A new app allows women to browse potential sperm donors by ethnicity, skin tone, height, weight and eye and hair colour… using only a mobile phone. The first app of its kind is the brainchild of London Sperm Bank Donors and allows customers to order donor sperm (at a cost of £950, or €1,093 per order) to […]

10 years ago

Pieces of light coloured fabric have been recovered from an olive grove near the house on the Greek island of Kos where Sheffield toddler Ben Needham disappeared 25 years ago. Police have sent the items, described by Detective Inspector Jon Cousins as being ‘of slight interest’, for forensic testing. The two-year-old had been wearing a […]

10 years ago

We all dream that one day, for absolutely no reason whatsoever, a large some of money will miraculously appear in our bank account.  Dublin woman Margaret McDonnell may have thought that day had finally come when a whopping €25,000 showed up on the ATM screen, but the windfall, which turned out to be a bank […]

10 years ago

Are your family funds extra tight at the end of every month?  The truth is, most of us could benefit from tightening up those purse strings… and small switches like cutting down on shopping and switching your health insurance could make a big difference to your life.  Happily, it doesn’t have to be all doom and […]

10 years ago

As most parents know, the line between peckish kids and a hangry mob is a thin one. Smart moms and dads (and grannies and grandads, aunts, uncles and childminders!) think ahead and stock their pantries with quick snacks to bridge the gap between homework time and dinner. These substantial snacks are easy to make and […]

10 years ago

Ever wondered what those little envelope folds on the shoulders of baby vests are for? You’ll be so grateful at finally figuring out their purpose you’ll be determined to spread the good news to other in-the-dark parents. Turns out they’re super handy in cases of what’s known in the parenting business as a “poonami”. How? […]

10 years ago

Two women were treated for a rare flesh eating disease at Letterkenny University Hospital in Donegal this summer.  Both maternity unit patients developed Necrotising Fasciitis, a fast-spreading bacterial skin infection that kills the body’s soft tissue. In serious cases, the disease can lead to limb loss and can potentially be life-threatening. The hospital said the […]

10 years ago

Nothing sends the internet at large into meltdown like a royal baby rumour, but word has it we can expect some news by Christmas. According to a palace insider, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are hoping to welcome a sibling for three-year-old Prince George and Princess Charlotte (16 months) in 2017. A photo posted […]

10 years ago

It’s one of the first songs most of us learn the words to, but despite its years of popularity, the ABCs leave a lot to be desired in terms of performance. Until now, that is. Two-year-old Violet Ogea is getting a standing ovation from the internet this week for her frankly stunning performance of the […]

10 years ago

Would you like your little darling to be the next Anna Wintour or André Leon Talley? If so, this list of fashion-forward baby names should be your first stop. Fashion mag Harper’s Bazaar has come up with their very own list of the names their team of stylistas are swooning over right now. There’s a few […]

10 years ago

Choosing a baby name is rarely easy, but for Chinese parents seeking an English name for their new arrival, it can be a little trickier. On a family holiday, 16-year-old Beau Jessup noticed that many new parents were struggling with translations. Her solution has grown into a lucrative business that has earned her more than €50k. […]

10 years ago

If you spent your childhood following The Famous Five and The Secret Seven around deserted headlands, or deep in Cornwall with the boarding school students of Malory Towers, you’ll understand the addictive power of Enid Blyton’s writing.  Sure, she’s not famous for being politically correct and some of the attitudes towards gender roles, race and […]

10 years ago

Parents have been warned to keep a closer eye on their children’s internet use after a study revealed just how fast a predator can groom a child online. When researchers at Swansea University examined the language used by 192 sexual predators in conversation with adults posing as children, they discovered the majority of them were […]

10 years ago

A new mother who was killed in a horrific crash on the M8 near Cashel on Monday will be laid to rest this morning. Nicola Kenny was en route to Dublin’s Temple Street Children’s Hospital to visit her newborn baby girl Lily Rose who had been rushed there with a high temperature following her birth […]

10 years ago

The majority of Irish people now recycle, with every bag we sort helping to reduce the global pollution problem caused by waste. However, despite keeping separate bins and doing your best, you could be unknowingly contaminating up to 36 percent of the contents of your recycling bin by making one of these very common mistakes. Here, […]

10 years ago

You know you’re a proper Mammy when you can’t go one minute without experiencing a flash of guilt about something child-related. The good news is, you’re not alone. Other mums may look like they have it all together, but really everybody’s just getting by and crossing their fingers that they haven’t forgotten anything vital for […]

10 years ago

Babies born by Caesarean section are fifteen percent more likely to be obese as adults than babies delivered vaginally.  In fact, when compared with siblings delivered vaginally, C-section babies are 64 per cent more likely to be obese than their brothers and sisters. That’s according to the results of a major new Harvard University study […]

