Dual Israeli-American hostage released Hamas
Released Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander was reunited with family members after 19 months of captivity by Hamas. Video: Reuters
Dubliner Oscar Despard captained a team from Christ's College, Cambridge to victory in the final of the BBC student quizshow University Challenge. Video: BBC
The Irish Times chess columnist Jim 'JJ' Walsh (93) has retired. He has written about chess in the newspaper for close to 70 years. Video: Dan Dennison
The front facade of an unoccupied cottage in Ranelagh has crumbled and fallen onto the street, obstructing a footpath. Video: Dara MacDonaill
Donegal managed to get players underlapping back the pitch in order to retain possession at the end of extra-time as Armagh aggressively hunted them
Two otters fight in the river Lee. Video: Chris Moody
Jas Fagan Tailor shop on Dublin's Thomas St has been making Holy Communion suits for many years. Jas's son Leonard now runs the business. Video: Bryan O'Brien
Patsy McGarry takes a closer look around the meaning of Robert Frances Prevost's choice of his papal name: Leo XIV.
Journalist and historian Ronan McGreevy tells the story of how The Irish Times's most famous front page was created. Video: Dan Dennison
American cardinal Robert Prevost was elected pope by the world's cardinals on the second day of the conclave. He is the first American pontiff.
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Irish Times
2 hours ago
- Irish Times
Arts Council wrote to officials almost 60 times over botched IT project without issue being escalated
The Arts Council wrote to officials almost 60 times about a botched €6.75 million IT project without the issue being escalated to a senior level within the Department of Culture , an Oireachtas committee has heard. The Oireachtas arts and media committee was hearing from Arts Council leadership and senior officials in the department on Wednesday. Maureen Kennelly , the director of the council who has announced she is leaving the organisation , said she found her dealings with the department over providing staffing resources for the project 'very disappointing and frustrating'. She told committee chair, Labour TD Alan Kelly, that she felt let down by the experience. READ MORE She said the principal officer she dealt with in the department at the time was 'encouraging and reassuring' when the council updated her about the 'twists and turns' in the saga, which lasted several years and culminated in the abandonment of the project. However, Ms Kennelly said she had 'no idea' the issue wasn't being escalated and it came as a great surprise to her when she found this out. Following Ms Kennelly's contribution, the department's secretary general Feargal Ó Coigligh appeared to dispute the number of contacts made with the department, only for Ms Kennelly to reassert that it was 'just short of 60'. Mr Ó Coigligh said it was a failure on behalf of the department that the matter wasn't escalated. 'We were probably being over-supportive rather than challenging,' he told the committee. Department of Culture secretary general Feargal Ó Coigligh appearing before the Oireachtas arts and media committee. Photograph: Oireachtas TV Mr Kelly later told the secretary general that the failure to escalate the issue suggested the department was 'totally and utterly dysfunctional'. Mr Ó Coigligh said he did not agree with this. The committee was also told the department has instructed the council to stop spending money on legal cases it has taken seeking to recoup some of the lost investment. The body has initiated legal proceedings against two of the 21 contractors involved in the project, Codec and Expleo, and is in pre-action engagement with another two. The committee was told €60,000 has been spent on these actions so far. However, Mr Ó Coigligh said the department had instructed the council that there should be no further expenditure on the legal cases until a recently-commenced engagement with the Attorney General's office on the matter had concluded. The committee heard that the instruction was given after an appearance at the Public Accounts Committee at the end of last month where the spending was discussed. Mr Ó Coigligh was repeatedly asked by Fine Gael Senator Garret Ahearn whether the department was supportive of the cases being taken and if any officials had raised concerns about the potential costs of the legal cases. 'What we have said is that the Arts Council should not incur any further costs on legal action' pending the view of the Attorney General, he said. Later, Ms Kennelly said the council had been 'very much' encouraged by senior officials to try to recover money spent on the project. Outgoing Arts Council director Maureen Kennelly at the Oireachtas Arts and Media committee. Photo: Oireachtas TV Sinn Féin TD for Louth Joanna Byrne said Ms Kennelly had been 'thrown under the bus' when she was not offered a new term as Arts Council director. Mr Kelly said she had been offered up as a 'sacrificial lamb' in the wake of the controversy over the IT project, adding that he felt a 'great degree of concern about what has transpired here'. She told the committee that she was disappointed not to be given a second five-year term and would have liked to have stayed on. Asked if she felt Minister for Culture Patrick O'Donovan had confidence in her, she said her employer was the Arts Council board and she felt she had its confidence and that of her colleagues. Arts Council chair Maura McGrath confirmed that the board had recommended a new five-year term for Ms Kennelly. The council had sought a second term for Ms Kennelly and when that wasn't forthcoming, they asked for the decision to be deferred until a review into the spending controversy was complete. However, the committee was told that, ultimately, Mr O'Donovan offered a nine-month extension which was 'heavily conditioned' in that it would only be in place until a replacement was found. 'I felt it was unacceptable,' Ms Kennelly said.
