THOUSANDS of new citizens were conferred with Irish citizenship today – including U2 guitarist The Edge.

The musician otherwise known as David Howell Evans, 63, was born in Essex to Welsh parents but has lived in Ireland since he was one-years-old.

macmonagle.com

macmonagle.com

macmonagle.com

Sitting literally at the edge of the row at the ceremony in Killarney today, and sporting a tricolour clip on his lapel, and wearing his distinctive cap, the famous guitarist appeared to enjoy every moment.

He smiled throughout and shook hands with his neighbours front and back after the oath of allegiance.

Becoming an Irish citizen could not have been more meaningful than at the present time, he said.

Speaking briefly to reporters afterwards, he described becoming an Irish citizen with so many others as “a monumental day for all of us”.

He said: “I guess, you know,  I’m a little tardy with the paperwork. I’ve been living in Ireland now since I was one year old. But the time is right. And I couldn’t be more proud of my country for all that it represents and all that it is doing.

“It’s showing real leadership right now in the world and it couldn’t come at a better moment for me so I am just so happy to be at this point to be in even deeper connection with my homeland.”

The application didn’t take that long and was quite straightforward.

He said: “A couple of years to deal with all the ins and outs. But it was actually quite straight forward.

“Honestly there were many moments in the past when I could have done it with just the form to be filled out but I’m happy it’s now.”

He added: “It feels more significant, it feels more meaningful.”

Asked why, the Edge said: “Because of what is going on in the world right now. What Ireland stands for,  it’s very powerful.

“We are talking really about showing leadership in the world, supporting our international bodies, the ICC, UN,  speaking truth to power. Really important what Ireland is representing right now.”

Asked if Ireland could do more, he said: “Can it do more? I think it’s doing a lot. I’m not sure there is much more it could do more to be honest.

“I’m not sure there’s much more it could do to be honest.”

7,500 NEW IRISH CITIZENS

Applicants from over 143 countries and across all 32 counties on the island numbering 7,500 are making the declaration of fidelity and loyalty to the State and becoming Irish citizens.

Over seven ceremonies held over two days, Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Jim O’Callaghan will be joined by Minister of State with responsibility for Migration, Colm Brophy, and Minister of State with responsibility for International Law, Law Reform and Youth Justice, Niall Collins.

Speaking at the ceremonies on Monday, Minister O’Callaghan it was a special and important occasion in Killarney and he congratulated everyone.

O’Callaghan said: “It is a great privilege to become a citizen of this country and obviously with it comes responsibilities and duties and I think everyone who is taking on citizenship will be aware of that.”

The word citizen in Irish is derived from the word “saor”, meaning freedom, the Minister said.

He added that he hopes Ireland’s newest citizens would embrace “the full freedom and opportunities Ireland has to offer you.”

There was another important Irish word, “meitheal”, and it meant working together towards a common good, the minister also said.

He added: “I encourage all new citizens to continue to actively engage in their communities so that, together, we can build a thriving society”.

macmonagle.com

macmonagle.com

THE hot weather is always welcome in the UK, and while it’s fun during the day, the nighttime is another story.

Trying to sleep in the heat is near impossible, and you end up spending most of the night tossing and turning in a sweaty mess.

Getty

Too hot to sleep? We have four hacks to help you snooze[/caption]

Alamy

A hot water bottle isn’t just for the colder months[/caption]

Fortunately, many people have tips and tricks to stay cool while snoozing and they’ve been gracious enough to share them.

With hot weather expected later this week, you’ll want to take note of them.

One hack that kept coming up from users on Mumsnet was to use a hot water bottle, yes, even in the summer.

One wrote: “In praise of the cold water bottle.

“It’s just a hot water bottle filled with cold water, but it’s so helpful when it’s really hot.

“I’ve had the first one of the year tonight.”

Many agreed that the hack was vital to staying cool in the summer.

You simply fill the water bottle with a small amount of cold water and stick it in the freezer until frozen.

Then you want to place it at the bottom of your bed to keep you cool all night long.

However, you shouldn’t use the same hot water bottle for hot water in winter and freezing in summer, as it can weaken the rubber.

If you can, buy two hot water bottles and change them for each task.

Others were also quick to share their cheap hacks to keep cool at night as well.

One wrote: “Second this, I usually just wrap it in a very light cloth.

“Between that and stealing the cat’s cooling mat it’s very comfortable!”

“A couple of years ago I discovered the dog cooling mats, stick it under the sheet and enjoy full body coolness,” another added.

You can purchase these cooling mats, which don’t have to go in the freezer or fridge beforehand for as little as £5 from Wilkos.

Parents also offered their tips, and made the most out of the hundreds of muslin clothes they had lying around.

One mum said: “I give the kids a damp, very well wrung out muslin when it’s horrible and hot.

“They are magic for cooling you off, and if they warm up you just need to flap them about a bit and they cool down again!

