People who have paid more PRSI in a given year could be entitled to higher dole payments if they become unemployed. Under a new planned scheme, which already has the support of Minister for Social Protection Leo Varadkar, people who lose their jobs would initially receive €215 a week for the first three months and €200 […]

10 years ago

A twelve-year-old child has reportedly been shot after gunmen opened fire at a nightclub event for middle and high school students in Florida’s Fort Meyer. At least two people are dead and many more have been injured after the attack at Club Blu, in which victims aged between 12 and 27 were hit as they […]

10 years ago

Actress Liv Tyler and her husband Dave Gardner have welcomed their first baby girl together earlier this month, and the new mum is documenting every minute with her precious girl. The New York-based couple announced their new arrival on Instagram, posting a monochrome image of daddy Dave holding his new daughter, and revealing her name… […]

10 years ago

At least two people are dead and many more have been injured after at least two gunmen opened fire in a Florida nightclub during an event for teenagers. According to local news, children as young as 13 were inside Club Blu in Fort Myers at the time of the attack at 1am local time. Three suspects […]

10 years ago

Twelve people have been injured, three seriously, after a Syrian suicide bomber blew himself up outside a music festival in southern Germany. The bomber died instantly, leaving many others injured when the explosive device went off outside a wine bar in central Ansbach around 10pm last night (Sunday). The 27-year-old is believed to have been refused asylum […]

10 years ago

A mother-of-two has been arrested in the seaside town of Blackpool in the United Kingdom after her baby was found beneath an upturned pram in a local park. According to The Blackpool Gazette, a member of the public discovered the eleven-month-old baby girl in Watson Road Park, South Shore at approximately 7am on Sunday morning. Police […]

10 years ago

Recent studies have proven that breast milk has some truly incredible powers.  It contains just the right composition of nutrients and antibodies each baby needs, as well as epigenetic modulators that program development and a diverse microbiome that is presumed to colonise the infant gastrointestinal tract. All of this sounds great of course, but a proud […]

10 years ago

If you’re the most senior of your siblings, a piece of scientific research has given you the ultimate in bragging rights: first-born children have higher IQs. A University of Illinois study of 400,000 high school students showed the eldest child in the family was more likely to have a one-point IQ advantage. According to the […]

10 years ago

A man has been arrested in Dublin’s South Inner City after a mother claimed he attempted to snatch her baby. According to the Irish Independent, mum Sarah Conway (27) was walking on Meath Street at around 5pm on Tuesday when she witnessed the man attempt to grab another child. “As I was coming up the street […]

10 years ago

If you have trouble protecting your lunch/ Bourbon Creams/ almond milk from light fingered colleagues, prepare to be schooled in how to handle food theft it light a pro. When a new mum grew tired of her coffee creamer disappearing from the office fridge, she came up with a very special type of revenge. Identifying […]

10 years ago

Premature menopause can be devastating for women who hope to become mothers later in life, but doctors in Greece claim they may have come up with a solution. According to a report in New Scientist, a 45-year-old woman who hadn’t had a period in five years is now menstruating again after her ovaries were injected […]

10 years ago

A six-year-old boy who has been missing for two years has been found in Finland, according to local news. A man and a woman have allegedly been detained by police after the boy, who had been disguised as a girl, was recovered from a rented summer cottage on Tampere’s lake Näsijärvi on Saturday. No further details […]

10 years ago

When the weather in Ireland reaches temperatures commonly associated with the season known as summer, it’s practically required of us all to celebrate. And what better way to cool down on a hot day than with a tasty ice lolly? But if you feel you’re too old for a Tangle Twister or too refined for […]

10 years ago

At first glance, everything about this picture seems perfectly normal. A cute tot sits in a Costco shopping trolley full of groceries. So far, so pedestrian. Until you look a little closer, that is. The snap, posted to Reddit by a user named A_OBCD8663 has the internet abuzz, for it is not just a hurried iPhone […]

10 years ago

It’s every expecting couple’s nightmare, but 20-year-old Owen Reen handled it like a pro when he delivered his baby son five weeks ahead of schedule at the side of the road. At 7pm last Friday, Owen’s partner, Rebecca Cremin (23) had asked him to rush her to Kerry University Hospital in Tralee. However, baby Jayden […]

10 years ago

Sure, it’s all about paddling pools and patio furniture right now, but come September, the great indoors will once again become the primary focus… and Penneys are ready and waiting to help your feather your winter nest.  We’ve had a sneak peek at what’ll be hitting stores nationwide in the coming weeks and we can […]

10 years ago

It’s the lean, green wonder ingredient we’ve learned we can’t live without, but it’s finally happened: we’ve reached Peak Avocado. And we’re not sorry. Not only are we now slathering it on our faces and hair (it’s packed with vitamins and unsaturated fats), we’re now scoffing it in place of a Tangle Twister on hot […]

