#county-down

#county-down

Ireland are Triple Crown winners for the 15th time thanks to a 12th consecutive win over Scotland, whose long search for success in Dublin will stretch into its 18th year before they get another chance to end their dismal record.

Michael McArdle's first game as NI manager will take place at the home of Irish Premiership side Glenavon against Malta on Tuesday, 14 April. They will then travel to Malta for the second of April's double-header on Saturday, 18 April. NI will make the trip to Turkey on Friday, 5 June for their final away game before their final home game against Switzerland on Tuesday, 9 June which will also be played at the Lurgan venue.

Irish desserts are, in one word, resourceful. They have to be; in a nation that grappled for centuries with conflict, famine, and outright war, luxurious ingredients were not accessible to most people. Instead, the Irish turned to local ingredients like sea moss, apples, and an impressive array of dairy products to satisfy their cravings for something sweet.

Irish pubs have roots that go back to 10th-century Viking halls. And although we're talking about going so far back in time that precise dates and details can get a little sketchy, we do know there are a few pubs that opened not too long after that and are still in operation.

In the Netflix series, three longtime Belfast friends must revisit their childhood trauma to unravel the mystery of a fourth friend's disappearance- raucous Northern Irish hijinks ensue.

The Irish government will give 2,000 artists unrestricted weekly stipends in a program officials described as a "recognition, at government level, of the important role of the arts in Irish society." After a successful three-year pilot, the Irish government made its basic income program for artists permanent. Similar pilots have been launched here in the United States, but they're supported primarily by the nonprofit sector.

I was absolutely delighted to welcome Uachtarán na hÉireann Catherine Connolly to Belfast today. She's here for a packed visit over the next couple of days, many community events. It was my honour as First Minister to welcome her to Stormont Castle. She is very much fulfilling her pledge that she made to be a president for all, to make her first official visit to the north. It was just great to have her here today. I believe that her whole campaign was about hope, about opportunity. It was about inclusion, it was about unity, it was about building for the future, and I think that we are going to enjoy a very good relationship with her throughout her tenure as Uachtarán na hÉireann.

McDonald's locations in the United States tend to be pretty staid and uniform in design, but head abroad and things start to change. While there are a few American McDonald's that don't feature the traditional golden arches aesthetic, in historic international cities, you'll frequently find the burger chain housed in beautiful old stone and masonry buildings - with only a small McDonald's sign offering any hint of what's inside.

When the gunmen came for Jimmy Graham they were thorough. They fired the first two shots as he parked his bus in the school yard, then boarded the bus and fired another 24 shots. As the killers sped away they whooped in delight. Yahoo, they screamed. Yahoo. It was 1 February 1985 and the IRA team had special reason to celebrate: it had bagged a third Graham brother. They had killed Ronnie Graham in June 1981, Cecil Graham in November 1981 and now, just over three years later, they got Jimmy. A hat-trick.

The glamorous brunette was on The Late Late Show GAA special on Friday night. The Sam Maguire was in the middle of the foyer. She said everyone was walking up to it, touching it, getting photos.

Hop on a plane to Malaga, and you might expect to see passengers in flip-flops and sun hats, ready to spend a week on a lounger with a cocktail to hand. But in recent years, a different kind of traveller has set their sights on the Costa del Sol. Instead of staying by the sea, they head inland, to cycle the mountains of Sierra Nevada.

In the UK, there is a proud tradition of naming long-distance walking paths after talented reprobates. I mean the various opium fiends, international terrorists and child murderers who make up our colourful national tapestry (see the Coleridge Way, Drake's Trail and the Richard III Trail). So perhaps a 30-mile weekend walk dedicated to the Mortimers, and their most notorious scion, Sir Roger, is an appropriate addition to the weave.

I'm learning to go slowly, not too fast too soon. It's probably the reason I got the fracture in the first place.

Portrush has gone up a gear with several new hotels, including this from Marine & Lawn

I've never had a sense of direction. In a family where everyone knows where they're going, I'm the one who gets lost. When my son Charlie was small, he would listen as I outlined the day's itinerary-grocery store, library, post office-then interrupt. "Mama," he'd say, "I have a better way." And he did. He was five, and already knew where he was going.