Coroner Loretta Nolan called for swimming lessons to be made a formal part of the curriculum at secondary school level

A coroner has called for regular inspections to be carried out on the accessibility of lifebuoys after an inquest heard friends of a teenager who got into difficulty while swimming in the Grand Canal could not untie a lifebuoy from its stand to assist in attempts to rescue him.

A sitting of Kildare Coroner’s Court heard Max O’Connor (15) from Newcastle, Co Dublin drowned while swimming in the canal at the 13th Lock between Ardclough and Celbridge, Co Kildare on May 11, 2024.

The coroner, Loretta Nolan, issued a number of riders to her verdict after hearing evidence from several eyewitnesses about the inability of other teenagers to remove a lifebuoy from its stand.

Dr Nolan said she would write to Waterways Ireland to alert them of her recommendation that lifebuoys should be both available and accessible.

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The coroner acknowledged that there is a problem with vandalism of the lifesaving equipment but stressed that there was a need to “get the balance right” in terms of making them accessible.

She said it was important for anyone considering getting into water to help another to be able to access lifebuoys for their own personal safety.

Dr Nolan also called for swimming lessons to be made a formal part of the curriculum at secondary school level.

The coroner, who revealed she had lifeguard qualifications herself, noted that transition year students do some lifeguard training in association with Water Safety Ireland.

She observed that it would be good for all post primary students to have the knowledge of what to do if they found themselves in similar situations.

The inquest heard evidence from six teenagers who were with the deceased at the time of the fatal incident.

They told the coroner how two groups of friends from different schools had met up and decided to go swimming in the Grand Canal near the Cliff at Lyons country retreat.

The inquest heard that Max – a 3rd Year student at Coláiste Chilliain in Clondalkin, Dublin – had gone to the canal on his e-scooter with a speaker to play music.

The teenagers described how some of them were jumping in and out of the canal but Max had originally indicated he was not going to go in the water.

Another friend said he and Max had jumped into the water together after others had been diving into the canal for about 30 minutes.

He raised the alarm just after 5pm after realising that his friend was not getting out of the water.

One witness said he would have advised the deceased not to go in the water if he had realised he could not swim.

The teenager recalled seeing Max was drowning when he saw him trying to swim to the surface with air bubbles coming out of his mouth. He said he jumped back into the water and both were reaching out to try and grab hold of each other.

The witness said he tried to hold onto a chain to go deeper but “we were out of reach of each other.”

He added: “Everyone loved Max. He was a good friend and a friendly guy.”

He described the deceased as “very funny” and “gentle.”

“We’ll all miss Max. He’ll never be forgotten,” he concluded.

Another youth who dived into the canal to try and rescue Max said his friend looked like he was panicking in the water.

The witness said he and another swimmer had grabbed the deceased by the arms but were unable to pull him up.

“He was struggling and panicking,” the teenager recalled.

He said others were screaming at them to get out of the water which was estimated to be 15-20 foot deep where the group were swimming.

One girl fought back tears as she described how they struggled to remove the lifebuoy off its stand.

Another boy described trying to kick at the lifebuoy’s stand to try and break it as its rope was “wrapped around a pole” and could not be removed.

A woman living near the lock, Maeve Boylan, described how she was originally wary of the group of teenagers as she had experience of some groups being “trouble” but had observed how they seemed “calm and friendly.”

Ms Boylan said she realised that there was a bit of panic among them at one stage and realised a short time later what had happened when she heard someone shout out that someone was missing.

She told the inquest that she had spent 20 minutes on a 999 call to emergency services, while she had also got a key to open the lock to drain the water from the area where the group were swimming.

Ms Boylan said she was frustrated at not being able to do anything further to help and at realising that they were not going to be able to save the victim.

An aunt of the deceased, Joanne Moore, gave evidence of formally identifying her nephew’s body to gardaí.

Dr Nolan said the results of a postmortem showed that Max had died from drowning.

She said toxicology reports had corroborated the evidence of the witnesses that the deceased had not consumed any alcohol or drugs.

Returning a verdict of accidental death, Dr Nolan also recommended that counselling should be provided to Max’s friends, if they had not already received it.

