Lyrics and Vocals: Scottish musician, songwriter(lyrics emblematic of the flower power era) and record producer, Donovan Phillips Leitch, known mononymously (without a surname or middle name), using only the single name ‘Donovan‘.
Donovan.
The song, hereunder, depicts a dreamy, mystical scene of “gulls wheeling, spinning” by the seaside on a Thursday. The lyrics evoke a peaceful, timeless feeling, not specifically tied to any location, but rather a mood, possibly hinting at a quiet, reflective time, spent away from the usual busy bustle of everyday living.
Jersey Thursday.
Jersey Thursday.
In the tiny piece of coloured glass my love was born, And reds and golds and yellows were the colours in the dawn. Night brought on its purple cloak of velvet to the sky, And the girls go willing spinning on Jersey Thursday.
In the tiny piece of coloured glass my love was born, And reds and golds and yellows were the colours in the dawn. Night brought on its purple cloak of velvet to the sky, And the gulls were wheeling, spinning on Jersey Thursday.
With Tipperary skies cloud free tonight, the first full moon of 2026, known as the Wolf Moon, lights up our skies.
Why is it called the Wolf Moon, I hear you ask? The name “Wolf Moon” is traditionally used to name the January full moon. It’s commonly linked to winter folklore, particularly the idea of wolves howling more often in midwinter, and belongs to a wider set of seasonal full-moon names popularised in North America and echoed in other traditions. It’s also been known historically by other names in some traditions, including the “Moon After Yule.”
“Wolf Moon” or “Moon After Yule”.
The term “supermoon” is not a formal astronomical definition, but is widely used in public skywatching guides. Ireland’s first full moon of the year, the Wolf Moon, reached peak illumination this morning (10:02am Irish time/GMT), with skywatchers getting their best viewing opportunities from Friday evening (January 2nd 2026) through the weekend, weather permitting.
This January 26 full moon is also widely being described as a “supermoon”, an informal term used when a full moon occurs relatively close to Earth in its orbit, which can make it appear a little larger and brighter than average. Even if you have already missed the exact peak time earlier this morning, not to worry, the moon will still look full to the naked eye across this weekend, all you need is a clear horizon, and a few minutes outside away from bright street lighting.
Best ways to see it in Ireland. Look for moonrise at dusk: the moon will rise in the east around sunset and climb higher as the evening goes on, with times varying by location. Try an open viewpoint: parks, beaches, higher ground, or anywhere with a clear eastern sky. Use binoculars or a small telescope; while the “full” phase flattens shadows on the lunar surface, it can still be striking, especially near the horizon.
HSE Test Purchases Show Over One in Five Vape Retailers Found Selling to Children.
Despite the under-18 sales ban, 51 retailers failed compliance checks between January and October 2025.
More than a fifth of vape shops tested are selling highly addictive vaping devices to children, despite a ban on sales to under 18 year olds, since 2023.
Between January and October last year, (2025), 51 retailers were caught selling vapes to children. This represented more than 22% of the 224 shops where inspectors carried out tests to see if the devices would be sold to under-18s.
Inspections were carried out by the HSE’s National Environmental Health Service, which is responsible for enforcing a 2023 law that banned the sale of nicotine-inhaling vaping products to children. The ban came into effect on December 22nd, 2023.
Retailers caught selling vapes to under-18s face a fine of up to €4,000 and up to six months in prison.
Tipperary: local enforcement: While the HSE figures on failed test purchases are published nationally (and do not provide a county-by-county breakdown), HSE tobacco-control conviction lists for 2025 include recorded enforcement outcomes in Co Tipperary, including: Thurles, Co Tipperary(HSE West / North Tipperary): a retail premises listed with an outcome of €500 fine plus €1,400 costs under Section 28 of the Public Health (Tobacco) Acts (date of court: 15 April 2025). Cashel, Co Tipperary(HSE South / South Tipperary): a licensed premises listed with an outcome of €500 fine plus €1,150 costs under Section 47 of the Public Health (Tobacco) Acts (date of court: 5 June 2025). Note: The published conviction list records outcomes under tobacco-control legislation and may relate to tobacco products and/or nicotine-inhaling products, depending on the case. Details outlined HERE.
