More than a century after the destruction of the Public Record Office of Ireland at the Four Courts, another major piece of Ireland’s lost documentary heritage has been restored to public view.
The Virtual Record Treasury of Ireland has released 194,000 newly digitised historical records, bringing the total number of freely available records on the platform to 544,000. The material spans seven centuries of Irish history and now amounts to around 340 million words of searchable content.
Four Courts in Dublin bombarded on this day June 30th 1922 leading to the destruction of the Public Record Office of Ireland.
The release marks the 104th anniversary of the destruction of the Public Record Office, which was lost on 30 June 1922 during the opening stages of the Irish Civil War. The building, located within the Four Courts complex in Dublin, had housed a vast archive of census material, taxation records, legal papers, land ownership documents and state records dating back to the medieval period.
For generations, the loss was regarded as one of the greatest archival disasters in Irish history. But the Virtual Record Treasury is rebuilding what was lost by tracking down copies, transcripts and related material preserved in archives, libraries and private collections across Ireland and around the world.
The 2026 release includes records ranging from medieval Ireland to the age of revolution and emancipation. Among the new material are records connected to Catholic Emancipation, Ireland’s links with the American Revolution, early local history, State Papers from 1660 to 1715, and documents from the Norman and medieval period.
The project is hosted by Trinity College Dublin and funded by the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport. It brings together more than 100 partner archives, libraries and memory institutions worldwide, including the National Archives of Ireland, the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, The National Archives UK, the Irish Manuscripts Commission and the Library of Trinity College Dublin.
One of the most important developments is the expansion of the VRTI Knowledge Graph for Irish History. This digital research tool now includes more than 15,000 people from Irish history and 3.5 million linked historical facts, allowing users to follow connections between people, places, events and surviving records.
The latest update also adds thousands of historical individuals, including women from the early modern period and figures from the medieval and Norman eras. This gives researchers, students, family historians and the wider public new ways to explore lives that were once buried in fragile, scattered or forgotten documents.
The Virtual Record Treasury is also looking beyond Ireland. A new two-year project, “Journey to Europe: Archives of the Irish in France,” will search French archives for records connected to Irish history, including material on Wolfe Tone, the Irish Brigade, Irish colleges in France and Irish merchants along France’s Atlantic coast.
What was once thought to have vanished in smoke and fire is now being digitally reunited. More than 100 years after records fell from the sky over Dublin, Ireland’s lost archive is being pieced back together — page by page, name by name, and story by story.
A total of 9,882 complaints and queries were handled by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland’s (FSAI) Advice Line in 2025. Announcing details today of the complaints and queries last year, the FSAI stated that there were 6,135 complaints from consumers, with 33% of complaints relating to unfit food and 28% to poor hygiene standards.
Overall, the 6,135 consumer complaints in 2025 represented a 23% increase compared to the previous year with 4,996 complaints. The figures reflect an upward trend over the past decade. All complaints received by the FSAI in 2025 were followed up and investigated by food inspectors throughout the country.
Unfit food, which is food that is not safe to eat, was the most frequently reported complaint in 2025. Unfit food also includes contamination with a foreign object. Commonly reported foreign objects in food included: plastic, a battery, insects/caterpillar, slug, and fingernail. Examples of some of the complaints include: a fingernail found in a cake; a staple found in an Indian meal; a battery found in a pack of almonds; a fly floating in a milk bottle; a slug in a noodle dish and a live moth in a bag of salad.
The second most frequently reported category related to poor hygiene standards. Common complaints included rodents spotted in food businesses; staff not wearing appropriate clothing; poor personal hygiene with staff not changing gloves often enough; staff not washing hands; staff smoking in their aprons; and food not being stored correctly with fridges and freezers not cold enough.
The third most frequently reported category related to reports of suspected food poisoning making up 26% of the total complaints in 2025. This was a decrease from 29% in 2024.
The breakdown of all complaints are as follows: Unfit food: 2,030 Hygiene standards: 1,693 Suspect food poisoning: 1,570 Labelling: 656 Allergen Information: 150 Others: 36
Mr Greg Dempsey, (Chief Executive, FSAI), stressed the importance of making complaints to the FSAI, so that any food safety issues can be addressed. “Public reporting of food safety concerns plays a vital role in supporting the work of the food safety inspectorate and is an important part of how we protect public health. We greatly value the contribution of consumers in bringing potential issues to our attention, as these reports provide essential information that complements the work of Environmental Health Officers, veterinary and agricultural inspectors, sea-fisheries officers, and laboratory services. While routine inspections and food sampling programmes remain a core part of our regulatory activity, complaints allow us to quickly identify and respond to specific risks, ensuring that any potential threats to food safety are addressed without delay. The continued increase in engagement reflects growing consumer awareness and confidence in reporting issues, as well as a strong expectation that high standards of food safety and hygiene are consistently maintained across the food chain. In particular, we have seen a significant rise in complaints relating to unfit food and poor hygiene standards, and we would like to thank the public for their continued vigilance in helping us address these issues.”
