- NEWS
10% tax on junk food to tackle obesityA 10% tax on fizzy drinks, sweets, biscuits, crisps, and chocolate is to be recommended to the health minister as a way of tackling the country's soaring obesity problem.
Prayer vigil for fine weather as farmers queue for fodderA 24-hour prayer vigil for fine weather has been held on the Kerry-Cork border.
- WORLD
It’s technology, Jim, but not as we know it WHEN Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry first dreamed up the concept of a television show based in the unexplored universe of Outer Space in 1964, the world was a very different place.
Berlusconi’s party girls dressed as nuns, Obama Silvio Berlusconi's private disco featured women dressed not just as sexy nuns and nurses, but also as President Barack Obama and a prominent Milan prosecutor that the former Italian premier has accused of persecuting him.
- BUSINESS
IBRC delays loan valuations, saleThe valuation and sale of IBRC loans has been pushed out by six months to November and December of this year.
The smart money is always on SeánFounded four decades ago, its annual turnover is now €2bn.
- SPORT
The Terry Reilly Interview: The Godfather of GalwayOver the course of almost half a century, Liam Sammon has been in service to Galway football. Now he hopes a new generation can restore county pride.
Super Blues keep double in sightsJoe Schmidt's side won their third European trophy in successive years and gave Connacht reason to celebrate also as the Westerners gained entry to next season's Heineken Cup courtesy of their neighbours to the east.
- LIFESTYLE
Let in the seasonal lightYOUR wardrobe isn't the only thing that needs updating once the barometer starts to rise.
It’s a guy thingDid you cry with your buddy while watching Fergie say farewell at Old Trafford?
10-13C
Breaking stories
8 out of 10 library books checked out by children
By Fiachra Ó Cionnaith“2 b r not 2 b, dat is de q” may be a phrase that sounds more Bertie than Shakespeare, and “all animals r =” will ensure a fail grade in almost any English literature exam.
But while the text-speak terms are a far cry from the literary world, teenagers appear to have a secret hidden up their hoodies.A major survey has found Irish children are among the top public library book borrowers, with youth category authors accounting for eight of the 10 most popular works taken out on loan last year.
Figures revealed as part of the second Bord Gáis Rediscover Your Local Library campaign show writers such as Roald Dahl, Enid Blyton, Roderick Hunt and Daisy Meadows are continuing to entertain new generations of readers.
The study, based on the work of 10,011 novelists from 32 countries whose works are available in Ireland, has confirmed the internationally renowned writers remain at the top of the book pile when it comes to evening reads.
And while adult-focused authors such as Dan Brown, Colm Tóibín, Stieg Larsson and Sebastian Barry are keeping the interests of older readers alive, they are being overpowered in the popularity stakes by authors concentrating on the literary needs of children.
Among the most popular authors in Irish libraries last year were eight child category writers.
They include: Roderick Hunt, Daisy Meadows, Francesca Simon, Enid Blyton, Jacqueline Wilson, Roald Dahl and Terry Deary.
In particular, Mr Dahl’s classics The BFG and Fantastic Mr Fox, and Ms Simon’s Horrid Henry series have led the way, while a spot of literary magic has ensured JK Rowling’s Harry Porter works continue to fly off the book shelves.
Adult library users appear to be sticking to a more mature writing style, with high-profile works by Sebastian Barry (The Secret Scripture), Colm Tóibín (Brooklyn) and John Boyne (The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas) catching the most attention.
Despite being up against stiff opposition the most popular of all literary loans is still filled with mystery, at least for those needing it — The Official Driver Theory Test.