EVERY EVENING, TheJournal.ie brings you a roundup of the day’s main news – plus any bits and pieces you may have missed.

In the Race for the Áras:

• The Race for the Áras has been drawing to a close today, as the candidates made their last pitches for votes before the broadcasting moratorium kicked in and left them reliant on good old-fashioned handshaking. Here’s our gallery of the final hours of campaigning.
• The Irish emigrant community have already been having their say in a symbolic vote to underline that they have no say in tomorrow’s election: and Michael D Higgins was a runaway winner.
• There’s other good news for the Labour candidate this evening: all the major bookmakers now make him the favourite to win tomorrow’s election, though Sean Gallagher is still fancied to (just about) top the poll.
• The controversy over Gallagher’s FF links hasn’t gone away, however: Sinn Féin has attacked Gallagher saying that its claims on the Frontline were substantively correct.
• We’ve been asking today, too: now that the debates are finished with, who do you think was the best debate host? Our poll is where you can have your say.
• The National Union of Journalists has raised concerns about the referendum on Oireachtas inquiries – saying it may lead to journalists having to reveal their confidential sources.
• The Dublin West by-election is also taking place tomorrow – with bad blood stirring between FG’s Eithne Loftus and Labour’s Patrick Nulty, after the former issued literature calling herself “the only government candidate“.

In other news:

• The 27 EU heads of government have finished their meeting in Brussels this evening, issuing a joint statement but without very much agreement. The 17 heads of state of the Euro countries are now remaining there to continue a working dinner, with a press conference later this evening. The main news so far is that Europe’s banks will be recapitalised before next summer.
• The chairman of NAMA, Frank Daly, has revealed that the agency is paying two developers salaries of around €200,000 – arguing that the wage is cheaper than paying the professional fees of a receiver. The agency also pays commission to developers who help the agency sell assets for more than NAMA paid for them.
• The president of the GAA, Christy Cooney, has paid tribute to Garda Ciaran Jones, who died on Monday while trying to direct traffic during the floods. Jones was part of the Wicklow senior football panel in 2007 and 2008. Tributes have also been paid to the “warm and gentle” Celia de Jesus, the 58-year-old Filipino mother who died when her basement apartment in Crumlin was flooded.
• Labour TD Kevin Humphreys came to the rescue of some of his Dublin South East constituents during the flooding, by gaining access to hundreds of sandbags that were locked away… with a hacksaw. The government has said it may provide humanitarian aid to the flood victims.
• Profits at Amazon are nosediving, as the online bookseller concentrates on trying to take on the might of Apple in the tablet wars.
• Profits at McDonald’s Ireland are also down, though only just – and the restaurant is serving more meals here than ever before.
• Barack Obama has shared his belief that the Occupy Wall Street movement is the result of “frustration” among the public.
• Ireland won’t be scrapping Summer Time anytime soon, according to Alan Shatter – because we’d need the permission of every other EU state to do so.
• An inquest in London has ruled that Amy Winehouse died by misadventure – after suffering alcohol poisoning when she drank over five times the legal driving limit.
• The lads at The Score have been looking into one of society’s least-examined phenomena: how our fathers influence our choice of sports teams.
• Earlier today we ran this caption competition – asking you to put some ideas together as to what’s going on here. Our favourite answer came from Ella Daly: “Skinny cats come out in protest at fat cat wages!”

• A Newcastle has admitted biting off her boyfriend’s testicles during a drunken row.
• What was in the news 100 years ago? Here’s a sneak peak at a new book from the Royal Irish Academy which might give you a picture.
• Speaking of pictures… here’s an accompanying gallery of life in the capital – and beyond – in 1911. Ever wondered which county had the highest ‘insanity’ rate in 1911? Now you can find out.
• Dublin of 2011, meanwhile, has lost out in its bid to become the World Design Capital for 2014. Cape Town took the gong.
• Good news for some, bad news for others – Bono and the Edge have both hinted that U2 might not record another album.
• Looking for a dodgy gift from a dodgy geezer? This profanely-named shirt might be right up your street.
• Finally this evening, some nice work from Dublin’s 98FM – who have declared victory in their bid to find Ireland “a million euro of work”, by offering free advertising for any jobs going.

Making a difference

A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

For the price of one cup of coffee each week you can make sure we can keep reliable, meaningful news open to everyone regardless of their ability to pay.

Support us Learn More