Ireland also regulates the safety, quality and advertising of vapes through a 2016 European Union directive. Since March 2024 the HSE has had the power to carry out “test purchasing” to detect retailers who may be continuing to sell vapes to children. In 2024, the HSE carried out 256 inspections to make sure basic regulations on the sale of vapes were being upheld. From these inspections, 14 prohibition orders stopping the sale of unregulated vapes were served on shops which the HSE felt were not complying with the law.
A proposed law to ban the sale of disposable electronic cigarettes or vapes is making its way through the Oireachtas. One of the purposes of the Bill is to make vapes less attractive or accessible to children by banning cheaper disposable vapes. It will also restrict the flavours of vapes and limit any description of a flavour other than its basic name. Colours and images on vape packaging will also be restricted.
The law is also designed to lessen the environmental impact of the disposable nicotine products.
The Public Health (Single Use Vapes) Bill is now being asked to include an outright ban on brightly coloured and sweetly flavoured nicotine devices, which, it is alleged, are targeted at children. At committee stage on the disposable vapes Bill, the Government is understood to be addressing these issues.
The Child Law Project, under the executive directorship of Dr Carol Coulter, has been commissioned by the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to deliver a new Family Law Reporting Project, aimed at improving public understanding of private family law proceedings, while safeguarding the privacy of children and their families.
This project was awarded following a competitive procurement process that was launched on August 21st 2025 last. It is intended to build confidence in how private family law disputes are determined by the courts, while ensuring proceedings continue to remain private for those involved.
The Family Law Reporting Project is an initiative under Goal 6 (Data, Information and Management) of the Government’s Family Justice Strategy 2022-2025, which commits to improving data collection and sharing across the family justice system. Once established, the project is expected to run for three years.
Dr Coulter founded the Child Law Project in 2012 and has served as Executive Director since then. She is a former Legal Affairs Editor of The Irish Times and previously ran a pilot family law reporting project for the Courts Service in 2006/2007.
So what will the project will do:
Once operational, the Family Law Reporting Project is expected to:
Gather and analyse information on key aspects of private family law cases to support statistical reporting and trend analysis.
Produce accessible, anonymised reporting to enhance transparency and understanding of proceedings, while maintaining privacy protections for children and families.
Background The Family Justice Strategy is also committed to reviewing the operation of the in-camera rule. An independent research report published in May 2025 made 21 recommendations on balancing transparency with the privacy rights of families and children, including recommendations related to private family law reporting.
Homelessness in Ireland hits new record, with almost 17,000 people in emergency accommodation in November 2025.
Homelessness has risen to yet another record high, with 16,996 people accessing State-funded emergency accommodation in November 2025, according to the latest monthly report from the Department of Housing. The figures show 11,675 adults and 5,321 children were in emergency accommodation during the week 24–30 November, an increase of around 200 compared with October (16,766). The data also points to continued pressure on family services, with 2,525 family households and 7,382 single-adult households recorded nationally in November.
Tipperary and Munster. A county breakdown in the Department’s report shows 97 adults were accessing emergency accommodation in Tipperary during the November count week (24–30 November).
Across Munster counties, the same table records the following adult figures for the week:
Cork: 736; Kerry: 63; Limerick: 576; Clare: 98; Tipperary: 97, and Waterford: 112. Same above totals 1,682 adults across Munster counties during the count week.
Cold weather warnings. The latest increase comes ahead of a sharp cold snap, with Status Yellow warnings in place for snow/ice and low temperatures/ice, and Met Éireann warning of hazardous travel conditions and poor visibility in affected areas this weekend.
Calls for action: Focus Ireland have stated that the figures underline that the Government’s new housing plan must begin delivering in 2026, with urgent measures needed to speed up exits from homelessness and increase delivery of suitable homes.
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