The coroner said she would be writing to the different schools attended by the witnesses about her belief that counselling would be beneficial for them.

“It’s an experience that most people don’t experience thankfully,” she observed.

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Ahead of International Women’s Day on March 8, more than 60 stars, including Hollywood actresses Cate Blanchett, Gillian Anderson and Keira Knightley, have joined global feminist organisation The Circle’s funding appeal, #MakeAStandfor1in3, to help tackle gender-based violence.

The double-digit decrease will save households an average of over £92 per year.

One of Northern Ireland’s largest suppliers of natural gas has announced that it will be making a further reduction to its tariffs for all domestic customers living in the ‘Ten Towns Network’ area from next month.

Effective from April 1, this double-digit decrease by firmus energy Supply will save households an average of over £92 per year. It follows a review of the regulated gas tariff for the firm in the area by the Utility Regulator.

The Ten Towns network includes Antrim, Armagh, Ballymena, Ballymoney, Banbridge, Coleraine, Craigavon (including Lurgan and Portadown), Limavady, Derry, Newry and more than 25 other towns and villages in the surrounding areas.

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The Newtownabbey-based firm previously lowered its gas tariff by 7.86% last October and by 11.84% in April 2025, providing significant additional savings for customers.

Ryan Miskimmin, Sales Director at firmus energy Supply, said: “As Northern Ireland’s largest gas supplier by volume, we want to provide the best value possible to all our customers by reducing tariffs when possible.

“This is our third consecutive tariff reduction for the Ten Towns Network in the space of a 13-month period. This latest reduction of 10.1%, which follows engagement with the Utility Regulator and the Consumer Council, is sure to be welcomed by our growing number of customers who have made the switch to natural gas.

“Since April last year, our consecutive reductions have decreased our tariffs by 27% with a cumulative saving of around £300 per customer. We know that these savings, coupled with the constant heat and instant hot water that natural gas provides, will be warmly welcomed by customers in the Ten Towns Network.”

The Greater Belfast Network area tariff is also currently under review by the company.

Colin Broomfield, director of markets at the Utility Regulator, said the move comes following a reduction in wholesale gas prices.

But he added that the analysis was completed before the latest conflict in the Middle East, which he said has impacted gas prices globally, adding that they expect that wholesale gas prices will remain volatile while the conflict continues.

Mr Broomfield said those who are worried about paying for their electricity or gas should contact their supplier in the first instance and discuss options.

“In addition, there are a number of agencies who can provide free and independent advice to households, including Advice NI, Christians Against Poverty, the Consumer Council and Money and Pensions Service’s MoneyHelper,” he said.

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It’s part of plans to build a 70km long water pipe through the region

A “strategic” 70km pipeline could be built through Cambridge to ease pressure on one of the UK’s most “water-stressed regions”. Anglian Water is planning to build the pipeline from the Grafham Water reservoir through Cambridge to the village of Rede in West Suffolk.

In this second stage of the plans, a 49km water pipe will be built from Cambridge to Rede, south of Bury St Edmunds. Ian Rule, director of water services at Anglian Water, said: “The East of England is one of the driest and fastest‑growing regions in the country, and climate change is putting increasing pressure on the water resources we all depend on.

“The Cambridge to Rede pipeline is a vital part of our long‑term plan to keep taps flowing for future generations, while protecting the environment and reducing reliance on sensitive sources like chalk streams. At this early stage, it’s really important that we listen to the communities along the proposed route.

“This consultation is about sharing information, answering questions and making sure local views help shape the plans before we move forward.” The East of England is the driest and one of the fastest-growing regions in the country.

The proposed pipeline would transfer water from areas where it is more available to places where supplies are under increasing pressure. This aims to reduce the number of homes and businesses dependent on a single water source.

Andy Alder, managing director for major infrastructure delivery at Anglian Water, said: “Delivering infrastructure on this scale has to be done in the right way – with communities, not around them. We’ve already carried out extensive environmental and archaeological surveys to help shape the proposed route and avoid sensitive areas wherever possible, and we’ll continue to refine our plans as we gather feedback.

“By using modern construction techniques and careful planning, our aim is to minimise disruption while leaving a positive legacy for the areas we work in.” Anglian Water has launched a consultation which seeks people’s views on the proposed pipeline.

