Fundraisers Carl Shabaan, Anna McNally, Chelsea O’Connor and Niaobh Levestam launch the Irish Cancer Society’s corporate fundraising campaign for 2013. More details at www.cancer.ie/employee. Picture: Andres Poveda.

HERE ARE THE things we learned, loved and shared today.

THINGS WE LEARNED:

#GARDA STATIONS: 95 Garda stations are closing their doors for the final time today. Alan Shatter has defended the closures, arguing that the presence of local Garda stations does not deter crime – and closing the stations, many of which were only open on a limited-hours basis, will free up Gardaí for more frontline jobs.

#COURTS: The High Court has dismissed a challenge against the legality of the IBRC promissory notes, finding that businessman David Hall did not have legal standing to take the case as he was not a member of the Oireachtas. Hall has already said he will appeal the case to the Supreme Court.

#DIY: An interim examiner has been appointed to the Irish arm of the DIY and homewares chain B&Q. The chain owns nine stores, and hopes to keep the stores open during the process. The British parent chain is unaffected by the move.

#AIR TRAVEL: Ryanair says air fares may have to go up after the European Court of Justice said airlines had to pay compensation to passengers when their flights were cancelled, even when this was as a result of an ‘act of God’ or by Government order.The test case was taken by a Dublin woman who was stranded in Portugal during the 2010 ash cloud disruption.

#MENTAL HEALTH: The government has published new national guidelines on promoting positive mental health in secondary schools – on the same day that primary school principals reported a rise in the number of children with mental health complaints. One in five principals said incidence of depression among primary school pupils was on the rise.

#LAUNDRIES: The interdepartmental report into the State’s involvement in abuse at the Magdalene Laundries will finally be published next week. The report, compiled by a committee led by independent Senator Martin McAleese, has been delayed three times previously.

THINGS WE LOVED:

• This pretty witty collection of posters from Irish designer Mark Shanley, using quotes they’ve gotten as feedback from their clients who have trouble with their work.
• This fantastic 360° photo taken inside the flight deck of the Space Shuttle Discovery during its decommissioning. There are a LOT of buttons.
• The note that this cheeky child brought home to their parents after school today. (Cheers, Reddit.)

Men of the Juna Akhara sect of Hinduism participate in rituals at ‘Sangam’, the point where the Ganges and Yamuna rivers meet in India. The men bathe to dedicate themselves to serving God as a ‘Naga’, or naked holy man. The significance of nakedness is that they will not have any worldly ties to material belongings, even something as simple as clothes. This ritual that transforms selected holy men to Naga can only be done at the Kumbh festival, taking place in India at the moment. (AP Photo/ Rajesh Kumar Singh)

THINGS WE SHARED:

• One of the world’s most unusually popular economic indicators, the Economist’s Big Mac Index, is out today. The index tries to measure which currencies are worth too much, or too little, by comparing the asking prices for a Big Mac across the world. As a result, however, the entire Eurozone has been rolled into a single area – so no individual score for Ireland.
• Yesterday TheScore.ie posted the happenings in an Irish pub as wrestling fans watched the championship match at last Sunday’s Royal Rumble. This man didn’t take it quite so well.
• Finally tonight, this nicely serene video filmed in Merlin Woods in Galway earlier this month. This red squirrel has found a nut and goes about burying it… and only just gets away in time when a visitor comes calling.

(YouTube: colin stanley)

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