Liverpool and Chelsea to feature in May tournament as Masters Football returnsThe Masters Football tournament is set to return after a 15-year absence with Liverpool, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Ajax among the teams involved this springView 2 Images The OVO Arena will host the Masters Football tournament in May (Image: 2022 Jim Dyson)Liverpool and Chelsea will be among the teams to have legends at the Masters Football tournament this spring. ‌Legendary former players from Chelsea, Liverpool, Ajax and Real Madrid will go head-to-head in front of a packed crowd and a national TV audience. The former winger did not win a major trophy at Anfield but was part of the Reds' team, which lost the 2007 Champions League final to AC Milan. The Spaniard is expected to turn out for Real Madrid, where he won the 2000 Champions League. Content cannot be displayed without consent‌Past champions of the competition include Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Nottingham Forest and Leicester.

Campaigner Maria Steen, whose failed bid to launch a run for the presidency last year put a spotlight on the nominations process, talks to Hugh Linehan and Ellen Coyne about that campaign. She talks about whether she could have won the election had she got that nomination and why not enough councils supported her. She also talks about Catherine Connolly’s first 100 days in office, why she is uncomfortable with the labels ‘conservative’ and ‘right wing’ and whether Catholicism is a hindrance to taking part in public life.

It follows continued anger among school communities despite a Government U-turn announced late on Monday over attempts to cut SNA posts for the 2026 school year. Outside the Dáil, SNAs, parents, teachers and trade union representatives gathered with placards, reading 'Save Our SNAs'. It fulfilled its role to ensure that special education resources are allocated to the schools with the greatest need." "The priority will be ensuring that the child-centred approach to the provision of special education is retained and enhanced in these policy developments," it said. "What is needed is real engagement and resourcing and proper planning for the future of special education in mainstream classes."

Brian Dougherty of the North-West Cultural Partnership in the Fountain area of Derry city. Photograph: Liam McBurney/PASectarianism in Derry is increasingly being expressed through the Israel/Palestine conflict, with some nationalist youths willing to attack Protestant communities over support for Israel, a Protestant community leader has said. The local situation in Derry is being fuelled by the Israel/Palestine conflict, Dougherty said: “Derry sees itself as a progressive active city, but that activism has consequences, that feeds into general civic issues in Derry. You’re either for us or against us, so if you’re not on our parade supporting Palestine then you must be supporting Israel,” he told a Holywell Trust conference. Interestingly, 92.2 per cent of Catholics are convinced of its merits; among Protestants, 42.5 per cent agree while 41.2 per cent do not.

A five-year-old boy whose family thought he had a stomach bug died just 24 hours after being diagnosed with meningitis. Jude Platts from Liverpool was born with a rare chromosome disorder which affected his ability to walk and speak. Scans revealed that Jude had encephalitis, which is inflammation of the brain, caused by a viral or bacterial infection. Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcal) meningitis is the most common cause of bacterial meningitis in children over one month old and adults across all ages. The Platts family have launched a GoFundMe to create a bespoke resting place for Jude.

House of Commons speaker Lindsay Hoyle told MPs that he had shared the information with police “in good faith”. Photograph: PA/House of CommonsThe Metropolitan Police Service in London has apologised to the House of Commons speaker for giving Peter Mandelson’s lawyers information pointing to him as the source of a claim that the former UK ambassador planned to flee the country. An official custody document shared with Mandelson’s lawyers is understood to have referred to the Lord speaker as the source of the information – a mistaken reference to Hoyle, the Commons speaker. His lawyers, Mishcon de Reya, have written to the Metropolitan police asking upon what evidence they based the arrest. The Commons speaker visited the British Virgin Islands, in the Caribbean, last week after being invited to mark the 75th anniversary of the territory’s assembly.

The nine-member Supreme Court will be comprised of three female and six male judgesTwo judges of the Court of Appeal are to be nominated by the Government to fill two vacancies on the Supreme Court. The nominations mean the nine-member Supreme Court will be comprised of three female and six male judges. Their appointments will be the first to be made to the Supreme Court under a process conducted by the Judicial Appointments Commission, established in January 2025. Chaired by the Chief Justice, the nine-member commission comprises four judges and four lay members, with the Attorney General a non-voting member. The commission operates under the Judicial Appointments Commission Act 2023, which is aimed at ensuring a transparent, merit-based process for judicial appointments.

O’Toole suggests that systems ultimately falter when citizens’ self-respect can no longer sustain inherited deference. Yet reliance on public tolerance is not a governance model. Durable institutions are not preserved by waiting for deference to collapse, but by embedding oversight from the outset. Institutions may endure organisationally, but survival without credibility risks continuity without legitimacy. The question is why this lesson remains so difficult to apply when openness and oversight offer a more stable foundation for public confidence.

