Nadine Lott murder
Daniel Murtagh has been found guilty of the murder of his former partner, Nadine Lott.
Murtagh was said to have beaten Ms Lott to the point where she was "completely unrecognisable", leaving her with "extreme and grotesque" injuries from which she never recovered.
The 12 jurors took five hours and 46 minutes over two days to unanimously reject Murtagh's defence that he was too intoxicated to have formed the intent to murder his ex-girlfriend, with the mandatory sentence of life imprisonment due to be handed down on October 4th.
Speaking after the verdict, Garda Superintendent Declan McCarthy described the case as "horrendous" adding that in 40 years of policing he had never "seen or read of such a level of violence used towards an individual".
Outdoor gatherings
The Government is being pushed to clarify restrictions surrounding outdoor gatherings after the fallout of an event hosted by former minister Katherine Zappone, which Tánaiste Leo Varadkar attended.
On Wednesday, the Government said advice from the Attorney General said organised outdoor gatherings of up to 200 people are permitted under current rules, however, representatives from the hospitality industry said they were not aware this was the case.
The chief executive of the Restaurants Association of Ireland, Adrian Cummins, said he hopes to receive updated and clarified guidelines from Fáilte Ireland regarding outdoor dining, adding the sector has lost a “huge amount of revenue” over the confusion.
Updated guidelines for the hospitality industry are expected to be drawn up towards the end of August for implementation in September.
Ryanair routes
Ryanair have announced a major investment in Shannon, adding eight new routes for the western airport.
The airline confirmed two new routes to Corfu and Gran Canaria for summer, while the remaining six routes will be brought on for winter.
Shannon Group, which operates the airport, welcomed the news, saying it was "an important step on our road to recovery". However, Ryanair say the Government must step in to offer greater support to the aviation industry.
"If traffic and jobs are to return to Dublin and Cork airports, the Taoiseach must urgently implement incentives to attract Ryanair and other airlines to restore pre-pandemic capacity as Ryanair has done in Shannon airport," a statement from the airline said.
Pride of Dublin
Kellie Harrington has fought her way into an Olympic final in the Women's Lightweight division.
The Dubliner beat Thailand's Sudaporn Seesondee on 3-2 split decision, guaranteeing her a silver medal. The gold-medal fight will take place on Sunday morning, where Harrington will face Brazilian Beatriz Ferreira.
Speaking after the fight, Harrington said: "Regardless of the colour of the medal, obviously it’s a massive achievement...I can’t really believe what’s happening."
Although the final is yet to place, plans are already underway for Harrington's homecoming, with her family working with Dublin City Council officials to arrange a fitting celebration to mark her achievement.
