Every afternoon, TheJournal.ie brings you five things you really need to know at 5 o’clock.

1. #GE11: There’s bad news for Fianna Fáil today, as two opinion polls paint a bleak picture of how the country is likely to treat them on polling day next week. The Irish Independent’s poll, published by Millward Brown, puts the party’s electoral chances as bad as they have ever been, with just 12 per cent of voters likely to give the party their first preferences.

The Boards.ie opinion poll, meanwhile, has measured the second and subsequent preferences of over 13,000 voters and the results are no better: the party will pick up just under 7.5 per cent of second preferences and only 6.3 per cent of third preferences. In 31 constituencies where Boards.ie has calculated the full likely results, Fianna Fáil seems guaranteed to win just two seats.

Ned O’Keeffe, who isn’t running in the election, has meanwhile said an army coup is a “real possibility” in Ireland, and that the Fine Gael manifesto would “destroy the country.”

2. #VICIOUS: A man is recovering from a horrific attack on Monday in which he had part of his ear cut off – and was forced to eat it. The man was dragged down a lane off Eyre Street in Newbridge at 1am on Monday morning and severely beaten, before being forced to eat a part of his own ear.

3. #MORTGAGES: A national housing association has warned that the country is on the brink of a “tsunami” of householders being forced out of their homes. Aideen Hayden of Threshold says struggling householders are now reaching a major tipping point, and said a wave of repossessions was imminent unless “the employment situation starts to improve”.

4. #CUBA: The Irish artist who painted the legendary portrait of Che Guevara has launched a legal campaign to secure the rights on his iconic image. Jim Fitzpatrick created the image based on a photo taken by a local photographer, and wants to secure the rights to it so he can hand it over to the people of Cuba.

5. #JOBSWATCH: It’s not all bad news today, though: PayPal is creating 150 customer service jobs at its Blanchardstown HQ; while the entrepreneurial streak runs young in two young Donegal brothers.

Ronan and Conor McGarvey, aged 14 and 10 respectively, have started a home business where they make deluxe wooden pens – which sell for €15,95 each. Customers to date have included Daniel O’Donnell, while Brian Cowen, Eamon Gilmore and Gerry Adams have been among other recipients of the craft.