As the Home Sweet Home group continue to occupy Apollo House, a disused Dublin office building currently accommodating 31 homeless people, figures released by the Central Bank show that the housing and homeless crisis is continuing to deepen. The figures show that more than four family homes are being repossessed every day. By the end of […]

10 years ago

Ireland’s Fittest Family has become almost as popular a spectator sport in my house as a hurling match. Alright, I said almost. Yesterday saw Mairead Ronan welcome us to the exciting final in Dublin’s Docks where we watched the Cummins clan from Tipperary win €15,000 and the coveted title of Ireland’s Fittest Family 2016. Since exploding onto […]

10 years ago

Were you a fan of The Worst Witch series of books back in the day? Rather unbelievably, Jill Murphy’s pre-Hogwarts stories about the jinxed Mildred Hubble was first published in 1974. Mildred might now be over 40 but she’s about to make a comeback… Controller Cheryl Taylor has commissioned an ambitious re-imagining of the much loved Jill Murphy […]

10 years ago

What better way to celebrate St. Stephen’s night than with a boozy hot chocolate? We came across this delicious recipe on Metro and we CANNOT wait to make some (when we say some, we obviously mean loads). All you need is: Your normal powder-made hot chocolate 15ml coconut vodka 15ml Baileys Irish Cream 7.5ml vanilla […]

10 years ago

A new study has found that babies who are genetically at risk from asthma have a 27 percent decreased risk of developing respiratory symptoms if they are breastfed. The research, which was recently presented at the European Respiratory Society’s International Congress in London, sheds new light on the interactions between genetics and the environment when it comes to asthma. The study […]

10 years ago

Rob Kardashian has taken to his various social media accounts in the last number of hours to express his heartbreak that fiancée Blac Chyna has left him and taken baby Dream with her. The 29-year-old younger brother of Kim, Kourtney, and Khloe posted messages on his Instagram announcing that Chyna has left the family home just one month […]

10 years ago

Holly Willoughby wins best Christmas jumper ever as far as we’re concerned. The This Morning presenter has posted a self-deprecating selfie to her Instagram of the festive garment which features two appropriately placed Christmas puds and her nickname ‘Willaboobies’. The picture has managed to rack (ahem) up 47.7k likes. Ledgebag. Holly and Phillip hosted their last episode of This Morning yesterday. […]

10 years ago

A 24-year-old woman has given birth to a healthy baby boy at London’s private Portland hospital after using frozen ovarian tissue removed when she was jus nine. The BBC have reported that Moaza Al Matrooshi is thought to be the first woman in the world to have a baby after having an ovary frozen before the onset of […]

10 years ago

We recently reported the heartbreaking story of a terminally ill five-year-old boy who passed away in the arms of Santa Claus. Now, it has been alleged that the Santa in question, 60-year-old Eric J. Schmitt-Matzen, may have fabricated the entire event. The 60-year-old who often plays the part of Santa Claus, alongside his wife Sharon as […]

10 years ago

The Despicable Me 3 trailer is out and the movie looks set to appeal to those of us born in the best decade ever, the 1980s. Gru, his Minions, and the Anti-Villain League are coming back to our screens and this time they are up against the coolest bad guy yet. The brilliantly-named Balthazar Bratt is a former ’80s […]

10 years ago

Pink, who announced that she is expecting her second child last month, has posted a stunning photo of herself and her growing bump on her Instagram account. The 37-year-old singer and her retired BMX pro hubby Carey Hart (41) married in 2006 and welcomed their daughter Willow in June 2011. The cute 5-year-old provided the hands cuddling […]

10 years ago

A drinks company in the UK is advertising what could possibly be the best job in the world, as they search for a ‘gintern’ to get paid £20,000 a year to travel Europe drinking gin. The company, with the self-explanatory name ILoveGin, started advertising the position last August but have yet to fill the enviable role. They […]

10 years ago

Do you love your cat butt (see what I did there) struggle with your moggy’s lack of modesty? Fear not, the Twinkle Tush is here to save the day. This rear-end adornment for your feline friend is actually a joke gift from the designers behind the Cat Crib. Although you can buy the glittering gem, the makers […]

