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Articles by Paddy McKenna
Pens, pencils and rulers are the life vests kids need
This file photo, dated March 7, 2023, shows a student in Bangkok learning in a virtual classroom hosted remotely by a teacher. (Photo: Varuth Hirunyatheb) In 2011, I spent an entire week after school trying to pair an ancient Samsung Galaxy tablet with a Chromecast plugged into the back of a brand-new six-foot interactive whiteboard at my school in Thailand. I genuinely believed technology was about to revolutionise education. The dream was glorious in my head.
Xander Schauffele wins first major as Shane Lowry loses momentum on the final day
Xander Schauffele clinched his first major victory at the PGA Championship, overcoming stiff competition and securing a $3.3 million prize. Irish golfer Shane Lowry, who had shown great promise with a stunning performance on Saturday, fell short in the final stretch. Schauffele, who shared the lead with Collin Morikawa at the start of the final round, demonstrated consistent performance to finish with a score of -20.
Prime suspect to testify in court
There has reportedly been a breakthrough in the Madeleine McCann case. Police investigating the British toddler’s disappearance have confirmed a prime suspect will testify in court. The close friend of Christian Brückner will allegedly appear in court next month. Brückner is set to go on trial in February, but the charges are not related to Madeleine McCann’s case. He is due to be charged with two offences of sexual abuse of children. He is also facing three offences of aggravated rape.
Ronnie O'Sullivan reveals 'biggest worry' as he awaits punishment for x-rated rant
Ronnie O’Sullivan reveals ‘biggest worry’ as he awaits punishment for x-rated rant Ronnie O’Sullivan has revealed what his “biggest worry” is following rumours that he may face punishment for his recent outburst. The Rocket defeated Ali Carter 10-7 after coming back from 6-3 down to claim a record eighth Masters Crown at Alexandra Palace on Sunday.
Grandparents build Harry Potter-themed playhouse
Are these grandparents officially the coolest? They built a Harry Potter playhouse for their grandkids and it’s pretty incredible! I mean; just look at it! Imagine the look on this little girl’s face when she first laid eyes on her two-story 350sqft Harry Potter playhouse, featuring a remake of the Hogwarts Castle tower, Ollivander’s wand shop, Platform 9¾, and Dursleys’ Privet Drive. Grandparents Dave and Ruby Dunlop wanted to spend more time with their grandkids. So what did they do?
Every kids movie that will be on TV on St. Stephen's Day
If you have little ones running around, that likely is not the reality after the big day. The excitement of receiving lots of presents will likely be wearing off, and the dreaded “I’m bored” may even have been uttered. If you’re looking for ways to keep them entertained, we’ve listed every kids movie that will be on the telly on St. Stephen’s Day.
Police officer hit by train while trying to save distressed man on tracks
‘Truly devastating’ A police officer is in a serious condition after being hit by a train while helping a “distressed man” who was on the tracks. Nottinghamshire Police said officers were called to a residential area in Balderton over concerns for a man’s safety just before 7pm on Thursday. The officer was taken to Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham along with the man on tracks – near Newark Northgate station – whose injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.
1620 new Covid-19 cases confirmed and 12 additional deaths in Ireland | JOE.ie
19 seconds ago “We are once again in the mitigation stage of this pandemic." The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HSPC) has reported 12 additional deaths related to COVID-19, as well as 1,620 new confirmed cases. There is now a total of 91,779 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland. There has been a total of 2,237 COVID-19 related deaths in Ireland.
Boris Johnson's dad has applied for French citizenship
Makes sense. Stanley Johnson, the blowhard father of Britain's Prime Minister, Boris Johnson says that he is currently applying for a French passport so that he can maintain his ties with the EU after Britain has left the union. According to the Reuters news agency, Johnson told RTL radio that he is pursuing his French citizenship because of the strong family ties he has in the country. “If I understand it correctly, I am French.
CMO: "Substantial socialisation" the main reason for increased rate of Covid-19 cases | JOE.ie
"We have an opportunity to take actions that can turn around these patterns of transmission." Ireland's Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Tony Holohan says that "socialisation that we've done over the course of the last number of weeks" has led to the recent increase in Covid-19 cases. Yesterday the Republic of Ireland recorded 13 deaths and 1718 new cases of the virus with a daily growth rate in cases of between 7-10%.
