Fáilte Ireland has unveiled their programme for New Year’s Festival Dublin 2024, launching a music trail across some of the city’s most beloved venues. This year’s festival was officially launched by Cian Ducrot, Saibh Skelly, Liam O’Maonlai, Ciaran Moran and Hot Girl at Dublin Castle, as they shared their excitement for this year’s celebrations. With a variety of events spanning a number of days, all across Dublin County, there’s sure to be something for everyone to ring in the New Year in style. Developed by Fáilte Ireland in association with the Office of Public Works, New Year’s Festival Dublin is Ireland’s biggest New Year Celebration with 3 days of celebrations taking place across the county from 30 December 2024 through to 1 January 2025. This year differs slightly from the regular scheduled event, with organizers introducing a curated music trail, which will feature live performances from Ireland’s up and coming musicians and DJs across a host of Dublin venues. Whelans, O’Donohue’s, The Grand Social, The Workman’s Club, Wigwam, The Storyteller and Hyde Dublin, will set the scene for the new initiative, which features entirely free events across two days. The festival will also host a new NYF Dublin Fireworks Spectacular, with firework displays taking place in two locations across Dublin, in partnership with Fingal County Council and Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council. Events will take place in iconic Dublin venues including Dublin Castle and Meeting House square. Celebrate the New Year at the Echoes of Ireland Concerts, Countdown Concert, family friendly Countdown Concert Matinee, NYF Dublin Music Trail, NYF Dublin Fireworks Spectacular and New Year’s Day Concerts. Chatting to Extra.ie at the launch, Orla Carroll, Director of Product Development at Fáilte Ireland said: ‘It’s great to be here in Dublin Castle. It’s great to be announcing the New Years Eve Festival, because it’s a great thing for Dublin. It brings people into the city, brings visitors to the city, and it’s also good fun.’ A post shared by NYF Dublin (@nyfdublin) ‘There’s a whole plethora of free events, you know? So we’ve got the music trail, which we’re launching today, which is about eight venues across the city, so ‘Whelan’s, Workman’s Club with 18 acts. So that’s great for people to actually come into the city and experience this. Not only that, we have fireworks displays at 8pm in Dún Laoghaire and in Howth, again, a free event and a wonderful thing for families to maybe get out and celebrate New Year a little bit earlier.’ ‘While it is about getting people into the city and tourism, it’s also about promoting Irish culture and Irish musicians, and we have a fantastic lineup. I mean, the list is endless,’ she boasted. Headline act Cian Ducrot echoed these sentiments, sharing his excitement at leading the stacked lineup. ‘I mean, I think there’s no more magical, exciting gig, and I think, you know, any chance to be able to do a show that’s different than, you know, a tour or a festival, something like, really special, something unique,’ he praised. ‘It’s going to be such a unique show. I can’t wait. I’ve been really looking forward to it for a while now.’ Visit http://www.nyfdublin.com/ and www.visitdublin.com for more .Oncology Advancements Accelerate Amid Rising Early-Onset Cancer Diagnoses
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This year, Kim Stark’s kids took responsibility for decorating the family Christmas tree. Ornaments include toy cars, puzzle pieces, string and a pair of binoculars — things her three young daughters had handy after the family lost their home in summer’s devastating Jasper wildfire. “I have the most wonderful tree on the planet,” said Stark. “It’s part of our story and part of who we are. “If (the kids) are happy, I’m happy.” Stark is part of the fabric of the Jasper townsite, a 10-year member of the fire department and owner of a coffee shop and bakery. Her family, plus three furry pets and a fish, are living in a condo as they navigate rebuilding their home. “(The kids) miss our house, and we talk about our house,” said Stark. “We make sure we go to our neighbourhood, so that it doesn’t become somebody else’s neighbourhood.” Stark and other residents are anxious and nervous for the future following the fire that hit the town July 24. About 5,000 residents and 20,000 visitors were safely evacuated before the fire breached the western edge of town and destroyed 350 homes and businesses, including 820 housings units. The Insurance Bureau of Canada pegged the damage at $880 million. Six months after the fire, debris is still being cleared — lot by lot. Locals including Stark are quick to say things could have been worse. But anxiety over temporary living situations and what may be a long and slow rebuild process has many residents and municipal leaders feeling unsettled heading into 2025. For Sabrina Charlebois and David Leoni, the top concern is the Alberta government’s $112-million modular housing project. It’s to put up 250 pre-built rental units in the town and rent them to those displaced by the fire. Social Services Minister Jason Nixon said the first homes should be ready by late January or early February, with the rest in April. The majority are to be multi-bedroom suites to accommodate families. “If we can get all of our approvals on time, we definitely are on time to be able to build in the context of what we promised,” Nixon said. It’s complicated, he added, given there are layers of government with an Alberta town in a national park. Charlebois was born and raised in Jasper. The fire destroyed her childhood home, which her late father built, as well as the salon where she worked. “It’s better than nothing,” she said of the housing project, noting at least 2,000 residents were displaced so demand could outnumber the new units. Charlebois, who has been staying in a hotel, said it’s understandable projects like this take time. But “we’re six months into this, and there’s no homes for anyone.” “My fear is not finding a place to live, because I have to be out of my hotel by the spring,” she said. Leoni, a dentist and former Olympic biathlete, and his family also lost their home, as did seven staff at his clinic. He said the April cutoff