“Perfect for getting to sleep with.”

ELLEN MOLLOY was not expecting to find herself in America this month – so she is not going to try and second-guess where her future might bring her.

Molloy, 20, admitted that she was surprised to be included in the Ireland squad for two friendlies against the USA.

Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

Tyler Miller/Sportsfile

Molloy was 16 when Vera Pauw handed her senior international debut against Ukraine in 2020.

A year later she was player of the match as Wexford defeated Shelbourne in the FAI Cup final.

She has learned since that football, and life, do not follow a straight path.

In September 2022, Wexford were in the mix for the league title, thanks in no small part to her 16 goals, when she tore her cruciate ligament. In her absence, they won just one of their last four games and slipped from first to fourth.

She was out for a year, swapping tips with fellow Thomastown native, Bohemians striker Colm Whelan, who had torn his ACL for the first of two times.

He lost out on a move to Lincoln City whilst she missed Ireland’s first World Cup when she might have made the squad.

A further 12 months later, she left for Sheffield United, against the backdrop of her grandmother Breda Roche having been diagnosed with terminal cancer.

The Blade facilitated frequent returns home before she passed away. The loss was acutely felt and, in January, Molloy decided to come home and rejoin Wexford.

There are no grand plans, just a straightforward objective.

She said: “I suppose I kind of put the enjoyment side of football first the last few months.

“I stripped it all back, took the pressure off and went back to my roots, I suppose. We’ve such a family atmosphere at Wexford and Sean Byrne coming in has been really good for the team and he’s kind of taken the pressure off me as well.

“I’ve started to really enjoy football again and I think you can see that in the way I’ve been playing.”

Aside from navigating a family illness and passing, Molloy admitted that adapting to life as a full-time footballer was not without its challenges.

She explained: “There’s a lot more to it than just playing football every day. Like it’s the time that you’re not playing football that you have to fill. 

“I found when I had school, when I had studies, I had to really condense my time. When I was training, I was training, but I was able to switch off and I nearly found that works better for me. 

“When I was in Sheffield, you train and you’re home at 1pm, and that was nearly your day done. And it’s not like you can go to the gym then because you’ve got all that done.

“I suppose different things work for different people. I do think I like to be busy and, so yeah, it’s just finding that balance and what works for me.”

LOOKING ABROAD

She is sufficiently aware, though, that if she wants to maintain a place in the international squad and progress she needs to be in a full-time environment and has not ruled out moving abroad again.

She said: “I do think the League is a bit away and there is quite a huge step up from the League of Ireland to international football. I’m just focusing on the next few weeks and see how it goes.”

And, in the meantime, she is doing what she can to try and bridge the gap between the domestic game and, potentially, lining out against Emma Hayes’ Olympic champions in Colorado on Friday and/or Cincinnati on Sunday.

She said: “You have to be doing extra. We train twice a week with the club so on Monday and Wednesday I would be doing a bit extra. There’s no real question over it, it’s just kind of expected.”

There is an intention to return to her Geography and P.E. course in the University of Limerick having deferred the second of the four-year course to move to England but that is about it when it comes to mapping out her future.

She said: “Who knows what can happen in the next few months or years? I’m just not going to look too far ahead.”

A HUGE fire has erupted through a Manchester building sparking widespread evacuations.

All railway lines into Oxford Road station remain closed whilst fire services tackle a blaze which erupted near  now-derelict Hotspur Press building this evening.

Emergency services are at the scene currently tackling the huge fire as passengers have been urgently evacuated from station.

Trains are currently not running to and from the station with disruptions expected to persist until 8pm.

Shocking pictures show plumes of black smoke billowing into the sky, travelling for miles over the city centre.

A National Rail spokesperson said: “Due to a fire next to the track at Manchester Oxford road, all lines are blocked and the station has been evacuated.

“Trains are currently unable to run through Manchester Oxford road in both directions. emergency services are aware of the issue and are sending a team to site.”

A TransPennine Express told Manchester Evening News: “Due to a fire next to the track at Manchester Oxford Road all lines are blocked.

“Train services running through this station may be cancelled or delayed. Disruption is expected until 20:00.”

X

6/58 LOTTO RESULT June 24, 2025 – Here is the result of Ultra Lotto draw released by Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO). 6/58 Ultra Lotto Winning Numbers June 24, 2025, Tuesday Jackpot Prize See UPDATED results for the following draws: LOTTO RESULT Today, Monday, June 23, 2025 (updated 9PM) EZ2 RESULT Today, Monday, June 23, 2025 ... Read more

The post 6/58 LOTTO RESULT Today, Tuesday, June 24, 2025 appeared first on PhilNews.

WHEN my phone rang yesterday afternoon, I didn’t expect to hear the unimaginably tragic news that my pal Kelsey had lost her unborn child.

Just three years after losing the love of her life, Tom Parker, to brain cancer, I didn’t know how much more she could take – but what happened next was even more horrifying.

