker sustained minor damage but none of its crew were hurt. Iran did not claim responsibility for the attack.

Iranian state media also said the US struck an oil tanker which was empty and docked at Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil export terminal on the strait.

US forces boarded a ship in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday as part of the renewed blockade of Iran’s ports that began earlier this week, the US military said. US Marines boarded the M/T Wen Yao “to ensure full compliance with the ongoing US naval blockade”, US Central Command (Centcom) said in a post on X.

Centcom also said it had “redirected” three commercial vessels “trying to run the blockade” since it took effect at 8pm Irish time on Tuesday. The previous day, a US aircraft fired on and disabled an unladen oil tanker that tried to break the blockade.

Iran has asked its allies in Yemen, the Houthis, to be prepared to close the oil route through the Red Sea if the US targets Iranian energy infrastructure, Reuters reported – a threat that, if followed through, could paralyse the global energy market.

The Houthi leader, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, also threatened that all Saudi oil and other critical facilities could be targeted by the group if Riyadh intervened in Yemen. The threat came after Saudi Arabia struck Sana’a airport, leading to retaliatory missile strikes from the Houthis on Saudi Arabia.

Week-to-week cargo shipments through the Strait of Hormuz dropped by almost a quarter at the beginning of the month, according to the maritime data firm Lloyd’s List Intelligence. And that was before the recent surge in tit-for-tat attacks.

Given the risks, some oil shippers are transiting the strait with their location devices turned off, but many are just staying put, Lloyd’s said on Thursday. A growing amount of the region’s energy is being shipped through pipelines, but not nearly enough to offset the decline in shipping through the strait.

Pakistan’s foreign ministry on Thursday said efforts were still under way to bring the US and Tehran to the negotiating table but acknowledged that was becoming increasingly difficult.

Despite the escalating conflict and interruption of trade, Trump said the war was going well for the US.

“We are likewise winning big in Iran, and you will see the fruits of that labour very, very shortly,” Trump said in an address to the American public. – The Guardian/Agencies

The discussions are active, however there is no guarantee that the two sides will reach an agreement, said people with knowledge of the matter. No trial date has been set in the case.

Apple has made multiple offers this year to the justice department (DOJ) to bring the case to a close, said the people, who asked not to be identified as the discussions were private. Settlement discussions between the DOJ and companies can end without an agreement being reached.

Apple declined to comment. The justice department didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

The US government sued Apple under the Biden administration amid a slew of lawsuits designed to rein in the power of major technology companies. In its complaint, the DOJ said Apple hurt competitors, software developers and consumers of its products with its alleged behavior. In June 2025, Apple lost a bid to dismiss the antitrust suit.

The DOJ’s main allegations surrounded Apple’s blocking of super apps — programs that include mini apps within them like WeChat in China — in addition to discouraging outside messaging solutions, cloud streaming apps, rival digital wallets and hindering smartwatch competition.

The Justice Department brought the case alongside a bipartisan group of 19 states and the District of Columbia. It couldn’t be learned whether the state attorneys general were engaged in settlement talks.

The justice department under Trump has sought to settle myriad of antitrust cases filed by the previous administration. Stanley Woodward, the number three justice department official currently overseeing the agency’s antitrust work, has pushed for settlements, viewing them as a way to save taxpayer dollars and bring more immediate relief to consumers than litigation that can last for years.

Apple has already addressed much of the complaints, now offering a mini apps program for developers, opening up its Messages app to the Alphabet-led RCS messages system, allowing cloud-streaming apps and opening up the iPhone’s payment chip to third-party apps.

The company still doesn’t allow the Apple Watch to work with Android or non-iPhones, but it has implemented new features to make the experience of using a non-Apple Watch with the iPhone more seamless. - Bloomberg

EnergyCloud, which works with wind energy companies and some low-income housing developments to divert surplus electricity to powering radiators and immersions for free, said the Government must take steps to address the problem nationally.

“We’re trying to shine a light on the social problem and shine a light on the waste problem and hopefully connect them,” EnergyCloud chief executive Alan Wyley said.

“We’re helping about 1,000 households but there are 550,000 homes in Ireland experiencing energy poverty, so this needs a national policy.”

Electricity is wasted when wind farms have to power down or turn off turbines at times when high winds correspond with low electricity demand.

There is nowhere on the grid to send the surplus power for immediate use and not enough large-scale battery storage installations to hold on to it for future use so wind farms are curtailed and paid by the State for their time out of action.

This has not happened in recent weeks because of the fine weather but on average it happens 10 nights a month. The daily waste in the 18 months since the Government came into power is valued at an average of €1.65 million.

The programme for government contains a commitment to “explore if legislation could be enacted to divert surplus renewable energy, that would otherwise be wasted, to homes in fuel poverty”.

It also commits to “explore ways to use surplus renewable energy to help reduce energy poverty, ensuring that renewable energy benefits all communities”.

But 18 months later, there are no proposals on the table. The Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment said it was working on a strategy to reduce curtailment and that the National Energy Affordability Taskforce which was examining energy poverty was due to report in the autumn.

EnergyCloud fits homes with devices that enable people to heat water tanks and storage heaters for free with surplus electricity at times when they would otherwise keep them switched off.

Energy poverty: ‘I am basically on the breadline. I never have the heating on’

The charity in its pre-budget submission published this week calls for all new and retrofitted homes to be fitted with smart heat pumps and other electrical appliances capable of having surplus electricity diverted to them.

“We’re still installing ‘dumb’ appliances that can’t be communicated with remotely so they can’t have surplus electricity diverted to them,” Wyley said.

“At the very least, all social houses should be fitted with them – that would allow the 72,000 social homes the Government has promised to build by 2030 to benefit.”

EnergyCloud is also calling for an end to universal energy credits as a support in cost-of-living crises, saying they must be targeted to those in energy poverty.

When they arrived, however, they were told the building had closed down and they had to go to a new hospital building nearby.

“I couldn’t fathom it at the time. But when I arrived [at the new building] everything was so spanking new,” she said. “Everybody who worked here came down to wish me luck and say ‘hi’ because they wanted to see who was the first woman who would give birth [here].”

Another woman was admitted around the same time, Dunne recalled, “and they were wondering who was going to be first, but as if I cared at that stage, you know? I was a bit busy.”

When her daughter, Louise Egan, finally arrived, Dunne was informed that she was the first new baby to be born in the new hospital.

Laughing that they were made to feel like VIPs or celebrities, Dunne says local businessman Paddy Whelan brought her a pram as a present to mark the occasion.

“I was just so glad it was over, but everybody was lovely. They really were,” she said.

The treatment they received then was one of the reasons why Egan decided to have her own daughters in the Coombe.

“It’s really nice to see how the hospital has grown and all the different departments now,” he said. “Back then [when she was born] women just had their babies, but now there is so much more to it.”

Study of Coombe hospital over 60 years shows progress of Irish maternity care

Almost 60 years later, the mother and daughter visited the Coombe on Friday to see a series of commemorative flags – designed in collaboration with students from the National College of Art and Design – raised to mark the hospital’s 200th anniversary.

The Coombe was established in 1826 following a tragedy in the winter of 1825 when two women and their newborn babies died near Thomas Street while trying to reach the Rotunda Hospital on the city’s northside during a snowstorm.

There was widespread outcry following their deaths and this prompted Margaret Boyle to purchase and repurpose the vacated Meath Hospital building in the Coombe area of Dublin’s Liberties. She wanted to ensure vulnerable pregnant women would never again have to endure such dangerous conditions to receive obstetric care. The hospital then moved to its current site in 1967.

Master of the Coombe Prof Michael O’Connell said a lot has changed over the past two centuries, which means improved care for women and babies.

He said the hospital expected to deliver a baby weighing 400g (less than 1lb) at 24 weeks on Friday.

“Those babies wouldn’t have survived before,” he said “There was no neonatology care for babies. When you look at the obstetric element of it, the changes that have occurred include antibiotics, oxytocin ... ultrasounds. So we’ve come so far. We see scans now that we wouldn’t have been able to interpret in those days.”

Almost 6,500 women gave birth at the Coombe last year and about 900 babies were cared for in its neonatal unit.

The hospital also delivered benign gynaecological services in Ireland, with 19,000 attendances at outpatient gynaecology clinics and just under 7,000 gynaecological surgical procedures performed.

While O’Connell is proud of the successes and improvements, he also acknowledges the challenges, with infrastructure being a significant one.

“Our neonatal unit, for instance, was never devised to look after babies from 22 weeks on. We’ve infrastructurally tried to adapt, but it’s not ideal. In essence, the hospital does need a serious uplift. We have lots of work with the HSE Estates to do that and we are progressing it but it’s quite slow process.”

The 63-year-old was convicted at Newry Crown Court last month of 18 sex offences, including one count of rape, relating to the abuse of two women when they were children.

The offences were committed between 1985 and 2008.

The two victims gave evidence against him during the trial, during which Donaldson had denied the offences

His wife Eleanor Donaldson (60) was found to have aided and abetted his crimes following a trial of the facts, which was granted on mental health grounds.

Donaldson was placed on the sex offenders’ register and is due to be sentenced in September. He is currently being held at Maghaberry Prison in Co Antrim, which is in his former parliamentary constituency of Lagan Valley.

Judge Paul Ramsey said at the end of the jury trial that a custodial sentence was inevitable, stating it would be “lengthy”.

Donaldson’s solicitor, John McBurney, on Friday said that papers had been lodged for an appeal.

“I can confirm, having lodged this afternoon on behalf of Jeffrey Donaldson appeal papers with the relevant office for the court of appeal,” he said.

The appeal, if granted, is expected to be heard at the Royal Courts of Justice in Belfast in the autumn and is understood to be aimed at having the convictions set aside.

In 2024, two women, referred to as Complainants A and B during the trial, told police Donaldson had abused them as children from the ages of about seven to 13.

He was arrested in March 2024, shortly after returning from a St Patrick’s Day trip to Washington, which was seen almost as a victory lap after he struck a deal with the Westminster government that brought the DUP back into Stormont and ended its two-year boycott of the Northern political institutions.

Donaldson’s arrest and conviction sent shock waves through politics in Northern Ireland.

The DUP is undertaking a “focused, independent review” to establish what was known within the party about Donaldson’s conduct.

The review will be led by Jim Gamble, a former senior police officer and current head of the INEQE Safeguarding Group.

The Northern Ireland Assembly has also begun a review into alleged abuse or inappropriate behaviour associated with Donaldson in Stormont during his time as an MLA from 2003 to 2010.

Donaldson was also the MP for Lagan Valley from 1997 to 2024.

Earlier this month Donaldson was removed from the UK’s Privy Council. It came after he asked for his name to be removed from the list of members of the body of senior advisers to the king. – PA

Aer Lingus chief executive Lynne Embleton cashed in close to €900,000 worth of shares in the Irish carrier’s owner, International Airlines Group (IAG), at the end of May, figures show.

The airline is seeking to cut up to 500 jobs from a workforce of 6,500 to aid it in tackling rising costs and increased competition in key parts of its business.

Company filings show Embleton cashed in £775,005 (€895,000) worth of IAG shares on May 28th last, within weeks of the group published financial results.

Embleton receives share options in IAG as part of her pay, a common practice for rewarding executives in stock market-quoted companies.

Strict rules govern when executives with such deals can cash in share options or transact in company stock as they have access to information on the business that can affect its shares’ value.

The companies must also give details of these transactions to stock markets, which publish them.

Several other IAG executives also cashed in options around the same time as Embleton, the filings show. The Spanish-registered group is listed on the London Stock Exchange.

Aer Lingus faces clash with unions as 500 jobs to go

IAG published financial results almost three weeks earlier showing that Aer Lingus had lost €103 million in the three months to the end of March 31st.

Share options cashed in by the airline’s chief would have been awarded to her before that three-month period. Aer Lingus earned €282 million profit last year. The airline did not comment.

Embleton confirmed in May that the airline was reviewing costs. That exercise preceded this week’s announcement that the airline could cut up to 70 pilots, 140 cabin crew and 290 head office staff.

Aer Lingus is preparing to enter talks with unions including Fórsa and the Irish Airline Pilots’ Association on the proposals.

Both unions represent workers in the areas that Aer Lingus is targeting for job cuts.

They argue that such reductions should only be a last resort and warn against compulsory redundancy.

The airline says talks with workers will focus on minimising redundancies where possible.

Aer Lingus is profitable but says it needs to cut costs to bring margins from its business into line with targets set by IAG to guarantee future investment from its parent.

The airline’s losses in the first three months of this year included once-off extra costs for the closure of its Manchester base.

They also reflected the fact the period covered the weakest three months of the year for air travel.

Figures for the first half, due next month, will show any impact of higher fuel bills on all IAG’s airlines, which include British Airways and Spain’s Iberia.

Aer Lingus maintains that its business has become increasingly seasonal, with a high proportion of its revenues and profits coming between March and September.

McIlroy didn’t sprint towards the leaders on the tournament’s second day at Royal Birkdale, but neither did he stumble his way to an empty weekend. A three-under round of 67 hauled him back to one under for the event, albeit he went to the clubhouse trailing leader Lucas Herbert by seven shots.

“The main objective today was to be here for the weekend, which I am,” said McIlroy. “I felt like I left a couple out there. Then you look at the board and you see a couple of 62s, and you feel like you could have done a bit better. I think if I can get off to a decent start tomorrow, be four- or five-under for the tournament, I’ll be right in it.”

‘I definitely left a couple out there today’: Rory McIlroy speaks after round of 67 at The Open pic.twitter.com/1XGtlJmCNG

— Irish Times Sport (@IrishTimesSport) July 17, 2026

Those 62s belonged to Herbert and Sam Burns, who made hay in the benign early conditions. McIlroy had a morning tee-time too but he couldn’t push the throttle. The luxury of McIlroy’s raw talent is that he needs only one or two parts of his game in working order to compete. He is perhaps the only player in the world who could rank second-last in driving accuracy on his way to winning the Masters.

But this week the script has flipped. On Thursday, he ranked 148th in putting and 152nd around the green among a field of 156 players, all the while throwing in a few wobbly irons from the first cut of rough. He propped himself up by wielding his driver as a crutch. McIlroy’s opening round was distilled in a three-hole stretch around the turn when he audaciously drove the ninth green to make birdie while missing two putts from four feet on each of the holes either side.

Friday was a less extreme version of the same Rory McIlroy Experience. He pounded a drive to 354 yards on the second hole and made birdie thanks to a deft wedge to the pin, but handed it back on the difficult sixth hole when he missed left with his approach from the rough. Another monstrous, 367-yard drive on the eighth hole yielded another birdie, before he returned to the ninth green for another flash of irresistible showmanship. Unsheathing driver like the sword from the stone, he slammed the ball to within 11 feet of a hole 403 yards away. He left the eagle attempt short but hauled himself back to even-par for the tournament.

He's done it again.
 
Rory McIlroy is on the charge. Watch him now on Featured Groups over on R&A TV: https://t.co/dKRP3hdJ73 pic.twitter.com/9zdMqerrSt

— The Open (@TheOpen) July 17, 2026

McIlroy hadn’t spent his week planning to drive the ninth green, but the wind direction has shifted from his practice rounds and so, in his own words, “sometimes opportunities present themselves and you have to take them.” He blithely described the tee shot as comfortable – saying the grandstand gave him an easy target point – and reckoned his playing partner Xander Schauffele has the length to drive the same green. Schauffele may have McIlroy’s length, but he doesn’t have his daring.

But from there he stalled, forced to play away from a couple of treacherously tucked pins while continuing to look uncomfortable on the greens.

“I’m still trying to figure out these greens a little bit,” he said. “It was a little better today, but I still didn’t feel 100 per cent comfortable. I hit a couple of putts yesterday, and they did something completely different to what I saw in the read, and I think that’s a little unnerving. So it’s just a matter of trying to trust and commit to what you’re seeing.”

He did exactly this on 14, making birdie thanks to a steely, 22-foot putt up and across a ridge that sloped horribly to a bunker. He had to scramble from greenside to play his closing four holes in even par, stabbing out an exasperated laugh following another left miss to the par-three 15th.

While McIlroy will chase on Saturday from a standing start, nobody has such explosive power out of the blocks.

“I’ve driven the ball so well the last two days,” he said. “I think any time I can get a driver in my hand, I’m going to try to.”

The ship, which has been sold three years after it was detained off the south coast following the discovery of a €157 million haul of cocaine on-board, departed from Cork on Friday.

The Irish Times understands the ship is bound for Varna in Bulgaria, where it is to be refit for future use as a bulk grain carrier on the Black Sea.

Fianna Fáil TD Séamus McGrath said he planned to raise the cost of keeping the ship with Harris, who is also the Minister for Finance, after being informed by Revenue Commissioners chairman Niall Cody that there is little chance of recouping the €16 million spent on the MV Matthew.

McGrath raised the issue last week by way of a parliamentary question and was told in response that the State had spent €3.73 million on berthing fees, €6.99 million on maintenance and €5.28 million on crew for the vessel since it was seized three years ago.

The MV Matthew was detained off Ballycotton on September 26th, 2023, when Army Rangers fast roped from a helicopter on to the deck of the 189m bulk carrier and prevented crew from destroying 2.2 tonnes of cocaine. The Naval Service vessel LE William Butler Yeats then escorted her to Cork.

Six members of the crew – Cumali Ozgen, Soheil Jelveh, Mykhailo Gavryk, Vitaliy Vlasoi, Harold Estoesta and Saeid Hassanin – were jailed for terms ranging from 14 years to 20 years in connection with the haul. Two others arrested on a fishing vessel due to meet them, Jamie Harbron and Vitaliy Lapa, were also given prison terms.

According to McGrath, the MV Matthew has cost €120,000 a week to berth and maintain. When he raised the issue last year at an Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee meeting, Cody told him Revenue was still exploring potential purchasers, but they expected the sale value to be very low.

McGrath said he had no issue with the costs incurred until December 2nd, 2024, when the ship was retained as evidence as part of the prosecution of those accused of using it for drug smuggling, but it was the costs incurred since, which he put at some €10 million, that were most concerning.

“Obviously the seizure of the MV Matthew was a very successful drug interdiction operation involving the Defence Forces, the Garda and Customs and they are to be commended for taking over €150 million worth of cocaine off our streets and off the streets of European cities and towns,” the Cork South-Central TD said.

McGrath said the focus of his concern related to why it took so long since to dispose of the vessel.

“Niall Cody did explain at the Public Accounts Committee the difficulties that Revenue was facing, the regulatory framework, the fact that the ship was originally registered in Panama, so I don’t underestimate it was quite complex from a legal and regulatory point of view,” he added.

“But I do think, in the cold light of day, we do have to look at this to see if a similar scenario arises again, how we can dispose of the vessel in a more cost-effective and timely manner. We have to review that and that’s what I will be asking the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance to do.”

Revenue said it would be issuing a statement in due course about the MV Matthew, which was due to depart Marino Point at 6pm on Friday.

The 33-year-old Offalyman was “dejected” after an opening round 77 but responded with a 69 in the second round – finishing on six-over 146 – that left him with the belief that his “game is well able to stand up to a pretty high level”.

“I feel like I probably need to get better at certain areas; certainly putting, anyway. That’s one of the things I’ve learned over the past couple of days, I need to become a better putter! There’s a couple more Majors next year that I’ll get into, so just try and get ready for them then,” said Grehan, who, as the Amateur champion, can expect an invitation from Augusta National to arrive around Christmas for the Masters, while he is assured of a spot in the US Open at Pebble Beach.

In the coming weeks, Grehan – who followed up his great amateur win at Royal Liverpool by helping Ireland to the European Amateur Team Championship in Estonia last week – has the Home Internationals at Woodbrook next month and the Walker Cup at Lahinch in September in a busy schedule.

Unlucky Matt Fitzpatrick misses rare cut

Funny old game, ain’t it? Well, Matt Fitzpatrick – one of the most in-form players in world golf coming into the Open – could attest to that view.

For the first time in 15 months, in a streak of cuts made that extended to 35 tournaments dating back to the Texas Open in April 2025, Fitzpatrick failed to make the cut in the Open in the event that means most of all to the Englishman.

“You need to have that rub of the green sometimes, and I didn’t have it this week,” admitted Fitzpatrick, who shot two rounds of 72 for 144 to miss the cut.

For the world number three, a two-time winner on the PGA Tour this season with wins in the RBC Heritage and the Valspar, it will be a case of putting the clubs away for a three-week break before getting going again at the FedEx Cup playoffs.

Arnold Palmer remembered at Birkdale with plaque

An aged grey stone plaque off the fairway of the 16^th hole commemorates the extraordinary recovery shot played by Arnold Palmer en route to Claret Jug success here in 1961.

On a hole that played as the 15^th at the time, with course changes since then resulting in the reconfiguration, Palmer hit his tee shot into thick rough at the base of a blackberry bush and left with what seemed to be an impossible ask to find the green.

But Palmer’s powerful 6-iron shot not only escaped the thorny lie but managed to reach the green. “I never hit a ball so hard in my life,” Palmer would later say of his resultant par which proved crucial as he held off Dai Rees to win the 90th Open by a single shot.

The plaque – simply engraved on a metal plate reads, “ARNOLD PALMER THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP 14^TH JULY 1961 – remains the only one at Royal Birkdale, with a push to install one for Jordan Spieth’s miracle shot on 13 in the final round of the 2017 Open proving short-lived, so that the man known as The King has free reign on that accolade.

What would it take over the weekend for someone else’s majesty to earn a second plaque on the famed links?

Irish teenager wins prestigious junior competition

Teenager Ollie McEvoy has ensured there will be at least one Irish winner in the northwest of England with his victory in the McGregor Trophy, a prestigious junior tournament that includes Justin Rose, Edoardo Molinari, Marco Penge and Rasmus Hojgaard among its past champions.

The 16-year-old from Ballycastle – whose dad Damien, the head professional at the north Antrim club, is his coach – came from five strokes behind in the final round at Clitheroe, some 60 kilometres up the road from Birkdale, to defeat Finland’s Valtteri Lindroos on the second playoff hole of the 72-holes championship.

Of joining the likes of Rose and company on the roll-of-honour, McEvoy said: “It’s unbelievable! Quite surreal to be honest! It’s something you dream of.”

Next up for McEvoy is the upcoming European Young Masters at Parador de El Saler in Spain, which starts on Thursday.

Number: 155

The ticket ballot for next year’s 155^th Open at St Andrews is currently live, with applications open until July 24th on theopen.com. There were almost one million applications for tickets for this year’s championship at Royal Birkdale.

Quote

“I thought there was zero per cent chance [of playing] ... I had a bunch of conversations with my wife, and she encouraged me to come over here and play, and here we are.” – Sam Burns after leapfrogging his way into contention with a 62. Burns’s wife Caroline gave birth to a baby girl on July 3^rd, with the golfer previously uncommitted to playing.

France are unhappy about having to play a World Cup third-place ‌playoff against England on Saturday in Miami but it is the team’s duty to deliver a bronze medal to the nation, ‌France coach Didier Deschamps told a press conference on Friday.

The French, world champions in 2018 and finalists four years ago, were ​one of the main title contenders and were hoping for a third straight final before being knocked out by European champions Spain in the semi-final.

It was their third successive major semi-final defeat by Spain, following Euro 2024 and the Nations League, ​and Saturday’s game will be the last under the 57-year-old Deschamps, who announced last year that he would leave when his contract ⁠expired after the tournament.

“I have a duty for this game,” Deschamps told a press conference in Miami. “It is not a friendly. It is a third-place ⁠playoff. The players, staff, and I have ​the duty to reach this last objective. It is ​less important than the final. England does not want to play this game, and neither do we. ‌But here we are.

“We have to set ​our eyes on that goal to be third and make this final goal a reality. We ⁠have this duty when wearing this jersey. ⁠In my head I ​know that it is my last match. I don’t want anybody to cry. The end is near but life goes on.”

Deschamps and his players were still digesting their semi-final loss and the coach said he would be making changes to his line-up with some players unavailable and some injured. He did not confirm their top scorer and captain Kylian Mbappé would start.

“He is available, that’s what I will say,” said Deschamps. Mbappé is joint top scorer of ‌the tournament on eight ⁠goals, along with Argentina’s Lionel Messi.

France centre back Ibrahima Konaté said despite the “bitter pill” of their semi-final loss, the players were eager to give Deschamps a successful farewell.

“None of us wanted ‌to play for this third place but we have no choice,” Konate said.

“We want to pay back our coach,” he ​said. “He did so much for the France team. We must be grateful ​to him for that and we need to do everything we can to win this game … to get this chocolate medal, this bronze medal.”

World Cup Wallchart

Authorities reported no immediate damage

The quake struck at a depth of 15.2km, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said, after revising its earlier assessment of a 7.4 magnitude ​quake at a shallow, 10km depth.

Following the tremor, the US Tsunami Warning System said that hazardous tsunami waves were possible along coasts located within ⁠300km of the epicentre. The waves could reach levels between 0.3m and 1m above ‌tide ‌level ​for some coasts in Mexico and Guatemala, it said.

Mexico’s secretary of the navy, Raymundo Morales, said water levels were not expected to rise more than half a meter, but nevertheless advised ⁠people to stay away from beaches for ​now.

“There is no problem, no serious maritime impact,” Morales said during ​a regular government press conference. “We only expect some beaches to see a rise in water level of up to half ‌a meter due to the tsunami effect from the ​earthquake.”

A series of aftershocks, including some with magnitudes between 5 and 6, were also felt in Mexico, Guatemala ⁠and El Salvador.

In Guatemala City, ⁠the earthquake shook buildings ​and prompted some residents to dash from their homes on to the street, according to a Reuters witness. Local media in Guatemala showed footage of staff evacuating a government building as security protocols were activated.

“I got really scared and it reminded me of the recent earthquake in Venezuela. So I ran out and went down the stairs because I live on the eighth floor. The shaking wouldn’t stop,” Alexander Valdez, a 29-year-old accountant in Guatemala City, said.

Adolfo Zacarias, a 43-year-old customer service worker who lives on the third floor of his building, said ‌he sought shelter under a structural ⁠column as the shaking began.

“I think the memories of what recently happened in Venezuela came back to us and that scared us a lot,” Zacarias said.

Venezuela is still reeling from twin earthquakes that ‌struck the country on June 24th, when magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 tremors hit within less than a minute of each other in the north-central region, toppling ​buildings in Caracas and nearby coastal areas and triggering a prolonged rescue and relief ​effort.

The death toll ‌has ​risen to ⁠4,930, according to ‌figures released ‌by ​top politician ⁠Jorge ​Rodriguez on ​Thursday. – Reuters

The former park ranger (53) was unanimously convicted of murdering mother-of-three Valerie French Kilroy (41) at their home in Kilbree Lower, Westport, Co Mayo, between June 13th and June 14th, 2019, following three Central Criminal Court trials.

Kilroy had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.

A jury rejected his claim that he was insane when he beat, stabbed and strangled her to death.

The two previous trials collapsed due to unforeseen difficulties that arose during the course of the evidence.

Kilroy attacked his wife with a knife and beat and strangled her. He was found some hours later wandering naked in a nearby field.

Gardaí subsequently found French Kilroy’s body in a camper van. A postmortem carried out by State Pathologist Dr Linda Mulligan noted ligature marks to her neck and a stab wound to the throat.

Multiple injuries to the face and head were in keeping with repeated blunt force trauma while incised wounds on both hands were suggestive of defence-type injuries, she said.

Kilroy’s appeal was listed for directions before Judge Isobel Kennedy as she managed a list of cases at the Court of Appeal on Friday.

When the matter was called on, barrister Conor McKenna, representing Kilroy, said submissions for the appeal had been lodged in the morning. He asked that a day be set aside for the hearing of the case.

The judge fixed January 19th, 2027, as the hearing date for the appeal.

During Kilroy’s third and final trial, psychiatrists had disagreed as to whether cannabis-induced psychosis is a mental disorder that can be used as a defence under the Criminal Law (Insanity) Act.

Kilroy had told gardaí and psychiatrists of various delusional beliefs, including that his wife was working with Donald Trump’s bodyguards to capture, torture and kill him. There was also evidence that Kilroy was a regular user of cannabis and had a previous psychotic episode related to drug use in 2001.

The eight women and four men at the Central Criminal Court took about two hours to reject Kilroy’s defence that he should be found not guilty by reason of insanity due to a cannabis-induced psychosis or a form of acute and transient psychotic disorder.

It was a frantic last week for the Oireachtas, with plenty of legislation being ramrodded through before the recess kicked in.

The most high-profile was the Occupied Territories Bill, which passed its 10th, and final, stage in the Seanad on Wednesday amid continued opposition and anger. Ellen Coyne captured the tenor of that final debate before the vote was taken and last-ditch attempts (doomed to failure) to include services in the legislation.

Andy Burnham elected as leader of the UK’s Labour Party

In the end, it was what we always knew it would be: a coronation. Once Andy Burnham announced he wanted to contest the Makersfield byelection, the die was cast.

On Friday, he became leader of the Labour Party. On Monday he will meet King Charles, who will ask him to form a government. He will be Britain’s 59th prime minister.

We have mostly seen Burnham in T-shirt and jeans, and in running gear (it’s de rigueur for senior British politicians to be seen out pounding the pavements). But on Friday, he was wearing a sober suit and tie, looking very prime ministerial indeed.

Mark Paul has a fascinating piece about his image, his clothing choices and the young digital media wunderkind, Abby Tomlinson, responsible for his public profile on social media.

As Mark writes: “Other videos have focused on his propensity for wearing ’short shorts’ when he goes jogging past the media camped outside his house. He has made viral videos referencing memes of him being sworn in as an MP to the tune of the same Z Cars music that is the soundtrack when his beloved Everton football team walks out on to on the pitch. He has also held a competition to irreverently judge picture memes of his ‘Number 10 North’ proposal to set up a Downing Street operation in Manchester”.

Burham has already set out some broad themes to distinguish himself form his predecessor Keir Starmer: handing power to communities, being pro-business and (a recurring theme in modern politics) providing more social housing.

He has faced some flak about his plans to have a 10 Downing Street North presence in Manchester and in the north of England but defended it stoutly on Friday.

“This is a moment to speak for all parts of the country and unite people in a common cause,” he said. “I love every part of the country, all of the accents and different traditions and some of the football clubs. But I also feel they can be more than they are.”

He promised to “take power back from Westminster and Whitehall and give it back to the place where you live”.

Time, as always, will tell.

Trouble at Mill

To borrow a phrase from Burnham’s neck of the woods, that might be what’s in prospect for Aughinish Alumina.

Pat Leahy gave a good sense on Thursday of what might be in the Government’s much-anticipated report on the Limerick-based alumina refiner’s exports to Russia and whether these materials are being used to manufacture military weaponry.

Pat spoke to a number of senior sources familiar with the process and discovered that that possibility cannot be ruled out by the report. There may be some ambivalence in the language that ultimately emerges in that report, and it could be autumn before the matter is examined by the European Commission. It will have consequences either way.

The key line is that the report is expected to say it cannot rule out the possibility that Irish-produced alumina is ending up in the Russian military supply chain because of the lack of hard evidence.

This all stems from the work of The Irish Times Investigations Unit .

More Russian intrigue

Speaking of which, Conor Gallagher of the Investigations Unit has a fascinating report this morning, which suggests that Russian passport technology has made its way into Irish State agencies.

He reports that password manager Passwork purports to be EU-based but has extensive links to a Russian company licensed by Russia’s security service.

Read the full report here.

Something for the weekend

Miriam Lord is handing out her end-of-the-year gongs. Unmissable.

Pat Leahy’s column. Also in the above category.

Jack Horgan-Jones has a big read reviewing the Dáil term that has just finished.

I have a piece looking at the efforts in Ireland and in the EU to introduce social media restrictions for under-16s

And don’t forget our Inside Politics Wrap of the Week podcast in which we discuss whether it is ever okay for a political correspondent to wear shorts into work!

The 150kg of drugs were hidden in a freight container and labelled “Lighting”.

The shipment originated in the US and was detected as part of “routine operations”.

Revenue said it does not disclose the factors for flagging suspicious shipments. However, it is understood that a mix of human intelligence, sniffer dogs and software-based risk analytics are among the measures used to detect illicit goods.

In 2025 Revenue seized 5,507kg of cannabis, valued at €104.8 million across 2,439 separate seizures.

An Garda Síochána has been contacted for comment.

Sobers will forever be associated with the feat he completed in 1968 at Glamorgan’s St Helen’s ground in Swansea when he became the first batsman to hit six sixes in a single over of six consecutive balls in first-class cricket, but his achievements in a long and illustrious career were numerous.

The late Richie Benaud, a revered broadcaster and former Australia captain, described Sobers as “the greatest all-round cricketer the world has seen”. He wrote: “Sobers was a brilliant batsman, splendid fielder, particularly close to the wicket, and a bowler of extraordinary skill, whether bowling with the new ball, providing orthodox left-arm spin or over-the-wrist spin.”

Sobers made his first-class debut for Barbados at the age of 16 in 1953, and such was his extraordinary talent he was quickly called up by his country and made his Test debut for West Indies the following year.

It did not take him long to make his mark on the world stage. Against Pakistan in 1958, Sobers scored his maiden Test century, eventually recording 365 not out, a new record for the highest individual score in a Test innings. The record was not broken until Brian Lara did so in 1994.

Sobers retired relatively early for a player of his stature and ability at the age of 38 in 1974, Wisden commenting a year later: “Some great players of the past continued appreciably longer. Simply enough, mentally and physically tired, he had lost his zest for the sport which had been his life – and was still his only observable means of earning a living.

“Ostensibly he had a damaged knee; in truth he was the victim of his unique range of talents – and the jet age. Because he was capable of doing so much, he was asked to do it too frequently. He did more than any other cricketer, and did it more concentratedly because high speed aircraft enabled him to travel half across the world in a day or two. Perhaps the long sea voyages between seasons of old had a restorative effect.”

In total Sobers played 93 Tests for West Indies, scoring 8,032 runs at an average of 57.78, and taking 235 wickets at an average of 34.03. He has the fourth-highest batting average in Test cricket in the list of players with more than 5,000 runs.

In his 383 first-class matches, he scored more than 28,000 runs and took over 1,000 wickets, having spent time with South Australia and, towards the end of his career, Nottinghamshire. Sobers was knighted in 1975 for his services to cricket.

The International Cricket Council awards the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy to the men’s cricketer of the year.

Siptu, which represents about 6,000 workers in creches and other education services, described offers by the two main representative bodies as “unfair and unacceptable” and said strike action is a possibility if its members reject the offers and employers fail to improve them.

Talks between the two sides had produced separate offers from Childhood Services Ireland (CSI), an Ibec body that predominantly represents larger providers including the biggest chains, and the Federation of Early Childhood Providers (FECP) which represents many smaller and stand-alone services.

CSI offered increases ranging from 4 per cent for graduate lead educators to 16 per cent for managers. Those currently on the lowest rates of pay in the sector, which employs about 35,000 people, most of them women, would see their hourly pay increase from €15 to €15.70 under the CSI plan.

