NEED TO CATCH up? The Journal brings you a round-up of today’s news.

IRELAND

President Catherine Connolly enjoyed a performance from Sean Nós dancer Tura Arutura, as she visited the Global Solidarity Hub at the National Ploughing Championships Mark Stedman Mark Stedman

• Garda management confirmed just six gardaí will be trained in pursuit driving this year.
• Taoiseach Micheál Martin gave his strongest indication yet that the government will cut tax on home heating oil in this year’s budget.
• President Catherine Connolly has said that Ireland’s reliance on food imports requires “urgent attention” due to threats to food security such as conflict and extreme weather. 
• Gardaí were forced to “stand down” a catering company during the Trump visit after complaints.
• Oasis’s confirmation that they will be returning to the stage in 2027 after weeks of speculation was met with elation by fans.
• The Social Democrats have denied that they are hiding their Dublin Bay South TD Eoin Hayes from the media, as the party’s annual think-in was once again dominated by a controversy surrounding the TD.
• Micheál Martin said Catherine Connolly’s activist sister, Margaret Connolly, is entitled to her own perspective as a private citizen, after she told CNN the White House should be “flattened”

INTERNATIONAL

Residents of Piddington, Oxfordshire, are to hold a mock vote on whether to secede from the United Kingdom in a symbolic ‘referendum', due to plans to house asylum seekers nearby. PA PA

#US: Ed Sheerhan responded to the backlash after rapper Macklemore was dropped from his US tour for chants of ‘Free Palestine’.

#UK:Some babies could have been saved from death and harm at the hands of Lucy Letby if safeguarding action had been taken earlier, an inquiry found.

#EU: What’s on von der Leyen’s agenda for her big EU speech tomorrow, and what are Irish MEPs hoping for? Andrew Walsh is in Strasbourg for the State of the Union address.

#LA: The son of Rob Reiner and Michele Singer will not face the death penalty when he stands trial over the killings of his parents.

PARTING SHOT

For the most part the 77,000 attendance was spared rain today on day one at the National Ploughing Championships 2026 in Screggan, Tullamore, Co Offaly Eamonn Farrell / RollingNews.ie Eamonn Farrell / RollingNews.ie / RollingNews.ie

Today marked the start of the 95th National Ploughing Championships, which got underway under a hot sun in Screggan, Co Offaly.

Emma Hickey was at this year’s ploughing for us – she has the rundown of the political outings, the best deals for crisps and, of course, the sheep shearing.

You can find it all here.