RTÉ reports:

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is to make a make a a “positive statement to the country to provide reassurance on Brexit” within the next hour, according to the Tánaiste.

Simon Coveney said that an agreement on the wording around the issue of a border on the island of Ireland is very close.

He said that progress was made this morning and the discussions are moving in the right direction. Mr Coveney added that he hopes there will be an agreement on a “balanced wording” in the next hour.

Mr Varadkar is to make a public statement on Phase 1 of the Brexit negotiations at 2.30pm.

…The Tánaiste said he believes the border between Ireland and the UK will not change from how it appears today.

“I suspect it will look very like what it looks like today which is to remain largely an invisible border, with no barriers to movement and trade and the normality on the island of Ireland, as we’ve grown to appreciate over the last 20 years,” he said.

Taoiseach to make ‘positive statement’ on Brexit talks (RTE)

Meanwhile…

The Guardian reports:

“The British government appears to have bowed to the Republic of Ireland’s demand that Northern Ireland will stay aligned with key EU laws and regulations after Brexit so as to ensure that a hard border does not return to the island.

“According to sources, MEPs were told by the chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, that Theresa May had conceded after days of intense talks that the province would be treated as a special case.”

A draft of the text of a 15-page joint statement between the European commission and the British government is said to include a commitment in paragraph 48 that “in the absence of agreed solutions the UK will ensure that there continues to be continued regulatory alignment” with the internal market and customs union.

MEPs say UK has conceded on Ireland border in Brexit talks (The Guardian)

Rollingnews

UPDATE:

UPDATE:

UPDATE:



Update:

Oh.

Later this week.

At The Point Square, Dublin 1.

The Dublin Flea Christmas Market, with more than 135 stalls, returns.

Folks from the market write:

Offering the alternative to Christmas on the high street – there will be a considered and curated collection of up-and-coming Irish contemporary design, art, hand-made craft and delectable foods alongside The Dublin Flea Market’s much loved mix of antiques, vintage and retro collectibles. In the spacious environs of the Point Square, there’s lots of room to browse and buy, have a festive day out all under one roof that’s free to attend every day.

Dublin Flea Christmas Market

Top of the bottom of the world, Ma.

Ultan Mashup writes:

Worth a shoutout! Irishman Paul Robinson has broken the record for the fastest time running a mile in Antarctica. Great video with defiant tricolour!

Paul Robinson?

Is RTE Lol-ing At Its Own Since opening our doors in 2003, tap chi thiet ke thoi trang has delivered thousands of web and digital experiences, across a multitude of blog thoi trang platforms alarge enough to offer you the knowledge and expertise phu kien sinh nhat we’ve gained servicing the Corporate and thiet ke web Government sectors, yet small enough to care.

Belgian MEP Phillippe Lamberts has told Sky News the UK Government has agreed to a “Special Situation For Ireland”

This morning/afternoon

According to two well-placed sources, the text that negotiators have been working on intensively over the past five days, spell out that the UK will agree that on either side of the border there would be no divergence on EU single market and customs union rules after Brexit.

This has long been the Irish Government’s preferred solution for avoiding a hard border.

The text says that the UK has agreed that the Good Friday Agreement will be protected.

All better

UK to make Brexit concessions over NI (RTÉ)

Britain Concedes (The Guardian)

RollingNews/Sky News

Broadsheet.ie