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IRISH taekwondo star Jack Woolley has said taking part in Dancing With The Stars has helped him recover from a violent attack.

The brave athlete, who competed at the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020, hit the headlines in August 2021 when he was assaulted in Dublin city centre.

Kyran OBrien

Olympic Taekwondo Star Jack Woolley said taking part in DWTS has helped him recover from a violent attack[/caption]

AFP

Ireland’s Jack Woolley competed at the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020[/caption]

Shutterstock

He underwent plastic surgery on his upper lip in St James’s Hospital after the attack[/caption]

Now the 26-year-old has ­spoken for the first time about how the attack had left him unable to smile properly.

Jack told The Irish Sun: “The first few weeks (doing DWTS) I found weird, because I can’t stand smiling, just because my lip is off.

“And I have always been worried in my head about it. My mother was really upset for me. It wasn’t until week three — we did a really good jive that had me smiling — and my mother said, ‘It’s about time’.”

The Olympian, who underwent plastic surgery on his upper lip in St James’s Hospital after the attack, said he considered getting more surgery to restore his face.

Jack said: “I always wanted to get some filler on the right hand side of my face to even out my lip so I don’t look crazy.”

Breaking down in tears after Sunday’s show, Jack wept as he said: “This experience has been life-changing because I am so body conscious with this sport (taekwondo) because I feel so scrawny. DWTS has made me so happy with how it’s going.

“It has been so rewarding. The last few weeks doing DWTS has made me wonder why was I unhappy. I’m finally happy now.”

Jack said everything changed on February 2 when he performed an American Smooth on DWTS, dedicated to Olympic boxer Kellie Harrington who had supported him after his attack.

Speaking on the show, Jack said: “She (Kellie) was the first person that turned up at my house after the attack to make sure I was feeling good and just to make sure I was OK.

“It meant a lot to me because I got to see that caring, loving side of Kellie that not many people get to see in the sporting world.”

Jack said he never looked back after that American Smooth.

He said: “There was a huge shift and that’s when I decided I am here to enjoy this. I realise I dance better when I enjoy it.”

• DANCING With the Stars ­continues next Sunday at 6.30pm on RTE One. 

Social Media - Refer to Source

Kellie Harrington had supported him after his attack[/caption]

IRELAND is set to buy 100 large-scale power generators in a bid to avoid a repeat of the mass water outages suffered in the wake of Storm Eowyn.

Thousands of people were left without access to water across the country in the aftermath of the record breaking wind storm last month.

AFP - Getty

Uisce Eireann was forced to borrow generators from countries across Europe in order to get power back to treatment facilities and restore water supplies.

The Defence Forces were tasked with transporting these massive power generators around the country as State bodies worked together to restore the damage caused by the storm.

Uisce Eireann relied on 300 generators to temporarily power treatment facilities and pumps across the country after the storm.

Housing Minister James Browne will today bring forward a proposal to Cabinet to order Uisce Eireann to purchase 100 generators to have on hand in case another storm takes out power at treatment facilities.

If the Cabinet agrees to the proposal, Uisce Eireann will lead on the procurement of these generators which is expected to cost several million.

The new Housing Minister is keen to avoid a repeat of the chaos caused by Storm Eowyn and has been working with other Ministers on contingency plans to prepare for future storms.

Tens of thousands of people were left without electricity for nearly two weeks following Storm Eowyn which brought record breaking winds to the country.

Storm Eowyn was the most violent weather event to hit Ireland in decades.

Winds maxed out at a record-breaking 184kph in Co Galway when the storm hit on January 24 – smashing the previous 182kph record from Limerick in 1945.

The terrifying weather closed workplaces, events, shops and schools, and also left thousands without water.

Thousands of ESB crews teamed up with counterparts in Austria, Finland, UK, Germany and Norway across the ground in Galway, Mayo, Clare, Cavan, Monaghan, Westmeath, Donegal and Longford – which were the worst affected areas.

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STATS out last week showed that four out five children aged between eight and 12 are allowed to use phones and other smart devices unsupervised in their bedrooms.

