Dublin Airport flight cancellations
More than 30 flights departing and arriving at Dublin Airport on Friday and Saturday have been cancelled today.
The cancellations impact flights within Europe and the majority are with Aer Lingus, although British Airways and TAP Air Portugal also cancelled one flight each on Friday.
Aer Lingus has cancelled a total of 31 flights across the weekend, with 21 flights into and out of the airport cancelled on Friday, including nine return services, and 10 further cancellations for Saturday.
"Due to a spike in Covid cases, Aer Lingus has been forced to cancel nine return flights and one direct flight today, Friday 1st July, and three return flights tomorrow, Saturday 2nd July," the airline said in a statement.
"Additionally, ground handling industrial action at Bordeaux Airport and Lyon Airport has required the cancellation of one return flight to Bordeaux today, Friday 1st July, and two return flights to Lyon tomorrow, Saturday 2nd July.
"Just over one per cent of Aer Lingus flights have been impacted by cancellations in June.
"Aer Lingus wishes to apologise to those impacted and teams at the airline are working to re-accommodate impacted passengers on the next available services as efficiently as possible."
Irish inflation at 9.6%
Ireland’s estimated annual inflation hit 9.6 per cent in June in new figures released by statistics agency Eurostat that revealed record price rises in the euro zone area.
Consumer price growth in the 19 countries sharing the euro accelerated to 8.6 per cent from 8.1 per cent, Eurostat said on Friday, higher than expectations for 8.4 per cent and driven primarily by energy prices even as food and services also made a marked contribution.
Eight of the 19 Eurozone countries had a lower annual increase than the estimate of 9.6 per cent for Ireland while 10 countries had higher rates. Estonia had the highest estimated annual inflation at 22.0 per cent while Malta had the lowest at 6.1 per cent.
Energy costs in Ireland are estimated to be up 6.2 per cent in the month and up 54.0 per cent since June 2021.
Covid: People who got Delta variant now have 'no protection'
The HSE’s chief clinical officer has said it is a “tough message” that people who contracted the Delta variant of Covid-19 last year now have no protection against infection with the virus.
Dr Colm Henry said people were being reinfected in the latest wave of the disease by the current Omicron subvariants BA4 and BA5.
It comes as just under 200 deaths linked to the disease were recorded in June, as Ireland experiences another surge in cases with previous protection from reinfection now "gone".
“It is a tough message to get across that people who got Delta last year have no protection,” Dr Henry told Newstalk’s Pat Kenny show.
The vaccine offered longer-lasting protection, he added. “Things would be much worse if 96 per cent had not been primarily vaccinated. It is an extraordinary figure.”
Teenager dies in hospital after collision in Celbridge, Kildare
A teenager has died in hospital following a road traffic collision in Celbridge, Co Kildare.
The male teenager, who was a pedestrian at the time of the collision with a car on the Aghards Road on Wednesday morning, was reported to be in a critical condition on Thursday.
In an update on Friday, gardaí said the teenager had since died at Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown.
“The pedestrian, a male in his teens, received serious injuries and was taken to Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown where he later passed,” a Garda statement said.
Garda Commissioner says review could help identify Toscan du Plantier killer
The Garda chief has said the cold case review into the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier in west Cork could be “really important and worthwhile” in identifying her killer.
Gardaí have vowed to approach the review with “an open and investigative and inquiring mind”.
Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said the high level of interest in the French filmmaker’s killing 26 years ago, including documentaries and podcasts into what happened, may have “triggered” something in people’s minds.
JP McManus Pro-Am to be broadcast live on Virign Media
Virgin Media has announced free-to-air coverage of next week's JP McManus Pro-Am.
The golf tournament takes place on July 4th and 5th, and coverage will begin at 2pm on Monday, July 4th on Virgin Media Two.
Current world number one Scottie Scheffler, 15-time major winner Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas, Matt Fitzpatrick and Cameron Smith are among the professionals who will take part in the event at Adare Manor, Co Limerick.
Ten of the world's top 11 golfers will play at the sold-out event.