Family issue plea for help to find Leitrim man ahead of his brother’s funeral | JOE.ie
The family of a Leitrim man who passed away in tragic circumstances has issued a plea to help locate his younger brother ahead of the funeral. Kevin McTernan (38), a native of Drumshanbo in Co. Leitrim passed away in tragic circumstances on 23 December. He will be buried in the town Friday, 30 December at 1pm. His family has asked the public to help them locate his younger brother, Dean McTernan, to make him aware of his brother's passing.
5 Irish children's books for Christmas reviewed by under-6s
Kids, eh? I have two, Michael who is aged 5, and Juliette, who is 4. When you see them bouncing off walls, shouting to watch Pokémon, or insisting they need your phone for important spy-related work, it always seems incredible to me that old-fashioned words arranged on boring paper can not just hold their attention, but fire their imagination. Reading stories with your kids is one of the best things about being a parent.
Irish band's Christmas song picked out by Grammy-winning Adele producer | JOE.ie
Christmas Feels Different. The Vibes from Drumshanbo, Co. Leitrim have certainly nailed the sentiment with their Christmas single and now a Grammy-winning LA-based music producer has given them his backing. Greg Wells, who won a Grammy for his work on The Greatest Showman soundtrack and has produced Elton John, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Adele, and Celine Dion, got in touch with the band after they sent him a demo of the song earlier this month.
"The Irish like nothing more than complaining about depictions of themselves" - Jon Hamm on Wild Mountain Thyme controversy
When Jon Hamm says doze tings. There's no such thing as bad publicity, and there's plenty of interest in the release of Wild Mountain Thyme that happened yesterday. It's one of the most talked-about movies of the year (in Ireland, at least), thanks mostly to its hilariously twee trailer which brought out the best in Irish social media. Jon Hamm, star of Wild Mountain Thyme, has been having his say about what he generously describes as a 'bit of blowback'.
Teenage Waterford rapper drops John Mullane-inspired All-Ireland banger | JOE.ie
As the dogs on the street know, John Mullane is in a romantic relationship with his county of birth and they're going steady. The De La Salle man's legendary love for his county of Waterford is a central theme in what is undoubtedly the pace-setter for pre-All-Ireland musical banger. Yung Shakur, a 19-year-old rapper from Waterford, has released 'Swing' and it's got all the ingredients required for greatness.
Zero: The number of flu cases reported in Ireland this winter | JOE.ie
Since September 1,127,236 influenza vaccinations were provided by GPs and Pharmacists. In a report released by the HSE it shows that there have been no cases of flu in Ireland since October. Flu season in Ireland runs from October to April.
Avengers' star revealed as new Buzz Lightyear and 18 other amazing Disney+ announcements | JOE.ie
Disney doesn't do it by halves. At its Investor Day event, it delivered an avalanche of news about upcoming projects. Top of the bill is the news that 'Lightyear', Pixar's new origin movie for the beloved Toy Story character, will be voiced by Chris Evans. The movie is set to hit theaters in 2022. Buzz Lightyear was first played by Tim Allen in Toy Story in 1995, the first movie ever released by Pixar. Lightyear will focus on the young test pilot behind the toy.
"The Irish like nothing more than complaining about depictions of themselves" - Jon Hamm explains Wild Mountain Thyme blowback | JOE.ie
When Jon Hamm says dose tings. There's no such thing as bad publicity, and there's plenty of interest in the release of Wild Mountain Thyme today. It's one of the most talked-about movies of the year (in Ireland, at least), thanks mostly to its hilariously twee trailer which brought out the best in Irish social media. Jon Hamm, star of Wild Mountain Thyme, has been having his say about what he generously describes as a 'bit of blowback'.
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris named TIME magazine 'Person of The Year'
It is the first time a vice-president has received the honour US President-elect and Vice-President-elect, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have been named as TIME magazine's 'person of the year'. The shortlist for the prestigious prize also included the outgoing US president, Donald Trump, as well as frontline medical workers, and also a fourth nominee, the global movement for racial justice.
An Post moves forward last date to guarantee delivery of Christmas presents and goods for online retailers | JOE.ie
Just 5 more days for to guarantee delivery from large-scale online retailers. An Post has advised large-scale Irish and international online retailers that due to record volumes of online shopping, it can only guarantee pre-Christmas delivery of e-commerce parcels received into its processing system by close of business on Monday next, 14 December.