The FSAI Advice Line also offers advice and information. During 2025, there were 3,747 queries from people working in the food industry, including caterers, food manufacturers, retailers, and others. Popular topics included: how to start a food business; food labelling information; best practice in food businesses; food safety training and several others.
The FSAI Advice Line is contactable through our online complaint form ‘makeitbetter’ or through our online query form. The FSAI Instagram,Facebook and LinkedIn pages are also resources with up-to-the-minute information in relation to food safety.
Dame Penelope Keith, one of Britain’s most cherished comic actors and a defining presence in classic television, has died at the age of 86.
The Late Penelope Anne Constance Hatfield.(1940-2026),
Best known to millions as the formidable Margo Leadbetter in The Good Life and the proud, spirited Audrey fforbes-Hamilton in “To the Manor Born”, Dame Penelope helped shape an era of British sitcoms with performances that were sharp, elegant and unmistakably her own.
A statement issued on behalf of her family said they were “deeply saddened” to announce that she had died peacefully while living with cancer at her home in Surrey, where she had lived for more than 50 years. The family expressed gratitude for the care and support she received throughout her treatment and asked that their privacy be respected.
Born Penelope Anne Constance Hatfield in 1940, she built a distinguished career across stage, television and radio. Her early work included repertory theatre and performances with the Royal Shakespeare Company, but it was television that brought her into the nation’s living rooms and secured her place in British cultural memory.
Her portrayal of ‘Margo Leadbetter‘ in “The Good Life” remains one of sitcom’s great comic creations: socially ambitious, imperious and frequently exasperated, yet played with enough warmth and precision to make her enduringly loved. The role earned Dame Penelope a BAFTA in 1977 and introduced her to a generation of viewers who never forgot her timing, poise and wonderfully expressive delivery.
She went on to further acclaim as ‘Audrey fforbes-Hamilton‘ in “To the Manor Born”, a character who combined aristocratic confidence with vulnerability and wit. The series became a major success and confirmed her as one of the most recognisable and admired performers of her time.
Beyond her most famous roles, Dame Penelope enjoyed a long and varied career, appearing in stage productions, dramas, comedies and presenting work. She was made a Dame in 2014 for services to the arts and to charity, recognition not only of her talent but of her wider contribution to public life.
Her death marks the loss of a performer whose work brought joy, laughter and sophistication to audiences for decades. Dame Penelope Keith leaves behind a legacy of unforgettable characters, impeccable comic craft and a lasting place in the story of British television.
Pre-deceased by his parents James and Mary; Mr O’Brien passed away peacefully while in the care of staff at Milford Care Centre Limerick, surrounded by his loving family.
His passing is most deeply regretted, sadly missed and lovingly remembered by his sorrowing family; loving brother Lar, sister Kathleen, sister-in-law Nora, nieces Marie and her husband James Collins, Sarah and her partner Seamus, his grandnephew Eoin and grandniece Clodagh, also his wonderful neighbours and friends.
Requiescat in Pace.
Funeral Arrangements.
The earthly remains of Mr O’Brien will repose at Kennedy’s Funeral Home, Castlequarter, Borrisoleigh, Thurles, (Eircode E41 VX81) on this afternoon Monday from 5:00pm until 7:00pm same evening. His remains will be received into the Church of St. Mary Drom, Templemore, (Eircode E41 KP79) to further repose for Requiem Mass on Tuesday morning at 11:30am, followed by interment, immediately afterwards, in the adjoining graveyard.
For those persons who would wish to attend Requiem Mass for Mr O’Brien, but for reasons cannot, same can be viewed streamed live online, HERE.
The extended O’Brien family wish to express their appreciation for your understanding at this difficult time, and have made arrangements for those persons wishing to send messages of condolence, to use the link shown HERE.
Lyrics: American country music specialist, record producer and songwriter Allen Reynolds Vocals: American country music singer, songwriter, and 2010 inductee into the Country Music Hall of Fame, the late Donald Ray Williams.
Late Don William (1939 – 2017).
The song hereunder is a lovely country classic made famous by the late Don Williams, still one of the most gentle and respected voices in country music. Don Williams had a way of singing that felt simple, honest, and straight from the heart. His songs often spoke about love, memories, tenderness, and the quiet emotions we sometimes find hard to put into words. The song “We Should Be Together.” It is a beautiful song about two people who share a special connection and the feeling that, no matter what has happened or how life has turned out, they truly belong with one another. It carries that warm Don Williams style: calm, sincere, and full of feeling and we hope the song brings back good memories for some of our readers.
We Should Be Together.
We Should Be Together.
I think about you, When I don’t want to, Dream about your smiling face, And I keep trying not to love you, But I love you anyway. We should be together, together, We should be walking side by side, We should be together, together, Keeping each other satisfied. I have thought to come to know you, I’ve come to need your company, What will I do if I can’t have you, If I can’t have you, What will I do. We should be together, together, We should be walking side by side, We should be together, together, Keeping each other satisfied. We should be together, together, We should be walking side by side, We should be together, together, Keeping each other satisfied.
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