date Charlebois is facing also applies to his staff staying in hotels. “Hopefully that’s concurrent with the provincial government’s opening of these modular units that they’re putting in, because we’re going to lose staff,” said Leoni. “Without them I can’t do anything.” The clinic needed to replace $160,000 worth of equipment and required a top-to-bottom scrub before appointments resumed in October. Leoni estimates his patient list is down one-third because of the fire. Whether those patients return remains to be seen. Charlebois and Leoni both said their anxiety is heightened when they consider the unpredictable nature of the town’s tourism economy and how it could complicate the pace of rebuilding. It’s a catch-22: residents need houses in order to rebuild and restart the economy, but they can’t restart the economy without tourists. And tourists require services, which require workers, who require housing. Bill Given, the town’s chief administrator, said he’s optimistic the municipality can “thread the needle.” But he has his own anxieties when it comes to rebuilding, namely the complexity of Jasper operating under both federal and provincial oversight. “An associated risk of that is that individual agendas from different orders of government overtake the public interest in delivering on what Jasper needs,” Given said. “I think there’s also a risk, maybe somewhat smaller, that private interests overtake the broader public interest.” Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland, who lost his home in the fire, said they have to find a way. “Failure is not an option for anybody,” said Ireland. “We have one chance to get this right, and that’s what we have to do.” In the meantime, Stark and her daughters watch from behind a fence as what’s left of their home is cleared away. “I’m super excited just to have a hole instead of a burnt spiral staircase that was coming up in my backyard. “Now,” she said, “it’s just this beautiful dirt. “There’s future there.”Black Friday is here and so it's the perfect time to save money ahead of the holidays. And if you want to keep warm and cozy this winter, investing in one of the best space heaters for your home is a smart move. I've already spotted some great deals on the top space heaters on the market. Right now, the Dreo Smart Wall Heateros on sale for $84 from $99 at Amazon . That’s a substantial 15% off — and a great bargain for well under $100. This sleek, wall-mounted heater is ideal for mid-sized rooms, home offices or if you don’t want a heater taking up floor space. With its 30° oscillation, it can quickly heat up a room with four modes. It also comes with an adjustable thermostat, remote and app control. Making it a great versatile, small appliance for the home. We reviewed the Dreo Smart Wall heater, and were impressed by its overall performance. Easy to mount, this has a stylish design with a circular 2.4-inch screen showing the current temperature, and various icons for power, heating and Wi-Fi connection. Despite its compact size, it packed in powerful heat distribution, quickly warming up a mid-sized room. And with its 1,500 watt capacity and choice of four heat settings, this is adequate to go a long way towards keeping your home snug and comfortable. Another impressive feature was its handy app which is simple and straightforward to use. You can easily check the heater’s status and temperature from around the home or even when you’re out of town, on your way home. Plus, the heating can be scheduled or connected with Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri voice technology. Bear in mind, this is wall-fixed only, so it can't be moved from room to room like other heaters. However, if you’re after a modern, smart wall heater to quickly warm you up, this Dreo Smart Wall Heater deal is not one to be missed!
John Bolton Slams Trump Cabinet Pick Seb Gorka as a ‘Con Man’A federal judge has ordered an Alabama city to allow an LGBTQ2S+ pride group to participate in the city's Christmas parade on Friday, after the mayor initially blocked the group from the annual event citing unspecified “safety concerns.” The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App U.S. District Judge R. Austin Huffaker Jr. ruled that the City of Prattville violated Prattville Pride's First Amendment right to free speech and 14th Amendment right to equal protection under the law when it banned the group from running a float in the annual Christmas parade one day before the event was set to take place. “The City removed Prattville Pride from the parade based on its belief that certain members of the public who oppose Prattville Pride, and what is stands for, would react in a disruptive way. But discrimination based on a message’s content 'cannot be tolerated under the First Amendment,' ” Huffaker wrote in his opinion. The ruling required the city to provide at least two police officers to escort the float throughout the parade. On Thursday, Prattville Pride requested additional security measures from law enforcement. In response, Mayor Bill Gillespie Jr released a statement banning the group from the parade altogether, citing “serious safety concerns.” Huffaker's ruling said that, leading up to the event, some community members “voiced vehement opposition” to the group's inclusion in the parade, but that “the City has presented no evidence of legitimate, true threats of physical violence.” Sign up for breaking news alerts from CTV News, right at your fingertips Gillespie's office referred to a statement posted on the city's social media in response to a request for comment. “The City respects the ruling of the Court and will comply with its order. The safety of everyone involved with the parade is a priority,” city officials said in a statement on social media. Prattville Pride celebrated the ruling on social media. “The Christmas parade is a cherished holiday tradition, and we are excited to celebrate alongside our neighbors and friends in the spirit of love, joy, and unity," the group wrote. Prattville is a small city of about 40,000 people, just north of the capital of Montgomery.Plans revealed for new university campus for 1,700 students at Limerick’s Cleeves Riverside Quarter
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