Listen carefully, Tubs says he didn't use the F-bomb on live TV... as Toy Show Appeal donations top €6.4million | JOE.ie
He was speaking on his RTÉ Radio 1 morning show. Late Late Toy Show host Ryan Tubridy says he did not actually drop an f-bomb during a segment of the show on Friday night. The TV host said that his phone had "melted down" after Friday night's Late Late Toy Show and most of the messages were about his Fanta faux-pas. Speaking on his RTÉ Radio 1 morning show, he revealed that he had not, in fact, used an F-bomb: "It wasn't an F-bomb, it was a B-bomb," he told listeners.
One new Covid-19 related death and 318 new cases confirmed in Ireland | JOE.ie
Dublin has the most new cases, followed by Cork and Limerick The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has today been notified of 1 additional death related to COVID-19. There has been a total of 2,023 COVID-19 related deaths in Ireland. As of midnight Saturday 21st November, the HPSC has been notified of 318 confirmed cases of COVID-19. There is now a total of 70,461 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland.
Gardaí in Sligo arrest teenager in connection with drugs' seizure worth €196,000 | JOE.ie
A man, aged in his late teens, has been arrested. Gardaí investigating the sale and supply of drugs in the Sligo area say they have seized drugs worth more than €196,000 during a search of waste ground today in Cranmore, Sligo. The Gardaí were assisted by the Garda Dog Unit. Cocaine with a value of €177,800, cannabis worth €13,240 and ecstasy with a value of €5,070 were discovered and seized along with a quantity of ammunition.
WATCH: Brendan Gleeson's speech remembering the 14 people killed on Bloody Sunday | JOE.ie
Remembering the 14 innocent people killed on Bloody Sunday. It's fitting that Tipperary are Munster football champions, 100 years after their players and fans fell victim to British armed forces at Croke Park in the Bloody Sunday massacre.
Pennsylvania judge rejects Trump's 'haphazardly stitched together' election lawsuit
Donald is running out of options A Pennsylvania judge has rejected a Donald Trump lawsuit to overturn the results of the recent election, describing it as "a Frankenstein monster" that had been "haphazardly stitched together".
"I let everyone down" - Miriam O'Callaghan apologises on-air for photo at RTÉ retirement gathering | JOE.ie
She apologised during her RTÉ Radio 1 'Sunday with Miriam' show. Miriam O'Callaghan is the latest RTÉ presenter to apologise after she was photographed along with colleagues at a gathering where social distancing was not being observed. Images emerged on Friday that showed RTÉ employees posing for photographs with a retiring member of staff.
Gardaí in Cork arrest 9 men after large crowds gather in the city centre | JOE.ie
The scenes were filmed on Grand Parade in Cork City centre. Captured by Ali Hamou, an aid worker, it shows large groups of people gathered on the street. At one point several Gardaí are seen racing down the street, soon after followed by a Garda patrol car. In relation to the video, a Garda spokesperson said that their members, "observed and intervened with a group of young males suspected of being involved in the sale and supply of illegal drugs.
CNN has called the American presidential election for Joe Biden | JOE.ie
Joe Biden will be the 46th president of the United State of America. CNN has officially declared Joe Biden the President of the United States. The 20 projected electoral college votes from Pennsylvania took him over the 270 college electoral votes threshold. Biden will be the 46th President of the US, while Kamala Harris will become the first ever female Vice-President.
Donald Trump accuses Joe Biden of ‘stealing’ the American election in tight race
Twitter has labelled the vote as misleading and hidden it Good morning! A decisive victory for either Joe Biden or Donald Trump is out the window so this race will rumble on for some time. But so far several key US states have gone to Donald Trump including Florida and Texas. That hasn’t stopped Trump from falsely accusing Joe Biden of trying to ‘steal the election’, saying that ‘votes cannot be cast after the polls closed’.
JOE’s Song Of The Day #869 – Pádraig Bennett 'The Two of Us' | JOE.ie
Definite echoes of a famous Canadian to this man's vocal. No, not Bieber, the other fella. Pádraig Bennett is a 16-year-old, 5th-year student in Maynooth Community College, Co. Kildare. His debut single, 'The Two of Us' showcases his fantastic baritone vocal that 100% sounds like Michael Bublé.
