Irish Examiner
Health cover and college fees set to soar
Communion spending has become too lavish, says Gilmore
Treasure hunter claims to have found ship wreck containing $3bn fortune
Irish Times
Central Bank sharply cuts growth forecast for this year
VHI increase will add nearly €300 to cost for family of four
Day of optimism and celebration for new citizens jolts hears of native cynics
Irish Independent
Families hit on double with hikes in VHI and college fees
Tax take up as growth target cut
Coalition TDs shun Dail sitting for their local clinics
It’s no joke for Connolly as he is heckled off stage twice in a week
Scream mask worn to gun hit
Irish Daily Star
Blown away in 60 seconds
The Irish Sun
Blasted six times by ‘scream’ hitmen
The Irish Daily Mirror
Killed by scream mask gang
The Irish Daily Mail
VHI’s 50% rise in just over one year
The front page of the Irish Independent tells us about comedian Billy Connolly who stormed off stage early twice this week after being heckled by his audience. The 69 year old had been growing increasingly frustrated by the number of people getting up to go to the bar and the toilet and he left early after being heckled, audience members in Scarsborough have claimed. Later on in the week, the Scotsman cut a performance short in Blackpool after a heckler interrupted a joke. Digital TV channel Dave this week declared Billy Connolly as the most influential stand up comedian.
Staff from the Central Bank and the Revenue Commissioners were among students who last night began a 20-week diploma course in white collar crime, according to page 3 of the Irish Independent. The course was launched yesterday by the Director of Public Prosecutions Claire Loftus who called it “wide ranging”, “ambitious” and “timely”. Sixty- three students will take a course this semester, but many more were turned down due to the high demand. The topics for learning will include fraud and corruption, insider trading and market manipulation and will examine recent events in the Irish banking sector.
Two pillars of a community in Co Kerry are at logger heads over the sale of a property that has come on the open market, writes Majella O’Sullivan on page 6 of the Irish Independent. In a tale that could have provided John B Keane with plenty of fodder, the church and the GAA are fighting over who should get to buy the property which is being locally referred to as “The Field”. The presbytery in Kilgarven, Co Kerry adjoins the local GAA club in the village but is owned by St Brendan’s Trust. The trust is selling the land and some locals think only the GAA should be allowed to buy it. At a public meeting in the village on Wednesday night, it was suggested that any private buyers withdraw any offers they’ve made. It was also proposed that the Bishop of Kerry Bill Murphy should be told that unless the GAA was allowed to buy it, the community was not happy for it to be sold to anyone else. Attempts were made by the GAA to buy the property privately last year for €50,000, but after being put on the open market for €230,000, the Indo says offers in excess of €255,000 have since been made.
An investigation is underway after a garda was sent a pig’s head in the post, according to page 8 of the Irish Independent. We’re told a well-respected officer who is based in Clare received the severed animal’s head via registered post at his house in recent days. It’s unclear how the pig’s head was packaged in the box but it did not raise suspicion in the Post Office. Gardai are now trying to establish who sent the package.
Knee, knitting, knackered…surely we’ve all been guilty of forgetting the silent k? Well the participants are of a new TV3 gameshow are no different. According to page 9 of the Star, Alan Hughes is presenting a new version of Family Fortunes and in one episode, the competing families are asked to name body parts beginning with the letter ‘n’. What body part was offered as an option? Knee.
Page 6 of the Mail features a list of the worst offenders when it comes to calorie rich food. Not surprisingly, quarter pounders are close to the top of the list but so is popcorn, cheese sandwiches and latte coffee.
Ireland is plummeting down the world rankings when it comes to boozing. A new survey featured in page 27 of the Mirror reports that there has been a 17% drop in alcohol assumption since 2001. At the time, our drinking peaked at 14.4 litres per adult.