A lorry driver entered a guilty plea to a charge of careless driving causing the death of a woman in Charleville almost three years ago. 43-year-old Damien Mulvey, of Avondale, Knockbarry, Buttevant, Co Cork, was arraigned at Cork Circuit Criminal Court on the single charge of careless driving causing death. He pleaded guilty to the charge, which stated that his driving at Main Street, Rathgoggin Middle, Charleville, Co Cork, on the afternoon of May 15, 2023, was careless in that he drove without due care and attention, causing the death of pensioner Margaret Lyons. The family of the deceased were present in court when Mr Mulvey pleaded guilty to this charge. Judge Helen Boyle also addressed the family of the deceased in court, saying that she would like to express sincere condolences to them.

The expansion of free GP care to all first requires a road-map and more GPs in place, otherwise it will “waterlog” the system, a leading GP has claimed. Dr Tadhg Crowley, Irish Medical Organisation GP committee chair, was responding to calls for action on a decade-old Government plan. A Social Democrats motion in the Dáil on Wednesday called for free care to reach under-12s this year and everyone by 2030. Dr Tadhg Crowley, Irish Medical Organisation GP committee chair, pointed out 42% of people pay for appointments because they do not have a medical or GP visit card. Ireland is absolutely an outlier in terms of the rest of Europe in not providing free GP care.

Woman had extendable baton because she was on ‘high alert’A Mullingar woman has told a court she was on “high alert” when gardaí found an extendable baton hidden in the floorwell of her car almost 12 months ago. During that exchange, gardaí came across the extendable baton on the floor next to the front passenger seat of her 2012 registered vehicle, where her daughter had been sitting. In defence, Ross Nestor, BL, said Ms Nevin accepted full responsibility for the baton and was keen to follow that up with an early guilty plea. He said his client’s behaviour was as a result of a number of incidents close to where she lives, and she was on “high alert” as a result. Judge Bernadette Owens also learned how Ms Nevin was a full-time carer and counsel said his client had also been fully cooperative with gardaí during their investigation.

It has been a significant week for issues affecting the UK Jewish community, with the Board of Deputies featuring prominently across national and international media. The High Court ruling on Palestine Action dominated coverage, raising serious concerns about community safety and the rule of law. There was also strong reaction to the vandalism of Gail’s bakery, renewed pressure on the government over the IRGC, and continued scrutiny of extremist rhetoric. Here is the full round‑up of this week’s coverage. Palestine ActionHome Office ban of Palestine Action ruled unlawfulhttps://www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/article/palestine-action-high-court-ruling-n3c27nrszPalestine Action ban ruled unlawful but group remains proscribed for nowhttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3wleezq73noBoard of Deputies attacks High Court Palestine Action rulinghttps://www.thenational.scot/news/25852650.board-deputies-attacks-high-court-palestine-action-ruling/UK Palestine Action ban ruled unlawful, in humiliating blow for ministershttps://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/feb/13/uk-ban-palestine-action-unlawful-high-court-judges-ruleAnger as police refuse to arrest Palestine Action supporters after High Court overrules terror banhttps://www.lbc.co.uk/article/police-refuse-to-arrest-palestine-action-supporters-5HjdSKR_2/Palestine Action unlawful ban ruling: What does it mean for hundreds of ‘terror’ cases?

Now, Irish authorities have been told no fresh operating restrictions can be implemented at the airport until they inform the Commission of their intentions. The planning watchdog said it is reviewing the European Commission’s decision and hasn’t yet decided whether or not to reopen the decision process in relation to the night-time use of Dublin Airport. In 2024, An Coimisiún Pleanála said it intended to cap the number of flights permitted to use Dublin Airport between 11pm and 7am at 13,000. Last July, the planning watchdog said an annual cap of 35,672 night-time aircraft movements at Dublin Airport “would be appropriate”. Now the European Commission has said that the manner in which the proposed restrictions were arrived at doesn’t follow EU rules.

Stock image: GettyMost people think prices of goods and services will continue to rise over the next five years. A third of respondents believe their household finances will get worse. Mr Hughes said the responses suggested current problems, such as cost-of-living pressures, were not going away. Mr Hughes said official figures showed inflation had eased marginally in January, but this was largely due to lower energy costs. “In addition, many employees saw their January pay packets shrink, reflecting the start of pension auto-enrolment,” Mr Hughes said.

Marcus Rashford agent meeting as Man Utd star 'close to agreeing huge sacrifice'Marcus Rashford looks set to make his loan move to Barcelona permanent, with the Spanish club reportedly accepting to meet the £26million buyout clause while personal terms are being negotiatedView 2 Images Barcelona are reportedly stepping up their efforts to sign Marcus Rashford from Man United. (Image: Getty Images)Barcelona have reportedly come to terms with paying £26million to secure Manchester United's Marcus Rashford on a permanent basis. ‌Having seen his opportunities limited at United, Rashford spent a brief loan spell at Aston Villa a year ago, but now appears destined for a permanent departure from his childhood club. ‌View 2 Images Marcus Rashford has enjoyed his football with Barcelona this season (Image: Getty Images)"From the moment I arrived I felt that everyone welcomed me very well. Article continues belowEnsure our latest sport headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source.