10 years ago

London-based mummy-vlogger Tova Leigh, who has more than 30,000 followers, says that there’s no such thing as a mama who never loses it. The mum-of-three espouses a ‘life is short’ philosophy about parenting: “Even though I also cry often (like, very often), I do try to keep it light and laugh, because life is just just […]

10 years ago

In a year that has seen oversharing taken to new levels by parenting bloggers, we may have just hit a new low. Say hello to the poo selfie… Sophie Cachia, who blogs as @theyoungmummy and has a tagline that reads “boobs, pubes and all”, recently posted a sweet photo of herself cuddling her little boy. […]

10 years ago

Foster mum and mental health blogger Rachel Hillestad, recently posted a picture of a Cookie Monster toothbrush to her Facebook page in a moving tribute to her eight-year-old foster child. A writer who blogs on everything from her emergency hysterectomy at 32, Sensory Processing Disorder, twin loss, depression, anxiety, OCD to raising foster kids and letting them move on, Rachel […]

10 years ago

It may not be a full-on SATC reunion but rumours are rife about a Samantha Jones spin-off and Kim Cattrall just added a lot more fuel to the fire… Although tongues have been wagging about a third movie since the (slightly dodgy) sequel hit cinemas, Kim has *just about* confirmed that something is in the […]

10 years ago

Ok people. This is turning into a serious problem. Last week we had the worrying news about the remake of 80s classic Beaches. Now Hollywood is turning its attention to the 90s. That’s right folks, they’ve remade Baywatch. The Hoff has officially been replaced by Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron’s abs. But the movie-makers have stuck […]

10 years ago

Although One Direction’s Liam Payne is yet to comment on girlfriend Cheryl’s rumoured pregnancy, it looks like the 23-year-old is feeling more than a little protective of his other-half. Last night, Liam took to his  Twitter account to slam X Factor judge Louis Walsh (who was on the panel both times Liam auditioned for the show). Liam didn’t @ the […]

10 years ago

You may find this hard to believe but my six-year-old son recently declared that “Waterford was better than Disneyland Paris.” And I have to concede, after spending an absolutely magical family weekend at Winterval, we certainly had just as good a time as we did in the French capital! In 2012 a small group of volunteers […]

10 years ago

The Gardaí’s Serious Crime Review Team have opened a new cold case investigation into the disappearance of Trevor Deely, who went missing after attending a Christmas party on the 8th of December sixteen years ago. After enjoying his office party at Buck Whaley’s nightclub on Dublin’s Leeson Street, the then 22-year-old Trevor Deely set off for […]

10 years ago

If you thought that Modern Family star Sofía Vergara’s battle for the fertilised embryos she has with her ex Nick Loeb couldn’t get any weirder, it just did. A lawsuit has been filed on behalf of the eggs, who have already been named ‘Emma’ and ‘Isabella’. The embryos were created in 2013 following two unsuccessful rounds of IVF treatment. The couple […]

10 years ago

Researchers from a German University have found that exercise may help to improve sperm quality. Behzad Maleki of Justus-Liebig University and his colleagues found that men who engage in moderate exercise between three and five times a week improve their sperm count and quality, according to a new study published in Reproduction. With many couples struggling to conceive due […]

10 years ago

Sean Matthews, 10, from Tallaght in Dublin, was left devastated after his little dog Mojo escaped from the family home last month.  Sean, who has autism, was finally reunited with his beloved dog last weekend, with help from a homeless couple. The young boy’s mum, Tara Matthews, now wants to raise money to help the […]

10 years ago

It really is the most magical time of the year. For the lucky among us who get to spend it with loved ones, and kids, the excitement is palpable. The wonderment at Santa coming, opening pressies and staying in your jammies all day. For parents, though, it can be exhausting and stressful too: combine very early wake-ups with present-buying, tipsy family members, over-tired kids, and hangovers…. […]