10 years ago

Last year a UK couple named their baby son Gary after they discovered the name, a favourite in the 1960s, was about to become extinct. Now a new list offers a wealth of options if you want your little darling to be one of a kind in the classroom. According to contributors to the Essential Baby […]

10 years ago

It’s every mother’s worst nightmare.  New mum Amy Duckers was helping her seven-year-old daughter Libby show her new baby sister to a neighbour at the local supermarket in Manchester when a stranger approached. “Our neighbour then saw one of her work colleagues who was with her husband and said ‘aww come and have a look […]

10 years ago

In a frankly genius piece of marketing, The Honest Company, a business co-owned by actress Jessica Alba, is now selling US election-themed nappies.  The limited edition ‘bipartisan’ diapers, which feature a cute red elephant being best mates with a blue donkey to promote unity, go on sale online today. Speaking to Time, Honest Company co-founder and CEO […]

10 years ago

Stroll down Dublin’s lively Wexford Street of an afternoon and you’ll encounter the slightly jarring sight of a colossal metal baby, settled on the pavement among a mishmash of other curios.  The supersized infants, officially called the Dublin Babies, are the work of Darran Robinson, aka Dr. Dublin, creator and purveyor of darkly whimsical sculptures […]

10 years ago

A large study involving more than 400,000 people has shown that infants given antibiotics before the age of two are significantly more likely to develop eczema and allergies as adults. The study, compiled from the results of 22 separate pieces of research, is due to be unveiled today at the European Respiratory Society congress in […]

10 years ago

Irish children now spend more time looking at screens than any other activity. In fact, half of Irish kids spend less than thirty minutes playing outside after school and a whopping forty-five percent have never climbed a tree.  If you’re one of 75 percent of adults who worry your children spend more time online with their virtual […]

10 years ago

They say a rising tide lifts all boats, but rising property prices could sink struggling families even further into debt when homeowners’ Local Property Tax (LPT) is reevaluated in 2019. As asking prices for Irish properties climb ever higher, the majority of property owners will be faced with a steeper bill for LPT, which is […]

10 years ago

Once you have kids, it’s easy to convince that all manner of grown-up fun must be sacrificed in the interest of keeping little minds entertained. With a little imagination however, it is, in fact, possible to plan a weekend that’s equally enjoyable for every member of the family, young and not-so-young. Here are ten brilliant […]

10 years ago

For years, doctors have blamed post-natal depression on hormonal fluctuations. Now researchers have shown that a particularly painful or traumatic birth and lingering pain in the weeks afterwards can significantly increase a mother’s risk. A study of 200 women who had an epidural when they gave birth to their first child showed that, six to […]

10 years ago

Irish children feel that their parents are too busy to spend enough quality time with them… and the absence could be affecting their health. Those were the findings of a major new study into the factors that improve children’s wellbeing, conducted as part of the preparation of the National Obesity Policy. A collaboration between researchers […]

10 years ago

When it comes to pregnancy, old wives tales are as wild as they are plentiful, but that doesn’t mean they’re not a fun way to pass the time as you await your new arrival. The latest so-called ‘gender predictor’ we’ve stumbled upon involves just two things: some bicarbonate of soda and… a urine sample. The […]

10 years ago

If you tend to spray on your deodorant just before you get dressed each morning, science suggests you might benefit from changing up your routine.  Turns out, using your antiperspirant at night makes it much more effective. According to a study of women aged between 18 and 65 published in The Dermatologist, those who spritzed […]

10 years ago

Newsflash: motherhood is hard. It’s even harder when you’re doing it alone.  That’s why mums all over the world have come out in virtual support of one young mother after she shared the gory details of a disastrous trip to the supermarket with her two kids. In a Facebook post titled ‘This Is Motherhood’, Aly […]

10 years ago

Ireland’s education system is lauded by Government as free to access; but, as every Irish parent knows, this is far from the truth. In reality, many Irish parents are forced to cut back in other areas in order to foot the bill for uniforms, school shoes, books and ‘voluntary contributions’ as well as extra-curricular activities […]

10 years ago

If you can’t go sixty minutes without a refreshing cup of tea, then have we got the excursion for you. A brand new Dublin City bus tour is offering passengers the chance to enjoy some of the city’s well-known sights… whilst comfortably perched in a vintage double decker Routemaster bus named Pauline and scoffing cream […]

10 years ago

There are many things women choose to sacrifice while they’re trying to conceive, but for many a nightly glass of wine remains on the menu until the happy news is confirmed.  Now a new study suggests it might be wise to limit alcohol consumption more strictly if you’re hoping to get pregnant, with experts advising […]

10 years ago

Oh, sisters. As anyone who has one will attest, they can be your best friend or your worst enemy. Such is this one’s ‘butter wouldn’t melt’ smile that mum Theresa Galloway didn’t initially believe her daughter Leah when she tried to tell her that her sister Holly had broken her phone. Luckily for Leah, she […]

