Publication
The incredible story of missing Patsy, his secret life and how a carer and niece solved a mystery
Nikki Aldridge ran to her phone and frantically called her mother. She was struggling to take in what she had just learned and was desperate for someone in the family to shed some light on what was happening. “Did you know Pat has been a missing...
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Gardaí pay €800k settlement over members renting out 50 properties
An Garda Síochána had to pay a tax settlement to Revenue of around €800,000 after it emerged that around 50 State-owned properties were being rented to garda members below the market rate. The force still has “matters to attend to” with Revenue on the...
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RTÉ fury as Coalition hints at tougher stance on redundancy
● The Government has left it open to RTÉ to force workers to leave their jobs to reach its staff reduction target. The national broadcaster clashed with the Coalition after having €20m of funding withheld due to the slow pace of reform. Culture...
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€8.5bn buy-off package aims to help ‘squeezed middle’ with soaring costs
The Government has reached for its chequebook in an attempt to stem the tide of discontent over the rising cost of living. Against a backdrop of high fuel prices, inflation and threats of strike action, the Government announced a tax and spending...
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Couples will be €1,500 better off after income tax package in Budget
A working couple will be €1,500 better off under an income-tax package aimed at wooing middle-income families to be announced in today’s budget. A last-minute surprise agreed late last night between the coalition party leaders will mean personal tax...
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Financial risk, 3am flights and ‘frazzled’ hair – Irish model on reality behind the glamour
When she bought her first Guess bag as a youngster, Lauren Simmons had no idea she would one day meet the fashion brand’s co-founder Paul Marciano. The 27-year-old model, from Ardglass, Co Down, was in Lugano, Switzerland, for a three-day shoot for...
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‘When I crack Hollywood, I’ll let you know’ – Derry Girls star Jackson
● In Weekend Magazine, Saoirse-Monica Jackson talks about married life, what makes Irish fashion so unique and staying grounded as her star rises in Hollywood.
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Ahern in talks for mediator role in Drumcree standoff
● Former taoiseach Bertie Ahern has emerged as a possible mediator tasked with breaking the impasse between the Orange Order and the Garvaghy Road residents. As the standoff continues, the British and Irish governments are looking for someone who would...
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Bank to shake up savings market with rate it says is highest on offer
Bankinter, which got a full banking licence in this country last year, is set to shake up the savings market with an interest rate it says is the highest in the market. The bank, which used to be called Avant Money, is introducing a rate of 3.3pc...
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‘AS BUMP GREW, SO DID MY BODY CONFIDENCE’
● Maura Rath with her dog Punta on Bray beach. Before she became pregnant earlier this year, she had a chequered relationship with her body, but says: “When the bump started to grow, my body confidence grew with it. It was like this superwoman energy...
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Standoff continues over Garvaghy Road march
An Orange Order parade is blocked for a seco nd day by police near Drumcree Church, amid protests by residents of the Garvaghy Road in Portadown. Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill was yesterday accused of showing “gross contempt” for...
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IRELAND PLAYERS SHOW HEART IN HEATED TIE
So this is what we are reduced to. At 7.38pm, we see two teams frostily ignoring one another in a long, airy tunnel. No lovely, baritone announcing the big game beforehand in that vaguely flirtatious RTÉ timbre. We’re straight in here, no messing. No...
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U2 back where it all began for 50th
● Adam Clayton and Bono of U2 perform as pupils at Mount Temple Comprehensive School in Dublin watch on. The band formed at the school in 1976 and returned yesterday to celebrate their 50th anniversary, before putting on a Grafton Street show for fans.
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LATE GOAL WOE IN KOSOVO FOR BOYS IN GREEN
● After all the debate about the upcoming games against Israel, it was Kosovo who proved a more immediate problem for the Republic of Ireland players last night. The Boys in Green lost their opening Nations League group game 1-0 in Pristina. Photo:...
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MAMDANI BOY: NEW YORK MAYOR GREETS TAOISEACH
● Taoiseach Micheál Martin and New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani rode the subway together on the fringes of the UN General Assembly, where they discussed the €19bn MetroLink project and Irish reunification. Mr Mamdani said he hopes to attend an...
