- NEWS
Martin wades into abortion debateAs the Dáil committee hearings continue on the abortion bill, Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin has waded into the debate saying it is important that Christian believers "be, and seen to be, on the side of life, especially when life is most vulnerable".
Payment cuts see families pay rent shortfallLimits on rent supplement payments set by the Government are forcing thousands of families to make undeclared top-up payments to landlords to secure places to live.
- WORLD
Anger as North Korea launches another missileNorth Korea fired a short-range missile from its east coast, a day after launching three more of these missiles, a South Korean news agency said.
How Star Trek predicted the futureWHEN 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.
- BUSINESS
Warnings over future of eurozoneThe eurozone is heading towards a break up unless there are moves towards much closer political and fiscal union, according to chief economist with State Street Global Advisers, Chris Probyn.
Bruton defends corporate tax rateIreland will be able to maintain its current corporation tax code in the face of international pressure to prevent multinational corporations avoid paying their fare share of tax, Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton said yesterday.
- SPORT
Mayo’s statement of intentGalway 0-11 Mayo 4-16 Five minutes to go in Salthill yesterday and James Horan was still cajoling his men to sew it into Galway.
Wilkinson inspires Toulon to gloryASM Clermont Auvergne 15 Toulon 16 Not for the first time this season, a matchday performance and the result have made a mockery of the statistics.
- LIFESTYLE
What Lenny did nextLENNY Abrahamson has directed three feature films: Adam & Paul, Garage and What Richard Did.
Clothes maketh you madTrying on clothes, said Ewart, produced "sensations which bring deep peace and perfect contentment" to the female mind.
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Breaking stories
Flu remedies reign for consumers as bad weather takes its toll on shops
Only an Irish summer could send the population rushing out to stock up on hot drinks and cold remedies.
By Conall Ó Fátharta
As the weather remains as disappointing as the economy, our buying habits have become warped this summer. New figures show the worst-performing sellers were in areas that should sell well in summertime.
According to latest figures from Retail Excellence Ireland, the worst-performing sectors in the second quarter of this year were garden centre spending (down 19.6% on the same period last year), ladies fashion (-7.01%) and furniture and flooring (-9.55%).
These areas have been hit by the miserable weather, with consumers seemingly holding off buying large ticket items, and summer clothing. For good reason — we haven’t had a spring or summer.
On the bright side, however, the summer has seen a rise in the sales of hot drinks (+1.47%) and pharmacy sales (+0.75%). If that wasn’t a depressing sign, REI says that pharmacy sales picked up due to flu-related sales.
Overall, year-on-year sales levels fell by an average of 4.27% during the second quarter this year as it became the 13th consecutive quarter of sales decline.
Speaking at the launch of the second-quarter retail figures, REI chief David Fitzsimons said retailers can’t get a break in the weather these days and said further declines are expected.
“The second quarter of 2012 may prove to be a significant milestone for a number of retail operators as retail sales took a significant turn for the worse,” he said. “Three consecutive months of adverse weather, including the wettest June since records began, added to weakened consumer sentiment and a depressed domestic economy contrived to deliver a very distressed situation.”