An Indian sand artist applies the finishing touches to a sand sculpture of the new pope at the Golden Sea beach on the Bay of Bengal coast in Puri, Orissa state, India. (AP Photo/Biswaranjan Rout)

HERE ARE ALL the things we learned, loved and shared today.

THINGS WE LEARNED

#HORSEMEAT More news on the horsemeat front today: QK Meats products tested positive for horse DNA in June 2012. Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney said that certain practices by Silvercrest and QK Cold Stores were “totally unacceptable”. Meanwhile, the Department has suspended all operations at Ossory Meats horse abattoir, after an inspection uncovered 25 irregularities with horse passports and microchips.

#POPE Us Irish always have to get in there somewhere – and now we have a claim to the new pope. Pope Frances is technically the Bishop of Kilfenora, Co Clare. Here’s why. And here are photos of the crowd as the Vatican revealed the new pontiff.

#PENALTY POINTS Minister for State Jan O’Sullivan has told TheJournal.ie that Deputy Luke Ming Flanagan’s behaviour over his penalty points controversy has been “despicable and hypocritical”, and that she herself had received penalty points in the past.

#SINKHOLE A sinkhole opened up in a Carrigaline housing estate in Cork earlier this week. The one-foot-deep and one-foot-wide hole was filled within a day by the local council – but not before photos were taken of it.

#RECEIVER A receiver has been appointed to Muckross Park Hotel, which is owned by Bill Cullen and partner Jackie Lavin. The receiver and management said that all jobs are to be saved and business will resume as normal.

An activist dressed as orangutan takes part in a protest demanding that Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to take immediate action to save orangutan outside the presidential palace in Jakarta, Indonesia. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

THINGS WE LOVED

• These photos of children around the world with their favourite possessions are wonderful.
• Were you waiting for the latest update on the house phone that was posted to Australia? Well here it is (and it contains a photo of the dog Figerty, who was initially blamed for the phone's disappearance).
• Remember the TV show Veronica Mars? Well it's going to be turned into a movie - and all thanks to an incredibly successful Kickstarter campaign. Guess how much it raised?  And how about 10 other cult movie projects that should get crowd-funded.

Michael Doherty, a past pupil holding his 1950s confirmation photograph on the site of his old school at Mater Dei Primary School on Basin Lane, Dublin at the launch of the 'Gathering' event. Pic: Julien Behal/PA Wire

THINGS WE SHARED

• A guide for victims of road traffic collisions has been released by the PARC Road Safety Group. Click here to be brought to the PDF, which contains information on garda investigation, inquest, criminal prosecution, and more.
• Who does Pope Francis look like? Jim Bowen from Bullseye, George Bluth Sr from Arrested Development, or Rudy Giuliani?
• Our own Bono held a TED talk - and he says there's good news on poverty. Here he is explaining more.

(TEDTalksDirector/YouTube)

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