The findings by CyberSafeKids highlight a significant lack of parental engagement in monitoring online activities and a troubling lack of awareness of digital safety risks.

GettyImages

The group has now launched its fourth Same Rules Apply awareness campaign in order to empower parents with essential knowledge for safeguarding their children online.

Writing in The Irish Sun today, Alex Cooney CEO of CyberSafeKids, says that while we wait for laws to make Big Tech truly accountable, parents will need to step up to the plate on digital parenting...

WHEN was the last time you asked your child, What are you doing online? What are you watching or playing, or who are you talking with?

This interest is key to helping us as parents become more involved in our children’s online lives.

Over the past year, the focus on online safety for children has intensified with discussions around their protection in the digital landscape gaining momentum globally, particularly following significant legislative actions in countries such as Australia, which has introduced legislation to ban social media access for children under 16.

Although Australia has shown itself to be a world leader on e-safety, having appointed an eSafety Commissioner long before we did, I’m not convinced this new law is going to solve the problem that it sets out to address.

Any new legislation needs to focus on addressing harmful features across any and all platforms in which children gather—ensuring safety by design and by default.

The reality is that these spaces were not designed for children and with children in mind and, as a consequence, present risks to children – particularly in relation to inappropriate content and harmful contact.

From a parent’s perspective, we’re really up against it in trying to keep our kids safe online, and for sure, it can feel like a losing battle when, no matter what we do to try and safeguard them, porn or extreme violence are just a click away.

HOW TO KEEP CHILDREN SAFER ONLINE?

So what can we do to keep children safer online? Does this responsibility lie with parents, schools, government, or tech companies?

As Ireland’s online safety charity, we believe that all these stakeholders share the responsibility, and a collaborative approach is essential for the best interests of our children.

While it’s encouraging to see parents come together to hold off on giving smart devices and online access to their children before they are developmentally ready, our latest survey of over 2,000 primary school children reveals a concerning lack of parental engagement in monitoring online activities and awareness of digital safety risks.

Only 35 per cent of children reported that their parents or caregivers can see what they do online, and a staggering 82 per cent of 8-12 year-olds have unsupervised access to smart devices in their bedrooms, increasing their risk of exposure to inappropriate sexual or violent content or contact from strangers.

These findings highlight that many children are left with an unsupervised and unfettered access to the internet, and that makes them vulnerable.

We need to be involved and engaged in their online lives to the same extent as their offline lives.

Until tech companies are truly held accountable, parents must take the lead in ensuring a safer online environment for their children.

We need to educate and talk to children about inappropriate content they may encounter online, help them recognise harmful situations, and establish rules for their online activities.

We also need to keep an eye on what they’re seeing and doing online.

Our Same Rules Apply campaign seeks to support parents in approaching children’s online lives with the same care and supervision that we apply to their offline lives.

ONLINE SAFETY

However, it’s not solely the parents’ responsibility; Big Tech must also be compelled to create safer online spaces for children.

The introduction of a mandatory online safety and media literacy programme in schools is also essential for keeping children safer online.

This would ensure that discussions about online risks and opportunities continue both at home and in the classroom.

With Meta’s recent rollback of safety measures like content moderation and fact-checking, the need for such education is more critical than ever, especially as many users, including children, consume so much of their news from these platforms.

New regulations in 2025 will require tech companies, Internet Service Providers (ISPs), social media platforms, and gaming companies to implement robust age verification, filter harmful content such as pornography and self-harm, enhance accountability and transparency, and take greater responsibility for safeguarding the children using their services.

We urgently need to create a digital landscape in which children’s safety is the top priority.

• More about the Same Rules Apply campaign can be found at cybersafekids.ie/samerulesapply

Getty

The introduction of a mandatory online safety and media literacy programme in schools is also essential for keeping children safer online[/caption]

FIVE characters are definitely going to survive the forthcoming blaze on EastEnders.

The BBC is set to air hugely dramatic episodes of the long-running serial drama to celebrate the 40th anniversary.

