More than one million Irish people are set to take planes, trains and automobiles to get home for Christmas, with the majority spending more on travel than on seasonal gifts for friends and family.

A group of 30 credit unions, including ones in Cork, Kerry, and Tipperary, has hailed the rollout of current accounts for the first time as an alternative to the big banks for its members.

MasterCard Europe has named Bank of Ireland as one of three winners of the European co-brand partner of the year award for its Special Olympics Advantage MasterCard credit card.