The FECP proposals provide for an increase to that basic €15 rate of 80 cent, or 5.35 per cent, increasing to 6.35 per cent, or €1.10, for lead educators currently on at least €16 per hour.

The highest increases in their proposals are for graduate managers whose pay would go up by €2.50 or 12.4 per cent.

In a message to its members, Siptu said the scale of the differences in the offers to ordinary staff and managers raised “a serious issue regarding the lack of fairness and consistency across grades”.

The union argues that staff at many services already earn more than these specified minimum rates and the increases are essentially paid for by Government funding with €45 million set aside for the purpose from September 1st.

“The offers fall well short of what is needed to reach a deal,” said Siptu’s Darragh O’Connor on Friday. “We see the lowest paid receiving the lowest percentage increases which I think will be will be unacceptable to our members.”

In a statement, the FECP said the Government’s €45 million, while a welcome contribution to the pay increases, does not pay all of them and employers in the sectors are facing greatly increased costs on other fronts.

The organisation, which is led by Elaine Dunne, who runs a service in Dublin, said costs continue to increase but the fees charged by most services to parents have been frozen under the terms of their participation in the Core Funding scheme.

“For years, the cost of employing staff, keeping services open, paying insurance, utilities, food and every other day-to-day expense has continued to rise,” she said.

“At the same time, the income available to many providers has remained effectively frozen. Yet they are now expected to absorb even more costs without being given the means to pay for them. This is not a disagreement about whether educators deserve better pay. They absolutely do.

“The issue is not whether wages should rise. The issue is who is expected to pay for those increases.”

The Department of Children, however, says that in addition to the funding ring-fenced for pay and wage increases, the core funding provided to service operators has grown substantially in recent years with the department pointing to increases of between 37 per cent and 47 per cent during a three-year period.

Stephanie Roy of Childhood Services Ireland said its committee had put forward a “comprehensive and carefully considered offer” aimed at securing the long-term sustainability of the sector.

“Providers want nothing more than to fairly compensate the dedicated professionals who educate and care for our children. However, as the JLC process continues, we must ensure that the mechanisms we agree to today do not force the closure of services tomorrow,” she said in a statement.

“The offer our nominees have made is realistic, equitable, and, most importantly, sustainable. It acknowledges the severe cost pressures facing providers while establishing a foundation for stability.”

Shane Murray (then 19) assaulted Damien Merrigan (then 49), who sustained serious injuries including head and facial fractures at Aston Quay in September 2023.

Merrigan fell to the ground unconscious following the assault and was in Beaumont Hospital for seven days for treatment. A medical report read to the court stated that “major force” was required to fracture skull and facial bones.

Murray of Woodhazel Terrace, Ballymun, Dublin 11, pleaded guilty to assault causing serious harm on September 7th, 2023, at Aston Quay, Dublin 2.

Murray was on bail at the time of this incident. He has 81 previous convictions including for drugs offences, violent disorder, assault causing harm, theft, road traffic matters and possession of a mobile phone while in custody.

Merrigan, who was homeless, died in July 2025 of unrelated causes. Prosecuting barrister Tessa White previously told Judge Jonathan Dunphy that the prosecution was not making the case that Merrigan’s death was connected to the assault in 2023.

Imposing sentence on Friday, the judge noted that the victim was still homeless at the time of his death and a “very vulnerable man at that time, struggling through life”.

He said the court had viewed the CCTV footage, which showed Murray putting something on his hand before striking Merrigan.

The judge said the court inferred from Murray’s “slight build” and the serious injuries sustained by the victim that “an implement of some sort was used” by the defendant. He noted that while this was a one-punch assault, an implement was used to strike the blow, and this was aggravating.

He noted the unprovoked nature of the assault and that Merrigan was vulnerable and had “no opportunity to defend himself against a cowardly, savage attack”.

The judge said it was also aggravating that Murray left the scene, did not attempt to assist his victim after the assault and later left the jurisdiction, “highlighting a disregard for the victim and criminal justice system”.

Dunphy noted in mitigation that Murray returned voluntarily and handed himself in to gardaí. The judge also noted Murray’s difficult background, addiction issues and guilty pleas. He said the court accepted Murray’s expression of remorse as genuine.

Imposing a sentence of eight years, the judge said Murray was “still a young man who has an appalling list of previous convictions and who must change his ways upon release”.

The judge noted that Murray still had the “majority of his life ahead of him” and that without making “remarkable changes”, he may spend more time in custody.

The judge suspended the final two years of the sentence on strict conditions for three years including probation supervision and that Murray complete an alternatives-to-violence programme while in custody.

The local authority is cutting back for the next six weeks to support the hosepipe ban Uisce Éireann has imposed on households.

But while low pressure washers will be used and focus placed on areas of high footfall or heavily soiled streets, officials say they will also remove racist and politically motivated graffiti as a priority.

Dublin Lord Mayor Daryl Barron said the aim was to cut water usage in street cleaning by half.

“Uisce Éireann has introduced this water restriction for a good reason and it is important that we all play our part in helping to conserve water whatever way we can,” he said.

“Everyone is expected to do their bit and the city council is no different.

“Clearly this will have an affect on some operational areas but water is a vital resource and has to be protected during this ongoing spell of warm weather.”

The hosepipe ban came into effect for Dublin along with parts of Wicklow, Meath, Kildare, Wexford and Tipperary on Thursday.

It applies until August 26th although Uisce Éireann said it may have to be extended for longer and/or widened geographically if the dry spell continues.

The revised street washing schedule will include areas such as O’Connell Street, Henry Street, North Earl Street, Capel Street, Grafton Street, College Green, Parliament Street and Drury Street.

Dublin City Council said once restrictions lift, a “comprehensive programme of street washing” would be carried out on all affected areas.

“We appreciate the public’s understanding and co-operation as we adapt our operations to protect this vital resource during challenging conditions,” said Derek Kelly, executive manager for environment, climate and urban resilience.

Last month, prime minister Keir Starmer, amid a mutiny from within his party, announced his plans to resign. That made way for Andy Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester, who became eligible by winning a special vote for a seat in parliament.

Burnham made an uncontested bid for leadership of the governing Labour Party, with the backing of almost 95 per cent of his party’s. Once he becameLabour leader on Friday, his path to the premiership became a matter of formality.

Burnham is expected to officially become Britain’s prime minister on Monday. Here’s how everything is expected to play out:

Step 1. Starmer will go see the king to resign

There will be a two-day period when Burnham is the head of his party but is not yet the prime minister. While Starmer is likely to have already packed his bags (moving vans were spotted at the prime minister’s official residence almost immediately after he announced his resignation last month), he will remain as the country’s prime minister through the weekend. Then, on Monday morning, he is expected to travel by car the short distance to Buckingham Palace where, according to custom, he will tender his resignation to Britain’s King Charles.

It’s a well-rehearsed sequence of events – and the king, who has been on the throne for less than four years, has already had a good deal of practice. In that time, he’s ushered out Liz Truss, appointed and later bid farewell to Rishi Sunak, and then appointed Starmer, to whom he will now also bid farewell.

2. Then it’s Burnham’s turn

Almost immediately after Starmer leaves, Burnham will make his way to the palace, where the king will ask him to form a government.

This audience with the king is known as “kissing hands”, which dates to a time when incoming prime ministers literally kissed the reigning sovereign’s hand to show their loyalty to the crown. These days, incoming prime ministers simply shake hands with the sovereign during the short meeting.

3. First moments at Downing Street

Once he officially has the king’s request, Burnham will travel to Downing Street, where members of the press will be waiting to capture his entrance to his new home. In a scene that has grown familiar in Britain, the incoming prime minister will typically make a speech at a lectern set up outside before heading inside.

4. Then the work begins

The Burnham era will officially begin when he walks through the doors of Number 10 Downing Street. It’s then that the real work of governing begins. He will set about appointing his cabinet of ministers to carry out Labour’s plans as well as pursue some of his own goals. He’s made pledges to raise living standards, shift power from London to other cities and regions and even set up a branch of the prime minister’s official office in Manchester. – This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

Raven Adams (24), originally from Co Tipperary, died after being struck by a car in the city’s York Street area at about 2.40am on Thursday.

Francis Donaldson (22), of Cardigan Drive, Belfast, appeared before the city’s magistrates court on Friday to face a number of charges, including causing death by dangerous driving on July 16th.

Donaldson, who was described in court as “fraught and overwrought”, replied “yes” when asked if he understood the nine charges.

The charges also include causing grievous bodily harm by dangerous driving and failing to stop at the scene of a crash.

A police officer said he believed he could connect the accused to the charges.

The court heard Raven Adams and the man she was with had been pedestrians, and dashcam footage shows the vehicle that struck them travelling at speed on Limestone Road, running two red lights before coming on to York Street, mounting the footpath on the opposite side of the road.

She was pronounced dead at the scene, while the man remains in hospital with injuries to his skull, neck, ribs, shoulder and knee.

The driver was captured on CCTV leaving the scene on foot.

The court heard later the defendant’s mother called the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) to say he had sent a message to his partner saying he was “suicidal and was going to intentionally crash his car to kill himself”.

He was found in the Cavehill area by the PSNI where the court heard he admitted to being involved in the crash, and asked police whether the two people were dead.

During police interview, the defendant provided a statement saying he was the driver of the vehicle, was responsible for what happened, and was “having a mental health crisis”.

He also expressed remorse and condolences to the families in a statement that it was “never my intention to cause anyone harm except myself”.

“I accept I am responsible for what happened. I was experiencing a mental health crisis both at the time and in the immediate aftermath of the collision.”

The police officer said they objected to bail “given the risk the defendant poses to himself and the wider community”, “community tensions”, and said there is concern whether the defendant could be “effectively managed on bail given his mental health issues”.

A defence solicitor said the defendant’s family were present in court, and said they proposed bail with conditions including going back to his home with two sureties from his mother and his aunt, and a package of support.

The judge said he could see “the state” the defendant is in, “crying and utterly remorseful”, and refused to allow bail.

“Any issues in the community, that’s what police are there for,” he said

“I can’t take someone in to protect themselves, but there are two other issues that cause me some concern, one is considering what he did, I don’t know if this young man would try to do the same again or something like it, and if he did, whether he would take someone with him.

“He also left the scene. I think the police are not unreasonable in saying they fear that bail could not be adequately managed due to all the circumstances, including his mental health.

“Unless you could persuade a court that there were sufficient safeguards to overcome the issues that I have raised with you, bail has to be refused at this stage.”

He added that “clearly”, an article 51 mental health assessment “is going to be necessary for this young man”.

The case is next to be mentioned in four weeks’ time.

Those dealing with mental health issues can contact the charity Samaritans day or night, 365 days a year for free on 116 123, or visit samaritans.org to find your nearest branch. – PA

During last weekend’s All-Ireland SFC semi-final between Dublin and Kerry, three incidents converged to raise one collective question: does GAA need VAR?

It’s a topic that has bubbled up before, and the jury remains out on whether a full-fledged video-assistant refereeing technology, similar to what is used in soccer, is the answer, such is the fear that additional stoppages would adversely affect the speed and flow of games, but a small embrace of technology would have negated much of last weekend’s debate. And what’s better, the precedent is already there.

Ahead of the 2017 All-Ireland women’s football championship, the LGFA established score assistants, an official who can review scoring incidents in all televised games. The score assistant sits in the on-site TG4 production van and has use of all available camera angles to help determine whether a goal or point has been scored.

Speaking at the launch of the 2017 championship, then LGFA president Marie Hickey described the change as a “vitally important development”, highlighting its availability at every televised game regardless of venue or stage of the competition.

“We are determined that, where possible, we have a level playing field for all of our players regardless of what stage of the competition they are playing in,” Hickey said at the time.

Cora Staunton raised this during last week’s Sunday Game as the panel discussed three major decision in the Kerry-Dublin semi-final. While the penalty call against Peadar Ó Cofaigh Byrne requires a more nuanced debate surrounding the role of umpires and wider video-assistance, whether Ross McGarry’s effort should have raised a green flag and the square ball in the lead-up to Seán O’Brien’s goal could both have been put right had a system similar to women’s football been in play.

The LGFA’s approach has proven effective, and to calm those in the GAA who are averse to change, it has operated in near silence since its introduction nine years ago. A quick look through the LGFA referee handbook might explain why: the guidelines set out the limited role of score assistants (“to assist with scores only – no other decisions”) and imply a “speak only when certain” approach.

The handbook explains two instances when the score assistant can come to the fore; when clarification regarding a score is sought by the referee, and when the score assistant clearly sees from the replays that a decision was incorrect. In the latter example, “clearly” is stressed, with the added clarification: “It is important that if it is not a clear error they (the score assistant) see being made then they remain with the umpire’s decision.”

Within a month of the system’s introduction, a score assistant was called into action during an All-Ireland qualifier between Cork and Monaghan. After review, a Ciara McAnespie goal was awarded to put the Ulster side one-point ahead. Cork ultimately fought back for a narrow win, but had the goal remained unawarded, Monaghan would justifiably have been able to question “what if”.

With Hawk-Eye only used to determine the validity of points, in addition to its absence at the vast majority of intercounty grounds, it seems a viable alternative for the GAA if the association could strike a similar arrangement with broadcasters. Surely they’d find a willing and experienced partner in TG4.

And it wouldn’t be the first time the men’s game would have taken a leaf out of the LGFA’s playbook. The hooter system, which has been used in the women’s game since 1998, was adopted as part of the FRC rule changes following last season’s trial run, albeit having secured the lowest positive vote at last October’s Special Congress – 67 delegates voting in favour to 33 against, whereas the 16 other motions voted on garnered acceptance rates of over 90 per cent.

Plans to integrate of the Gaelic associations should give these idea-sharing conversations greater standing. A good idea in one code should be of benefit to them all.

Last November, the jury found O’Brien and his long-time spokesman James Morrissey had defamed Darragh Mackin and Gavin Booth in the statement that implied the Belfast-based solicitors acted for the IRA.

O’Brien made the statement in response to a report on media ownership in Ireland, which was co-authored by Mackin and Booth. The statement contained the words: “Sinn Féin/IRA certainly got the report they paid for”.

O’Brien and Morrissey were ordered to pay the lawyers €411,750 each to compensate the damage done to the solicitors’ reputations arising from the defamation. The jury’s award of damages fell within the category for “very serious” instances of defamation, as outlined in Supreme Court guidelines.

After the jury decision, lawyers for O’Brien and Morrissey lodged a challenge to the award at the Court of Appeal. They submitted the award shouldn’t have been in the range for “very serious” defamation.

Denis O’Brien and spokesman must pay €411,750 to each of two solicitors they defamed, jury finds

O’Brien and Morrissey’s challenge to the award was listed before the Court of Appeal on Friday, in advance of the hearing of the appeal.

Mark Harty, appearing for Mackin and Booth, told court president Judge Caroline Costello the appeal could be struck out. He said there was no order sought in respect of the legal costs of the appeal.

Joe Holt, barrister for O’Brien and Morrissey, said his side was consenting to the order.

The judge made the order as sought.

Little managed and administered the waiting list for CHI spinal surgeries until her purported dismissal following what she said was a flawed investigation and disciplinary hearing.

She claimed misconduct proceedings were brought against her by CHI as a result of an instruction by her superiors to delist 10 patients from the spinal surgery waiting list.

Among other things, she said she was deprived of her right to call witnesses in her defence, introduce exculpatory documentary evidence or challenge erroneous findings of fact or examine witnesses.

She obtained a temporary injunction last October restraining her dismissal and CHI later agreed not to do so pending further order.

Mediation followed which eventually resolved the dispute although there then followed numerous complaints from her side over the time it was taking for two Government departments to approve the deal.

Approval eventually came after three months and after Judge Brian Cregan said he wanted an explanation from the departments involved.

However, on Friday, the judge was told there was now a dispute between Little’s lawyers and CHI over the treatment of the settlement payment for her and of the payment of €200,000 to her solicitor for the legal costs of the case.

Her barrister, Richard Kean, said CHI was refusing to pay Little’s solicitor, Caoimhe Haughey, unless she provided a “vendor services” form. However, this was “a nonsense” as Haughey is not a provider of services to CHI and this has tax implications for her, he said.

Counsel said the more serious issue was in relation to the sum to be paid to Little in settlement of the dispute. The agreement required it to be paid in the most tax-efficient way but CHI had decided to limit her reckonable service to just five years rather than 20 and this had major implications for the calculation of the payment from a tax viewpoint.

They were now seeking to punish both Little and Haughey, he said.

Mary Paula Guinness, barrister for CHI, said her client was required to adhere to the national payment framework and guidelines of the Comptroller and Auditor General’s office.

In relation to the payment to Little herself, counsel said it was to be in the most tax-efficient manner but Little had not provided any opinion for Revenue or otherwise in relation to it.

Little was “with us for five years” and that was the payment that they were making but she should engage with Revenue on the matter and if too much tax had been deducted then she would be entitled to a higher payment, counsel added.

In relation to the payment to Haughey, the judge also agreed she was not a provider of services to CHI.

He said he was going to “cut through the nonsense” and direct that the sum of €200,000, inclusive of VAT, be paid and he expected all the appropriate bodies to comply with it.

He adjourned the case to October.

The deal will mark a return by Pepper to providing Irish home loans, having sold its previous mortgage portfolio – amounting to €200 million at the time – in 2018 to Finance Ireland.

Dilosk has a €1.7 billion mortgage book, much of which has been refinanced in international bond markets through so-called residential mortgage-backed securitisation deals.

It has also stoked hopes that ICS, whose owner-occupier rates have been among the highest in the market in recent years – due to its reliance on market, rather than cheap deposits funding – will become a more competitive force.

“This is really good news for the mortgage market and for customers,” said Trevor Grant, a director of Affinity Advisors and chairman of the Association of Irish Mortgage Advisors. “It should give ICS access to greater resources, funding and systems, to improve its offering.”

Pepper, which is owned by a US private equity firm JC Flowers, expects to complete the deal by the end of September, subject to regulatory approvals.

It plans to continue to run the business under the ICS Mortgages brand, with its existing management team and regulatory framework.

Sources said that ICS will become a platform or service for institutional clients of Pepper to fund home loans, rather than Pepper itself – avoiding the potential for the company to be seen as competing with its banking customers.

“This transaction represents a highly positive outcome for Dilosk, our customers, our investors and our colleagues. Becoming part of the Pepper Advantage global business marks an exciting new chapter for the company,” said Fergal McGrath, chief executive and co-founder of Dilosk.

“Its strong technology platform, deep client relationships, and long‑term investment approach align strongly with Dilosk’s strategy and will support our ambition to continue building a leading Irish mortgage provider and servicer.”

Dilosk completes €230m securitisation deal on by-to-let loans

McGrath and his brother, Oran, Dilosk’s chief operating officer, own 57 per cent of the business, according to Dilosk’s latest Companies Registration Office (CRO) filings. Almost 20 per cent is in the hands of UK-based Attestor Capital, just under 10 per cent owned by Chenavari Investment Managers in London, with the rest held by other senior executives and early backers.

Pepper is acquiring 100 per cent of the shares, with the deal involving an earnout for selling investors, subject to certain targets being met, according to sources.

Dilosk continues to have another big institutional investor, UK-based Attestor Capital, which owns almost 20 per cent through an entity called Trinity Investments.

Fraser Gemmell, group chief executive of Pepper, said: “By welcoming Dilosk into the group, we are deepening our credit access capabilities, diversifying our business in Ireland, and scaling the reach of our credit management platform. It will strengthen our ability to offer institutional clients more ways to access credit opportunities supported by market-leading analytics and oversight, in addition to expanding our European assets under management.”

Dilosk, which was established in 2013 and purchased the ICS Mortgages brand and a small portfolio of loans from Bank of Ireland a year later, moved beyond its initial focus on buy-to-let mortgages and into the owner-occupier space in late 2019.

Department ‘not keen’ on increasing cost-rental State funding, says Housing Agency

Pepper Advantage Ireland’s chief executive, Niall Sorohan, told The Irish Times in May that it was looking to develop new lines of business to diversify as the post-crisis era of large non-performing portfolio sales fades.

He said that the firm, which entered the Irish market in 2012 and is best known for servicing mortgages secured by collateral, plans to launch a new business – called Harbour Credit – aimed at managing unsecured consumer credit for banks, utility firms and semistate agencies.

Pepper also plans to work closely with its sister company in the UK on offering institutional investors in non-banks and credit funds a service to provide independent oversight of their investments, he said.

The most recent set of accounts for Pepper Advantage Ireland shows that its assets – mainly comprising mortgages – under management fell to €20.4 billion at the end of 2024 from €22.8 billion a year earlier, driven mainly by borrowers paying down debt and some portfolio disposals by clients.

But the instructions hollered at players on pitch six are “seul seul” (“alone” in French, meaning a player is unmarked). The frustrated shouts at the referee over a disputed decision on pitch four are in east-coast American accents. The music from players on the sidelines sitting in the sun on pitch three are the beat of an African bongo drum. And as a light blue and white flag flaps in the gentle breeze at pitch two, the cheers of huddling Argentinians after a win echoe across the campus.

The games, which happen every three years, feel more like a small-scale World Cup tournament with more than 2,000 Gaelic football, hurling and camogie players and coaches from 113 teams from across Europe, the Americas, the Middle East and Asia.

Most of this year’s games are for teams with players not born in Ireland. It shows how far the sport, in the 570 clubs worldwide, has grown beyond a refuge for Irish emigrants. In Galicia 95 per cent of players are from that Spanish region, while in the United States, 65 per cent are US-born.

“We seem to be moving away from the diaspora, the traditional hotspots,” says GAA international manager Charlie Harrison.

Among those non-Irish players is Japanese business student Leon Shimizu. “My friend was studying in Ireland. So he came back to Japan. He knew about the GAA in Japan and invited me and I invited my friend,” says Shimizu, who is playing football for the Asia team of players from clubs around Japan, South Korea and China.

Shimizu used to play soccer but now prefers Gaelic. “In soccer we can only use our foot, but in Gaelic football we can use our hands as well.”

Capucine Chancerel, from Nantes, is one of more than 600 registered players with Brittany GAA, 95 per cent of whom are non-Irish.

“I was searching for a volleyball team and it was full, and my colleague said, ‘Why don’t you join the GAA club? We’re searching for girls’,” the engineer says. Many in France don’t know GAA and “think we’re playing quidditch like in Harry Potter”.

She loves being in Ireland to see the reaction of the Irish to the games, even the referees: “It seems like they are really excited to see people from other countries playing their sport.”

Chancerel has enjoyed learning about the history of Gaelic games but more than that she loves belonging to a community. “You meet people from other teams at tournaments and they start to be friends, though not on the field, but after the game we share a drink.”

The sport in Brittany has developed a reputation for its atmosphere and friendly people: “That’s why I stay.”

It is this sense of community and friendship that comes up over and over again among players at the games.

“The GAA internationally is probably something the GAA was here maybe 20 or 30 years ago. It’s much more relaxed, participation based, about coming out and meeting friends rather than high level,” says Harrison.

The Dairy Girls bring the “fun vibe”, explain coaches Colette Lawlor (Carlow), Ura Bursav (Donegal) and Louise Burns (Waterford) as they pin their cow-print flag to the fence on pitch five.

The team started 10 years ago in Wisconsin, known as the Dairy State. It has since has merged with Milwaukee and grown to 40 players, with a focus on building up local players.

Many players came from soccer, rugby and volleyball and other sports. “A lot are older, but they want to continue fitness in a less competitive game,” says Bursav. “For others, they get to play multiple sports in one.”

Bursav had a 17-year hiatus from football. Now she is playing again, has taken up camogie, and her American wife is on the US-born team playing in Waterford this week. “She has no Irish connection; she watched me for 10 years and eventually tried it.”

“It’s phenomenal to watch them playing but to watch them all being friends is even better. We all hang out, we’re all family together, we’re all each other’s people now,” says Lawlor.

The idea of team becoming family is quite literal for James Breen and Gráinne Fitzpatrick.

“Where are you from?” The Irish Times asks Breen. After hearing his Irish accent with an American lilt, we wait to hear which county. “Yonkers,” says Breen, who was born and bred in the New York City suburb to a Kilkenny father and Irish-American mother.

The coach of the New York hurling team is standing on the pitch with his fiancée, New York football team manager Fitzpatrick also from Yonkers, but the pair didn’t meet until Waterford seven years ago, celebrating wins on the last day of the World Games.

Both grew up steeped in Irish-American family and culture, playing GAA since they were young. Hospital worker Fitzpatrick’s parents are from Cavan, where she and Breen plan to get married next year.

They glance across to the team of New Yorkers who’ve just finished playing: “Look at the friendships you make. A lot of my friends are from football. None of us ever went to school together. But the GAA community in New York is tight-knit.”

The Irish diaspora stretches far and wide, and Argentinian football player Camilo Urquiaga would fit right in at many a GAA club thanks to his red-tinged hair. “My great grandmother is from Co Offaly,” says the teacher. She was among thousands of Irish to move to Argentina in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, giving it the largest population of Irish descendants outside the English-speaking world.

Argentina is known for its soccer and rugby, and it was rugby that Urquiaga played before taking up Gaelic football, finding many of the skills transferable.

He lives in Hurlingham, a city outside Buenos Aires (not named after the sport) and plays in the Hurling Club . “It’s a good way to know that Ireland’s not that far from home. When I go to the club I feel like I’m in Ireland.”

“I try to spread the Irish culture around. It’s getting bigger and bigger ... Argentinians are really passionate about anything, especially sports. Whenever they see the game [Gaelic football], they really want to try it.”

The journey to Waterford was much shorter for Annie Driver from Birmingham, who plays camogie for Britain.

With a Co Wicklow father, she grew up playing football. But the teacher and journalist has noticed a growth in camogie in recent years and feels it’s part of a wider revival of Irish sport, music and the Irish language in Britain.

“There’s something very special about the Irish in Britain, because we really have to keep hold of that identity and heritage.”

Ricky Ketteringham, who is from Britain and has no Irish roots, took the circuitous root to Waterford. The window fitter has lived in Spain for 28 years, and discovered Gaelic football thorough an Irish bar near Marbella. He is Ireland for the first time this week to play football for Iberia.

“I’ve fallen in love with it; it’s my life,” says Ketteringham. “It’s a full contact sport ... with Gaelic you clash, you hit the floor you get back up again.”

He now plays twice a week, describing his club, the Costa Gaels as “one big family”. He says other British people sometimes ask him “is that the mad game?”

For one team, it wasn’t just their first time in Ireland, but their first time on a plane and, for many of them, even out of Kabwe, Zambia. The city has one of the largest slums in southern Africa.

“We take these youngsters off the streets. They’re living in mud huts; there’s no running water; they’d be very malnourished,” says former school principal Pádraig Fanning, who has been working with children in Zambia for 25 years. He and his wife run Sables Nua school in Kabwe for more than 300 children through the charity Zamda Ireland.

Sometimes instead of coaching them in soccer, the former hurling manager would take out an O’Neill’s football and kick it around: “I’d tell them we’ve a real game in my country – we call it football.”

So when Fanning heard the World Games were coming to his native Waterford, he had an idea. The Sables Shamrocks began training in January. “They took to it like ducks to water,” says Fanning.

Player Moses Sakwiza says he “loves the green” in Ireland and swimming in the sea, coming from landlocked Zambia. “We’ve never even gotten close to a plane before ... It’s a dream come true. It’s a win for every Zambian.”

With the GAA announcing it has applied for Unesco status for Gaelic football, to add to hurling’s recognition, there are hopes this will solidify its global growth. Unesco status “is like an open door” and getting such recognition helps with access to sporting facilities around the world, says Harrison.

“My connection with the Warriors is something that’s pretty special for me because when I started off my career as a young kid, I was looked after by the people that started up the Warriors. John Monie was my coach, and then he started the franchise at the Warriors.

“You go into the changing room and all the names of every single Warrior that’s played for them are all around the changing rooms. Number one is Dean Bell, and he was my first ever captain (at Wigan). I’m going out for a meal with him tomorrow night.”

Farrell then brought up Frano Botica, who played for the All Blacks and the New Zealand rugby league team. He was another Wigan team-mate of Farrell’s before he moved to the Warriors.

“He (taught) me everything to do with goal kicking. I’ve kicked all my life because of Frano.”

Farrell continued along the line of his former Wigan-turned-Warriors team-mates: “Andy Platt was someone that I looked up to massively, and he looked after me as a kid, as well Denis Betts, who is one of my best mates. So the connection has been there for a long time.”

The Warriors coaches were pitchside while Ireland trained on Tuesday, before Farrell and his assistants paid a visit to a Warriors session on Wednesday evening.

But neither coaching ticket will be able to watch the other in action this weekend as the Warriors’ game against the Dragons at the Go Media Stadium kicks off 25 minutes after Ireland’s Nations Championship clash against New Zealand at Eden Park, just 12km over the road.

The latter is set to be a 46,500 sell-out, but so to too is the 25,000-capacity Go Media Stadium. The Warriors sit second in the National Rugby League with the Dragons bottom of the 17-team ladder.

There was a time when the Warriors wouldn’t have dared to go head-to-head with an All Blacks game. But then again, there was also a time when Super Rugby was virtually the only show in town. Not any more.

It’s hard to think of a bigger change in the New Zealand sporting landscape since the late 1990s/early 2000s than the rise of rugby league. Back then, Super Rugby drew huge crowds to Eden Park to watch a generational Auckland Blues team play outrageous rugby with Carlos Spencer in his pomp.

“We had an outhalf who was given licence to play what he saw in front of him,” Doug Howlett said of Spencer. “We were always alert to anything, because we didn’t know what he was going to do next – offloads, passes out the back, between the legs.”

It was a golden era for the sport, when Super Rugby budgets dwarfed that of the Warriors. Now, it’s the other way round. The Warriors have millions to market their game now while the balance sheets of other sides pale in comparison.

It also looks like this pattern is trending in one direction, given the NRL recently signed a 500-million-per-year television deal, covering both terrestrial and pay-per-view, and there’s a widespread expectation that a second south island New Zealand franchise is on the way, most likely in Christchurch.

The lure of the All Blacks is still enormous, but rugby league can offer financial incentives to players which exceed that of Super Rugby and certainly the provincial rugby union teams. Warriors scouts now openly attend matches involving the leading rugby union schools and have a thriving underage programme.

This is compounding the lure of professional contracts in Europe – be they in the URC, the English Premiership, or, especially, the Top 14 in France – which has further weakened playing levels provincially and in Super Rugby. European rugby offers greater variety and riches than a domestic career outside the All Blacks, or for those nearing the end of their playing days. In this light, the loss of the South African franchises to the URC has been keenly felt.

As Keith Gleeson outlined last weekend, the decline of Super Rugby in Australia is bad for New Zealand rugby too. It’s likely that the All Blacks’ upcoming tour to South Africa (with a further Test in Baltimore, USA) is to compensate for the South African sides switching to the URC.

But the threats to rugby union’s hegemony in New Zealand don’t stop there. More and more schoolchildren are now turning to basketball. This has, in part, been inspired by Steve Adams, a professional player for the Houston Rockets who has been playing in the for 13 years. Rowing is also an increasingly popular sport for young Kiwis, although that’s predominantly in private schools.

TVNZ presenter Andrew Saville, who has been on the rugby union beat since the early 2000s, shares the concerns of many New Zealanders concerned about the future of rugby union there.

“The current All Blacks team could win the World Cup next year, but I worry whether they’ll have a team good enough to win it in the future because of what is going on,” he says. “I fear the horse may have bolted.”

Healthcare assistant- Carol Loua has suffered significantly and continues to do so after a fall as she walked from her home through a housing estate on the way to the hairdressers eight years ago, Judge Denise Brett said.

Loua said her foot caught on concrete projecting upwards from the ground, causing her to fall. The judge accepted that the incident in April 2018 at Broadfield Court, Rathcoole, Dublin, occurred in the manner described.

The judge said she was satisfied that the differential in the pavement slabs was caused by root action from an original lime tree planted in the adjacent verge.

The judge said the evidence established that the root uplift which ultimately caused the incident arose from the growth of a tree selected and planted by estate developers Cavan Developments Ltd in the narrow grass verge.

Loua won her case against Cavan Developments Ltd, which built the Broadfield estate where she was walking and also planted the original lime tree. A case against the local authority South Dublin County Council (SDCC) was dismissed.

The judge noted that the developer had arranged for the removal of the tree in October 2017 but no remedial work was undertaken to the adjoining footpath and that no notification of the condition of the footpath or the tree was given to SDCC.

“What is striking about the evidence is that the developer remains sufficiently involved to arrange for the removal of the very tree which the court has found caused the damage. By that point the defect already existed. Yet neither remediation nor notification followed. Had evidence existed that the condition had been reported to the council when the tree was removed, different considerations might potentially have arisen.,” the judge said.

The judge stressed that it was not a case about whether trees ought to be planted in residential developments and was not a case about discouraging roadside planting or concerning the ordinary maintenance of mature trees.

“The issue in this case is much narrower. It concerns the consequence of planting a particular species of tree in a particular physical environment and the damage which subsequently occurred as that tree foreseeably developed,” the judge said.

She said the developer relied heavily upon lime trees being among the species recommended by the local authority for street planting.

A tree expert, she said, had described the lime tree as one more commonly associated with broad avenues, parks and expansive streetscapes and the issue was whether this lime tree was suitable for this location.

The provision by a planning authority of a list of species considered potentially suitable for street planning, she said, cannot relieve a developer from the obligation of selecting an appropriate species.

There have been consistently strong performances from established players but not all of them. What percentage of their best form can they bring on Sunday? We don’t know.

Galway haven’t yet reached their pinnacle but are obviously a team on the rise. Their two Croke Park displays were seriously impressive but hard to reconcile with the team that in Leinster lost to Dublin at home and ran huge deficits against Kildare and Wexford before recovering.

Both finalists come with caveats. Are their respective lines on the graph about to cross this weekend or has Galway’s still a bit to go? Again, we don’t quite know.

What has been clear is that Micheál Donoghue’s team is vastly improved. They have echoes of Tipperary last year. Both showed positive signs during the league campaign and their team profiles were similar with talented under-20s joining a core of All-Ireland winners.

Both also improved steadily during the championship, especially in Croke Park.

Coincidentally, the most vivid evidence that Galway were different this year was March’s match in the Gaelic Grounds when they nearly came back from an 11-point deficit in a powerful second half. Limerick sat on their oars to an extent but their opponents finished so strongly they nearly beat them to a place in the league final.

Fast forward a couple of months and they win Leinster for the first time in eight years, really impressively against an underperforming Dublin, maybe, but Galway ran the show – and more or less replicated that against Cork two weeks ago.

There’s a sharpness to their hurling and their touch is pristine, so they’re playing with a lot of confidence, not afraid to play it out the back but they pass going forward, as opposed to Cork who moved the ball too laterally.

Galway are also able to find oceans of space with their method despite a formation that crowds the middle. There’s no secret, but opponents have found it very awkward to counter.

