U2 frontman Bono was awarded the Medal of Freedom by Joe Biden; he paid tribute to his bandmates and fellow activists as he became the first Irish recipient of the highest US civilian honour since Mary Robinson, awarded by Barack Obama in 2009

As three days’ worth of rain fell in a matter of hours, severe flooding hit parts of Northern Ireland yesterday in what locals say is the worst they have seen in 40 years; some people in Co Down have been unable to leave their homes after a deluge

The Health Service spent around €220.000 in the last two years to bury people who die in Irish hospitals but have no family to make arrangements, according to new figures; the amount includes long stay hospitals for people who have no traceable relative

Aer Lingus will fly from Dublin Airport to North Carolina from next April, bringing its total number of North American routes to 26, in its largest-ever transatlantic schedule in a bid to make Dublin a hub for connecting passengers