Gardaí appeal for witnesses to this morning's M50 crash

Gardaí in Dublin are appealing for witnesses to this morning's crash on the M50 which has left a 47 year old woman critically ill in hospital.

It happened at around 5.30 a.m. on the southbound motorway, close to junction 7, Lucan.

The woman was alone in the car which collided with two trucks.

Gardaí investigate claims of sex abuse made against former government minister

Gardaí are investigating claims of sexual abuse made against a former government minister.

It is understood a number of alleged victims have come forward in recent months.

Their claims are now being investigated by a Specialist Child Protection unit. These allegations date back to the 1980s.

Both a male and a female victim have come forward separately, and made statements to gardaí in the last six months.

Their claims relate to incidents in Dublin and one in the Midlands.

Apple to create up to 1,000 new jobs for Cork

The Jobs Minister Richard Bruton says the Irish tax code will prove itself to be compliant with EU rules.

He made the comments after it was announced that up to 1,000 new jobs are being created at Apple in Cork.

Last month, the European Union ruled that 'sweetheart' tax deals between multinational companies and member states were unlawful.

Reforms outlined by the OECD aimed to close international loopholes, which allow multi-nationals to shift profits to countries with the cheapest tax regimes.

WATCH: Nine things you probably didn't know about Home Alone

In 1990, Home Alone was released and quickly became a Christmas classic. It's Die Hard for kids, with one plucky nine- year-old taking on a pair of bumbling baddies with the kind of violent ingenuity that should raise a few flags at a psychiatrist's office. 

Would a child like Kevin McCallister be left emotionally scarred by his run-in with the Wet Bandits? Well, Macauley Culkin was left physically scarred, after Joe Pesci bit hit finger and broke the skin. That's just one of the nine facts you probably don't know about the classic Christmas caper. 

JD Wetherspoon purchase former church in central Dublin

British pub chain JD Wetherspoon has bought a new site in Dublin's city centre, it paid close to €1.5m for a former church on Lower Abbey Street - the property had a guide price of €400,000.

The former Baptist church has been used over the last decade as a rehearsal space for the near by Abbey Theatre.

More than 12 parties expressed an interest in the Office of Public Works property which was sold at auction yesterday