Work to start on new link road and one-way system in TullamoreOffaly County Council has announced the signing of contracts for the new High Street to Tanyard link road in Tullamore. The council said the link road, along with the introduction of a one-way traffic system from the Tanyard through O’Connor Square, will allow for the regeneration of the Tanyard, the former 'Carroll’s' site, and the former 'Coen’s' site in the town. Ballinasloe-based Kenny Civils & Plant Ltd successfully tendered for the project and the contract signing took place on Friday (July 19). The work is now due to begin in the coming weeks. Offaly County Council said the link road and one-way system would help to further enhance "the transformative impact of the O’Connor Square re-development" in the county town.

08.00When I’m in Brooklyn I’ll wake up, go to the studio, paint until I get too hungry and then try to talk somebody into giving me lunch. I’ll then paint until I forget to eat dinner, then some friends will come around and drink a glass of wine and then I’ll go home. Oliver Jeffers by Erika Hokanson15.00I have a studio at the bottom of the garden but I’ll try to avoid it unless I have a really serious deadline or I’m doing a project with the kids and then it’s their studio, not mine. I used to think my fine art and my storytelling were very different enterprises. We’re not going to survive if we don’t start doing that.’17.00Friends might come over with their kids.

All tractors in Ireland will be electric when this becomes economically viable, Tánaiste Micheál Martin has said. He was speaking at the unveiling of the first electric tractor in Ethiopia - a tractor developed by an Irish company working with local partners. Mr Martin, who was on a trip to Ethiopia and Kenya, described it as an "Irish tractor" and predicted widespread use of this technology one day. "That will come when we make it economically viable, it will come," he said. David Moore, the Dubliner behind Regenerators, the company which developed this tractor as an electric model, said the project has only been possible thanks to generous support from Irish Aid.

Gardaí seize 18 firearms during operation in Co LouthJonathan McCambridge, PAGardaí have seized 18 firearms and approximately 900 rounds of ammunition at a premises in Co Louth. Garda Assistant Commissioner for Organised and Serious Crime Justin Kelly said: “Today’s seizure of firearms and ammunition is particularly significant. “Weapons such as those seized by Gardaí today are the lifeblood of organised criminal groups, who often use violence as part of their drug trafficking operations. “I wish to commend the dedication of all the gardaí involved in this operation. “Operations like today’s demonstrate our determination to make Ireland a hostile environment for organised criminal groups to operate.”

Over €8m worth of drugs, €1m cash seized in DublinOver €8 million worth of drugs and €1 million in cash has been seized by Gardaí following a search operation in Dublin. A residence in The Ward, Dublin 11 was searched on Friday evening as part of an intelligence-led operation conducted by the Dublin Crime Team. The drugs found included cocaine, cannabis, ketamine, LSD and MDMA, and will now be sent to Forensic Science Ireland for analysis. Approximately €1 million in cash, vehicles and designer goods were also seized in a number of follow-up searches across the Dublin region. "Cash is the lifeblood of crime groups and the seizure of amounts of this scale causes significant disruption.

Michael BoltonGalway will face Kerry in the All-Ireland ladies Football final after their semi-final wins over Cork and Armagh. First half goals proved crucial as Galway reached their first All-Ireland final since 2019 as they defeated Cork 2-7 to 0-10 in Saturday's first semi-final. Cork had a win over Galway already this season in the championship, but Galway have been a new side since that defeat. Galway had their second goal just before half-time through Ailbhe Daveron as they took a 2-4 to 0-5 lead into the interval. They will meet Kerry in the final after their 1-8 to 0-7 win over Armagh to reach their third All-Ireland final in-a-row.

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Snooker mourns six-time world champion Ray Reardon after his death, aged 91PA Sport StaffSix-time world snooker champion Ray Reardon has died at the age of 91. The Welshman died on Friday night, his wife Carol confirmed to the World Snooker Tour. He was fortunate to see the next day, let alone land six World Championship titles – his last in 1978 aged 45. Ben and Ray Reardon found work at the Florence Colliery in 1956 and in the following year disaster almost struck. “Someone decided the outfit made me look like Dracula and that name stuck to me more than most,” Reardon later said.

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Sleeping in a nature bubble, Co FermanaghUnplug and relax into a perfect nature bubble – literally – at the unique luxury accommodation of Finn Lough in Northern Ireland. King John’s Castle, Limerick“700 years of oppression!” So say the Irish of being ruled by the English. READ MORE: Why a visit to King John’s Castle is a must-do in Limerick, IrelandKing John's Castle, in Limerick, makes for a great morning of exploration. Seaweed baths are a health and beauty phenomenon in Ireland and are meant to do wonders for your hair. Derek Cheng travelled to Ireland courtesy of Tourism Ireland, Tourism Northern Ireland and Failte Ireland.

Rafael Nadal continues Olympics preparations by reaching final in SwedenBy PA Sport StaffRafael Nadal reflected on “a great feeling” after reaching his first final since the 2022 French Open. The Spaniard rallied from a set down to beat Croatian qualifier Duje Ajdukovic 4-6 6-3 6-4 and move through to the Nordea Open final in Bastad, Sweden. He was a set up and break of serve up before Nadal clicked into gear and continued his preparations for the Paris Olympics in impressive fashion. Nadal triumphed in two hours and 13 minutes to set up a meeting with either Thiago Agustin Tirante or Nuno Borges in the final. “I am fighting during the whole tournament to be where I am today, and I think matches like yesterday’s, like today’s, help to improve a lot of things on court.

Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo swims in the Seine to demonstrate that the river is clean enough to host the outdoor swimming events at the Paris Olympics. Now there’s just a week left to go before the opening ceremony. Hewlett-Packard: By the time the tech company moved its headquarters from San Jose to Houston in 2020, an exodus was in full swing. Oracle: The database software company also switched states in 2020, shifting its headquarters from Redwood, California, to the Texan state capital, Austin. In 2021 he relocated his electric vehicle company’s headquarters from Palo Alto in Silicon Valley to Austin’s “Silicon Hills”.

‘This place is gone to the dogs…’You will find it hard to believe what I am about to tell you. The first fact is that the world has gone mad and totally ‘gone to the dogs’. The world is gone to the dogs. I like dogs, same as with people, I have liked a lot of dogs in my time, and loved a few. But there are dogs, and there are dogs.

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Playwright Lou Harry and director Katherine Michelle Tanner had similar reactions when they first read the 2016 book “We Are Still Tornadoes.” They couldn’t put it down and imagined it as a play. “It was such a pleasantly and movingly digestible book, a quick read but a strong one. The movie rights also were sold but Tree Fort got permission to stage the play. Harry, who has published dozens of books and written numerous plays, said he feels like “more of a midwife of this book becoming a play. “I hope the film gets made and if it keeps the play from being staged, so be it,” he said.