The foundation of the game plan is Jason Rabbitte, often on his own up front and sometimes with Conor Whelan or Aaron Niland. But a lot of the time, it’s he who has to win the ball and keep it for the support running through from the middle third.

If he gets swallowed up by the Limerick defence, which the recall of Mike Casey is clearly targeting although that effectively uses up one of the bench solutions, then the game plan is jeopardised. All the more so because Limerick are so accomplished at working the ball out from the back, which makes conceding puckouts a hazardous tactic.

There are variations, in fairness. If the long ball isn’t on, Galway have been using their assets of touch, pace and clean striking to set up and execute long-range shots.

Tom Monaghan, Ronan Glennon and, obviously, Cathal Mannion – who is having a super season, patrolling deep and acting as ringmaster for the team – are all scoring freely from distance.

There are injury concerns. The loss of Rory Burke, a terrific young forward, is desperate for him and the team but hamstrings are merciless and his injury six weeks ago scuppered his chances. Daithí Burke, whose vast experience and superb defence have been big influences, is also under a cloud but will hope to pull through.

Galway supporters have taken to the team. They have big support and are going in with apparently boundless energy, in a nice position as underdogs. Maybe they have a lot to learn but they have a really smart manager and management team. It’s kind of a free hit for them.

How will Limerick counter them? I don’t think they are able to suffocate Galway the way they might have in their best years but at the same time, no county gave them more All-Ireland trouble back then.

Limerick play more in snatches these days, in David Attenborough’s world, preparing for the kill but it now takes them longer. There have also been regular indications of underlying anxiety or nerviness.

They have been miserly in defence but that has been necessary because the scores aren’t flowing as freely as in times past. Anyway, Galway only conceded 0-5 in the second half against Cork as against Limerick’s 1-6 after half-time in the Munster final against the same opponents.

There is a reliance on a small number of players, who have been consistently excellent. Nickie Quaid’s excellence has been high-profile, which is in some ways worrying because he’s been getting lots to do. Will O’Donoghue at centre back has been outstanding, holding everything together.

Gearóid Hegarty is playing superbly, as well as he ever did even when Hurler of the Year five years ago and he is front-runner to win that award again. I would include Peter Casey for his key moments, such as at the end of the Munster final, which was the winning of it.

Aaron Gillane hasn’t been in great scoring form but his fundamentals have been good and he is the ultimate big-occasion player.

Limerick are also comfortable in middle-third congestion. Fit-again Cian Lynch’s ingenuity is pronounced in heavy traffic and his ability to find the right ball is ideal for this. The power of the Limerick half backs and Hegarty is also well suited to Galway.

‘If you are called upon, you have to be ready’: Cian Lynch poised to play his part in final

My instinct is Limerick still have enough in the tank to win, simply because their players have delivered in these situations. There was a freakishness about their last two defeats in Croke Park, against Dublin and Cork in the last two championships. Their form this year will keep them in contention and the experience of their endgame plus a still-strong bench will win it.

As Greater Manchester mayor until last month, Burnham’s office was in the old redbrick Tootal Buildings on Oxford Street, a bustling thoroughfare in this booming city: the city’s local economy has grown twice as fast as the rest of Britain’s for more than a decade.

Burnham wasn’t mayor for the first couple of years of that period. Therefore, contrary to the suggestion of some of his more enthusiastic political allies, he was not responsible for the seeding of Manchester’s boom. Still, his policies helped to keep it going.

Now for the pub tour. Turning left from the Tootal Buildings, you risk stumbling down the steps into one of Burnham’s favourite bars, the Temple. It was once a Victorian public toilet. Now it is Manchester’s most famous dive bar, a subterranean pit of grunge.

This week, as Mancunians sweated on the sun-drenched pavements above, the tiny Temple provided a dark, cool refuge from the heatwave. Indie music and the stench of beer wafted up from below, while tourists stopped for selfies at the top of the steps. Burnham always promoted the weaponisation of Manchester’s gritty cultural scene to attract more visitors. The city’s culture doesn’t come much grittier than the Temple.

Continuing down Great Bridgewater Street, directly across from the landmark Peveril of the Peak pub you will find another hostelry that Burnham says he loves. The chic Rain Bar is popular with the kind of young professionals attracted to the city by big businesses such as Booking.com. Burnham’s mayoral office aggressively courted multinational investment.

The final pub on this street before you bear left to Deansgate is the Britons Protection, a historic boozer beloved of Mancs. Burnham subtly lent his support a few years ago to a campaign to shield the pub from commercial interference by one of the big brewers.

Burnham told The Irish Times in a 2024 interview that the 1819 Peterloo massacre of campaigners for parliamentary reform inspired him and was clear evidence that “Manchester has always been the radical voice challenging the establishment”.

The Peterloo massacre took place right outside the Britons Protection pub. Burnham takes control of Downing Street on Monday planning parliamentary reform of his own.

The end of the walk nears as you pass Deansgate-Castlefield Metrolink stop, a hub of Manchester’s yellow Bee bus-and-tram transportation system. Burnham took the city’s buses back under public control and integrated them into the Bee network. The rebooted transport system is regularly cited as one of his finest achievements as mayor.

Finally, you will cross over Deansgate at the southern edge of the city, where the pubs get a little more hipsterish as Burnham’s Manchesterism philosophy literally reaches for the sky. More than a dozen glass towers have sprung up in this area in recent years, transforming Manchester’s horizon in a conspicuous display of its vertical ambition.

Further skyscrapers are being built, with cranes peppering the skyline in a scene reminiscent of Dublin’s Celtic Tiger heyday. One tower advertises a “dog spa” for residents. The towers were financed by a £1 billion (€1.18 billion) fund controlled by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority that Burnham chaired – taxpayer cash was loaned to private developers to build the developments.

“It is a very Manchester tale, that,” says John Blundell, a Labour councillor in Rochdale in the Greater Manchester region and the co-founder of Rise Associates, a well-connected public policy consultancy.

“Most cities that build glass towers near their centres put offices in them. But Manchester’s are all flats. Burnham has helped to repopulate the city’s inner core.”

As few as 500 lived in Manchester’s inner core 35 years ago. Now it is about 100,000, a chunk of whom live around the Deansgate towers that reanimate the city.

Greater Manchester’s overall population is about three million, but its inner core was historically more of an industrial site with few residential quarters. That is why, Blundell says, there are still few churches in Manchester city centre compared with other big cities.

Blundell continued: “Some older locals look at Deansgate and say this is a city that sold its soul. But for me, such nostalgia is misplaced. Manchester was always a city of contradictions. At Deansgate, the state fixed a market failure – the developers couldn’t borrow elsewhere at affordable rates. London banks didn’t want to know.”

Yet Burnham cannot take all the credit. The Greater Manchester mayor is one of the less powerful roles of its kind in English devolution. Burnham held just one vote out of 11 on the administration. The other 10 are held by leaders of the borough councils who often, insiders say, ganged up on him to hold “bully Burnham” committees to check his power.

Others say he still deserves huge credit for Manchester’s boom. Blundell, for example, says Burnham developed a “cultural glue” for the region based on Greater Manchester as a vibrant city brand: its music, its attitude, its vibe, its culture and personality.

“And what he has been exceptional at is this: no matter what corner of the city you live in, whether it’s the inner core or the outer boroughs, you now identify with that Greater Manchester brand. It expanded people’s horizons, especially in the outer towns.

“All the kids want to get on the yellow trams and buses (Burnham gave teenagers free travel passes). They want to come into the city. They feel its vibe. They see the towers and other developments. It makes them want more. I think that is all down to Burnham.”

The incoming prime minister plans to expand across Britain this “Manchesterism”, with its more muscular state economic intervention, “business-friendly socialism” and greater taxpayer control over utilities such as water and power that are essential for everyday life.

If that is the sort of political philosophy that Britons will get from Monday, what sort of a political leader will they get along with it?

A slew of sources in London and Manchester who have worked directly and indirectly with Burnham paint a picture of a complicated character. They say he can be genuinely warm, personable, empathetic and sensitive. He can also be sulky and stubborn.

“If you say no to him, his bottom lip literally comes out,” said one former official who has collaborated with him on a handful of projects. Another, who said they actually like Burnham, complained he can still be a “proper shithouse” if he comes into conflict.

Another said Burnham “doesn’t suffer fools” and if he doesn’t rate you highly, he will just ignore you. Others say he is ideologically promiscuous, which yet more sources seem to regard as essential pragmatism.

Burnham has said precious little of substance since he won the Makerfield byelection last month, which paved the way for his return to Westminster to oust Keir Starmer. He gave a couple of speeches promising to “rewire Britain” and rebalance political power with a “Number 10 of the North” – a branch of the prime minister’s office in Manchester.

He has spent much of the last month hunkered down with his closest confidantes, including former transport secretary Lou Haigh, now routinely described by Labour insiders as “the most powerful woman in Britain”.

She has been helping him design a programme for government along with James Purnell, a former cabinet minister who is set to become his chief of staff in Downing Street. Others who are close to Burnham’s inner circle include Knowsley MP Anneliese Midgley and Doncaster Central MP Sally Jameson.

Burnham’s closest allies, most of whom are English northerners like him, are said to be much more instinctively party political and wilier than the team that surrounded Starmer.

They are also formidable characters. One story doing the rounds among Burnham’s allies concerns Jameson, a fresh-faced, softly-spoken young woman who, somewhat incongruously based on her appearance, previously worked as a guard at a tough male prison.

The story goes that last week, Jameson was walking across Lambeth Bridge in London when a thief snatched her mobile phone. Infuriated, she chased after the culprit while screaming all manner of industrial language at him. They say he gave back her phone.

These are the sort of people who now protect Burnham in Westminster’s shark-infested political waters.

Meanwhile, back in Manchester, prominent UK economist Paul Ormerod has worked closely with Burnham as the chair of one of his “mayoral development zones”, the Atom Valley tech cluster that is planned to link sites north and east of Manchester.

Ormerod argues that Burnham will bring to Downing Street a quality of political leadership that is often critically underestimated by economic thinkers: raw optimism. Ormerod says he has seen this tendency up close in the incoming UK prime minister.

“This is where [outgoing chancellor Rachel] Reeves and Starmer made a catastrophic mistake. They came into office all gloomy talking about fiscal black holes caused by the Tories. They thought they were still fighting the election they had already won,” he says.

“That helped to make business and consumer confidence fall, and it never really recovered. Burnham is naturally much more optimistic and I think this will carry over into his premiership. The concept of sentiment and narrative are really fundamental to how market economies operate.”

Burnham, Ormerod says, understands how to use the “bureaucratic machine” of government to work for him: “He knows how to steer things through. He has the ability and skills to use the civil service to get it done.”

The lack of such an ability was seen as one of Starmer’s biggest deficiencies.

The outgoing prime minister once famously said there was “no such thing as Starmerism”. His ouster, Burnham, hopes that Manchesterism will help him succeed where his predecessor failed.

Who are the key players likely to tog out for Team Andy?

Burnham has refused to comment on cabinet appointments until after he takes power and his tightly-knit top team have stuck to an omerta that has driven the Westminster lobby crazy.

Yet it is now widely believed that former Labour leader Ed Miliband, who helped Burnham to topple Starmer, has failed in his mission to be rewarded with the job of chancellor of the exchequer.

Current home secretary, self-professed fiscal conservative Shabana Mahmood, is hotly tipped to take the treasury role instead.

Miliband would need to be given another top-tier position. He is now seen as a potential foreign secretary, a job once believed to be coveted as a return by his older brother, David Miliband. It was also previously linked with former Burnham rival Wes Streeting, who could now be shunted to another senior role – defence secretary is seen as one possibility.

Lou Haigh seems poised to take over the powerful cabinet office as chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster, effectively with a remit as chief secretary to the prime minister. This will make her one of the most powerful members of the UK government.

A name being linked by insiders to the role of secretary of state for Northern Ireland is Pat McFadden, who once ran the cabinet office for Starmer. Glasgow-born McFadden is the son of Irish-speaking parents from Falcarragh in Donegal.

Chief whip Jonathan Reynolds is seen as a contender for his old role as business secretary, while deputy Labour leader and Manchester native Lucy Powell is seen by many as lead candidate for deputy prime minister.

Fricker was the first Irish woman to win an acting Oscar when she took the best supporting actress prize for Jim Sheridan’s My Left Foot in 1990.

The Dublin actor’s career spanned more than six decades across stage, television and film. She is one of Ireland’s most celebrated actors.

As Donald Clarke writes: “Fricker was an unmistakable Dubliner. Her mother, Bina, from Kerry, was a teacher of languages in Rathgar. Her father, Desmond Fricker, worked in the Department of Agriculture and as a journalist for The Irish Times.”

This is what Lorcan Murphy told a Budapest court two days before he was found guilty for the murder of a US nurse who was visiting Hungary in November 2024.

Murphy, a law and marketing graduate and entrepreneur who grew up in south Co Dublin, received a 14-year prison sentence last week for murdering Mackenzie Michalski (31), from Portland, Oregon.

The 38-year-old attempted to paint himself as an ordinary guy, a digital nomad travelling around Europe and trying to set up an internet marketing company as a freelancer.

It was all an accident, he claimed in his testimony to the court in front of his victim’s grieving family. It all started as an innocent one-night stand, he claimed.

They both got drunk and it was Michalski, spending the last night of her holiday in Budapest, who initiated the rough sex, he claimed.

At the first hearing of his trial, he claimed the nurse – known to family and friends as “Kenzie” – had asked him to tie her up and choke her.

However, as the trial went on, a different picture of Murphy emerged.

At the second hearing in April, clinical psychiatrists who interviewed and studied Murphy in custody said they found clear signs of irritability, aggression and sexual aberration.

They also told the judge that Murphy’s account of the events of the night he met and killed Michalski shouldn’t be taken at face value, as the Dubliner, who admitted drinking 200ml to 500ml of Jameson whiskey and about 10 beers on the night he met Michalski, had a tendency to confabulate, unconsciously filling in gaps in his memory with false memories.

The clinical psychiatrists also revealed a serious porn addiction.

Murphy told them he watched porn for hours on a daily basis and that he had been masturbating multiple times every day since the age of 15.

He was also able to recall the exact number of sexual partners he has had: 61, he claimed – of whom 50 were one-night stands, he said during his psychiatric evaluation.

Further revelations about the state of Murphy’s mind and his actions came from a report Hungarian police produced after accessing the Dubliner’s electronic devices shortly after detaining him.

According to the report, police discovered “diary-style entries” on the computer covering 2023 and 2024. The last notes on the diary were written on the day Murphy met his victim.

Was Lorcan Murphy’s addiction to pornography a warning sign?

The Dubliner was keeping a detailed list rating and ranking countries and cities based on the looks of the girls in each country and their willingness to date. He rated Krakow in Poland and London highest.

“Dublin is all right as well,” he noted, but most women he had approached were in relationship so his “success rate” was lower there.

He wrote that his goal was to visit different cities, mostly in eastern Europe, to pick up and date women and that he saw approaching random women as a game.

“His thoughts constantly revolve around opportunities to meet women,” the police wrote in their report.

Murphy also revealed his plans for the future and his goals in life in his diary.

He wrote that he wanted to make money from writing in future and planned to hack the computers of authors to steal their material.

Murphy described himself as “writer” on the public records for a short-lived Dublin 4 consultancy company of which he was a director a decade ago.

The company was dissolved in 2018, less than two years after it was incorporated. Murphy listed his address on the company’s records as a house in Donnybrook.

His diary also outlined how he hated all his previous full-time jobs.

“All I want is to drink coffee, eat brunch, write and pick up girls,” he declared in one of the entries.

He admitted, however, that he would have to figure out how to replace these “sources of excitement” that his lifestyle brought when he would have a girlfriend or a family in the future.

He had wanted to become a lawyer previously, he wrote in his diary; he had hoped that this way he could become independent and have a pretty girlfriend.

He referred to women he dated in derogatory terms, including describing them as “whores”, stating they were the reason his efforts to find a girlfriend had been pointless.

Murphy also revealed in one of the notes that he was furious with his parents because they would not permit him to have sex in their house.

He believed that the fact that he was an aspiring writer, good-looking and funny should be enough for him to get “hot bitches”, according to his diary. He wrote that he wanted to visit places frequented by attractive women, such as drama and dance classes or yoga.

However, he wrote that in 2024 he wanted to switch from “daygame” to “bar game” and focus on approaching potential sex partners in bars.

The diary also revealed that he kept a count of how many women he had tried to pick up.

In an entry dated October 17th, 2024 he wrote that he had spent four nights in Prague and had eight attempts to pick up women, taking his total to 762.

He stated that his goal was to approach his 1,000th women within a few days, before leaving Prague for Budapest on his tour of Europe. Before travelling around Europe he said he had worked in property and earned €3,500 a month. Murphy’s family is involved in the property business in Dublin.

In an entry in his diary for November 1st, Murphy complained he had been unsuccessful that night because girls in Budapest tend to be in pairs or groups, not alone.

The ‘rough sex’ defence didn’t work for Lorcan Murphy. He wasn’t the first to try it

Three days later Murphy approached Michalski, who entered Budapest’s most famous “ruin bar”, Szimpla Kert, alone.

Hungarian police also found a “spy pen” in Murphy’s possession. From the “small camera disguised as a pen” police recovered video footage recorded in the city centre of Dublin, likely in the summer of 2020.

Officers identified the location based on bus numbers and destinations as well as buildings visible on the footage.

The recordings show Murphy approaching 16 young women on the street, trying the same pickup line each time.

Murphy had come to the attention of gardaí in Dublin years before these recordings. He was charged but never convicted of any offences in the Republic.

The incidents over which he was charged appeared to take place during St Patrick’s Day celebrations 10 years ago. He was accused of engaging in threatening and abusive behaviour and assault – on March 18th, 2016 – outside Bad Bob’s nightclub in Temple Bar and at nearby Essex Street in Dublin city centre.

However, the assault charge was withdrawn by the State, meaning that strand of the prosecution was dropped, with no finding of any wrongdoing against Murphy.

The charge of threatening and abusive behaviour, which is effectively a disorderly breach of the peace, was dismissed by the courts.

At last week’s sentencing in Hungary, Murphy’s lawyers said he was appealing his conviction for the murder of Michalski.

The Budapest Court of Appeal is not expected to take up the case before November or December.

Luis de la Fuente, Spain’s manager, was once asked in one of those throwaway questionnaires which player he would choose as a transfer to his national team. He laughed as he selected Lionel Messi. But he was also asked to name the best player in history. Johan Cruyff, he replied.

March 24th this year marked the 10th anniversary of the Dutchman’s death. In October 2015, Cruyff took part in a coaching conference in Berlin which turned out to be one of his final public football appearances. In his first question, he was asked about the observations made by the previous day’s guest, Thomas Tuchel.

The young Dortmund coach, reviewing his time with the youth academies, said if he could do one thing differently it would be to make the conditions a bit more challenging and basic for the apprentices – training on poor pitches occasionally, less air conditioning in the changing rooms, a little bit of induced stress.

“I think the same way because when we were young you could play on the street,” Cruyff said. “You can’t play on the street anymore. But a lot of time with small children, I was playing on the parking lot. What does that mean? It means that the surface is bad. When you fall down, it hurts. So, you try to learn not to fall down. For small players, they quickly understand that they have to be technically much better than the others.”

The build-up to Sunday’s World Cup final will just about achieve a shift in focus from the firehose of criticism pointed at Tuchel for his decision-making and substitutions as England manager in that broiling closing 30 minutes of Wednesday night’s 2-1 defeat to Argentina.

Tuchel could not be depicted in a more villainous light had he been unmasked as a long-term German psy-ops, created with the sole intention of sabotaging another generation of England players on the brink of returning Albion to the summer of 1966. Tuchel calmly accepted responsibility for the defeat because he is England’s manager and perhaps could not share his full reasoning for those controversial substitutions. But the clue may lie in the comments he made after the 2-1 quarter-final win against Norway.

“The commitment is there but we made life very, very difficult for us in the way we played, how we played. Sloppy, tactical mistakes, not fast enough. Not repetitive enough. We were lucky enough. We will get better; we need to get better. Now it’s celebrations. Now it’s taking it all in. We need everything to make a better performance.”

Nobody was in the mood to hear that sobering assessment, not least Jude Bellingham, England’s marauding midfield star. But Tuchel was watching the tournament and could see for himself the withering precision of Spain, the creative luxuries Didier Deschamps enjoyed with France and the unique challenge imposed by Argentina. He knew, to use a notorious political phrase, that he didn’t have the cards.

How much better could he hope to make them in the few days between Norway and the semi-final? England’s nightmares began after they opened the scoring against Argentina in the 54th minute. Within 10 minutes, it was clear that the starting 11 were labouring under the enormous physical and emotional stress of playing their way through what had begun as a stress test imposed by a smaller Argentina team who knew they were technically better, and who had, in Messi, the genius curated by Spanish football.

There is every chance that Tuchel’s Norway assessment applied when he surveyed his physically tiring and technically inferior England team. It wasn’t as though it didn’t occur to him that he could have sent in a Rashford or Saka to try and get England on the front foot. But maybe he envisaged those Argentinian packs chasing down those for-king-and-country runs. He decided to gamble by crowding the field with defenders in the hope that good old English courage would see them through.

They were caught by a furious onslaught of wizardry conducted by the 39-year-old Messi and by Argentina’s obvious belief that they are being guided through this summer by higher powers. But had England somehow stumbled through – had Argentina, say, hit the crossbar and post five times instead of two – then they would have had to contend with an even more frightening prospect in Spain on Sunday.

A few years ago, Rodri, Spain’s captain on Sunday and the resident Manchester City midfield linchpin since 2019, sat down with Gary Lineker to discuss his life and football in general. By then, he had become just the second Spanish player to win the Ballon d’Or, after Luis Suarez in 1960. At one stage, Lineker asked him why Spain produces so many exceptional midfielders.

“I think it’s because of the basis- the way you start growing and how they teach you football,” he replied.

“They teach you that it is collective and the ball goes faster when you pass it than run with it. It is a culture. If you go to Italy maybe they defend better, if you go to England maybe they do more power, strength.”

Intrigued, the English host asked Rodri how early in his career this teaching had started.

“We always started with boxes; we start with possessions. I don’t remember doing much stuff in the gym. They preferred the team doing good rather than, ‘oh, that player is unbelievable’.”

Rodri has made nuanced variations on that same sentiment throughout the tournament. If you listen to the Spanish press conferences, “technical” (or technique) and “collective” are among the words that both the captain and De la Fuente emphasise most often. Here’s Rodri reflecting on the precise, almost indifferent methodology through which the Spanish team dismantled France’s attacking machine.

“Collective. Collective effort of everyone. I think Spain have being growing around the World Cup and today we did our best performance so far. I mean, what a team we faced, with all the strength they have in all the lines and they can punish you in every single moment. So I think the focus in every single moment was key. Unbelievable effort from everyone- I cannot say a player- it was an unbelievable effort from everyone that played and the guys from the bench always raising the level.”

Why Catalans and Basques will be watching the World Cup final out of the corner of their eye

In that Berlin conference, Cruyff reflected on the changes he implemented when he returned to Barcelona as a coach in 1988.

“I think the biggest problem was confidence in yourself. I think what we changed there was the confidence of the players, of the people.”

Cruyff’s transformative influence, his emphasis on youth team culture, his development of Pep Guardiola as a protege and his implementation of a system that remains the blueprint for the Barcelona and Spanish game has been well-chronicled. Barcelona acquired 13-year-old Lionel Messi in 2000 after a snap decision by Carlos Rexach, Cruyff’s teammate in the 1970s iteration at Barca and his assistant when the Dutchman assembled the peerless team of the early 1990s.

“I was in Argentina when I heard about a kid named Messi, and I was surprised that they were referring to a 12-year-old boy. At first, I thought they were talking about an 18-year-old. Since I was already there, I figured I would go take a look at him, and yes, of course he surprised me,” Rexach told ESPN for an oral history on Messi’s early years in Spain.

“He was physically very small, but I could tell he had an uncommon ability, a special instinct. Once in Barcelona I decided to sign him on a paper napkin that a waiter gave me because I couldn’t let him get away. His father felt that things were not all too clear and told me they would leave. It was then I decided on the fly.”

Early recollections reflect a general sentiment that although they knew Messi was something unique in his formative Barcelona seasons, they had no inkling of what would happen over the next 20 years. Meanwhile, Barcelona’s midfield trio of Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets would provide the engine of the Spanish team that swept aside decades of serial underachievement and national disappointment by winning Euro 2008, the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012.

There’s a wonderful clip of Cruyff advising a delighted Xavi of the loneliness of coaching, and of the temperament it requires.

“The coach is a guy who is out there alone. He has everyone in his favour or against him depending on his capacity to win or lose. But you are the one making the decisions based on your knowledge of the game. The only way to survive is if you can tell the club’s president to f**k off. You need to have the strength to say, this guy, according to you, is the best player. But I am not convinced by him, so I’m leaving him out. No, it’s quite unpleasant. It can be a painful experience.”

Argentinians in Dublin: We have a ‘special’ relationship with England too

There are three acts to Lionel Messi’s career with Argentina. First came the crushing expectation and the national judgment following defeat in the World Cup final of 2014 and successive Copa America final defeats, on penalties, to Chile. Then, his announcement that he was done with international football.

Lionel Scaloni coaxed him back and has built around Messi a support team of elite support players: a collective designed to allow the individual genius to flourish through technical ability and a fatalistic nationalist fervour. “For this shirt, win or die,” the chant goes.

Scaloni, Argentina’s manager, was a student of De la Fuente’s at the Royal Spanish Football Federation in 2017. Messi arrived at Barcelona in 2000. Cruyff had already left four seasons earlier. But 15 years into his Barca career, Messi had this to say after Cruyff’s death.

“Mostly all that Barcelona has been living in the last few years is because of him. A person that changed the heads- the way of thinking in the Barcelona football world.”

In some ways, this historic World Cup final between two countries with richly defined football identities has been decades in the making. It pits the ultimate expression of the Spanish collective against the most extravagant talent to emerge from its football culture: the virtuoso who inspires those around him to play above themselves.

The surging force of those traditions and the years of deliberate, careful cultivation surely contributed to Tuchel’s bleak attempt to keep England safe through siege-mentality defence in those fraught closing minutes when football, pure football, was rushing in like the tide.

“You have to be convinced,” Cruyff said at that conference at which Tuchel was a fellow speaker 11 long years ago. “You’ve got to convince the people. The best work of a coach is: his eyes.”

World Cup Wallchart

On Thursday, a team of astronomers announced that it had identified a world with all three traits.

“At this point, we have absolutely no evidence for life on the planet,” said Collin Cherubim, a planetary scientist who recently earned his doctorate from Harvard University. “But we think all of the really important, essential ingredients are there.”

The rocky planet, named LHS 1140b, is a few dozen light-years from our solar system. It orbits a star within a distance known as the habitable zone, neither too hot nor too cold for liquid water to exist on the planet’s surface. First discovered in 2017, the exoplanet is cooler than Earth but bigger in both size and mass.

New data collected by the astronomers strongly suggests that LHS 1140b has a helium-rich atmosphere. The detection, published in the journal Science, is the first clear evidence of a potentially habitable planet with an atmosphere, and it reinforces the idea that there exists a population of worlds similar to our own with the properties necessary to sustain life.

“When there’s one, there’s more in exoplanets,” said Sara Seager, an astrophysicist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who was not involved in the study. “Hopefully this is the start of something new.”

An atmosphere is vital for habitability because it helps a planet hold on to water, regulates the climate and protects the surface from space radiation.

Scientists have found atmospheres on giant gas planets but have been uncertain whether rocky worlds, which are smaller and more difficult to detect, could retain their atmospheres too.

“This is one clear, resounding yes,” said Cherubim, who spent years building a theoretical model of what the atmosphere around a rocky planet might look like.

Under certain conditions, he found, lighter elements like helium would more readily escape the atmosphere. He identified LHS 1140b as a planet that could be actively losing helium to space.

LHS 1140b orbits around a red dwarf, the most common type of star in our galaxy. Because red dwarfs are smaller and cooler than other types of stars, it is easier to detect rocky planets around them. But red dwarfs are also energetic, spewing violent flares of radiation that can strip away the atmospheres of nearby planets.

The star hosting LHS 1140b is less active than typical red dwarfs, Cherubim said, which makes it a “front-runner” for exploring habitability elsewhere in the galaxy. In 2024, he and his colleagues observed LHS 1140b passing in front of its star using a telescope at Las Campanas Observatory in Chile. Their data revealed the presence of a certain species of helium at high altitudes, indicating that the element was escaping from an otherwise difficult to detect atmosphere.

“It’s beautiful,” Seager said of the detection. “There’s no other explanation.”

In 2025, the team behind the new study observed LHS 1140b eclipsing its star yet again – but this time failed to find any sign of helium escaping from the atmosphere.

“That was a big shock” but “not entirely unexpected,” said Shreyas Vissapragada, a planetary scientist at the Carnegie Observatories in Pasadena, California, and an author of the study. Scientists have observed differing amounts of helium in the atmospheres of gas giants, but this is the first time the phenomenon has been seen on a rocky exoplanet, Vissapragada said.

“We’re watching the atmosphere of a planet, that is in a lot of ways similar to Earth, change in real time,” he said. “I think that’s pretty neat.”

Although astronomers classify the planet as Earth-like, there are key differences. LHS 1140b completes a full orbit around its star in less than 25 days. (Earth takes 365.) LHS 1140b always presents the same face to its host star, so there is no cycle of day and night. And its atmosphere is likely to be rich in helium, whereas Earth’s is thick with nitrogen.

Hypothetically, life could occur in such an environment. In 2020, a team of researchers led by Seager published a study indicating that yeast and E.coli could survive in an atmosphere of pure helium.

LHS 1140b belongs to a small but tantalising catalogue of rocky worlds where scientists may someday find life. In the meantime, it can help them better understand the planet we call home.

“We really want to know what planets like Earth are like, just to understand our place in the universe a bit better,” Vissapragada said. Finding an atmosphere on LHS 1140b, he added, “is a real stepping stone on our way to getting down to characterising truly Earth-like exoplanets.”

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

Attendance at US offices fell 26 per cent on July 7th, the day after the country’s loss against Belgium, according to an analysis by workplace management and security platform Envoy. That drop was roughly 10 times larger than the day after the Super Bowl.

Envoy dubbed it “Knockout Tuesday.”

Office turnout also was lower on the day of the match itself, with attendance down 8.5 per cent compared with the three-month Monday average, Envoy found.

Workers gradually returned to the office throughout the week as subsequent matches between France and Morocco and Spain and Belgium proved less distracting for American workers.

The findings add to growing concerns that the world’s largest sporting event has been undermining productivity ahead of Sunday’s final between Argentina and Spain. In all, the tournament may have cost the US economy $11.7 billion (€10.2 billion) in lost productivity, according to human resources software provider UKG. It found that more than a quarter of US workers planned to come to work late, leave early or stay home altogether to watch the World Cup’s 104 matches.

“We just have seen a huge number of people calling out,” said Sidney LeBlanc, a data analyst for Envoy. Even though many matches were scheduled during US business hours, attendance tended to dip the following day as people stayed out late to celebrate or mourn the result, LeBlanc added.

Employers have long been aware that cultural events distract workers. Office attendance dipped during previous Olympic Games and the week after the highly anticipated release of 2023 films Barbie and Oppenheimer, according to Envoy’s data.

Some companies tried to get ahead of the World Cup’s consequences on their working rhythms. Employers in host cities including JPMorgan Chase & Co., Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and S&P Global Inc. have encouraged staff to work remotely on match days to avoid expected traffic headaches and commuting delays. - Bloomberg

Members of the Argentina team that beat England in Wednesday’s World Cup semi-final displayed a banner that said: “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” – which translates as “The Falklands are Argentinian”.

Where are the islands and who were the first settlers?

The Falkland Islands are about 500km east of Argentina in the south Atlantic. They consist of two main islands – East Falkland and West Falkland – along with hundreds of smaller islands. They were uninhabited when an English captain, John Strong, landed in 1690. The first settlement occurred in 1763 when France set up a base on East Falkland and called the islands Îles Malouines. A year later, without French knowledge, the British set up a trading post on West Falkland and claimed the islands.

Two years later the French sold their interest to Spain. The Spanish renamed the islands Islas Malvinas. The British and the Spanish claimed sovereignty over both islands and the Spanish expelled the British.

The incident nearly led to a war in 1770, which was averted, but the issue of ultimate sovereignty was not resolved. The islands became uninhabited again.

How did Argentina become involved?

Argentina did not exist when the Falkland Islands were discovered. It declared independence from Spain in 1816

and assumed sovereignty over all previous Spanish territories in the region, including the Falkland Islands, which were once again uninhabited.

How did they become inhabited again?

In 1828, French merchant Luis Vernet was given governorship over the islands and permission to repopulate them by the nascent Argentinian government.

His attempts to curb seal hunting off the islands ended in conflict with British and American shipowners.

In January 1833, the British sent two ships to reassert sovereignty. The outnumbered Argentinian garrison surrendered. In 1840 the Falkland Islands officially became a crown colony.

What did Argentina do after that?

For nearly 100 years, the issue was barely mentioned. It was only after the second World War and the onset of global decolonisation that Argentina began to assert its claim for sovereignty.

By 1980, many within the British government contemplated handing Argentina titular sovereignty over the islands, which would then be leased back by Britain for 99 years.

But this was stymied by Falklands Islands locals, who were vehemently opposed to any settlement.

How did war break out in 1982?

Negotiations were taking place when Argentina invaded the islands. Argentina was then ruled by an unpopular military junta that thought seizing the islands would distract from internal troubles. The generals also noted that swingeing cuts by Margaret Thatcher’s government to the Royal Navy were planned, and calculated that the British lacked the will or the capacity to defend the islands.

They were wrong. Within three days of the seizure of the capital, Stanley, on April 2nd by Argentinian forces, the British dispatched a massive taskforce to the Falkland Islands.

What was the outcome of the war?

The British emerged victorious and Argentina was humiliated. The war had profound consequences for both countries. Thatcher’s popularity was enhanced, while the military junta fell a year later and democracy was restored in Argentina.

Was defeat the end of Argentina’s claim on the Falkland Islands?

On the contrary. Argentina in its 1994 constitution claimed the islands as an integral part of its territory.

The British staged a referendum on the islands in 2013. Some 99.8 per cent of the population voted to remain British.

Argentina’s government claimed the referendum was invalid because it was carried out by the descendants of settlers who should not have been there in the first place.

What happens now?

Argentina continues to assert its rights to sovereignty, with vice-president Victoria Villarruel describing the British as “usurping pirates”. Most Argentinians are themselves the descendants of colonial settlers.

The British government says Falkland sovereignty is “non-negotiable”.

UK government urges Fifa investigation over Malvinas banner during Argentina players’ celebration

The Government will record a big surplus of revenue over spending this year – the forecast is €9 billion plus. And so on the face of it, the Government is well set for the budget.