BBC

Denise and Chelsea Fox are set to survive the blaze[/caption]

BBC

Nigel and Grant will struggle to keep their friendship going[/caption]

BBC

Yolande will encourage Nigel to open up to Grant[/caption]

EastEnders fans are worried that one or more characters might get killed off in the forthcoming blaze in The Queen Vic.

As part of the celebrations, bosses are airing a special live episode on Thursday, February 20.

Natalie Cassidy, 41, has sensationally quit the soap after 32 years on Albert Square.

She also claimed it was not her choice how the long-running character exits EastEnders in the coming weeks.

Martin Fowler actor James Bye also removed mention of the show from his Instagram profile.

Now the soap has revealed that five characters; Grant, Nigel, Yolande, Denise and Chelsea will definitely live to see more action.

After the events of the live episode, a new dawn will break for the residents of Albert Square.

Those in Walford will try to process the events of the day before as they struggle with the aftermath of what happened.

Back at number 55, the tension between Grant (Ross Kemp) and Nigel (Paul Bradley) will continue to mount.

Later in the café, Nigel and Grant will have breakfast with some of the family.

However, it’s not long before tensions will rise again between Grant and the rest of the Mitchells.

Meanwhile, Yolande (Angela Wynter) comforts a reeling Nigel as she will encourage him to open up.

She will tell him to inform Grant about his dementia diagnosis, but Nigel will remain stubborn.

He is adamant that he does not want to tell his former best friend about his condition.

However, Grant will overhear their conversation and he demands answers from Nigel.

Additionally, either Jack (Scott Maslen) or Ravi (Aaron Thiara) will also survive.

Denise (Diane Parish) and whoever the audience chooses as her new partner will agree to tell their families about their relationship the next day.

BBC

Tensions are set to reach a fever pitch at number 55 Albert Square[/caption]

BBC

Nigel is adament that he wants to keep his dementia a secret[/caption]

BBC

Grant will overhear a conversation between Nigel and Yolande and will demand answers[/caption]

BBC

Denise will tell her family about her relationship with her chosen partner[/caption]

EastEnders continues on BBC One and episodes are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

A DEFIANT pub is fighting back against price hikes by vowing to sell pints of Guinness for just €5.

But the proprietor admits business is just about “keeping the doors open” for punters.

Paul Mealey

Collect

Mayo-based publican Conor O’Keeffe has warned that the relentless costs challenge is going to put many boozers out of business before the Government act.

Conor, who runs The Ranch in Claremorris, said pubs and restaurants are closing “by the dozens every week” all over the country.

He told The Irish Sun: “Two weeks ago, I got four separate letters informing me of price increases. Diageo, Heineken, Sky, Richmond Marketing (seller and supplier of spirits).

“But we love our customers and have decided to go against the grain and drop the price of a pint of Guinness to €5.”

A pint of the black stuff can now cost punters over €6, and more than €7 in the capital.

Asked about his bargain offering, he added: “I’m not going to say we are the cheapest pint.

“There’s different pubs down in say Kerry, Dingle, north Mayo, whatever, that may actually sell it cheaper, but in a bigger town we probably would be one of the cheaper pints in the countryside.”

Diageo told publicans in January that the price of multiple drinks that they own will see a six per cent increase before VAT.

The list includes Guinness, Harp, Smithwicks, and Hophouse 13.

Conor said: “There’s hardly any margin on pints, as it is.

“I’m not putting on a poor man’s. Everyone has to deal with the cost of living. There’s no issue there.

“The problem is, the multi-nationals are better able to cope with increases than the smaller businesses are.

“We just can’t. I don’t want to put prices up.”

‘SERVING THE PUBLIC’

He added: “I’m not making a fortune, we’re not making money. We’re getting by, we’re staying open, and we’re serving the public.

“Look, if we were in it for the money, obviously we’d want to make a few pounds, but it’s just not there. It’s not there anymore, and it’s just a case of keeping the doors open.”

Conor called on the Government to take urgent action before it was too late for business – but he was not optimistic.

He said: “It’s just not happening. It’s like anything in this country, it takes too long.

