Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
THERE WAS JUST one jackpot-winning ticket in last night’s Lotto draw, the National Lottery has confirmed.
The €12 million main prize was the 11th biggest in the history of the Lotto, and the highest in over 2 years.
It’s been rolling over since Saturday 12 April.
Those all important numbers:
13, 14, 24, 31, 35 and 43. The bonus number: 21
The winning ticket was sold in the North West of the country. No further geographical details have been confirmed.
The last time the jackpot was at a similar level was in March of 2012. On that occasion it was won by two ticketholders: Giustina Macari from Kildare town and a Co Meath couple shared the jackpot, each taking home over €5.7 million.
Next Saturday’s jackpot will be back down to a paltry €2 million.
Now that’s why you don’t hold up a banner with ‘England get out of Ireland’
@Nathan Hayes: Funny, you never complained for the 71 years previous when the banner was presented and FF and FG Taoiseach marched in front of it to get votes. Funny old world.
@Cal Mooney: You do know that it is one of only 2 banners of its nature formally approved by New York City to be paraded every single year since 1948. Why do you suddenly have a problem with it. You gave to admit that it does come across as hypocrisy.
@Cal Mooney: That’s telling Cal, ….. Cal!
@Cal Mooney: the reason he didn’t have a problem with it before now is because nobody knew about the banner. The banner became public knowledge here when the leader of SF decided to act stupid and March behind it. Let’s be honest if Leo or mehole were there instead of Mary Lou, you’d be singing the riot act to.
@Roy Dowling: Do you really want me to start posting links with FF and FG saying they were in support of the banner in years gone by.
@Cal Mooney: As a person who’s half English, I have a problem who tells anyone my mother to leave, including ff and fg, or anyone else for that matter.
@Cal Mooney: And as a person under the age of 20, I don’t have first hand experience with the last 71 years of Irish history.
@Cal Mooney: back in your box Cal
@Condorcanqui: Its a Cal-off
@Nathan Hayes: Your mis-interpreting the banner, its directed at single people its directed at the occupation of the island of Ireland by the british. I have english friends and family but still dont agree with the occupation
@Will Thompson: *not
@Will Thompson: In the modern republic, there isn’t an occupation. So the leader of the SF party in the republic shouldnt hold up such a banner, it has super negative connotations, regardless of what it truly means.
@Nathan Hayes: because you’ll sell the north out again?
@Cal Mooney: you show a picture of the leader of FF, FG marching behind that banner and I’ll take back my comment
@Nathan Hayes: SF is an all Ireland party Mary Lou is its leader. Michelle is its leader in the assembly.
@Nathan Hayes: Exactly why I said Island. Negative connotations. How about the countless number of soldiers that fought and died for their right to occupy their own land who are now classed as terrorists but as soon the brits or yanks stick their nose in somewhere they’re called an army. Get a grip, its an 800 year occupation and as long as they’re there they will meet resistance!
@The Risen:
“Michelle is its leader in the assembly.”
The Assembly they abandoned over 2 years ago?
Leaving the North without a Government during the most precarious period in over 20 years?
The Assembly where they achieved nothing in the prior 10 years?
That Assembly?
@Nathan Hayes: but that’s not what it’s saying, I don’t support SF,but I haven’t met an Irish person that doesn’t want the English establishment out of Ireland,it’s nothing against your mother or you.
@Daniel Roche: Then you haven’t met an Irish person with a nuanced sensibility
@Nathan Hayes: please open your eyes son,out country still has 6 counties occupied by England,our 26 counties is only temporary, just cause your happy to forget about 6 counties of Ireland, doesn’t mean I do or the leader of an Irish republican party
@Daniel Roche: that’s a very sweeping statement, which doesn’t take much to disprove, like just one person out of the 4.7 million from the 26 counties, let alone those up north who identify as Irish. Odds aren’t in favour of you being right
@Nathan Hayes: Google it! You probably use it for your life questions anyway!
@The Risen: Their bull doesn’t work on us south of the border, thankfully.
@Nathan Hayes: His phone must be broke……
@Nathan Hayes: bullshit media spin next red they will gain votes ….fact!
@Nathan Hayes: I understand your concerns however what is meant by England out of Ireland means the establisment having any say on the island of Ireland and it certainly does not mean english people in general whom we are friends with are related to and most definately love. The ties between the English and Irish people goes far beyond a sign held at some parare.
@Daniel Roche: The unionists are Irish .
@Daniel Roche: Its not your country it’s an island and what makes you think it belongs to you .
@Nathan Hayes: nobody is telling your mother or any British person to leave. We are clearly telling the British establishment to get out of our country.
