The Marina plant in Cork marked its 50th anniversary in 1967 with a £2million revamp — and it was a golden era for motorists, as the iconic Cortina, Escort and Capri hit the ground running.

The Americans have their historic photograph of six marines raising the Stars and Stripes during the Battle of Iwo Jima in the Second World War; the Russians still revere the picture of their troops flying the flag over the Reichstag in the Battle of Berlin on May 2, 1945.

Some of the stranger stories from around the world

Good afternoon. Here’s all the news you need to know this lunchtime.

A second man is being questioned by gardaí investigating the shooting of Ciara Sheehan in Cork at the weekend.

Heartbreaking scenes unfolded in Wexford town yesterday as relatives of Thomas and Sylvia Connors and their children were flanked by mourners while the funeral convoy made its way to their final resting place.

A Donegal based Catholic priest has announced he will be voting Yes in the upcoming marriage equality referendum.

The teenage daughter of a couple who died in an apparent murder-suicide wrote a poignant message on her Facebook page earlier this year urging people not to consider taking their own lives.

One person may hold vital clues to several families’ decades-long quest to find the bodies of loved ones abducted, murdered and secretly buried by the IRA.

WHEN well-known scandals, like that of the mother-and-baby homes or the Magdalene Laundries, finally hit the public consciousness — we often hear a common refrain: "Oh it was a different time."

THE Tuam babies story this week says much about the past, but about the present also.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny yesterday expressed strong support for same-sex marriage in a move that will send him on another collision course with the Catholic hierarchy.

On a dank, grey evening, when even the rain couldn’t fall with any gusto, hundreds of diehard Cork fans slipped on their beloved red jerseys again and headed for the city centre to cheer on the boys for one last time this year.

The decision by Dr Michael Smith, the Bishop of Meath, to ban appreciations or eulogies by family members or friends of the deceased in church raises a number of questions.

Church authorities spelled out their opposition to planned abortion legislation during a meeting with the Government yesterday.

Bishop of Clonfert John Kirby said it never occurred to him to consider resigning after it emerged he had moved two priests at the centre of child sex abuse allegations to other parishes.

John and Michaela McAreavey never got the chance to spend one night in the house they planned to start married life in.

The Bon Secours nuns marked 150 years in Ireland with the launch of an exhibition last night which highlights their contribution to Irish society.

Three bishops made significant errors of judgment when allegations of child sexual abuse were made against priests, a Catholic Church watchdog has found.

The General Election campaign was temporarily stalled as rival politicians delayed events to pay respects to the victims of the Cork air crash.

The plane carrying the body of murdered honeymooner Michaela McAreavey arrived in Belfast from Mauritius today.

ROAD BOWLING legend Mick Barry said he was “taking it all in his stride” yesterday as his native city named a road after him and hosted a City Hall reception in his honour.

ONE of the country’s largest care homes for the elderly is operating at a significant loss because of controversial new Government funding arrangements.

THE Director of Public Prosecutions has decided against prosecuting former Bishop of Cloyne John Magee for reckless endangerment.

The Knock Youth Festival opens today on the theme 'Walk by Faith'.

Pope Benedict has announced that Cork native Fr. Kieran O'Reilly is to replace Dr Willie Walshe as the next Bishop of Killaloe.

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin was praised today after claiming strong forces in the Catholic Church would prefer scandals about paedophile priests are kept secret.

POPE Benedict XVI has accepted the resignation of the Bishop of Clogher, Dr Joseph Duffy, who, as Church law dictates, is stepping down having reached the age of 75.

POPE BENEDICT XVI has accepted the resignation of a third Irish bishop as a result of the Church’s handling of clerical child abuse.

The Archbishop of Canterbury tonight said he “had no intention of criticising or attacking” the Catholic Church after an interview in which he appeared to suggest the Church in Ireland had lost all credibility over the child abuse scandal.

THE Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, Cardinal Seán Brady, yesterday called on people to pray for Cardinal Cahal Daly who remained seriously ill in a Belfast hospital last night.

Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin James Moriarty has resigned this afternoon.

There is speculation today that a second bishop criticised in the Murphy report is about to resign.

OUR Catholic bishops have endured considerable criticism so it is entirely appropriate that when one does something commendable it should be recognised.

Primary Schools Principals are today calling for the bishops named in the Murphy report to resign their positions as school patrons.

A SURVEY of how third-level colleges have been spending the €1,500 registration fee paid by students has been ordered by Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe.

IT is pathetic to listen to the incessant empty apologies of various religious groups who were charged with the care of vulnerable children in our society. The chronicle of abuse is almost beyond belief. But it did happen, and it happened in our community.

THE advisory committee which tried to prevent the publication of a damning report into alleged child sex abuse in the diocese of Cloyne was appointed by, and is answerable to, Bishop of Cloyne John Magee.

YESTERDAY, as Fr Michael Mernagh ended his “pilgrimage of atonement” at Dublin’s Pro-Cathedral, where he was embraced by the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Diarmuid Martin, we got an indication of the great pressure put on the National Board for Safeguarding Children (NBSC) chief executive Ian Elliott.

The One in Four support group for victims of sexual abuse has condemned an apology by the Catholic Church over the Cloyne abuse scandal as 'too little, too late".

A MAN who reported being “serially molested” by a brother in the Diocese of Cloyne will consider legal action if the Church fails to pay him €30,000 in medical expenses and apologise for the mishandling of his case within two weeks.