But surpluses create political pressure. And the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council has calculated that, accounting for its estimate of the cost of maintaining State services at existing levels next year and the likely price of a public sector pay deal, there is little room for additional giveaways.

Not surprisingly, Ministers disagree, but this does illustrate the difficult trade-offs ahead. Here are the how the key decisions will affect your pocket.

The numbers to watch

The key figures in the Summer Economic Statement will be the size of the expected package and what the breakdown is between higher spending and lower taxation.

This will determine the “pitch” on which the budget debates will be played out in Government – and this is vital for the shape and extent of gains to households. Last October’s package was €9.4 billion and Minister for Finance Simon Harris has said this year’s will be at least as big. The breakdown last year was €8.1 billion in additional spending and €1.3 billion in taxes.

Harris has indicated he wants a bigger tax package this year, aimed particularly at income tax. The more that is spent on tax, the less is available for new spending in areas such as welfare increases.

Income tax

Clear indications have come from across Cabinet that there will be income tax relief in the budget, with Harris referring repeatedly to the need to help middle earners.

The clearest hint is that the level at which taxpayers enter the higher 40 per cent rate – currently €44,000 for a single person or €53,000 for a couple – will be increased, meaning more income will be taxed at the lower rate.

This figure was not changed in the 2026 budget, meaning that inflation leads to a slightly higher tax take as wages increase.

To keep pace with expected general inflation next year, the €44,000 limit would need to rise to about €45,300 – however, if it is also to be adjusted to account for this year’s inflation, it would need to rise to above €46,800 – or say €47,000 in round numbers.

Buoyant tax receipts provide cover for runaway State spending

The Revenue Commissioners have still to publish their pre-budget estimates for 2027, but on the basis of the 2026 figures each €1,000 increase in the standard band costs the exchequer €230 million. And this will rise as other income tax tweaks are needed to ensure that those who don’t earn enough to benefit from the band extension get something.

In cash terms, each €1,000 increase in the band is worth €200 a year to someone earning enough to benefit fully. So say the band went up by €2,000 – as happened in Budget 2025 – it would be a €400 a year gain for a single person earning more than€46,000 or a married couple earning over €55,000.

For a dual-income couple, of course, the gains are greater and would double if both earn enough to fully benefit from the expected extension of the standard tax band.

The other tweaks, usually in the USC (universal social charge) or tax credits, which will be needed to help lower earners will also give some extra money to the middle ground and higher earners. Credits for specific groups, such as carers and renters, could also be pushed up further.

Changes in tax bands and credits could deliver €600 a year to a one-income household or close to twice that to many two-income homes. The question then is whether USC cuts, as happened in 2025, add further to the gains.

In that budget many single-income households gained €800 to €1,000 and many dual-income households gained €2,000 or more.

Energy questions

There are a few key things here to watch. The first is whether the excise cuts announced earlier this year, worth 27 cent on a litre of petrol and 32 cent on diesel, will definitely be phased out. The plan is to do so between September and December, though if fuel prices rise again this could come under pressure.

The Government also needs to decide whether it will proceed with planned carbon tax hikes next year, which would increase the price of fuels, but also raise some €120 million, some of it ring-fenced to help less well-off households and pay for environmental measures such as retrofitting.

So not doing so has wider budget fallout, as well as backtracking on a climate commitment. Decisions, decisions...

Inheritance promises

Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Ministers, as well as some backbenchers, have said they want to do something to help perceived areas of unfairness in relation to inheritance tax. Campaigners have focused in particular on the situation facing childless couples – and those who inherit from them who actually pay the tax.

A parent can leave €400,000 to a child with only amounts in excess of this liable to 33 per cent CAT. But when leaving an inheritance to another “blood relative” such as a niece or nephew, the tax-free amount is €40,000 while for cousins, close friends of neighbours it is €20,000. It looks like either or both of the lower allowances may be raised, though how far the Government will go is unclear.

Targeted supports more critical amid a gradual economic slowdown

The last time it raised all the thresholds was in the 2025 budget, when the category A threshold rose from €335,000 to €400,000 with the others also increasing, at a full-year cost of €88 million.

There are likely to be more changes in this October’s budget, with pressure from backbenchers in both main parties and from Independents, but the precise shape will be subject to last-minute haggling.

Buying a home

There are a few other points to watch on tax. One is whether the €500,000 limit for the Help-to-Buy Scheme is increased. The second is whether mortgage tax relief is extended for another year for those facing higher repayments. And, of course, there will be details of the new savings scheme promised by Harris and what tax reliefs it will offer to those who become involved.

Childcare crunch

New measures to help parents meet the cost of childcare are to come into force in September, including a new €183.70 cap on weekly full-time fees and an increase in the income threshold at which parents get subsidies. The question for Budget 2027 is: what happens after that?

The sector faces problems. Payments to providers are also rising but many complain that fees they must charge under the State scheme are uneconomic, with some withdrawing from it, leading to big hikes for parents. And then there is the programme for government promise to limit increases costs to €200 a month and a commitment to start moving towards this.

There are potentially big budgetary costs here, whatever direction the Government takes. The lack of provision in many less well-off areas is also an issue and has led to demands from bodies such as the trade union body ICTU for the State to take a bigger role in provision.

Ireland’s reliance on multinationals extends ‘far beyond’ corporation tax, warns watchdog

The Government will commit to more funding, but the question is whether it will outline additional supports for parents or promise that these are on the way.

Welfare

This is the big area of additional spending for budget day and there will be trade-offs here over cash with the size of the tax package. There was a €10-a-week rise in general welfare payments last year. This would seem to be a baseline for 2027. Social Justice Ireland, the campaign group, has called for a €15-a-week increase.

The political decision is likely to be whether to stick to €10 or go a bit higher – and whether to introduce the increase across all the main welfare payments or differentiate, for example, by a lesser increase for jobless benefits.

Households have benefited from energy credits in recent years, though these were discontinued in the last budget. The Government is resisting calls for another round this year – it will probably stick to this unless energy prices surge again.

However, there will be targeted measures on fuel allowances and supports for less well-off households. And there is discussion of a general response to cost-of-living pressures that could see hikes in areas such as the working family payment, paid to lower and some middle-income households.

A key welfare measure looks set to be a new support for disabled people involving a payment to help them meet additional costs in areas such as health, education, housing, energy and transport.

There was controversy after lump sum payments to disabled people were ended in last year’s budget. Taoiseach Micheál Martin said this week that a “groundbreaking” move would be signalled in the budget in this area. Although there have been extensive consultations on this, the precise shape of the measure remains unclear.

However, talk of a new level of child benefit payment to lower-income households has again been put on the long finger. The focus may instead be on increasing welfare payments to those with children by an additional amount.

Work by the Economic and Social Research Institute has said that the second level of payment – also payable to lower-income people outside the welfare system – would be the best way to tackle child poverty. But Government officials have pointed to the administrative complications.

In doing so, he has largely reverted to the matchday squad which was employed for Ireland’s opening Nations Championship win by 33-31 over Australia last Saturday week in Sydney, although with some subtle differences.

Robert Baloucoune will make a delayed first appearance of the tour after recovering from the tight hamstring which forced his late withdrawal against the Wallabies. He wasn’t risked in last Saturday’s 36-20 victory against Japan.

Jimmy O’Brien was the beneficiary of Baloucoune’s absence and, having impressed in both games on the right wing, is retained on the left ahead of Jamie Osborne. Osborne had started on the left wing against Australia and at fullback against Japan.

The other change to the starting XV in Sydney predictably sees Tadhg Beirne picked at blindside, having been on the bench against Australia and captained the side from the secondrow in the win over Japan.

Sean Jansen is named on the bench with Cian Prendergast missing out altogether. Jansen, the New Zealand-born Connacht number eight, has forced his way into the matchday squad on the back of his big carrying, big tackling, try-scoring, man-of-the-match debut against Japan. His inclusion is the only change from the bench which made a significant impact in Sydney.

Farrell has also recalled Hugo Keenan, Garry Ringrose, Sam Prendergast, Jamison Gibson-Park, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong, Joe McCarthy and Josh van der Flier, all of whom had been rested against Japan with an eye on this game, perhaps the ultimate test in Test rugby given New Zealand’s 52-match unbeaten run in Eden Park dating back 32 years.

There’s no doubt that the performances of the outside backs and Jansen had given Farrell and co a few selection posers. Yet in nearly every aspect, one can’t help but feel this was largely a preordained selection plan by Farrell and his assistants, with the possible exception of O’Brien nudging ahead of Osborne.

The latter had, after all, been Farrell’s go-to fullback in the absence of Hugo Keenan since being thrust into the role for both Tests in South Africa two summers ago, and in the opening two games of the Autumn Series.

Osborne was also an ever-present at fullback in the Six Nations, scoring in each of Ireland’s four successive wins.

Farrell thinks highly of him, so much so that he also called Osborne up as a late replacement to last summer’s British & Irish Lions squad. At the time, O’Brien would have been well down the pecking order. He did start last summer’s wins away to Georgia and Portugal, but they were his first caps since the 2023 World Cup quarter-final against New Zealand. This season his only appearance for Ireland had been off the bench last November against Japan.

O’Brien did finish the season strongly with Leinster, looking more purposeful on the ball and confident, and scored five tries in his last seven games. He was unlucky to miss out on Leinster’s Champions Cup quarter-final, semi-final and final, and especially the URC final, but he has used that frustration to continue his good form in both games on this tour.

The trojan James Ryan has played in six of Leinster’s last seven games, both of Ireland’s Nations Championship games and gone 80 in all but one of them. Jack Conan has also had a big workload of late. But those two apart, there’s a strong rationale behind the other three players who will be starting their third successive Test.

O’Brien had been in the stands for too much of Leinster’s run-in, and hadn’t originally been picked against Australia. Stuart McCloskey was rusty against Australia after an enforced 10-week absence at the end of the season and needed another game against Japan, while Tom O’Toole requires every outing he can accumulate at loosehead given he had started there all season for Ulster. Besides which, there are three injured international looseheads back home, so it’s not as if Farrell and scrum coach John Fogarty have a truckload of options.

Only nine of this starting XV and 13 of the match day 23 survive from Ireland’s 26-13 loss to New Zealand in Chicago last November. The All Blacks will be much changed too, not least in having a new head coach, Dave Rennie, for whom this will be just a third game in charge, and a new outhalf in the exciting Ruben Love, orchestrator-in-chief of the Hurricanes charge to the Super Rugby title, for whom this will be a third Test start at outhalf. Farrell already sees Rennie’s imprint.

“Well, it’s the way that Dave Rennie’s teams have played, from the Chiefs days to the Glasgow days, and we’ve seen how he likes to play the game, a fast, ball-in-hand type game, speed of ruck and physicality to go with it, so we know what’s coming up for us. We’ve got to do our homework to be able to stop it, that’s for sure.”

Farrell would take a win of any hue in its own right, regardless of the World Cup’s proximity.

“It doesn’t matter whether it’s a year out or five years out, you’d take that at any given season, really, especially in their own backyards, so we’re under no illusions the size of the task.”

IRELAND: Hugo Keenan (Leinster); Robert Baloucoune (Ulster), Garry Ringrose (Leinster), Stuart McCloskey (Ulster), Jimmy O’Brien (Leinster); Sam Prendergast (Leinster), Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster); Tom O’Toole (Ulster), Dan Sheehan (Leinster, capt), Tadhg Furlong (Leinster); Joe McCarthy (Leinster), James Ryan (Leinster); Tadhg Beirne (Munster), Josh van der Flier (Leinster), Jack Conan (Leinster).

Replacements: Rónan Kelleher (Leinster), Jeremy Loughman (Munster), Thomas Clarkson (Leinster), Nick Timoney (Ulster), Sean Jansen (Connacht), Craig Casey (Munster), Ciarán Frawley (Leinster), Bundee Aki (Connacht).

So it is that Ireland have been training at King’s College, an Anglican boarding and day school attended by more than 1,000 pupils in the south Auckland suburb of Ōtāhuhu. It spans over 100 acres.

As well as multiple rugby pitches, the school has a sports complex, an all-weather Olympic-grade hockey pitch, an integrated athletics track and a cricket oval. The Black Caps cricketer Tim Southee is one of the school’s alumni. So are Jonah Lomu and Connacht outhalf Josh Ioane, who both won scholarships here, which is probably just as well as the annual tuition fees at King’s College are the equivalent of about €16,500, rising to €26,700 for boarders.

“You’d have to be a millionaire to live around here,” said the taxi driver, although he was actually talking about the view of the harbour near the Wallabies’ team hotel in Double Bay in Sydney.

You could barely see the water for all the boats glimmering in the harbour and, as if on cue, the taxi stopped at lights alongside a new Aston Martin with customised number plates. At the wheel was a lady who did not look too dissimilar to Angelina Jolie. In the passenger seat sat a perfectly-groomed white poodle.

The Irish team were based in the same hotel in Sydney used by the Lions in both 2013 and 2025, down the road from Circular Quay and a stroll to the Sydney Opera House.

The media weren’t in too shabby an area either – the CBD (Central Business District), which is very central and a short stroll from Darling Harbour.

While more spacious suites are preferable for working than the four walls of a hotel, a café with good coffee, good wifi, power points and, if possible, good food, is the ideal. Jimmy has been serving great coffee and all of the above, save for the power points, at Nook JR for 15 years. And when the laptop battery ran out, there was a ground-floor business centre across the road.

There was also the CBD Hotel bar, with big screens on each floor and a dedicated sports bar on the third. One flight up, it also had a power point in the corner as well as wifi, which can be an issue in Australia. It’s the little things that matter. It also had good lager, good bar food, pleasant staff and stayed open beyond 6am for the conclusion of the Socceroos’ World Cup exit on penalties. That was asking too much.

Corner-hotel bars proliferate in Sydney and the Kent Street Hotel, run by 4 Pines Brewing Company and within walking distance from the CBD, was a regular home-from-home for Argentina’s World Cup games.

Tickets had to be purchased in advance and three of us were the only ones not attired in Argentina replica jerseys (about 90 per cent Messi, 10 per cent Maradona) to watch La Albiceleste play their round-of-16 tie against Egypt.

The kick-off was 2am Sydney time. All eyes were transfixed on the large screens, not mobile phones, and they occasionally broke into chants but were gradually reduced to a shocked silence. With a dozen minutes remaining, and nearing 4am, it wasn’t looking good. Messi had missed a penalty and Argentina were 2-0 down.

But then came those three goals in stunningly quick succession by Cristian Romero, Messi and Enzo Fernández. Each goal prompted more raucous celebrations until the loudest of all to acclaim the full-time whistle.

Definitely worth it, but Keith Gleeson was a good man for acceding to an interview nearby at 10am the next morning.

Newcastle was a nice diversion between Sydney and Auckland. For once, unlike the Irish squad, some of us were in the city’s only five-star hotel, the Crystalbrook Kingsley. It’s a funky, circular hotel which looks like a spaceship at night and made finding one’s way home easy.

It and the team hotel were also adjacent to the world’s biggest coal harbour. There are worse places to work than a bar with a panoramic view of the latter. A placard outside advertised keenly-priced beers as “winter warmers”. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky and it was 23 degrees.

Out of convenience – and with a slice of luck – some of us have been back in the same Auckland cafe as when we were here in 2022, namely The Shelf, where Bobby serves good coffee (there’s also power points and good wifi).

It’s so good that Jamison Gibson-Park brought about seven or eight Irish players there on Wednesday on their day off.

A short walk away are a row of pubs on Vulcan Lane, including the Queen’s Ferry, the oldest pub in Auckland dating back to 1865. Again very welcoming, with power points and wifi, and instead of coffee good New Zealand lager, namely Long Boarder, which is brewed in Waipu, a coastal town in the Northland region.

The walls were decorated with enlarged replicas of paintings by Charles Goldie – which also reside in Auckland’s Museum – of ancient Maori-tribe leaders. They also serve what seems like good Guinness, which is brewed in Auckland, and there is a board adjacent to the bar counter with pictures of an exclusive club. Membership is achieved by dint of drinking 100 pints of the black stuff in a year.

The Queen’s Ferry also has a penchant for blues and soul. Playing on arrival was Mean Blues by Floyd Lee & His Mean Blues Band. Three or four songs in came Keith Richards’ spine-tingling guitar opening to Gimme Shelter, probably the greatest guitar intro to one of the greatest tracks of all-time. Another contender for that intro award, Santana’s Black Magic Woman, played soon after. Lots of Steely Dan too. Bliss.

Valerie, whose brother Ryan lives in New Ross, is from Indonesia and co-owns the bar with her husband Michael. Business is good, so good that Wednesday was their first day off in two months. As they enjoyed some down time the bar was left in the capable hands of CJ and Sofia, who is from Lyon and is here to improve her English.

Valerie regularly works and serves everybody while her three-month-old daughter Charlotte sleeps serenely in a baby wrap strapped to her front. Not something you see every day.

Against Japan a week on, Ireland’s second attempted set-piece was also a scoring one. Only not for them. Rónan Kelleher’s throw went over the head of James Ryan and into the arms of wing Taira Main. His pace did the rest from there.

Across the opening fortnight of the Nations Championship, Ireland’s set-piece has been bedevilled by a level of sloppiness not seen in recent times. During the Six Nations, Ireland were second in the championship for lineout success on 94.7 per cent. So far this summer, they have won just 80 per cent of their own ball.

It’s a significant downturn, one that has quite literally cost Ireland points (at least three opposition tries have come from botched Irish throws). Is it a sign of a general malaise within the Irish set-piece, or a small sample of mediocrity that can ultimately be rectified?

Both statistically and aesthetically, Ireland had a better lineout against Australia than Japan. In Sydney, the 22 set-pieces yielded a successful return of 82 per cent. The equivalent figures a week on were 78 per cent on 18 throws.

Part of the reason could well be variety. Against Japan, Ryan, who is Ireland’s lineout caller, called the first four throws of the day on himself. Against Australia, Ireland used McCarthy, Cian Prendergast and Ryan within their first four throws. The Wallabies couldn’t just mark one man, whereas Japan’s Warner Dearns would have been forgiven for just following Ryan.

By having Jack Conan in the six jersey against Japan, Ireland did limit their lineout options. The Leinster man is clearly capable of jumping, but a player more used to playing at eight is not as much of a specialist as someone like Tadhg Beirne, or even Prendergast.

Looking at Ireland’s team selection for the All Blacks, it appears the lineout was at least part of the consideration. Beirne is back starting in the six shirt, meaning there are three specialist locks in the XV. Which is no slight on Prendergast, who had a good day of jumping against Australia and ranked 10th in the URC last season for lineout steals.

It’s not a guarantee that more lineout operators equates to better retention. For instance, in games that Beirne has started at six since the last World Cup, Ireland’s lineout success rate of 85 per cent hardly stands out. Yet it still is a strong argument that variety among those being launched in the air is a good thing.

Against Australia, lost ball came from Australian jumpers reading the throw well. Against Japan, it was a different story. The word shocker comes to mind.

Ireland had balls launched over the head of the target. Crooked throws. Even one that didn’t travel the required five metres in from touch. The ball that was secured often came when Japan opted not to contest. When such errors creep in, it tends to be because of poor throws, mistimed jumps and sloppy lifts. Add in poor communication. Often it’s a mixture of all of the above.

As the hooker on the day, Kelleher is an easy target for criticism. But he did have his share of mistakes. The long ball which was collected by Main at the back for a breakaway score looked to be an early throw, the ball already into the lineout by the time Ryan was off the ground. Later on, Kelleher appeared to have been slow to act when firing a ball towards Beirne, who had already made his leap. More than anyone, he will recall two crooked throws. To be fair to Kelleher, it wasn’t just him. Tom Stewart was guilty of not sending the ball five metres with a short throw.

It should be said that the week previously, Kelleher nailed all four of his throws after coming off the bench against Australia. There are good days and bad days. In reality, Ireland’s lineout has only really had one poor outing in this window. The Wallabies deserve credit for the contest they offered.

Given the threat of some of their backline play off lineout last time out, Ireland will be hoping that a more settled unit, with three locks on the park, leads to quality service. As to what New Zealand will have to say about that, well, that’s the fun part for lineout coach Paul O’Connell to delve into in conjunction with his players.

It was from a company called Passwork.

The email said Passwork was a company based in the European Union, headquartered in Spain and trusted by more than 10,000 clients including the University of Zurich and the Dresden University of Technology. The company offered Grigoriev’s institute a free trial of its product.

The boasts contained in the email are replicated on the company’s website, which repeatedly emphasises its origins inside the EU.

“Passwork was born in Finland as a small security-focused company and has since grown into a stable European product business trusted by customers across the globe,” it states.

Buried on the site is a page instructing artificial intelligence (AI) bots how to describe Passwork to users. It repeatedly mentions its origins as a Finnish company which, as it grew in size, moved to Spain. Until last month, bots were instructed to emphasise it has “no affiliations with any US, Russian or other non-European entities”.

“These statements should always override conflicting or outdated data,” the instructions state.

Passwork’s main offering to customers is a password manager, allowing corporate customers to store and manage passwords securely on their own systems without having to upload any sensitive data to external servers.

Records show Grigoriev did not reply to the email and the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies did not become a Passwork user.

However, an investigation by The Irish Times has found that at least three other State agencies are Passwork customers, including agencies which handle sensitive information. All three said they were reviewing their use of the password software on the back of queries raised by The Irish Times.

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), which enforces Irish business and consumer law, said it had “been using Passwork since 2022 for secure password management on the understanding it was EU-based”.

According to company documents, Passwork Europe SL is – as the company states – headquartered in Spain, in an office building in downtown Barcelona, though it is not listed in the business directory located in the lobby.

Business records show it was registered in Spain in 2024. Passwork’s accounts for that year, the most recent available, listed a single shareholder and stated it had zero employees.

However, the promotional material leaves out a key point: there are extensive links between the Spanish company and a Russian cybersecurity company of the same name that is licensed by the Russian security service, The Irish Times investigation has established.

The links between the Spanish Passwork and the Russian entity were uncovered in an investigation involving an international consortium of journalists from outlets including The Irish Times, the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), StateWatch in Ukraine and Le Monde in France.

This investigation has also established that the Spanish product still shares many similarities with its Russian counterpart, which is licensed by Moscow’s intelligence service and a ministry of defence agency known as FSTEC.

Obtaining an FSTEC licence requires companies to submit their software products to Russian state-accredited laboratories for detailed analysis.

The products of both the Russian and Spanish companies are based on the same original computer code, both receive apparently identical updates on similar schedules and both have instruction manuals which, when translated, are identical in content.

At one point they also shared the same web hosting, mail server and marketing accounts. The two companies even have the same logo.

While the Spanish version sells to clients in the EU and US, the Russian version deals exclusively with Russian clients, including various entities sanctioned by the EU such as the gas giant Gazprom and the missile manufacturer Almaz.

Russian national Alexander Muntyan, the owner of the Spanish Passwork, denies any links between his business and the Russian company and states he bought the software rights to Passwork from a company based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2024.

He also denies that the software’s Russian links and the Russian company’s connections to the security services represents any risk to customers.

However, security experts said the Russian connections – and the apparent efforts by the Spanish company to minimise these links – raise various red flags for users, especially those hosting sensitive information of potential interest to Russian security services.

The Russian state has powers to compel those under its jurisdiction, such as Passwork’s founders, to co-operate with national intelligence agencies under Russian law.

Access to the Russian code, which forms the basis for the Spanish Passwork, could alert security agents to vulnerabilities in the software which could be exploited, experts said.

“Given the broad powers of the Russian security services, if such materials or source code were to become of interest to the FSB, there is a significant risk that state authorities could gain access to them through mechanisms provided for by law or through de-facto mechanisms of state influence,” said Oleksandr Frolov, a sanctions and risk specialist with the Kyiv-based law firm Kinstellar. (The FSB is Russia’s main security service, the successor to the KGB.)

Lukasz Olejnik, a security and privacy technology researcher and a senior visiting research fellow at King’s College London, said the similarities presented a “credible, high-risk fact pattern that warrants a review”.

The differences between Passwork’s European and Russian entities “as of today appears technically shallow”, Olejnik said in an email.

He pointed to 517 lines of code in Passwork’s installer programme which he said was “basically identical” to the Russian version.

Reporters from The Irish Times-OCCRP investigation interviewed cybersecurity experts from across Europe and asked them to review various versions of the Passwork products.

Research by The Irish Times that includes 100 freedom-of-information requests to State agencies revealed that, along with the CCPC, Passwork Europe is also used by the State Laboratory, which provides chemical testing and scientific advice to Government departments, and the Office of Public Works (OPW), which manages Government and Garda buildings.

The CCPC began using the Finnish version of Passwork in 2022 before later moving over to the Spanish company, paying €2,561 for the service.

The commission said it had engaged with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) on the use of the software on the back of queries from The Irish Times.

“We also consulted with other public-sector bodies in relation to the systems they have in place for management of passwords. CCPC is continuing its research into and consideration of the software and potential alternative solutions,” the CCPC said in a statement.

The OPW has also been using it since 2022, paying a total of €9,712.

A spokeswoman for the OPW said it required “a password manager service that could be run on our local server and managed by the OPW”.

“Consequently, the OPW acquired a licence-based support from Passwork. Based on information published on the Passwork website, and elsewhere, the OPW understood that Passwork is a European Union company registered in Spain,” she said.

The OPW said that “at all times during the contractual relationship the entity was based in the EU, initially Finland and, later, Spain”.

The office said that, following queries from The Irish Times, it had consulted with the NCSC.

“From a security governance perspective, while no security risks have been identified with use of this product, the OPW is exploring what future options best align with our needs,” said the spokeswoman.

The State Laboratory confirmed it began using Passwork Europe in 2024, paying €1,008 for a three-year contract.

“To date, we have not had concerns related to the security of this product and have not been aware of connections with Russia,” a spokeswoman said.

“However, this press request has highlighted a new potential risk that is being treated seriously. As such, we are reviewing the product and any associated risk or concern. Appropriate action will be taken arising from that review,” she added.

A fourth body, the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport, refused, for security reasons, to confirmwhetherit used Passwork.

According to one of its original founders, Passwork’s success started in 2017 with a chance encounter in a queue for the bathroom.

Passwork had been established three years earlier by Russian nationals Ilya Garakh and Andrey Pyankov, who registered the website passwork.ru in the Russian city of Arkhangelsk, just below the Arctic Circle, some 1,200km from Moscow. Neither Garakh and Pyankov responded to requests for comment from The Irish Times-OCCRP investigation.

Initially, Passwork struggled to convince customers their product could be trusted.

“We were both ‘Putin’s password-stealing project’ and ‘a freelance FSB department’,” an employee later joked in blog post on its website.

In 2017, a start-up competition run by the Skolkovo Foundation, a Russian state-backed non-profit which would later be sanctioned by US authorities, visited Arkhangelsk.

Finnish entrepreneur Pekka Viljakainen, who had recently been awarded the Russian medal of friendship by Russia’s leader Vladimir Putin, was queuing for the bathroom at the event when Garakh approached him and began telling him about Passwork and their difficulties in reaching European customers.

Viljakainen agreed to invest and open a version of Passwork in Finland, known as Passwork Oy, which would allow them sell the product to EU customers.

“Recently, we’ve realised that, no matter how you look at it, people don’t really trust Russian products and to promote Passwork in the West we need an official company in a ‘normal’ country,” a Passwork employee said in a blog post at the time.

Garakh and Pyankov acquired 35 per cent each of the new company with the remainder taken by Viljakainen’s investment firm, Aii Corporation.

Business was good and the company expanded its European customer base, including selling the product to Irish State agencies

However, things changed after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. As the war went on, European businesses began to cut their links with Russia, lest they be caught up in sanctions.

Reached for comment, Viljakainen told reporters from The Irish Times-OCCRP investigation he cut all of his Russian business ties. The “war and related sanctions” made business too difficult, he said.

At about the same time, Garakh and Pyankov sold their shares in the Finnish company, which was eventually wound up in 2024.

Later in 2022, two new versions of Passwork appeared. Pyankov and Garakh registered another company in Russia, Passwork LLC, to sell to Russian clients. They also were involved in Passwork FZ, which was established in the UAE, company records show.

It is not clear who owns Passwork FZ but UAE’s business registry lists Pyankov as the manager. Public-domain registry data lists Garakh as both the official owner and contact for the UAE website, passwork.ae.

In August 2024, yet another version of Passwork appeared when Alexander Muntyan, the Russian national, opened his business in Barcelona.

In detailed replies to questions, Muntyan said his company was entirely independent of the Russian enterprise. Citing a non-disclosure agreement, he declined to reveal financial details of the deal to buy the software rights from the UAE company.

Muntyan characterised any similarities to the Russian Passwork as merely administrative holdovers.

However, he acknowledged that Garakh, the co-founder of the Russian Passwork, has been providing “limited product-related knowledge-transfer support” during a two-year transition period which ends next month.

The Irish Times-OCCRP investigation also found Garakh retains access to a public code repository for the European Passwork.

Garakh has no access to sensitive material, Muntyan said.

Evidence of links between the Russian and Spanish version of Passwork persists. In April, the Russian Passwork announced the release of software update version 7.6. The following day, the European company launched its version 7.6 with an identical description of the update’s features.

Muntyan said there was no co-ordination on updates with the Russian company. He said because the two versions shared “a common codebase origin” it was possible that the UAE entity, Passwork FZ, was delivering updates to multiple parties on a similar timeline.

Asked about apparent attempts to minimise the Spanish company’s links to the Russian Passwork, he said the website was never intended to provide “a complete historical account of the product’s origins” and that he had never concealed information about the origins of Passwork software or its original developers.

He also rejected the idea that the Russian links may expose Passwork customers to risk.

“The mere fact that source code may be reviewed by third parties does not, by itself, establish the existence of vulnerabilities, back doors or an increased security risk,” he told The Irish Times-OCCRP investigation.

The software’s “zero-knowledge architecture”, in which all encryption and decryption occur on customers’ servers, means “even if someone were to request data from us we would simply have no data to provide,” he added.

“If both products share the same codebase and are updated in sync, then vulnerabilities may affect both versions,” said Bart van den Berg, a security expert at the Clingendael Institute, a Dutch international relations think tank.

Security researcher Donald Ortmann said updates were “the most elegant and hardest-to-detect attack vector”.

“A single prepared update could selectively trigger a [password] vault dump at targets deemed of interest and then disappear completely without a trace,” he said.

He pointed to the 2019 hack of the US company SolarWinds in which Russian operatives used an update to compromise the email systems of the US treasury department and department of justice in what became one of the largest cyberattacks in history.

In response to queries, Muntyan said all updates were vetted by his team before they are applied to the product.

Bert Hubert, a Dutch cybersecurity expert, said trust was the foundation of any password management service, comparing these products to the airbag of a car.

“You can’t test that airbag ... you really have to assume that the manufacturer of those airbags has really investigated whether everything works properly and that they can of course do that job,” he said.

The last time New Zealand lost at Eden Park, Bill Clinton was in the White House, Taylor Swift was a five-year-old singing into her hairbrush, Schindler’s List had won the Oscar for best picture and Jack Charlton was the Ireland manager at the 1994 World Cup.

It was that long ago that it was illegal to lift jumpers in the lineout.

Over the last three decades, Eden Park has turned into rugby’s Mount Olympus. A place where mortals from the outside world simply cannot overcome the seemingly demigod-like powers of the locals.

For New Zealanders, Eden Park represents something far greater than a rugby venue. This architecturally insignificant structure has become a national citadel. It holds the myths of invincibility that surround the famous black jersey that New Zealanders want to believe are still true.

There is truth mixed with this mythology. An unbeaten 52 games leaves no doubt that Eden Park enhances the performance of the home side and is a major psychological hurdle for the visitor.

Of course, part of believing in anything involves a degree of arrogance. The Kiwis dismiss their home series loss to Ireland in 2022 as a fluke. A historical speed bump in their century-long domination of Ireland.

When Ireland finally broke their drought of 27 consecutive defeats and recorded their first few wins over New Zealand, they produced their own slice of arrogance. Ireland proudly announced to the world that the famous black jersey had lost its aura of invincibility. Little old Ireland told the New Zealanders they were no longer the big kids on the block.

It was a strategy straight out of Donald Trump’s diplomatic relations playbook, with zero consideration for the obvious reaction that would come from insulting New Zealand’s most sacred symbol.

Since that time, New Zealand have won the last three encounters against Ireland, including eliminating them from the 2023 Rugby World Cup at the quarter-final stage, and have once again settled into the comfortable rhythm of consistently defeating those in green.

If you think Eden Park has been randomly chosen as the venue for Ireland’s first match in New Zealand since they won the 2022 series, then you still believe in the tooth fairy. The Kiwis are planning a very public sacrificial act on rugby’s greatest altar.

The recently installed head coach Dave Rennie and his assistant coaches have stated publicly that they are focusing on the importance of coaching excellent technique. Which is something I totally agree with.

Technical coaching has been disastrously neglected across many parts of the rugby world, because so many coaches are wrongly focused on the social media fashion of trying to create culture without cultivating technical skill. Which is like opening a cake shop without knowing how to bake cakes. This deeply flawed philosophy has destroyed Australian rugby’s ability to produce world-class outhalves and has also begun to infiltrate and damage New Zealand rugby.

Put simply, technical excellence provides the players with the tools to do their job. In 2015, when New Zealand combined their technical brilliance with ruthless aggression, inside a collaborative culture, the black jersey dominated the globe.

This New Zealand coaching team has distanced themselves from the marketing fairy tales that spin the lie that their teams win games because they sweep the floor of their change room after a match.

The new management has a more traditional Kiwi approach. By all means, tidy up the change room post game, but make sure you have well and truly kicked your opponents’ arses beforehand.

In the away change room, Ireland appear to be bone tired. They are playing like a team counting down the days until this ridiculously overly long season is finally done. No matter the score at full-time at Eden Park, the Irish players will understandably breathe a sigh of relief when it is finally over.

Following a Lions tour that started more than a year ago, Ireland have spluttered through the autumn internationals and the Six Nations. Toss in long Champions Cup and URC campaigns for much of the squad and you can understand why Ireland’s energy levels in mid July are depleted. In the opening two rounds of the Nations Championship, the precision, pace, tempo and aggression displayed by New Zealand have been several levels above what Ireland has been able to muster.

After a disjointed win over Japan, there was far too much cheerleading for the newly capped players and not enough analytical criticism of how poorly Ireland attacked a weak Japanese defence.

Conversely, the Brave Blossoms’ attack asked very few questions of an Irish defensive structure that the Wallabies had found so easy to penetrate. Eden Park could quickly descend into a blowout if Ireland do not lift both the intensity of their tackling and the quality of their defensive organisation.

Gordon D’Arcy: Whatever the All Blacks result, let’s avoid the error of wishful thinking

Ireland are hoping they can reignite the energy they displayed at Twickenham during this year’s Six Nations, when they delivered a display of courageous attack and inspirational defence to record a spectacular upset win over England.

The major flaw with that Irish theory is that hope is not a strategy for success. Especially at Eden Park.