@Will Thompson: just England, The English? Not Scotland, Wales etc.. just the English? Ffs
@Frankie Mangan: it’s not our country, it’s a piece of turf on terra firma. Broaden your mind.
@Cal Mooney: time has moved on for some of us…..
@Nathan Hayes: stupid, ill judged effort by yer wan now showing up in the latest poll..
@The Risen: not really an all Ireland party when they refuse to take their seats in the British Parliament allowing the DUP nutters an open goal.
@Will Thompson: is it 2019 or still 1619 with you buddy?
@Daniel Roche: rubbish
@Nathan Hayes: You should re-evaluate your understanding of the English word; the banner says England get out of Ireland NOT English get out of Ireland .There is a difference and the SF objective is for a united Ireland ergo England should not be Governing any part of Ireland . We still are living the effects of the plantations .
@Gus Sheridan: Not an all Ireland party for refusing to take their seats in the BRITISH parliament?
Didn’t really think that one true, did you Gus?
* through
@Nathan Hayes: It says England not English out of Ireland.
Fine Gael going nowhere, they’ve never had a Dáil majority and they never will. They do no represent the majority of the Irish people. Ireland’s Tory party out
@P Quinn:
And FF in ?????
@P Quinn: after the Next General Election they’ll still have more seats than any other party, what do you suggest we do then?
@Roy Dowling:
FF SF
@Patrick Nolan: Yea not going to happen
@P Quinn:
To be fair right across Europe no party is getting overall majorities any more, they can’t even manage it in the UK with their FPtP system.
@Roy Dowling:
Why not? If you want to destroy SF it’s the only way. A few years as FFs mudflap should do the trick.
@Patrick Nolan: so the gangsters who bankrupted the country and the totally clueless? You’d have to hope the Irish electorate are smarter than that.
@John Somers:
I can assure you John I will not be voting for either but after the next election we will most likely either have a continuation of the existing government or FF SF. Can’t see anything else happening.
@P Quinn: applying your logic means FF did represent the majority of Ireland.
But yet FF basically opposed marriage equality and repeal 8th referendum s, both of which passed by a landslide majority. Repeal 8th had the biggest landslide of any ref.
So it’s a bit much to claim or even suggest that just FF held a majority in the Dail that the represented a majority of Ireland.
I’m no fan of FG and they’ve made a balls of a good few things, but they’ve handled numerous things including Brexit far better then FF ever could.
@Barry Somers: any party could have done what FG has done for Brexit. Read the EU script.
@Patrick Nolan: who said i want to destroy SF?.
@P Quinn: 6 point ahead of nearest rival!!!!
@Paddy Doherty: Ye don`t get a medal halfway through a race, cool your jets,
@P Quinn: sinn fein is far too toxic to be attractive as a coalition partner for any of the mainstream parties, although if the figures added up for FF, who knows what would happen?
@Paddy Doherty: yeah same as last election but with an arrogant leader we’re back to base
@Roy Dowling: emigrate, or suffer their continuing mismanagement .
@Roy Dowling: vote for someone else someone who has no connection to either of the f party’s ?
Good good for Sinn Fein, who want to tax me 62% so I’ll work for the state until 9.45am Thursday to pay for benefits for the 5.1% not doing any work or making any contribution to the public finances.
@Tony Shaw: LOL! Any tax increase under SF wouldn’t kick in on any money you earn until after you’ve cleared €100,000
@The Risen: Are you actually thick enough to believe that?
@The Risen: Sinn Fein would tax the life out of companies who create jobs, they would of course increase cooperation tax of multinationals who would in turn move to Eastern Europe taking jobs with them and also Sinn Fein would screw the farmers with tax hikes the back bone of this country.
@The Risen: so it won’t affect you. Ever.
Amazing how people are in favour of additional taxes that they don’t have to pay.
^
Love these lads trotting out idle speculation as fact.
@The Risen: Too easy.
@The Risen: your an expert at farting out idle comments as facts
@Mairtin Antaine O Conaill: Nope, just an expert when it comes to the correct usage of the words your and you’re.
Shall I book you in for a lesson?
@The Risen: pontificator of all things it appears. Amazing how such a talent spends his days trying to educate the masses on all things of your own opinion. Must be exhausting correcting people. Fed up being successful are we?
@The Risen: were is that document were this is written down on
@ToNY S
It is a party of protest. Very populist like! Always against, never constructive.
@Gee: Yeah, sorry SF are against things like not trying to solve the Health service and homeless crises. Sorry for being in support of holding ministers who manage to overspend 1.3 billion on a hospital. I know you are all for it. I could go on, but I don’t think you listen very well my friend.
