Philip Downes

Ireland

Journalist @ExtraIRL - MA Journalism @uniofgalway ‘21 - Simpsons nerd - All views my own, Likes & RTs ≠ endorsements etc.

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Articles

How will Bank Holidays in Ireland change in 2026 and 2027?

1 week ago | irishcentral.com | Philip Downes

The country are set to have three bank holidays over just eight weeks this year, as the May Bank Holiday falls just two weeks after the Easter Monday Bank Holiday. Then just four weeks later, we’ll be having the June Bank Holiday on June 2 — giving us three free days off over a short eight weeks.
The main takeaways from Conor McGregor’s interview with Tucker Carlson

3 weeks ago | irishcentral.com | Philip Downes

Conor McGregor’s interview with right-wing commentator Tucker Carlson has been shared online. The disgraced UFC fighter was interviewed by Carlson, who was fired from Fox News in 2023, in the Freemasons Hall in Dublin, with the pair discussing McGregor’s upbringing to his potential Presidential run. Here are some of the talking points from McGregor’s interview.
Everything Irish fans need to know about the 2025 WWE event

3 weeks ago | geekireland.com | Philip Downes

More eyes are on the WWE than ever as the company’s biggest show, WrestleMania, returns this weekend. Known as the biggest pro wrestling show in the world, the WWE’s move to Netflix means that watching the shows is easier than ever.
National Slow Down Day: Gardai reveal where speed vans are as hundreds already caught

1 month ago | extra.ie | Philip Downes

Gardaí have revealed that over 350 drivers have been caught speeding so far as part of National Slow Down Day. The Gardaí partnered with the Road Safety Authority for the national speed enforcement operation, which will run for 24 hours from midnight on Wednesday (April 29) to 11.59pm.
Domino's launch their own Easter egg inspired by...what?

1 month ago | extra.ie | Philip Downes

We swear this is not an April Fool’s joke — Domino’s Pizza have announced they’re launching a garlic and herb easter egg. The pizza chain have created what they describe as the perfect blend of sweet and savoury, or what others may call a sin against nature, on Friday (April 4) — three days after April Fool’s Day, making this 100% real.
Irish passport tops list of strongest in the world

1 month ago | extra.ie | Philip Downes

The Irish passport has become the strongest one in the world, the Nomad Passport Index 2025 has revealed. The passport index ranks the strength of a country’s passport on five criteria, with Ireland — whose previous best result was tied for first alongside Luxembourg and Sweden — sitting alone on the top of the table; the first time ever that a northern European country has done so.
Why Cian Ducrot 'didn't really feel Irish' at first

1 month ago | extra.ie | Nicky Byrne |Philip Downes

Cian Ducrot has admitted that he ‘didn’t really feel Irish’ before he began performing. The Grammy winning singer was born and raised in Cork, with him being half-Irish, half-French and having a French mother. Today's top videos STORY CONTINUES BELOW Despite growing up in Cork and performing for years in Ireland, Cian admitted that he hadn’t felt exactly Irish growing up — with him saying that performing for Irish people was when he finally found his Irishness.
Rosie O'Donnell on moving to Ireland

1 month ago | extra.ie | Philip Downes

Rosie O’Donnell has said that Ireland is ‘so much safer’ for her child after moving here earlier this year. The comedian and actress moved to Ireland with her child Clay, doing so after Donald Trump — with whom she has been in a very public feud — was re-elected for a second term in the 2024 Presidential election.
Zoinks! Netflix's Scooby Doo live-action series will be an origin story for Mystery Inc

1 month ago | geekireland.com | Chloe O'Keeffe |Olivia Fahy |Philip Downes

Jinkies — your favourite mystery-solving team are returning to TV for a brand new live-action Scooby Doo series on Netflix and new details have been released. While the streaming service had announced plans for the show in 2024, they've now revealed details about the live-action series which will be made up of eight episodes.
In Pics: Who are the Home of the Year 2025 finalists?

1 month ago | extra.ie | Philip Downes

The seven finalists of Home of the Year 2025 have been confirmed. The final of the show, which will see judges Hugh Wallace, Amanda Bone and Siobhan Lam crown the best home in the country, with homes from Dublin, Kildare, Wicklow, Tipperary and Limerick all vying for the title. Today's top videos STORY CONTINUES BELOW But who are the finalists for Home of the Year 2025? Receiving the first 10 of the season from Hugh, Clare, and Sean purchased their home, which was previously a shop, in 2020.