GOOD WEEK
Rusangano Family: The Limerick-based African-Irish hip-hop trio emerged from a crowded field to become the surprise winners of the Choice Music Prize on Thursday night, for Let the Dead Bury the Dead
FC Barcelona: The Catalan giants produced one of the great sporting comebacks on Wednesday, overcoming a four-goal first-leg deficit to beat Paris St Germain 6-1, scoring three goals in the extraordinary dying minutes
BAD WEEK
Nick Dwyer and Barbara Heftman: The Hiberno-French couple, who are on a decade-long sail around the world, encountered a severe storm between New Zealand and Australia, forcing them to sail without a rudder for three days, until they activated an emergency radio beacon on Tuesday. Thankfully, they survived the ordeal
Philip Hammond: The UK chancellor of the exchequer was full of quips as he delivered his debut budget during the week – but wouldn't have been smiling at the scathing reaction, criticised for increasing the tax burden on the self-employed
SOUNDBITES
"Like everybody, we are particularly shocked given the age of the young people. Our condolences go out to the entire community"
Sinn Féin TD Eoin Ó Broin after a woman and three children died in a fire in Clondalkin, in Dublin
"How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!"
Donald Trump makes an unprecedented accusation against his predecessor
"The way the babies were treated in this country as akin to being some kind of subspecies. It is appalling, truly appalling"
Taoiseach Enda Kenny on the Tuam mother-and-baby-home scandal
"The crocodile comment was in relation to Sinn Féin and not in relation to the Irish-language Act"
Arlene Foster rows back from her controversial comment that cost the DUP dearly
SEVEN DAYS: IN NUMBERS
5.2%
Growth in Ireland’s GDP last year, outstripping all other euro-zone countries’
7
Number of Ifta nominations received by both The Young Offenders (below) and The Siege of Jadotville
€352m
Amount that the Ardagh Group hopes to raise by floating on the New York Stock Exchange
€192m
Amount that religious organisations have paid to address historical abuse claims, out of a projected total cost of €1.5 billion
232,000
Number of copies of Ed Sheeran's new album, Divide, sold on its first day
MOST READ ON IRISHTIMES.COM
1: 30 Irish women you need to know
2: Nun lying 'through her teeth' about Tuam home, court hears
3: Furious response to London 'Times' piece on Irish nation status
4: If you don't approve of the church then don't take part in its rituals
5: Who are the richest people and families in Ireland?
6: Malta's famous Azure Window collapses into the sea
7: 'Our children were going to die and there was nothing I or anyone else could do about it'
8: Pregnant woman and three children die in fire at domestic violence shelter
9: Goodbye, America. And good luck
10: 'They were known as the children of sin'
