Offaly householders are being urged to bring their batteries, electrical, and electronic waste to free collection days, hosted by WEEE Ireland in partnership with Offaly County Council. Free recycling collection days to be held in Clara and BanagherOffaly householders are being urged to bring their batteries, electrical, and electronic waste to two free collection days taking place in the coming weeks. In 2024, the equivalent of 206,521 tonnes of CO2 emissions were avoided by recycling e-waste through the WEEE Ireland Scheme as opposed to landfilling. "Recycling e-waste is incredibly beneficial for both the environment and the economy," said Mr Donovan. "We look forward to working with Offaly householders to hopefully recycle a record-breaking amount of electronic waste in 2026."

This was part of the previous Conservative government’s Legacy Act which was approved in 2023, but the High Court in Belfast ruled parts of the Act were incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) in 2024. The Irish Government also launched an interstate legal case against the UK, claiming the Legacy Act breached the ECHR. In terms of veterans, he said the Government had “put in place a number of protections”. “What we are trying to do here is to create a system that everyone in Northern Ireland can have confidence in because the last Legacy Act failed to achieve that. “And how can you move on in terms of legacy, when you’ve got a system in place that a lot of people don’t trust and won’t participate?

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Rory McIlroy got off to a rough start in harsh conditions at the Dubai Desert Classic, taking a double-bogey 7 as part of a 1-over 73 that left the four-time champion eight shots behind Francesco Molinari on Thursday. McIlroy, who has not finished out of the top 10 in his last 12 appearances in the Dubai Desert Classic, began on No. Defending champion Tyrrell Hatton, playing with McIlroy and Fleetwood in a group of Ryder Cup stars, had a 70. Also at 70 was Shane Lowry, coming off a rough finish last week that cost him a chance in the Dubai Invitational. “Not super unexpected but I wasn’t expecting a score like that,” said Molinari, coming off a tie for 47th in the Dubai Invitational.

Photograph: Chris Maddaloni/CollinsA proposed new fees scale aimed at slashing legal costs payable by public bodies in environmental law cases is contrary to European Union law and would “harm environmental protection”, the Law Society of Ireland has said. The Law Society said it opposed the proposed, or any legal fees scale, and believed the best approach was to have non-binding guidelines on legal costs. Its opposition to the proposed scale echoed strong concerns in a submission by The Bar of Ireland, representing more than 2,000 barristers. The “perverse” policy outcomes included increased numbers of lay litigants which would delay, not speed up, the hearing of planning cases, it said. The proposed scale was modelled on the UK system, which was being scrutinised by the Aarhus Compliance Committee, it said.

Ademar O'ConnorOffaly musician to compete in prestigious traditional music competitionOffaly accordion player and multi-instrumentalist Ademar O'Connor will hope for gold medal honours when he competes in the Seán Ó Riada Bonn Óir competition at the Rochestown Park Hotel Cork on Friday evening. Hailing from the townland of Ballygibbon (near Edenderry), O'Connor is one of thirteen participants in the a prestigious traditional music competition that focuses on a different instrument every year over a four-year cycle. This year focuses on metal reed instruments including the accordion, concertina, and harmonica. The winner of the competition will be presented with a bespoke gold medal designed by Niamh Utsch, and a cash prize of €2,500. The competition has been running since 2010 and is renowned for attracting a large number of talented musicians from Ireland and overseas.

At least €3.7m in client funds unaccounted forAt least €3.7m in the client funds of an Athlone investment firm are unaccounted for, in what appears to be serious misappropriation, the High Court has been told. It has appointed provisional liquidators to Strand Investments & Finance Ltd, based at 15 Castlemaine Street in Athlone, following an application by the Central Bank of Ireland. One client has told the Central Bank his planned investment of €333,000 was never made. The Central Bank then began a review of the firm. On December 15, Central Bank officers seized documents and devices in the company's Athlone officesThe Central Bank.

Colin Egglesfield has shared some uplifting news nearly a year after his third cancer diagnosis. The 52-year-old All My Children actor revealed in January 2025 that he was battling prostate cancer, adding to two previous battles with testicular cancer. ‘I’m grateful to be here and on the other side of it, ready to move forward with my life,’ he told the outlet. The Client List alum recalled that his cancer journey hasn’t always gone smoothly, reflecting on his first testicular cancer diagnosis in 2006 and a recurrence the following year. He underwent surgery to remove the tumor, and a year later, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer again.

