From unpaid dinner bills to climate crisis, here's what you read most on irishexaminer.com in 2019

In homage to the year gone by we have taken a quick look back at the most viewed content across a variety of subject verticals on irishexaminer.com.

In homage to the year gone by we have taken a quick look back at the most viewed content on irishexaminer.com.

But before then and as we look forward to another year in which we hope to serve up a variety of content which will, we hope, entertain, inform and engage in equal measure can we all, from Examiner Towers, thank you for your continued support of our journalism.

The team here will be endeavouring to serve you even better in 2020 with a continued commitment to great content across a variety of subjects and a range of new content inititiatives across our print and digital platforms.

Before then, however, we hope you enjoy this brief look back at the five most read stories in a variety of sections on the site.

News (Ireland)

Couple loses defamation claim against Dublin restaurant whose staff asked them to pay dinner bill

A couple who claimed they had been defamed by staff who asked them to pay a dinner bill at a Dublin pub-restaurant, have lost a €75,000 claim but escaped having to pay defence legal costs, writes Ray Managh.

Read full story here

Hurling star's father fumes at 'disgusting' election loss

The father of Limerick hurling star Cian Lynch has launched an astonishing attack on his home parish, the GAA and Fianna Fáil, writes Joel Slattery.

Read full story here

Riot squad deployed in Cork city centre as gangs of teenagers rampage through streets

Armed gardaí as well as the force's riot squad were deployed to Cork city centre this evening after reports that a number of shops were about to be robbed or attacked by a group of teenagers, write Jess Casey and Dan Buckley.

Read full story here

Man injects himself with his own semen to treat back pain

An Irish medical journal has warned the public of the dangers of medical experimentation after a man admitted injecting himself with his own semen to treat back pain, writes Joe Leogue.

Read full story here

Limerick hospital apologises 'unreservedly' to family of teenage girl who died during routine surgery

University Hospital Limerick hospital has “apologised sincerely and unreservedly” to the family of a teenage girl who died after sustaining massive blood loss and an injury to her aorta, during a routine surgery, writes David Raleigh.

Read full story here

News (World)

Nature declining at ‘unprecedented’ rate, UN study warns

Wildlife and habitats are declining at an “unprecedented” rate worldwide which directly threatens human beings, a major new study has warned.

Read full story here

€186m EuroMillions jackpot winners to divorce

A Scottish couple who scooped the UK's biggest Euromillions jackpot have announced “with deep regret” that they are to divorce, almost eight years after their massive win.

Read full story https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/world/186m-euromillions-jackpot-winners-to-divorce-916806.html

Some birds risk their lives for a good nap, scientists find

Curling up for a good night’s sleep when you are feeling under the weather may be just the antidote.

Read full story here

Oprah: I was raped when I was only 9

Behind Oprah Winfrey’s €2bn net worth are stories of pain, struggle, and — eventually — triumph, writes Jenny Johnson.

Read full story here

Diocese in apology after Native American surrounded by jeering youths

A diocese has apologised after videos emerged showing students from an all-male Catholic high school mocking Native Americans after a rally in Washington.

Read full story here

Special Reports

Special report: Lyme disease - Failure to tackle tick problem may come back to bite us

A ten-fold increase in the debilitating disease should have alarm bells ringing especially as some experts believe the real rate is even higher, writes Donal Hickey.

Read full story here

Special Report: Irish MEPs claim €600k each

In this special report Elaine Loughlin reveals the extent of expenses payments accrued by Irish MEPs over the most recent five-year European Parliament term.

Read full story here

Gibraltar after Brexit: why Spain, not Ireland will decide the UK’s fate

As the date of Britain’s departure from the European Union draws near, you might be forgiven for thinking that the future of UK-EU relations after Brexit hangs on only one thing: resolving the question of what to do with the Irish border. Yet just over the horizon lies a much more serious threat, one that has the potential to cause far greater and more lasting damage, writes Marius S. Ostrowski.

Read full story here

The only man on death row with a signed Limerick jersey

Jimmy Woulfe recalls the unlikely friendship that sprung up between Nora Bennis and a convicted murderer in the US which saw him become an Irish-speaking, GAA-loving, Catholic

Read full story here

The life and crimes of Ian Horgan

He was a good kid, big for his age and a good underage footballer. So why has this Cork man spent over half his life behind bars? Eoin English investigates his list of crimes

Read full story here

Views

Varadkar delivers Herculean 'kick in the balls' as Johnson left embarrassed

It was quite the kick in the balls, writes political editor, Daniel McConnell.