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‘PEACEMAKER’ TRUMP THREATENS TO ANNIHILATE IRAN
The police boats’ flashing blue lights lingered on the Hudson near the World War II-era Pepsi-Cola sign as Donald Trump boasted to the UN General Assembly that the dark age of America was over. Stood in front of the green serpentinite podium, the most...
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Doctors urge outright scrambler ban as pedestrian injuries rise
● Senior medics are calling for a ban on scrambler bikes and tougher e-scooter laws amid concerns over the toll on hospitals. New figures show four people died in scrambler or e-scooter incidents last year, including two pedestrians. Of 59 serious...
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IRELAND STUNNED AS USA SEAL COMEBACK WIN IN DUBLIN
● Ireland’s Eve Higgins scores her side’s fourth try in the WXV Global Series at Tallaght Stadium, despite the tackle of Erica Coulibaly of the USA. Ireland suffered a shock defeat as the USA won 40-36. Photo: Stephen McCarthy
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Budget row as Harris and Martin clash on housing
● The Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Housing Minister are locked in a power struggle over crucial plans for housing in the budget. Micheál Martin and Simon Harris are at odds over claims the removal of stamp duty for first-time buyers would not happen....
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Sisterhood and style at Dublin premiere
● Caitríona Balfe and Daisy Edgar-Jones brought a touch of Hollywood glamour to the Irish premiere of their new film ‘Sense and Sensibility’ in Dublin. The film of the classic Jane Austen novel about sisterhood goes on general release from next Friday.
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HEALY-RAE ‘PUNCHED THROUGH CAR WINDOW’ IN DUBLIN
● Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae was hospitalised last night after being attacked in Dublin city centre. The Independent politician was allegedly punched through his car window as he sat in traffic while making his way home from the Dáil.
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FANS FACE ANXIOUS WAIT TO SECURE OASIS TICKETS
● Oasis announced yesterday they will play two shows at Slane Castle in 2027, on September 4 and 5. In a statement, Liam and Noel Gallagher said the tour would be a “sight to behold”. Fans have to register by Thursday for a chance to buy tickets with...
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Martin bids to calm debate on unity ahead of Burnham meeting
Donald Trump is never one for making a quiet entrance – and his arrival at Doonbeg was never going to be any different. The roar of Air Force One could be heard for miles as it made a tight and mind-bendingly low loop over Trump International Hotel...
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Martin braced for high-stakes Oval Office-style Trump meeting
● The Taoiseach is braced for a highstakes Oval Office-style meeting with US president Donald Trump, who will touch down in Dublin today for a whirlwind visit to Ireland. Micheál Martin will host a meeting in Farmleigh House, similar to the Saint...
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ROSIE O’DONNELL URGES COLD WELCOME FOR TRUMP
● US comedian Rosie O’Donnell, who moved to Ireland to get away from Donald Trump, has urged Irish people to come out in force to protest as he visits this weekend.
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IRISH STARS WARM UP FOR HEADLINE ACT AT DOONBEG
● Boxer Michael Conlan, left, and Ireland and Connacht rugby player Bundee Aki, right, play in a pro-am event at Trump International in Doonbeg ahead of the Irish Open, with the US president expected to arrive on Saturday.
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‘TRAITORS’ STAR SIOBHÁN LIGHTS UP RED CARPET
● Siobhán McSweeney looked far more vibrant than she normally does in her bewitching role as host of The Traitors Ireland as she attended Britain’s National Television Awards at the O2 Arena in London yesterday.
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SHANE AND PÁDRAIG READY FOR DOONBEG DRAMA
● Shane Lowry and Pádraig Harrington out on the course at Trump International Golf Links ahead of the Amgen Irish Open in Doonbeg, Co Clare, this week. US president Donald Trump will attend the tournament during his visit to Ireland at the weekend.
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SARANDON: SPEAKING OUT ABOUT PALESTINE COST ME WORK
● Oscar winner Susan Sarandon revealed on the Venice Film Festival red carpet she is losing film work because of her outspoken support for Palestine, despite what she described as a broader shift in public opinion against US support for Israel.
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Katie’s last dance
Rachael Blackmore has never met Katie Taylor. Not once. Not so far. The iconic stories of these two Irishwomen streaked across the same sky for years during which there were variations of the same question: how far can a sportswoman go in a world...