10 years ago

Thandie Newton has become the toast of breastfeeding mamas the world over, after she shared a sweet snap of her feeding her two-year-old in public. The English actress, who is also mum to daughters Ripley (16) and Nico (12) with husband Ol Parker, was feeding son Booker Jombe while taking a break at the Latitude music […]

10 years ago

Children who qualify for the Domiciliary Care Allowance will no longer have to fight for a medical card. Minister for Health Simon Harris has promised that medical cards will automatically be granted to more than 11,000 sick and disabled children as part of the Programme for Government. A Domiciliary Care Allowance is a monthly payment made to […]

10 years ago

An investigation into the death of a young mum-to-be at the National Maternity Hospital has concluded that she died due to a tear in her abdomen during laparoscopic surgery. Malak Kuzbary Thawley (35) was undergoing the procedure for an ectopic pregnancy (a pregnancy in which the fetus develops outside the womb, typically in a fallopian tube) […]

10 years ago

It might be balmy right now, but autumn is just around the corner… and we’ve had a sneak peek at what IKEA is planning for the cosy season. If you’re planning a proper refurb, there’s two new very affordable kitchens on the way, as well as a range of gorgeous textiles, sophisticated bedding, fun tables, an […]

10 years ago

Advice for life

10 years ago

Brought to you by Bank Of Ireland.  Being a parent is SO expensive. From finding the safest buggy on the market to installing the best car seats (in two cars!) the expense is never-ending, but there are a few ways you can ensure you always have a little money left over to save for a […]

10 years ago

Thousands of families have had their holiday plans thrown into disarray after the online travel agent Lowcostholidays closed without warning on Friday evening. As many as 15,000 Irish customers are affected, many of whom are already in holiday resorts that they will be asked to pay for again before they leave, despite having paid for […]

10 years ago

Did you have a garden swing when your were little? If so, it probably features in countless family photographs, from the summer shorts and t-shirt shots to the snowy Christmas scenes. These days there are countless swing sets available from toy shops and garden centres, but if it’s something special you’re after, we’ve rounded up […]

10 years ago

As desperate families search for loved ones who have been missing since the horror attack in Nice, an unidentified baby lying critically ill in hospital has had no visitors.  While no details about the child’s family have been released, police are reportedly worried they may have been killed in the attack. The baby, who is […]

10 years ago

A baby who disappeared when a lorry ploughed through a crowd of people celebrating Bastille Day in Nice on Thursday night has been reunited with its parents after a social media appeal.  The family had been among the crowds of people watching a fireworks display on the  Promenade des Anglais in the French Riviera town when […]

10 years ago

A father of two who confronted a child who was bullying his son and daughter could now lose his job over the incident. Christopher Cooper, from Cumbria in the UK, pleaded guilty to using threatening, abusive words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress after he admitted shouting at the boy. The devastated […]

10 years ago

You couldn’t make it up: As the June bank holiday weekend kicks off across Ireland, temperatures are creeping ever upwards with highs of 24C predicted throughout Saturday, Sunday and Monday. This calls for a celebratory drink.  And how best to mark what may arguably be the best summer weekend in Irish history? By busting out […]

10 years ago

Have you ever had to stop the car to re-buckle your toddler’s safety belt? A simple invention designed by two Irish sisters could stop the problem for good… for just €12.50.  Kids love to press buttons, but an open safety belt is dangerous in two ways; the child is no longer safe in the car […]

10 years ago

The story of an eleven-year-old girl who tragically choked to death at a birthday party struck fear into the hearts of parents everywhere this week.  It also drew attention to the issue of choking, prompting our readers’ to share their experiences and shine a spotlight on many common snacks, items and party foods that seem […]

10 years ago

It should have been the type of holiday memories are made of. Texas dad Sean Copeland and his eleven-year-old son Brodie were in the southern French town of Nice to celebrate the birthday of a relative. Little did they know that before Bastille Day came to a close, they would be victims of a horror […]

10 years ago

A spokesman for Mick Jagger has confirmed the Rolling Stones rocker is expecting his eighth child with twenty-nine-year-old ballerina Melanie Hamrick.  Jagger, who has seven children from his previous relationships, five grandchildren and one great-grandchild, will welcome number eight in January, 2017 and is said to be delighted by the news. A source revealed to The […]

10 years ago

A number of children are among the dead after a lorry ploughed through a crowd of people celebrating Bastille Day in Nice last night. As the death toll hit eighty-four people this morning, 18 more people were said to be in critical condition in hospital and at least 50 more have been injured, as local […]