“Maybe they will bring something in to help small businesses, who knows – but in that time, I can guarantee you, there’ll be another 10 per cent of businesses closed. It’s just too late for a lot of them.”

The Wicklow native said the impact of pub and restaurant closures can be seen in every county – with places shutting up shop making the headlines daily.

BUSINESSES GOING UNDER

He said: “There used to be 28 pubs in Claremorris. There’s seven now.

“And that is the same picture countrywide from town to town.

“It’s not sustainable – the price increases, the cost of living, they’re just not helping. They’re not reading the room. They don’t care. It’s as simple as that.

“The only people they probably do care about would be the larger pubs.

“But even now I’m seeing it myself in Galway city, pubs are closing. Three or four have closed in the last few months.

“So, pubs are starting to close in major cities that have a major population. They have tourists, they have the college population.”

‘ZERO RELIEF’

Conor warned there’s “zero relief” for small pubs and businesses in Ireland with price hikes, energy bills and the minimum wage increase.

He said: “They’re talking about reducing the VAT rate for pubs that serve food, so that’ll have no effect for us.

“It’d be great for the other pubs and restaurants 100 per cent. I’d be fully behind that.

“They need to drop it, they’re talking about dropping it, it hasn’t been done, and now they’re talking about doing it next year. So there’s another year gone.”

‘SLOWLY DYING’

He added: “It’s our culture. Irish people and around the world, we’re known for our culture, our social habits, going to the pub, having a pint, having a bit of crack.

“That is slowly dying. It’s slowly dying because it’s not sustainable.”

“We just can’t. I don’t want to put prices up.”

Conor O’Keeffe

Although the boozer is a “quiet pub”, punters were delighted to see the fiver pints.

Conor said: “We’re lucky, we’re heavily involved in the community.
“We’ve got great GAA clubs, soccer clubs. We’ve got these clubs and they would be our customers.

“We look after them, we’re heavily involved in sponsorship. We look after [everyone].

“If anyone comes to me, we’re always open – even though we’re stuck to the pin of our collar, it’s just a little bit of giving back.

“That’s all it is, it’s not going to cost me to drop the price of a pint of Guinness.

“And as I say, it goes against the grain of all these price increases. I think people need a bit of good news at the moment.”

Paul Mealey

COLLECT

Paul Mealey

MEGHAN Markle has announced she’s changing the name of her lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard.

In a new video, shared on her Instagram account today, the Duchess of Sussex told followers she was “thrilled” to introduce them to As Ever.

The Mega Agency

Meghan and Prince Harry during Invictus Games in Vancouver last week[/caption]

The selfie clip – shot in what appears to be her and Prince Harry’s garden at their mansion in Montecito – begins with the duke playfully saying: “It’s recording.”

Meghan – wearing a loose fitting white shirt and jeans – giggles before adding: “Cat’s out of the bag. I’m shocked we’ve kept this secret for so long.”

She said American Riviera Orchard is a nickname for where she grew up in Santa Barbara – which as previously reported, has caused her trademark issues.

Meghan did not mention such matters in her video, however, and instead said the name “limited” her to selling items manufactured only from the area.

As Ever, the duchess explained, was secured in 2022.

She promised fans she will still be selling jams, saying “my jam is my jam”, but As Ever opens up more opportunities and is tied to her upcoming Netflix show With Love, Meghan.

TRADEMARK BLOW

The name change comes after the duchess suffered a blow in a bid to secure a trademark for her new homewares empire.

She has been told by officials she can’t have exclusive rights to ‘American Riviera’ because it is a commonly used place name to describe the California coast.

Further hitches included Meghan and her team filling in the official forms incorrectly, and failing to send enough cash.

And their application wasn’t even signed.

Her team, led by top US attorney Marjorie Witter Norman under Meghan’s fledgling Mama Knows Best LLC firm, applied to the Patent and Trademark Office in the States for legal protection to exclusively trade using the name ‘American Riviera Orchard’.

But the application, filed in March, was rejected leaving her with just three months to amend the request – or it will be removed from the register.

In her new Instagram post, she went on to say: “Some of you may have heard whispers about what I’ve been creating. In two weeks, my series on @netflix launches — but there’s something else I’ve been working on.

