Wednesday’s Top Stories: Dublin restaurant ordered to close after cosmetics found in kitchen; Charlie Bird’s glorious final chapter

Dublin restaurant ordered to close after evidence of bedding and toiletries found on site

A restaurant in Phibsborough was ordered to close by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) last month when inspectors found evidence of bedding and other personal items – face washes, oils and toothpaste – on the premises.

A mattress, blankets and duvet were observed by HSE inspectors in the ambient food storage unit of Wakami Sushi and Asian on Phibsborough Road, while cosmetic products were found in the kitchen food wash sink. Hidden Dojo Asian Streetfood, another restaurant within the same premises, was also issued with a closure order.

“Sleeping in areas where food is produced increases the risk of contamination and is strictly prohibited. Personal hygiene including shedding of hair, skin cells, and other particles can introduce contaminants into the food production environment, potentially compromising food safety,” the inspectors’ report of the premises noted.

Top News Stories

• Charlie Bird touched the nation with his courage: There were many chapters in Charlie Bird’s life, which was filled with the greatest challenge in the end, but not without its low moments before. But the final chapter was simply glorious, writes Mark Hennessy.
• Resident sought €50,000 to withdraw objection to south Dublin housing development: A local resident sought a payment of €50,000 in “consultancy” fees from a developer in exchange for withdrawing a planning objection to the expansion of a new apartment development in south Dublin.
• Taoiseach to ask Biden to become involved in the ‘drive for peace’ in Gaza: Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said he will ask US president Joe Biden to follow the lead of past presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton and become involved in the push for peace in Gaza when he meets him later this week in the White House.
• Check out today's Most Read stories
• Join The Irish Times WhatsApp channel for breaking news straight to your phone.

News from around the World

• Biden seals Democratic nomination as US presidential rematch with Trump looms: US president Joe Biden won enough delegates on Tuesday to seal the Democratic Party’s nomination, with a face-off against former president Donald Trump looming in what would be the first US presidential election rematch in nearly 70 years.

The Big Read

• ‘I now realise that my son is in a narcissistic relationship, completely controlled and manipulated’: A mother writes to psychotherapist Trish Murphy about her increasingly estranged relationship with her son, saying “I am not quite sure how to maintain our fragile relationship and where to go from here.”

The best from Opinion

• Kathy Sheridan: Where were the Men for Mothers brigade when there was cleaning and caring to be done?
• Michael McDowell: No matter how we try to airbrush reality, mothers and fathers are not the same
• Bobby McDonagh: Little-Pengelly with a hurley makes a good photo, but such gestures need to be followed by action

Top Sports news

• Cheltenham has changed: the days of the romantic underdog are rarer now: Cheltenham has changed quite a bit in the 10 years or so since I was last here, writes Frank McNally. Police with automatic weapons now greet you at the entrance, for one thing.

Picture of the Day

Culture and Life & Style Highlights

• Real Irish food for St Patrick’s Day: Eight recipes to celebrate our national day: Hands up who will be eating corned beef and cabbage this weekend. Hmm. Despite what our American cousins think, it won’t feature on many dinner tables on these shores as we celebrate St Patrick’s Day.
• Dublin is small with rising rents and a cost-of-living crisis, yet I’m still here and happy to rediscover it: Your mid-20s are filled with uncertainty – you are constantly being faced with big decisions that may redirect the entire course of your life. But being in your mid-20s in Ireland, in Dublin in my case, has added a whole new dimension to this sense of self-doubt, writes Molly Furey.
• ‘It’s worth trying things. It’s worth trusting your gut. It’s worth going for it’: Cian O’Brien’s announcement that he’s leaving Project Arts Centre has prompted an outpouring of appreciation for his work as its artistic director. Always regarded as open, approachable and encouraging of emerging artists, he has steered the Temple Bar organisation through recession, referendums, the pandemic and the rise and fall of multiple arts companies and productions – not to mention successes such as Project’s part in Dublin Oldschool, the hit play that was turned into a film.

Video & Podcast Highlights

• In the News: Charlie Bird’s courageous final act: Friend and fellow journalist Mark Hennessy remembers the late broadcaster.

Why not try one of our Crosswords & Puzzles?

• Simplex Crossword
• Crosaire Crossword
• Sudoku Puzzle

Like this?

Get the best content direct to your inbox by signing up to one of our newsletters