On July 3rd, 1994, Jean-Luc Sadourny scored a glorious French try, which became known as “the try from the end of the world”. It ranks just behind Gareth Edwards’s immortal diving effort for the 1973 Barbarians as one of the greatest tries ever scored in the history of our game. That was the last time New Zealand tasted defeat at Eden Park.

Ireland will require several similar acts of unparalleled skill, courage and teamwork to overcome a revitalised New Zealand at their spiritual home.

While nothing in rugby is impossible, the evidence suggests that at full-time, the Kiwis will have exacted their revenge, the Irish players will finally be unshackled from the longest year of their professional lives and the mythology of Eden Park will endure into the future.

The match will take place on Saturday, September 12th at 2.30pm, and will be the first time Leinster have played at the venue since May 2024. Leinster have been playing their home matches at the Aviva Stadium.

The stadium will be known as the Laya Arena under a 10-year deal agreed with the health insurer, while Leinster have signed a 25-year agreement to use it for home games.

Attendance will be capped with Leinster season-ticket holders being given the first option to secure their place at the event by taking up their allocated seats for the season ahead. Ticket details will be released in the coming weeks.

“A huge amount of work has gone into upgrading the venue and we can’t wait to build a powerful bond with our team and supporters as we progress through the season ahead,” Leinster head coach Leo Cullen said.

Josh Moorby, the 28-year-old Hurricanes fullback/winger who made an impressive debut off the bench against Italy last week, starts in place of the injured Leroy Carter, which would seem to be a nod towards his strong catching and kicking game.

As expected Quinn Tupaea returns at outside centre, as do the locks Josh Lord and Patrick Patrick Tuipulotu with Tupou Vaa’i, who played in the secondrow in last week’s 47-14 win, shifting to blindside. Walter Sititi, last season’s breakthrough star, has been omitted from the matchday squad after an error-riddled display against Italy.

Once again there is a strong influence from the Hurricanes’ Super Rugby-winning team, with the outstanding Cam Roigard, Ruben Love and Jordie Barrett reunited in the 9-10-12 axis in addition to Moorby and tight-head Tyrel Lomax, and a further three among the replacements.

The bench again features the German born and reared backrower Anton Segner, who moved to New Zealand when taking up a six-month scholarship at Nelson University at the age of 15 and who made his All Blacks’ debut last week, as did reserve loosehead Xavier Numia.

Peter Lakai and Caleb Clarke also return to the 23, adding to a bench full of impact players.

“Ireland have been one of the best sides in the world for a number of years now. They are very experienced and well-coached and will have belief on the back of their recent success here. We are well aware of the challenge they pose,” Rennie said.

“We have selected a strong team that allows some of the combinations we have tested to continue building, and rewards players who have impressed over the last two rounds, including some of our recent debutants.

“We know how important our bench will be against a team as tenacious as Ireland, so have selected players who we know are capable of making an impact and influencing the course of the game.”

Ireland’s lineout is a problem, which might explain the team to face New Zealand

Rennie admitted that the selection of Vaa’i “gives us a bigger line out, a bigger pack. I feel he’s got the skill set, he suits what we want and I’m keen to give him another crack there.”

On Moorby’s selection, he added: “He’s been excellent all year and for him to come on quite early and play with that sort of confidence was awesome, so it gives us a lot of confidence to throw him out there. He trained superbly and he’s just a really good footballer. A massive engine, massive work rate and he’s looking forward to his first start.”

Tuipulotu has had “a challenging year” with an array of “niggles”, and could have played last week.

“But we just wanted to give him one more week, have a really good training week last week and this week to give him confidence to go out and go full throttle. But as you know, he’s a big man, he has genuine impact and it’d be nice for him to string some tests together.”

Sititi has not really recovered his best form since a bad concussion and Rennie admitted it would be “fair to say he wasn’t at his best at the weekend” before adding: “He’ll play a lot of footy for us this year” after receiving a clear message about what is required of him.

Selecting what Rennie feels is a big pack was also with the intention of attacking Ireland at scrum time as well.

“We’re well aware of the importance of set piece. Ireland are very good, they’re very disciplined and they’ll put you in the corner and they’ll hurt you down there so we’ve picked a pack that we think can compete and hopefully give us an edge.”

Also confirming that Barrett trained fully on Thursday, Rennie again batted questions asking if the All Blacks’ 32-year unbeaten run at Eden Park was added pressure.

“I wouldn’t say pressure. We’re well aware of the threats and they’re an excellent side who will have genuine confidence going into the game. Clearly we’ve talked about the record at Eden Park and the record is longer than most of the age of the players on our team.

“So, we’re well aware of that, we’re really excited to play there. It’s against a really high quality opposition and we’re building. We know we need to be better than we were last week but we’ve prepared well and looking forward to it.”

NEW ZEALAND: Damian McKenzie; Will Jordan, Quinn Tupaea, Jordie Barrett; Josh Moorby; Ruben Love, Cam Roigard; Ethan de Groot, Codie Taylor, Tyrel Lomax, Josh Lord, Patrick Tuipulotu, Tupou Vaa’i, Luke Jacobson, Ardie Savea (Capt).

Replacements: Asafo Aumua, Xavier Numia, Fletcher Newell, Anton Segner, Peter Lakai, Cortez Ratima, Anton Lienert-Brown, Caleb Clarke.

At the outset of this end-of-season tour, the greater likelihood would have been that Jamie Osborne would have started on the left-wing. He has been Andy Farrell’s go-to man in the absence of Hugo Keenan last season as well as starting at left-wing against Australia and finishing there in the win over Japan.

But Farrell admitted that O’Brien has simply forced his way into the team.

“I think you guys have reported it as well, he’s been in great form. He’s gone from stop-start really for Leinster over the course of a season and not really nailing down any type of genuine spot, whether it be full-back or wing or centre or whatever.

“But for us, over the last three or four weeks, it’s been obvious that he’s been really on top of his game and he’s been in great form. Obviously, there’s pressure within itself playing for your country and he deals with those pressures superbly well.”

The only other change from the side that beat the Wallabies in Sydney last Saturday week sees Tadhg Beirne promoted from the bench, while shifted from the secondrow against Japan, in starting at blindside, with Cian Prendergast missing out as Sean Jansen is promoted to the bench.

Farrell and his assistants would have had an open mind about the 27-year-old New Zealand-born, Irish-qualified Connacht number eight. But it was clear from Paul O’Connell’s comments in the first week of the tour that they were of a mind to play Jansen as an impact replacement, and after his man of the match debut against Japan, that became even more likely.

“I obviously said after the [Japan] game that he’s a fantastic example of how to nail your debut,” said Farrell. “Basically he’s just been himself and he doesn’t let the game or the thought of a first cap or anything like that get in the way of producing what he knows he’s all about. And you just know he’s going to be able to do that again on Saturday.”

Ireland’s lineout is a problem, which might explain the team to face New Zealand

Jansen didn’t get many opportunities in North Otago before seeking pastures new in first Leicester and then Connacht, and the Irish head coach has been impressed by the manner he has adapted to his call-up.

“Well, he shows his character, doesn’t he? I’ve heard how he’s gone about his business backing himself to go overseas, first at Leicester and then on to Connacht. He’s been unbelievably consistent, and not just consistent, but some top performances, certainly for Connacht this year.

“He’s backed that up at Test level, so I don’t think he’ll be overawed by what’s in front of him at all. He’ll just be himself.”

What’s in front of O’Brien, Jansen et al is the All Blacks defending a 32-year, 52-game unbeaten run at Eden Park.

“Yeah, it’s fantastic,” said Farrell. “I feel we’re the fortunate ones, we’re the lucky ones in the sense that we get the opportunity to go to Eden Park. We had that fortune in ’22, the first game up, and obviously we couldn’t get that over the line. So, we’re pretty lucky to be back there and have another shot at it.”

As for these remodelled All Blacks, coming into their third game under a new head coach, Dave Rennie, and a new playmaker in Ruben Love, Farrell said: “Yeah, I’ve been super impressed. I’ve obviously followed Dave’s career, a very impressive one at that, and understand fully how his sides like to play.

Reporting on the Ireland rugby team is a glimpse into a world of luxury

“We’ve seen that with the Chiefs, and certainly saw it in Glasgow, the effect that he had, and obviously being successful in Japan just shows. And I also thought he did a fantastic job in Australia as well.

“So, I think the style of rugby suits the DNA of how New Zealand as a rugby-playing nation want to play and he’s brought a bit of steel back to them as well. So, it certainly makes them very dangerous on Saturday.”

“No, no, no,” stressed Furlong at Ireland’s hotel base in Auckland. He is in the build-up phase to his 14th meeting with the All Blacks at their Eden Park fortress on Saturday (kick-off 7.10pm local time/8.10am Irish time).

“Look, you grow up and obviously some of the teams they had, some of the players they had, would have been like poster boys for rugby, no matter where you are – worldwide, really.

“I think everyone loved the haka. Well, I certainly did growing up in Wexford, and Wexford’s a long way away from New Zealand. It just shows the influence of New Zealand rugby or the All Blacks jersey, that it had not just on rugby fans in New Zealand, but worldwide.”

The haka is more than just a famous pre-match pageant too.

“It’s also culturally important to New Zealand,” he adds. “It’s part of rugby history, rugby culture. As much as it means to New Zealand, it’s also cool to face it.”

Remarkably, Furlong has a 50-50 win-loss record too, with five wins and five defeats in an Irish shirt along with one win, one draw and one loss with the Lions in 2017. But that first breakthrough win in November 2016 remains the highlight.

“Chicago was special, really. As a young fella, breaking through. It was my second start for Ireland. It was a bit of a surreal day. It wasn’t just that we beat New Zealand for the first time; it was more the occasion, stadium, fans, euphoria of it all. It was class to be a part of.”

One of his boyhood heroes was the brilliant All Blacks tighthead Carl Hayman, who is now living with dementia.

“I loved Carl Hayman. I’ve seen some stuff recently about him. It’s sad to see. I wish him all the best, not that he needs my wishes. But even talking to some of the older props that would have scrummaged against him, they would have said how good he was. He took you on in a straight battle. And then Tony Woodcock. That was my vintage growing up and watching New Zealand. Neemia Tialata. Remember him? Big tighthead.”

There was an 111-year, 30-Test wait for that first ever win over the All Blacks in Chicago. It has since been trumped with two wins on New Zealand soil in Dunedin and Christchurch. Now comes the task of ending the All Blacks’ 52-match, 32-year unbeaten run at Eden Park.

“It’s crazy, isn’t it?” said Furlong. “It’s an unbelievable record. It’s one of those last standing, huge records in the world of sport, not just rugby. I can only imagine if we had that record at home, what it would be like playing there. It’s deadly.”

Added focus has been placed on the Irish scrum of late and Furlong admits there have been issues on this tour.

“It was a bit messy in the first game to be fair, on our part. There’s certain stuff that we talked about going into the game that we didn’t necessarily deliver in-game. So that’s disappointing but it’s part of the process coming together and trying to get it right.

“After the South Africa game, it (scrum-related pressure) was particularly dark. I wouldn’t say it’s anywhere near that level, but we’re working hard. We’re working hard to get it right.”

There are other reasons for believing that Ireland’s best overall performance of this tour will be in this finale. While Furlong and much of the Leinster cohort were relatively match-hardened, players from the other provinces had at least four blank weekends before departure and it had been three months since the last Irish camp.

“It’s a campaign where we came in and we had a lot of making up [ground] to do,” Furlong reminds us. “We were missing some experienced players in the squad, which is fair enough, and it’s great to get some promising young fellas through, even in front row and stuff like that.

“There’s probably a block of players that hadn’t played much rugby in a good while. I’d like to think we’re building nicely in terms of cohesiveness, in terms of sharpness, in terms of just rugby-playing ability on attack and defence because it’s week four now of proper team training where maybe there’s a gang of lads that hadn’t played in three, four weeks.

“So, I suppose Saturday will tell, but it feels like the cohesiveness in the group is building.”

A busy performer on television and film, she became, in 1990, the first Irish woman to win an acting Oscar when she took the best supporting actress prize for Jim Sheridan’s My Left Foot.

By that stage she was already a familiar presence on television thanks to her role as Megan Roach on the BBC medical soap Casualty. Other key film roles included those in Omagh, A Man of No Importance and Sheridan’s The Field.

Fricker was an unmistakable Dubliner. Her mother, Bina, from Kerry, was a teacher of languages at Stratford College in Rathgar. Her father, Desmond Fricker, worked in the Department of Agriculture and as a journalist for The Irish Times.

Fricker also spent time training as a journalist with this newspaper before landing a role at the Gate Theatre, then still run by Micheál MacLiammóir. Her first film role was in a version of W Somerset Maugham’s Of Human Bondage in 1964. Television work followed on Coronation Street and Tolka Row, Ireland’s first soap opera.

Brenda Fricker: ‘It was real violence, and I needed protection. Where was my father? There was blood all over me’

That win for playing Christy Brown’s mother in My Left Foot was a famous moment for Ireland. She quickly landed a series of roles in the US. Fricker also performed at the Royal National Theatre in London and at the Royal Court Theatre.

Fricker was married to Barry Davis from 1979 until 1988. She was pregnant six times, but, sadly, miscarried on each occasion. “The man was amazing. Truly amazing,” she said of her ex-husband.

Over recent years, in her memoir She Died Young: A Life in Fragments, she revealed a sad early history of sexual abuse.

Fricker, who received praise for her performance in Tadhg O’Sullivan’s experimental film The Swallow last year, died as a genuinely beloved figure. “As an actor you’re not an artist, but you’re surrounded by arty people. That makes it a good place to be,” she told The Irish Times in 2025. “I still just think of it as playing games.”

That wasn’t the question that former Leinster, Ireland and Lions fullback Rob Kearney was asked but he effectively addressed it while giving a comprehensive response to a mundane inquiry as to whether he liked the composition of the backline for Saturday’s Test against New Zealand in Eden Park.

He paused, replying “it’s the best we have” before going into a deeper dive on the personnel. “I think Jamison [Gibson-Park] is by far Ireland’s most important player. That’s not new. Sam [Prendergast] has had a really good finish to the season, but we all know there are areas, flaws of his game, that he desperately needs to continue to work on.

“You just hope they’re not exposed too much in the big games. The centre partnership. Stu’s [McCloskey] had a wonderful season, the best of his career. I’d like to see Garry [Ringrose] get on the ball a little bit more. Not that he’s turning into a crash-ball centre, but he’s taken a fair bit of ball into traffic.

“That’s not necessarily his fault. He’s not getting the opportunities to have a gallop in open space. I think that’s something I’d like to see a little bit more. And then the back three. Hugo’s [Keenan] Hugo. You’re always going to get exceptional performances from him.

“It’s good to see Rob Baloucoune back. He’s the one true bit of X-factor in the back line. It’s important to have a player in your backline who can change a game. We see how important it is to the likes of France, South Africa, New Zealand. They have those players in abundance, and they can be match winners. It’s important he’s back on the field.”

Ireland head coach Andy Farrell preferred Jimmy O’Brien to Jamie Osborne for the number 11 jersey that Jacob Stockdale wore against Japan. Osborne started the game at fullback and switched to the left wing. O’Brien played the 80 minutes on the right wing.

Kearney said: “Jamie probably didn’t have his best game against Australia [on the left wing]. It’s hard for him playing a new position defensively. The wing is a difficult defensive position to play, particularly under Andy’s system and how he likes to play. I’m not sure where his [Osborne’s] favourite position is; I’m not [even] sure where his best position is.

“But you would hope he will get consistent opportunities to play in one position because it’s very, very difficult to try to be an international-level [player] at three positions. Overall, I think [the backline selected] is the best [available] we have. I know they can do damage to the opposition. You’d probably just like to see them get a few more opportunities to show what they can do.”

Ireland’s defence, which excelled against Japan for the most part, is going to have to level up on Saturday. New Zealand look to shift the ball immediately from quick ruck possession and don’t wait around for scrumhalf Cam Roigard to do so. There is no getting into shape first. The All Blacks have a run-and-gun philosophy.

France have a similar philosophy. There have been times when Ireland have struggled against teams that adopt the fast approach. So how do you negate it? Kearney said: “Honestly, it all starts at the breakdown.

“The breakdown is the heartbeat of the rugby game, both sides of the ball. If you get a quick ball, it means you can play on top of the opposition and they’re under pressure to get set, to get their spacing. It starts with the tackle.

“We’ve got to slow the New Zealand ball down. If it means two guys on the tackle trying to hold them up. It’s difficult against the French because they’re so good at winning collisions. Same with South Africa. They don’t rely as much on that real quick tempo to play on top of [teams] because they know they can create a quick ruck speed whenever they want.

“It all starts with defence, wrestling with the New Zealand guys. You’re trying to choke tackle. Slower ruck ball can have a big impact on defensive line speed and your ability to make good decisions thereafter.”

And what of nullifying or mitigating Roigard’s influence? “It goes back to the ruck and the tackle. If you can slow the ball, he has less options and less time. He’s a triple threat. He’s got a great kicking game. He can take the line on. He’s strong, fast with good footwork. He has it all. I’m sure Ireland will have some sort of plan in place.”

That last sentiment will apply to the attacking side of things too.

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For both men and the rest of the Irish present in Eden Park, Auckland, when they face the All Blacks on Saturday (kick-off 7.10pm local time/8.10am Irish) a reprise of that as the lasting image of the match would do nicely.

Prendergast will be winning his 17th cap in this game. It’s still worth remembering that not only is he still 23, but that Sexton was 24 when he made his Ireland debut.

The young Irish outhalf has been through quite a rollercoaster in that time. His resurgence from a trying period in his fledgling career, when losing his place in the Irish 23 for the final three rounds of the Six Nations and Leinster’s match day squad for the Champions Cup final, is testimony to his temperament as well as talent.

He regained his place as Leinster’s starting outhalf in their three URC knock-out wins over the Lions, Stormers and the Bulls – when man of the match in the final – and he carried that form into Ireland’s win over Australia.

“Sam’s unbelievable, how mentally strong he is off the back of a lot of attention and criticism,” ventured the Irish captain Dan Sheehan as Prendergast was practising his kicking after their prematch run-out in Eden Park.

“His preparation every week, he leads meetings, he chirps up for a young ten, he runs training sessions, he barks at people, reminds me of someone else in a lot of ways, and we all have Sam’s back 100 per cent, and Sam has his own back I think, which is the main thing. So, Sam will be perfectly fine.”

Naturally enough, Eden Park looked resplendent and not remotely intimidating as the players’ banter echoed around the empty stadium, when one of them could be heard describing the surface as “beautiful”.

“There’s no excuses there, and something that hopefully will bring a good style to rugby,” said Sheehan.

“It’s been very greasy with the dew and stuff but that’s just winter rugby. That’s something we can’t control and it’s probably something we’ve mentioned every single training session is to make sure we look after the ball.

“At this time of year, it gets greasy even on a good day so that’s just part of it.”

Of course, the mecca of New Zealand will seem like a different world come kick-off time when they set about defending their 52-game, 32-year unbeaten run here.

Being the team to end that run is also the biggest one-off prize of the end of the season at the campaign’s end.

“I think everyone’s excited,” said Sheehan. “It’s been in the calendar for a while, so yeah, it’s a great occasion and a great opportunity for us to finish the season off on a high.”

Yet the Irish captain also said the All Blacks’ amazing run at this ground was not something the players had actually spoken about this week, and when asked why they were not focusing on the record Sheehan explained: “I suppose we’re very performance driven. We don’t need a whole lot of motivating factors. We think that the Irish jersey does it for us and we’re very proud to represent our people at home and the group that we have here.

“That’s the sort of emotion we’ve gone after this week. That’s probably similar to how we’ve done it in campaigns past. I think we’ve focused on making sure that we do the people proud back home and all the support we’ll have tomorrow.

“That’s just the way we’ve shaped the week, shaped the last campaign, is to make sure that we’re representing the people back home.”

Being part of the first Irish side to win on New Zealand soil when they won the second Test in Dunedin four years ago en route to winning the series is the highlight of Sheehan’s career against the All Blacks

We’ll be looking to recreate that. We have a new group here, a lot of lads weren’t on that tour, so we’ve got to sort of make our own history in that way.”

As the final game of the season, Sheehan agreed that this does have the feel of a final to it.

“Yeah, I suppose it’s win or lose. Last game of the season, you can leave it all out there and you don’t have to worry about bumps and bruises for the next week, so we’ll come out firing and hopefully leave the bodies of the fish.”

So often touring sides can become mentally distracted by the thought of a game being seasonal finale, with holidays already booked, albeit the scale of this task should focus Irish minds.

“If we have one toe on the plane, I think we’ll be in trouble tomorrow,” said Sheehan. “It’s set up so perfectly for us. We’ve been frustrated with maybe some of our performances this year, and to have this opportunity to make sure that our last game you can go out on a high, hopefully, and come out with a good performance, I think lads are edging to go. I don’t think anyone wants to go on their holidays until Saturday night. Yeah, I think everyone’s buzzed.”

What did he make of England’s loss to Argentina?

Why does he think the bloated half-time show featuring Shakira and Justin Bieber, planned for Sunday’s final, highlights just how much Fifa is enthralled to the US; and who will lift the World Cup when the final whistle blows on Sunday, Argentina or Spain?

Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey.

Lynch (16) died in January after being struck by a scrambler bike at a pedestrian crossing in Finglas.

Keith Lee (18), of Park View Drive, Poppintree Park, Dublin 11, appeared before Blanchardstown District Court on Friday.

He was previously charged with dangerous driving causing the death of another person.

He has been further charged with four counts of dangerous driving – relating to the area in which Grace Lynch was killed – one count of having no insurance and one count of having no driving licence.

Garda Thomas McDaniel, of Finglas Garda station, told the court that Lee was charged with the additional offences at 10.40am in Blanchardstown courthouse and made no reply.

Lee, who appeared in court dressed in a black Boss hoodie and black trousers, was not represented due to ongoing issues related to a strike by some solicitors over legal aid reforms.

Judge David McHugh asked the accused if he had any questions for the court. Lee said he did not.

The judge said the case would return to court on September 29th at 12.30pm for the service of the book of evidence. He extended Lee’s bail until that date.

The court heard Lee would face trial and indictment for the original charge, dangerous driving causing death.

In January, Blanchardstown District Court heard Lee was caught “red-handed” and was arrested at the scene of the crash.

McDaniel said Lee admitted to being the driver of the vehicle in question and that the incident was captured by CCTV.

The court heard the footage suggested that the bike was being driven at a speed of least 85km/h in a 50km/h zone.

Grace Lynch was crossing the road when she was knocked down. She was treated at the scene, but died later in hospital.

About 40 former employees now working at OpenAI have been sent letters directing them to preserve documents and communications and demanding meetings with Apple’s lawyers, according to multiple people familiar with the matter.

Apple and OpenAI declined to comment.

The decision to hit employees with personal legal letters highlights Apple’s aggressive tactics after it last week launched a blockbuster lawsuit accusing OpenAI and two employees of stealing secret hardware plans.

The clash comes as the ChatGPT maker is working with the smartphone giant’s ex-chief designer to develop its own devices.

Apple claimed in its court filings that the evidence it had included was the “tip of the iceberg” regarding the alleged conduct by OpenAI. The artificial intelligence (AI) lab has said that while it takes the allegations seriously, it is not aware of “any evidence that the complaint has merit”.

OpenAI said it had “no interest” in other companies’ trade secrets.

The lawsuit marked a spectacular breakdown in the relationship between two of the biggest names in Silicon Valley, creating a major legal problem for the start-up as it prepares for its highly anticipated initial public offering (IPO).

Apple sues OpenAI and two former employees for alleged theft of trade secrets

Apple’s lawsuit claims that OpenAI’s entire hardware business is compromised by misappropriated trade secrets, creating legal complications for its plans to launch its own family of AI devices.

The two companies have previously worked together to integrate OpenAI’s technology into its voice assistant Siri. But Apple has since partnered with Google on its latest features, using its models as the foundation for its ChatGPT-like voice and text assistant unveiled in June.

The lawsuit filed last Friday names only two individuals, including a top Apple device designer, now OpenAI’s head of hardware. It does not name OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman or Jony Ive, former design chief at Apple, who joined the company last year when the ChatGPT maker bought his design studio IO Products for $6.4 billion (€5.6 billion).

But in a sign of just how broad and combative the legal fight could become, shortly after filing the lawsuit Apple’s lawyers sent a barrage of individual letters to about 10 per cent of the 400 former employees who now work at OpenAI, the people said.

OpenAI’s first device is expected to be a portable, palm-sized gadget for the home, similar to a smart speaker. The design does not include a screen but will incorporate a microphone and cameras that allow it to take audio and visual cues from the environment.

The device will support an AI assistant that can draw on a user’s personal data and daily interactions, according to people familiar with the company’s plans. Even before the Apple lawsuit was filed, OpenAI did not expect to start shipping the device this year.

OpenAI had wrestled with challenges around the personality of the assistant that balances its helpfulness with potential obtrusiveness, it was reported last year. It has also grappled with privacy concerns and the difficulty of finding chips powerful enough to run OpenAI’s models on a mass-consumer device. – Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2026

The night’s most prestigious accolade, catering company of the year, was awarded to Compass Group Ireland.

The event received more than 150 entries from across the country, spanning an expanded range of categories that included university dining halls, healthcare foodservice teams and public sector caterers. Backed by industry-leading sponsors, including BWG FoodService, Excel Recruitment, Henderson Foodservice, Truehawk Media and WB Yeats Water. The awards highlighted crucial behind-the-scenes roles, including kitchen porter of the year and area manager of the year.

“The calibre of entries in this second year was nothing short of incredible,” said Trish Murphy, head of sales and sponsorship at Ashville Media. “We launched these awards to recognise the outstanding work being done across Ireland’s catering industry and the response has been overwhelming. These winners are setting a new benchmark for quality, creativity and service.”

An offshoot of the long-established Gold Medal Awards, which have celebrated Irish hospitality for more than 30 years, this dedicated event gives the catering sector its own tailored platform.

Gold Medal Catering Awards Winners 2026

Catering company of the year

Gold: Compass Group Ireland

The night’s most prestigious accolade, Catering Company of the Year, was awarded to Compass Group Ireland. This esteemed category recognises the most outstanding catering company in Ireland, with judges seeking an organisation that consistently goes above and beyond in creativity, quality and service.

Barista of the year

Gold: Klaudia Wlodarczak – ISS at HPE Galway

Business & industry contract caterer of the year – 1-250 employees on site

Gold: Aramark Ireland – The Junction

Silver: KC Peaches at Cartrawler

Business & industry contract caterer of the year – over 250 employees on site (sponsored by Excel Recruitment)

Gold: BaxterStorey Ireland – Alexion

Silver: CCSL – Embecta

Bronze: Aramark Ireland – State Street

Catering assistant of the year

Gold: Clodagh Murray – The Mulligan Room Macroom Golf Club

Silver: Lucas Manzoni – Fresh & Yummy Gourmet Catering

Catering manager of the year

Gold: Maggie Finnegan – Nua Healthcare Services Gormanstown

Silver: John O’Brien – Compass Group Ireland – Citibank

Bronze: Paul Dunlea – Elm Park Golf & Sports Club CLG

Chef manager of the year

Gold: Avril Nestor – CCSL – Valeo Vision Systems, Galway

Silver: Anton Roseler – Malahide Golf Club

Club or society catering of the year

Gold: Royal Irish Yacht Club

Silver: Malahide Golf Club

Bronze: Enniscrone Golf Club

Foodservice chef of the year (sponsored by BWG FoodService)

Gold: Rory Nolan – FoodSpace – Abbott Kilkenny

Silver: Philip Brennan – The Q Cafe Company

Healthcare caterer of the year (sponsored by Henderson Foodservice)

Gold: Emeis Ireland – Beneavin House

Silver: BaxterStorey Ireland – Blackrock Clinic

Bronze: The National Maternity Hospital

Ireland’s event caterer – 100 guests or less

Gold: Lily & Wild Catering

Silver: Peter Campbell Catering

Bronze: Sweet Cicely

Ireland’s event caterer – 100 guests or more (sponsored by Hotel & Catering Review)

Gold: Master Chefs at Dexcom Stadium

Silver: Slattery Catering at Castlewarden Golf Club

Marketing manager/team of the year

Gold: Sean Hyland – 3Cooks

Menu provenance of the year

Gold: Sodexo – The Good Eating Company – Diageo Ireland

Silver: KC Peaches at Cartrawler

Bronze: BaxterStorey Ireland – Blackrock Clinic

Off-site educational contract caterer of the year

Gold: Ashdale Catering

Outstanding customer service of the year (sponsored by WB Yeats Water)

Gold: FoodSpace – Bristol Myers Squibb

Silver: Hot School Meals (Bradbury & Connolly)

Bronze: Aramark Ireland – AIB Molesworth Street

Public sector foodservice of the year

Gold: ISS at Uiscé Eireann

Rising star (sponsored by Excel Recruitment)

Gold: Fernando Carmeluti – Compass Group Ireland – RCSI

Special recognition

Gold: Breda Quigley – The Q Cafe Company

Wedding event caterer of the year

Gold: Orla McAndrew Food

Area manager of the year

Gold: Patricia Heavey - BaxterStorey Ireland

Health & nutrition menu of the year

Gold: Compass Group Ireland - Glanmore Foods

Silver: The Q Cafe Company - QWellness

Bronze: Sodexo - The Good Eating Company - Diageo Ireland

Kitchen porter of the year

Gold: John Ward - CCSL - Valeo Vision Systems, Galway

On-Site educational contract caterer of the year

Gold: Compass Group Ireland - RCSI

Silver: BaxterStorey Ireland - St. Columba’s College

Professional development & training initiatives of the year

Gold: John Reilly - Compass Group Ireland & National Learning Network Partnership

Sustainability site of the year

Gold: Aramark Ireland - SAP

Silver: ISS at Vhi Kilkenny

Bronze: Master Chefs at Ellan Farm

For more extensive coverage of the 2026 Gold Medal Catering Awards please see goldmedal.ie/2026-catering-winners/

• The Government’s report into Aughinish Alumina is expected to say that material produced there may or may not have been used in Russia’s war machine, citing a lack of evidence either way. Half of the alumina produced in the plant in the first quarter of this year went to Russia, up from 43 per cent last year. Will the Limerick plant’s days be numbered eventually?

• The calls to ban e-scooters grew louder this week with Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly saying society would be “better off” without them. On Tuesday Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he is “leaning towards” a total ban on e-scooters as the Dáil discussed the issue following incidents resulting in deaths and serious injuries.

• The high cost of deportation flights was laid out in figures supplied by the Department of Justice to the Public Accounts Committee. They showed that the State paid more than €1 million for a single deportation flight when returning 42 adults and children from Ireland to South Africa in June.

• Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan shows no sign of backing down in the row over legal aid solicitor fees. Now more than 100 solicitors have made it known that they intend to resign from the criminal legal aid panel, with solicitors continuing to refuse to provide advice to suspects detained for questioning in Garda stations.

• And it is goodbye to Keir Starmer as the UK prime minister defended his record and offered his support to Andy Burnham who succeeds him as Labour party leader.

Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:

• The Orange Order parade in Donegal, making books look worn, etiquette rules for hot weather and RTÉ’s Áine Lawlor signs off.

The highest temperatures will be in the south, east and southeast. Cork is likely to see another scorching day of high temperatures of 28 degrees.

Moore Park in Cork has now had 12 consecutive days of heatwave closing in on the all-time record of 14 consecutive days which was recorded at Birr Castle between August 14th and 27th in 1976.

A status yellow high temperature warning from Met Éireann is in place on Friday for Carlow, Kilkenny, Laois, Offaly, Wexford, Cork, Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford with maximum temperature expected of 27 degrees.

The warning is valid from midday on Friday to 8pm.

Friday looks like being the last day of the very high temperatures, but the weather will remain warm and dry into the weekend.

There will be an east-west split across the country with a northerly breeze keeping temperatures at between 17 and 24 degrees. The coolest temperatures on Saturday will be in Donegal with just 16 degrees expected.

The pattern will remain for the foreseeable future with warm temperatures in the south and east while the north and west will be cooler, but still pleasant with highs of 21 degrees.

The best of the sunshine will be over Munster and Leinster with highest temperatures of 21 to 25 degrees.

Irish cities need heatwave plans, coalition of health experts says

Sunday will be dry with sunny spells and northerly breezes. Again, it will be warmest over Leinster and Munster with the best of the sunshine and highs of 21 to 25 degrees.

Monday to Thursday will continue largely dry with temperature values similar to the weekend as northerly breezes make it feel slightly cooler.

There is no rain forecast for the next 10 days and many places in the south of the country are now officially in drought.

The former mayor of Greater Manchester won the overwhelming support of MPs, trade unions and party branches, making him the only choice to take over from Keir Starmer.

At a special party conference at Trade Union Congress headquarters in London on Friday, Burnham was declared leader by Shabana Mahmood, the front-runner to be his chancellor, who is also chair of the party’s ruling executive.

Addressing a room of senior Labour politicians and supporters, Burnham said the country was “crying out for a new politics”. But he also warned that it was Labour’s “last chance to change” and the party must do so together, as a united movement.

“This is a proud moment you have given me and my family, and an emotional one,” he said. “It is one for which I am ready – ready to lead and to build on the foundation laid by one person more than any other. Under Keir Starmer’s leadership we went from our worst defeat to one of the best victories in history.”

He said Labour was now united, “and we put the power that comes from that unity at the service of people and places who have been waiting too long for politics to bring them hope again”.

Despite praising Starmer, Burnham sought to draw a line under the past by asking whether Labour has “been good enough”, and pledging to “do better”.

“First, I will work relentlessly to build a culture of one Labour team, because change starts with us,” he said. “We won’t beat Britain’s new right if we are consumed by infighting and pulling in different directions. That is an indulgence.”

Although he has not yet set out detailed policies, Burnham said the broad areas where he wanted to focus were handing power to communities, being a pro-business leader, and building more social and council housing.

Burnham is expected to take over as prime minister on Monday after Starmer goes to Buckingham Palace to start the handover process.

Burnham will then give a speech outside Downing Street and appoint his cabinet in the afternoon, although he claimed on Friday not to have decided who will be in his top team yet.

The new leader said he would set out a distinctive direction for Labour, while seeking to work with other parties. He rejected the idea of “wearing too many Tory clothes” or seeking to out-Reform Reform, or out-green the Greens.

“I want people to understand the thinking behind the political direction I set,” he said, as he made the case that too much power was centralised in Westminster or handed to private companies.

Addressing criticism that he has been too focused on the north, given his mayoral role, Burnham said he would be a leader for the north, south, east, west, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

“This is a moment to speak for all parts of the country and unite people in a common cause,” he said. “I love every part of the country, all of the accents and different traditions and some of the football clubs. But I also feel they can be more than they are.”

He promised to “take power back from Westminster and Whitehall and give it back to the place where you live”.