Anyone who would like to share feedback can do so by emailing strategicpipelines@anglianwater.co.uk or calling 03457 145145 and quoting strategic pipelines. The consultation closes on April 12.

Former Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho starred in Chelsea’s 4-1 win over Aston Villa, with Liam Rosenior full of praise for his outstanding performance at Villa Park

Liam Rosenior heaped praise on Chelsea winger Alejandro Garnacho after the Blues’ triumph over Aston Villa. The west London boss highlighted the winger’s reaction in team meetings as a positive, in great contrast to how Garnacho’s spell at United under Ruben Amorim ended.

Rosenior’s side demolished Unai Emery’s team 4-1 at Villa Park, despite falling behind inside two minutes. Joao Pedro produced an outstanding hat-trick following Douglas Luiz’s early strike, whilst Cole Palmer also got on the scoresheet.

It was former Manchester United star Garnacho who attracted considerable attention at the final whistle for an impressive display, however. Rosenior pointed out that his player had been frustrated by his recent lack of game time and praised Garnacho’s work on the training ground after he registered an assist in Wednesday night’s win.

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Speaking post-match, the head coach was emphatic in his verdict after the winger vindicated his prediction of an excellent performance. He also praised the Argentine’s attitude following the huge win. “He’s outstanding. He was outstanding,” Rosenior said.

“I’ve had a lot of conversations with him. I said in there, I knew he’d play well tonight because of how he has been training the last ten days and two weeks. He’s been disappointed not to play and he should be.

“In a positive way, he’s shown that in his training and the meetings we’ve had. Not just going forward but defensively, Matty Cash is a top full back and he did a job on him.”

Rosenior’s praise of Garnacho’s professionalism continued in his press conference. “That’s normally what happens. When you’re professional, you do everything right on the training pitch,” he said.

“He’s really impressed me the last few weeks. He’s impressed me the most while he’s been out of the team, because his reaction to being out of the team is professionalism.

“The intensity that he’s trained at, it’s no coincidence that he’s going to perform like that today. That’s the most pleasing thing for me, he deserved that today. He should have got a goal, but he was in the right position, and I loved how unselfish he was to set up the goal for Joao.”

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Rosenior also expressed admiration for Pedro. When questioned about the forward’s performance by Joe Cole, Rosenior immediately described the Brazilian international as “scary”.

The Chelsea manager commented: “His mentality as well, he’s a warrior. He’s a fantastic footballer, but he’s strong and he’s physical.

“We’ve worked a lot with him about his positioning in the box. Two of his goals I’m delighted with because they’re in the six-yard box and that’s where strikers get goals.

“We know he’s an outstanding player and for me, he’s got even more to go, which is even better for us.”

It was tense. On the touchline Hürzeler and Arteta exchanged words and even when it was announced there would be just three minutes of added time, in a half which had been stop-start, that led to more boos from the Brighton supporters.

Remarkably Arsenal were in front with an XG – expected goals – of just 0.01 (for that Saka shot). But they had that precious lead and marshalling by Gabriel, taking on even more responsibility in the absence of the injured William Saliba, they had been defensively sound enough. Even if Brighton had undeniably been the better team.

In midfield it was a struggle for Arsenal. Declan Rice had recovered, having had to come off against Chelsea, but both he and his central partner, in particular, Martin Zubimendi look desperately in need of a rest – which hopefully Saturday’s FA Cup tie against League One Mansfield Town will afford them. Surely Arteta has to trust Christian Norgaard more?

Brighton’s dominance continued but they were struggling to create opportunities with passes and crosses over-hit even though it felt like they were in control. After Saka blazed over, after doing well to work some space, Arteta acted with a double change: on came Kai Havertz and, maybe, to rile the home support even more, Leandro Trossard.

Before that Raya was finally extended, diving low to repel Rutter’s half-volley after which he went down injured claiming he had hurt his shoulder. It was the second injury he had “suffered” leading to chants of “cheat, cheat, cheat”.

Brighton went close. Substitute Yankuba Minteh worked his way to the byline with his low cross deflected behind. It could have gone anywhere. Then Mats Wieffer headed weakly into Raya’s arms.