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WICKLOW TEEN DIES IN ICELAND CRASH
● An Irish teenager who died in a car accident in Iceland earlier this week has been named as Hannah Jane Large, an 18-year-old from Greystones in Co Wicklow. She was one of three young people who lost their lives when their car veered off the road...
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CLOONEY’S CAREER GETS VENICE SEAL OF APPROVAL
● George Clooney and his wife Amal attend a premiere at the Venice Film Festival in Italy, where the actor also received a lifetime achievement award.
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KATIE HAS EYES ON THE PRIZE AHEAD OF LAST FIGHT
● Katie Taylor arrives at a press conference in The Helix in DCU, Dublin, ahead of her undisputed super-lightweight fight against Flora Pili at Croke Park. Taylor said she was determined to reward fans with an occasion to remember in her final fight...
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‘I GAVE EVERYTHING I HAD’ – MESSI RETIRES FROM INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL
● Argentina captain Lionel Messi announced his retirement from international football yesterday, admitting he had given everything he had and “it was a decision that hurt”. The forward, who led his national team to victory in the 2022 World Cup, is...
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MAYO FOOTBALL HEROES A CLASS ACT AT STRADBALLY
Aoife Rooney: Why nothing is more important than toilet roll at Electric Picnic,
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‘You can have a big following on Instagram – it doesn’t mean you’re a good comedian’
● In Weekend Magazine, comedian Kyla Cobbler talks about her journey to becoming a stand-up, learning from a coercive relationship, her desire to become a mother, and how her first encounter with death taught her to grab all of life’s opportunities.
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OVER 360 DEAD AS NEPAL AND CHINA WARN OF FURTHER FLOODS RISK
● A woman weeps as she waits for news of a missing family member after the floods in Nepal. Lakes on either side of the Nepal-China border may burst and bring more devastation, authorities are warning.
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Two Irish among hundreds missing in Nepal flooding
● Two Irish citizens are among hundreds of missing people in Nepal after flash floods triggered landslides in the Rasuwa region, killing more than 150 people. The Irish were part of a tour group on a nine-day tour to Mount Kailash and were crossing...
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Gardaí ‘stretched to limit’ as bill for overtime soars
● Officers now earning an average of €95,353 a year ● GRA says costs down to force being stretched ● Opposition hits out at ‘chaotic’ situation
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Hurling and camogie stars raise funds for cancer research
● Cork camogie great Ashling Thompson takes a photo with fans after last night’s Hurling for Cancer Research charity match. Some of the biggest names in hurling and camogie, as well celebrities and sport stars, turned out for the yearly event to help...
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Families campaign for funding approval for drug
● Friedreich’s ataxia campaigners, including Emily Felix (centre) and Niamh Ní Hoireabhaird (left) protest in Dublin yesterday to push for the approval of funding for the drug Skyclarys here.
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Thousands of €300,000 doctors not working new Saturday shift
● Just one in seven hospital consultants on new publiconly contracts worth up to €340,000 a year are working rostered Saturday shifts rather than just being on call, according to the latest figures. The figures come as winter approaches and after...
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Public order units to police M9 crash gang funerals
The Garda Public Order Unit will form part of the security operation for the funerals of five teenagers killed when they drove the wrong way down the M9 and collided with an oncoming car in which three women and a young boy were seriously injured. A...
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Thousands of homeowners in 60s now at risk of eviction
● Thousands of people in their 60s risk being evicted from their homes because they are unable to meet the repayments on their mortgages. Leading personal insolvency expert Mitchell O’Brien says the State should set up a fund to buy the distressed...
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M9 gang leader was banned from leaving his own county
● The 17-year-old considered the main player in the gang involved in the horrific killer crash on the M9 on Sunday was on bail and banned from leaving his county. Kamil Pustkowski, one of five teenagers who died in the smash, was facing multiple...
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Crash teens posted videos of themselves during garda chases
● At least three of the youths killed on the M9 in Kildare after ploughing into an oncoming car had previously bragged online about evading gardaí by driving on the wrong side of motorways. The five youths were in a BMW gardaí suspect was linked to a...