He also paid tribute to some of his heroes in the Labour Party, thanking David Blunkett and Neil Kinnock for supporting his career and inspiring his political path. – Guardian

King of the casuals: What Andy Burnham’s dad-friendly labels say about his push for power

Mark Paul: Burnham's pledge to boost England's north has a familiar ring

Gavin Cooney watched the game at an establishment just outside Liverpool, and reports back, a little bewildered, from amid a surprisingly fervent pocket of pro-English support.

Kevin Kilbane joins us from Toronto to unpick Tuchel’s baffling tactics, how to heal his fractured relationship with Bellingham and what it takes to see out a slender lead late in the biggest games.

Only a handful of Fifa’s 211 member associations are still to send letters of support for Infantino, who is on course to be voted into a fourth term by a landslide at its congress in March. A small number of European countries are among the outliers, with Germany the highest-profile FA yet to provide official backing.

Candidates must be put forward by November 18th, before which time letters can also be withdrawn or transferred to a different contender. But Infantino is currently the only runner and some FAs feel they have, nonetheless, come under persistent pressure from within Fifa to confirm their allegiance. In theory that should not be permitted under Fifa’s ethics code.

It would take a political earthquake to dislodge Infantino. Although there remains disquiet after Donald Trump admitted lobbying Fifa to review the USA striker Balogun’s red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina, the vast majority of it is festering among European FAs and adjacent bodies.

Infantino does not need to count on Europe’s support to land an overwhelming mandate and, in any case, most of the continent has confirmed its endorsement for his re-election.

The topic of a Europe-backed candidate to run against Infantino has gained legitimacy behind closed doors over the past 10 days but the prospect of multiple federations settling upon a name feels remote.

Uefa has made its opposition to Fifa clear on a number of recent issues, such as the Balogun incident and the barring of the Somali referee Omar Artan from the World Cup, but it is unclear whether the governing body’s leadership would feel moved to support formally a contender for the election. Some sources close to European football’s hierarchy feel a candidate who could amass 30 or 40 votes would at least be able to open a legitimate public debate about Fifa’s governance and direction of travel.

Fifa’s member associations will convene in New York on Saturday, although with Infantino helming the meeting the subject of recent scandals is unlikely to be an agenda item. The World Cup’s financial performance, and any subsequent benefits that could be passed on to the FAs, is more likely to be a topic of discussion.

Fifa was approached for comment. – Guardian

World Cup Wallchart

Age: 26

Club: Ardrahan

Debut: v Waterford, 2021

Has nailed down the jersey after a long battle with Éanna Murphy. A very laid-back character who doesn’t panic. Not fazed by pressure. Has made some great saves in this year’s championship, including the one from Shane Barrett’s shot late in the semi-final, when a goal then could have revived Cork.

2 Joshua Ryan

Age: 22

Club: Clarinbridge

Debut: v Antrim, 2025

A modern corner back: very quick, good on the ball and likes to attack. Lines out as a forward for his club but he’s the kind of player who could do a job anywhere on the field. Came back into the team for the Leinster final after an injury kept him out for a while. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he picked up Peter Casey.

3 Cillian Trayers

Age: 20

Club: Turloughmore

Debut: v Kilkenny, 2026

One of a handful of young Galway players who have had a breakthrough season. Reads the game really well and tough as nails. Could end up marking Shane O’Brien, but would be equally comfortable in the half-back line. Won a minor football All-Ireland four years ago.

4 Darren Morrissey

Age: 27

Club: Sarsfields

Debut: v Dublin, 2019

Having captained the Galway minors to an All-Ireland in 2017 he was made captain of the senior team for this season and seems to be revelling in a leadership role. Galway have a lot of flexibility in their defence and players seem to line up according to the best match-up. Aidan O’Connor might be the man for him.

5 Pádraic Mannion

Age: 33

Club: Ahascragh Fohenagh

Debut: v Dublin, 2015

A hugely experienced player, this will be his fourth All-Ireland final appearance. Exudes great calmness on the ball and a great distributor from wing back. Often looks for his brother Cathal with his passes. Mops up a lot of possession behind the half-back line. Could pick up Cathal O’Neill.

6 Daithí Burke

Age: 33

Club: Turloughmore

Debut: v Laois, 2014

A generational player for Galway and a massive leader. Everybody looks up to him. Nine times out of 10 he performs on the big day. Will often make a catch or a big play that gets the crowd going. Injured his knee in the Leinster final but managed to get through the Cork game. Has often marked Aaron Gillane over the years.

7 Ronan Glennon

Age: 27

Club: Mullagh

Debut: v Laois, 2022

Having a brilliant year and would have been my choice as man-of-the-match against Cork. The way Galway are set up they need outside shooters and Glennon has already landed eight points from wing back in this year’s championship. Could be the man to tag Gearóid Hegarty, and that might curb his attacking a little.

8 Tiernan Killeen

Age: 23

Club: Loughrea

Debut: v Westmeath, 2022

Made a big impression at centre forward on Loughrea’s run to the All-Ireland club final but has settled into the Galway team at centrefield. His work rate is through the roof and that counted for a lot in the semi-final against a centrefield pairing that didn’t look fit.

9 Gavin Lee

Age: 23

Club: Clarinbridge

Debut: v Wexford, 2022

Came out of the underage ranks with a big reputation and has started to deliver on that in a senior jersey. Played centre back last year, but centrefield is a better fit for his athleticism and his ability to take a score. Suffered with injuries earlier in the year but has really stepped up since he came back into the team. A player with huge potential.

10 Tom Monaghan

Age: 29

Club: Craughwell

Debut: v Dublin, 2017

Came off the bench in Galway’s first three championship games but has been incredible ever since and is probably Galway’s player of the year so far. Has scored 1-25 from play, which is the most of any Galway player. Galway’s running style of play really suits him.

11 Cathal Mannion

Age: 31

Club: Ahascragh-Fohenagh

Debut: v Laois, 2014

Playing in a deeper role this year, but well able to get up the field. One of the best ball strikers you will ever see and always seems to have an extra second or two on the ball. He got about 30 per cent of Galway’s scores last year, but this year they have a wide variety of scorers and they’re not depending on him in the same way.

12 Darragh Neary

Age: 21

Club: Castlegar

Debut: v Kilkenny, 2026

A big strong athletic player whose attributes are perfect for Galway’s running game. Has come up with big goals in each of Galway’s last two games, but he’ll also draw fouls and make defenders run towards their own goal. Late in the semi-final he burnt his man in front of the Cusack Stand, which will tell you how much he had left in the tank.

13 Conor Whelan

Age: 29

Club: Kinvara

Debut: v Cork, 2015

Alongside the Mannion brothers and Daithí Burke, he will be playing in his fourth final. Having a terrific season, third in Galway’s list of top scorers behind Aaron Niland and Tom Monaghan, but not under as much pressure to score as other years. Operating further out the field has given him more freedom too.

14 Jason Rabbitte

Age: 19

Club: Athenry

Debut: v Kilkenny, 2026

Tall and physical and loves the contact side of the game. Not getting as many frees as he should, which is always a problem for big men. Playing inside on his own is extremely difficult but he has made a great first of it for such a young player. Not just a ball winner but a finisher too. Really starting to fulfil his potential.

15 Aaron Niland

Age: 19

Club: Clarinbridge

Debut: v Kilkenny, 2026

Has the potential to be one of the great Galway forwards. Still has a bit of filling out to do but hugely skilful and quick, a terrific free taker and can get a goal out of nothing. Didn’t have one of his better days against Cork in the semi-final but you wouldn’t bet against him having a really good final.

Subs

In the twilight of his career Conor Cooney has been making a massive impact off the bench and the 1-1 he got the last day takes his total for the championship to 4-13. Cian Daniels, who is versatile and athletic, and John Fleming are others who can make a difference.

16. Eanna Murphy (Tommy Larkins)

17. Shane Morgan (Loughrea)

18. Fintan Burke (St Thomas’)

19. Cian Daniels (Tommy Larkins)

20. Cianan Fahy (Ardrahan)

21. Conor Cooney (St Thomas’)

22. John Fleming (Meelick Eyrecourt)

23. Seán Linnane (Turloughmore)

24. Cillian Whelan (Turloughmore)

25. Colm Molloy (Kilnadeema/Leitrim)

26. Brian Concannon (Killimordaly)

Management

Micheál Donoghue and his management team deserve huge credit for tearing up the script at the end of last year and coming back with a completely new game plan and a much different squad. He brought Galway to an All-Ireland final in the second year of his first stint as manager and to do it again in year two is a serious achievement.

Members of the unions involved, Siptu and Unite, voted almost unanimously to accept the package, which provides for pay increases of up to 23 per cent in some instances, in a ballot conducted in recent weeks.

Those largest percentage increases would go to paramedics with at least 10 years’ service, who would see their basic pay jump from €47,908 to €59,157.

The scale of wider increases varies considerably, starting at 5 per cent for entry-level specialist paramedics. However, a majority of the almost 2,000 staff who took industrial action, including a one-day strike in May, stand to receive significant increases to their basic pay.

The staff had argued that substantial increases were merited due to the substantial evolution of their roles, which now require far higher academic qualifications than had historically been the case.

Siptu ambulance sector organiser John McCamley said he welcomed the outcome of the union’s ballot, which produced a 98 per cent “yes” vote.

Two previous sets of proposals intended to resolve the dispute had been recommended by the two unions only to be rejected by their members.

“The result indicates that the Labour Court recommendation definitely addressed the issues at the heart of this dispute,” he said on Friday.

“These proposals will see our members receive the recognition and respect that they deserve by bringing them in line with other health professionals.”

Unite’s Eoin Drummey said the deal “finally recognises the upskilling, changes and workload undertaken by ambulance workers over the last 15 to 20 years”.

“It is a vindication of our members’ determination to seek pay justice and respect,” he said.

The dispute related to the implementation of a 2020 report on pay and other issues at the ambulance service.

Paramedics, advanced paramedics and emergency medical technicians wanted increased pay in recognition of what they said are substantially changed work practices and increased responsibilities related to the modernisation of the service over two decades.

Darragh O’Donovan and Dan Morrissey drop to the bench having both started in the Shannonsiders’ two-point win over the Banner a fortnight ago.

Galway manager Micheál Donoghue meanwhile has named an unchanged side from their emphatic semi-final victory over Cork.

Nicky English’s player-by-player guide to Limerick’s starting team for the All-Ireland final

Lynch had been named to start in their semi-final on July 5th, but was replaced by O’Donovan before throw-in after picking up a knock. The Patrickswell man came off the bench near the hour-mark and helped turn the game in Limerick’s favour, contributing to the move that led to Aidan O’Connor’s 71st-minute goal.

Lynch joins Adam English in the centre, with Casey slotting in between Sean Finn and Barry Nash in the Treaty full-back line, Nickie Quaid tending goal.

Diarmaid Byrnes, William O’Donoghue and Kyle Hayes make up the half-back line, as Gearoid Hegarty, Man of the Match the last day out, O’Connor and Cathal O’Neill line out in front of the full-forward line of Aaron Gillane, Shane O’Brien and Peter Casey.

Joe Canning’s player-by-player guide to Galway’s starting team for the All-Ireland final

Rory Burke misses out for Galway having picked up an injury early in their Leinster final win over Dublin last month.

Captain Darren Morrissey starts at corner back, Joshua Ryan and Cillian Trayers joining him in front of Darach Fahy’s goal, while Padraic Mannion, Daithí Burke and Ronan Glennon make up the half-back line.

Tiernan Killeen and Gavin Lee are the men in the middle, with Darragh Neary, who bagged a goal against Cork, is named at wing forward, Tom Monaghan and Cathal Mannion alongside him. Conor Whelan, Jason Rabbitte and Aaron Niland, who each contributed three points during the semi-final, continue in the full-forward line.

The All-Ireland senior hurling final takes place at Croke Park on Sunday, with throw-in at 3.30pm.

LIMERICK: Nickie Quaid; Sean Finn, Mike Casey, Barry Nash; Diarmaid Byrnes, William O’Donoghue, Kyle Hayes; Adam English, Cian Lynch (capt); Gearoid Hegarty, Aidan O’Connor, Cathal O’Neill; Aaron Gillane, Shane O’Brien, Peter Casey. Subs: Colin Ryan, Colin Coughlan, Fintan Fitzgerald, Matthew Fitzgerald, Hugh Flanagan, Ethan Hurley, Darragh Langan, Dan Morrissey, Tom Morrissey, Darragh O’Donovan, David Reidy.

GALWAY: Darach Fahy; Joshua Ryan, Cillian Trayers, Darren Morrissey (capt); Padraic Mannion, Daithí Burke, Ronan Glennon; Tiernan Killeen, Gavin Lee; Tom Monaghan, Cathal Mannion, Darragh Neary; Conor Whelan, Jason Rabbitte, Aaron Niland. Subs: Eanna Murphy, Shane Morgan, Fintan Burke, Cian Daniels, Cianan Fahy, Conor Cooney, John Flemin, Seán Linnane, Cillian Whelan, Colm Molloy, Brian Concannon.

Don’t forget to try The Daily Eight, our free daily mini crossword, and take The Irish Times app with you this summer for the best of our journalism wherever you are.

Have a lovely weekend!

Hundreds of local supporters, including young children, were forced on to the playing surface to avoid missiles thrown from Bulgarian fans in the Southend Park stand.

The match was delayed for 14 minutes after Ellis Chapman drew Derry level, 3-3 on aggregate, two minutes into the second half. Stewards diffused the situation without needing the PSNI, who had entered the stadium in riot gear.

Derry City have been charged with invasion of the field of play, throwing of objects, crowd disturbances and insufficient protection of the playing area against intruders.

CSKA have been charged with throwing objects, causing damage to the stadium, crowd disturbances, racist and/or discriminatory behaviour and “violating the basic rules of decent conduct (staff member)”.

“Urgent disciplinary proceedings have been instigated in accordance with article 55 of the Uefa disciplinary regulations following the Europa League first qualifying round match between Derry City and CSKA Sofia,” read a Uefa statement on Friday morning.

“As the proceedings could have an impact on supporter attendance at future matches, the Uefa disciplinary bodies will decide on the matter early next week.”

Derry eventually lost the tie 5-3 on aggregate, which means that Tiernan Lynch’s side have been demoted to the Conference League qualifiers where they will face Rijeka in Croatia next Thursday before the second leg is due to return to the Brandywell on July 30th.

A police officer was taken to the hospital after sustaining injuries when CSKA fans were escorted through Bishop Street, where Derry City fans were gathered outside the Oak Bar prior to kick-off.

“Disorder initially broke out between rival football supporters in the Bishop Street area at around 6.45pm and, unfortunately, one of our officers was injured and required hospital treatment,” said PSNI chief inspector Graeme Craig.

“We have also established a public order enquiry team to investigate tonight’s disturbances and we will be reviewing all available footage to identify and arrest those individuals involved.”

Lynch, the Derry manager, witnessed the violent scenes at close quarters as he was worried about the safety of his son.

“My own wee man was in the crowd,” said Lynch. “I wasn’t sure where he was. Like one of the fans, you were worried about the safety of your own kids.

“I saw someone falling over trying to get out of the way and bottles being thrown. It looked like it was going to get extremely nasty and great credit to the stewards ... I thought they handled it brilliantly.”

In a statement, Derry City “unequivocally” condemned “the violence witnessed” inside the Brandywell.

“The club is working closely with Uefa, the PSNI, CSKA Sofia and our security partners to establish the full facts surrounding the incidents,” the statement continued. “In the interests of ensuring a thorough investigation, Derry City FC will make no further comment until this process has been concluded.”

Under the Languages (Amendment) Act 2021, the Government has committed to improve the quality of essential services in Irish provided to the public by State bodies.

“It is a fundamental right of the Irish language community that statutory provisions protecting and promoting its language rights be implemented in accordance with deadlines specified in national legislation,” An Coimisinéir Teanga Séamas Ó Concheannain writes in his annual report for 2025.

He said key provisions of the Act had not been implemented and related deadlines had not been fulfilled, more than four years after the legislation was enacted.

Core components of the legislation not yet implemented include standards of language competence outlining the services that will be available in Irish throughout the public service.

Ó Concheannain, whose ombudsman role was established in 2004 to support Irish speakers’ rights, said “significant delays” in establishing competence standards meant the cornerstone of the national plan to improve Irish-language public services was still missing.

Basic functions such as registering for public services, applying for support, and making appointments in Irish across help desks, by telephone, web chat or online are affected, the report states.

Obligations to provide forms in Irish and to ensure computer systems can accurately record names and addresses in Irish, “are still outstanding”, Ó Concheannain said.

Campaigners warn Irish language action plan may fail to meet public service targets

In 2025, his office received 580 complaints from the public. Most (31 per cent) related to the provision of Irish language services, while others related to responses in English to written communication in Irish, and inaccuracy in processing names and postal addresses in Irish.

In 2024, State bodies spent €18.9 million on Irish-language advertising, a fifth of their overall spend, and of which €5.2m was spent solely with Irish-language media.

The requirement that State bodies spend a proportion of their advertising budgets on Irish-language media has proven to be “one of the most successful sections” of the languages act, Ó Concheannain writes.

The report states that the increased spend has strengthened the language rights of the Irish-speaking community and raised the visibility of Irish across both traditional and digital media.

Bohemians progressed to the second round of the Uefa Conference League qualifiers with a competent display against St Joseph’s in Gibraltar.

Alan Reynolds’ side will now face Ballkani from Kosovo over two legs on July 23rd and 30th.

A sleepy game played under a brutal Iberian sun turned violent in the 63rd minute as the Bohs bench rushed on to the artificial surface at the Europa Point stadium after Francis Ferrón manhandled Dawson Devoy.

The temperature had been rising. The melee resulted in Latvian referee Kristaps Ratnieks showing Devoy and St Joseph’s’ Marco Rosa yellow cards while Ferrón was issued a red.

The Bohs captain appeared to have taken revenge on Álvaro Cascajo for leaving his mark on Markuss Strods. Ratnieks was on the scene, yellow card in hand for Devoy, when Rosa retaliated with a shove that prompted Ferrón to lose the run of himself. The 36-year-old Spanish forward wrapped his hand around the Ireland international’s face and squeezed.

It prompted a pitch-invasion as the rudimentary European tie reached boiling point.

Ferrón’s dismissal brought a measure of calm to proceedings in a contest that Bohs should have put beyond reasonable doubt by the hour mark. Leading 2-0 from the first-leg at Dalymount Park, Jordan Flores and Connor Parsons spurned chances to make it 3-0 on aggregate.

It was not a complete cake walk though, as St Joseph’s came close to troubling Bohs’ American goalkeeper Paul Walters. Perhaps Cascajo and Ferrón were frustrated by their own inaccuracy in front of goal in the first-half.

There was a strong rendition of Johnny Logan’s Hold Me Now – the Bohs anthem – from hundreds of travelling fans, baking in the 32-degree heat, before Harry Vaughan and Colm Whelan both failed to find the target late on.

ST JOSEPH’S: Banda; Fobi, Badba, Lauture, Paul; Pirulo (Ray 68), Diedhiou (Forján 68), Juanma (De Haro 75); Rosa (Moreno 75), Cascajo (Coombes 60), Ferrón.

BOHEMIANS: Walters; Hickey, Todd, Mullen (Byrne 60), Flores (Diallo 84); Morahan, Devoy, Tierney (Vaughan 84); Parsons (Strods 60), James-Taylor (Whelan 60), Rooney.

Referee: K Ratnieks (Lativa).

While on the beach one day, Downes (50) said to his son Leon (now 14) that “pops used to be really fun when I was little; they aren’t any more” and an idea was born: to bring fun back to the ice-pop world.

He went home and began to boil syrups, squash fruit and mix milk until he perfected the Kahuna Pop.

“I sold my car,” he says. “Then I bought a little van and we did it up and we started doing farmers’ markets. The markets were great for giving a small business like us a start.”

Since then, Kahuna Pops has “taken off like a rocket”. “What was really just a lockdown project has turned into a full-time family business for us. We did the markets for two years and we kept getting so many people saying we’d love to see you in our shop.”

Kahuna Pops, which are handmade, are now sold in more than 50 outlets across Ireland, including seven Avoca stores. The business is in the process of building a new production facility in Walkinstown, Dublin 12, and, in the meantime, is managing exceptional heatwave-related sales.

“We’re all hands at the pump at the minute to keep up with the demand,” Downes says of the current hot spell. “I’m working from 7am in the morning until 11pm at night producing the ice pops and then two days a week distributing them. It’s a seven-day work week.”

This week has been his busiest period since Kahuna Pops began. “This week was double our busiest week last year. We’re purchasing as much ingredients as we can and turning them into pops as quick as we can, and then it starts all over again,” says Downes.

“We do a full delivery on Friday and by Monday people are ringing me saying that the freezers in their shops are empty. This week has been the hardest work I’ve ever put in but it’s very rewarding.”

Downes says Kahuna Pops, which sell for €4 each, use ingredients mostly sourced from local producers. He describes the business as a “family company”, with the next generation closely involved. “My son Leon, he’s 14, and he designs all the packaging. He helps pick the flavours too. It really is a partnership.”

The most popular Kahuna Pops are the Fruit Blaster and mint chocolate flavours. “It could be raining outside and people still want these ice creams,” says Downes, who does not seem to be melting under the pressure of greater demand. “We’re putting it up against the big boys and we’re doing great,” he says.

National Cathedral of Saint Patrick, Dublin THE SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY – 09.15 EUCHARIST – said in the Lady Chapel. 11.15 EUCHARIST - said in the Nave. Preacher: The Reverend P. I. Arbuthnot, M.A., M.Litt., B.Th. Prebendary of Castleknock. 15.15 EVENING PRAYER – said in the Lady Chapel. EVENING PRAYER at 17.30 - Monday to Friday. EUCHARIST at 11.05 on Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday. CHORAL EVENSONG at 17.30 on Saturday sung by the choir of Southwark Cathedral. For further information visit www.stpatrickscathedral.ie/worship.

METHODIST

About the Methodist Church: The Methodist Church in Ireland is a community of people drawn together by Gods love, who seek to live wholeheartedly as followers of Jesus for the transformation of the world. With 212 churches spread across the island of Ireland from North to South, and East to West. To find a church near you visithttps://irishmethodist.org

Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin The Methodist Church, Northumberland Avenue, Dún Laoghaire. Sunday Service 11am. Our services are available at www.dlmc.org

RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS

Quaker Meetings in Ireland Quakers in Ireland invite you to join us for Meeting for Worship at any of our Meeting Houses around the country. Visitors will be warmly welcomed and there will be an opportunity to ask any questions you might have. You will find a list of Meetings on our website: https://quakers-in-ireland.ie/map-of-quaker-meetings-worship-groups/

Age: 37

Club: Effin

Debut: v Cork, 2010

The outstanding goalkeeper of his generation. His saves were crucial in the Munster final. Sailed close to the wind in the semi-final and his presence and quarterback ability to direct traffic would have been badly missed. Man-of-the-match a couple of times, this could be his best season.

2 Seán Finn

Age: 30

Club: Bruff

Debut: v Clare, 2017

Tough run of injuries undermined his status as the best corner back in hurling but regaining his confidence and back near his best. Very powerful and reads the game extremely well. To compete, you need to be as forceful because otherwise he’ll completely disrupt you.

3. Mike Casey

Age: 30

Club: Na Piarsaigh

Debut: 2017 v Clare

An outstanding player. Looked out of favour in league when Dan Morrissey came back but brought in as a clear nod to Jason Rabbitte. Not the tallest but uses strength to disrupt under high ball. Did a crucial job off the bench on Clare’s Peter Duggan.

4 Barry Nash

Age: 29

Club: South Liberties

Debut: v Tipperary, 2016

Hurler of the Year material nearly every year. Has revolutionised corner-back play by playing as spare man or man-marking effectively as required. Converted forward, as obvious when he gets up the pitch and takes those scores off his left. Big, rangy player and an outstanding hurler.

5 Diarmuid Byrnes

Age: 32

Club: Patrickswell

Debut: v Tipperary, 2016

Back in prime form after last year’s dip when he looked fatigued. Moving really well, as could be seen from how he got back for a hook in the second half of the Munster final. Having a storming season and hitting vital scores from distance.

6 William O’Donoghue

Age: 31

Club: Na Piarsaigh

Debut: v Cork, 2018

His move to centre back has been very important in freeing Kyle Hayes to the wing – if at the expense of his presence at midfield. Sits back and holds the centre very effectively. Very good in the second half against Clare. Economical use of ball.

7 Kyle Hayes

Age: 28

Club: Kildimo-Pallaskenry

Debut: v Clare, 2017

Contributes more on the wing with the ball in front of him. Another coming back from serious injury. Clare tried to keep him out of the game by sending Cathal Malone to take him for a walk in the second half and directing puck-outs elsewhere.

8. Adam English

Age: 23

Club: Doon

Debut: 2023 v Clare

Hurls beautifully and has learned a lot, as noticeable in his cross-field ball to Aidan O’Connor for the semi-final goal. A year ago, he might have taken a shot. Able to score from distance off left and right, which is a likely factor in selection.

9 Cian Lynch

Age: 30

Club: Patrickswell

Debut: v Clare, 2015

One of the best players I have ever seen but the accumulation of injuries has dulled some of his sparkle and made him a bit nervy-looking in matches. He still came on against Clare and popped up with the vital ball for the decisive goal.

10 Gearóid Hegarty

Age: 31

Club: St Patrick’s

Debut: v Tipperary, 2016

He has been looking super-fit – even in a team with the highest fitness levels since the league. He must have run miles in the semi-final over and back and when Nickie Quaid needed a receiver, he went for him every time. Leading the Hurler of the Year rankings.

11 Aidan O’Connor

Age: 24

Club: Ballybrown

Debut: v Clare, 2024

Vital goal in the semi-final left him plenty to do, as he was being marked by David McInerney, one of the best defenders of the past 15 years. Took over the free-taking, which isn’t easy and has done well although not flawless. Very versatile.

12 Cathal O’Neill

Age: 24

Club: Crecora

Debut: v Cork, 2022

Having a good season even if not quite hitting the heights expected of someone who had to sacrifice his 20s career to go senior. Good ball winner with a big engine, quick and an excellent hurler. Decision making occasionally questionable but improving.

13 Aaron Gillane

Age: 29

Club: Patrickswell

Debut: v Clare, 2017

Working very hard and winning ball but the end product isn’t always happening. At an age when doubts can creep in and make a player nervy. No longer on the frees, which reduces the number of touches he gets, but he remains a great player.

14 Shane O’Brien

Age: 21

Club: Kilmallock

Debut: v Waterford, 2024

Doing a fair job in a system which requires two players to win and hold up ball. A young player, he is already an automatic pick. Can sometimes get caught in two minds when soloing, pulling the ball back to himself rather than letting it go.

15 Peter Casey

Age: 28

Club: Na Piarsaigh

Debut: v Clare, 2017

One of my favourite players, his injury issues have also been issues for Limerick. Classy hurler with a low centre of gravity, he is benefiting from being injury-free and makes his biggest contributions when most needed, like in the Munster final and also against Clare.

Subs

The medical team have played a big role in restoring a bench that has often been weakened by injury. It’s greatly experienced with the Morrisseys and Darragh O’Donovan, who have started and starred in All-Ireland finals. O’Donovan could be a critical introduction with his ability to scrap in the middle third.

16. Colin Ryan (Pallasgreen)

17. Colin Coughlan (Ballybrown)

18. Fintan Fitzgerald (Mungret)

19. Matthew Fitzgerald (Monaleen)

20. Hugh Flanagan (Garryspillane)

21. Ethan Hurley (Newcastle West)

22. Darragh Langan (Monaleen)

23. Dan Morrissey (Ahane)

24. Tom Morrissey (Ahane)

25. Darragh O’Donovan (Doon)

26. David Reidy (Dromin-Athlaca)

Management

John Kiely is beginning to move into Brian Cody territory after five All-Irelands and a possible sixth this weekend. Paul Kinnerk is as influential a coach as ever was in hurling and many players have paid tribute to performance coach Caroline Currid, who returned this year. As a collective, they leave nothing to chance.

His reputation declined rapidly after his death, however. Tastes shifted towards realism and psychological drama, and Boucicault’s elaborate plots, heightened emotions, florid dialogue and larger-than-life stage-Irish characters came to seem old-fashioned.

By the time WB Yeats and Lady Gregory founded the Abbey, Boucicault had become almost everything they wanted Irish drama to reject. His reputation never quite recovered.

Which makes Druid’s decision to stage The Shaughraun – the cast includes Eileen Walsh, Marie Mullen, Aaron Monaghan, Rory Nolan and Megan Cusack – all the more intriguing. Far from treating it as a historical curiosity, the company’s artistic director, Garry Hynes, argues that Boucicault lies at the root of modern Irish theatre.

By pairing the play with Eugene O’Neill’s Moon for the Misbegotten in the company’s new season, which it’s calling Strange Country: Ireland in America, Druid isn’t simply tackling the challenge of reviving a Victorian melodrama. It is inviting audiences to reconsider Boucicault: his legacy, his politics and the extent to which his work echoes through the plays that followed.

The central problem, Hynes says, is that you can’t treat The Shaughraun as modern psychological realism. Melodrama is a highly codified theatrical form, with its own rhythms, conventions and logic. Ignore those rules and the play falls apart.

“There’s this balancing act between obeying the roots of an old form and connecting with the audience who are actually seeing it. Because that’s all that matters.”

This is Hynes’s second encounter with The Shaughraun. She first directed it in 1982. “I returned to the play because I’ve always loved it. I did it then with the perspective and experience of a 30-year-old. Now I’m doing it with the perspective and experience of a 73-year-old. So all that experience is feeding into it.

“We’re also bringing everything theatre has learned since Boucicault back into the room. We believe he influenced much of what came after him, and we’re bringing that experience to the way we stage his work today.”

A question remained in Hynes’ mind: why now? The answer came when she began thinking of pairing it with A Moon for the Misbegotten.

Though radically different in style, the plays are part of the same conversation, she says. Boucicault wrote The Shaughraun for an Irish audience in the United States, addressing a diaspora displaced by the Famine. O’Neill, the son of Irish immigrants, who moved to the US as a child, wrote from within that diaspora.

“It suddenly seemed to me that maybe these plays could talk to each other,” Hynes says. “The melodramatic form began to die out towards the end of the 19th century. But you can still see elements of the melodramatic form in Moon for the Misbegotten”, which O’Neill wrote in the early 1940s. “There’s trace elements of the form.”

That dialogue extends into the productions’ visual language. Rather than creating two separate worlds, their designer, Francis O’Connor, has conceived a single set for both plays. Dominating the stage is a 19th-century Ordnance Survey map of Ireland, a potent image that links Boucicault’s west of Ireland with O’Neill’s United States.

“When we arrived at the map notion, it just felt right for both plays,” O’Connor says. “The Shaughraun unfolds on Ireland’s Atlantic edge, looking west towards America; A Moon for the Misbegotten is set on a lonely Connecticut farm; it’s meant to feel like the edge of the world.”

Hynes points out that the survey, celebrated as a triumph of cartography, was equally an instrument of colonial administration. By mapping Ireland in unprecedented detail, the British state could more effectively tax, govern and control it.

The conceit inevitably recalls Brian Friel’s play Translations, in which the same survey becomes a metaphor for cultural conquest through language and geography. Hynes sees an “underground kinship” between Friel’s masterpiece and The Shaughraun. Boucicault’s hero is forever losing his bearings, struggling to read the landscape around him, so the map looming over the stage takes on a surreal, even sorrowful dimension.

The map also provides a practical playground for Boucicault’s exuberant theatrical imagination. Built into its surface are concealed doors, levels and reveals that allow the company to realise prison escapes, clifftop chases and sudden disappearances without relying on big-budget machinery.

“Boucicault was such a showman,” O’Connor says. “All of that spectacle is in the writing.”

The challenge has been finding contemporary theatrical equivalents that capture the spirit of the original rather than reproducing its effects.

Designing the productions simultaneously has had another purpose. O’Connor hopes the shared visual environment will subtly, even subconsciously, shape the actors’ performances, allowing echoes to emerge between the two plays.

Druid has found this before, he says. When the company staged Riders to the Sea and Macbeth together, in 2025, each production informed the other, for the actors and the audience.

O’Connor says his designs are shaped by Druid’s commitment to sustainability. “We can create big shows with small footprints.”

The company routinely repurposes scenery and props from earlier productions. Sets are designed to travel and to be used again, with the effect of reinforcing the company’s distinct aesthetic. The moon that hangs over this season, for example, is the moon that appeared in Waiting for Godot. “It’s Druid’s moon,” O’Connor says.

The challenge in the rehearsal room is to obey the over-the-top script while finding the emotional reality to ground it. Rather than treating Boucicault as camp, or inviting the audience to laugh ironically at the play’s melodramatic conventions, the cast have approached the material with complete seriousness.

“There’s nothing funny about comedy,” Rory Nolan, who plays the villain Corry Kinchela, says. “You have to play it so real, so poker-faced, for it to actually land.”

Nolan admits his first instinct was to think of the great silent comedians who inherited Boucicault’s theatrical vocabulary. “You immediately think of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton,” he says.

Then he found himself drawing connections with other roles he has played, particularly after returning from performing Endgame in New York. He saw echoes of Beckett characters such as Pozzo in Corry Kinchela, but he soon realised that was taking him away from Boucicault.

“You have to keep going back to the text,” he says. “If you start putting a concept on it, or thinking: ‘Aren’t we very funny?’, then it becomes lacking. You’re not trusting what he’s written. You’re not trusting this great adventure play with all of these twists and turns and brilliant characters.

“You ask yourself why this guy is like this. Maybe it’s unrequited love. Maybe he just made a few wrong decisions.”

Nolan believes that, by searching for the character’s humanity, you can actually make the villain more unsettling. “The last thing I want is for people to think, ‘Here’s the funny fellah.’ I want them to think, ‘I wouldn’t like to be caught in a lift with him.’”

Aaron Monaghan, who plays Conn – the Shaughraun – has reached a similar conclusion. Modern audiences, he says, have been conditioned by film and television to distrust heightened emotion.

“It feels twee for the first 10 seconds,” he says. “But if you really lean into it – if you really mean it – you have an actual emotional response. I think the audience feels it too. You can’t be embarrassed about it.”

If Boucicault’s reputation has long been clouded by accusations of pandering to stage-Irish stereotypes, Monaghan believes that reading misses what the playwright is actually doing. He first encountered The Shaughraun as a young actor, playing another part in the Abbey Theatre’s 2004 revival, and has since been in two other of Boucicault’s plays.

“I inherited this idea of Boucicault as a straightforward crowd-pleaser,” he says. “Somewhere along the way I realised I’d vastly underestimated this writer. I think he’s kind of a genius.”

Part of that reassessment comes from looking more closely at Boucicault’s politics.

“The heroes of the piece are always the peasants,” Monaghan says. “They’re not the quintessential heroes standing there, arms akimbo, on a rock with the wind blowing in their hair.”

Instead it’s ordinary people who repeatedly outwit the establishment.