Arsenal needed to stabilise and did through pressure of their own, earning corners and forcing Brighton back and forcing an error from Baleba. Substitute Kai Havertz had a run at goal but the midfielder recovered and blocked.

For Brighton Jack Hinshelwood’s final involvement was to badly miscue a header, high over the crossbar, when he was well-placed to equalise. He gave way to Danny Welbeck.

At the other end and maybe Trossard should have settled it only to slice badly wide, leaving Arteta with his face in his hands as the tension unsurprisingly grew, the fatigue kicked in and more substitutions were made.

Havertz could have ended Brighton’s resistance but Verbruggen saved and the seven minutes of added time were met with cheers from Brighton.

“Arsenal, Arsenal,” implored their fans, fully aware of the score in Manchester and as Brighton laid a late desperate siege. The boos were there again at the final whistle. As were Arsenal’s celebrations, even more when the City score came through.

Paul Scholes aimed a dig at caretaker manager Michael Carrick after Manchester United’s Premier League defeat to Newcastle United.

Carrick suffered his first defeat since returning to Old Trafford as his United team were beaten 2-1 at St James’ Park.

Newcastle looked set for a difficult evening when Jacob Ramsey was sent off in the first half but the hosts then took the lead through Anthony Gordon’s penalty.

United were not behind for long, however, and equalised on the stroke of half-time through Casemiro’s header.

The Red Devils, unbeaten since Carrick replaced Ruben Amorim in January, were expected to make their numerical advantage count in the second half but were frustrated by a spirited Newcastle.

A stalemate looked inevitable until substitute William Osula curled home a brilliant goal to earn ten-man Newcastle a dramatic 2-1 win.

The victory sends Eddie Howe’s side up one place into 12th while Manchester United stay third, level on points with Aston Villa who lost 4-1 to Chelsea.

A number of pundits and a large section of United fans have been calling for Carrick to be given the job permanently following his impressive impact on the team.

Manchester United legend Scholes has voiced his concerns about his former teammate getting the job, however, and recently named Carlo Ancelotti as the ‘perfect’ candidate.

Taking to Instagram following United’s defeat at St James’ Park, Scholes said: ‘Michael has definitely got something special about him… cos Utd have been crap last 4 games… night.’

Carrick said he was ‘bitterly disappointed’ after Manchester United suffered their first Premier League defeat since January.

‘We are not happy the way we played tonight,’ he said. ‘The way the game panned out we had it in our hands largely but credit to Newcastle and they way they approached it.

‘We knew it would be tough but we navigated the game to a position where we could kick on but we didn’t. Bitterly disappointed really.

‘I don’t think it was the 10 men, we just didn’t play good enough. We can’t make excuses for that. We all take responsibility for that.

‘It was just the quality of the performance, it wasn’t character or wanting to win, it’s easy to throw that just because you don’t win a game of football.

‘Newcastle deserved to win tonight, it hurts me to say that. That is how it was. We need to get back to work and be better for the next game.

‘We’ve lost one game, we haven’t played well enough but in the grand scheme of things we are in a decent position. Tonight hurts but we will be better for the next one.

‘You have to get back at it, work hard and do the things we did to win the games we’ve won. We can do that, we are a good team, tonight wasn’t for us.

‘We have to learn from it and get better for it. We had a lot of praise lately and the boys deserve it, this doesn’t change how we approach the next game. We’ve got everything to play for.’

Red Devils goalkeeper Senne Lammens added: ‘It was nowhere near good enough.

‘We scored our goal just before half-time and it was really important to give us a good feeling going into half time.

‘When we step out on the pitch for the second half it needs to be better, I think our mentality needs to be better. In every aspect it was not our game today.

‘I’m not sure what we were lacking. Every team has those games, but you can’t put it like that you always have to perform, especially here.’

Manchester United now have the weekend off but return to Premier League action on March 15 against top-four rivals Aston Villa.

Newcastle, meanwhile, face Manchester City in the FA Cup this weekend before a huge Champions League knockout game against Barcelona.

