Yep: cows, racing. This is ‘Pacu Jawi’ (or ‘mud cow’) racing in Padang Pajang, West Sumatra, Indonesia. The race is held at the end of each rice harvesting season and sees farmers cling onto crude wooden frames attached to two cows, which they then encourage to race through a muddy paddy field. With their hands busy holding on tight, jockeys encourage their steeds to go faster by biting their tails. Hey, if it’s what you’re into… (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

HERE ARE THE things you need to know as we round off the day in three easy steps.

THINGS WE LEARNED

#PRIORY HALL: The residents of the Priory Hall apartment complex in Donaghmede have held a march in Dublin to mark one year since they were forcibly evicted from their homes amid fire concerns. The residents remain housed in temporary accommodation while paying mortgages on apartments they can no longer live in.

#UNITED IRELAND?: Enda Kenny has told an audience in the United States that he believes the Republic and the North will eventually form a United Ireland – but not any time soon. Speaking at an investment event in Cleveland, the Taoiseach said he the current focus was on preserving peace in the North.

#TROIKA: The IMF’s resident representative in Ireland has said the growth prospects for the eurozone are deteriorating – a move which could spell trouble for Ireland’s exports. RTÉ says Peter Breuer advocated a banking and fiscal union – which would mean more control over individual countries’ budgets, but also share the cost of bailing out individual banks.

#ROADS: A man in his 40s has died after his motorcycle collided with a car outside Cork city this afternoon.

#PUPPIES: Some of the puppies seized at Dublin Port on Thursday evening were as young as six weeks old, the DSPCA has said. The association says the two seizures of puppies this week – which saw 92 dogs taken into its care – underline the need for stronger legislation against careless breeding of household pets.

#RUGBY: A great day for Connacht, a so-so day for Leinster, and a day to forget for Munster in the Heineken Cup today. Connacht ran out 19-10 winners away to Zebre, but Leinster only just squeezed past tournament newcomers Exeter Chiefs, and Munster slid to an opening day defeat in Paris at the hands of Racing Metro 92.

THINGS WE LOVED

• The bafflingly brilliant words of Chris de Burgh in an interview with the Independent today. Our favourite: “It’s like a Cineplex going on in here.”
• Conan O’Brien’s acceptance speech as he received an honorary patronage of Trinity’s Philosophical Society last night. “After a lifetime debasing myself in the low comedic arts, your stunning invitation is an instant validation. I have finally made it. … That wasn’t supposed to be funny.”
• The weather’s been a bit miserable here in Dublin this evening, but at least we had this marvellous beginning to the day. Here’s the promenade in Bray this morning, courtesy of an anonymous user:

THINGS WE SHARED

• Some days you’re just happy that the world is the way it is. Night is night, day is day, cats meow and dogs bark. Eh… about that last bit…
• Reddit finds all the best toilets.
• You know that whole ‘Ah, leave it out’ meme? Someone’s decided to make the highlights (!) of last night’s Ireland-Germany game a bit more bearable. The language is a bit rough, but the laughs are good:

(Video: Niall Masterson/YouTube)