Forget pumpkins and go back to our terrifying roots with Irish turnip 'Jack-o-Lanterns'

With October’s autumnal grip tightening around our ever-decreasing hours of daylight, thoughts turn to Halloween.

Perhaps you’ve already decided what costume you’ll be wearing – will it be an ironic or sexed-up nod to popular culture, or something with a little bit more bite to it. Maybe you’ve even given some thought to carving up a pumpkin and making a Jack-o-Lantern, all while sipping on a pumpkin-spiced latte in a nod to our American cousins' love of the orange spooky staple?

The cherished tradition of the gently glowing candle-lit vegetable is fast becoming a mainstay of how we Irish do Halloween, but for purists out there, you’ll need to get your hands on a turnip.

Gardaí in armed standoff with man in Dublin housing estate

Gardai have arrested a man following a stand-off at a housing estate in Dublin.

Gardai were called to Cashel Road in Crumlin at 3.15 this afternoon, where a man had barricaded himself into a house.

The Emergency Response Unit was called to assist gardai who are understood to have been serving an arrest warrant on a man for suspected burglary.

Neighbours say the man had barricaded himself into the house, and threatened to shoot gardai.

Brian O'Driscoll dissects why things went wrong against Argentina

Brian O'Driscoll has dissected some of the reasons why Ireland tasted defeat to Argentina in yesterday's Rugby World Cup quarter-final.

The Ireland legend and Off The Ball guest presenter shared his thoughts on yesterday's disappointment on tonight's show.

"I've never seen Ireland defend as narrow as they did and the disappointing thing for me is that you could see it early on," he said.

"For me, the two biggest losses were Jonny at 10 and possibly from a defensive point of view, Jared at 13, just being able to pull guys out to the width." 

Adding that "unfortunately we lost too many of our key players" to injury, Brian also picked out another factor from the performance.

Some 80 pellets of suspected cocaine recovered from body of Brazilian man

Gardaí are awaiting the results of forensic and toxicology tests following a post mortem on the body of a man who died on board an Aer Lingus flight on Sunday.

Tests are being conducted on a number of packages recovered during the examination at Cork University Hospital.

It is believed 80 pellets, of what is suspected to be cocaine, were recovered in total.

Gardaí are investigating the possibility 24-year-old Brazilian man, John Kennedy Santos Gurjao, was being used as a drugs mule.

Funeral of Carrickmines victims hears "settled and traveller united" over tragedy

The Parish Priest of the Travelling People has told the funerals of five victims of the Carrickmines fire - that he hopes their deaths bring about new unity between communities.

25-year-old Willie Lynch; his partner Tara who was 27 and pregnant at the time of her death; their two children Kelsey aged 4 and Jodie aged 9; and Willie's brother Jimmy aged 39; were all laid to rest in Bray earlier today.

The funerals of the other five victims - all members of the Connors family - will take place on Thursday.