A competitor takes part in the Tough Mudder obstacle courses in England earlier today. Don’t worry, they all got long hot showers at the end of it (Photo: Joe Giddens/PA Wire)

HERE ARE THE things we learned, loved and shared today as we round off the day in three easy steps.

THINGS WE LEARNED

#ROADS: Two women have died and four people – two of them children – have been injured in a collision between a car and a minibus in Carlow this afternoon. The women, one believed to be in her 50s and the other in her 70s, were pronounced dead at the scene. The four other casualties are all being treated at St Luke’s Hospital in Kilkenny.

#SEAN DUNNE: One-time property developer Sean Dunne has revealed in a bankruptcy finding that he owes €718 million and has assets of €42 million. In a statement of assets and liabilities filed in the US, Dunne said he has an average monthly income of €17,000 and  monthly outgoings of around €16,600, including rent of €2,744 and €381 on recreation.

#ADRIAN DONOHOE: Gardaí investigating the murder of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe have carried out a number of searches across Louth today. At least five specialised Garda units were involved in the operation.

#BANKERS: The deputy chairman of AIB has said he does not believe the bank will pass on a mortgage interest rate cut to its customers – and said that he is not particularly comfortable with banks who don’t pass on rate cuts. Michael Somers also said that Ireland’s “heavy regulation” is to blame for some foreign banks handing back their licences to work in the IFSC.

#NATURAL WONDER OF THE WORLD: The UN has warned that Australia isn’t doing enough to protect the Great Barrier Reef and said that the natural wonder’s world heritage status could be downgraded in 2014.

#COMEDY: Comedian Billy Connolly has said he has “no regrets” after he reportedly verbally abused a photographer who was working at his performance in Killarney, causing her to leave the venue. Connolly reportedly told the in-house photographer to “get the f**k out of here”. “Do I regret it? Certainly not, I’m very proud of it,” he said.

THINGS WE LOVED

Christian pilgrims hold candles in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, believed to be the burial site of Jesus Christ, during the ceremony of the Holy Fire in Jerusalem’s Old City today (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

• The headline (“Experience: I was swallowed by a hippo”) sounds mildly hilarious but this man’s story in the Guardian today is terrifying. Paul Templer describes how he was a 27-year-old tour guide on the Zambezi river when he was attacked by a grouchy two-ton bull hippo, and only just managed to escape with his life. His graphic description of what it was like inside the hippo’s mouth is particularly memorable.
• You might remember this story from earlier this week about a punch-up between a small group of climbers and some sherpas on Mount Everest. Now one of the climbers – Italian Simone Moro – has given his first interview about what actually happened. It involves a misunderstanding, a punch-up, an ice axe, a human shield, and the word ‘motherf****r’ uttered repeatedly  in Nepalese. Expect Hollywood to be calling any moment now about the film rights.

THINGS WE SHARED

• As long as you haven’t just eaten, it’s (probably) safe to take a look at these 32 photos that will make your stomach drop. Probably.
• If you were on Facebook or Twitter at all today then you couldn’t avoid it: May 4th Star Wars jokes were everywhere. (For those who spent today and every other May 4th in a darkened room: May the 4th be with you. Geddit? Ho ho). This photo from the Surrey Police was probably our favourite photo of the day. The humour is strong with these ones.

• We’ve all thought about what would happen if you blew up the Earth in slow motion, right? Well, the Slow Mo Guys have actually done it. Bravo:

(Video: theslowmoguys/YouTube)