Ashford Studios, County Wicklow — the production’s core build space powering new sets and “the Link” courtyard; impact: Netflix scale without losing Tim Burton mood. Charleville Castle, County Offaly — Nevermore’s haunting heart with real Gothic bones; impact: continuity with Season 1’s academy vibe while leveling up interiors. Tie in Powerscourt, Charleville Castle, and Trinity College with Dublin overnights and you’ve got a legit weekend plan fans can price. Media coverage of Powerscourt, Charleville Castle, and Deansgrange keeps surfacing — so viewers start planning, not just watching. 1) Local notices around County Wicklow activity spikes — tourism boards highlighting Ashford-area capacity and temporary road advisories signal set builds are warming up.

Photograph: Irish RailTrain services between Dublin and Cork will double at peak times within the next three to five years, Irish Rail has said. The moves are part of a much larger proposal to improve the frequency and speed of trains on all Intercity services countrywide and, ultimately, electrify them. Irish Rail has embarked on a €5.2 million package of studies to determine how, when and at what cost the improvements can be made. “Over the next 10 to 15 years, there’s going to be substantial changes,” said Irish Rail head of business transformation, Michael Power. Using the PPP model would be a first for Irish Rail, unlike Luas, which a private operator runs.

An unnamed Tibetan monk has told the High Court he left China for political reasons. A Tibetan monk seeking asylum in Ireland is challenging the State’s refusal to allow him remain in the country, claiming he fears he will be “persecuted and tortured” in China. As a Tibetan monk, he said he is a symbol of “the Tibetan root of religion and culture”. In April, he was granted leave by the High Court to challenge Ipat’s rejection of his application, which was refused under time-limit constraints. The case appeared before Ms Justice Siobhán Phelan on Friday at the High Court, where she adjourned the matter to next week for an update.

New Insurtech Accelerator Welcomes Promising StartupsOverview of the AnnouncementA recent announcement revealed that a new insurtech accelerator, supported by leading insurance companies, has selected its inaugural cohort of ten startups. Among these startups is a notable company working on a project called the “Sunshine Guarantee,” aimed at enhancing consumer confidence in solar panel installations. Key Players InvolvedThe accelerator is backed by several major insurance players, which underscores a growing interest in the integration of technology within the insurance sector. Highlights of the Sunshine GuaranteeThe Sunshine Guarantee focuses specifically on solar energy solutions, addressing the often-overlooked concerns consumers have regarding solar panel installations. As these startups progress through the accelerator, we may see more innovative solutions that enhance the way insurance interacts with new technologies and customer expectations.

“The situation is serious and I have taken drastic decisions,” said Juanma Moreno, the conservative president of the southern region, on Thursday. The previous day, he had accepted the resignation of healthcare head Rocío Hernández and acknowledged that her department had mismanaged the crisis. About 2,000 women are believed to have undergone screening but were not contacted for further testing despite showing signs suggesting they might require more checks or treatment. In the summer of last year, the president of Amama, an association representing women suffering breast cancer, informed the then head of healthcare of concerns about delays in diagnoses. Labour unions have questioned the local government’s ability to recruit more radiologists as part of its plan, citing the existing shortfall in this area.

Eat Spain Drink Spain has returned this month, taking place across the country and bringing together Ireland’s finest restaurants, retailers, and hospitality venues to present the best of traditional and modern Spanish fare. As part of the celebrations, Cellar 22 will be highlighting Spanish produce with a month-long special offer, a plate of 36 months cured Iberico ham and bruschetta with a glass of Marques del Silvo Reserva, Rioja during October. Make your way upstairs and enjoy staying in one of the stylish guest rooms overlooking St Stephen’s Green with breakfast the following morning. Standing tall at 22 St. Stephen’s Green, one of Dublin’s most prestigious addresses, Townhouse on the Green is a luxe, boutique townhouse hotel with elegant, contemporary and luxurious bedrooms over two floors at the top of this handsome 18th century house. To find out more visit foodswinesfromspain.com | Townhouseonthegreen.ie | cellar22.ieFor your chance to win, simply fill in the form below.

Hungarian author László Krasznahorkai (71) has been awarded this year’s Nobel Prize in Literature “for his compelling and visionary oeuvre that, in the midst of apocalyptic terror, reaffirms the power of art”. What to read The Melancholy of Resistance (1998) A feverish horror fantasy played out in a small Hungarian town. Herscht 07769 (2024) A small town in Germany is afflicted by social anarchy, murder and arson. The novel won the German Bestenliste Prize for the best literary work of the year in 1993 and the author also won Hungary’s highest literary award – the Kossuth Prize. The Nobel Prize, considered the most prestigious literary prize in the world, is worth 11 million Swedish krona (€967,470).

