Those early conversations led to a voluntary ban on smartphones across eight primary schools in the town and attracted interest from media in Ireland, across the rest of the European Union, the UK, the United States and Australia. Last year they brought in transition-year students to talk to the area’s younger primary school students in sixth class. I’ve no doubt that parents would have got bored of the voluntary ban eventually, but this makes it an ongoing process,” Harper said. The demonstrable effect of the voluntary phone ban was in how it had taken the pressure off parents and children, she said. His mother Alizia said she had “definitely” seen change in children she taught since the voluntary ban came into effect.

The proposal would end a complicated sliding scale of payments linked to the number of defendants, appearances and legal aid certificates. Some defendants who believed they had been granted legal aid had informed the department they were also being charged privately by their solicitor, which is prohibited under legal aid rules. Rising expenditure is driven by factors including an increase in offences that more frequently attract legal aid, increased granting of multiple legal aid certificates and a “disproportionately high” number of appearances in criminal legal aid cases, the review said. Cases with legal aid take an average 313 days to complete, compared to 133 days for cases without it. The average number of appearances for cases with legal aid is 5.8 compared to 2.8 appearances for cases without.

“Allianz Out” protesters breached security at GAA’s Annual Congress in Croke Park on Saturday. Several of those who were part of a march from Gill’s Pub on the North Circular Road to Croke Park entered the suite on the fifth level of the Hogan Stand. Further protesters were admitted into the room where they raised banners reading “Fermanagh Gaels Against Genocide” and “Allianz Blood Money” at the top table. Accompanied by drums, cries of “Allianz Out”, “Allianz Amach” and “you are all complicit with genocide” were shouted at delegates. A general view of a protest march outside Croke Park in Dublin as the 2026 GAA Annual Congress was in progress.

Flutter chief executive Peter Jackson insisted on a call with analysts late on Thursday that prediction markets are not eating FanDuel’s lunch. That’s according to the current odds on Kalshi, the US prediction market whose popularity has taken off since the country’s presidential election in 2024. Kalshi and Polymarket have been helped by the Trump administration being more favourably disposed to prediction markets than the Biden one. However, Jackson insisted on a call with analysts late on Thursday that prediction markets are not eating FanDuel’s lunch. “We’ve undertaken a comprehensive review and found no evidence of material cannibalisation on our existing business,” Jackson said.

In the jest and joust of this small act of ancient mockery, a connection flowed forward a mere 3½ centuries, to 2010 at the World Cup in South Africa. He was already concerned about the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and, as he said, about the cash-soaked Fifa presided over by Sepp Blatter. This week’s bloody events in Mexico brought anxiety from Fifa regarding certain cities’ ability to host matches at the World Cup. Gianni Infantino, the Fifa president but hardly a football man. Gianni Infantino not annoying Vladimir Putin at the 2018 World Cup.

The victim was a child, meaning an 'abuse of a position of power and trust' was involved, the council said. Photograph: Alan BetsonA man convicted of raping and sexually assaulting a family member has been removed from the teaching register. The man, who is serving an 8½ jail sentence, may apply after 30 years to the Teaching Council to be restored to the register, a fitness-to-teach committee ruled on Friday. On Friday, Teaching Council‘s committee considered the nature of the alleged offences the man was convicted of as the most relevant factor. He said removal of the teacher from the register for a lengthy period was a proportionate sanction.

Ant and Dec have revealed why they would never host the BRIT Awards again - and have hinted at having 'beef' with Coldplay frontman Chris Martin. One band who they called out for this in particular for this was Coldplay - which Dec went on to joke was 'the beginning of Ant's beef with Chris Martin'. Later Ant revealed why they don't want to host again as he said: 'It's a fun night if you're nominated. 'This is the start of Ant's beef with Chris Martin,' Dec said, to which Ant was quick to jump in with: 'I don't have beef.' 'You probably never heard of them again,' Dec noted, as Ant said: 'They were a band from Manchester called Oasis.'