“They’re the smartest people on the stage. They’re always three steps ahead of everyone else.

“He’s much more politically alive than I gave him credit for,” Monaghan says. “He’s far from exacerbating the idea of the stereotypical Irishman. He’s turning it on its head.”

The more deeply he researched Boucicault, the more the actor became convinced that something different was happening under the surface of the play.

Playwright Conor McPherson: ‘You’re better off getting hammered than a three-star review’

Writing for audiences in London and New York, Boucicault had to work within familiar stereotypes while quietly undermining them. “He’s managing to keep them happy but giving them a different version of things,” Monaghan says.

In The Shaughraun, the informer, rather than the British soldier, receives the harshest treatment, while the priest is presented as a man of unwavering moral integrity.

Most strikingly, the rogues and vagabonds whom English and American audiences might have expected to dismiss as drunken layabouts become the play’s true heroes.

“Boucicault takes that image and kind of goes, ‘These are the heroes of the play,’” Monaghan says. “These are the people who can move between the cracks of things ... and undo the villain’s plot.”

Boucicault himself played the leading role, and Monaghan believes that actor’s instinct is embedded in every scene. “He knew how to hear a gag,” he says. “He knew the rhythms of an audience. He knew how to deliver lines.”

Like Shakespeare, Boucicault understood what worked in performance because he had stood on stage himself. “This text is written to be spoken by actors,” Monaghan says. “Once you realise that, it gives you a great sense of it.”

Rory Nolan sees Boucicault’s influence running through almost every big Irish playwright who followed.

“The breadth of work we’ve done, from Beckett to Synge to O’Casey, he’s in all of them,” the actor says. “Whether they wanted him to be or not, they were all keenly aware of his work. To my ear, he echoes down through Irish theatre. He echoes down through the ages.”

The Shaughraun is at the Town Hall Theatre, as part of Galway International Arts Festival, from Wednesday, July 15th, until Saturday, July 25th, with previews on Monday, July 13th, and Tuesday, July 14th. A Moon for the Misbegotten is at the Town Hall Theatre in September

The four-star Crowne Plaza and three-star Holiday Inn Express Dublin Airport will be the 15th and 16th hotels acquired by MHL since its formation in 2013, when the deal, which is subject to approval by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, is completed.

The two hotels have a combined key count of 423 rooms, comprising 209 bedrooms and suites at the Crowne Plaza adjacent to the airport at Santry Demesne in Dublin 9, and 214 rooms at the nearby Holiday Inn Express.

Industry sources told The Irish Times that the transaction, which the parties expect to be concluded by the end of the summer, is worth around €100 million.

Tifco operated the two properties under the IHG-owned Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn brands.

US fund Apollo raises €204m to buy Irish hotel group Tifco

In a statement, MHL co-founder and partner Paul Higgins said the agreement was the group’s “most significant” transaction in 10 years.

He said it would allow MHL “to participate in the Dublin Airport hotel market where we have not had a presence to date”.

Enda O’Meara, chief executive of Apollo Management-owned Tifco, said: “We are very happy that MHL Hotel Collection have signed an agreement to purchase the Crowne Plaza Dublin Airport and Holiday Inn Express Dublin Airport hotels, as they will continue to work with the wonderful teams at the hotels and grow on their legacy of excellent service and hospitality established over the past 23 years.”

The sale of the portfolio, dubbed Project Skyway, was handled by agents CBRE Hotels and JLL.

Paul Collins, head of hotels at CBRE Ireland, said the two properties occupied a “prime position in the heart of Dublin Airport”.

He said the impending removal of the passenger cap made it “an excellent time to deploy capital into the Dublin Airport market”.

Daniel O’Connor, head of hotels and living at JLL Ireland, said the transaction marked the largest and most valuable hotel deal ever at Dublin Airport.

“Furthermore, it is the most valuable hotel sale year-to-date in 2026 in Ireland,” he said. “The sales process produced strong domestic and international buyer interest, including multiple rounds of bidding, for Dublin’s only dual-branded hotel asset.”

MHL, which was founded by Malone, Higgins, and John Lally, recently completed a €190 million refinancing of four of its hotels with AIB.

Among other properties, the group owns the College Green, Intercontinental, Trinity City, Hilton Charlemont, Spencer, Morgan, Brooks and Moxy hotels in Dublin. Outside the city, it owns the five-star Powerscourt Hotel Resort & Spa in Co Wicklow and the Galmont in Galway city.

Tifco, meanwhile, was sold by Goldman Sachs to Apollo in 2018 in a €600 million deal.

Once the second-largest hotel owner in the Republic, the group has sold many of its assets in recent years, but continues to own the Clontarf Castle Hotel in Dublin 3, as well as the Crowne Plaza Blanchardstown in Dublin 15, among others.

European businesses and households were still feeling the pinch from the spike in energy prices that followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine four years ago when the war in Iran sent costs shooting up again, the Danish politician said.

Jorgensen, the European Union’s energy policy chief, said a decision by many governments to subsidise the cost of petrol and diesel by cutting excise and tax on fuel during the recent energy shock was the wrong approach.

Last month the Irish Government decided to maintain reduced excise duties on petrol and diesel until September 1st. The supports have reduced the cost of petrol and diesel by 27c and 32c respectively, at a cost of hundreds of millions of euro in foregone taxes.

The EU had to double down on its ambition to transition away from fossil fuels towards clean energy, even if that was costly at the outset, the energy commissioner said.

Tehran’s choking of the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping lane bringing oil and gas from the Gulf, had forced Europe to pay an extra €50 billion for fuel “on top of what we normally pay” since the US started bombing Iran in February, he said.

“For me this should be a wake-up call for everybody … This must be the final wake-up,” Jorgensen said. “The present situation is not sustainable,” the commissioner said.

China was racing ahead on a path to become an “electro-state” that ran on renewable energy sources, while European electrification efforts had “stagnated”, he said.

The US, Japan and Korea were also making faster progress compared with EU countries, something that would give them an economic edge.

“We have a problem with our competitiveness due to too high energy prices … We cannot be dependent on buying expensive fossil fuels. We need to grow our own cheaper renewables,” Jorgensen said.

The fact some governments continued to subsidise fossil fuel consumption was “very counterproductive” and like “giving diabetes patients sugar”, he said.

At present electricity accounts for 23 per cent of the EU’s energy consumption.

The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm that proposes laws, wants to double that by 2040, so that electricity would supply close to half of the bloc’s energy needs.

In an interview with The Irish Times and a group of other newspapers, Jorgensen predicted the new electrification target would be attacked as too high by some people.

The “architecture” for how that transition might be achieved, such as whether the target would be legally binding similar to emission reductions targets, had not been decided, he said.

Brussels officials want governments to help shift people to buy electric vehicles and heat pumps for their homes, and to electrify public transport networks and encourage businesses to draw their energy supply from electricity rather than oil and gas.

There would be upfront costs for businesses making the switch to more sustainable energy sources, Jorgensen said.

The uptake of electric vehicles is increasing as the cars become more affordable, a trend EU officials want governments to really lean into.

The commission also wants countries to roll out charging networks for battery-powered electric trucks in the future, to wean the haulage sector off its dependency on fossil fuels.

Jorgensen said countries had to end mismatches where electricity was taxed at higher rates than gas in utility bills. Governments needed to phase out state subsidies for fossil fuels “once and for all”, he said.

The energy commissioner pointed out that Russia’s war in Ukraine would end and transatlantic relations with Washington would eventually return to normal, but that climate change “will not disappear”. Governments and societies had to make changes to avoid an environmental catastrophe, he said.

Shine (94) was convicted of assaulting nine boys at two trials in 2017 and 2019, and has been accused of abusing hundreds more.

He had worked as a senior registrar at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda from 1964 to 1995.

Victims’ group Dignity4Patients had called for a public inquiry to investigate how claims of decades of abuse at the hospital and his private practice were handled.

The Government tasked barrister Lorcan Staines with conducting a scoping exercise into Shine. His report, published on Thursday, recommended a six-phase Commission of Investigation that should start “immediately”.

Speaking to RTÉ Radio on Friday, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said a Commission of Investigation will enable a “structured” and “forensic” analysis of who knew and did not know what was happening, which documents were and were not available, and what the State did and should have done.

“The most important thing,” the Minister said, is that it “will give the men an opportunity to have their voice heard”.

“There hasn’t been light shone on this before in this way,” she added.

She quoted victims who said “the dogs on the street knew about this”, and said: “There are many questions to be answered that haven’t been answered by the State.”

Asked if the commission would be able to answer why nobody stopped Shine’s abuse, Carroll MacNeill said: “I hope so. I don’t want to pre-empt it, but I think it’s important that we give it the opportunity to do that.”

She emphasised that “it takes a lot” to convince her of the need for Commissions of Investigations or tribunals as they can “go on for many years”.

Still, she said: “This is of such significance, such public significance, and it hasn’t been investigated by the State in the way I think it should have.”

It was “a whole society that enabled” Shine’s abuse, she said.

“So there is knowledge out there, and I think it’s really important, as the men have asked to be listened to.”

She said although there are 400 victims “that we know about”, there may be others “who have left Ireland” or “men who are living in Ireland, who know that this happened to them, and know it every day and have never had an opportunity to tell their story at all”.

Asked if victims would be offered compensation at the end of the process, Carroll MacNeill said many men have already taken cases against the religious order responsible for the hospital that were settled in “nearly all cases”.

“But as the men have said, that’s not enough; that’s not the point in many cases.

“The point is who knew about this and enabled it to continue to happen to so many, many more boys over decades.” – PA

All-Ireland SHC semi-final: Clare 1-19 Limerick 1-21

All-Ireland Minor Football Final: Cork 2-16 Tyrone 1-16

All-Ireland Senior Camogie quarter-final: Tipperary 3-20 Clare 3-13

All-Ireland Women’s Football quarter-final: Galway 2-20 Mayo 1-6

Hello and welcome to live coverage of the second All-Ireland hurling semi-final and all the other championship action around the country today.

The winner of today’s Clare-Limerick matchup will face off against Galway in two weeks’ time to decide where the Liam McCarthy Cup will reside for the year. Galway bucked the odds with a convincing win over Cork, but can Clare do the same to Limerick today? That will be settled in Croke Park today, with throw-in at 4pm.

Meanwhile, the All-Ireland minor football final between Cork and Tyrone gets underway from 2pm at St Conleth’s Park in Newbridge.

Tipperary are currently facing Clare in the Camogie quarter-finals, while later this evening Mayo take on Galway in the football quarter-finals at 5.45pm.

All-Ireland Camogie quarter-finals; half-time: Clare 0-4 Tipperary 0-10

Tyrone have made a strong start to the All-Ireland Minor final, with their last five scores being consecutive. 13 Mins: Cork 0-3 Tyrone 0-6

35 Mins: A Roisin Howard goal has Tipp well in control of their quarter-final in Croke Park. Tipp 1-11 Clare 0-6

22 Mins: Tyrone look well in control in the minor football final. Cork 0-4 Tyrone 0-10

25 Mins: Vincent Gormley is hauled down while through on goal, so it’s a Tyrone penalty. Aodhan Corry dispatches it to the net. Cork 0-4 Tyrone 1-10

41 Mins: Caoimhe Stakelum buries Tipp’s second of the game, putting this one out of sight you would think. Tipperary 2-13 Clare 0-7

30 Mins: Cork have a bit of a purple patch towards the end of the first half, but they don’t capitalise on the chances. Cork 0-5 Tyrone 1-10

45 Mins: Another great goal for Tipp, this time a low finish from midfielder Clodagh McIntyre. Tipperary 3-14 Clare 0-9

All-Ireland Minor Football Final; half-time: Cork 0-6 Tyrone 1-10

53 Mins: Áine O’Loughlin hit the back of the net for Clare, but it’s too, little too late at this stage. Tipperary 3-17 Clare 1-11

Camogie quarter-final; full-time: Clare 3-13 Tipperary 3-20

Fair play to Clare, who fought back well at the end, but Tipp were much the better team on the day.

40 Mins: Cork are just keeping in touch in the minor final, and they get two important scores in a row from Joe Miskella, before Jacob Barry blasts over a goal chance. Only five in it now. Cork 0-11 Tyrone 1-13

41 Mins: Cork goal! Alex O’Herlihy watches a high point attempt hang in the air, then breaks it down and swings a leg at it to finish below the ‘keeper. At the other end, Rory Twohig makes a wonderful save with his feet. Cork 1-11 Tyrone 1-13

47 Mins: Rory Twohig misses a chance to level the game, but it was from a mile out. Still, if you saw his quarter and semi-final frees, you wouldn’t doubt him. Matthew F Daly sneaks a fisted point just over the bar. Cork 1-12 Tyrone 1-15

51 Mins: Two really good points in a row for Cork. First Ahern held off his man well and stroked over a shot, and then O’Herlihy added a point to his goal with a curler from the left corner. Cork 1-14 Tyrone 1-15

52 Mins: What a block! O’Herlihy was in for a second goal after a wonderful Cork team move, but a last-second block denied him. Cork 1-14 Tyrone 1-15

55 Mins: What will happen here? Tom Whooley just about beats Tyrone ‘keeper Ronan O’Neill to the ball after a through pass. Apparently that was not a goalscoring chance, as it’s just a free in the end. It was an honest attempt at the ball, but it surely stopped a chance on goal there. Cork 1-15 Tyrone 1-15

59 Mins: Tyrone have the lead and the ball after winning a handy free in. Then Cork win it back with a superb tackle. They have to get a score here. Cork 1-15 Tyrone 1-16

60 Mins: GOAL for Cork! Last-minute drama in Newbridge! A long ball up from Miskella looked like a terrible was of possession, but Eoghan Aherne was on the break and slipped it beyond O’Neill! Incredibly brave not to go for the fisted point to tie the game. Cork 2-15 Tyrone 1-16

62 Mins: Tyrone rush things going for a goal, when there’s four added minutes to get two points. Cork win it back and Whooley gets a lovely point. Now Tyrone do need a goal! Cork 2-16 Tyrone 1-16

All-Ireland Minor Football Final; full-time: Cork 2-16 Tyrone 1-16

A massive second half clinches the win for the Rebels.

Seán Moran is at Croke Park for the All-Ireland Hurling semi-final. He brings us news on late changes:

“A couple of changes announced before this afternoon’s All-Ireland hurling semi-final between Limerick and Clare. Former HOTY Cian Lynch is out of the Limerick team and is replaced by Adam English. Clare hold steady on their big concerns Conor Cleary and David McInerney, who are both passed fit to start. Brian Lohan does make one change, bringing in veteran John Conlon for Shane Meehan.

It is a first meeting in Croke Park between the counties who have shared an epic rivalry in Munster in recent years, since 2013 when Clare went on to win the All-Ireland in a replay against Cork.

The star on that day was future HOTY Shane O’Donnell, who scored a hat-trick of goals and announced last week that this would be his final season. We’ll find out soon whether that curtain comes down this weekend or stays up for another two weeks.

A warm day in Dublin with a crowd of between 50,000 and 60,000 expected.”

And in case you missed it, here’s Seán’s piece looking ahead to the Clare-Limerick match, including his pick for a winner.

[Clare need something out of the ordinary against revitalised Limerick]

Malachy Clerkin documents the journeys of Clare’s players who were on the wrong side of a 40-point beating against Cork at a minor level five years ago. There’s a couple of them who have kicked on and could play a huge part today.

[The new Clare stars who bounced back from notorious 40-point defeat to drive hurling resurgence]

As the players parade around Croke Park before the game, the RTÉ panel on The Sunday Game are in agreement; it’s Limerick’s to lose. Could Clare spring a huge upset?

1 Min: Here we go folks, we’re away in the second semi-final! Tony Kelly and Mark Rodgers have gone into full-forward, with John Conlon in midfield and Peter Duggan at 11 to start with at least. It’s a blazing start with neither side taking a hold of the sliotar properly, but Limerick have a free inside the 45′ now. Aidan O’Connor pops it over. Clare 0-0 Limerick 0-1

3 Mins: It’s been a very chaotic and physical start to the game. Thomas Walsh is letting it flow as they say! Now Tony Kelly gets inside Dan Morrisey and swings over a beauty. Clare 0-1 Limerick 0-1

A vintage Tony Kelly score to open Clare's account

📱Updates: https://t.co/edVLggQmHE
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— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) July 5, 2026

5 Mins: A very rusty start from Limerick’s defence, unable to work the ball out. Now Dan Morrisey opts to go back across to his ‘keeper, but plays the ball miles over Quaid’s head and out for a sideline. Duggan hits the sideline wide anyways. At the other end, Shane O’Brien hits his first wide of the game. Clare 0-1 Limerick 0-1

6 Mins: Peter Casey uses his feet well, nips inside and slots one over the bar. Clare might struggle with Limerick’s height on puckouts if that one is anything to go by. Clare 0-1 Limerick 0-2

8 Mins: That’s a lovely score from Shane O’Brien, after a great ball in by Byrnes. So far it’s all Limerick on puckouts, but Clare are doing a good job of pushing them out of play after the break. Clare 0-1 Limerick 0-3

10 Mins: Another wide from Peter Duggan, but Clare win the ball back well from the puckout and Ryan Taylor gets a great score off his left. Tony Kelly gets out in front of Barry Nash, who is fouling, but Kelly pops it over anyways. Clare 0-3 Limerick 0-3

11 Mins: Savage tackling from Diarmuid Ryan on Cathal O’Neil gives Peter Duggan a chance to strike, and he puts it over from miles out. Then Aaron Gillane puts a shot wide that he would normally score. Clare 0-4 Limerick 0-3

13 Mins: Mark Rodgers makes space with a super bit of footwork, but misses with the strike. The ball is driven down to Gillane, who wins it and gets his first score. Tony Kelly takes an ambitious shot that drifts waywards, and Aidan O’Connor does likewise for Limerick. Clare 0-4 Limerick 0-4

14 Mins: A lovely score from Taylor after some great defending from Clare. Then they win the puckout and Cathal Malone drives over a brilliant effort. Clare 0-6 Limerick 0-4

16 Mins: Shane O’Donnell wins the ball out in front a seated Barry Nash and the ref blows for a free out. The replay shows a very soft touch from the corner forward. The ball comes back into the Clare full-forward line right after though and Kelly roasts his man and lofts a beauty over. Clare 0-7 Limerick 0-4

17 Mins: A brilliant solo run from Adam English nearly garners a score, but an even better hook comes in from Darragh Lohan. Clare work it up and Shane O’Donnell scoops it up for a majestic score. Clare 0-8 Limerick 0-4

19 Mins: Two big scores in a row for Limerick, firstly a free from Aidan O’Connor and then a storming run and finish from Kyle Hayes. Clare 0-8 Limerick 0-6

21 Mins: It’s an absolute pitched battle out there. Limerick looked to have a chance to score after a crazy series of play, but Darragh Lohan blocks down Hayes, who then pulls the Clare man down. Some game so far. Mark Rodgers takes the free from halfway out on the right and he nails it. Clare 0-9 Limerick 0-6

22 Mins: Another uncharacteristic miss from Gillane is not a welcome sight for Limerick. Clare go very long on the puckout and O’Donoghue wins it clean for Limerick. Nash races clear, strikes it and raises a white flag. Clare 0-9 Limerick 0-7

24 Mins: More great work by O’Brien to win a ball ahead of three Clare men, but the chance is missed by Hayes. Duggan wins the ball out in front of Dan Morrisey, but he seemed to be fouling his man. That’s a score Limerick fans won’t be happy about. Clare 0-10 Limerick 0-7

25 Mins: Shane O’Donnell wins a free that is definitely a foul, but in the course of this match feels very soft. Rodgers takes the free and smahses it over. Clare 0-11 Limerick 0-7

27 Mins: Limerick win a free along the sideline after a foul on Adam English. O’Connor clips it over with his customary low flight path. Clare 0-11 Limerick 0-8

29 Mins: Mark Rodgers wins a break from the puckout and his feet are way too quick for the defence, as he puts that one over. From the puckout, Conor Cleary is caught holding Hegarty and Limerick get a handy free in. O’Connor nails it. Duggan wins Clare’s puckout and scores a ridiculous score from out wide. Clare 0-12 Limerick 0-9

31 Mins: Seán Rynne has an effort that is HawkEyed, but it’s a Níl from the system. John Conlon is blocked down and Limerick work a typical Limerick score, but it’s wide from Darragh O’Donovan. Clare 0-13 Limerick 0-9

33 Mins: Tony Kelly gets involved again with a wonderful score from the Hogan Stand side. Limerick go quickly with the puckout, and Clare are raging, feeling that Walsh is stopping them doing the same. O’Connor puts one wide, and Walsh stops Quilligan again. He is talking to Tony Kelly, who he gives a yellow card. Perhaps it was for an exuberant celebration involving Hegarty? Clare 0-14 Limerick 0-9

35 Mins: Clare get a free from the puckout after an obvious chop. Rodgers points it. Limerick go quickly again to the sound of Clare boos. Clare win it back though and the ball is fired just beyond O’Donnell, but Barry Nash comes right through his back and it’s a free. Rodgers does the business again. Clare 0-16 Limerick 0-9

36 Mins: Adam English hares onto a breaking ball at top speed and pops it over. Quilligan goes long and Limerick win it. It goes into O’Brien, who jinks his man brilliantly but then blocked down. Quilligan only clears it to O’Neill who points it. Clare 0-16 Limerick 0-11

Half-time: Clare 0-16 Limerick 0-11

Have a look at this monster of a point from Peter Duggan.

Peter Duggan with an utterly ridiculous point from out by the side-line to stretch Clare's lead out to four

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— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) July 5, 2026

36 Mins: Back on again, who saw that first half coming? It starts a little chaotically again, with O’Connor missing straight away, but Limerick winning it back. They win a free in their own half, so it’s Byrnes on it, but it goes wide. Clare 0-16 Limerick 0-11

38 Mins: O’Brien comes out and wins it in front, but he takes too many steps deciding wht to do with it. Clare clear it and O’Donnell does really well to lift it and strike, but the shot goes wide. Cathal O’Neill drives over the first score of the half straight from the puckout from Quaid. Clare 0-16 Limerick 0-12

40 Mins: Clare snuff out a Limerick attack and move the ball up brilliantly, but O’Donnell hits a really poor wide to finish the move. Hegarty wins the puckout and gets a free for holding, so Cleary gets a yellow. Clare 0-16 Limerick 0-13

42 Mins: Limerick are all over it now. Byrnes hits a long point over, and they are winning all the ball into the Clare forward line. Clare 0-16 Limerick 0-14

43 Mins: Gearóid Hegarty is raging with the referee, as he is held again by Cleary, but the Clare man stays on the pitch. Cleary will have to be subbed now really. Byrnes strikes it over again, and it’s a one-point game, with Clare not scoring at all this half. Clare 0-16 Limerick 0-15

45 Mins: Clare look so, so ragged now. They finally win it back and Tony Kelly hits a really long range strike, but it drifts away wide. Cian Galvin is on for Cleary now. Clare 0-16 Limerick 0-15

46 Mins: Clare show a bit more of the hustle from the first half, winning a free after forcing a throw. Mark Rodgers, just inside his own half, gets the first Clare point of the half. Clare 0-17 Limerick 0-15

48 Mins: There’s a savage block on Aidan O’Connor to prevent a point. David Reidy is on for Darragh O’Donovan, while Diarmuid Stritch is on for John Conlon. Clare clear it out. Clare 0-17 Limerick 0-15

50 Mins: A wayward shot from English, but then Stritch loses the ball for the second time since coming on and Limerick look on for a score. The ball in is overhit though and out for a wide. Tony Kelly wins a breaking ball from the puckout and points it. Clare 0-18 Limerick 0-15

51 Mins: Mark Rodgers hits a peculiar snapshot wide. The puckout comes down to Hegarty, who catches it, feeds Casey and the corner forward pops it over. Tom Morrisey is on for Gillane now. Clare 0-18 Limerick 0-16

53 Mins: Limerick scrap well and win it back. Kyle Hayes feeds Morrisey, but the sub shoots a poor wide. Then Clare have it again and Stritch fumbles a third ball, and is lucky that Limerick handle the ball on the floor. Rodgers hits, Rodgers scores. Clare 0-19 Limerick 0-16

55 Mins: Clare penalty! Duggan gets in behind, scoops it over the onrushing Quaid who takes him out totally. Should be a black card. But Nash actually bundled the ball into the net, so Clare want their goal instead. Clare 0-19 Limerick 0-16

56 Mins: Oh god! I forgot, and I wrote a piece on this! Duggan did not technically have possession, so Quaid cannot receive a black card! How daft is that rule, huh? Anyways, the penalty.

GOAL! Tony Kelly drives it beyond Quaid and to the corner. Clare 1-19 Limerick 0-16

57 Mins: Hegarty wins the puckout again and feeds English who is tripped by Ryan Taylor. Taylor gets a yellow, O’Connor scores the free. Clare 1-19 Limerick 0-17

59 Mins: Diarmuid Stritch, who is a fantastic player, finally gets it right, lifting a ball under pressure and winning a free after some loose use of the hurl by Hegarty. He sees yellow now. Rodgers misses the free, incredibly. Five in it still. Now Limerick have a free to make it a four-point game. Clare 1-19 Limerick 0-17

61 Mins: O’Connor nails that one. A big final 10 minutes now. Quilligan goes long and Duggan wins it and feeds Kelly, but his ground strike is not effective. Cian Lynch came on by the way, during the whole penalty shenanigans. Now Ian Galvin has come on for Rodgers. Clare 1-19 Limerick 0-18

63 Mins: David Reidy takes a shot from miles out, but you can tell from his body language that he didn’t really fancy it and it drifts wide. Clare win the puckout but Diarmuid Ryan strikes poorly and Limerick win it back and win a free. Byrnes hits it and it’s over. Clare 1-19 Limerick 0-19

65 Mins: John Kiely is whipping up the crowd, raising the decibel level. Clare line ball and Stritch wins it, feeds Ryan, but he puts that one wide. Hegarty wins a free for a high tackle, which should make this a two-point game. Clare need to get something going up front now. Byrnes hits this one wide though. Clare 1-19 Limerick 0-19

67 Mins: Clare show real grit and win a ball back, but they look uncomfortable on the ball, nearly gifting Limerick the ball back inside the football arc. They manage to win a free in the end. Stritch looks shot, so there’ll be a temporary sub, which is Clare’s David Reidy. Clare 1-19 Limerick 0-19

69 Mins: Cynical foul by Darragh Lohan after Shane O’Brien, won the ball out in front again. He pulls the big man’s hurl, so it’s a free in, and O’Connor drives it over. Clare 1-19 Limerick 0-20

70 Mins: LIMERICK GOAL! What a ball by Adam English, after super work from Limerick to beat the Clare press, and Aidan O’Connor fetches and tucks it away. Clare 1-19 Limerick 1-20

71 Mins: The ball is moved forward for dissent from PEter Duggan after a Limerick free is given. Byrnes puts that wide. No score from Clare since the 56th minute penalty. Clare 1-19 Limerick 1-20

73 Mins: A terrible miss from David Fitzgerald who did not need to take it on. Peter Casey wins the puckout and does brilliant solo work. Limerick work it back out to David Reidy who wins a free. O’Connor puts it over. Two in it, a minute left. Clare 1-19 Limerick 1-21

75 Mins: Last go fro Clare. Quilligan drives it down and Limerick win it, but Clare get it back for a throw. They go short but it’s the wrong option and Nash has it back, now English racing clear. One last hoof for Clare and Duggan shoots. Quaid saves, just, and clear its. Line ball for Clare. This has to go in! It comes in but it’s a crap strike and that’s it!

Full-time: Clare 1-19 Limerick 1-21

What could Brian Lohan even say in that dressing room now? Clare were just awful up front in the second half, they could not create anything, scoring only one point from play. Meanwhile, what a second half masterclass from John Kiely’s men, but they only just nicked it with that brilliant late goal.

Here is that brilliant goal at the end for Limerick, what a ball from English, and a lovely finish by O’Connor.

Aidan O'Connor beats Darragh Lohan to the ball and dispatches his finish to put Limerick in front by the minimum

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— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) July 5, 2026

It’s also a sad end for Shane O’Donnell’s intercounty career today, but you have to remember how unfancied Clare were for this game. It was their best performance of the year and they nearly had it.

Gearóid Hegarty was the man of the match and he was superb throughout.

Limerick will now face Galway in two weeks, on Sunday July 19th at 3.30pm.

Diarmaid Byrnes has a slip of the tongue on The Sunday Game there when asked what John Kiely told them at half-time: “Just put the f***ing ball over the bar!”

Gordon Manning brings us a full-time update from Croker:

“FULL-TIME: Limerick 1-21 Clare 1-19

Limerick are through to the All-Ireland final after a sensational late comeback with a 70^th minute Aidan O’Connor goal putting John Kiely’s side ahead for the first time since early in the first half.

Clare only managed 1-3 in the second half but when Tony Kelly drilled home a 57^th minute penalty it put the Banner six points ahead, 1-19 to 0-16. Clare were hugely frustrated that Limerick goalkeeper Nickie Quad was not black-carded for the foul leading to the penalty.

Cian Lynch made a big impact when introduced. He won a puck-out late on that ended with Adam English floating a brilliant cross-field ball towards the Clare goal as the seconds ticked away. O’Connor did superbly to outfield Darragh Lohan and then smack the ball beyond Éibhear Quilligan. When the ball hit the net, the clock showed 70.01. The goal put Limerick 1-20 to 1-19 ahead. They would not be caught. So, it’s a Limerick-Galway All-Ireland final."

Fair play to Shane O’Donnell who is currently speaking to the RTÉ panel after his final game for Clare. He says that Clare looked to make it a real fight today but couldn’t pull it off. He got a little emotional there at the end, when asked about his Clare career, but he was a great interviewee as always.

16 Mins: Niamh Divilly gets a fourth point for Galway in the All-Ireland quarter-final against Mayo. Galway 0-4 Mayo 0-2

23 Mins: Goal for Mayo! Sinéad Cafferky gets a neat point for Mayo, and then buries one into the top corner in the next play. Galway 0-4 Mayo 1-3

LGFA All-Ireland quarter-final; half-time: Mayo 1-3 Galway 0-6

A late yellow card has put Hannah Reape in the sinbin, as Galway finished the half strongly to draw level.

41 Mins: GOAL for Galway! They have made a superb start to the half and made full use of the sinbin, with Kate Slevin netting the goal and Kate Thompson getting a two-pointer. Galway 1-11 Mayo 1-3

Full-time: Galway 2-20 Mayo 1-6

Paul Keane was in Newbridge for the All-Ireland Minor Football Final, as Cork produced a late goal to beat Tyrone.

[Comeback kings Cork snatch crown from Tyrone to win All-Ireland minor football title]

Tipperary ran out clear winners over Clare in their All-Ireland Camogie quarter-final at Croke Park.

[Caoimhe Stakelum shines for clinical Tipperary as Clare rue wastefulness]

The 27-minute address returned to the theme upon which Trump has fixated for the past six years: his insistent allegation, despite repeated local, state and federal court findings to the contrary, that the 2020 general election was “rigged” in favour of the winner, Joe Biden. Several television networks, including ABC and NBC, opted not to carry the address while CNN aired selected clips while fact-checking Trump’s statements as he spoke.

Trump’s address came less than 24 hours after a deeply unsettling address by Steven Miller. The White House deputy chief of staff for policy announced at a Republican conference, on The Resurgence of Political Terrorism, that the administration has “taken the necessary and essential action of formally recognising left-wing violence as a form of political terrorism that is a direct threat to national security and the survival of our Republican form of government”.

Trump’s address stated that the newly released documents prove a mass compromise of election data by the People’s Republic of China, involving some 220 million files; that the CIA had evidence of Chinese manipulation in the 2018 midterms and the 2020 election; that China wanted Trump out because “they knew I was wise to them, charged them billions and billions in tariffs and built the largest military in the world.”

He claimed American voters have been “blatantly lied to” about the security of electronic voting and ballot-counting systems, alluded to a large-scale voter fraud operation in Michigan and said that the administration is now in the “process of notifying the states whose election data was compromised” and said that it would be “working closely to mitigate harm.”

Homeland security secretary Markwayne Mullin would, he said, elaborate on this on Friday. The Chinese embassy in Washington swiftly released a statement denying the allegations, countering that it “has never and will never interfere in the presidential elections of the US”.

The scenario was a prelude to what stands as Trump’s most direct and formal demand that Republicans in Congress pass the SAVE [Safeguard American Voter Eligibility] America Act.

“This landmark Bill requires that all voters must show photo voter ID,” he said.

“How simple is that?”

The tone and implicit threat contained within the address will alarm those American voters who fear that the biggest threat to free and fair American elections is, in fact, the sitting president. His repeated and insistent claims about the 2020 presidential election were rigorously checked. His refusal to acknowledge Biden as the elected winner has slipped into the Republican vernacular: just this week, the new director of national intelligence nominee, Jay Clayton, declined to answer the question “who won the 2020 election?” – posed by Georgia Democratic senator Jon Ossoff.

Presidential prime-time addresses hold nothing like the shock and awe of old, partly because of the fractured nature of 21^st century media and also because Trump is on the television screen more often than reruns of Friends.

But Thursday’s address depicted a president claiming to be a victim of the deep-state machinations as he approaches the two-year mark of his second term in office. His Republican Party has control of the House and the Senate, has a deeply conservative Supreme Court, has enacted its radical global tariff economic policy, has directed lawsuits at educational and media organisations, has embarked on a heavy-handed immigration enforcement campaign leading to widespread protests and several civilian deaths and has pushed through its One Big Beautiful Bill to enact its taxation cuts manifesto.

The administration has stretched the perceived limits of executive power to the maximum, so Trump’s hazy allegations of deep state collusion and obfuscation in an election that is now six years over may have limited impact on his base. They may also recall that Trump was in power during the years of the alleged election fraud.

He also demonstrated an appetite for renewing his war with media outlets deemed hostile to his presidency, alleging that the networks refusing to carry the broadcast were complicit in the wider cover-up.

“Because they know how corrupt our system is and don’t want to reveal it. They and others in the media are part of a plot. They want to continue this fraud for whatever reason; they want to protect the radical left. They can’t have a great country without free and fair elections. Fraud like this should mean a revocation of their licences. They use our public multibillion-dollars-in-values public airwaves for nothing. They pay nothing. Great damage has been done to our country. Our elections were left vulnerable to being rigged and stolen. And the trust of the American people was lost. This cannot be allowed to continue.

“Every American whether Republican, Democrat, Independent or otherwise should be able to agree that we deserve the most honest fair and secure election system anywhere in the world. We should be together. It should not be a partisan issue. We should be united. The only reason you would want to do it [election fraud] is that you want to cheat. That your policies are so bad and your candidates are so pathetic that you can’t get elected any other way.”

Trump’s conspiracy theories drew predictably dismissive responses from liberal commentators but even Fox host Sean Hannity, whose show is generally an unquestioning celebration of the administration, struck a note of caution.