The Irish Sun
5 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
‘Makes me smile' – American viewers blown away by hit RTE show as they discover it for first time
AMERICAN TV viewers were blown away by the arrival of The Great House Revival on the streaming service Hulu. The hit show sees renowned architect Hugh Wallace transforming derelict and unloved properties into stunning dream . Advertisement 2 The Great House Revival is available to stream in the US Credit: Instagram 2 Fans were delighted by the show's arrival Credit: Reuters Hugh took to his Instagram today to share some exciting news about The Great House Revival with fans. The 65-year-old revealed that the home renovation show is now available to stream in North America. The popular RTE series is now available to watch on Hulu, with the streaming service showing all five seasons. Making the announcement on social media, Hugh shared a snap of himself from the show. Advertisement Read more on Hugh Wallace The TV star was wearing a high vis vest standing in front of one of the derelict buildings that featured in the most recent series. Sharing the news with fans, he wrote: "Hulu is now streaming all five seasons of The Great House Revival! "If you are based in North America and have just discovered us we would love to know what you think." One fan wrote: "Working my way through every series. Love it." Advertisement Most read in News TV Martina commented: "I love watching you presenting this rock. Such a funny but gentle way you have with people. Makes me smile." Maureen gushed: "I love this show Hugh! You're such a great host with lots of charisma!" Hugh Wallace left speechless by home transformation Jill said: "It's just brilliant from start to finish. So enjoyed all of it- yes, watched in its entirety! Could listen to you all day long." In one episode of the show, viewers fell in love with an "eccentric" couple who Advertisement In this new series, Hugh guides viewers through a diverse range of restoration projects in the Irish countryside, from Cork to Donegal. For the third episode of the new series, Hugh headed to Roscommon to meet Dublin-based architects Fiona Brugha and Paddy Dunne. 'GREAT TV' The couple found a substantial 1870s colonnaded stone building, which was once the cowhouse belonging to the vast Rockingham Estate, nestled in the dense forest of Lough Key. They planned on turning the thick stone walled ruin into a contemporary family home for themselves and their two small children. Advertisement The defining feature was the row of tall arches running the full length of the building, which gave most rooms in the house a view of the surrounding forest. They purchased the property for less than €100,000 and had a budget for the works of €350,000 but a restoration project among the trees didn't come without challenges. With the help of Hugh, Fiona and Paddy worked around the old building's quirks to construct their sleek dream home in the forest.
Irish Times
5 hours ago
- Irish Times
‘I love love, so I got really excited': Restored Love Lane in Temple Bar draws tourists
Dublin's Love Lane, on Crampton Court in Temple Bar , has been a beacon of love for many locals and tourists for more than a decade. Sitting behind the 3Olympia Theatre in Dublin city centre and with an entrance a stone's throw from socialist bookshop Connolly Books, it stands at the intersection of culture and bustle in Dublin . Eleven years ago, a local initiative saw the lane adorned with a mural of love hearts and sentimental messages, many of which were later complemented by couples scribbling their names and initials. Although it may not have the name-recognition of the Love Lock Bridge in Paris, it nonetheless acts as a small escape for loved-up passersby. READ MORE The lane recently underwent a restoration from Dublin City Council and the Temple Bar Company, in which mural artist Anna Doran imposed song lyrics, poems and famous quotes alongside deconstructed hearts. Love Lane has gone viral online many times over, notably on the online video-sharing platform TikTok, and before its recent restoration had names and messages in every nook and cranny. The Irish Times visited the lane on a Wednesday afternoon to see the completed restoration. Marc and Noelia, a Spanish couple visiting Dublin for a few days, weren't aware of the lane's newfound TikTok fame and stumbled upon it by chance. 'We just saw a group of people turning right and after a second we followed them,' Noelia said. 'We don't usually do this, going to romantic attractions,' she said, but they enjoyed reading the lane's singular Spanish-language quote: 'Eres para mi', which translates as: 'You are mine'. [ Taste of Dublin at Merrion Square: the best things to do, see and eat Opens in new window ] The couple didn't think Dublin city centre had a particularly romantic atmosphere. However, in an unusually warm midday sun, they said they were going to enjoy a pint somewhere in Temple Bar. The lane played host to love of all shapes and sizes, with many best-friend pairings also making the pilgrimage to write their names on its wall. Becky and Alannah, best friends from Manchester, were in Dublin for only one day. 'This is our first love mural, but we do a lot of 'couply' things,' they said, almost in unison. Friends Becky and Alannah, from Manchester, write their names on the wall at Love Lane, Temple Bar. Photograph: Stephen Conneely Their day-trip city break plans included 'to drink, eat, and explore ... like a couple would!' Alannah said while Becky laughed. 'I saw that it was shut the other day, but we just thought we'd come over and see it,' Becky said after calling the now-washed-away love notes 'so cute'. Becky then wrote the pair's name on a tile, which read: 'You're my best friend'. However, she had to ask Alannah whether she had one or two 'l's in her name, prompting more laughter between the friends. [ The ultimate guide to the Irish summer: 50 great things to do come rain or shine Opens in new window ] Kiara and Isis, friends from San Francisco, 'didn't really plan anything in Dublin' for their four-day trip to the city. 'We're just seeing where the vibes take us,' Kiara said. They had seen a few TikTok videos of Love Lane before they left the US, many of which describe it as a 'must-do when in Dublin'. 'I love love, so I got really excited,' Kiara said, encapsulating the heart of the lane.