10 years ago

Storm Keating announced yesterday that she is expecting her first baby with husband Ronan.   The 35-year-old Australian television producer married the ex-Boyzone star in August 2015 and has revealed that the baby was conceived on their wedding anniversary. It will be a fourth child for Ronan, 39, who is already dad to Jack, 17, Missy, […]

10 years ago

Do you have a wild stallion at home who you’d like to saddle up for Christmas? The creators of Pony Up Daddy say that this, er…human saddle…is the fun new way for parents and grandparents to give pony rides like never before! Quite. Pony Up Daddy, the winner of The National Parenting Centre’s ‘Seal of Approval’, is […]

10 years ago

Newly-crowned queen of the jungle Scarlett Moffatt has revealed exactly how she plans to spend her expected £1million windfall from tv deals and endorsements. The 26-year-old Gogglebox star from Durham beat Emmerdale actor Adam Thomas and comedian Joel Dommett to the jungle throne, by winning I’m A Celebrity at the weekend. The down-to-earth northern lass, who recently […]

10 years ago

Singer Paloma Faith has taken to Instagram to share her joy at becoming a first-time mum. The former The Voice mentor wrote that she underwent an emergency Caesarean after a difficult labour and expressed her thanks to the hospital staff. Paloma went on to praise the UK’s NHS as one of the country’s greatest achievements: “After a difficult labour […]

10 years ago

Australian über-blogger and mum-of-four Constance Hall is postponing her much anticipated UK and Ireland tour.  The 33-year-old artist and parenting blogger from Perth, Australia, took to her Facebook page yesterday to say that both she and the family are too exhausted for the trip to go ahead as planned. Since launching her Facebook page in 2015 and […]

10 years ago

A US judge has sentenced Justin Ross Harris to life in prison without parole for the death of  his 22-month-old son Cooper, who died after being left in a hot SUV in June 2014. Last month, a jury convicted Harris of malice and felony murder and other charges for intentionally leaving little Cooper in the […]

10 years ago

Do you remember how Closer Online revealed the names of the women most likely to fall pregnant in 2016? Well, they’ve done it all over again for 2017. How they worked it out was they looked at the average age that a woman gives birth to her first child in the UK – this was […]

10 years ago

“My body was completely broken, but I didn’t realise I would never see him again.” These are the words of Gillian Treacy, mother of four year old Ciarán who was killed in a head-on collision with a drunk driver in April 2014. Gillian’s story and that of her husband Ronan, the Emergency Services who attended […]

10 years ago

Ho, Ho, Ho! What has Aunty Ali gotten you for Christmas? A bountiful array of festive telly delights that’s what! You lucky duckies. We all know the true meaning of Christmas. That’s right, watching television. This year’s Christmas line-up will have you glued to the sofa just like the Royle Family. Highlights include Mary, Paul, […]

10 years ago

The stars of Sky’s 50 Ways To Kill Your Mammy, Baz and Nancy Ashmawy, have just revealed the locations for Cadbury Chocolate’s ‘Cadvent Convoy’. Ireland’s favourite mother and son duo today revealed the chosen route for the chocolate-filled Christmas truck, following two weeks of public voting. Kicking off today with a large launch event in Grand Canal Dock […]

10 years ago

Ben Carter will only drink from a specific blue Tommee Tippee cup, but the particular style went out of production twenty years ago, so Dad Marc looked to social media for help. To most people, it’s just an everyday child’s sippy cup, but for 14-year-old Ben Carter from Devon in the UK, it is the […]

10 years ago

Prepare yourselves because American cable and satellite television channel Lifetime have just released the official trailer for their remake of 80’s weepy Beaches. Grammy Award winner Idina Menzel, who voiced Frozen‘s Elsa and the song that just won’t Let It Go, plays CC Bloom, the role made famous in 1988 by Bette Midler. Coincidentally, Wind Beneath My Wings […]

10 years ago

Santa’s reindeer have got themselves a Christmas nixer this year. A Domino’s Pizza branch in Japan plans to deliver pizza by reindeer in preparation for expected snowy conditions. As with the company’s ordinary delivery bikes, the reindeer will be equipped with a GPS driver-tracker device that can check the delivery status in real time. Training is now […]