10 years ago

When parents wave their children off to school every morning, they hope they fit in, that other kids will be kind to them, that they feel included and have fun.  For mums and dads whose children have special needs however, the worry is a daily companion. In fact, sometimes these parents simply have to accept […]

10 years ago

Beloved teacher and mother Clodagh Hawe and her three sons Liam, Niall and Ryan are to be buried together with their father Alan Hawe, who murdered them before taking his own life.  As the community in which the family played an active part struggles to comprehend the tragedy, their friends and family have continued to […]

10 years ago

She plays the mysterious Red priestess Melisandre in HBO’s Game of Thrones, and now actress Carice van Houten has thrilled fans by sharing her suitably unusual bay name. Carice and her British actor and musician hubby Guy Pearce welcomed a baby boy on Monday, with Guy revealing the news by tweeting: “A cute little package arrived […]

10 years ago

Choosing a baby name can be one of the most enjoyable parts of pregnancy and birth or a total nightmare, but the fact remains: it must be done.  And a name that seems suitable in the hazy newborn days may get a little tired quite quickly once you settle back into everyday life. No surprise, […]

10 years ago

A deceased baby was accidentally cremated when staff at an Australian hospital failed to check an ID tag on the infant that had been obscured by a blanket. The child, who had been stillborn, was confused with another infant, miscarried at 20 weeks at Royal North Shore Hospital’s mortuary. The heartbreaking mix-up was revealed by […]

10 years ago

Gardaí are examining a second note in a sealed envelope believed to have been written by school vice principal Alan Hawe before he murdered his family on Sunday night. As the community in which the family played an active part struggles to comprehend the tragedy, Deputy State pathologist Dr Michael Curtis will complete post-mortem examinations on Clodagh […]

10 years ago

We all know how important it is for women of childbearing age to supplement their diet with folic acid, but new research has shown just how effective this B vitamin is at preventing birth defects. When researchers analysed data from nearly six million Canadian births from 1990 to 2011, they found that folic acid food […]

10 years ago

We live in a digital age, where mums and dads communicate on Facebook and kids hunt Pokemon at weekends, but how young is too young to give a child their own mobile phone? That’s a question that haunts many parents these days, and the decision to buy a child a phone, even if it’s motivated […]

10 years ago

Eastenders’ star Natalie Cassidy has welcomed a baby girl with her fiancé Marc Humphreys. Cassidy, who plays Sonya Fowler in the BBC soap, announced the happy news on Twitter, sharing a family photograph featuring the couple together with Sonya’s five-year-old daughter Eliza with the caption: ‘@cameramarc and I introduce Joanie Elizabeth Cassidy-Humphreys… We are all so […]

10 years ago

Deputy State pathologist Dr Michael Curtis will carry out post-mortem examinations on the Hawe family of Ballyjamesduff today. Alan Hawe, his wife Clodagh and their three children Liam (13), Niall (11) and Ryan (6) were found dead in their bungalow home in Oakdene, Barconey yesterday morning in a suspected murder-suicide. Mr Hawe was a vice […]

10 years ago

A mother’s post about why she chooses to allow her son to wear a tutu has gone viral, earning praise from all over the globe.  Jen Anderson wrote the emotional message after a stranger admonished her in public because her little boy, who is three-and-a-half, was wearing the purple tutu in the park. She writes: […]

10 years ago

If you’re the type of person who will run blindly into oncoming traffic to escape a bee, prepare to lock your windows and stay indoors for a few weeks. A particularly mean variety of wasp is on the loose and contrary to popular belief, these ones really do sting for absolutely no reason. Apparently, the […]

10 years ago

Police in the UK have arrested a man for perverting the course of justice after he allegedly reported witnessing a small boy being taken against his will, sparking a huge manhunt. The witness claimed he had seen an unidentified boy being pulled from a bicycle into a black van during rush hour in Redhill, Surrey.  While […]

10 years ago

We’ve all heard about the positively magical properties of breast milk, but in the science community it seems this liquid gold really is the gift that keeps on giving.  A sugar that is naturally present in breast milk has been shown to help babies’ immune systems to fight a rare and often fatal strain of meningitis […]

10 years ago

Parents in a South Carolina suburb have been warned to keep their children away from a wooded area after numerous reports of a creepy clown attempting to lure kids into the woods. Residents of Fleetwood Manor Apartments in Greenwood County were horrified to receive a letter alerting them to the presence of a strange individual […]

10 years ago

Brussels is once again on high alert after an explosion outside a police building in the early hours of this morning. According to the latest reports, nobody was injured after a car rammed the three outside fences of the Brussels Institute of Criminalistics and Criminology at around 3am local time. According to Belgian media, one or […]

10 years ago