NEED TO CATCH up? TheJournal.ie brings you a round up of today’s news.

IRELAND

Holly Wilson, whose grandmother passed away during the pandemic, stands in Belfast Cathedral PA PA

• Health officials confirmed 18 more deaths and 683 new cases of Covid-19 in Ireland.
• Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said he does not believe charges will be brought against him over the GP contract leak controversy.
• It emerged that there were further delays into the holding of new inquests into the 1981 Stardust tragedy.
• Green Party senators tabled an internal motion of no confidence in Hazel Chu’s chairing of the party following her nomination to stand in the Seanad by-election.
• A teenage boy admitted to murdering a Romanian national in the Kilmainham area of Dublin last year.
• Education Minister Norma Foley confirmed that Leaving Cert students will have to wear face coverings while taking their oral examinations.
• Lidl told the High Court that allegations by the Irish Farmers’ Association about the company’s own-brand milk are untrue and defamatory.
• Plans to build a new 34-storey hotel tower that would become Ireland’s tallest building were given the green light.
• The government announced that four walk-in testing centres for Covid-19 will open in Dublin tomorrow, as well as a fifth centre in Tullamore, Co Offaly.

INTERNATIONAL

The London Eye in London is illuminated yellow during the National Day of Reflection PA PA

#EX-SUEZ ME: Unsuccessful attempts were made to free a giant container ship that ran aground and blocked one of the world’s busiest trade routes in Egypt yesterday.

#I’M SORRY: German Chancellor Angela Merkel admitted that a failed plan for a strict Easter shutdown was a “mistake” amid massive criticism of the government’s pandemic response.

#FLOODS: A motorist trapped in a car became the first fatality of floods on Australia’s east coast

PARTING SHOT

It’s been a long time coming, but the Republic of Ireland men’s soccer team have managed to score a goal. Stephen Kenny’s side went all of 2020 without scoring, but took just 20 minutes to take the lead against Serbia in Belgrade in their first game this year.

In case you missed it, or want to remember what that looks like, here it is in all its glory:

Alan Browne has given Ireland the lead against Serbia

Updates: https://t.co/IyBOmfIUD1

Live now @RTE2 and @RTEplayer #RTESoccer #SBRIRL pic.twitter.com/XZ5qFT5F1U

— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) March 24, 2021