Ireland’s oldest book shrine unveiled after 39-year restoration

IRELAND'S oldest and largest medieval book shrine is on display for the very first time. The Lough Kinale Book Shrine is now on public display at the National Museum of Ireland, following a nearly 40-year conservation effort. Discovered in 1986 by divers in a lake in County Longford, the 9th-century wooden box was remarkably well preserved for over a thousand years. The shrine, … [Read more...] about Ireland’s oldest book shrine unveiled after 39-year restoration

LEGISLATION has been introduced to make spiking a criminal offence in Northern Ireland. Justice Minister Naomi Long has brought forward legislative consent motions this week which will see new offences and amendments to offences introduced in the region. “Spiking is a despicable act that leaves victims feeling violated, vulnerable and confused,” Ms Long said this week. “Whilst … [Read more...] about Spiking set to become a criminal offence in Northern Ireland

OVERCROWDING in Irish prisons is spiralling out of control, in what experts are calling a national ‘crisis’. With facilities operating at nearly 120% capacity, over 400 inmates are currently sleeping on floors. This mirrors a broader trend across Europe, where the prison population grew by almost 4% in 2023 alone. Tougher sentencing laws and years of underinvestment in prison … [Read more...] about Ireland’s prisons are reaching breaking point

THE British Met Office and Ireland's Met Éireann are inviting the public to help name the storms expected to affect Britain, Ireland and the Netherlands in 2025/26. This marks the 11th year of the joint storm-naming initiative, which was created to make severe weather warnings clearer and more memorable to the public. After Storm Éowyn hit at the start of the year, a Met Office … [Read more...] about Public asked to name Irish and British storms of 2025/26

FORMER news reporter Dermot Murnagahn has thanked his fans for their outpouring of support after he revealed he has been diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer. The journalist, who worked for the BBC and Sky News for a number of years, shared his cancer diagnosis on his social media platforms earlier this week. “Some personal news, I’ve been diagnosed with Stage IV advanced … [Read more...] about Dermot Murnaghan thanks fans for ‘support and encouragement’ after revealing prostate cancer diagnosis