Micheál Martin has said it is not feasible to ban children from using social media, but said the government could be stronger in warning of its hazards.

Green Party leader Eamon Ryan has said his party has never been in a stronger position facing into an election, ahead of a bumper year of polling in Ireland.

The police service in Northern Ireland is being “slowly strangled” by the government using public services as a “political bargaining chip”, it has been warned.

A headband that can stop teeth grinding and jaw clenching – a condition thought to affect about a third of adults at some point in their life – is being developed by scientists in the UK.

Justice Minister Helen McEntee signed the order to officially establish Cuan, Ireland's new domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence agency

One reader welcomes the verdict in a recent abuse case, while others consider topics including the bombardment of Gaza, and the pivotal work in 1944 of meteorologist Maureen Sweeney

2024 may or may not be a happy new year, and we may or may not keep our resolutions. But, on January 1, a new diary is all clean white pages and a sense of glorious possibility

'Mr Bates vs The Post Office' dramatises the miscarriage of justice in the North that saw hundreds of people wrongly prosecuted for fraud that did not occur

Giving up alcohol for a month will not only give your body a chance to recover from the excesses of Christmas but boost your mood too

Elon Musk’s tempestuous tenure at X is to continue in 2024 as the billionaire and the social media platform face ongoing issues around online safety regulation, misinformation and revenue concerns.

Prop has adjusted almost immediately after his switch of hemispheres to join the province from the Crusaders, sharing his expertise on the scrum and the game

There were some eyechatching Super League performances ahead of a Cork semi-finals weekend

Far from being dull, being predictable opens up huge avenues of exploration and the ensuing excitement of unpredictable discoveries which are only possible because they piggyback on predictability.

Dorothy Cross has work at the Crawford, while the National Gallery will feature a major exhibition of Rubens, Rembrandt and Vermeer

As the bells of St Colman’s Cathedral in Cobh rang out across Cork Harbour, carillonneur Adrian Gebruers, 80, said he hopes to continue playing the remarkable instrument for years to come

Cost-of-living crisis is driving more women into sex work says sexual exploitation expert, as garda source says brothels operate 'on every major street' in Cork City centre

Taoiseach: 'I have been advised by the Garda Commissioner that the threat is higher, and the risk to my personal safety is real'

Reduction in USC and increase to minimum wage among measures to kick in from January 1

Family lobbying for improvements such as the expansion of the human remains database, and the regular publication of cases of long-term missing people

"That you and your wife are questioning your routine means you have already made a start. Making the decision to change things is half the battle, and it's fantastic you are both in agreement."

Our resident Agony Aunt tells you what to expect in 2024

The internet has taken prostitution off the streets and into short-term lets, with women being moved around the country to satisfy sex buyers’ desire for 'new faces'

A total of 85 TDs and senators were responsible for the €70k debt last year after failing to pay their food and drink bills in Leinster House

From stains to persistent pongs, Denise O’Donoghue has the best life hacks, tricks, and tips to make your home sweet home

Further funding comes on top of recent €40m cashflow memo, as health minister describes relationship between the NPHDB and BAM as 'very difficult'

In today's busy world it can help to relax and take some time for ourselves, whether it’s through yoga, meditation, journalling or simply going for a walk in nature.

The pandemic taught us that less is more. That perspective already seems lost. For the sake of the sports we play and follow, we should do everything we can to rediscover it.

Patrick Kielty marked the end of 2023 with a special show looking back on 2023 and ahead to what the new year holds for some familiar faces. Here’s what you missed while the champagne corks were popping all over the country

Here are 6 things you can do to better connect with the natural world and make a positive contribution to biodiversity in 2024

Opportunity awaits in Galway this afternoon for a couple of provinces who have lost their way of late

Plenty of reasons to be cheerful but lots to be fearful too as Manchester City's dominance comes under threat. But can it be sustained?

Having a vast array of options makes things a lot more manageable from McBryde’s point of view.

