The Lord Mayor of Cork will host a major fundraising concert next month to help the city’s homeless.

IRISH families will be Europe’s biggest Christmas spenders this year, splashing out €1,430 each on presents, food and nights out — a national total of €3.5 billion.

MORE than 1,800 people have contacted the St Vincent de Paul (SVP) charity for help in the past month, with the majority of calls from people struggling to cope with the financial pressures of Christmas.