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School-age boys among five dead in wrong-way carnage
● Juveniles aged 14 to 16 died in stolen car linked to earlier ‘Lucky Dip’ burglary attempts ● One of the dead boys arrested last month after motorcyclist was driven over by stolen truck ● Three women and child (7) injured in second car were driving...
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Ministers to push ahead with September fuel hike
● Increases to taxes charged on fuel take effect on September 1, in a move that will push diesel above €2 a litre. However, it is understood a series of hikes in the coming months are likely to be stalled. Petrol will increase by 11c and diesel by 12c...
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GLITTERING GOLD AND SPARKLING SILVER ON HISTORIC NIGHT FOR IRISH SPORT
● On a remarkable night for Irish athletics, Mark English and Rhasidat Adeleke turned in sensational performances in the men’s 800m and women’s 200m European Championship finals to take gold and silver medals for Ireland.
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SOLAR FLAIR AS EUROPE MARVELS AT ECLIPSE LIGHT SHOW
● The moon completely covers the sun during the total solar eclipse yesterday, as seen from the Javalambre Astrophysical Observatory in Teruel, eastern Spain. In Ireland, crowds gathered in the Phoenix Park, Dublin, and elsewhere to experience a...
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McCLEAN’S ALL SMILES AMID DERRY DRAMA
● Step aside Derry Girls, writes David Kelly, as Derry City’s boys could inspire a TV comedy of their own in the wake of James McClean turning up for an open day yesterday at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium, despite his club apparently trying to...
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DESPERATE HUNT FOR SURVIVORS IN COLOMBIA
● At least 111 people have died and many more are missing after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake hit Colombia’s Choco province yesterday. President Abelardo de la Espriella reported the fatalities, with the number of deaths likely to rise. Rescue personnel...
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REBEL YELL AS CORK WIN ALL-IRELAND CAMOGIE CROWN
Girls in red left Croke Park dreaming of emulating their Cork camogie heroes, who played their hearts out to win by 2-14 to 0-19 against hard-working Galway. They celebrated yesterday with their brothers, mothers and fathers, at a record crowd for a...
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Grocery price shock as cost of staples to soar in autumn
● Bread, beer, egg and meat prices will soar this autumn as the Irish harvest is hit by a perfect storm of environmental and global economic factors. The Iran and Ukraine wars, US president Donald Trump’s trade policies, oil prices and record...
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‘NO TEARS, NO SADNESS, NO FUSS’ AS ACTOR BRENDA FRICKER LAID TO REST
● Family, friends, neighbours and figures from stage and screen gathered in Dublin’s Liberties yesterday to bid farewell to Oscar-winning actor Brenda Fricker (81). The service heard she had left instructions for “no tears, no sadness, no fuss” and...
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SCRUBBING UP FOR THE BIG MOMENT IN THE SPOTLIGHT
● Maria McNamara washes Shanbally Pippalo Pat before the horse goes out to perform on the first day of the Gallagher Dublin Horse Show. It was just one of the many jobs behind the scenes at the RDS carried out by hundreds of staff.
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MAIRE’S TEARS FOR GLEN
● Maire Saaritsa, Glen Hansard’s wife (above), spoke emotionally at his funeral, recalling the quiet life they shared in search of “truth and beauty”. She told the crowd of mourners their son Christy had “inherited his bright spirit”.
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THOUSANDS WELCOME ALL-IRELAND CHAMPIONS GALWAY
● Captain of the All-Ireland-winning Galway ladies football team Kate Geraghty shows off the Brendan Martin Cup with her mother Ann and sisters Laura and Caroline at a homecoming event for the team in Tuam Stadium.
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Aviation chiefs among 19 CEOs of semi-states granted pay rises
● Aviation chiefs have secured substantial pay rises, with Public Expenditure Minister Jack Chambers signing off on increases for the heads of the Irish Aviation Authority, AirNav Ireland and DAA. The three packages form part of a wider round of...
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Emergency cash raided to cover €500m cost of extra pay day
● An additional public service pay day this year will cost the Exchequer €500m and is being funded from a €1bn emergency reserve. The year starts and finishes on a Thursday, creating a 53rd payroll day. The Government has taken the funds from a €1bn...
