EVERY WEEKDAY EVENING, TheJournal.ie brings you the five biggest stories of the day.

1. #NO THANKS: Controversy has surrounded Michael D Higgins’ decision to decline an invitation to celebrate 100 years since the founding of Northern Ireland.

2. #CHARGED: Two men have appeared in court charged with the murder of journalist Lyra McKee.

3. #M SWIFTY: A phased introduction of different speed limits on the M50 will begin to take effect over the next few weeks, the Transport Minister has announced.

4. #POUND: A manager has become the sixth person charged with animal cruelty offences following an investigation into the treatment and deaths of dogs at the Ashton pound in Dublin.

5. #MISINFORMATION: The HSE has reported more than 1,000 posts on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for misinformation about the Covid-19 pandemic and the vaccination programme.

Making a difference

A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

For the price of one cup of coffee each week you can make sure we can keep reliable, meaningful news open to everyone regardless of their ability to pay.

Support us Learn More

The 5 at 5 Five minutes, five stories, five o’clock…

Making a difference

A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.