Read full story here

‘Hell is coming’: What lies ahead for Europe as temperatures soar

Half of Europe has been slammed by a massive heat wave in recent weeks, with many regions experiencing temperatures never before seen in June. But it may just be the beginning, writes Marco Evers.

Read full story here

Seán Quinn has lost his fortune; now he appears to have lost his people

During the week, two executives of Quinn Industrial Holdings said the border region was “perilously close” to becoming lawless. During the Troubles, the region was pretty lawless, or so it appeared when novelist Colm Toibin met Seán Quinn in 1987, writes special correspondent Michael Clifford

Read full story here

Why are tourists taking a break from Killarney?

Brexit and fewer British visitors, Airbnb’s incursion into the accommodation sector, and the Vat hike are reasons why the Kerry beauty spot has lost its bustle, writes Anne Lucey

Read full story here

A Pope too many: Does Pope Francis have a mutiny on his hands?

After his resignation in 2013, Pope Benedict chose to live in the Vatican in silence. But his presence, his influence, and a growing campaign is causing problems for Pope Francis and threatens to undermine his papacy, writes TP O’Mahony.

Read full story here

Lifestyle

What is my child’s rash? How to identify 10 rashes and tell if they’re serious

Seeing a rash on a child’s skin can be very worrying for many parents, who often fear it could be a sign of a deadly disease like meningitis.

Read full story here

My husband has started 'edging' and these lengthy sessions are making me bored

Edging for women works on exactly the same principles and it is an incredibly liberating process, writes Suzi Godson.

Read full story here

He says he's attracted to me but he keeps losing his erection

It is difficult not to take an issue like this personally. We equate erection with sexual attraction and, therefore, assume that the reverse is also true, writes Suzi Godson.

Read full story here

Director Gaspar Noé explains why real sex scenes were filmed for Love movie

Despite the real sex scenes, Gaspar Noé insists his much-discussed film is very different from a porn movie, writes Helen Barlow

Read full story here

Natural health: Vitamins to help with anxiety and panic attacks

Megan Sheppard says there are a number of nutrients that are important when it comes to reducing anxiety levels.

Read full story here

Sport

Air New Zealand poke fun at Ireland fans ahead of quarter-final with cheeky video

Air New Zealand have got behind the All Blacks with a tongue-in-cheek video offering "safety advice" to Irish rugby fans ahead of Saturday's quarter-final between the two sides, writes Michael Hayes.

Read full story here

Top 10 highest-paid sports stars in the world

LeBron James has agreed a four-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers worth 4millon.

Read full story here

'I’ll break your f**king two legs if you don’t f***ing perform'

In his new book on Cork’s historic double season, Adrian Russell reveals how Colm O’Neill turned from peripheral to pivotal figure on the road to GAA history.

Read full story here

Here's how the English media reacted to beating Ireland

They say that pride comes before the fall. So if 2018 was Irish Rugby's proudest year, 2019 has started with at least a slip, writes Steve Neville

Read full story here

Muhammad Ali's five losses

Ciaran Gallagher recalls the greatest of all time's five losses.

Read full story here

Business

Royal London makes £1bn move to Ireland over Brexit

Royal London has been given approval to transfer over £1bn worth of assets to Ireland as the fund manager steps up its Brexit contingency planning.

Read full story here

Richest in Britain got €25bn richer since the Brexit vote

At least one group of UK residents is flourishing in Brexit Britain: An exclusive club of billionaires, writes Tom Metcalf

Read full story here

Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer to combine with Mylan

Pfizer is buying Mylan in an all-stock deal and combining the bn generic pharmaceutical company with its own off-patent branded and generic business.

Read full story here

Cork cafe opens new roasting facility to keep up with demand following Aldi deal

The owner of a Cork cafe has opened a new roasting and packing facility thanks to the success of a nationwide deal with German retail giant Aldi, writes Eoin English

Read full story here

Cork Airport announces five new winter routes

Cork Airport have confirmed five new routes as they launched their winter schedule today, writes Joel Slattery.

Read full story here

Property

€5m rescue of Cork harbour's Belvelly Castle 'the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done'

€5m has been spent on this Cork harbour castle rescue by Garry and Anne Wilson, writes Tommy Barker.