WATCH: The trailer for a new Jack Charlton film will have you in tears
Well this looks absolutely fantastic Losing Jack Charlton earlier this year was a gut punch for football fans both sides of the Irish sea. The outpouring of tributes to the great man was understandable given the esteem he is held in for his part in England's World Cup win and the transformation he helped to bring about in Irish football. The trailer for a new movie portraying the life and times of big Jack, Finding Jack Charlton, features several previously unseen moments from those glory days.
7 gazebos from €40 to €12,000 for your outdoors entertaining
Who knows for how much longer we can entertain guests at our homes. But if you are thinking of having the one other household over for a visit that Level 3 in Ireland permits, then receiving in the back/front garden could be the way to do it. "Will I bring my brolly/raincoat/waders?" your guests might reasonably ask. "Don't bother, I've got a f**king giant brolly in the back garden," you'll nonchalantly reply.
"We have the capacity and resources to come through this and we will," says Taoiseach | Her.ie
The Taoiseach has released a statement calling on the Irish people to work together to "protect lives and livelihoods, show that we can contain the virus and prevent its growth." One of the most recent Covid-19 cases was revealed over the weekend as 1012 new cases, but in his rallying call, Michéal Martin has said that and we can make Level 3 work and that, "we have the capacity and resources to come through this and we will." The statement says that an "unprecedented level of resources have...
Two more people with Covid-19 have died in Ireland, 814 new cases | JOE.ie
"This shows rapidly increasing growth rates across the country." The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) has been informed of 2 additional deaths among people with COVID-19 in Ireland. As of midnight Saturday 10th October the HPSC has been notified of 814 confirmed cases of COVID-19. There have been 1,826 COVID-19 related deaths and 42,528 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland.
7 gazebos from €40 to €12,000 for your outdoors entertaining | JOE.ie
Who knows for how much longer we can entertain guests at our home. But if you are thinking of having the one other household over for a visit that Level 3 in Ireland permits, then having them out to the back/front garden could be the way to do it. "Will I bring my brolly/raincoat/waders?" your guests might reasonably ask. "Don't bother, I've got a f**king giant brolly in the back garden," you'll nonchalantly reply.
Northern Ireland records 1066 daily Covid-19 cases, one death | JOE.ie
1066 cases of Covid-19 is NI's second-highest daily figure since the pandemic began. The Department of Health also said one death has been recorded bringing the total to 588. On Friday, Northern Ireland recorded their single highest figure for daily Covid-19 cases. The 7-day infection rate per 100,000 in Northern Ireland is 314.0. Derry and Strabane remain the worst affected area - it's now 946.4 per 100,000.
Minister for Health says Dublin R number is 1, rest of Ireland is now 1.6 | JOE.ie
The Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly was speaking to the This Week show on RTÉ Radio1. He told Justin McCarthy that the current R number for Dublin was as low now as 1.0, but the R number for the rest of Ireland now stood at 1.6. The overall number for the whole country was 1.2. The R number or reproduction numbers is the number of people that one infected person will pass on a virus to, on average.
Taoiseach: "If we all change our behaviours and work together we can make Level 3 work" | JOE.ie
The Taoiseach has released a statement calling on the Irish people to work together to 'protect lives and livelihoods, show that we can contain the virus and prevent its growth'.
FAI confirm that a Republic of Ireland player has tested positive for COVID-19
Stephen Kenny’s Ireland squad has received one positive COVID-19 test result ahead of today’s Nations League game against Wales at the Aviva Stadium, after the latest round of UEFA testing. The player – who the FAI says cannot be named at this time - tested positive on Friday after a negative test on Monday. The FAI also says that his case is not related in any way to that of the backroom team member who tested positive on Monday last.
Gardai appeal for information relating to missing Donegal man Cian Langelaan | JOE.ie
He was last seen on Thursday, 24 September. Gardaí have appealed for the public's help in finding 27-year-old Cian Langelaan, missing from the Falcarragh area of Donegal since Thursday 24 September. Cian is described as being about 5 foot 8 inches in height, of medium build, with sandy hair and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing blue jeans, a white t-shirt and black boots.
