And what about the world’s biggest mohawk, tallest dog and person with the most Hello Kitty memorabilia? They’re all in this year’s book of Guinness World Records.
Organisers plan to beat the existing Russian record for the largest bowl of porridge by stretching a massive bowl down Waterford’s quayside during the food festival.
A new study conducted by Dutch mathematicians determined Bolt can not only run 100 metres in 9.4 seconds but he can also set the record as low as 9.36 seconds. Really?
Spot any leprechauns on Patrick’s Day? How about 1,263 of them? The people of Bandon in Cork have smashed the world record for the number of leprechauns in one place.
Nine things to know this morning, including: Mixed messages on burning the bondholders, Ericsson creates 100 new jobs in Athlone, and is today really the ‘happiest’ day of 2011?
Nine things you really need to know this morning: The number of farm deaths doubled last year; Pakistan on high alert; 2010 a bumper year for Irish exports; and a new chilling world record set in China.
A GALWAY MAN was one of a crew of four that has destroyed a longstanding speed record for rowing across the Atlantic ocean,
Ray Carroll (33) was on the crew that smashed the 114-year-old record, arriving at Scilly, off the coast of Cornwall, yesterday afternoon.
The four left New York 43 days and 21 hours before their arrival – making bits of the previous record, of 55 days and 13 hours.
Carroll was joined by Leven Brown from Edinburgh, Don Lennox from Glasgow and Livar Nysted from the Faroe Islands, between Scotland and Iceland.
The previous record was set by two Norwegian fishermen in 1896.
The four-man crew aboard the ‘Artemis Investments’ craft fought food poisoning as well as 10-metre waves during their effort.
Carroll has rowed since the age of 11 and had previously broken the world record for crossing the Mid Atlantic in 33 days, along with Brown and Lennox.
Carroll told RTÉ the conditions were “testing” and that he was looking forward to relaxing after his marathon task.
14-YEAR-OLD LAURA Dekker has succeeded in her legal bid to attempt a world  sailing record. She had been barred from attempted the round-world journey by Dutch authorities last year, and placed under child protection services.
In October she was placed in state care, but ran away two months later and was discovered in the Dutch Antilles.
A Dutch court ruled in December that she could remain with her father under state supervision, despite his support for her trip. Her mother had expressed her concerns about the attempt, but has since withdrawn her objections.
Dekker’s lawyers said she had met all of the criteria laid down in court in order to be allowed undertake the voyage. This included obtaining a first aid cert and learning sleep management techniques.
She will have to complete the two-year trip before her 17th birthday in September 2012 to break the record. The current record was set in May by Jessica Watson, a 16-year-old from Australia.
In June, 16-year-old Abby Sunderland from the US was rescued during her record attempt after her boat was seriously damaged by a storm.
AT A HIGH-profile US Senate meeting, technology giant Apple was accused of using Ireland as a ‘tax haven’.
The multinational firm, which employs 4,000 people in Ireland, reportedly avoided paying €34 billion in US taxes by negotiating a tax rate of less than 2 per cent with the Irish government – significantly lower than that nation’s 12.5 per cent statutory rate.
The Senate heard that American children are losing out on education because Apple is transferring profits to Irish subsidiaries.
However, the Taoiseach Enda Kenny has denied that Ireland is a tax haven and rejected claims that authorities had negotiated deals with multi-national companies.
So, today we want to know, what do you think? Should Ireland be tougher on multi-national companies when it comes to tax?
A couple of morning showers
Max: 11 °C
Min: 4 °C
Partly sunny and warmer
Max: 13 °C
Min: 3 °C
Times of clouds and sun
Max: 16 °C
Min: 8 °C