Taxback experts say fear of the taxman has left millions of euros of overpaid tax unclaimed

Calum Lyons and Neil Montgomery will soon return from travelling to rejoin the Waterford panel with further positive news on the injury front 

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his military should “thoroughly annihilate” the United States and South Korea if provoked, state media reported on Monday, after he vowed to boost national defences to cope with what he called an unprecedented ...

The former world number one became a mother for the first time in July.

In the Kyiv region that surrounds the capital, a Russian drone attack caused a fire to break out at a critical infrastructure facility, local officials said. They did not identify the facility further.

France saw fewer of the car burnings that usually blight the arrival of a new year as the Olympic host country celebrated the start of 2024, its interior minister said on Monday.

The daughter of a Cork man Jacqueline O’Donovan, who has led her father’s waste and recycling company since 1985, has been presented with an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by King Charles III.

The competition takes place in Adare Manor in 2027

The Ravens secure top seeding from the AFC and will have a bye when the opening play-off matches take place.

The founder of Fermanagh’s first legal gin distillery in more than 100 years, which is now exporting to over 15 countries, said there has been an “explosion” in global demand for Irish spirits.

There are also “huge issues” around how the stress of finances is affecting people’s mental health, she added.

It issued a major tsunami warning for Ishikawa and lower-level tsunami warnings or advisories for the rest of the western coast of Japan’s main island of Honshu

Highest bidder described as 'local farmer'

Thousands of Israeli soldiers are being moved out of the Gaza Strip, the military said on Monday, in the first significant drawdown of troops since the war began as forces continued to bear down on the main city in the southern half of the enclave.

Marvel star Jeremy Renner said he “had so many things to live for” as he detailed his recovery after a serious snowploughing accident last year.

Throughout the 2024/25 season, the IRFU will mark the 150th anniversary of Ireland’s first international rugby match

Van de Beek has gone to Eintracht Frankfurt for the rest of the season.

In a recent Sunday Independent interview with Paul Kimmage, McIlroy admitted he referred to Cantlay as a 'dick'.

Arsenal left exposed by Mikel Arteta, Nicolas Jackson is no Timo Werner and Lyle Foster overcomes his problems in style

Arlo Robert Emmett was delivered just four minutes into 2024

The former pub in Ringsend had been mired in false rumours, spread by anti-immigrant campaigners, that it would be used to accommodate asylum-0seekers

Russia launched a record 90 Shahed-type drones over Ukraine during the early hours of the new year, the Ukrainian air force said on Monday, while Russia also reported Ukrainian attacks.

As the anniversary approaches of Bishop David O'Connell's murder, friends and family of the Glanmire man share memories of his kindness and generosity

My daughter was invited but my husband did not want her to go, he felt she was too young. They are in fifth class, my daughter is nine.

Authorities in Berlin said on Monday that New Year’s Eve celebrations in the German capital were more peaceful compared with last year despite the temporary detention of 390 people and 54 police officers being injured.

Thomas Partey has not been included in Ghana's squad for the tournament

Japan has dropped the highest-level tsunami alert it issued following a series of major earthquakes on Monday, but told residents in coastal areas not to return to their homes as there could still be deadly waves.

Derelict farmhouse on site granted planning permission for dormer bungalow in 2015 may tempt non-farmers

The hikes in interest rates over the past two years have yet to fully impact economies

A woman accused of murdering two of her children in the United States has appeared in a British court.

The horse is owned by a five-man syndicate from around Tralee and Ballymacelligott - Garrett and Brian Dillon, George Savage, Ger Teahon and Nathan McDonnell.

Fight DL-113 was travelling from Rome, Italy, to Boston in the United States. There were 294 passengers and crew on board

International estimates suggest 20% of those infected develop long covid

1984 was a seminal year in Ireland. Forty years on, our writers look back at some of the scandals and stories that made the headlines and helped shape the Ireland of today

A fifth suspect has been detained over an alleged threat of an attack on Cologne Cathedral over the festive period, Germany authorities have said.

