Inside Politics Newsletter (Irish Times)

16 hours ago | irishtimes.com | Arthur Beesley

When Bertie Ahern was taoiseach, he invited the chief of the Madrid metro to Merrion Street to discuss underground rail for Dublin. The late Prof Manuel Melis Maynar had built the Spanish system in record time at minimal cost. At a meeting in Government Buildings, he said the limestone beneath Dublin was ideal for tunnelling. Ahern replied: “When can you start?”That was in 2003. Two decades later, the perennial wait for a Dublin metro goes on.

16 hours ago | irishtimes.com | Ian O'Riordan

Somewhere, in the broken fragments of memory, there is a giant of a man throwing an unidentified object into the sky. Then, without warning, it comes crashing down into the black cinder infield, prompting a long “whoa” from the crowd and a crackle from the old PA. There must be something indelible about witnessing your first world record, live and in person, as a 12-year-old. Even when it’s in the field, not on the track.

23 hours ago | irishtimes.com | Ian O'Riordan

Another terrific sprint finish by Sarah Healy saw her nail second place in the 1,500 metres at the Meeting de Paris on Friday night, improving her lifetime best to 3:57.15 in the process. On a perfect evening for running inside the Stade Charlety, the eighth stop on the Diamond League circuit, Healy might well have scored another victory too, as Kenya’s Nelly Chepchirchir just held on for the win in 3:57.02.

1 day ago | irishtimes.com | Colin Gleeson

Global markets were mixed in choppy trading on Friday, as inflation concerns and uncertainty around US involvement in the Iran-Israel war offset relief over president Donald Trump holding back from any immediate action. PTSB was the standout performer on the day in Dublin as it climbed 4 per cent while the Euronext Dublin index was unchanged. Its peers AIB and Bank of Ireland were flat.

1 day ago | irishtimes.com | Sally Hayden

A Dublin-based Iranian woman has called for increased attention to be focused on Iran’s political prisoners, after her brother was removed from the area of the Tehran prison where he was being held and taken to an unknown location. Aida Younesi (31), a software engineer, said her brother Ali (25), was taken from the infamous Evin Prison on Wednesday by men who reportedly said they were bringing him for questioning. Since then, her family has no idea of his whereabouts.