At least €3.7m in client funds of an investment firm — whose owner died of a heart attack last August — are unaccounted for in what appeared to be serious misappropriation of the monies, the High Court heard. There were inadequate business and accounting records and it appears steps were taken to modify certain banking and accounting records with a view to concealing the true financial position of the company. It has not yet been possible to reconcile the true financial position or the scale of misappropriation of client assets, the review found. Initial analysis of available information shows however that it appears 45 clients were impacted by misappropriation and at least €3.7m of client monies are unaccounted for. The judge said this was a very serious matter and wondered if it was indicative of a Ponzi scheme.

Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn said funding the region was “complicated”, but that Westminster had already provided a “great deal of support” to the powersharing Executive. Deputy First Minister Emma Little Pengelly said that while funding amounts had increased for Northern Ireland, demand for public services in the region had also increased. The comments were made after a meeting in Belfast of the East-West Council, which was established as part of the deal which saw powersharing in Northern Ireland return in 2024. Ms O’Neill has called for Westminster to provide the first multi-year budget for Stormont in more than a decade to help meet the demand for public services such as healthcare and education. “What we need for them to do is step up, actually put more money into public services here, allow us to invest in health and education.

Mark Dowd feels that every player has got a “fair crack of the whip” as he sits down this week to pick his starting line-up for Sunday’s trip to Fitzgerald Stadium, Killarney. There will be no one saying after three games in the FBD that they didn’t get a fair crack of the whip. “We asked for a bit more aggression and cohesiveness in the second half, and I thought we got it. What we asked for at half time, we got in the second half. “Winning a FBD League Shield final in the middle of January wasn’t our ultimate goal.

Tallia Storm has spoken out following Brooklyn Beckham's explosive comments on his family, making it clear she was firmly 'Team Brooklyn'. She also opened up about the first time she and Brooklyn were photographed together, marking their first public 'relationship'. Tallia channelled her heartbreak into songwriting and revealed that her single, Still In Love, is all about her 'puppy love' with Brooklyn. Away from her alleged romance with Brooklyn, Tallia has been busy trying to break into Hollywood. Away from her alleged romance with Brooklyn, Tallia has been busy trying to break into HollywoodThe pop star-turned-presenter has vowed to become a triple threat as she hopes to establish herself on screen.

The UK is represented in the other two acting categories, with Delroy Lindo in the running for best supporting actor and Wunmi Mosaku getting nominated for best supporting actress – both for their roles in the horror film Sinners. This year marks the third time in the past four years that British performers have bagged just two acting nominations. Ireland has one acting nomination, with Jessie Buckley in the running for best actress for her role in the historical drama Hamnet. The most diverse category this year is best supporting actress, where two of the five nominees – Mosaku and Teyana Taylor – are non-white. The least diverse category is best actress, where all five nominees are white.

This Working Life with Philip Hughes: ‘As a chef, I like the instant results you get in this business – I’m impatient’The co-owner of Kin Dee and Four Bowls Catering chats about moving to Ireland from South Africa – and why his new restaurant will be keeping it simplePhilip Hughes has teamed up with two fellow chefs to open a new establishmentIn conversation with Mary McCarthy Today at 06:30A South African chef, a Malaysian chef and a Thai chef try to renovate and open a restaurant in Dublin. It sounds like the start of a joke – but we don’t know the punchline yet.

One was Ariana Grande who was not named for her role as Glinda in Wicked: For Good in the Best Supporting Actress category. And Amanda Seyfried did not appear on the Oscar nominations list for her work in The Testament of Anne Lee. One Battle After Another had several Oscar nods - like Best Picture and Best Actor - but Chase Infinity was not recognized. Though the race car movie F1 did very well, even getting a Best Picture nod, its star Brad Pitt was not nominated. Coogler’s Sinners dominated across the board, earning recognition for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor for Michael B. Jordan, and Best Supporting Actor for Delroy Lindo, along with screenplay, cinematography, editing, production design and more.

Congratulations pour in for Ireland’s Oscar nomineesBy Bairbre Holmes, Press AssociationPresident Catherine Connolly has congratulated Ireland’s Oscar nominees following the announcement of the Academy Awards shortlist. Dublin-based Element Pictures has secured 30 Academy Award nominations and six wins since it was established in 2001. “She’s joined by a raft of Irish nominations across a sweep of categories. “It’s a brilliant day for Irish talent and creativity on the international stage.”Hamnet secured eight Oscar nods in total, including one for Coleraine-born Maggie O’Farrell. Blue Moon, made by Irish production company Wild Atlantic Pictures, was nominated in two categories, best original screenplay and best actor for Ethan Hawke.