Eimear Gannon (centre) arrives at Dublin airport with her medals and the rest of the Irish Special Olympics team. Team Ireland won 86 medals across 12 sports at the Abu Dhabi games. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw/The Irish Times

Images of the Day

Waterways Ireland has warned the public to be on the alert for a "large invasive rodent" species spotted on the Royal Canal in Dublin. It is coypu and is a semi-aquatic rat-like creature. Photograph: Schellhorn/Ullstein Bild via Getty

Images of the day

ROCK YOUR SOCKS: Garda Jean Tierney, Garda Fergus Collins and Sgt David Scahill from the Tullamore Community Policing Unit, who are taking part in the Rock Your Socks Campaign for Offaly Down Syndrome, meet Chloe Crombie (3) to mark World Down Syndrome Day on March 21st. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho

Images of the Day

CYCLONE IDAI: People dig with their bare hands for a boy who was buried in mud during a landslide after Cyclone Idai in Chimanimani, about 600km southeast of Harare, Zimbabwe. Unknown hundreds of people are thought to be missing. Photograph: Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi/AP Photo

Images of the Day

TEENAGERS KILLED: Forensic police outside the Greenvale Hotel nightclub in Cookstown, Co Tyrone after a 17-year-old girl and two boys aged 16 and 17 died in a crushing incident outside a St Patrick's Day party being held at the hotel. Photograph: Charles McQuillan/Getty Images

Images of the Day

SORROW IN CHRISTCHURCH: Residents cry after leaving flowers in tribute to victims in Christchurch, New Zealand, two days after a massacre was perpetrated at two mosques in the city, leaving at least 50 dead. A suspect has been charged. Photograph: Anthony Wallace/AFP/Getty Images

Images of the Weekend

St. Patrick's Festival Parade, Dublin. Lianna Collins aged 2 from Crumlin. Photo: Tom Honan for The Irish Times.

St Patrick's Day Festivities

Jonathan Davies of Wales celebrates winning the Grand Slam and Six Nations Championship. Photo: Dan Mullan/Getty Images

In Pictures: Wales 25 Ireland 7

Selfridges Birmingham, at the Bullring is lit green by Tourism Ireland to celebrate St Patrick's Day. Photo Lucy Ray/PA Wire

Global Greening

CLIMATE MARCH: Thousands of Irish students joined the global March for Climate Change. Dublin's version travelled from St Stephen's Green to the Dáil on Friday. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw/The Irish Times

Images of the Week

March for Climate Change which went from Stephen's Green to The Dail. Photograph Nick Bradshaw for The Irish Times

Fridays for Future Climate Change Protests

Nico de Boinville celebrates on Pentland Hills after winning the JCB Triumph Hurdle. Photo: Reuters/Paul Childs

In Pictures: Gold Cup Day

A minute of silence for the victims is held, after the announcement of the decision whether to charge soldiers involved in the Bloody Sunday events, in Derry. One former British soldier will be prosecuted for murder and attempted murder. Photograph: Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters

Images of the Day

Horse Racing - Cheltenham Festival - Cheltenham Racecourse, Cheltenham, Britain - March 14, 2019 Bryony Frost celebrates on Frodon after winning the 2.50 Ryanair Chase REUTERS/Eddie Keogh

In Pictures: Cheltenham Day Three

SCHOOL COLLAPSE: Men carry a boy who was rescued at the site of a collapsed building containing a school in Lagos, Nigeria. Photograph: Temilade Adelaja/Reuters

Images of the Day

Horse Racing - Cheltenham Festival - Cheltenham Racecourse, Cheltenham, Britain - March 13, 2019 Altior ridden by Nico de Boinville in action before winning the 3.30 Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs

In Pictures: Cheltenham Day Two

EYE OF THE STORM: Thomas Traversa of France performs at the Red Bull Storm Chase at Magheroarty, Donegal. Photograph: Sebastian Marko/Inpho

Images of the Day

Rugby Walsh falls from Benie Des Dieux. Photograph: Dan Sheridan/Inpho

In Pictures: Cheltenham Day One

CHILD'S PLAY: Taoiseach Leo Varadkar goofs about with Minister for Children Dr Katherine Zappone and Sam Lafferty-Kivlehan (15 months), from Dublin, at the launch of the National Childcare Scheme at the Department of Children in Dublin. Photograph: Tom Honan

Images of the Day

ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES CRASH: World Food Programme deputy chief engineer Michael Ryan, from Co Clare, who was killed when an Ethiopian Airlines plane crashed seconds after take-off in Addis Ababa.