“I’m thrilled to introduce you to As Ever — a brand that I created and have poured my heart into.

“‘As ever’ means ‘as it’s always been’ or some even say ‘in the same way as always’.

“If you’ve followed along since my days of creating The Tig, you’ll know this couldn’t be truer for me.

“This new chapter is an extension of what has always been my love language, beautifully weaving together everything I cherish — food, gardening, entertaining, thoughtful living, and finding joy in the everyday.

“I will keep sharing behind the scenes tidbits with you here as we ramp up to launch, and I can’t wait for you to get your hands on everything we’ve been creating. Sending lots of love…“

Earlier this month, royal expert Tom Quinn told The Sun, Meghan was left “upset” after some people criticised the “gimmicky” rumoured products her yet un-launched new brand will sell.

The author of revelatory new book Yes Ma’Am, The Secret Life of Royal Servants said her concerns had had a negative impact on her relationship with Harry.

The lifestyle brand has faced a number of hurdles, with its Instagram and website quietly going live in March last year.

Meghan is reportedly planning to launch a bottle of rosé and it’ll be one of the first items available for the public to buy.

However, some have hailed wine as being a “gimmicky and uninteresting” and even dubbed it as “Lady Petrol.”

THE MEGHAN SHOW

It comes after the Sussexes’ appeared at the Invictus Games together last week.

The pair made numerous appearances at the games – held in Vancouver and Whistler from February 8 – 16 – but some accused Meghan of show-stealing antics.

Prince Harry, 40, and Meghan cosied up to one another showing PDA at the opening ceremony.

Meghan also squealed with fear as she tried tubing down a slope. 

Royal author Norman claimed on The Sun’s Royal Exclusive show: “It looked kind of like the Meghan show. 

“Looks like she was trying to muscle in and make us or a PR event for herself rather than about the athletes. 

“She was there making sure she was set to stage more than Harry was, as a matter of fact.”

During the opening ceremony, Meghan also took part in an “impromptu” introduction for Harry – in which she gushed over the Prince‘s parenting skills.

Royal reporter Bronte Coy added: “She’s coming across now as a Hollywood influencer, and that seems to be the image she’s wanting to present.”

Despite jetting home to the couple’s Montecito mansion to look after Archie, five, and Lilibet, three, Meghan posted a Valentine’s day kissing shot on her Instagram page to pay tribute to Prince Harry.

The pair spent Valentine’s Day apart, with Harry remaining at the Invictus Games.

The event, established by ex-soldier Harry in 2014, involves a line-up of sporting events for injured military servicemen and women.

After Meghan caught her private jet back home, Harry relaxed over a beer with former New Zealand captain Richie McCaw, 44.

They were spotted in the stands at the wheelchair rugby – as the USA and Australia battled it out for the bronze medal.

In snaps from the game, the solo prince can be seen smiling, chatting and cheers-ing with the retired rugby star – who was twice part of the World Cup winning side for the All Blacks.

Getty

Some people have accused the mum-of-two for making it the ‘Meghan show’[/caption]

instagram/@meghan

Meghan posted this kissing photo saying she was ‘missing my Valentine’ after flying home early from the games[/caption]

COURTESY OF NETFLIX

The trailer for With Love, Meghan has been released, with the show launching next month[/caption]

MEGHAN Markle has announced she’s changing the name of her lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard.

In a new video, shared on her Instagram account today, the Duchess of Sussex told followers she was “thrilled” to introduce them to As Ever.

The Mega Agency

Meghan and Prince Harry during Invictus Games in Vancouver last week[/caption]

The selfie clip – shot in what appears to be her and Prince Harry’s garden at their mansion in Montecito – begins with the duke playfully saying: “It’s recording.”

Meghan – wearing a loose fitting white shirt and jeans – giggles before adding: “Cat’s out of the bag. I’m shocked we’ve kept this secret for so long.”

She said American Riviera Orchard is a nickname for where she grew up in Santa Barbara but “limited” her to selling items manufactured there.

