EVERY EVENING, TheJournal.ie brings you a round-up of the main news stories, as well as the bits and pieces you may have missed throughout the day.

• First the Queen, then the Pope… now President Barack Obama has announced his intention to visit Ireland next May. Obama will include a visit to Ireland as part of a tour that will see him visit the UK for three days before a G8 summit in Paris. His visit will come just a few weeks after the Queen’s.
• As the struggle in Bahrain continues, it appears a sectarian divide is becoming more prominent: the Sunni monarchy uses everything at its disposal to retain power – while Shias are hoping their overwhelming population advantage will bring the leadership to its knees. Six top leading opposition activists have been arrested by government forces today.
• A man has appeared in court in Belfast over a knife attack in the west of the city last Tuesday, in which four people were stabbed – including a prominent republican.
• A garda detective has said that a suspect’s confession to the murder of Limerick rugby player Shane Geoghegan had not been induced by using the mother of his child as ‘bait’. Barry Doyle, 25, has pleaded not guilty to the 2008 murder.
• Conflicting reports are coming from Libya concerning fighting between rebels and government forces. Rebels are hoping for help from the UN Security Council before Gaddafi’s tanks and troops break through the city of Ajdabiya.
• Thousands of thoroughbred horses bought at the height of the economic boom are now being slaughtered for their meat, to be sold in countries like France and Belgium, because their owners can no longer afford to care for them.
• Think you know all there is to know about Irish saints? Test your knowledge.
• We all know that St Patrick introduced Christianity to Ireland and purged our blessed land of snakes – but do you know how he did it? It’s a little known fact that our patron saint actually deployed leprechauns across the country to eat the troublesome serpents. So, on the day that’s in it, learn this and much more about our rich history* courtesy of the Rubberbandits.

* Information may or may not be entirely historically accurate

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