@Cal Mooney: under Provisional SF homelessness in NI has reached a level that is six times worse per capita, than the disastrous level FG is responsible for here
@Stephen Kearon: If you knew anything about the North, you would know that how homelessness is measured is very different to the South. Everyone on HAP would be considered as homeless using your methodology. Using that metric down here would leave 800,000 homeless. You must try harder Stephen.
@Cal Mooney: if you knew anything you would know that homelessness there has increased by over 30%, jog on if you think anyone with a brain believes Shinner maths
@Stephen Kearon: under ff our country was destroyed for several generations including all those without a home in this republic
@matthew o reilly: I can’t wait for FF leadership to expel this obviously broken tool from their arsenal.
@Stephen Kearon: Funny that. The shinners got their math right for the last election, while FF/FG were left looking rather foolish.
https://www.thejournal.ie/fiscal-space-2586172-Feb2016/
‘The phantom €2 billion: How everyone except Sinn Féin got the maths wrong’
:)
@The Risen:
As much as I dislike SF the Risen is correct on that.
The phrase”Fiscal Space” will haunt FG party strategists for decades.
@Cal Mooney: Be sarcastic all you want. Doesn’t change the fact, that even when the 2 main parties are so truly terrible, SF can only manage 13%.
@Cal Mooney: to be fair its easy for SF to say things from the sidelines, they can’t even form a government in Northern Ireland.
@Cal Mooney: of course Sinn Fein would wave their magic fairy dust and making everything better.
@Patrick Nolan: that’s because Pearce Doherty is a mathematical end economic genius.
@Chin Feeyin: Well he’s enough of a genius to spell his name correctly….it’s ‘Pearse’
@The Risen: whatever way you spell it, he’s still a genius.
@Chin Feeyin:
I think SF fiscal policies would be economic suicide but there is no doubt that “Pearce” Doherty nailed Noonan back in the 2016 GE and I believe contributed to the loss of seats FG took.
@SidNolan: Wow, this week of all weeks demonstrated that the ‘Conservative and Unionist’ party in England couldn’t even get their brethren in the North of this Island to come on board after 2 years and billion euro bribes .. but I like what you did there, make out that SF are the ones that are unreasonable. The rest of Europe is just open mouth aghast at how intransigent the DUP are, but you make it out that it’s SF that don’t want to share power?
@Stephen Kearon: Ireland just uses 3 Catergories of ETHOS Light typology re ‘official’ homeless figures and excludes most Catergories.
The UK just excludes 1 Catergory of ETHOS Light Categories!
Also Northern Ireland has compiled a Report using all 13/14 Catergories of full version of ETHOS typology!
@Barry Somers: can’t, or won’t?
Sinn Fein have badly let down their electorate up North and its probably having a domino effect on this pole.
Non participation and shouting abuse from the sidelines is that parties speciality and more people thankfully seem to be realising this.
@sean de paore: Up north, they won their seats on a policy of abstention. Amazing the amount of people so used to being let down post election, that still have a problem with politicians who actually stick to their word.
@The Risen: I though that you are not a SF supporters??
Thought Renua went out with the dial up modem
Red sea and businesses post oviouly as usless guide to living in ireland as fine gael and fianna fail spin
@Richard Doherty: absolutely Richard. Smoke and Mirrors of the highest order
@Donnacha Bhoicaire: unless it’s good for SF and others, then the polls are correct obviously
@Richard Doherty: I’d ask for a refund of your education, looking at your spelling and grammar.
@George Salter: 9and why should i george your the idiot with uneducated comments
@George Salter: “I’d ask for a refund on the education you received, judging by your spelling and grammar”
@George Salter: I’d ask for a refund just for being named George
@Pixie McMullen:
‘Pixie?”
@Patrick Nolan: Don’t joke about his childhood nickname, he flips out.
Can’t take it. Dishes it, but can’t take it.
Excellent…..
SF need to take their seats in Westminister stop the DUP getting no deal Brexit….Votes next week will be very close…
@iComment: SF taking there seats won’t make a slight bit if difference. And the fact there is more votes Next Week is an insult to democracy and another reason SF shouldn’t take there seats.
@iComment: Sinn Fein want a hard no deal Brexit, no matter what they may say in public
@Roy Dowling: Provisional SFs never ending support for IRA terrorists is real insult to democracy, such as them applauding killers of our Gardai at their Ard Fheis
@Stephen Kearon: Speaking of supporting the IRA, didn’t the former leader of your party, charlie haughey, get caught up in a scandal trying to import guns for them?
