NEED TO CATCH up? The Journal brings you a round-up of today’s news.

IRELAND

A mural in Dún Laoghaire. RollingNews.ie RollingNews.ie

• The Irish Army were called in to search lands in County Kerry as the mystery surrounding the disappearance of farmer Michael Gaine has deepened.
• A man who raped and smothered his wife while armed with a knife was jailed for 12-and-a-half years.
• Eleven people who participated in a vigil for the children and mothers of Gaza were arrested this morning outside Leinster House.
• The vote of confidence in Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann Verona Murphy will take place tomorrow afternoon.
• A woman in her 30s who was hit by a car in Co Kilkenny on Friday was pronounced dead in hospital.
• A young man who was found guilty of the murder of Kerry father-of-seven Thomas Dooley was jailed for eight years.
• The Government agreed in principle to AIB’s €1.2 billion share buyback proposal, which will reduce the State’s stake in the bank to 3%.
• Two women who were sexually abused by an older relative described how they have lost half of their family after not being believed when coming forward to report the offending.
• New rules for nursing homes which will be implemented from today will allow nominated persons to visit a resident at all times, even during a pandemic.
• Taoiseach Micheál Martin warned that “people are suspending investment decisions” as a result of Donald Trump’s tariff war.

INTERNATIONAL 

Marine Le Pen leaves a French courtroom after being found guilty in an embezzlement case. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

#EMBEZZELEMENT: A French court banned far-right leader Marine Le Pen from running for office after her conviction over a fake jobs scheme, specifying that the sanction should come into force with immediate effect even if an appeal is lodged.

#GAZA: The Palestinian Red Crescent said it recovered the bodies of 15 rescuers killed a week ago when Israeli forces targeted ambulances in the Gaza Strip.

#LITHUANIA: Three of four US soldiers missing in Lithuania since last week were found dead after rescuers recovered the soldiers’ armoured vehicle from a swamp.

#TENSIONS: Apple and Meta are set to be fined by the EU this week under the new Digital Markets Act, in a move which will put a spotlight on ‘big tech’ during an intensifying trade war between the US and Europe.

#EIGHT MORE YEARS: Donald Trump said he is “not joking” about trying to serve a third term as US president.

PARTING SHOT

Trinity historians are asking the public to help document Dublin’s old bilingual street signs. The green and white signs feature the old Irish font Cló Gaelach and are fast disappearing from the Capital's streets.

Read more here: https://t.co/FxPy3z5TaO pic.twitter.com/213kznMhjx

— Trinity College Dublin (@tcddublin) March 31, 2025

Historians from Trinity College Dublin are asking the public to contribute photographs – past and present – of old Dublin street signs to a new digital history research project that is working to preserve Irish street signs with Irish font.

The distinctive green-and-white street signs, which date from around 1901 when the Municipal Council of Dublin voted to install bilingual signs, are fast disappearing from the capital’s streets. 

The pilot project will initially focus on Dublin. However, it is hoped that a larger national survey will be undertaken in the future.

The project has collected 600 photographs of street signs from Dublin’s inner city so far. More information can be found here.