The industry was highly regulated and the welfare of their flocks was of great concern for the hundreds of families involved in the sector, he added.

The Kildare man pleaded guilty to criminal damage costing €2,000

A father-of-three, who received the gift of a Christmas shoebox as a child, is recreating the gesture for other children affected by poverty

Diageo, which also owns Johnnie Walker whisky and Gordon’s gin, said Guinness sales have seen ‘extraordinary’ growth in recent months.

The 36-year-old man was handed a global sentence of nine years with the final year suspended for the rape and sexual assault of his younger sister.

Analysis of Bank of Ireland customer behaviour between December 14th and 24th has shown record Christmas digital banking usage

Approximately 13,573 drivers were detected for speeding offences by An Garda Siochana and mobile speed camera vans over Christmas.

Is Nollaig na mBan celebrated in your house? Take our poll and let us know!

Should you leave them up until Nollaig na mBan?

People can check their eligibility to give blood by completing the ‘New Donor Eligibility Quiz’ on the IBTS website.

Between Friday, December 20th, to Sunday, December 29th, An Garda Síochána carried out over 2,500 checkpoints.

A quarter of Irish people have admitted to wasting a whole plateful of food, while 18 per cent waste two or more.

Take our poll and see how many people agree with you.

The ISPCC expects St Stephen's Day to be one of the busiest days of the year for Childline,

16 percent will go shopping and four percent will take a wintry dip in the sea.

Principal clinical psychologist, Dr Anne Kehoe, has advised people to make commitments to themselves over the festive period.

Is Jim Carrey's character the Grinch your favourite?

Almost 800 runners, many wearing Father Christmas and elf costumes, crossed the finish line at the landmark Belfast venue.

The chief executive of Women's Aid said Christmas can be an "incredibly challenging" time for victims of domestic abuse, as it creates a kind of "pressure cooker environment".

One in nine people say they will be spending Christmas Day alone this year.

Is turkey your favourite part?

A total of 138 prisoners have been approved for temporary release this Christmas, with the periods of release ranging from a few hours up to seven nights

Among those who braved the elements on the Christmas Eve swim in Helen’s Bay were a couple who first met at the event last year

How much do you actually know about classic Christmas songs, their creators, and their lyrics

University Hospital Limerick had the largest number of people waiting for a bed on Christmas Eve

Director of communications of the CCPC, Gráinne Griffin, said gift receipts help avoid awkwardness.

'They're generally the topics that can cause division'.

Motorists are urged to take extra care and time to complete their journey over the Christmas period.

Circle K has announced it will provide complimentary hot drinks to all emrgency service workers on December 25th and 31st

Oisin Mulligan is also calling for a compensation to reduce the cost of healthy foods which, he believes, can cost more than ultra processed goods

Several flights were redirected after a plane made a hard landing.

The Met Office has forecast a ‘grey Christmas’ with some sunny spells and ‘extremely mild’ temperatures.

The incident triggered emergency procedures at Belfast City Airport and has forced the runway to close for the rest of the day.

A mother-of-four has described how her family stayed in emergency accommodation for 11 months before moving into a house.

Iarla Ace spent 18 weeks in hospital and underwent five surgeries after being born at 25 weeks weighing just 1lb 10oz.

Do Mariah Carey, George Michael or Shane MacGowan take the crown? Or is your favourite Christmas song something niche?

The total of 630 was a reduction on detection rates during other Slow Down Day campaigns.

The latest text message scam was described by gardaí as 'very convincing'

It was recently announced that the port will remain closed until at least January 15th, 2025.

Craig Ballentine (33), from Cookstown, was arrested in the UAE in October over an online review he posted.

Inspector Fergal O’Donovan from the Cork County Roads Policing Unit has warned drink and drug drivers that they will get caught.

Anthony O’Riordan had to be stretchered from the driveway of his sister’s house in Dalkey, Co Dublin

Just 7% of people plan to spend more and go all out this festive season.