Catch-up with what you've missed today with our evening briefing

Here’s a briefing on some of the stories and issues highlighted on irishexaminer.com today.

FLOODING 

Devastated home-owners in the Corbally area of Limerick are demanding answers, after “man-made flooding”,  which they say was avoidable, wreaked havoc.

A mother of three broke down in tears yesterday as she was forced to leave her flooded home to accompany one of her sons in an ambulance after he collapsed from exhaustion  after working all week to protect their home.

A video shot from above Co Cork has shown the extent of the floods  in the county today. The footage, shot by Aerialview.ie for the Irish Examiner and Evening Echo, starts at the Inniscarra dam which can be seen discharging a steady flow of water into the Lee Valley.

IRELAND

Anti-Austerity Alliance TD Paul Murphy has been sent forward for trial accused of false imprisonment  of Tánaiste Joan Burton during the Jobstown water protest.

Health Minister Leo Varadkar has confirmed that last-ditch efforts are underway in an attempt to avert tomorrow's nurses strike  in Emergency Departments.

WORLD

After months of hype, Star Wars: The Force Awakens is almost here.  Cinemas across the country are gearing up for one of the biggest movies in recent years when the hugely anticipated seventh entry in the franchise hits the screens this Thursday.

Firm favourite Louisa Johnson was crowned the winner of The X Factor  last night as the 12th series of the show came to a stuttering halt, marred by weeks of poor ratings, technical glitches, and presenters’ faux pas.

SPORT

New UFC Featherweight World Champion Conor McGregor has a truly incredible knack for predicting the future.  From the round he will knock out an opponent to the size of gate receipts and pay-per-view audiences, the Crumlin fighter is unafraid to make big calls.

Arsenal have drawn Champions League holders Barcelona in the final 16 of the competition. Meanwhile  Chelsea will again face Paris St Germain, the team that knocked them out at this stage of the competition last year.

BUSINESS

Ibec has warned of the challenge of dealing with the rapid economic growth that Ireland is witnessing,  urging the Government to ring-fence its better-than-expected corporate tax revenue gains this year and pump them into investment projects.

Optimism amongst Irish construction firms has reached a near-record high,  on the back of new business orders hitting a five-month peak in November.

ANALYSIS

Appealing for special treatment because agricultural emissions are harder to reduce won’t wash much longer,  writes Europe Correspondent Ann Cahill

LIFESTYLE

Born to a drug-addicted mother, a one time gym instructor to the stars told Conor Power how she is bringing her inspiring life story to bear at a groundbreaking new fitness project  in Kinsale, Co Cork.

VIDEO

A video shot from above Co Cork has shown the extent of the floods  in the county today. The footage, shot by Aerialview.ie for the Irish Examiner and Evening Echo, starts at the Inniscarra dam which can be seen discharging a steady flow of water into the Lee Valley.

VIRAL

The hashtag #ExplainAFilmPlotBadly has been trending on Twitter today  and witty users of the social media platform are coming up with some ingenious ways of describing our most loved movies.

It’s one of our favourite part of the festive periods - surprise homecomings and ecstatic mammies.  John McAleenan from Rostrevor got the ball rolling when he decided to surprise his mam on Sunday morning.

TECHNOW

GAMING: The countdown timer on the OtherSide Tease website has expired, and in its place is an artistic recreation  of the game's antagonistic AI, SHODAN, and 'System Shock 3.'

MOVIES: The countdown to Christmas is on, but for Deadpool fans  the next 12 days are even more special. A trailer will be released on December 25th, but there are goodies in store until then.

TECH: Singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran  is the latest celebrity to take a step back from social media. He posted a text update to Instagram to inform fans that he's taking a break from his phone, e-mails, and all social media.

SHOWBIZ

Irish films continue their takeover this season – receiving a total of nine nominations  at the 2016 Critics Choice Awards.

MOST READ RIGHT NOW

New UFC Featherweight World Champion Conor McGregor has a truly incredible knack for predicting the future.  From the round he will knock out an opponent to the size of gate receipts and pay-per-view audiences, the Crumlin fighter is unafraid to make big calls.