After years of saying no, Patrick Stewart tells Georgia Humphreys why he finally agreed to reprise his role as Jean-Luc Picard

Dr Jim Stewart of Trinity College Dublin has said there is a “window of opportunity” at present because the Social Insurance Fund is in surplus.

The Celtic fans having a pop at Rod Stewart last weekend were at least getting into the Christmas spirit nice and early.

A Cork man who got a 14-year jail term for crimes including the robbery of a 79-year-old woman, causing her horrific life-changing injuries, had one year reduced from his sentence on appeal today.

Ryan Christie’s first-half brace helped Celtic to an accomplished 4-1 Ladbrokes Premiership win over Ross County at the Global Energy stadium.

He has battled cancer and is about to turn 75, but Rod Stewart’s two gigs in Ireland next week are a sign he has no plans to retire any time soon, writes Richard Purden

They were teenagers when they were sentenced to life in prison in 1984.

The woman described to gardaí how she held the pillow over the child's face as she struggled and screamed. Her toddler called out for her daddy and finally let out a sigh, she said.

The High Court gave permission for a mobile home belonging to Derek 'Dee Dee' O'Driscoll to be sold off and for four bank accounts containing more than €250,000 to be taken over by the liquidator.

Former Minister for Justice Senator Michael McDowell has called on the Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy to investigate any role played by his department in the payment of “protection money” on social housing building sites.

Ray Managh Pamela Flood, her husband Ronan Ryan, and their four children were still at risk this weekend of being put on the street by the Dublin City Sheriff after a High Court judge refused to grant them a stay against a vulture fund’s legal permission to execute a repossession order against their home.

A man who suffered catastrophic brain injuries following a road traffic accident has removed feeding tubes that provide him with nourishment more than 60 times, the High Court has heard.

A jury has failed to reach a verdict in the trial of Louth woman Paula Farrell, who is charged with murdering her boyfriend Wayne McQuillan.

Cork’s quest for a first All-Ireland minor title since 2000 remains on course after they held off a good comeback by Monaghan in an exciting clash at O’Connor Park in Tullamore.

A 32-year-old man found to have been insane when he beat his neighbour to death with a crowbar, posted about 2,000 videos of himself reading the bible on YouTube, the Central Criminal Court has heard.

A Co Down hospital is celebrating the birth of two sets of healthy triplets in the space of just 24 hours.

So that’s Wednesday nearly wrapped up. Here are some of the stories we published on irishexaminer.com today which we hope will help you make sense of it all this evening.

The parents of a man beaten to death by a neighbour who was undergoing a psychotic episode have told the Central Criminal Court that it is "unacceptable" that someone so dangerous and known to mental health services was living just a few doors from their "defenceless" son.

A man who raped his wife's sister-in-law following a Christmas family gathering has been given a seven-year sentence with the final two years suspended.

Ms Justice Stewart noted the woman had been uncontactable since Tuesday and that the only fair outcome at this point was to direct the jury of five men and seven women to acquit the man.

When Jon Stewart quit the Daily Show, the satirical news and comedy show he hosted for 16 years until August 2015, he explained to his replacement, Trevor Noah, that he was tired – and angry at the state of politics and political discourse in the US.

Johnson got 114 votes, a massive 71 votes ahead of second place Jeremy Hunt.

Leopard print is back in style but should it remain a largely feminine print, or can men rock it too? Paul McLauchlan finds out

My first ever experience of meditation was in the prayer room in my secondary school; a class of 20 girls lying down on the floor, listening to our religion teacher read out a guided meditation. (Most of us using it as an opportunity to take a sneaky nap, let’s be real.)

While Ireland was officially neutral in the Second World War, thousands of Irishmen fought against fascism by serving in the British, American, and Canadian armies, including on Normandy’s beaches, says Sean O’Riordan

It’s not easy at first, but we can live a more sustainable life by simply forming a few new habits, writes Áilín Quinlan.

Prosecutors have been given a date in December to argue that the five-year jail term given to Kerry farmer Michael Ferris, who drove the prongs of a teleporter into his neighbour after a decades-long row about a noisy bird-scarer, was “unduly lenient”.

Age is just a number for Rod Stewart. 74 years of age, he took the Páirc Uí Chaoimh stage with the gusto and presence of a man half his age.

Superstar Rod Stewart paid a warm tribute to the late footballer Liam Miller, at his concert in Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork last night, posting a picture of the former Republic of Ireland, Manchester United and Celtic player on the big screen of his stage.

Leinster have won the Guinness PRO14 final after beating Glasgow 18-15 at Celtic Park.

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Ireland and New Zealand’s exchange of coaching know-how is set to continue with Sean Dancer swapping hemispheres to take on the role as Green Army head coach.

A drug addict with "a capacity for violence and aggressive behaviour", who stabbed another man in the back during a row, has been jailed for seven years at the Central Criminal Court for manslaughter.

Rod Stewart tells Ed Power about his upcoming Irish dates, his cover of Grace, and his ongoing love affair with football.

Now that the line-up for Electric Picnic has been released, it’s time to finalise your plans for a busy season of music events, writes Ed Power.

The competition for places within the Ireland U20s set-up is set to intensify with the return of Craig Casey and Ryan Baird for Friday night’s Six Nations encounter with Italy in Rieti (kick off 6pm, Irish time).

The High Court has ruled that a total sum of €10,700 cash found in a woman's knee high boot and a man's jacket during a Garda search of a house in south Dublin are the proceeds of crime.

The jury in the trial of a north Kerry farmer accused of the murder of a neighbour has been told to return to the Central Criminal Court at 11am tomorrow to continue its deliberations.

Gsoc did not have evidence of criminality at the time it launched a criminal investigation in relation to three gardaí, including a sergeant who took his own life, a judicial inquiry has concluded.

World Rugby U20 Championship: Ireland 39 - Japan 33: Irish coach Noel McNamara believes that many of his squad will go on to professional careers and represent the national senior side despite a miserable fortnight at the World Rugby U20 Championship.

David Murphy secured his place in the Munster senior championship semi-final, after a gripping contest with Martin Coppinger, at Baile Mhuirne, on Sunday.

South Africa 30 Ireland 17: Ireland coach Noel McNamara said he has no doubt his U20s will regroup and have a crack at Georgia next Thursday despite falling to a second defeat in the World Rugby U20 Championship in France.

A gambling addiction got so out of hand for a young Cork man that he resorted to drug dealing to make money to bet and ended up leaving the country when his life was threatened.

The Canadian woman who, along with her brother, helped save a homeless man from drowning in the river Lee said their lifeguard training played a key role in the daring rescue.