10 years ago

A UCD student has told gardai that she was the victim of a sexual assault at UCD’s Belfield campus last Thursday.  It is believed the student in question had been out socialising with her friends on the day the alleged assault took place. The matter is now being investigated by the Donnybrook gardai; however no suspect has […]

10 years ago

One of the two hotel employees acquitted of the murder of Michaela McAreavey in Mauritius is seeking damages of almost 75 million Mauritian rupees (almost €2m) for his treatment while in custody. Michaela McAreavey née Harte was found strangled in the bath of her hotel room while on honeymoon in Mauritius in January 2011. The […]

10 years ago

There is nothing as special as opening a handmade card, and nothing as fun (and chaotic) as making them from scratch with the kids. If you don’t mind a little messiness, getting stuck into an afternoon of creativity will really get everyone in the festive mood. And we all know kids love to do a spot of […]

10 years ago

Ratings-winning drama Call the Midwife is to have three more series that will keep the show on BBC One until 2020. Three Christmas specials have also been commissioned. Yay, yay and yay! A sixth series of the show, about nuns and midwives working in London’s East End, has already been announced and will air in early […]

10 years ago

Cystic Fibrosis Ireland have vowed to fight the HSE’s decision to turn down the ground-breaking CF drug Orkambi and have called for Health Minister Simon Harris to intervene. Cystic Fibrosis Ireland, Ireland’s national charity supporting people with CF, have expressed their dismay and opposition to the news – leaked yesterday to a Sunday newspaper – […]

10 years ago

The winter has well and truly arrived and let’s face it, Irish winters tend to be colder than most. But it’s not that we’re not prepared. In fact, we’re over-prepared and have everything one could possibly need for the coming months. Here are ten things that you’ll find in every Irish home this winter… 1. Briquettes If […]

10 years ago

Australia’s Health Minister, Jill Hennessy, has confirmed the death of a sixth person after an outbreak of ‘thunderstorm asthma’ in Melbourne. The city’s Herald Sun reports that the outbreak has left five patients in intensive care, with three listed as critical. Another twelve people are receiving hospital treatment for “a variety of respiratory and other related conditions” after asthma […]

10 years ago

The heartbroken parents  of four-year-old Ciarán Treacy have shared their tragic story on RTE’s Ray D’Arcy Show. The heartbroken parents of four-year-old Ciarán Treacy have shared their tragic story on RTE’s Ray D’Arcy Show. Gillian and Ronan Treacy, who are preparing to front this year’s Road Safety Authority Christmas campaign, spoke about the tragic circumstances in which they lost […]

10 years ago

Katie Taylor outclassed her opponent Karina Kopinska in her professional boxing debut yesterday at the Wembley Arena in London. The five-time world and 2012 Olympic champion won the fight with a third-round stoppage of Kopinska. Katie’s next fight is scheduled for the 10th of December and hopes are high that the Irish champion could challenge for a […]

10 years ago

The woman known to many of us as Carol Brady, actress Florence Henderson, has died at the age of 82. Florence was hospitalised on Wednesday and passed away after suffering heart failure on Thursday night at LA’s Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre, her publicist David Brokaw and manager Kayla Pressman announced. They said the Brady Bunch star died surrounded […]

10 years ago

A new study conducted by iPass, surveyed 1,700 working professionals across Europe and the US and found that 40 percent of respondents think Wi-Fi is more important than sex, chocolate or alcohol. The researchers say that Wi-Fi is now not only the most popular method of internet connectivity, but has surpassed many other human luxuries and necessities and […]

10 years ago

A sad day for those of us who grew up with Bosco, Zig and Zag, Judge, Fortycoats, Mr. Crow and the gang from Wanderly Wagon. RTÉ have announced their plans to outsource their young people’s programming, meaning that all of the national broadcaster’s RTÉjr and RTÉ2 children’s television will now come from independent production companies. A statement from […]

10 years ago