@Stephen Kearon: Funny, U have always objected to a proper public inquiry into the Dublin Monaghan bombings which killed 3 times more people in the South in one day than all the IRA activities. Do you deliberately pick sound bites to suit your argument? You are on another thread tonight saying that all the civilians murdered in Gaza, Men Women and a disproportionate number of children died from something other than a disproportionate military response by the Israelis and that the murdered and injured are too stupid to know what freedom they need.
@iComment: you do realize,they get elected cause they don’t take there seats, like I don’t vote SF,but you have to respect a party sticking to there election promises
@James Wallace: of course they want a hard no deal Brexit, increases the support for a border patrol. But, has anyone figured out what would happen if the North votes for unification but the south votes against accepting the £12 billion a year liability a year that the north is?
@Daniel Roche:
Election promises have little to do with elections in NI and everything to do with a sectarian head count.
Just over half the population vote DUP to keep SF out and the rest vote SF to try get DUP out.
@Vocal Outrage:Jaysus man, it was only 9 billion according to your estimates a year ago. Did Denis Oobrien get in contact with your party since the 2018 estimate? International and prize winning economists say that within 5 years it would be a 15 billion boon positive to thisIslands economy. But I should defer to your economic genius on this one. Why would I ever doubt your motives.
@Stephen Kearon: I’m no supporter of SF, FG, FF or any of the political parties. There all as bad as each other.
Mary Lou is not the right leader. She certainly hasn’t got her finger on the pulse over Northern Ireland and I’m not quite sure where she is on Brexit.
@ted hagan: Compare that to any Party leader. Where do any of them differ?
@Cal Mooney: they would probably take seats in Westminster also and go toe to toe over there for their cause. Abstentionism is a kop out and even suits the opposition. It’s not rocket science that given the situation over there SF could be very influential. Swear allegiance to the Queen (lie, after all, they are politicians) and get in the trenches.
Provisional SF’s magic beans economics and naked sectarianism has being exposed, they utterly bombed in Aras18 despite the huge money they spent. Wonder how long before real puppet masters in Belfast intervene, especially as Provisional SF always get less in real election than polls
@Stephen Kearon: ‘especially as Provisional SF always get less in real election than polls’
Says the master at getting less in elections….Nothing to say of FF economics which has wrecked the country twice in my lifetime.
@Stephen Kearon: Oh, hi stephen. Having fun propping leo and simon up in power??
@Stephen Kearon: magic beans economics of SF ?? FF ruined the economy 10 years ago and FG are giving us the absolute disgrace of the National children’s hospital which is coming in at least €800 million over budget. Saying SF economics are “magic beans” really doesn’t fly anymore,FF and FG have actually screwed the country’s finances to an unforgivable degree .
@The Risen: if it wasn’t our country it’d be funny seeing how bad things have to get before ff feel confident enough to withdraw support. The many crises we’ve had and they still know they have no chance.
@Adam O’Donoghue: Twit. The fact that FF/FG economics are dodgy, doesnt suddenly make SF snake oil valid. I have no particular issue with any party, but SF can’t do basic sums, let alone complicated stuff like compound interest
@George Salter: but SF can do sums,their budget submissions have all been tested by the Department for finance.FG do sums to deliberately screw the public purse in favour of their pals in business and to help their own business interests
@George Salter: ‘but SF can’t do basic sums’
Example….
@George Salter: Their sums were basic enough to spot Noonans Fiscal €2 Billion gaping hole
Good. Flutes. Eternally in the oppositon with no real intent to lead because they haven’t got the ability to. How the leader acts in a very public settings is a good example of this.
I’m struggling here, but can someone help me, can anyone name one half decent TD from FG one just one?
@Michael Sage:
Damien English
Simon Coveney
Helen McEntee
That’s three. Richard Bruton isn’t bad either.
Now, can anyone name more than one sinn fein td? Anyone who isn’t a member of the cult, that is.
@John Mulligan: Simon Coveney who bet his political career on solving the homeless crisis and then legged it?? THAT Simon Coveney??
@Pixie McMullen: the guy who steered us through the Brexit process with a far steadier hand than varadkar would have done.
ohn Mulligan: Through the Brexit process??? – are you telling me it is over???
when did the Brexit debacle finish?? what is the end result??
you are better off trying to peddle that book in Waterstones, because your non fiction here is crap
@John Mulligan: Isn`t Damien English another clown with the title of Minister for Housing and Urban Development.??
hows his portfolio working out?
Jesus, but you back some losers – i`d say you lost everything but your virginity at Cheltenham
@John Mulligan: are you for real,if Mr English ever tells the truth???as for the other two the less said!!!!!!!
