Local News
Illistrin Under-15s beat Westport United to claim first SFAI National Title
The only goal of the game came through captain Darragh Edwards as he fired in just before half-time to secure the win for Illistrin Sunday was a day of great celebration for Illistrin FC as their U15 boys came out on top against a strong Westport United team in the SFAI National Trophy U15 fi...
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Torrington Riptides fight back in baseball battle with Plymouth Mariners
Torrington Rugby Club hosts baseball drama and new players for the Riptides The Torrington Riptides, North Devon’s baseball team, continued their league campaign with their first home fixture on Sunday, facing the Plymouth Mariners. This is the Riptides’ first season in their new home venue o...
Merchant founder ‘gambled on peace’ to open first five star hotel in Belfast
A Belfast man has described how he took a gamble on peace in Northern Ireland lasting to open the capital’s first five star hotel. Twenty years after the opening of the Merchant Hotel, Bill Wolsey said he was advised it would never work as he transformed the grade A-listed former Ulster Bank build...
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Hospitality is Northern Ireland’s ‘Cinderella’ industry, says Bill Wolsey
Hospitality is Northern Ireland’s “Cinderella” industry, one of the biggest operators in the sector has said. Bill Wolsey, whose Beannchor Group runs the Merchant Hotel along with a number of other hotels, bars and restaurants, challenged Stormont to treat it fairly. Mr Wolsey, who has been in...
'We're figuring things out as we go': Derry's Joanna Cooper and Limerick's Conor Murray launch new podcast
Conor Murray and Joanna Cooper wed in June 2023 in the Algarve and had their first child, Alfie in 2024 Former Derry model Joanna Cooper and her Munster and Ireland rugby star husband Conor Murray have announced a new podcast. The former Miss Universe and Patrickswell man are set to release t...
Mayo Islands to host ‘Age Strong, Live Long’ wellbeing events
New HSE initiative to bring health supports and community services to older people in offshore communities Island communities off the coast of Mayo are set to benefit from a major wellbeing initiative aimed at supporting positive ageing and community connection. The Health Service Executive (...
1,000 Free Pints Up for Grabs at Cowboys and Heroes
Ireland’s biggest country music festival returns to Ballinamore Country music fans heading to Ballinamore for this year’s Cowboys and Heroes festival could be in for an extra treat — with organisers announcing they will give away 1,000 free pints over the June Bank Holiday weekend. The hugely...
Former UUP leader insists he is focused on reselection for Assembly poll
Former Ulster Unionist Party leader Doug Beattie has insisted he is focused on getting reselected to run as a candidate for his party in the next election. The ex Army captain has held an Assembly seat for the UUP in the Upper Bann constituency since 2016. However, there has been speculation that so...
Barrister asks court to consider leniency for young man who stashed drugs in Limerick bedroom
Shane Blackhall was questioned by gardaí, and he accepted the drugs were his A YOUNG man received an eight-week prison sentence at Limerick District Court, after he admitted possession of controlled drugs for unlawful sale and supply. Shane Blackhall, aged 21, of Mungret Court, Watergate, Lim...
RTE using Father Ted as ‘tool of antisemitic harassment’, says Graham Linehan
Father Ted co-creator Graham Linehan has said he objects “in the strongest possible terms” to the comedy being shown in place of Eurovision and accused broadcaster RTE of an “antisemitic” boycott. Ireland’s national broadcaster will show the sitcom’s Eurovision-themed episode A Song For ...
RTE using Father Ted as ‘tool of antisemitic harassment’, says Graham Linehan
Father Ted co-creator Graham Linehan has said he objects “in the strongest possible terms” to the comedy being shown in place of Eurovision and accused broadcaster RTE of an “antisemitic” boycott. Ireland’s national broadcaster will show the sitcom’s Eurovision-themed episode A Song For ...
New driving test booking rules aim to end reselling for profit issues
Sweeping changes to the way driving tests are booked have come into force today (May 12). Under the new rules, it is no longer lawful for third parties, such as test booking and cancellation finder services, to make bookings on someone else’s behalf. It also means that driving instructors won’t ...
Keir Starmer insists he will continue governing despite mounting calls to quit
Sir Keir Starmer is defying mounting calls for him to quit, telling a meeting of his Cabinet that the country “expects us to get on with governing” and “that is what I am doing”. The Prime Minister’s woes deepened on Tuesday morning as the first minister resigned from his Government urging...
Crime figures for Sherford 'significantly lower' than feared, police confirm
Devon and Cornwall Police correct Sherford crime statistics as residents seek reassurance following serious assault Residents in Sherford, the new town taking shape on the edge of Plymouth, have been reassured by police that crime in the area is far lower than recently suggested, as authoriti...
Eglinton Eyecare wins prestigious national award for independent Opticians
The Heart of the Practice award highlights a team member who is the heart and soul of the practice Eglinton Eyecare in County Derry is celebrating national recognition after Dispensing Assistant Tanya McKinney won the coveted Heart of the Practice award at the prestigious SightCare Awards 202...
Dave Doogan to lead SNP at Westminster as Stephen Flynn steps down
The SNP has announced its new leader at Westminster following Stephen Flynn’s election to the Scottish Parliament. Dave Doogan was unanimously elected by MPs to lead the group in London. Mr Flynn, MP for Aberdeen South, had led the SNP in the House of Commons since 2022 but resigned after being el...
Nine killed after bomb explosion in Pakistan
At least nine people have been killed and more than two dozen injured after a bomb rigged to a rickshaw exploded in a bazaar in Pakistan on Tuesday. The attack took place in Lakki Marwat, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, local police chief Azmat Ullah said. He said that two traffic police ...
Rebecca Smith MP: Foster carers transform young lives, but we desperately need more
South West Devon MP says falling foster carer numbers in Devon are putting vulnerable children at risk as pressure grows on councils and care services across the region Monday, 11 May, marked the start of Foster Care Fortnight, the UK’s biggest awareness-raising campaign for fostering. Nearly...
Rebecca Smith MP: Foster carers transform young lives, but we desperately need more
South West Devon MP says falling foster carer numbers in Devon are putting vulnerable children at risk as pressure grows on councils and care services across the region Monday, 11 May, marked the start of Foster Care Fortnight, the UK’s biggest awareness-raising campaign for fostering. Nearly...
Work to Begin on New Affordable Homes Development in Newton Abbot
Teignbridge District Council says the Sherborne House project will deliver 23 energy-efficient social rented flats on brownfield land in the town centre. Work will begin this month on a major project to build new council homes on a car park in Newton Abbot. Teignbridge Council says the Sherbo...