Yeva Baruch, 5, has fun with bubbles in Centenary Square as part in a series of events to promote the Bradford Science Festival. (Lynne Cameron/PA Wire)

HERE ARE THE things we learned, loved and shared today as we round off the day in three easy steps.

THINGS WE LEARNED:

#CHILDCARE: A Garda investigation is underway into the footage aired on last night’s Prime Time on RTÉ, which showed allegedly abusive behaviour at some childcare facilities in Dublin and Wicklow. Here’s our guide to what was in the show, which isn’t available on the RTÉ Player. One of the childcare chains shown in the show says it is planning on introducing CCTV streaming for parents to try and win back the trust of its clients.

#PUBLIC PAY: The Dáil has been discussing public pay cuts all afternoon, with legislation to cut pay for workers on over €65,000 passing its first vote earlier. The debates have been marred by interruptions and suspensions though – with one TD suspended for complaining about how little speaking time was offered, while the Dáil itself was shut down twice this evening as the disruptions continued.

#FRAUD: Six people have been arrested in Cork as part of investigations into allegations about fraudulent mortgage loans. The four men and two women are being detained at stations across Co Cork.

#PROPERTY TAX: The deadline for making property tax returns has just passed – with the head of the Revenue Commissioners saying that they only expect to enter enforcement procedures against the owners of around 5 per cent of Irish homes. Josephine Feehily said that between homes covered by returns, owned by local authorities or housing associations, or ghost estates ineligible for the tax, around 1.72 million Irish homes are accounted for.

#ALCOHOL: Irish people drink 700 times more alcohol than they should – and have a higher risk of cancer as a result. The EU Food Safety Authority says the the 11 litres of pure alcohol drank by every adult is way over a safe exposure level.

#MINTED: Ireland has spent €11.8 million since 2004, minting coins which actually only have a cash worth of €7.1 million. Department of Finance figures show we’ve minted a total of 3.3 billion coins since 2002 – including 713 million 1c coins which actually cost 1.65c each to mint.

Michael Llodra of France is silhouetted against the sky as he uses a towel when playing against Canada’s Milos Raonic in their second round match of the French Open at Roland Garros. (Petr David Josek/AP)

THINGS WE LOVED:

• So this is a thing: Samuel L Jackson is doing a not-quite-AMA thing on Reddit where he will read whichever 300-word monologue gets the most upvotes. Carl Sagan’s Pale Blue Dot monologue is (rightfully) winning.
• The attitude of those belonging to this mosque in York, England, who met a group of protesters from the English Defence League and ended up inviting them in for tea and football.
• Listen, Robin Van Persie… nobody likes a show-off, okay?

(YouTube: FGols7i)

THINGS WE SHARED:

• This interactive display made by the folks at the Guardian, documenting how the Holmes family escaped a major bushfire in New Zealand. Our description can’t do it justice: it’s just worth clicking into.
• Are people reading too much into Mad Men? Either this ‘Megan Draper is Sharon Tate’ theory is the internet gone wrong, or the internet at its brilliant spoilertastic best.
• Finally, as we promised in the title… this is brilliant. Some folks in Brighton were trying to set a new world record for the most Kate Bush impersonators in one place. Here’s some footage of their final practice for their video to Wuthering Heights:

(YouTube: mike coombes)