SF under Mary Lou: how the mediocre have fallen. :)
@Clifford Brennan: Could be worse, we could have a liar of a leader who cares about socks more than his own people
@Pixie McMullen: Sock derangement syndrome claims another shinner. My sympathies. :)
@Clifford Brennan: Am i wrong??
@Pixie McMullen: Frequently.
Thanks be to God for that. An appalling bunch of people
@Gavin Carney: such an uncouth bunch of raggle taggle dear boy
@Gavin Carney: Ok Gav enough about FG.
Knackers
luke ming teaching lieo a lesson in neutrality https://www.facebook.com/Lukemingflanagan/videos/1919726801464572/UzpfSTEwMDAwMjY3MDM0MTUyMzoyMDI0NDgzNDg0MzE3MzEw/?id=100002670341523
@Noel McGuinness: ah! The kraken wakes!
Must be an election coming.
@John Mulligan:He’s on twitter every day have a look
You ever notice SF always seem to be slipping in the polls and winning more seats
@dominic jones: vote early and often…
We’re lucky to have the stability of Fine Gael. A good party attracting the right people.
@Tim Oleary: like Varadker, Harris,Murpy, how lucky are we lol
Mehole will have to face public soon and real truth shall be revealed. FFG will be down again ….
@Willy: Even during the worst crash in our history, caused by FF, SF couldn’t become relevant. So you guys keep telling yourself they will come out on top, sane people not only don’t believe it, they don’t even waste time thinking about SF. Completely irrelevant.
@SidNolan: Puzzles how their down in polls ever time election is near and yet gain more seats… Someone’s telling porkies …
@SidNolan: in the forthcoming general election the sale of Pampers is going to go through the roof , what are they going to hide behind lol
Couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch of peoplel
Are people finally wishing up to the IRA?
Or will their popularity jump up a bit when they shake a few promises out of the magic Venezuelan money tree?
Best news I’ve had today.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the politicians with some integrity from across all the party’s got together and formed a new one that actually put the people at the top of their agenda… oh wait. Never mind…
The Shinner abstentionist policy from Westminster, & their collapsing of the Stormont executive, has rendered them irrelevant in the current critical discourse, so they have only themselves to blame.
They have given the DUP a free hand on Brexit, & left the remain constituency in NI, both nationalist & unionist, with just 1 spokesperson in parliament.
This purist abstentionism had a mandate & justification in 1919, but it most certainly is nonsense today, when pragmatic politics is struggling to sustain & propagate the western style democracies that have served us well since 1945. Even more so in Ireland, where democratic politics succeeded in establishing a peaceful co-existence after 30 years of terrorism.
The people deserve representation from those they have entrusted with their votes.
All these red c polls are all lies and propaganda trying to influence the sheepy voter
@Johnny Conway: if you compare Red C polls with actual elections you will find them to be one of the most accurate polling companies. They also publish full details of the methodology of their polls for anyone bothered to read
@Johnny Conway: Your evidence?
@Johnny Conway: Not the only time they got it wrong, remember?
Sinn Fein go down and Fianna Fáil go up. It’s like a horrible 69′r. Arlene’s raspberries will be like bullets tonight. Big, thick, sink plug ones
@Roy O’Rourke:
Juvenile.
We need a strong real right wing party in Ireland.
A drop in support for SF. Goodness, I wonder why.
Good to see Fianna Fáil edging back towards the top. People are finally beginning to realise the crash wasn’t Fianna Fáil’s fault
They havent gone away yeno
Yould have to say she is not a great salesperson. It was a stupid thing to do and be photographed doing. With that attitude a united Ireland will never happen. And Cal you are deluded!!!
Does anyone have a link to any poll that showed FG might/would lose 26 seats in 2016 General Election?
It’s not the banner. She is a plonker
In fairness, as a country we a screwed! There’s not one party worth a vote
FF the puppets of FG.All these FF tossers in Fingal cant get a Garda station open in Malahide yet an independent muppet can. Remember the FF wasters in Fingal when it comes to election time. Fickle voters in Malahide or idiots blinded by family dynasties. Of course I forgot sure Malahide are all blow ins.
Major gains anyway for FF FG….The stupidity of the Irish electorate continues to astound me.
SF vote is down because they supported Lord Ross’s mental drink driving laws.
They have only themselves to blame.
That poll is so stupid the power of media while the only Party that hold Fine Gael accountable for there actions every single day in the Dail .FF sit back and watch Fine Gael tear this Country a part and do absolutely nothing. I don’t think the people of Ire are going to be that stupid when it comes to the Elections.
have your say