Pressure on the country's acute hospitals continued today with 517 admitted patients waiting for a bed on trolleys in emergency departments (EDs) or on wards.

More than 2,400 people spent time this week on a trolley or chair waiting for a hospital bed, nurses have said.

Latest: The Health Minister has recognised the "intense efforts" of health service staff as the number of people on hospital trolleys reached a new national record high for the second day in a row.

Nurses say University Hospital Limerick is the most overcrowded in the country today.

A man is in a serious condition in hospital after being stabbed outside a busy shopping centre in Kilkenny.

A 68-year-old man has died in a three-car collision in Co Kilkenny this morning.

St Luke's Hospital in Dublin has officially become a smoke-free campus.

A woman in her late 60's has died after her car hit a railway bridge near Paulstown in Co Kilkenny.

A murder investigation has been launched in Co Killkenny, following the death of a 51-year-old woman.

An investigation is continuing in Co Killkenny into the death of a 51-year-old woman who has been named as Siobhan Stapleton.

Gardaí say they are investigating all of the circumstances surrounding the death of a woman in Co Kilkenny.

A GAA player is recovering in hospital after travelling from Carlow to Waterford over seven hours in three ambulances after he broke his leg.

The High Court has today dismissed a challenge brought by two community group to the HSE's planned closure of an in-patient psychiatric unit at South Tipperary General Hospital, with the patients being transferred to Kilkenny.

Three people remain in hospital this morning after a crash in Co. Kilkenny yesterday which claimed the lives of a man and a woman.

Two people have been killed and three hospitalised following a crash in Co Kilkenny this evening.

The Health Minister Mary Harney has said the possibility of using St Luke's Hospital in Dublin to provide palliative care is being looked at.

St Luke's Hospital in Dublin could be slated for closure today, despite its excellent reputation for cancer care.

A man has been killed in a road crash in County Carlow.

The mother of a six-year-old child awarded €4.5m due to the severe injuries she suffered arising out of the circumstances of her birth has settled her own personal injuries action against the HSE.

A man is dead following a crash in Co Kilkenny.

A man is recovering in hospital today following a stabbing incident in Carlow town this morning.

More than 20 patients have been evacuated from the Department of Psychiatry at St Luke's Hospital in Kilkenny today following a gas leak.

A number of consultant pathologists from Irish hospitals have reportedly expressed major concerns about plans to outsource Irish smear tests to a US company.

A man has been hospitalised following a stabbing in Carlow town this morning.

A 25-year-old man has been seriously injured in a two car crash in Carlow.

The HSE is being urged to use St Luke's Hospital in south Dublin as a nursing home once its cancer services are transferred to St James's Hospital.

A woman was killed today after the car she was driving was in collision with a truck.

Leinster champions Kilkenny are waiting on the fitness of Andy Comerford, Noel Hickey and skipper Peter Barry ahead of their All-Ireland SHC quarter-final clash with Limerick on Sunday week.

Kilkenny legendary forward DJ Carey is in hospital today after collapsing following a club game last night.

MORE THAN 300 people with intellectual disabilities are still in psychiatric institutions even though the Department of Health admits they should not be there.

CANCER patients who were forced to travel from the south-east to Dublin for radiotherapy have died less than 24 hours after receiving treatment due to the strain of the journey.

The results of a post mortem examination on a body found yesterday in south County Kilkenny are expected later today.

Four people have been killed in accidents on Ireland's roads over the weekend.

A man is recovering in hospital after he was shot in the leg at his home in Carlow overnight.

THEY wanted a baby girl — God gave them two.

CONCENTRATING radiotherapy services in centres of excellence in Dublin, Cork and Galway was in the best interests of all patients, the Irish Cancer Society said yesterday.

SOME patients are taking anti-depressants to deal with the stress having to wait years to see a specialist, a patients’ advocate group claimed yesterday.

THE Government has come under attack for doing a disappearing act while public services, key legislation and foreign policy are crying out for attention.

St Luke's Hospital in Dublin has warned that it is struggling to cope with demand for its radiotherapy services.

A Kilkenny woman is believed to be in a serious condition in hospital this evening, after a housefire close to the city.

Gardai in Co Tipperary are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a second man near Clonmel this morning.

It is believed that the virus that has been spreading throughout hospitals across the country may have reached Kilkenny.

Initial post mortem results are expected this morning on the body of two-year-old Robin Leahy, who was murdered in Callan, Co Kilkenny, yesterday.