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SONGS OF PRAISE: BUSKERS PLAY FOR GLEN HANSARD
● Hundreds of people gathered as musicians busked in front of Glen Hansard’s guitar to pay tribute to the beloved late singer at the Luke Kelly statue on King Street South in Dublin.
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‘A force of nature’
Isaw The Frames more than any other band in the 1990s, but one gig stands out. It was at Dublin’s Olympia and, for close to two hours, Glen Hansard bared his soul. As the gig neared its end, he left the stage, microphone in hand, grabbed the rigging...
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HOLD ON TO YOUR HATS AT BLUSTERY BALLYBRIT
● Racegoer Savannah Bergin from Moycullen, Co Galway, during day two of the Galway Races at Ballybrit Racecourse. It was a case of hold on to your hats as fashion lovers displayed flair and glamour despite the windy conditions.
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Jamey’s boyfriend could go on trial in his native Jordan
● Jordanian authorities can pursue a domestic prosecution over the killing of US mother-of-one Jamey Carney, despite the fact that her murder occurred in Ireland. Two senior gardaí travelled to Jordan’s capital Amman to liaise with its Directorate of...
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Mayo’s moment of magic
For many Mayo supporters, yesterday’s All-Ireland final was not just a long-awaited victory, but a day filled with memories of those who never lived to see it. As the county finally ended a 75-year wait for Sam Maguire, countless fans spoke of parents,...
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Hundreds of Help to Buy recipients forced to pay back cash
The Irish Independent understands some firsttime buyers take a chance when applying for the scheme by failing to declare they already own property.
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Anger as findings of Aughinish investigation won’t be released
● Taoiseach Micheál Martin meets local residents during a visit to a district of Kyiv damaged by Russian bombs. As Mr Martin completed his trip to Ukraine, the Government was criticised after it was confirmed it would not release the full findings of...
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FIREFIGHTERS BATTLE TO CONTAIN SLIEVENAMON BLAZE
● An aerial support unit dumps water on a large blaze that has been burning for three days at Slievenamon mountain in Tipperary. Fire services are hopeful it is under control, though it spread yesterday to a nearby Coillte forest.
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BIG DAY OUT FOR THE LITTLE BOYS IN BLUE
● Little Axel Horgan (4), from Listowel, Co Kerry, was one of dozens of children made honorary gardaí at Templemore Garda College by the Little Blue Heroes Foundation, a charity set up by members of the force. Axel is pictured with ‘Garda buddy’ Shifra...
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JUBILANT FANS WELCOME HOME TREATY HEROES
● Limerick captain Cian Lynch, left, and manager John Kiely show the Liam MacCarthy Cup to the crowds who packed out Pery Square in Limerick city yesterday to welcome home the All-Ireland hurling champions. Photo: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
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HSE is accused of ‘runaway spending’ on agency workers
● “Runaway spending” on agency staff in the health sector is raising the prospect of another supplementary estimate being needed this year. Fresh figures show €279.9m was spent on outside agencies in the health sector in the first four months of this...
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Shake-up of inheritance tax planned for budget
● A major shake-up of inheritance tax is planned for the budget, with changes being considered to rates and value threshold. Public Expenditure Minister Jack Chambers told the Irish Independent the issue is important for “people who want to hand...
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Dublin Bay-watch – the team keeping Dollymount safe
● It’s a hot, sunny afternoon on Dollymount Strand. Lifeguards Jakub Kolodziejek and Alexandre Figueredo Candido scan the shoreline from their red-and-yellow hut. From the raised lookout spot, they keep an eye on the beach. Their all-terrain vehicle is...
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HEARTBREAK FOR ENGLAND AS ARGENTINA ROAR BACK
● Lionel Messi hugs Harry Kane at the end of the World Cup semi-final in Atlanta after Argentina staged a dramatic comeback to snatch a 2-1 win over England in the 92nd minute of the match. Argentina now play Spain i n the final on Sunday.
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EU presidency delays garda plan for e-scooter crackdown
● Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly has admitted it is “not realistic” that all frontline gardaí could be trained in pursuits of vehicles including scramblers and e-scooters until after the EU presidency. It comes as both Taoiseach Micheál Martin and the...
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