Highest number of deaths on Irish roads since 2016

The EU aims to join the US and China in introducing legislation that will aim to ban AI systems using biometric categorisations and facial recognition databases. But will the ban be too widespread, endangering useful progess?

The 16-year-old has burst onto the scene at Alexandra Palace and became the youngest player to reach the last eight when he hammered five-time world champion and his hero Raymond van Barneveld in the last 16 on Saturday.

The seasonal chocolate staple has already appeared in supermarkets – almost four months before the big day

The dual Festival strode up the hill to secure an impressive seven-length win from market rival Marie's Rock

It was a new year but the same brilliance from the precocious Littler, who is on the cusp of producing one of the greatest sporting stories of all time.

Two men have been arrested over the killing of Ugandan Olympic runner Benjamim Kiplagat, who was found dead in a car in Kenya on New Year’s Eve, police have said.

Winning trainer Gordon Elliott recorded a treble on the card

Letters sent to Transport Minister Eamon Ryan detail distress experienced by people with disabilities when trying to use buses, trains and taxis

Building was to be used for families who needed temporary accommodation

Global trade is being driven by political manoeuvring rather than purely economic objectives, creating discord that is a costly barrier to progress

Israel’s Supreme Court has struck down a key component of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s contentious judicial overhaul, a decision that threatens to reopen the fissures in Israeli society that preceded the country’s ongoing war against Hamas.

The annual swim has raised more than €350,000 for local causes since 1984

Cork boss John Cleary has named an established-looking fifteen for the year's opening McGrath Cup joust with Clare

The return to Tramore yielded an overdue change of luck for Bynx as she made all the running to take the Jimmy Shanahan Memorial Handicap Hurdle under a Flanagan ride which impressed winning trainer Martin Hassett.

The nine-year-old has found one too good on his three starts this season 

Nearest rivals Ipswich were held to a second successive 0-0 draw at 10-man Stoke

Jager was floored by a double tackle from Connacht forwards Joe Joyce and Finlay Bealham that was deemed to be fair by match officials while O’Donoghue was the victim of an illegal cleanout.

Dossier containing details of 105 premature deaths of serving and former personnel was delivered to Áras an Uachtaráin

The trainer is still coming to terms with Shishkin's dramatic exit from the King George at Kempton on St Stephen's Day.

A deadline for objections to the unsealing of name passes at midnight on Monday.

The seven-year-old stayed on nicely to finish fourth in the King George 

Coco actress Ana Ofelia Murguia has died aged 90, Mexican officials said. The death of the star, who voiced Mama Coco in the Pixar film, was announced on Sunday by Mexico’s National Fine Arts Institute.

What age gap is acceptable in relationships or does it matter at all? Yvonne Reddin finds out

Average person should be able to see three trees from their window and be no more than 300m from the nearest park under long-term strategy, councillors told

Company said there were an estimated 45.5 million journeys in 2023

Crimes such as criminal damage, including arson, can be prosecuted as terrorism-related offences under the Criminal Justice (Terrorism Offences) Act 2005

Some old favourites return, while Ardal O’Hanlon also tours Irish islands 

The quake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.6 triggered waves of about 1 metre along Japan's west coast and neighbouring South Korea

If you got a few book tokens in recent weeks, here are some tips on  the new titles coming out 

Backstreet Boys star AJ Mclean and his wife Rochelle said it is with “deep love and respect” that they have decided to divorce. The pair released a joint statement on New Year’s Day confirming their marriage split, following their 2011 wedding.

For some, like Cork's Cathal Maguire and Galway defender Sean Mulkerrin, the new year may bring a second coming. For others, the question is whether they can make the step up from under-age big hope to fully-fledged inter-county senior.

A crop of nascent talents, aged 21 or under with a bright future, including a Birmingham midfielder tipped to go ‘to the top’.