Images of the Weekend

Elyse Horan and Finola Connor celebrate their wedding and International Women's Day in Dublin. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw/The Irish Times

Images of the Week

A Filipino teen girl shouts slogans during a rally marking International Women's Day in Manila, Philippines, 8 March 2019. International Women's Day (IWD) is a global day that celebrates women's achievements socially, economically, culturally and politically and also an invitation for all elements of society to accelerate gender equality. EPA/FRANCIS R. MALASIG

International Womens Day around the World

Students from Mary Immaculate College in Dublin perform at the National Dance Intervarsities at the National Stadium. Dance societies from 12 universities and colleges around the country will compete in five categories: Irish dancing, contemporary, hip hop, jazz and mixed. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw/The Irish Times

Images of the Day

DASH FOR THE ASH: Padraig Divilly receives ashes from Fr Paddy Mooney as his dogs Penny and Misty look on at the Ash Wednesday drive-thru at St Patrick's Church in Glenamaddy, Co Galway. Photograph: Andy Newman

Images of the Day

SECRET SALE: Jack & Jill foundation chief executive Carmel Doyle, 19-month-old Leo Johnston, his mother Joan (from Goatstown) and designer Paul Costelloe at the launch of Incognito, a secret art sale in aid of the charity. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw

Images of the Day

MOBBED UPON RETURN: Venezuelan opposition leader and self-proclaimed acting president Juan Guaido waves during a rally upon his arrival in Caracas. He was mobbed as he returned to the city, defying the threat of arrest from President Nicolas Maduro's regime. Photograph: Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP/Getty

Images of the Day

DRIVEN SNOW: Snow begins to fall on a road in Athy, Co Kildare. Photograph: Laura Hutton/The Irish Times

Images of the Weekend

Clara Murphy, Bridget Harrington and Ella Murphy enjoy the snow at Dunboyne, Co Meath. Photograph: Alan Betson/The Irish Times

Storm Freya gallery - a view of the weather from across the country

Cattle on the outskirts of Kilkenny look on as mist swirls and daffodils bloom. Photograph Nick Bradshaw/The Irish Times

Images of the Day

Timothy Lambe of CBS Roscommon celebrates the final whistle against Coláiste Iognáid in the Top Oil Connacht Schools Senior A semi-final at Creggs Rugby Football Club, Co Galway. Photograph: Oisin Keniry/INPHO

Images of the Day

Talent Summit 2019 at the Convention Centre Dublin: Guest speaker Monica Lewinsky pictured in conversation with Robert MacGiolla Phadraig. Photograph: Bryan Brophy

Images of the Day

LIMERICK LADS: Declan Hannon (centre), captain of the 2018 senior all-Ireland hurling champions, with his Limerick team-mates at Áras an Uachtaráin for a reception hosted by President Michael D Higgins

Images of the Day

LOSING YOUR HEAD: The crypts at St Michan’s Church in Dublin will be forced to close “for the foreseeable future” after they were vandalised and the head of an 800-year-old mummy, known as the Crusader, was stolen. Archdeacon David Pierpoint is pictured at the crypt. Photograph: Tom Honan/The Irish Times

Images of the Day

Ireland fans cheer on the side during the Six Nations match between Italy and Ireland at Stadio Olimpico in Rome. Photograph: Paolo Bruno/Getty Images

Images of the Weekend

Daniel Gilligan and Ronan Daly from the Trinity History team celebrate. Ninety-eight teams and more than 300 contestants entered the debate this year. Photograph: James Forde/The Irish Times

The Irish Times Debate grand final

The Funeral of John "Whacker" Humphrey, scourge of inner city 1990s drug dealers and a founder of Concerned Parents Against Drugs. Photograph Nick Bradshaw for The Irish Times

Images of the Day

ON THE BRINK: People view the coastal erosion damage to Gráinne Hennigan's house on Portrane Beach in north Co Dublin this afternoon. The house began to collapse earlier this week. Photograph: Laura Hutton/The Irish Times

Images of the Day

BANDAGE UP: British prime minister Theresa May is welcomed by European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker ahead of a meeting on Brexit in Brussels. Photograph: Stephanie Lecocq/EPA

Images of the Day

Irish fashion designer Louise Kennedy launches her new spring-summer 2019 collection at Ballyfin Demesne, Co Laois. Photograph: Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland

Images of the Day

Karl Lagerfeld appears at the end of his Spring/Summer women's ready-to-wear fashion show for Chanel during Paris Fashion Week in October 2012. Photograph: Charles Platiau/Reuters

Karl Lagerfeld: A life in pictures

Annalise O'Leary, 1 year and 10 months, among the daffodils in Fairview Park, Dublin 3. Photograph: Tom Honan/The Irish Times.

