Your Friday lunchtime news catch-up

The future father-in-law of a Cork man whose stag has caused a storm of controversy has defended him as a “decent guy” who would not knowingly offend anyone, Roy Keane has revealed that he wouldn’t swap his time working with Alex Ferguson ’for anything’ and picture goes viral after two girls kiss in front of No protestors in Dublin. These are some of the latest and most read news on irishexaminer.com this lunchtime.

Fri, 01 May, 2015 - 01:00

TOP STORY

Cork stag party wearing Hitler masks in Prague was ‘national embarrassment’

Drunken Irish revellers who wore Hitler masks just yards from a Jewish quarter while on a stag party in Prague have been branded a “truly repulsive” and an “embarrassment to Ireland”.

RELATED: Cork stag 'a decent guy', future father-in law insists after Prague furore

IRELAND

LATEST: New group launched to back No vote in referendum

A new group has today launched its campaign for a No vote in the upcoming marriage referendum.

MOST READ: Bus drivers 'angered' by bus companies' legal action

The Chief Executive of the Labour Relations Commission says there is no basis for a negotiated settlement in the bus strike at the moment, despite yesterday's 11th-hour talks.

SPORT

LATEST: Tributes for 'top class' Paul Curran after retirement decision

Tipperary stalwart Paul Curran announced his inter-county retirement last night, and tributes have poured in for the All-Ireland winner.

MOST READ: VIDEO: I wouldn’t swap Alex Ferguson time for anything, says content Roy Keane

ROY KEANE says he wouldn’t swap his time working with Alex Ferguson “for anything” but joked that he couldn’t reveal what crossed his mind when the two men found themselves on the same plane back from a Champions League game in Paris in February.

ANALYSIS

ALISON O'CONNOR: Does electorate need ‘convincing’ of how to vote in next election?

WE WILL start with an admission: I rather enjoyed the extravaganza that was the Spring Statement. I am in a minority, I know, and it does feel like a guilty pleasure.

EXAMVIRAL

MOST READ: This photo of a defiant kiss in front of a No protestor is going viral

This photo of two women kissing next to a No protestor is going viral after being shared on Twitter.

TECHNOW

MOST READ: Irish Facebook users can now choose from 70 gender options

Irish Facebook users can now choose from 70 gender options | http://t.co/Si6sTkJsOM (GM) pic.twitter.com/9mlyeCvYCe
— Irish Examiner Lifestyle (@IELifestyle_) May 1, 2015

Without doubt, gender has been a fluid concept for as long as humanity has been around but recent years have seen a much greater understanding of just how little the binary terms male and female can mean to some people.

WORLD

LATEST: Anger at lack of details over Gray death in police custody

The authorities have refused to provide more than a few sketchy details about the investigation into the death of a black man who suffered a fatal injury while in police custody in Baltimore in the US.

MOST READ: Bipolar man ‘was unaware of execution’

A man executed in Indonesia for drug trafficking who was diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder did not understand what was happening until his final moments, a priest assigned as his spiritual adviser has said.

BUSINESS

LATEST: Dublin Airport to see 288,000 passengers this weekend

Dublin Airport will accommodate almost 288,000 passengers over the Bank Holiday weekend.

MOST READ: DAA ‘very confident’ of Cork Airport recovery

The chief executive of Dublin Airport Authority, Kevin Toland, has said he is “very confident” of reaching a long-term sustainable solution for Cork Airport.

LIFESTYLE

MOST READ: What actually makes ’The Hated’ Peter Hitchens happy?

Peter Hitchens is a lightning rod for the right and someone who baulks at many of today’s received wisdoms so John Duggan couldn’t resist asking him what actually makes him happy.

SHOWBIZ

WATCH: Zayn Malik has dropped the '1D' from his Twitter handle and nobody can quite cope

Just as loyal Directioners were beginning to come to terms with Zayn Malik’s departure from One Direction, another heart-breaking bombshell hit when he dropped the “1D” from his Twitter name.