Ciaran Cannon: Every 48 hours someone dies on Irish roads – not because they failed, but because we did
We try to rationalise these tragic losses by imagining them as freak accidents, a break from the norm, perhaps the result of a moment of carelessness. But we've never looked to another truth, never acknowledged that Irish roads are still engineered, policed and legislated for in ways that accept, and sometimes even enable, lethal outcomes.
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Daily Record
43 minutes ago
- Daily Record
The reason for Padraig Harrington's Seniors demons as he relives US Open glory
Irish star topped the pile in Colorado and opned up life with his peers Proud Padraig Harrington reckons it's a joy to relive past glories on the Seniors circuit. And the Irish star reckons it's as much about conquering demons as displaying quality for the older boys after he scooped a second US Open title. Harrington won three Majors during his earlier career and has now collected two more since switching to the over-50s scene. The former Ryder Cup captain is savouring life amongst the older statesman and the opportunity to roll back time to the days when he won back-to-back Open Championships in 2007 and 2008, as well as a PGA Championship. Harrington explained: 'I think winning a US Senior Open or any tournament on the Champions Tour, it kind of validates your career. It validates the past in a lot of ways. 'Genuinely, you are reliving the past glories. You're hitting shots and you're waving at the crowds. The people come out because they know you from the past. The amount of people that will come and say they were at my majors, they watched my majors, or maybe they started playing golf because of the major wins that I've had. 'I also get the grown man who come up to me who tells me I gave them my golf ball when they were a kid. I get that a lot as well. They could have full beard, everything. But that's what we're here for. 'I think the Champions Tour consistently delivers great drama Sunday afternoon, household names that we're familiar with. The fact that we're not all perfect out here, we have many demons out here on the Champions Tour. Everybody's dealing with something. They're not happy chipping. They're not happy putting. There's a lot going on in our heads out here. 'In many ways, we're actually more human as well. We're more relatable because we can certainly mess up. 'It's brilliant when you get to celebrate with your family, especially my wife is here and one of my kids is here. The other is watching from around the world. 'As much as I've won tournaments back in the day, I didn't get to enjoy the experience with my kids. They were there for some of them, but they were only little. Now they understand it. It gives us this opportunity to relive our past glories. 'I don't think there's anything I could do now that I couldn't have done when I was younger. I would have done some things different when I was younger for sure. I don't regret how I approached the game and the way I went about it. Certainly I now appreciate more how much effort it takes to play on a Sunday compared to every other day. 'I definitely make an effort to enjoy my tournaments more, enjoy what's going on around them. It's not all work. And having your family here is part of that. 'Like on Wednesday night, I went for an In-n-Out burger. Like I didn't eat a french fry or a burger for 10, 15 years of my career. It was all about everything was get the right diet, all that sort of thing. 'We're so much better together at this stage of our careers. Everybody is happier and friendlier. We're not half as grumpy as we were when we were young guys. I think, as you get older, you realise that you don't actually have all the secrets and that you can actually tell everybody everything, and it's up to them to figure it out too. 'We're much more relaxed. We're still competitive when we're on the course. We want to play great golf, but I think the environment around the Champions Tour is really nice. Most of us would have burnt out in golf. You put so much into your golfing career, you burn out. Usually you last about 20 years is the burn-out period, 15 to 20 years. The Champions Tour is a new lease on life. 'The only way you can kind of do it is with a different and new attitude. As I said, it's about, I suppose, enjoying your past glories now and reliving them.'