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Instability in the Middle East, as the United States and Israel wage war with Iran, means that a World Cup play-off clash has been placed in doubt due to the impact on travel and administration

Iraq’s ability to continue its ambition to qualify for the World Cup has been plunged into doubt, following the outbreak of war in the Middle East. Iraq are scheduled to compete in a play-off later this month, but now face a number of significant travel issues that could see them stopped in their tracks.

The United States and Israel’s strikes in Iran have seen the nation target US military bases in neighbouring countries, with the likes of Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain being targeted. That has seen air travel almost grind to a halt in the region.

Iraqi Airways and the Ministry of Transportation have informed their national team that the country’s airspace will remain closed for ‘at least four weeks’. It is reported that around 40 per cent of the squad would be left unable to travel.

Iraq are set to face the winners of Bolivia vs Suriname in Monterrey, Mexico, on March 31, for a place at the World Cup in the same country, the United States and Canada. However, Mexico does not have an embassy in Baghdad and alternatives in Qatar and the UAE are now closed.

A number of Iraq’s players and backroom staff are yet to receive visas for Mexico or, additionally, the United States, where a training camp in Houston, Texas, had been planned.

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In a statement, the Iraq team confirmed they remained in communication about facilitating arrangements, with the side’s manager, Graham Arnold, unable to leave the UAE currently. The situation continues to be monitored.

The statement read: “The Iraqi National Team management confirms that it received official confirmation from FIFA today regarding the intercontinental playoff match qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.

“The match is scheduled to take place in Monterrey, Mexico, on the 31st March. Furthermore, the team’s management clarifies that it continues to communicate with FIFA about the arrangements for the national team’s participation in the intercontinental playoff in light of recent security developments in the Middle East.

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“FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) are fully aware of every development regarding our team’s situation. Because of airspace closures, our head coach, Graham Arnold, is unable to leave the United Arab Emirates.

“In addition, several embassies remain closed at the present time, preventing several professional players, technical and medical staff members from obtaining entry visas to Mexico.

“We assure our loyal supporters that we remain in close contact with both FIFA and the AFC, who are keeping tabs on the situation.”

It is also reported that Iraq are the most likely team to benefit should Iran withdraw from the World Cup. They are the next highest-ranked team based on results from the Asian Football Confederation qualifying tournament.

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Blood supplies can be ‘lifesaving’ and the NHS has called for donors of a specific type to come forward amid low stocks

The NHS has made an urgent call for people in Cambridge with a rare blood type to come forward and donate. It comes amid warnings that supplies are under pressure.

NHS Blood and Transplant has appealed to B negative donors in Cambridge to book an appointment as soon as they can or walk in to the Cambridge Donor Centre at Addenbrooke’s Hospital. Officials say there are 267 appointments still available this week at the donor centre.

Gerry Gogarty, Director of Blood Supply, said: “Right now, B negative stocks are at risk of running low. With this blood type, just a slight rise in hospital demand or one or two patients suddenly requiring a high number of units, can put significant extra pressure on supplies.

“We are calling on existing B negative donors to come forward and donate, and more people with this blood type to become regular donors and help secure the lifesaving supply of blood to patients in the months and years ahead.”

Only two per cent of the population have B negative blood, making it one of the least common types. Patients with the B negative blood type can only receive B negative or O negative blood. This means that low stocks of B negative can also impact emergency O negative supplies.

Existing B negative donors will be given priority access to appointments and are urged to call 0300 123 23 23. New donors who already know they are B negative can now add it when they register, allowing them to be prioritised.

Those with B negative blood are also asked to encourage family members to register and book an appointment to donate as they are 30 percent more likely to have this blood type than the general population.

Donating a unit of blood takes just an hour and each donation can save up to three lives. Men can give blood every three months and women every four months. Hospitals across England need more than 5,000 blood donations every day to ensure they have the blood they need to treat patients.

Bruno Fernandes, who gave away the spot-kick, then delivered a free-kick that was nodded in by Casemiro just before the interval and United’s skipper remained a creative threat throughout, with Aaron Ramsdale forced into several fine saves. The visitors piled on the pressure as the second half ticked on but were ultimately undone by a superb curling finish from substitute William Osula following a fast break. Relive the action as it happened below with our dedicated match blog, featuring expert insight and analysis.