Images of the Day

PIT CREW: NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series driver Bryan Dauzat (28) hits a member of his crew in the pits during the NextEra Energy 250 at Daytona International Speedway in Florida, US. Photograph: Jasen Vinlove/USA Today Sports

Images of the Weekend

Central American migrants try to cross the Rio Bravo, which divides the cities of Eagle Pass, in Texas and Piedras Negras, in Coahuila state, Mexico on February 14, 2019. Around 1,700 migrants traveling in caravan reached the US-Mexican border last week. Photograph: Julio Cesar Aguilar/AFP

In pictures: US/Mexico border

YOUTH STRIKE: A girl looks on as people take part in a youth strike for climate change demonstration in London on February 15th. Photograph: Simon Dawson/Reuters

Images of the Day

Bereft family members at the Stardust memeorial vigil, Artane, Dublin; 48 people died on St Valentine's day, 1981, in a blaze that ripped through the nightclub. Photograph: Donall Farmer

Images of the Day

NURSES' TALKS: General secretary of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, Phil Ní Sheaghdha, applauds her colleagues as a meeting concludes at the Green Isle Hotel in Dublin. After a series of strikes, and threats of further days of action, the INMO is recommending that its members accept a pay deal. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw/The Irish Times

Images of the Day

TRIAL: Catalan separatist leaders appear in court at the start of their trial at Supreme Court in Madrid, Spain, February 12th. Photograph: Emilio Naranjo/Pool/Reuters

Images of the Day

UK VISIT: President Michael D Higgins lays a wreath at the Birmingham bombings memorial at the beginning of an official three-day visit to Britain. Photograph: Aaron Chown/PA Wire

Images of the Day

SPANISH NATIONALISTS: Right-wing protesters wave Spanish flags during a demonstration at Plaza de Colon in Madrid against Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez, for making what they say are concessions to Catalan separatists. Photograph: Pierre-Philippe Marcou/AFP/Getty Images

Images of the Weekend

Nurses and Midwives marching from Parnell Square to Merrion Square in Dublin during a City Centre protest as part of the INMO Nationwide strike to improve pay and staffing levels. Photo: Alan Betson/The irish Times

INMO Protest Rally

Scotland fan Frazer Grant with Ireland fan Sarah Greene. Credit INPHO/James Crombie

Scotland V Ireland

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar greets UK prime mnister Theresa May at the official state guesthouse, Farmleigh House, in Dublin on February 8th Photograph: Maxwell Photography/PA Wire

Images of the Day

Albert Finney as Arthur Seaton in Saturday Night, Sunday Morning, one of his most famous roles. Photograph: BFI Collections

Albert Finney 1936-2019: A life in pictures

STRIKE: Nurses and midwives protest at the entrance to the Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital as part of the INMO Nationwide strike to improve pay and staffing levels. Photograph: Alan Betson/The Irish Times

Images of the Day

GP PROTEST: GPs hold up their stethoscopes during a protest about funding for the health service outside Leinster House in Dublin. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire

Images of the Day

BORDER WORRIES: Prime minister Theresa May speaks with business representatives at the Allstate firm in Belfast about her Brexit plans. Photograph: Liam McBurney/PA Wire

Images of the Day

GET THEM YOUNG: Newly commissioned Defence Forces officers Kimberly King (left) holding Elsie, niece of Leanne Nolan, who is holding her twin sister, Ailbhe, at a commissioning ceremony at Dublin Castle. Photograph Nick Bradshaw/The Irish Times

Images of the Day

SKATE AGAINST SUICIDE: Skateboarders take part in the first Skate Against Suicide event in Fairview Skatepark, Dublin, with support from depression support charity Aware. The intention is to hold this event annually. Photograph: Dara Mac Donaill/The Irish Times

Images of the Weekend

Ireland's Dave Kilcoyne and Quinn Roux at the final whistle. Photo: Tom Honan for The Irish Times.

