I have discovered a Christmas movie channel called ‘Great!’. They don’t oversell, but the exclamation point tells us they’re still trying.  The plots, character development, and acting aren’t ‘great’ — but they’re weirdly addictive. I think I could pitch them my idea for a movie next year.  I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but I think the American execs at Great! are going to be ‘Excited!’. Working title: ‘A Corker of a Christmas’.  Opening scene: a statue of a dead male writer in front of Guinness Storehouse (to establish we’re in the metropolitan suckfest of Dublin) and a cheeky cabbie in a tweed cap dropping off our protagonist, a freckleless red head (we’ll have a wig budget) named Sheelagh O’Shaunessy, and admonishing her because she works too bleeeeedin’ hard. Cut to interior, a bustling office with our cailín striding purposefully through the vast workspace, as three secretaries clatter...

A former political assistant to now EU Commissioner Michael McGrath and two former councillors were among five people coopted onto Cork County Council on Friday to replace those who won Dáil seats in the recent general election. Fianna Fáil’s Patrick Donovan previously worked for Mr McGrath and has replaced the former finance minister’s brother, Seamus, on the council. Seamus won a Dáil seat in Cork South Central. The married 29-year-old father-of-one is originally from Crosshaven but lives in Carrigaline.  The former pupil of Crosshaven Boys National School and Coláiste Muire in Crosshaven went on to study government and politics at UCC and it was there he joined Ógra Fianna Fáil and became active in the party. Mr Donovan previously worked in finance in Cork ETB, before joining then Mr McGrath’s office as a political assistant. He’s a well-known volunteer in his community with the local credit union and a fundraiser...

Christmas is a special time — families getting together, friends re-uniting, children glowing with excitement and an excuse to indulge for a few days. But for those with an incurable illness, the festive season takes on a more profound significance — they are all the more likely to appreciate every moment spent with their loved ones and the celebrations. Remembering how lucky you are  Hazel Skelton lives in Dublin with her husband Kevin. The 41 year old was diagnosed with HER2-positive breast cancer in 2020, which had also spread to her lymph nodes. After undergoing treatment, she was told in 2022 that she was potentially cancer-free. However, after further tests, it was discovered that it had spread to her brain.  Pictured at the launch of Our Lady’s Hospice & Care Services’ (OLH&CS) Light Up A Life Remembrance Ceremony is patient Hazel Skelton.  While responding well to treatment, she has been...

Gisèle Pelicot has said she thought of her grandchildren during the drugging-and-rape trial that turned her into a feminist hero. She said after 51 men, including her ex-husband, were all found guilty on Thursday of rape or sexual offences, that the ordeal was “very difficult” and she expressed support for other victims of sexual violence. “We share the same fight,” she said in her first words after the court in the southern French city of Avignon handed down prison sentences ranging from three to 20 years. She had waived her right to anonymity.  “I think first of all of my three children, David, Caroline and Florian. I also think of my grandchildren because they are the future and it is also for them that I have led this fight, as well as my daughters-in-law Aurore and Céline,” Ms Pelicot said, “I also think of all the other families affected by...

If you have lived somewhere in Ireland beyond the borders of Cork then you will be familiar with a Christmastime sidle, a stealthy approach which occurs at roughly the same point in December every year. Whether soi-disant sophisticate or avowed Neanderthal, all outlanders are fascinated with one of Cork’s long-standing Christmas traditions. Eventually their curiosity gets the better of them, and they just can’t hold out any longer. “What’s this thing in Cork with spiced beef?” It should take superhuman restraint to hold back from condescending grandly to these poor people, but such self-control comes naturally to us. When your columnist was exiled in Dublin this happened on a regular basis, and the odd time I played fast and loose with the known facts (“ . . . spiced with what? Recipes vary, ground Kerry people, that kind of thing.”) However, while vague awareness and outrageous falsehoods might suffice in...

After burning the Christmas candle at both ends, now’s the time to pour a glass of mulled wine, grab the Selection Box, and engage prone position on the sofa before the festive hijinks recommence in, oh, a few hours.  Time is a precious commodity, so make the most of your silent night in with a pair of indulgent PJs. Although your sartorial reserves may be as dry as last year’s Christmas turkey, that’s even more reason to treat yourself.  Glossy satin jammies, like those at Victoria’s Secret (now open on Cork’s Opera Lane) and Chelsea Peers are a treat but the increase in luxe homegrown nightwear made from natural fibres has us making extra room on our Santa lists. Here’s why. Known for its elegant essentials, Sinead Keary The Label’s ‘Dreamer’ set uses sustainable bamboo jersey for its soft handle and thermoregulating properties.  Like linen nightwear (you’ll love the range...

The election of a new Ceann Comhairle, the first set piece of the new Dáil term, could be one of its most interesting, just hours after the Dáil reconvenes. Shortly after the names of the 174 members of the 34th Dáil are read officially into the record, the process will begin of electing a Ceann Comhairle, with a decision made in 2016 making it all the more interesting. Secret ballot At that point, then taoiseach Enda Kenny adopted a radical political reform agenda that included the election of the chair by secret ballot. The move, which was backed by a constitutional convention and a number of political scientists, marked a fundamental shift in the way the Dáil does its business. At a cabinet meeting in January 2016, Mr Kenny sought approval for the change, which came into effect following that year’s general election.  RESULTS: GENERAL ELECTION 2024 Scroll for results in...

The popular video game Roblox is being used by illegal casinos to draw young children into online gambling, according to a new investigation. With tens of millions of daily users, over two-fifths of whom are 12 or under, the platform is being used to get children to sign up to online casinos where they can bet on the likes of slot machines and blackjack. A Sky News investigation found that, while the unlicensed casinos are not published on Roblox, children are able to sign up to these sites using their sign-in credentials for the video game and bet with the currency they win on the game. The winnings can be withdrawn as cryptocurrency and then turned into actual cash. The UK’s Gambling Commission has began an investigation into these casinos and blocked them from that jurisdiction. Recently passed legislation in the Oireachtas has given powers to Ireland’s first regulator in...

The Government has confirmed a number of changes have been made to dates on which a number of social welfare payments will be available over the Christmas period. The payments are among 10 bonuses included in the €2.2bn cost-of-living package confirmed by the Government as part of Budget 2025 in October. Here’s a list of the payments scheduled to be made in the coming days and weeks: Social welfare  Last month, the Department of Social Protection confirmed some changes had been made to dates on which a number of social welfare payments will be available over the Christmas period. Payments due to be paid on December 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20, will be processed as normal. However, payments due to be paid on December 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 will be processed on the week beginning December 16. Finally, those due to receive a payment on January 1 will...

A teenage student opened fire on Monday at a private Christian school in the US state of Wisconsin, killing a teacher and another teenager during the final week before the Christmas break. The teenager who opened fire also died, police said. The teenager also wounded others at Abundant Life Christian School, including two students who were in a critical condition, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said. “I’m feeling a little dismayed now, so close to Christmas,” Mr Barnes said.  “Every child, every person in that building is a victim and will be a victim forever. We need to figure out and try to piece together what exactly happened.”  A 17-year-old female student had opened fire, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press, speaking anonymously. Police said the person who opened fire was dead apparently by suicide when officers arrived. Emergency vehicles are parked outside the Abundant Life Christian School...