A weather rainfall warning for two counties has been upgraded to Status Orange.

A wife whose face was beaten ‘black, blue and purple’ by her husband has told a court “I know now I have no ‘boss’ or no one beating me or torturing me for my money”.

Members of the Burke family will leave south Galway this weekend and head to two different north Dublin destinations with similar goals and aspirations in mind.

A man has been airlifted to hospital after he fell overboard from a boat in Co Clare this afternoon.

Two fishermen feared missing in Galway Bay overnight have been found safe and well.

Payments under the 2015 Burren Farming for Conservation Programme have begun issuing to farmers.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny says people living in towns where flood defences exist must be given flood insurance.

OUR world seems ever more defined by threat. 

Good morning. Here’s everything you need to know before you start your day.

Damien Hayes, in reflecting on Portumna’s journey to the 2014 All-Ireland club hurling decider, cited their county quarter-final fixture against Ardrahan as the most troublesome hurdle.

ENOUGH. Enough of the affairs of State. It’s the time of year for reflection and excess, joy and pain, laughter and tears. And whatever you’re having yourself with a hot drop.

Water chiefs are facing calls to tap into a massive hidden network of underground rivers off the west coast in a bid to solve worsening droughts on the Aran Islands.

GAA officials expect almost 30,000 patrons to flock through the turnstiles for this weekend’s four high-profile Allianz NHL fixtures.

Forget about the millions of euro spent on turkeys this Christmas, Ireland’s most expensive bird is the rare and protected hen harrier.

Up to 7,000 homes are still without power this morning following storms around the country yesterday.

Throw your head inside the door of any pub, grocers or butchers in Gort this weekend and you’ll find one topic dominates conversation.

European officials have raised “serious concerns” about continued illegal turf-cutting in Ireland and urged people to stop doing it.

Three derby games in the league this weekend. In Ennis we have Clare and Galway, in Dungarvan it’s Cork and Waterford, and in Semple Stadium Tipperary face Kilkenny.

Seven hundred Burren farmers are seeking a multimillion-euro annual windfall to create a pristine environment containing rare and wild flowers.

THE Polish diver who lost his life as he pushed out the boundaries in underwater cave exploration in this country had a fear of heights.

RESCUE workers searching for a diver in a cave in Galway last night found a body.

THE little boy who is believed to have choked to death in a creche would have celebrated his second birthday next Monday.

A 22-month-old toddler has died after apparently choking on some food.

THE south Galway region was pounded last November, with floodwater failing to abate for several weeks.

A MAJOR “wholesale” drug supplier and his girlfriend have been caught with a massive haul of cocaine after armed gardaí pulled over his top-of-the-range Audi.

The Health Information and Quality Authority said today it has no plans at this stage to launch an investigation into antenatal services.

IRONICALLY, the big house is gone, but the ‘little one’ given to an estate worker back in the 1880s is back in rude, good health – and twice its original size.

AS the funeral of Ciarán MacMathuna was taking place in Dublin yesterday, the legendary broadcaster was remembered in the heartlands of traditional music where he harvested Irish music and song over nearly 50 years.

THE budget did little to ease the woes of Michael Kelly, part of whose family farm in south Galway remains under flood water.

IT was the turn of Kildare and Dublin to deal with the deluge yesterday as flood warnings were issued in both counties.

Cabinet ministers are discussing the ongoing flooding emergency at a meeting in Dublin today.

There are calls for the people affected by the flooding emergency to be consulted as to how the funding that is to be made available to them will be spent.

Areas around south Galway are now flooding as water levels continue to rise.

Taoiseach Brian Cowen tonight gave a stark warning to flood ravaged communities across Ireland – it will get worse before it gets better.

Desperate homeowners across south Galway were at crisis point tonight as floods continued to run off hills leaving farms, villages and towns marooned.

The Irish Red Cross launched an appeal today to raise money for flood victims.

Gardaí are following 150 lines of inquiry following the killing of a pensioner in Co Galway.

Voting is continuing in the local, European and two Dublin by-elections and so far voter turnout is fluctuating between 20% and 40%.