The new name, the duchess explained, was secured in 2022.

She promised fans she will still be selling jams, saying “my jam is my jam”, but As Ever opens up more opportunities and is tied to her upcoming Netflix show With Love, Meghan.

In her post, she went on to say: “Some of you may have heard whispers about what I’ve been creating. In two weeks, my series on @netflix launches — but there’s something else I’ve been working on.

“I’m thrilled to introduce you to As Ever — a brand that I created and have poured my heart into.

“‘As ever’ means ‘as it’s always been’ or some even say ‘in the same way as always’.

“If you’ve followed along since my days of creating The Tig, you’ll know this couldn’t be truer for me.

“This new chapter is an extension of what has always been my love language, beautifully weaving together everything I cherish — food, gardening, entertaining, thoughtful living, and finding joy in the everyday.

“I will keep sharing behind the scenes tidbits with you here as we ramp up to launch, and I can’t wait for you to get your hands on everything we’ve been creating. Sending lots of love…“

It comes after the Sussexes’ appeared at the Invictus Games together last week.

The pair made numerous appearances at the games – held in Vancouver and Whistler from February 8 – 16 – but some accused Meghan of show-stealing antics.

Prince Harry, 40, and Meghan cosied up to one another showing PDA at the opening ceremony.

Meghan also squealed with fear as she tried tubing down a slope. 

Royal author Norman claimed on The Sun’s Royal Exclusive show: “It looked kind of like the Meghan show. 

“Looks like she was trying to muscle in and make us or a PR event for herself rather than about the athletes. 

“She was there making sure she was set to stage more than Harry was, as a matter of fact.”

During the opening ceremony, Meghan also took part in an “impromptu” introduction for Harry – in which she gushed over the Prince‘s parenting skills.

Royal reporter Bronte Coy added: “She’s coming across now as a Hollywood influencer, and that seems to be the image she’s wanting to present.”

Despite jetting home to the couple’s Montecito mansion to look after Archie, five, and Lilibet, three, Meghan posted a Valentine’s day kissing shot on her Instagram page to pay tribute to Prince Harry.

The pair spent Valentine’s Day apart, with Harry remaining at the Invictus Games.

The event, established by ex-soldier Harry in 2014, involves a line-up of sporting events for injured military servicemen and women.

After Meghan caught her private jet back home, Harry relaxed over a beer with former New Zealand captain Richie McCaw, 44.

They were spotted in the stands at the wheelchair rugby – as the USA and Australia battled it out for the bronze medal.

In snaps from the game, the solo prince can be seen smiling, chatting and cheers-ing with the retired rugby star – who was twice part of the World Cup winning side for the All Blacks.

Getty

Some people have accused the mum-of-two for making it the ‘Meghan show’[/caption]

instagram/@meghan

Meghan posted this kissing photo saying she was ‘missing my Valentine’ after flying home early from the games[/caption]

COURTESY OF NETFLIX

The trailer for With Love, Meghan has been released, with the show launching next month[/caption]

The NFL offseason is in full swing as every team focuses on improving their roster ahead of next season. One big domino that could be traded this offseason is Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf. Metcalf is a very physical receiver, and many teams should be interested in acquiring him. The 27-year-old is in the […]

The post Ranking 4 best DK Metcalf trade destinations in 2025 NFL offseason appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The Colorado Avalanche have reportedly considered a Casey Mittelstadt trade this season. Mittelstadt initially joined the Avalanche through trade at last year’s NHL trade deadline. The hope was that he could become the team’s second-line center for years to come. To this point, things haven’t exactly worked out like that. Mittelstadt has played well enough. […]

The post Why Avalanche must keep Casey Mittelstadt at 2025 NHL trade deadline appeared first on ClutchPoints.

It’s time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Seton Hall-Marquette prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Seton Hall-Marquette. The Seton Hall Pirates authored one of the most shocking upsets of the college basketball season on Saturday. They beat the two-time defending national champion UConn Huskies in overtime. The fact that […]

The post Seton Hall vs Marquette prediction, pick, college basketball odds appeared first on ClutchPoints.