Irish Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
'Danger alert' for Irish tourists off to holiday hotspots as temps soar to 46C
Irish tourists taking trips to Europe in the foreseeable future should brace themselves for absolutely roasting temperatures. Temperatures tipped over 40°C in Spain and Portugal at the weekend, and look likely to edge even higher on Monday. Road surfaces are beginning to melt in Italy, while Greece has been plagued by wildfires sweeping across the holiday islands in recent days, reports The Mirror. The heat dome hanging over Europe is no laughing matter, with one tourist already having lost their life to heatstroke in Majorca. The roasting-hot front has blown up from Africa and looks poised to push thermometers even higher. It's unlikely the heat will relent anytime soon thanks to the heat dome currently hanging over Europe. The meteorological phenomenon occurs when a high-pressure ridge traps a thick layer of warm air in one region, acting like a lid on a pot. While a little sun, sea and sand might sound tempting, such high temperatures can be very dangerous. The region around Seville in southern Spain was forecast to reach 42°C through the weekend, while the French Mediterranean coast pushed 40°C on Saturday, with similar temperatures in southern Italy and Sardinia. Highs in London could hit 35°C on Monday, potentially making it the hottest June day on record in the UK. In Spain, Monday is expected to be the hottest day of a heat wave that began on Saturday and set a record for June, with 46 degrees forecast for El Granado in the south of the country. The arrival of a warm, dry mass of Saharan origin is exacerbating the rise in temperatures to "abnormally high and persistent levels, both day and night, which could pose a risk to people," the State Meteorological Agency warned. UK health authorities issued an amber heat alert for Tuesday covering London, the East Midlands, South East, South West and East of England. The UK Health Security Agency has warned that scorching temperatures could pose a risk to children, older people, and those with medical vulnerabilities. It warns of "a rise in deaths, particularly among those ages 65 and over or with health conditions. There may also be impacts on younger age groups". The heat also increases the likelihood of intense storms. France and Germany have been hammered by ferocious rain, hailstorms and flooding, leaving three people dead. Among them was a child who was crushed to death by a falling tree. Amber heat warnings have been issued for many parts of Spain, with similar warnings in place for four departments in the south of France. In Spain, weather expert Nacho Espinos has urged people to remain indoors and avoid strenuous exercise. A double alert has been issued in the Canary Islands due to extreme temperatures, with warnings affecting four of the islands. Weather experts say temperatures could reach 37C. On Gran Canaria, warnings have been issued for the rising risk of forest fires and the health dangers of high heat. In part due to the high heat there, Greece has borne the brunt of the wildfires in Europe so far this summer, with serious blazes breaking out in several areas. A fierce blaze ripped through the area south of Athens on Thursday, leading to evacuation orders and forcing officials to shut off sections of the vital coastal route from the Greek capital to Sounion, home of the historic Temple of Poseidon and a key draw for visitors. In France, firefighters were mobilised to tackle early summer fires as 84 of the country's 101 administrative areas were put on a heatwave alert from today until midweek. Extreme heat can be deadly. In 2023, 61,000 people died because of Europe's record-breaking heatwave. William Spencer, climate and first aid product manager at the British Red Cross, said: "Heatwaves are becoming more frequent and getting worse because of climate change. "Sadly, we have seen cases already this year of the tragic impact high temperatures can have on human life. High temperatures make it harder for the body to cool itself and we all need to take care to manage the health risks of heat. If you are travelling to a country experiencing extreme heat, there are several steps you can take to keep yourself and others safe." Temperatures have started rising rapidly, just as a new early warning system has come into force. is the first pan-European, publicly available platform that predicts the actual mortality risks of temperatures for different demographics. Those planning a holiday who are concerned about the heat can use it to check how much of a risk to their health they are taking. If you are heading on holiday in the coming weeks, make sure you know the forecasted weather so you can prepare accordingly. The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Notre Dame receives a prediction for ‘26 DL Elijah Golden, who will commit in late July
Notre Dame football's 2026 class has grown exponentially over the last two weeks, but they will have to wait until the end of July for another one of its top targets to make his decision. Elijah Golden, a 6-foot, 4-inch and 275-pound Floridian, will make his commitment on July 26th as reported by On3's Kyle Kelly, as he will decided from Alabama, Oklahoma, Virginia Tech and the Irish. The good news for Notre Dame is that On3's Mike Singer has put in a prediction for the star defensive lineman to go with the Blue and Gold. With all of his official visits concluded, he will now have about a month the finalize his decision. Golden visited South Bend during the weekend of June 20th, his last trip that was scheduled. While Notre Dame has multiple edge rushers committed, they lack a big body on the outside to compliment them. Golden would be that perfect addition, and if Singer is correct, they will be doing just that.