The volume of public-order offending, drunkenness and drug-related crime detected in central Dublin increased significantly after extra Garda resources were put in place six months ago. The high-visibility operation, run from Store Street and Pearse Street Garda stations, has now been reviewed after six months. At the same time, the increased Garda presence in Dublin city centre appears to have deterred some people from engaging in other types of crime. Ms Richardson said Garda numbers are now growing generally and as this continues, more gardaí will be available for street policing. This would allow An Garda Síochána to extend the high-visibility policing initiative to other parts of Dublin and to urban centres across the State.

The situation is “simply not good enough”, the agency said as it threatened to prosecute Uisce Éireann if it is not urgently addressed. An EPA report found that 59 per cent of treatment plants raised concerns, with pollution posing risks to public health and the environment. The agency identified 78 towns, villages and cities that must be prioritised for upgrades and improvements. “The main causes [of failures] are inadequate infrastructure and poor operation and management of treatment plants,” the EPA said. “Too many wastewater treatment plants are failing to meet licence standards due to poor management and maintenance practices.

Independent presidential candidate Catherine Connolly in July said she funded her trip to Syria. Photograph: Dan DennisonPresidential candidate Catherine Connolly used a taxpayer-funded allowance for €3,691 in spending described as related to “Syria” in her statement to the Standards in Public Office Commission (Sipo) for the year 2018. Ms Connolly has previously said it was a “fact-finding” trip. When she was asked in July who funded the visit to Syria, Ms Connolly replied: “I funded that trip.”The PAA is a taxpayer-funded allowance available to political party leaders and Independent TDs in relation to expenses arising from parliamentary activities, including research. The sum on offer to all Independent TDs in 2018 was just over €37,000.

Address : 28 Sandycove Avenue West, Sandycove, Co Dublin Price : €1,575,000 Agent : Crawford'sView this property on MyHome.ieImogen Stuart believed that the secret to a long life was having a leisurely breakfast. She moved there in 1966, first to a house on the seafront and from the early 1970s to a house around the corner, on Sandycove Avenue West. Now number 28 Sandycove Avenue West, a 128sq m (1,378sq ft) 1870s house on the corner of Sandycove Avenue West and Rocks Yard Lane, is for sale through Crawford’s, seeking €1.575 million. [ Architect-designed three-bed townhouse in Portobello for €850,000Opens in new window ]Imogen Stuart in her Sandycove studio in 2021. Since Covid, parking has been an issue in Sandycove: Stuart used to park her car on Rocks Yard Lane, a private laneway with a surprising number of houses.

The babel fish idea of Douglas Adams in the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy (above) in real life. All of which is to say that the real-time audio translation that Apple is rolling out comes with some challenges. The concept isn’t entirely new, Google’s Pixel Buds already have a version of this feature, only not with audio translation. It’s no accident that one of the first translation services to take off in the internet age was called Babel Fish (it’s since been absorbed into Microsoft’s translation function). The true test of real-time translation won’t be when it converts Greek into English in your ears.

Ruthless steps will be needed to stop the downward spiral under Heimir Hallgrímsson if Ireland suffer a heavy defeat in Portugal and fail to soundly beat Armenia at the Aviva on Tuesday. Let John O’Shea see out the campaign. There was no evidence that Ireland were the better team. Clearly, the players need a sports psychologist. I imagine that’s why John O’Shea pushed for the return of Séamus.

Photograph: iStockInflation in the Irish economy jumped to its highest level in 18 months in September, amid another surge in food prices. However, the annual rate of food price inflation softened somewhat from 5.3 per cent in August, the CSO said. Thomas Pugh, chief economist at accountancy firm RSM Ireland, said the fall-off in annual food price inflation from August was “good news” for households, which “should provide some respite”. The acceleration in food prices over the past year is largely related to higher agricultural output prices. “There are several factors now weighing on inflation; global commodity prices suggest the recent surge in food price inflation is near its peak, and lower energy prices will help drag the headline rate down.

Presidential candidates Heather Humphreys and Catherine Connolly took part in a one-on-one debate this evening. Illustration: Paul Scott