Ireland V England

EARLY DOORS: England fan Jenny Clayton is seen in Dublin's Temple Bar, ahead of Saturday's Six Nations match between Ireland and England. Photograph: James Forde/The Irish Times

Images of the Week

FUNERAL: The funeral of Micheal Roarty at the Sacred Heart Church in Dunlewey, in Co Donegal. He was one of four young men who died following a road crash in a remote area of north west Co Donegal on Sunday evening. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire

Images of the Day

NURSES' STRIKE: Members of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation stage a picket outside Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown, Dublin. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill/The Irish Times

Images of the Day

STARK ENVIRONS: A walker with child's buggy makes their way through snow in the mountains near Killakee, to the southeast of Dublin. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire

Images of the Day

DONEGAL TRAGEDY: Gardai at the scene of a single-vehicle road incident near a bridge at Meenaclady between Gweedore and Gortahork, Co Donegal, in which four young men lost their lives on Sunday night. Photograph: North West Newspix

Images of the Day

HERE COMES THE SUN: Making the most of some spring-like sunshine on Dollymount Strand on the Bull Island in Dublin. Photograph: Alan Betson/The Irish Times

Images of the Weekend

BIRD ON A WIRE: A Little Egret stands alone in the Booterstown Reserve, Co Dublin. The Little Egret is a small snow-white heron that is a rather recent arrival to Irish waters. They first began breeding in Ireland in 1997 in Co Cork and have since spread through the east coast of Ireland. Photograph: Cyril Byrne

Images of the Day

CRYING GAME: King's Hospital's Luke Gilmartin is dejected after his team's match against CBC Monkstown Park in the Vinnie Murray Cup, in Donnybrook, Dublin. Photograph: INPHO/Oisin Keniry

Images of the Day

DAVOS: U2 frontman Bono (centre) faces Rwanda's president Paul Kagame (left) and International Monetary Fund (IMF) managing director Christine Lagarde during a session at the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting, on January 23rd in Davos, Switzerland. Photograph: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty

Images of the Day

VERDICT OF MISADVENTURE: A tearful Kathleen Lynch leaves the Coroner's Court at Store Street, Dublin, after a verdict of misadventure was returned by the jury at the inquest into the deaths of 10 people, including members of her family, in a fire at a Dublin halting site at Carrickmines in October 2015. Photograph: Tom Honan/The Irish Times

Images of the Day

Ceremonial commemoration of the centenary of Dail Eireann's inaugural meeting. Photograph: Maxwell

Images of the Day

The moon at Dún Laoghaire East Pier at 5am on Monday morning. Photograph: Enda Magee

Super blood moon across the world: In pictures

TRADFEST:John Sheahan of The Dubliners joined by young music fans Kate Mulcahy and Lily Bourke, both from Donabate, ahead of the 2019 TradFest, which starts on January 23rd in Dublin. Photograph: Dara Mac Donaill/The Irish Times

Images of the Weekend

KING'S CHOIR:Daniel Ohoka, Ella Giles, Sofia-Rose Deeleman and Andreï Zündel, members of The King's Hospital school chapel choir sing from the nave of St Patrick's Cathedral as pupils, staff and families arrive for a Service of Celebration to mark the 350th anniversary of the school. Photograph: Alan Betson/The Irish Times

Images of the Day

Ashling Cronin from St Mary's in Mallow working in a chemical engineering lab at the CIT IWISH Campus week in the Cork Institute of Technology, Bishopstown campus. Photograph: Darragh Kane

Images of the Day

PICK OF THE LITTER: Caoimhe Mc Sweeney and Caoimhe Ní Bheara pictured with their piece as part of a primary school art initiative to highlight marine litter. Photograph: Clare Keogh

Images of the Day

US president Donald Trump talks to the media about the table full of fast food in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington for the reception for the Clemson Tigers. Photograph: Susan Walsh/AP

Images of the Day

Dawn Croke's final journey from St Crona's Church in Dungloe. Photograph: North West Newspix

Images of the Day

Miniature daffodils blooming at our house in Inishowen, Donegal. Photograph: Steven Barry