The building at 7 O’Connell Street which will now act as a new base for Susan McGowan’s business Ashen & Cloud. "A rising tide lifts all boats": Ashen & Cloud brings new life to historic Westside buildingBy Rebekah O'ReillyA historic building on Athlone’s Westside is set for a new chapter as design studio Ashen & Cloud prepares to relocate to 7 O’Connell Street. McGowan said the O’Connell Street property, which is almost 200 years old and predates the current town bridge, offered both the space and character the company was seeking. Raised on the Westside of Athlone, she worked part-time with her aunt and uncle in O'Meara's Bookmakers on Connaught Street. Soon it will be the artisanal hub of the town, building upon the well-established cultural hub of the Left Bank, and it will be an even more exciting place to both live and work.

Maura Higgins has revealed she has been celibate for 'a year' as she took a swipe at her 'cheating' exes. Last year, Maura took a public swipe at her ex-boyfriend Pete and suggested he cheated on her after she discovered texts to other women on his phone. 'I've been cheated on by the majority of my exes - that's the reason I've been celibate for a whole year.' Last year, Maura took a public swipe at her ex-boyfriend Pete Wicks and suggested he cheated on her after she discovered texts to other women on his phone. TV star Maura has regularly dated in the public eye.

Formula One’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne next Sunday is due to go ahead despite bombing in the Middle East resulting in hundreds of F1 personnel having their flights cancelled. This followed Iran bombing facilities in Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and the UAE in retaliatory strikes after the United States launched what President Donald Trump called ‘major combat operations’. After the airport closures in Doha and Dubai, F1 travellers are being moved on to flights via Hong Kong and Singapore. Some are taking up direct flights into Perth with Qantas, prior to a 3hr 35min internal connection to Melbourne. However, it is understood F1 bosses have contingency plans in place should the upheaval in the region necessitate a change of venue to maintain their 24-race world championship.

Government is moving to deny public access to key company informationIreland’s leading media outlets have warned junior enterprise minister Niamh Smyth of the dangerous implications of her move to restrict public access to company director information. The Government, in a move spearheaded by Ms Smyth at the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, is planning to prevent public access to the usual residential addresses of directors. The proposed changes significantly threaten transparency and open democracy, the media outlets warned. Apart from media outlets, the majority expressed a desire to prevent the public from having access to documents containing the residential addresses of directors. The Co-Operative Society claimed that public access to the usual residential addresses of directors hinders the hiring of members to act as directors on co-ops.

‘I was a crutches user, and whenever I was out and about, without fail, a boy would call me ‘Hop Along’. Photo: Gerry MooneyLouise Bruton Today at 06:30When it comes to identity, I wear a few hats. Dog owner, writer, wheelchair user, amputee, and, I guess, millennial. An amputee before I was a wheelchair user, I often forget that I wear a prosthetic leg. To me, fake legs are as much 2000s codes as Von Dutch hats, baggy cord trousers, Kelly Clarkson’s Since U Been Gone and wearing skinny scarves with string tops.

‘Social media often shows athletes as the leanest version of themselves, but that’s not always the best’Galway 800m runner Emma Moore is hoping to build on her return to form at the National indoors after finding a balance to compete with RED syndromeEmma Moore of the Galway City Harriers will be hoping to boost her chances of qualifying for the World Indoors when she competes in the 800m at the 123.ie National Indoor Championships in Abbotstown this weekend. Photo: Sam Barnes/SportsfileCathal Dennehy Today at 06:30Among the myriad things that can derail a promising career, under-fuelling is a recidivist offender. Whether it comes about by accident or through a conscious choice to slim down, the result for athletes can often be the same: illness, injury or a regression in race results.

Using VAR to check corners will be an option for competitions from this summer, while the core VAR protocol has now been widened to cover second yellow cards and cards awarded to the wrong team. Lawmakers are adamant VAR checks on corners must not delay the kick being taken and will only be used to spot obvious errors. Corner-kick checks will be an option, rather than a mandatory part of the VAR protocol. VARs will also only check incorrectly-awarded second yellow cards. They will not advise referees to issue a second yellow card where one was not shown on the field.

SIBLINGS: Fr Tommy Towey, Imelda Towey and Madeline Scahill. SISTERS: Gerardine O'Mahony and Imelda Towey outside the shop on Main Street. LAST DAY: Imelda Towey enjoyed working in the shop immensely but is now looking forward to retirement. GOODBYES: The Towey family has been inundated with well-wishers saying their goodbyes. FRIENDLY PLACE: Towey's Shop was an institution in Ballaghaderreen for 83 years.