‘I think we're going to run into more problems' – Stephen Bradley fears Drogheda's Euro heartache is worrying trend
Stephen Bradley believes Drogheda United's emotive European expulsion may prove to be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to problems with multi-club ownership.
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Irish Independent
an hour ago
- Irish Independent
Ireland is most expensive country in EU after Denmark as prices continue to soar
Prices here are 38pc above the EU average – we are behind only Denmark when it comes to high costs. In 2015, prices in Ireland were 28pc above the average, but since then Ireland has been getting increasingly more expensive. The findings, from the statistics agency Eurostat, will put a new focus on the Government's decision not to pay out universal cost-of-living packages in the next budget. Eurostat found that when it comes to alcohol and tobacco, prices here are the most expensive in the EU – more than double the average. Daragh Cassidy, of price comparison site said this is due to taxation and, more recently, minimum unit pricing on alcohol. When it comes to alcohol, prices here are the second-highest in the EU. Finland has the dearest. Food and non-alcoholic drink prices here are the third-highest in the EU at almost 15pc above the EU average. We are behind only Luxembourg and Denmark when it comes to what we pay for food. However, this is an improvement on recent years, as these prices were more than 21pc above average in 2020. Ireland's restaurant and hotel prices are the second-highest in the EU – Denmark's are dearest – at 29pc above the average. Communications costs are almost 40pc above average. Ireland is the third-most-expensive country for electricity, gas and fuel, with prices 17pc above the average. However, clothing prices in Ireland are 1pc below the EU average and cheaper than in Lithuania, Latvia and Poland. Mr Cassidy said Ireland will never be a cheap place to live Non-EU countries Iceland, Norway and Switzerland were also included in the research and generally have prices higher than those in Ireland. Mr Cassidy said we have known for a while that Ireland is an expensive country and these figures from Eurostat confirm that. 'There are several reasons why prices here are so high,' he said. 'These include our higher wages, a lack of competition in certain sectors, high taxation on certain goods such as tobacco, alcohol and fuel, and lower government subsidies in certain areas such as public transport and childcare compared to our European neighbours.' He said businesses are also faced with high insurance and energy costs, which then get passed on to consumers. Mr Cassidy said Ireland will never be a cheap place to live. 'And it's worth noting that many of the world's most expensive countries, such as Switzerland, Iceland and Denmark, also have some of the highest standards of living in the world,' he added. He said wages in Ireland, while high by international standards, generally do not match the salaries in those countries. At the same time, taxpayers in more expensive countries tend to get back more from their governments in terms of better and more affordable healthcare, childcare and public transport, though there have been improvements made here in recent years. Mr Cassidy called for the Government to lower the standard rate of Vat, which at 23pc is one of the highest in the world.
The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Mike Tyson looks in fighting shape still aged 58 as boxing legend is spotted with glam wife Lakiha Spicer
MIKE Tyson looked a million dollars as he was spotted on a European trip with his wife. Tyson, 58, was seemingly ready to jump back into the ring given his physical condition. 4 Mike Tyson and his wife Lakiha Spicer were spotted in Paris, France Credit: BackGrid 4 The couple headed over to Berlin, Germany to watch an event Credit: AP The boxing legend was seen in Paris, France with wife Lakiha Spicer. The pair were leaving their hotel and heading to the airport when they were spotted. And they arrived in Berlin, Germany a couple hours later to watch a sporting event. Tyson and Spicer were in the stands for a WTA tennis tournament. American Coco Gauff, who recently won the French Open in Paris, was in action. But she was beaten in straight sets by Wang Xinyu in a shock result. Tyson and Spicer seemed to be enjoying the tennis from their exclusive vantage point. The boxer was seen wearing a lilac colored shirt and shorts combo while on the streets of Paris. Most read in Boxing His glam wife had a leopard print outfit matched with a black blazer. Tyson had been out of the ring for 19 years before making a dramatic comeback in 2024. Aaron Rodgers Joins the Pittsburgh Steelers: $10M Deal Confirmed He fought You Tube star Jake Paul at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The boxing legend got himself back into peak physical condition for the bout. But it ended up being a one-sided victory for Paul with Tyson's speed no longer there. Tyson also landed a new job away from boxing this year. He is the new CEO of Carma HoldCo, who are the parent company to his cannabis brand Tyson 2.0. 4 They seemed to be enjoying themselves at the WTA tournament in Berlin Credit: EPA 4 Tyson still looked in peak physical condition at the age of 58 Credit: EPA Ric Flair's firm Drip is also part of the umbrella. Iron Mike said in a statement, "Carma HoldCo was built on the belief that powerful stories and even more powerful products can change how people connect with wellness, entertainment and culture. "This isn't just a title — it's a responsibility I take seriously. Read more on the Irish Sun "I've wanted to be more involved for a long time and now is the right time to take that step. "I'm fully committed to making sure everything we create stays true to who we are while growing in new and exciting ways."
