As ceremonies held in recent weeks to mark the 70th anniversary of the arrival of Soviet troops at the Nazi death camp at Auschwitz in Poland reminded us, a united Europe, one that gives members a common purpose and something approaching parity of esteem for all its peoples, is a relatively new concept.

Every political party that has had the opportunity to appoint its supporters to the board of state companies has done so. 

For the first time in nearly three decades the National Lottery was deferred on Wednesday night — the €10m draw took place last night instead.

After nearly eight years of budget cuts, job losses, resurgent emigration, and denial, news that the European Commission expects Ireland is set to remain the fastest-growing economy in the European Union cannot but be cheering.

THE case between golfer Rory McIlroy and his former management company Horizon Sports Management, appears to have cost him a packet. 

A REVIEW is to be carried out by the Central Bank of targets set for banks to deal with mortgage arrears. It is expected the outcome will be concluded by the end of next month.

THE Minister for Health Leo Varadkar has described the range of measures he has introduced to reduce alcohol consumption as the most far reaching legislation yet to curb the misuse of alcohol in Ireland.

THE decision by the EU last week to extend economic sanctions against Russia until the end of September reflects the growing crisis in the region. 

ACCORDING to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation — and there is absolutely no reason not to believe them — there were 518 patients on hospital trolleys at one point yesterday, the seventh highest figure recorded since the union began keeping records a decade ago.

CEANN Comhairle Seán Barrett has done our political process, and his own reputation, some service by acknowledging that the claims he made about a concerted attempt to undermine him were intemperate.