The then minister for justice Michael McDowell was a guest speaker at Thomas Byrne’s Christmas Party in the Four Seasons, the trial of the former solicitor has heard.

Treasury Holdings has been granted a preliminary High Court hearing, for this morning, challenging a move by Nama to appoint receivers to a number of its Irish-based properties following the non-repayment of the company’s loans to the agency.

One of the sisters who callously murdered their mother’s African lover before hacking him to pieces and dumping bits of his body around Dublin was today convicted of prostitution.

Junior Minister Tom Parlon has revealed that the Government is examining recommendations on a new national flood policy.