As daily Covid cases top 1000 CMO is "very worried about numbers and how quickly they are deteriorating" | JOE.ie
Last evening Tony Holohan said that 1,012 new Covid-19 cases were notified to the HPSC over a period of 24 hours up to midnight. Three deaths were also reported and the 14-day incidence rate has increased from 108 per 100,000 last Sunday to 150 per 100,000 today, which represents a 39% increase according to Chief Medical Officer, Tony Holohan. The CMO spoke about his concern and the rising case saying, "I am very worried about the numbers we are seeing and how quickly they are deteriorating.
This is what it will mean for pubs at every level of the government's new Covid risk-rating roadmap | JOE.ie
'Wet pubs' in all counties bar Dublin will be able to reopen with robust protective measures in place. Wet pubs in Dublin will need to wait for their opportunity to open due to what the Tanaiste, Leo Varadkar, described as the 'worrying situation' in the county which has seen a rise in cases of Covid-19 over the past few weeks. The government introduced their 6-month plan which outlined what will happen for various parts of society at five different risk levels.
It's official: Derry Girls creator reveals plans are in motion for a movie
Filming on the third season of the hit TV show was scheduled to be wrapped by now. But Lisa McGee, writer and creator of Derry Girls, has said that they had to pause the filming due to the impact of Covid-19. "We kind of made the decision to push things back, we're trying to figure it all out, but we're getting there I think," she told JOE. "We don't want to compromise the show and it would have been hugely compromised if we'd gone ahead.
"Schools are at the heart of our communities" - CMO's open letter to Irish parents and guardians of school children on the reopening of schools | JOE.ie
"The decision to reopen schools has not been taken lightly..." An open letter from the acting Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Ronan Glynn reassures parents, guardians of school children, and teaching staff, that any concerns they may have as they return en masse to school today is "natural and is to be fully expected after a period of six months during which we have all had to adapt to the challenges posed by COVID-19.
Derry Girls creator reveals that plans are in motion for Derry Girls: The Movie! | JOE.ie
Filming on the third season of the hit TV show was scheduled to be wrapped by now. But Lisa McGee, writer and creator of the show told The Big Reviewski host, Eoghan Doherty, that they had to pause the filming due to the impact of Covid-19. "We kind of made the decision to push things back, we're trying to figure it all out, but we're getting there I think," the Derry woman said. "We don't want to compromise the show and it would have been hugely compromised if we'd gone ahead.
42 new cases of Covid-19 confirmed in Ireland (Sunday) | JOE.ie
42 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre. There have been no new deaths reported today. There has been a total of 1,777 COVID-19 related deaths in Ireland. The 42 new cases bring the total number of confirmed cases in Ireland to 28,760.
Firefighters battle blaze in Cork City, bring it under control | JOE.ie
Cork City Fire Brigade says the blaze has been brought under control. The fire broke out at around 3pm this afternoon in the Togher Industrial Estate on the south side of the city. Social media videos showed smoke billowing from premises within the industrial estate. Towering smoke and fire billowing out of the #SoutsideIndustrialEstate, Cork.
Kerry councillor labels street party scene in Killarney as 'crazy irrresponsible' | JOE.ie
The video was reshared on his Twitter page by the Kerry councillor, Jackie Healy-Rae. It features a video of a crowd of people on the Main Street in Killarney singing and dancing last night. Some men scale a phone box that houses a defibrillator and dance on top of it. Crazy irresponsible scenes in Killarney last night. The government on about giving extra powers to Gardaí to break up house parties, this is the Main Street in Killarney, where were they ??
Mairead McGuinness confirms that she's interested in replacing Phil Hogan in EU post | JOE.ie
The Drogheda politician has thrown her hat in the ring. Mairead McGuinness was speaking on RTÉ's This Week programme on Radio 1 when she confirmed her interest in succeeding Phil Hogan as Ireland's EU Commissioner. She is currently serving the EU as Vice President of the European Parliament. She said that, "nobody has sounded her out" yet, but that she had, "spoke to one person for advice, the others came to me".
"Oh God, all the responsibility is on me now!" - Tenet star Robert Pattinson on the pressure of having to nail a Christopher Nolan set-piece | JOE.ie
"I'm going to mess this up..." Tenet has arrived with a big ole backways bang, dividing opinion and confusing viewers in equal portions. If you haven't seen it yet, do not fear, there are no spoilers here, there are only tidbits to whet your appetite for Christopher Nolan's time-twisting thriller.
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