Why does the Government deem it proper for RTÉ to boycott the Eurovision but not for the FAI to boycott its Nations League matches against Israel? Yet his name is plastered all over the billboards for soccer’s Nations League, golf’s Irish Open, the White House shamrock ceremony, the Eurovision and the Olympics. As the country that coined the verb “to boycott”, Ireland has an especial attachment to it but the ubiquity of the word is threatening to dilute its potency. Why, for instance, does the Government deem it proper for the State-owned broadcaster to boycott this year’s Eurovision Song Contest because Israel is participating, but not for the heavily State-funded Football Association of Ireland (FAI) to boycott its Nations League matches against Israel? Ireland officially recognises a Palestinian state, though its procrastinating over the Occupied Territories Bill beggars the credibility of that stance.

In aesthetics terms it was a scruffy performance with several lingering frailties from the heavy defeat to France on the first weekend of the Six Nations. This game might be a watershed; the players should understand that they have been given a fair crack to demonstrate their aptitude. The backrow reverts to the one that started against France with Billy Hayes returning to the run-on team at openside flanker. The priority for Ireland is to greatly reduce the self-inflicted wounds, while continuing to commit to playing without fear. Replacements: Jerold Gorleku (Harlequins), Oliver Spencer (Sale Sharks), Sonny Tonga’uiha (Northampton Saints), Tate Williams (Harlequins), George Marsh (Leicester Tigers), George Newman (Exeter Chiefs), Will Knight (Gloucester), Ollie Davies (Sale Sharks).

Gwyn Jones: Wales need to make it awkward and must expose Scotland star immediatelyFormer Wales fly-half and S4C pundit gives his thoughts ahead of Wales v ScotlandView Image Wales team huddle ahead of their match with Scotland this weekend (Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency Ltd)Wales were better at the weekend. Wales need to get Scottish runners on the deck and challenge hard for the ball. Wales are inferior to Scotland in too many ways to be confident of a win this weekend. Gwyn Jones is part of S4C's live coverage of every Wales match in the Six Nations. You can watch Wales v Scotland from 4pm on Saturday.

Statio Bene Fida Carinis — A Safe Harbour for Ships — the motto on the Cork coat of arms underscores our proud maritime heritage while announcing to the world that this is a safe and welcoming city, a city that stretches out a hand of friendship to all. It came as no surprise in 2023 when international media consortium, Condé Nast declared Cork to be the second friendliest city in Europe. Cork is a bowl-shaped shopping basket centring on an ancient fluvial island, embraced by two channels of the River Lee. They were the New Cork of the 19th century, arriving into the city from the surrounding countryside, on the coattails of the post Famine generation. Cork for me will forever be an unhurried stroll across Patrick's Bridge looking for pleasure and what else might betide.

The family of a woman who suffered a cardiac arrest during an implant procedure at a Dublin dental clinic and died five days later has settled a High Court action over her death. Mother of three Margaret O’Doherty was having the implants inserted under conscious sedation at Dublin Specialist Dentistry at Sandyford, Dublin, the High Court heard. After five of the seven implants had been completed, the 72-year old woman went into cardiac arrest. Counsel told the High Court that the O’Doherty family are anxious that “something like this does not happen again” and want to ensure that the recommendations are implemented. It was arranged she would have seven dental implants on August 18, 2020.

For the third too, he was culpable, getting something on another shot which wasn’t in the corner, but nowhere near convincingly enough. Auston Trusty - 5Trusty looked like the man who could and should have done something to prevent the second Stuttgart goal. Callum McGregor - 6The captain, as ever, tried to keep his teammates going by leading vocally and by example. Benjamin Nygren - 6Celtic’s go-to man when they need a goal came up with the goods again for the equaliser. Kelechi Iheanacho (on for Tomas Cvancara, 71) - 3On to try and sniff out a chance but not really involved.