“I’m sure anybody that cares about truth will want to do a deep dive into all of this,” he said on Thursday night.

Trump’s national address could be regarded as a companion piece to Wednesday’s announcement by Miller that the administration will enact a national security presidential memorandum to clamp down on what he called “left-wing terrorism”, warning of a drive to “disrupt, identify, defund, debank, arrest and prosecute these political terrorists operating in our country. Left-wing terrorism always ends in bloodshed, misery and suffering.”

Miller went on to offer a pen-picture of the typical leftist as somebody “who looks at what is beautiful and what is good and what is natural and is filled with envy and hatred”.

“The leftist looks at a perfect family with the perfect life and the perfect job and perfect kids and [that] goes to church every Sunday and is filled with a feeling of inadequacy and jealousy, and they covet, and they turn those emotions into a desire to subjugate and suppress and inflict pain and suffering.

“It is not a coincidence that when you look at these violent Antifa demonstrations, you see any photograph of those assembled: to be blunt, not one of the people that is demonstrating looks like a normal person. Not one looks normal. They are all deformed in some way – in their appearance, in their dress, in their mannerism.”

Miller pre-empted concerns about civil rights campaigns and protests threatened by the new clampdown by claiming that one of “the hallmarks of left-wing violence” lies in “its completely pretextual and disingenuous appeal to civil liberties in an effort to shield its own violence”. He told that international gathering that “we must stay the course and be completely unflinching in the pursuit of justice against these enemies of civilisation.”

The implied threat to future anti-administration or civil-rights protests is clear here. Trump’s blatant declaration of a US election system that is broken and corrupt will also set alarm bells ringing. Unlike 2020, he is not waiting for the votes to be counted, or even cast, this time round.

Japan’s tech-heavy Nikkei 225 index sank 4 per cent and China’s CSI 300 weakened 3.6 per cent, following Thursday’s losses on Wall Street.

Nasdaq 100 futures were down 2.2 per cent before Wall Street started trading, after the index lost 1.6 per cent in the previous session. The S&P 500 was on track to fall 1.1 per cent on Friday.

The biggest moves were concentrated in high-flying semiconductor companies – particularly makers of memory chips – in an abrupt reversal for so-called momentum trades, a strategy in which traders and investors bet that the best-performing stocks will extend their gains.

“Momentum trades have suffered a bruising unwind in the last few weeks, driven mainly by the sell-off in semiconductor and memory stocks,” said Max Kettner, chief multi-asset strategist at HSBC.

Momentum trades, which are popular among hedge funds, run the risk of backfiring if a market changes direction. A Bloomberg index tracking the performance of momentum strategies has fallen 13 per cent since the wider tech rally peaked in June.

Hao Hong, chief investment officer at hedge fund Lotus Asset Management, put the steep declines in Asian tech stocks down to selling by quant funds, calling it a “momentum crash”.

The Philadelphia Semiconductor index, which tracks the major US chip companies, has already fallen 8.5 per cent this week, its biggest weekly drop since Donald Trump’s “liberation day” tariffs sent the market tumbling in April 2025. The chip index is now 19 per cent below the record high it reached in June.

Micron, the chipmaker whose meteoric rise this year briefly catapulted it into the club of trillion-dollar stocks, has lost more than 25 per cent this month. It was down a further 4 per cent in premarket trading on Friday.

The Irish graduate jobs most affected by AI

Memory giants Sandisk and Western Digital both dropped more than 6 per cent in advance of the New York open. In a brutal past month, both stocks have already shed more than 30 per cent of their share price.

The Stoxx Europe 600 fell 0.6 per cent in early trading, with ASML, the world’s biggest maker of chip-manufacturing equipment, down 4.6 per cent.

This week’s losses have come despite strong earnings reports earlier this week from ASML and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company.

Michael Zigmont, co-head of trading at Visdom Investment Group, said that the market had “bristled” at TSMC’s forecast for increased capex in the coming years, prompting a bout of nerves over companies overinvesting.

“The lesson is that even if the results are stellar and the outlook is rosy, investors may still have a bone to pick with the situation ... it may be that investors are simply looking for excuses to sell certain stocks,” Zigmont added.

Emmanuel Cau, head of European equities strategy at Barclays, said that “there is a lot of anxiety in the market about ... all the exuberance that we have seen in tech. Whatever went up the most in the first place is going down the most now.”

Cau said the recent moves “seem very technical”, meaning that they are driven by forced unwinding of heavy bets on chip stocks as opposed to more fundamental drivers.

The losses in Asia’s trading session on Friday were concentrated in technology stocks. Japanese chipmaker Kioxia fell more than 16 per cent, and is now down more than half from its June peak. TSMC dropped more than 7 per cent.

Markets in South Korea, which have faced the most volatility from the artificial intelligence (AI) trade, were closed.

In China, AI start-ups Z.ai and MiniMax declined 28.5 per cent and 15.6 per cent respectively after rival Moonshot AI debuted a large language model with capabilities approaching those of cutting-edge US labs such as Anthropic.

The declines “show the uncomfortable reliance of so many markets and so much economic activity on the AI boom at the moment”, said Richard Yetsenga, chief economist and head of research at ANZ.

Even after recent selling, Asia’s chipmakers remain some of this year’s most successful AI trades. Kioxia has risen more than 2,000 per cent in the past year, while TSMC has more than doubled.

Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, which make the high-bandwidth memory chips used by Nvidia, are up more than 200 per cent and 500 per cent respectively in the past year.

Analysts said geopolitical concerns, including over rising energy prices from a reboot of tensions in Iran and the potential for monetary policy tightening globally, had given investors an opportunity to take profits.

“We’re in an environment where inflation in general goes up easily and comes down with difficulty,” said Yetsenga. – Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2026

Opening a Dáil debate on the fiscal implications of a united Ireland on Thursday, Simon Harris said studies varied so much because they relied on different assumptions.

A study from Dublin City University and Ulster University last year estimated reunification would cost an initial €3 billion a year to the State. It suggested a “unified economy” could reach a fiscal break-even within five to nine years.

However, research by the Institute of International and European Affairs in 2024 presented a “much more pessimistic” outlook, estimating a cost of up to €20 billion annually for up to two decades.

A Department of Finance 2024 report found the fiscal deficit in Northern Ireland was in the region of £7 billion in 2020.

Harris said it was neither possible nor intelligent to “produce one singular figure” as it was a “much more dynamic situation”. The fiscal deficit in year one would be significant, “regardless of how we wish to cost it”.

Pointing to the current fiscal situation, he said “in 2025, total net tax receipts in our jurisdiction amount to €106.5 billion” but this masked the underlying Government deficit last year of €7.1 billion.

Support for unification growing in Northern Ireland

“An annual cost of €3 billion would amount to less than 3 per cent of total tax revenue, while an annual cost of €20 billion would be equivalent to almost one fifth of all tax revenue receipts.”

The range of estimates matter, because either figure “would clearly have a material impact on the public finances affecting not only the headline budget position but also the underlying fiscal balance”.

However, Harris said while the costs of transition to a united island were important considerations, the question was “not simply what a united Ireland would cost, but what a united Ireland could create”.

Sinn Féin enterprise spokeswoman Rose Conway-Walsh told the Tánaiste “I think Michael Collins would be pleased with you”.

Party leader Mary Lou McDonald commended his presentation of the issue, describing it as “refreshing” and “exactly where we need to be”.

The Tánaiste said a move to the euro would be “an important structural advantage”, eliminating exchange rate risks, reducing transaction costs and simplifying cross-Border trade and investment.

There were “significant opportunities” in services, which accounted for most economic activity “across these islands”. Constitutional change “would provide businesses across the island with seamless access to one of the world’s largest integrated market services”, the EU single market.

Labour mobility “would also become a powerful driver of economic growth” and a united Ireland would result in more coherent investment in education and apprenticeships.

But the greatest economic dividend would perhaps be most visible in the northeast and northwest, he said.

“For too long counties such as Donegal, Derry and Tyrone have found themselves at the edge of two separate jurisdictions rather than at the centre of one coherent economic region.”

But he warned any assessment of reunification must be “firmly rooted in the context of our fiscal position and indeed the level of taxation borne by citizens and businesses”.

The Sinn Féin leader said “Irish unity represents the greatest economic opportunity in the history of the island”.

“It cannot be missed. It must be grasped. The question is not whether we can afford Irish unity. It is whether we can afford partition any longer.”

There was an opportunity to build “one robust economy” working for everyone.

But McDonald said the Tánaiste’s initiative in having the debate makes the position of Fianna Fáil “all the more striking, all the more extraordinary and frankly all the more inexplicable”.

Social Democrats deputy leader Cian O’Callaghan said there were “real challenges in any transition to unity, but there are also very significant opportunities”.

“The future of this island should not be reduced to a balance sheet,” he added.

Labour finance spokesman Ged Nash said he “detected a timidity at Government level” about how to advance the objectives of the Belfast Agreement, signed in 1998.

“Accommodations will have to be reached with those who disagree with us and we need to be honest and upfront about that.”

Beyond the top five developers in Ireland, other notable firms include Harcourt Developments and Johnny Ronan’s former business partner Richard Barrett and his firm Bartra.

Pat Crean’s development company Marlet has a track record in large-scale apartment delivery in Dublin, as does the Cotter family’s Park Developments, which has projects underway in Dublin and Cork.

Sean Mulryan’s Ballymore also has a long-established record, building 15,000 home in Ireland over a number of decades and last year announced plans to build up to 4,000 more.

In addition, other players in the market are building scale that will likely push them into the top tier of developers in the coming years:

Land Development Agency

Led by: John Coleman, chief executive

Pipeline: 27,000 homes

The State’s affordable home builder, led by John Coleman, has largely been a sleeping giant in the homebuilding sector since it was set up in 2018, but now appears primed to become the biggest residential developer in the state.

The Land Development Agency (LDA), which does not have an in-house construction team, has a pipeline of close to 27,000 homes that will be delivered through partnerships with private developers and contractors.

The land for almost 15,000 of those homes has been amassed by the LDA through more than half-a-dozen private land deals since the middle of 2023. The remainder of its sites were transferred to it by other State agencies.

Coleman, who recently renewed his contract at the agency to lead it for a further three years, has forecast the LDA’s annual output will rise to more than 2,500 homes by 2027 and more than 3,000 in 2028, which would make it the country’s largest producer of homes.

The agency has been granted access to up to €8.75 billion of funding from the State to deliver upon its housing programme and it plans to borrow up to €1 billion from the European Investment Bank to fund its delivery of new homes.

D/Res Properties

Led by: Patrick Durkan

Pipeline: 6,000 homes

The private development firm, founded by Patrick Durkan and Lone Star in 2018, has received significant backing in the past year that has helped scale up its housing pipeline to 6,000 homes.

Last year, a fund managed by US investor Avenue Capital, which received €150 million of backing from the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund, invested €27.5 million to take a minority stake in the Dublin-based residential builder.

That backing was given to D/Res to fund the acquisition of two sites in the Greater Dublin Area with capacity for 1,000 homes. In March, the company completed a €70 million deal to buy a 21-hectare site that borders Edmondstown Golf Club in Dublin 16 and the M50.

There were signs of further momentum at the business in May when D/Res Properties announced the launch of a joint venture with construction firm Sisk.

Called Arden, into which they have invested €32 million, it has plans to develop 1,000 social and affordable homes a year. Its first 635-home project called Foothills in Killinarden, south Dublin, will be delivered in partnership with South Dublin County Council.

The most recent accounts for the D/Res Properties group show revenues rose 46 per cent to €135.3 million in the year that ended June 2025, while after-tax profits were up eight-fold to €2.8 million.

Lioncor

Led by: Marcus Ryan, chief executive

Pipeline: 5,400 homes

Lioncor, a joint venture between US investor Oaktree and Dublin-based Alanis Capital, sits just around the edges of the country’s top 10 home builders in terms of annual output, with 521 homes delivered in 2025.

The company led by Marcus Ryan will likely solidify its position in the top tier in the coming years as it has some large projects under construction, including at the Glass Bottle Site, Dublin.

The firm is co-developing the project, which is expected to deliver about 4,000 homes, with Johnny Ronan’s Ronan Group. So far in 2026 it has built 352 apartments across two separate buildings on the Ringsend site, with a further 323 expected to be finished this year.

Lioncor’s owner Oaktree holds an 83.3 per cent stake in Pembroke Beach, the venture behind the Glass Bottle Site. Ronan Group has an 11.7 per cent stake, with the remaining 5 per cent owned by Lioncor.

Later this year, the company plans to start more homes at the Dublin 4 site and a 364-apartment and 21-house project called Fortfield in Terenure, Dublin. Next year, Lioncor has forecast it will complete a further 471 homes.

Lydon

Led by: directors Anthony, Pearse, Mairtin and Conor Lydon

Pipeline: 4,000 homes

The company set up by Martin and Patricia Lydon in 1977 is now being run by the next generation of the family.

Anthony, Pearse, Mairtin and Conor Lydon all hold senior roles at the family business, which has close to 2,000 homes under construction now across Dublin, Meath and Kildare.

Lydon has done some large deals with State entities in recent years to sell and develop homes for social and affordable housing, including a partnership with the LDA on its Priory Fields housing estate in Skerries, Co Dublin, to deliver 345 homes on the site.

This year the company also disclosed it has entered a partnership deal with Michael McElligott’s Tetrarch Capital to co-develop 49 hectares of land in south Dublin.

The company has been selected by Tetrarch to deliver on part of the lands called Sacra North, which have capacity for about 1,000 homes.

Other notable projects Lydon has in its pipeline include a 500-home development in Ashbourne, Co Meath, and one in Kilcarbery Grange in Clondalkin, Dublin 22.

The latter project is a joint venture between Lydon and developer Michael Whelan, which has made them good returns so far. Recent accounts showed after-tax profits at the venture rose from €8 million to €14.2 million in 2024. The partners extracted an €8.4 million dividend from the profits.

Kennedy Wilson

Led by: Peter McKenna, head of development

Pipeline: 3,400 homes

US landlord Kennedy Wilson has gradually grown its portfolio of 3,500 rental homes in Ireland through some large apartment projects it built in recent years.

The company delivered close to 500 apartments as part of its Coopers Cross development in Dublin’s Docklands and a further 500 units in the Stillorgan area at its developments, The Grange and The Cornerstone.

In recent months, the US landlord, which was recently taken private as part of a $1.5 billion (€1.3 billion) deal, revealed plans to almost double its portfolio in Ireland.

The company has formed a €2 billion residential joint venture with Dutch pension fund APG to develop 3,400 rental homes in Ireland. In all, 2,300 of these apartments will be built on the Player Wills and Bailey Gibson sites on Dublin’s South Circular Road and the former Clonliffe College lands. It has already begun construction on part of the Player Wills site, which will include a 19-storey residential tower.

Latest financials for Kennedy Wilson, which has $36 billion of assets globally, show its Irish operation has 3,500 apartments, with average rent in its portfolio at €2,500 a month.

Ardstone

Led by: Donal O’Neill, chief executive

Pipeline: 2,500 homes

Irish-owned real estate investor Ardstone has a portfolio of more than 3,000 residential units in Ireland, valued at around €1.4 billion. Based on recent deals, it is expected to grow significantly in the coming years.

The company has land capable of delivering 2,500 homes, which are at various stages of the development process.

Last year, it spent €25 million to acquire an eight-hectare, residentially-zoned site in Clondalkin with capacity for 1,400 homes. Ardstone chief executive Donal O’Neill said at the time it planned to start construction there in 2027.

The company also owns the Jesuit Order’s former Milltown Park campus in Dublin 6, which it bought for €65 million in 2019. Ardstone has faced a number of appeals and threats to legal challenge to its plans to build a large apartment scheme on the land.

Its latest plan to deliver 562 apartments on the site was approved by Dublin City Council in April, but has been appealed.

Ardstone was co-founded by O’Neill and veteran property investor Donal Mulcahy in 2005. Mulcahy exited the business in 2023.

Lagan Homes Ireland

Led by: Chris Carroll, managing director

Pipeline: 2,300 homes

The Dublin-based business was established in 2017 following the sale of Northern Irish building materials group Lagan in a £455 million (€527 million) deal.

Lagan Group has reinvested the proceeds into its development company in the Republic, which is owned by Kevin Lagan and his son Peter.

Lagan Homes Ireland, which has 2,300 homes in its pipeline, has forecast it will complete 380 homes this year across sites in Meath, Louth and Kildare.

The company has opportunities to grow its scale in the coming years after it received permission to build close to 500 homes on a 10-hectare site in Ballycullen, Dublin in February. The company also has another large landbank in north Co Dublin with capacity for 700 homes.

Lagan Group recently disclosed its Irish homebuilding business made €205 million in sales last year.

DywerNolan Developments

Led by: Edward and Ann O’Dwyer

Pipeline: 2,200 homes

DywerNolan Developments has made some bumper returns in recent years from its building business, which has delivered a number of large-scale housing estates and apartment blocks.

Recent accounts showed the company’s pretax profits rose 40-fold to €42.4 million last year after sales climbed from €38.5 million to €241.2 million. In that 12-month period, the owners of the company, Edward and Ann O’Dwyer, shared a €10.2 million pay package.

The O’Dwyer family’s development firm, which also lists Keith, Edwin, William and Aidan O’Dwyer as directors, was established 1971. Since then it has developed more than 9,500 homes in Dublin and its commuter belt in that period.

Based on its current portfolio, it has projects that can deliver 2,200 homes on sites in Dublin, including 800 apartments in Ballyfermot and 250 apartments on Swords Road, Dublin 11. It has 350 units at the planning stage on Santry Avenue, Dublin 9.

The accounts for DwyerNolan Developments also showed the company was sitting on a healthy cash balance of €85 million at the end of last year, so it has a large amount of capital to fund future projects.

Gem Construction

Led by: Martin Healy, managing director

Pipeline: 1,300 homes

Gem Group, which has residential and commercial building arms, was set up in 1978 and has delivered 5,500 homes over almost 50 years.

In the past decade, the scale of the group has grown significantly due to expansion of its housing output, with total revenues up from €50 million to €240 million.

A number of recent projects have driven this growth, including an €82 million development of 331 apartments for Dublin City Council and Tuath Housing on Malahide Road, a €180 million apartment project in Fingal called Churchfields and a €280 million phase of the 1,100 housing estate in Dunshaughlin called The Willows.

Data disclosed by Gem Construction shows it has a pipeline of close to 1,300 homes. It recently started construction on a 40-unit apartment block for Cluid Housing on Bannow Road, Dublin 7, and began more homes in Dunshaughlin, Co Meath.

The company is led by Martin Healy, who has a controlling stake. Financial director Vincent Fay and construction director Kevin Fay have smaller shareholdings in the business.

Recent accounts show the three business partners shared the proceeds of a €26.3 million dividend in the year ending June 2025 from Gem Group’s combined residential and commercial building activity.

Dwellings Developments

Led by: Alan McClearn and Jonathan O’Connor, joint managing directors

Pipeline: 1,252 homes

Dwellings Developments is a relatively new residential development firm in Ireland and in a short space of time has built a sizeable portfolio of sites and projects.

The company was formed in 2019 as a joint venture between British private equity firm Matter Real Estate and a group of Irish businessmen led by former McInerney Holdings executive Barry O’Connor, who then stepped away from the company in 2024.

The company has focused on gathering together sites in regional areas, including Limerick, Cork and Dublin’s commuter belt, to develop housing estates. It currently has a pipeline of 1,252 homes.

Dwellings Developments sells around 150 homes a year at present and plans to scale up to 500 units annually in the coming years. It has delivered completed projects in Co Cork, at Garrán Ferney in Carrigaline and Port na Rinne in Ringaskiddy, and at Mungret, Co Limerick.

This year the Sunday Times reported that Matter Real Estate appointed KPMG to scope out a sale of its stake in Dwellings Developments.

For nearly half of Irish people, health insurance is considered indispensable despite its expense – especially when we stop earning and are relying on a lower income in retirement.

Pet insurance, on the other hand, often gets put on the long finger.

The little puppy darting around the back garden, the healthy cat stalking garden birds – they won’t get sick or injured, will they?

Anybody with a pet at home knows that buying the animal is just the beginning of what can seem like an endless outlay of costs.

For dogs, there’s food bills, regular grooming, toys, and routine vet visits for vaccinations. It’s a similar story for cats and other animals.

But what happens when something more serious goes wrong?

Most pet owners have at least one horror story about a hefty veterinary bill when their dog or cat injured themselves or fell ill.

The numbers can be eye-watering – €4,000 for a cruciate surgery for a dog, one of the most common orthopaedic procedures for our canine friends.

Fees can reach up to €600 for a bad tummy bug, where your pet might need bloods taken, IV fluids, medications and follow-up visits.

If an emergency happens at the weekend, the bills will be higher still. And just like everything else, the costs are only getting more expensive.

Insurance provider Agria Petinsure said routine visits to the vet are about 50 per cent more expensive than they were even a few years ago.

Having pet insurance remains, by international standards, quite unusual in Ireland.

Agria Petinsure said rates of people having cover for pets generally are about 12 to 15 per cent, and even lower for cats at just 3 to 5 per cent.

In Sweden, for example, rates of cover among people who have pets are closer to 90 per cent, while our nearest neighbours in the UK have a figure of 25 per cent.

Like almost every type of insurance, there is a dizzying variety of products available.

Most policies include vet fees for illness and injury, along with boarding fees if you are hospitalised and someone else needs to take care of your pet.

Some policies stretch further, covering holiday cancellation if a dog or cat goes missing, rewards for lost or stolen animals, theft, and third-party liability or legal costs if your pet damages property or injures someone.

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission also says the latter can be covered by home insurance, so that’s worth checking.

There are three main types of pet insurance. Normally, the cheapest option is for accidents only – if, say, your pet was hit by a car.

The next step up is annual cover or time-limited cover, where an illness or injury may only be covered for a set period or up to a set amount.

Lifetime cover is also available and offers support up to an annual limit for the entire lifetime of your pet.

Lifetime cover does not mean unlimited cover, but it can be important for chronic conditions, because the annual vet-fee limit renews each year if the policy is kept in place.

As with human health insurance, though, you will have to be upfront about any pre-existing conditions your pet might have.

To get the best deal, the same rules apply as would anywhere else.

Shop around, compare prices and plans online, and most importantly, know exactly what the policy does and doesn’t cover.

Some of the biggest providers in Ireland include Agria Petinsure, Allianz, Petinsurance.ie and An Post.

A check on Switcher.ie this week showed annual fees of between €100 and €160 per year for our one-year-old rescue dog Riley, who is of (very) indeterminate breed.

For the higher tier of cover, that would include vet fees of up to €4,000, third-party liability of €250,000 and emergency boarding fees of €1,000.

A variety of other services were covered including advertising and reward costs, accidental death, holiday cancellation and “complementary treatment”.

An excess of €125 applies and costs would be higher for an older animal, or for a higher-risk pedigree dog, than our “good boy” from Dogs Trust.

Costs for an older pure-bred dog could be up to €50 per month, depending on the level of cover the owner wants.

Paying for insurance can be done monthly or yearly, with the usual possibility of discounts if you pay by the year.

Age is the biggest factor in the price of cover, and some insurers will not accept pets above a certain age, often six to eight years.

The limits can be lower again for certain breeds that are prone to known health issues or have lower life expectancies.

This can include English and French Bulldogs, Pugs, St Bernard’s, Great Danes and Bernese Mountain Dogs.

Routine treatments for vaccination, neutering, fleas, or pregnancy are not generally included, nor are third-party claims for certain restricted breeds.

Illness claims usually can’t be made for an initial period, often about two weeks, after the policy begins, and premiums are likely to increase after a claim or at renewal time.

There is a standard cooling-off period that allows you to cancel a policy within 14 days.

Late or mid-policy cancellations can, however, incur fees or even the full cost, depending on the terms and conditions of the agreement.

It’s not just dogs and cats either. Insurance is available for rabbits, horses, birds and exotic pets, though the choice of insurer may be more limited.

Most of the main operators also offer carelines so that people can seek advice, especially when ordinary vet practices are out-of-hours.

Lastly, if you’re planning to take your pet on foreign holidays with you, make sure to check terms and conditions on what cover is available.

One final option is to “self-insure” by saving a set amount of money each month and building up a rainy-day fund.

It goes without saying that this nest-egg needs time to build up and only works if the money is actually left untouched.

You can contact us at OnTheMoney@irishtimes.com with personal finance questions you would like to see us address. If you missed last week’s newsletter by Conor Pope on not letting gift vouchers go to waste, you can read it here

Muna Sharif, with an address at Bodmin Grove, Birmingham, England, was before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on Thursday, accompanied by the woman, whom she later claimed was her sister.

She had pleaded guilty to providing a fraudulent identity document, in the form of a Swedish “lookalike” passport, and to intentionally assisting the entry of a person into the State on April 10th.

Det Garda Kerrie Sullivan of the Garda National Immigration Bureau testified that she was contacted by Immigration Control at Dublin Airport that day, when a woman presented a passport with a photograph that did not match her. The woman admitted that the Swedish passport, in the name Badra Mohammad Ahmed, was not hers and immediately claimed asylum.

Sullivan said this woman, Asia Mohammad Ahmed, had travelled together with the accused from Düsseldorf, but they had disembarked separately and presented at separate immigration booths. She explained that this is a tactic often used to create distance between the facilitator and the person being smuggled.

The court heard that the accused was observed in the baggage hall looking towards Ahmed, and was seen to take a suitcase with a name matching that on the passport.

Records showed that the accused had booked and paid for the flight for Ahmed to Dublin using a bank card found on her at her arrest. Her phone was searched at a later date, and a WhatsApp thread was found between her and the genuine owner of the Swedish passport, in which the accused offered her 1,500 Swedish krona in return for its use.

The accused told gardaí that she had been asked by a third party to travel from Birmingham to Düsseldorf to meet the Somali national and bring her to Dublin. She said she was given a valid passport to bring from the UK.

She said that she was to be reimbursed for the money she had spent, but was not making any money herself.

However, this was not accepted by the State, and €1,000 found on her at the time will be subject to a forfeiture application.

Her barrister told the detective that Sharif says Ahmed is in fact her sister, but that there was no DNA to prove that. She claimed she had not said this in interview as she has not wanted to get her sister in trouble.

Sullivan agreed that there was an active conflict in Somalia, with a terrorist organisation in control of the region. She was then asked about Ahmed fleeing the area to avoid being forced into a marriage.

“The flight was from Düsseldorf, which is in a safe EU country,” the detective replied, explaining that Ahmed had lived in Libya for four years after leaving Somalia before moving into Europe via Milan.

The court heard that Sharif, who had arrived in the UK in 2002, had since become a naturalised citizen there. She has never been in trouble before and is now suspended from her employment as a result of this offence.

Her barrister said she felt morally obliged to help. While she was extremely regretful, he said, she felt it was important that her sister, who was in her 20s, leave Somalia and come to a country such as Ireland.

He asked the court to accept that they are sisters, or that she was trying to help a fellow Somali woman to avoid a forced marriage.

Judge Orla Crowe noted that two things were being contended: that she was her sister and that she was helping a female Somali to leave.

She said the contention of the accused that she had been unaware it was a serious criminal offence was “simply not credible”

The judge imposed an 18-month sentence, and backdated it to when Sharif went into custody following her arrest.

Up to one million people in the South American country claim heritage from the Emerald Isle. But many from this branch of the extended family are yet to find their way home.

While an exact number is not recorded by census data, only a few thousand Argentinians are thought to live in Ireland – and many of them did not arrive in search of strengthening historic family ties.

Luciana Parisi, from Córdoba province, came to Ireland 10 years ago with her twin sister. “It’s such a random story,” she says. Her eldest sister came to Dublin for a year to improve her English, prompting the twins to make the same move after she returned to Argentina.

“And we just never left,” Parisi says. Her eldest sister would later come back to Ireland, this time with their other sister, “and at some stage, my parents just thought ‘Well, if the four of you are all there, we should come as well.’ They sold everything and moved here,” she says.

She watched the World Cup semi-final on Wednesday night – when Argentina beat England 2-1 – in Flannery’s Bar on Camden Street. “I normally watch football at home,” she says, “but this game, I thought it was different – I wanted to be surrounded by Argentinians.

“I think this game meant a lot more to Argentinians than any other game. There was a lot of emotion, it felt culturally heavy. Even though it was just a football match, it meant so much more.”

She is speaking to The Irish Times while making coffee and delivering food in the family’s cafe, Alma, in Dublin 8. Two regulars come in, one orders a traditional Argentinian ‘dulce de leche’ coffee. Politics is quickly dropped for a customer-friendly catch-up.

In a separate Argentinian-owned cafe in Dublin 8, Bakeology, Manuel Gutiérrez Arana similarly alludes to the political tensions present on the pitch. “You know, we have a ‘special’ relationship with England, too,” he says, raising both eyebrows.

After the final whistle, several Argentinian players were seen on the pitch holding a banner that read “Las Malvinas son argentinas” (“The Falkland Islands are Argentinian”). A land dispute over the small archipelago in the South Atlantic sparked a two-month war between Argentina and the UK in 1982, culminating in a combined death toll of nearly 1,000.

‘Malvinas are Argentinian’: World Cup holders celebrate win over England with Falklands banner

“We’re all humans and we need to love each other,” Arana says, “at the same time, whenever we play against Brazil or England, those are games with a special rivalry. It’s impossible not to think about it; you just feel it.”

The feeling of national pride is not limited to football matches – in Bakeology, it seeps into nearly every item on the menu. “It’s all Argentinian,” says owner Benjamín Pugliese. “The only not Argentinian thing is the croissant, but we don’t bake them here.”

Pugliese comes from a small town, San Carlos de Bariloche in the foothills of the Patagonian mountains, and attended “Colegio San Patricio” (St Patrick’s College) for primary and secondary school.

“They talked about Ireland a lot in school,” he says, “the history, the culture. We celebrated St Patrick’s Day with a huge concert every year.”

Does he have any fun facts or interesting anecdotes off the top of his head? “No, I don’t remember. God, that was over 20 years ago,” he laughs.

Argentina will take on Spain in the World Cup final this Sunday, and the few proud Argentinians in Dublin hope “the luck of the Irish” will carry them to victory.

Are Ireland deservedly underdogs or are we gearing up for another famous win on Kiwi soil?

Produced by John Casey.

You stop seeing the situation as it is and start seeing it as you need it to be. Protecting against that is about staying self-aware enough to catch yourself doing it, which can be tough.

Self-awareness is one of the more undervalued qualities a person can have in sport or in life. We, the media and the supporters, and I include myself in this, are in danger of wanting something out of Andy Farrell’s team that may not be there, rather than enjoying them for what they are today.

Ireland beat Japan 36-20 in Newcastle, Australia. Two from two, bonus points secured, top of the group heading into New Zealand on Saturday. Yet you would struggle to find anyone who came away satisfied. The performance was flat. The set piece misfired badly, and it was that, more than anything Japan conjured, that kept the Brave Blossoms in the contest.

Ireland underperformed. Japan never really stretched the Irish defence. So here is where self-awareness must do some work. It would be easy, satisfying even, to reach for one of two ready-made narratives: either everything is fine because we won or everything is wrong because we didn’t win well. The answer sits somewhere in between.

Infectious joy of Ireland’s new quartet outshines laboured win over Japan

My first handful of international caps came in games that were tricky; awkward, disjointed displays on the kind of afternoon where you are simply trying to make a fist of it. That is the lot of a Test debutant, and it can be applied just as much to those trying to rediscover their international pedigree.

Look at Jacob Stockdale against Japan. Did the ball come? Not really. When a decent pass didn’t arrive, there was very little he could do. Ciarán Frawley will look at it as an opportunity missed. I had suggested he could be the ideal fit, but his lack of recent game time at 10 showed.

He was at the mercy of what was happening around him rather than being able to dictate. A stuttering set piece does not lend itself to a controlled afternoon for an outhalf. The irony is that Harry Byrne looked immediately comfortable on his introduction.

The sooner Frawley gets his teeth into the 10 jersey out west, the better. Importantly, he got a show of faith, but rather than being freed by it, you could see the desperation in how much he wanted to impress. The backing is there, so he has time to repay it over the next 12 months.

There were good individual performances scattered through the side, but the combinations didn’t fire. Those are different things, and that difference is important. The set piece is a huge issue. You cannot beat New Zealand with a malfunctioning lineout and a scrum that concedes penalties.

Japan competed and disrupted, but Ireland’s misthrows were punitive. The immediate task is not tactical sophistication; it is simply winning the ball. Crooked throws, timing, the mechanics are within Ireland’s control. No panic, just get it sorted. A lot of Ireland’s attack is built on its function.

There are a few truisms for critics. Ireland doesn’t have the playing population of some of our rivals. Farrell selects to win. Rotation, like the Japan match, is rare. Opportunities to impress are few and far between. Why? Because the success of Irish rugby is dependent on results, which drive revenue.

Ireland sits atop of the group on 10 points. Regardless of the result this weekend that has put them in a position to compete for the Nations Championship at the end of the year.

With that context, we should always be careful about the questions we ask, because we may not like or appreciate the answers. This tour is an exercise in the next-man-up philosophy and has showcased the depth we have and the glitches that can come with experimentation.

The New Zealand game is the ultimate benchmark. There are no excuses available, no heavy rotation, no rawness, no unfamiliarity to hide behind. The All Blacks are building something specific. Dave Rennie has handed the outhalf jersey to Ruben Love, a 25-year-old with barely a handful of caps, picked purely on form ahead of Beauden Barrett and Damian McKenzie.

Love’s instinct is to attack. It is a point of difference, and he is the meat in a Hurricanes sandwich with Cam Roigard and Jordie Barrett. Look at their back three and playmaking options – Love, McKenzie, the Barretts and Will Jordan – and you see four or five players capable of blowing a game open.

Stylistically, it is the type of examination Ireland finds hardest. We are a reasonably conservative side, orthodox in exits from our 22, conventional kick/run options in the middle third of the field and a largely structured game.

Ireland visit to All Blacks fortress could be start of something special

New Zealand are the opposite: high tempo, play to width, ball moved away from the breakdown at lightning speed. No one waits for Roigard. If he’s not there, someone else whips the ball away. The team is geared to move it away from the contact point, to keep it alive and let the picture form organically.

That is precisely the type of rugby with which we have struggled historically. Give us the heavy, upfront confrontation of South Africa, England or Argentina and, for whatever reason, aside from the occasional blip, we manage it well. Give us a team that plays at pace and keeps the ball alive, and we have often flattered to deceive.

We will want a performance, a positive result, despite coming off a long season and playing a fresher New Zealand group of players in their own backyard. We should want those things. But whatever comes, the scrutiny that follows must be proportionate to how the game was; not to what we wanted it to be.

If Ireland go close, that tells us something real. If they don’t, that tells us something too. Either way, the value is in reading it honestly. You would never bet against a Farrell side finding a performance from somewhere. They have made a habit of delivering the ones you don’t see coming.

The odds are stacked against them. That is exactly why it is worth watching carefully. For what it is, not what we want it to be.