Four friends have become the fastest quartet from the Republic of Ireland to row across the Atlantic ocean.

An amateur endurance athlete and his three friends are believed to have set a new world record for rowing the Atlantic, raising more than £250,000 in memory of his tragic mother in the process.

More than 15 people are dead and 20 remain missing after Hurricane Maria's direct hit on Dominica, the prime minister has said.

A tropical storm has formed in the Atlantic and is expected to strengthen, prompting hurricane watches for some of the Caribbean islands devastated by Hurricane Irma.

Here is a look at the impact of Hurricane Irma on individual countries and territories in the Caribbean as of tonight:

Relief efforts are under way on islands devastated by Hurricane Irma, as a second "extremely dangerous" storm threatens the Caribbean.

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The hotels arm of Pat Doherty’s Harcourt Developments Group booked revenues of €60m last year, saying that it hasn’t been unduly affected by Brexit and the drop in the value of sterling against the euro and the dollar.

Heard the one about the stand-up scientist? Or the physicist who uses comedy to bring nanoscience to the masses?

The father of one of four crew members who died when the Cheeki Rafiki capsized mid-Atlantic has told a court of the "harrowing" moment when he found out his son had been lost at sea.

If you visit Antigua don’t get too comfy on the sun lounger, says Eoghan Cormican. Make sure and see the whole island – you won’t be disappointed

Rome calling

The maritime heritage of Cork was celebrated yesterday when two majestic yachts sailed into view, one a sleek silhouette of modern motor cruising, the other an ode to a bygone era when ships had masts and rigging and relied on wind for speed.

A former president of the UN General Assembly has been arrested and charged with accepting over $1m in bribes from a billionaire Chinese property mogul and other businesspeople to pave the way for lucrative investments.

USA: A group of self-styled Robin Hoods have been feeding parking meters while trailing traffic wardens.

The prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda has appointed actor Robert De Niro as special economic envoy of the twin-island nation in the eastern Caribbean.

So is there anything to see in Dingle at all?

Hopes of finding the missing British crew of the Cheeki Rafiki have all but faded after the yacht’s life raft was found on board the capsized vessel.

Debris has reportedly been found in the Atlantic Ocean in the area where UK yacht the Cheeki Rafiki went missing.

A British MP has backed calls by the families and colleagues of four Britons who went missing when a yacht capsized in the mid-Atlantic Ocean for the American authorities to relaunch the search and rescue mission to find them.

Murray Carpenter

Operating profits at the Dublin-based property group behind the iconic €100m Titanic Quarter development in Belfast last year more than doubled to €25.9m.

A court action to have bankrupt developer Tom McFeely jailed over an unpaid debt will resume next month.

What started out as ‘motherly’ advice from a woman with 20 years of experience in the music business has led to pop’s latest queen of controversy, Miley Cyrus, being lambasted by mental health groups and threatened with legal action.

Several 'X Factor' contestants fell ill after filming in intense heat in the Caribbean.

Live music: Jimmy Eat World, Olympia, Dublin

HOME is the sailor, home from the sea — and 5 Ard Cuan in Kinsale’s Ardbrack Heights is no bad spot to drop anchor at.

The Republic of Ireland have moved up a place in the latest FIFA world rankings following their two World Cup qualifying draws.

Eric Clapton's watch has sold at auction for £2.3m (€2.87m).

Tropical Storm Rafael has lashed the eastern Caribbean with heavy rains which are expected to unleash floods on islands around the region.

Tropical Storm Rafael has formed over the eastern Caribbean Sea, and warnings have been issued for numerous Caribbean islands.

A potential hurricane is posing a threat to next week’s Republican National Convention in Florida, which culminates in the nomination of Mitt Romney for presidential candidate.

Chris Gayle and Kieran Powell put on the fifth highest stand made by a West Indies opening pair to help their side take control against New Zealand on day three of the first Test in Antigua.

A cargo ship which ran aground in rough seas will be broken up and scrapped, the owners said today.

Environmental officers are today working to safely remove 40,000 litres of fuel from a stricken cargo ship which ran aground in rough seas off the coast of Wales, sparking the rescue of seven crew members.

Texas tycoon Allen Stanford spent more than 20 years charming investors, who handed him billions of dollars they had spent their lives accumulating through hard work and saving.

Texas tycoon R. Allen Stanford was convicted today of bilking investors out of more than $7bn in a massive Ponzi scheme he operated for 20 years.

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez and other leaders in the left-leaning ALBA bloc have backed Argentina in its long-running dispute with Britain over the Falkland Islands.