Bill Linnane: My son visited Pompeii on a school trip – but the only thing he learned about the ancient world was how to use a landlineSurrounded by ancient wonders and culture in Italy, the most exciting thing for him was getting to use a landlineThe teenage tourists were looking for a very specific attraction in Pompeii. Photo: Picture posed/GettyBill Linnane Today at 06:30Pliny the Younger was just 17 years old when he witnessed the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. Watching from across the bay, he saw the ash cloud sweep down and lay waste to Herculaneum, and its more famous sister city, Pompeii.

Meet the home cooks going viral: ‘I’m just a teacher, I live in a house in the country and I don’t have any fancy notions’When she left teaching after 35 years, a food blog was part of Orla Drumgoole’s retirement plan – but she had no idea how popular Irish Mammy Cooks would become'People think blogging is easy, I'm working longer hours than when I was a teacher'Chrissie Russell Today at 06:30Orla Drumgoole laughs at how it’s always the most innocent recipes that seem to provoke the greatest outrage online.

Ukrainian stories: ‘When we arrived here, we were like aliens from another planet. I had to start my life from scratch’Four years on from the invasion, we talk to the Ukrainians who have settled in Co Kerry, why they chose to come here, the heartbreaking stories from their homeland, and dealing with the ‘small percentage of haters’Natalia Krasenkova Independent Review / Kim Bielenberg. Kim Bielenberg Today at 06:30The vast majority of the tens of thousands of Ukrainians who now live in Ireland could never have imagined they would still be here four years after the full-scale invasion of their country by Russia.

The BBC has axed acclaimed thriller Virdee after one series in a huge blow to TV fans despite its rave reviews. An insider told The Sun: 'There was a lot of hope that Virdee would work because it was a deviation for a crime series, and it did gain its own following.' It also saw the detective's Sikh family feel outraged that Harry decided to marry Saima (Aysha Kala), who is Muslim. In February 2025, A A Dhand said it felt like a 'very natural progression' for him to adapt Virdee into a TV series. Also, not been to Bradford for many many years and it actually looks quite nice now [sic].'

Michael Smurfit on his yacht, the Lady Ann Magee, which is named after his mother. He even made a run at trying to buy The Irish Times in the 1960s. Michael Smurfit has won the Distinguished Leadership award as part of the eighth Irish Times Business Awards. Will the Smurfit name always be over the door and will the New York-listed company always be headquartered in Ireland? The changes he has witnessed in Ireland over the decades“The Ireland I grew up in was totally different to the Ireland of today.

By Cillian Sherlock, Press AssociationThere is “no point” in announcing a target completion for a review of special needs assistant (SNA) allocations, a minister with responsibility has said. Minister of State for Special Education Michael Moynihan repeatedly refused on Friday to say when an ongoing SNA review would be finished, amid schools’ concerns that their allocation could be cut in September. Mr Moynihan also refused to say if he expected any schools to lose SNAs. It came after the National Council for Special Education issued letters to several schools advising them that they could lose part of their SNA allocation. After initially stating that the process would be done in “a number of weeks” and “as soon as possible”, Mr Moynihan declined to give a specific date.

The former Prince Andrew's arrest is extraordinary in modern times, but the Royal Family has a long and dramatic history of brushes with the law. His brother the King was questioned by former Metropolitan Police chief John Stevens in 2005 over allegations that he had plotted to kill Princess Diana. No evidence was found to support the scenario suggested in Diana's note and it was taken no further. And his sister, Princess Anne, was convicted of an offence under the Dangerous Dogs Act in 2002 after her English bull terrier, Dotty, bit two children walking in Windsor Great Park. Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry VIII, was arrested in 1536 for treason, incest and adultery, and beheaded at the Tower of London.

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US president Donald Trump gestures to people waiting to greet him as he lands in the US state of Georgia on Thursday. Photograph: Tierney L Cross/The New York TimesDonald Trump has announced he is directing the US defense department and other agencies to release whatever files they have on the search for alien life. There’s no underground facility, unless there’s this enormous conspiracy and they hid it from the president of the United States.”On Thursday, Trump accused Obama of disclosing “classified information”. A lot of people believe it.”Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump suggested this week that he was ready to speak about it. Since then the Pentagon has promised more transparency on the topic.