Getty

My pal Kelsey Parker lost her unborn child, just three years after losing husband Tom to brain cancer[/caption]

YouTube

On Sunday, she revealed on Instagram the tragic death of her third baby who was ‘born sleeping’[/caption]

Since Tom’s death, we’ve become friends as she’s helped me deal with my own pain after losing my partner.

I’ve watched her navigate grief so bravely, always prioritizing her two children, Aurelia, five, and Bodhi, four, as well as raising money for charity and helping other widows through their own pain.

I was thrilled when she told me her and new boyfriend Will Lindsay were expecting.

I wasn’t the only one – not only was Kelsey, Will and the kids excited but Tom’s family were so happy to add another grandchild to their family, too.

It seemed like she was getting the happy ending she so deserved.

But on Sunday, she revealed on Instagram the tragic death of her third baby who was “born sleeping“.

And even in that heartbreaking moment she was thinking of others having got a mutual pal to call me and delicately break the news to me ahead of time so I wasn’t blindsided by reading it online.

I’m left questioning how much heart ache can one person go through?

Kelsey and Tom, a singer with The Wanted, had dated for 13 years and she told me they were “soul mates” in every sense of the world.

To lose your husband is unimaginable but then to lose your child as well is incomprehensible.

She’s named her son Phoenix Parker-Lindsay, who died just one week before his due date.

Thankfully Kelsey has taken some time off from being online to grieve with the support of her loved ones.

And I’m relieved because there are already trolls gleefully commenting on her pain.

One has accused her of trying to “profit” from the situation – incorrectly as she has not been paid to share the news.

‘So lonely’

instagram

Kelsey with her two children, Aurelia, five, and Bodhi, four, and new boyfriend Will Lindsay[/caption]

Instagram @being_kelsey

When she announced she was expecting with Will, it seemed like she was getting the happy ending she so deserved[/caption]

Another added, “I hope she doesn’t milk it like she did [after] her husband’s death.”

In an era where we are always being told to “be kind” there is often little shown for her. Kelsey previously had to hit back at “sick” trolls who have accused her of “milking” spouse Tom’s death for money.

When she announced the news of the pregnancy alongside the well wishers there were plenty judging her for moving on too fast.

One commented: “I’m sorry but it can’t just be me who thinks Kelsey, Tom Parker’s widowed wife, is moving on way too fast.

“Tom hasn’t even been gone three years and yet she’s already got a new partner and is now pregnant? I understand we all grieve differently but this is weird to me.”

A second said: “Kelsey Parker [being] pregnant not even three years after Tom passing away makes me sick.”

Getty

Kelsey and The Wanted star Tom dated for 13 years[/caption]

YouTube

Kelsey’s baby died just one week before his due date[/caption]

A third added: “She has been in such a rush since he died to find a new partner. I’m not sure a new baby is the answer to her problems.”

Speaking exclusively to Fabulous in February, she told me: “Everything now will always be bittersweet, even happy things because I’ll wish Tom was part of it.

“It was the same when I went public with Will, I kept thinking ‘I am afraid to be happy’. But I love children and Will always wanted children. I think any child is a blessing.

“And my two kids are so thrilled they are going to have a little brother or sister.

“People online don’t think about the joy it’s brought them. And should they not get to have a sibling because their dad died?

I was so lonely and so unhappy. I feel like there are people who want me to always feel like that

Kelsey Parker

“I knew I would be judged. But people who haven’t lost their partner, I don’t know how you can pass comment on me? I have been in such a dark place from losing Tom.

“I was so lonely and so unhappy. I feel like there are people who want me to always feel like that. I feel like I do deserve to try and find a bit of happiness.”

And now yet again Kelsey will be deprived of that happiness she so desires and after so much pain she should get it.

Kelsey named her son after the phoenix bird which symbolises immortality, resurrection and life after death.

It’s an apt name as a phoenix always rises from the ashes and that’s what I am sure Kelsey will do when the time is right.

Instagram @being_kelsey

There are already trolls gleefully commenting on Kelsey’s pain[/caption]

Orlando Pirates are ringing the changes at the moment and a new striker is set to shake things up at the club!

It may not matter where you were born, but it's interesting to learn in which SA city more Springboks took their first breath than any other.

6/49 LOTTO RESULT June 24, 2025 – Here is the result of 6/49 Super Lotto draw released by Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO). 6/49 Super Lotto Winning Numbers June 24, 2025, Tuesday Jackpot Prize See UPDATED results for the following draws: LOTTO RESULT Today, Monday, June 23, 2025 (updated 9PM) EZ2 RESULT Today, Monday, June 23, 2025 ... Read more

The post 6/49 LOTTO RESULT Today, Tuesday, June 24, 2025 appeared first on PhilNews.

Eastern Cape woman sentenced to 15 years for stabbing boyfriend and distant aunt after finding them together at his home.