10 years ago

Home ownership is an expensive business. From the bin charges to those never-ending weekend DIY jobs, there’s always something house-related to pay for, but if you’re carrying out an upgrade that will make your home more energy-efficient, you could claim a cash grant that could save you a LOT of money. Since the launch of […]

10 years ago

Ever feel like society puts too much pressure on us all to pass exams? Well, a teacher at one school reached out to a special student to make sure he understood that test results aren’t everything. Ruth Clarkson, assistant headteacher at the Lansbury Bridge School for children with complex learning difficulties in St Helens, Merseyside, […]

10 years ago

The parents of a child who choked to death on a marshmallow at a friend’s birthday party are suing the hosts. Eleven-year-old Azriel Sage Estabrooks died in a Massachusetts hospital, five days after the choking incident on April 16 at the home of Raymond Dugan and Alison B. Dugan. Following a police investigation, the death was ruled […]

10 years ago

Alzheimer’s is a condition more commonly associated with older adults, but new research suggests the signs of the disease may be noticeable in children as young as three-years-old. A new study, published in the journal Neurology, found that symptoms of Alzheimer’s can be identified in small children who are genetically predisposed to the disease. Scientists […]

10 years ago

Okay, so the temperatures haven’t been amazing so far this summer, but it is warm enough for the kids to splash around in the paddling pool. And now Aldi are offering families the opportunity to make their garden the most popular on the street with a trio of fun treats: two pools and a water […]

10 years ago

She’s the flame-haired cutie who shot to fame in the 1982 hit movie Annie, and while Aileen Quinn is still somewhat involved in show business, she’s not the carrot-topped little girl you remember.  Now 45, Aileen Quinn studied Japanese and Spanish in college and later worked as a translator, while also appearing in sporadic TV shows. […]

10 years ago

One on four households with young children will struggle to meet back to school costs in the coming weeks, with one in eight cutting back on food to afford books and uniforms. According to new research by the Irish League of Credit Unions, the cost of a ‘free’ education in Ireland has increased annually since 2012 […]

10 years ago

They’ve been kept firmly out of the public eye since their birth in December of last year, but Georgia Penna finally gave her fans a glimpse of her twin boys on Instagram this week. The delighted parents shared a number of images from their family holiday, although they made sure the tots’ faces were protected […]

10 years ago

It’s the world’s most hotly anticipated theme park, and now Disney has revealed some details about what fans can expect from their new Star Wars lands, currently being built in California and Florida. The two 14-acre slices of fantasy heaven, complete with a huge Millennium Falcon ride are being developed at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in […]

10 years ago

An American dad has hit the headlines worldwide after a lighthearted video he made in support of breastfeeding mums went viral.  In the video, Pennsylvania’s Brock Smith attempts to enjoy a meal in a restaurant with a blanket covering his head and face. During the clip, he tells the camera: “I wish I didn’t have […]

10 years ago

Sure, we all love a traditional teddy bear. But wouldn’t you rather a stuffed jellyfish? A crocheted carrot? A fabulous fox or a sleepy unicorn? When it comes to soft toys, the only limit is your imagination and nowadays there are even companies that will customise a whole family of cuddly friends for you. Here […]

10 years ago

Irish Rugby star Gordon D’Arcy and his wife Aoife Cogan have announced they are expecting baby number two. The pair welcomed a baby daughter they named Soleil in May of last year and this week revealed to The Herald that her first sibling is due this winter. Familie über alles A photo posted by Gordon […]

10 years ago

Actress Liv Tyler and her husband Dave Gardner have welcomed a baby girl. The New York-based couple announced their new arrival on Instagram, posting a monochrome image of daddy Dave holding his new daughter, and revealing her name… Lula Rose Gardner. Lula Rose is the first girl for The Lord Of The Rings actress, who is […]

10 years ago

Netherlands native Astrid van Gelder-Fitzpatrick owns the Dutch Bike Shop, bringing the best of utility bikes from Holland to Ireland. “One of the best brands for hard-wearing, stylish cycling clothing is the Georgia in Dublin range. The clothes are very elegant, feminine and have a comfortable fit (check out their rain wrap which doubles as a […]

10 years ago

There’s no denying it’s a dreary start to the week, but rest assured you’ll be digging out the sun screen again by tomorrow.  According to Met Eireann, today will start out rather cloudy with light passing showers, but will brighten up through the morning with good sunny spells developing for the afternoon and temperatures of […]

10 years ago

The majority of PAYE workers in Ireland are oblivious to a tax loophole that could save them hundreds of euros every year. The latest report shows two thirds of us do not know about Flat Rate Expenses, a type of tax relief available to people working in certain trades and professions. Unusually, thanks to a rather dated […]

10 years ago