Ireland in bloom: your pictures from Ireland's mild winter

DEMONSTRATION: More than 100 people gathered at Gurteen post office on Sunday morning, Janauary 13th, for a show of support for the campaign against the closure of the outlet in the Co Sligo town. Photograph: Brian Farrell/The Irish Times

Images of the Weekend

EVICTION: The Halting site on the Balgaddy Road, Clondalkin, where the resident travel families are facing eviction from the site. Council officials (right) in discussion with resident's of the site. Photograph Nick Bradshaw/The Irish Times

Images of the Week

VIRTUAL REALITY: Rose Martin, St Fiachra's Beaumont; Naoise Clarke Carr, Ratoath College, and Helena Lund, Ratoath College, enjoying the virtual reality display at the BT Young Scientist and Technology exhibition. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw for The Irish Times

Images of the Day

BT Young Scientist & Technologist Award winner for 2019 Adam Kelly from Skerries Community College, Co Dublin for his project "Optimizing The Simulation Of General Quantum Circuits" in the Chemical, Physical & Mathematical Sciences Senior Individual Category at the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition 2019 in the RDS Dublin. Adam wins a Perpetual Trophy, a cheque for Eur7500 and will represent Ireland at the 31th European Union Contest for Young Scientists in Sofia, Bulgaria in September. Byline Chris Bellew / Fennell Photography

BT Young Scientist & Technologist of the Year 2019

PENDULUM: Actor Colin Farrell on stage at the Pendulum Summit in Dublin. About 3,000 attended the opening day of the business-themed motivational conference at the Convention Centre on Wednesday. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw/The Irish Times

Images of the Day

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST: Guanhui Lui (6) at the announcement of the programme for Dublin Chinese New Year Festival 2019, in the Year of the Pig. According to the Chinese zodiac, the Year of the Earth Pig is a year of fortune and luck. The festival runs from February 1st to 17th. Photograph: Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland

Images of the Day

The Whiddy Island oil terminal disaster happened in Bantry Bay, west Cork, in the early hours of January 8th, 1979. Fifty people died after a fire and explosion on the French tanker Betelgeuse, berthed at the Gulf Oil terminal on the island. Photograph: Paddy Whelan

The Whiddy Island disaster - 40 years on

ULSTER'S OPPORTUNITY: Birds scatter as the sun sets in front of the statue of Sir Edward Carson at Stormont in Belfast. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire

Images of the Day

The scene of the fire on Bray main street this morning where Wicklow County firefighters were busy trying to control a blaze. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw/The Irish Times

Images of the Day

Fiann Fail leader Micheal Martin and former taoiseach Brian Cowen at the funeral of Mark Killilea. Photograph: Hany Marzouk

Images of the Day

ZERO GRAVITY: Tommy Horkan (11), of Mount Merrion, Dublin, defies gravity at Explorium, a sport and science centre in Sandyford, Dublin, which opened last week. The facility includes more than 300 interactive exhibits. Photograph: Robbie Reynolds

Images of the Day

DIVE IN: The 2019 New Year's Day Sea Swim by Bray Lions Club. A large crowd support the swimmers who braved the elements and chilly sea temperatures on Bray Seafront to raise funds for local charities. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw/The Irish Times

Images of New Years Day

Fireworks explode over the harbour and the Sydney Harbour Bridge landmark during New Year's celebrations in Sydney, Australia. EPA/BRENDAN ESPOSITO

New Years Celebrations around the World

BEAUTIFUL, BOTH: Mirror, mirror? A synchronised pair of swans, which have both been tagged, take off in Dublin at the weekend. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw/The Irish Times

Images of the Weekend

OUT IN FRONT: Sharjah, ridden by Patrick Mullins, jumps the last to win the Ryanair Hurdle on day four of the Leopardstown Christmas Festival at Leopardstown Racecourse in Dublin. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire

Racing at Leopardstown

People visit illuminated ice sculptures at the Ice and Snow World park ahead of the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival, in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, China. Photograph: Reuters

Harbin Ice Snow World in China

HEELS OVER HEAD? Bacardys, ridden by Ruby Walsh, and Borderline Chatho, ridden by Donagh Meyler, tumble at the last during The Ballymaloe Foods Beginners Steeplechase on day three of the Leopardstown Christmas Festival at Leopardstown Racecourse. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire

Images of the Day

AT THE RACES: Punters look on during the third race of the day at Leopardstown Racecourse. Photograph: Donall Farmer/The Irish Times

Images of the Day