Read full story here

Ups and downs of a sex doctor's former home in west Cork

The previous owner of West Cork’s converted grain store, retired UK psychotherapist Dr Andrew Stanway, had over 30 books (plus various ‘Lovers’ Guides’ videos) to his credit, most of them regarding sex, love-making, and relationships, writes Tommy Barker.

Read full story here

Two Cork homes for sale in a row, and €85k between them: why?

No 3 Grand View Terrace is in mint condition, writes Tommy Barker.

Read full story here

What a difference a year makes to Cork city pad

Do-er upper back on market, within a year, and now 11 Magdala Terraces is all done up and set for a Christmas wrap, writes Tommy Barker.

Read full story here

Prime Cork City redevelopment site sold for over €7 million

One of the best remaining, compact prime redevelopment sites in Cork city has been sold for over €7 million, for 0.63 of an acre, or for the equivalent of €11 million per acre, to Dublin-based purchasers. The river-fronting plot, facing City Hall and by the South Mall, is likely to be developed for mixed hotel/office use, at up five-storey heights, writes Tommy Barker.

Read full story here

Exam Viral

14 of the best jokes on the internet that aren’t disastrously offensive

Reddit’s upvote system allows users to pick out the stuff they like, and the system turns the site into a veritable encyclopedia of the best of the best of the internet.

Read full story here

7 of the scariest places on Google Street View

Google sends camera crews across the world to provide its Street View service, which gives users a first-person, ground-level look at the areas they are searching for.

Read full story here

Deer interrupts Australian couple's Co Kerry wedding picture

Being upstaged on your wedding day by a cheeky photobomber is hardly the stuff of dreams, especially after you've travelled across the globe for scenic nuptials but an Australian couple were thrilled to welcome an unexpected guest, writes Eve Kelliher

Read full story here

Watch: Large sinkhole appears on West Cork road

A large sinkhole has opened up on a roadway on the Beara Peninsula in Co Cork, writes Ann Murphy

Read full story here

WATCH: 'I find it very hard to feel sorry for you': Piers Morgan challenges Michaella McCollum on her new book

Perhaps the producers saw it coming when they asked Michaella McCollum, dubbed one of the 'Peru Two', to come on to ITV's Good Morning Britain alongside Piers Morgan to promote her new book, writes Rebecca Stiffe

Read full story here

Farming

110-acre Co Kerry farm likely to exceed €1m at auction

The public auction on Tuesday, May 30 of a 110-acre farm located near Killarney should guarantee a sizeable turnout, writes Stpehen Cadogan

Read full story here

The 14 steps in buying a home

Watch out for mortgage protection insurance delays or insurance hold-ups, writes Karen Walsh

Read full story here

Asking price for ‘exceptional’ dairy farm nearly €3m

Located in the middle of a triangle formed by the main roads linking Tipperary Town, Cahir and Cashel, a 146-acre dairy holding is perfectly located in terms of today’s agricultural land market, writes Conor Power

Read full story here

Karen Walsh: The law of the gun is applied strictly here

Firearm legislation in Ireland is among the least permissive in Europe, writes Karen Walsh.

Read full story here

84-acre West Cork farm of mixed quality for sale

A substantial farm has just come on the market in West Cork with Dunmanway-based auctioneers Daniel Lehane & Co, writes Conor Power.

Read full story here

Showbiz

Lana Del Rey on Donald Trump culture

Lana Del Rey believes Donald Trump mirrors the wider culture.

Read full story here

Love/Hate star Robert Sheehan opens up about his sexuality

Irish actor Robert Sheehan has opened up about how he questioned his sexuality in a wide-ranging interview with Hot Press magazine, writes Stephen Barry

Read full story here

Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney record version of lost Lennon song

Sir Ringo Starr has teamed up with Sir Paul McCartney to record a version of a lost demo written by John Lennon less than a year before his death.

Read full story here

'Only people in Ireland will get this': Saoirse Ronan named her dog after a famous Irish TV character

Saoirse Ronan says she named her dog after a character from Love Hate, writes Anna O'Donoghue

Read full story here

Susanna Reid swerves on-air see-through fashion blunder

Susanna Reid has revealed she had to do a last-minute outfit change before a live broadcast because she was worried her dress was see-through.

Read full story here