The Irish Sun
5 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
‘Just smash into them' – England U21s star Charlie Cresswell reveals his plan to bring pain to Spain in Euros showdown
CHARLIE CRESSWELL says England have nothing Tou-Louse and vowed to bring the pain to Spain and 'smash' straight into them. The Advertisement 3 Charlie Cresswell vowed to 'smash' into Spain on Saturday Credit: Getty 3 The star says the Young Lions showed a lack of fight initially against Germany Credit: Shutterstock Editorial The boss revealed that he let his players have it as they trailed 2-0 to the Germans at the break but was pleased by the response as Alex Scott almost sparked a late rally. And Cresswell, 22, insists that there won't be a repeat of the 'lack of fight' they started with when they go to battle with star-studded Spanish Armada. The honest defender, who has starred for Toulouse in Ligue 1 since joining from Advertisement READ MORE ON FOOTBALL On the content of Carsley's dressing down, he continued: 'Show some fight, you're playing for England, let's run harder than them, work harder than them. I was saying to the lads 'just smash into them', 'I don't know you're there' and 'let them know they're in a game'. 'We showed that in the second half, but we've got to take that into the next game. 'You can't give Germany that, otherwise look what they did. That's the thing with European competitions, you get punished and you've got to be at your best game.' Cresswell, whose father is a former Leeds star, acknowledged that many will have England down as the underdogs. Advertisement Most read in Football BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS But he, along with Harvey Elliott, were part of the squad that toppled them in Georgia two years ago and he's relishing another fierce battle. He added: 'We go into each game wanting to win. We respect every team. It's going to be a different group from two years ago and they'll be a good side and we've got to be at our game. Lee Carsley hailed for 'best football England have ever played' as fans say 'can we rip up Tuchel's contract-' 3 Omari Hutchinson is targeting a 2-0 victory over the Spanish Credit: Getty Advertisement 'Of course Spain are a top side. The first team as well, it runs through their system. You know when you play against Spain what they're going to be like. They're going to pass it around and try to make you move. But we've got to stand strong and take the game to them. 'We've got quality in that dressing-room. We know we can beat them. 'Everyone has their weaknesses, you know. We've got to make sure we're at our A game. 'It was good [in 2023], I know it got a bit fiery at some points and I'm pretty sure it'll be a fiery game. I enjoy that stuff though. I was saying to the lads 'just smash into them', 'I don't know you're there' and 'let them know they're in a game'. Charlie Cresswell 'I said to the lads, it doesn't get better than this. You're playing for England Under-21s, against Germany and next will be against Spain. It doesn't get better than this. We'll look back on this time and want to live this point again so it's important we stay right here right now and enjoy every moment.' Advertisement Ipswich winger Omari Hutchinson, whose trickery produced the assist for Scott, added: 'They're very good on the ball, so we want to be dominant. We're gonna have to try to take that away from them. We can be physically better than them. We've just got to physically outrun them and take them to the final whistle. 'Cars is big on that. He said last time they played each other it was a tough game. We just want to be able to dominate and win by two goals really. 'It's my biggest game for England so I'm looking forward to it.' England's Under-21 Euros squad in FULL ENGLAND are looking to retain their status as Under-21 European champions this summer in Slovakia. Here is Lee Carsley's full squad for the blockbuster tournament: Goalkeepers: James Beadle (Brighton and Hove Albion), Teddy Sharman-Lowe (Chelsea), Tommy Simkin (Stoke City) Defenders: Charlie Cresswell (FC Toulouse), Ronnie Edwards (Southampton), CJ Egan-Riley (Burnley), Tino Livramento (Newcastle United), Brooke Norton Cuffy (Genoa), Jarell Quansah (Liverpool) Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Archie Gray (Tottenham Hotspur), Hayden Hackney (Middlesbrough), Jack Hinshelwood (Brighton and Hove Albion), Tyler Morton (Liverpool), Alex Scott (AFC Bournemouth) Forwards: Harvey Elliott (Liverpool), Omari Hutchinson (Ipswich Town), Sam Iling Jnr (Aston Villa), James McAtee (Manchester City), Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal), Jonathan Rowe (Marseille), Jay Stansfield (Birmingham City)
