Today marks 175 years since the Irish Examiner, then known as the Cork Examiner, was first published.

Taghmon Guild member Mella Winters fought off stiff competition in Wexford Federation recently where she won the top prize for her simnel cake.

Ahead of Friday the 13th, Dave Kenny breaks as many superstitions as he can in one week — and reveals the pagan origins of them all.

Welcome to your Wednesday morning briefing. Let us ensure you’re up to speed on what’s happening and are prepared for the day ahead.

BETRAYAL is a universal theme commemorated today, Spy Wednesday. This is the liturgical memorial when, by tradition, Judas took 30 pieces of silver to betray Jesus, and entered into a pact he would live to regret, but could never escape — no matter that he would end up “throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple”.

Pope Francis, marking Palm Sunday in a packed St Peter’s Square, ignored his prepared homily and spoke entirely off-the-cuff in a remarkable departure from practice.

Pope Francis has marked Palm Sunday in a packed St Peter’s Square, ignoring his prepared homily and speaking entirely off the cuff.

GREAT excitement here, we have just hatched out a clutch of fluffy chicks in time for Easter.

YOU’LL see this word cropping up over the next few days: ‘friggatriskadekaphobia’ — fear of Friday the 13th. Not to be confused with Friggaphobia — fear of Fridays or fear of ... er ... ahem ... swearing in Irish.

IN June, 2007, then 41-year-old Sarah Primmer, from Plymouth, in England, was awarded £18,000 in compensation for having been bullied at work. The former kebab shop employee had been taunted about her red hair and its perceived, inherent sexual characteristics.

WITH sales increasing after a slump of a few years, luxurious handbags are back as a key fashion accessory, as evidenced at the recent Paris Fashion Week.

LAST month, I visited Rathlin Island, off the Antrim coast.

Sharon Osbourne has accused Lady Gaga of having "hurtful [and] violent" fans.

Superstitious about the number 13? You’re not alone, writes John Daly.

“Judas” and “Fair play to you, Seán” were the contrasting cries to greet Seán Quinn as he emerged from the Four Courts yesterday.

Judas, talking tough, or electioneering?

Government ministers have rejected suggestions that statements by Germany’s chancellor Angela Merkel on bank debt have sunk hopes of a deal for Ireland.

Ireland's need to cut a deal on its €64bn bank bailout was dealt a new blow today after German chancellor Angela Merkel refused to concede on legacy debt.

JUST after dawn on Wednesday, May 23, Paolo Gabriele said goodbye to his wife, passed by the bedrooms of his three children, and left to start another day in the service of the man Roman Catholics believe is the vicar of Christ on Earth.

Former Arsenal, Tottenham and England defender Sol Campbell has announced his retirement from football.

A judge in Nigeria sentenced to death the feared right-hand man of Nigeria's former military dictator over the 1996 killing of an opposition candidate's wife.

Raul Meireles has insisted he never wanted to leave Liverpool but admitted he jumped at the chance to join Chelsea when it became clear he would be sold.

RAUL MEIRELES insists he is no “Judas” after trading Liverpool for Chelsea.

YOU can always rely on Liverpool supporters to find the right words and the handful of hastily made banners unfurled among the visiting fans at the Shed End captured the mood perfectly.

I TOLD you to expect the unexpected; not sure this is quite what we had in mind, though.

OUR football correspondent LIAM MACKEY is back in top form and full of energy.

JUST a few weeks shy of the one-year anniversary of one of the most painful nights in Irish sporting history, Thierry Henry has again insisted he feels no sorrow over his villainous hand ball in Paris.

Wigan 2 Swansea 0

IF it is Jennifer Sleeman’s intention to advance the cause of women through her call for a boycott of mass tomorrow, she should do so, informed by the teaching of the Catholic Church on the dignity of women.

Burnley 1 Bolton 0

THE two prostitutes involved in the Wayne Rooney sex scandal made public apologies yesterday to his wife Coleen.

The two prostitutes involved in the Wayne Rooney sex scandal made public apologies today to his wife Coleen.

DURING the week RTÉ televised a fascinating documentary on of the discovery in Dublin of the priceless Caravaggio painting, The Betrayal of Christ. Its whereabouts had been a mystery for more than 200 years before it was found hanging in the dining room of the Jesuits’ house on Leeson Street, where it had been for some 60 years.

OH, what a very civil partnership it was as Enda and Richard decided their future really was entwined together after all.

Two trees in Dublin are being upgraded to protected status today.

THE Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) has unanimously voted against the public service pay agreement and threatened potential strike action from September in response to the latest Cabinet cutbacks.

CLERICAL abuse victims pointed the Bishop of Ferns, Denis Brennan, towards the Vatican when they heard about his appeal to parishioners to fund outstanding diocesan compensation and legal fees.

A LITTLE under 18 months ago Harry Redknapp returned to Portsmouth and was subjected to aggressive chants of ‘Judas’ after quitting for Spurs but must be the toast of the south coast again after rescuing his old club from financial meltdown. For the meantime, anyway.

Bolton manager Owen Coyle refused to gloat after getting the better of his former club Burnley.

HOW could men who were supposed to be dedicated to God and to the welfare of God’s children sink to the level of betraying their God and destroying innocent children, doing them almost irreparable harm?

Sad to say, it’s a telling sign that when a statue to a Nazi collaborator goes up in Dublin, the least that happens is a splash of emulsion. Can you imagine if a statue to Marshal Pétain were erected in Paris? Or one to Quisling in Oslo? Or even of Mussolini in Italy?

Gareth Barry has admitted he would never have left Aston Villa if they had qualified for next season’s Champions League.

THE Greens have suddenly become the sulky, surly teenagers of Irish politics.