In The News

Why Dublin's Metro is still a decade away - at least

20 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On Monday, An Bord Pleanála met for its first hearing in 15 years into Dublin’s planned underground rail line. The €9.5 billion MetroLink, as it ...

Revealed: how landlord Marc Godart ruthlessly runs his business

19 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Previously on In the News, Irish Times Europe correspondent Naomi O’Leary explained how Dublin-based landlord Marc Godart deployed CCTV to monitor t...

New leads in mystery of missing Icelandic tourist

16 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jon Jonsson, 41, vanished in Dublin in 2019 while in Ireland to play poker. A father of four and a taxi driver in his native Iceland, he was travellin...

What is it like to visit the most dangerous country in the world?

15 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Nearly two and half years since passed since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in after the US withdrew the last of its troops from the country....

Climate activism: Do attention-grabbing stunts have any real impact?

14 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On January 28th two activists from Riposte Alimentaire (Food Counterattack) threw soup at the Mona Lisa at the Louvre in Paris.Leonardo da Vinci’s m...

Who is behind the wave of arson attacks on migrant housing?

13 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Since 2018, there have been 23 arson attacks with a suspected anti-immigration motivation on buildings earmarked, or just rumoured for use, as accommo...

Crisis after crisis at aircraft giant Boeing

12 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A door that blew off a Boeing 737 Max shortly after take-off was not properly secured after maintenance to the aircraft, an investigation has found.Th...

‘We’ll be talking about this Auschwitz film for decades to come’

09 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In Jonathan Glazer’s multi-Oscar nominated and breathtaking new film, The Zone of Interest, Rudolf Höss (Christian Friedel), commandant of the Ausc...

Measles: What you need to know about the resurgent disease

08 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On Tuesday, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly brought plans to Cabinet for an urgent catch-up vaccination programme for young people at risk at con...

What if John Bruton had won a second term as Taoiseach?

07 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The death of former Taoiseach John Bruton is a moment to remember the life of a decent man and a talented politician, but also an opportunity to refle...

Why did two teenagers murder Brianna Ghey?

06 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The murder last February of Brianna Ghey, a 16-year-old transgender girl, shocked Britain. She had been stabbed 28 times, in a public park, in broad d...

England and Wales have banned this breed of dog. Should Ireland follow?

02 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It is now a criminal offence to have an XL Bully dog in England and Wales, although some exemptions do apply. New rules were brought in to stop seriou...

Why is China interested in Ireland?

01 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Beijing correspondent Denis Staunton on why China sees Ireland as a potential friend at at time when other Western countries are growing increasingly ...

Let's have the difficult conversation about immigration

31 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Immigration has overtaken housing and the cost-of-living to become the main issue on the minds of voters, according to a new Irish Times and Ipsos Beh...

Why are western countries cutting funding to Gaza's biggest aid agency?

30 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Last week, Israeli authorities alleged that some employees of UNRWA, the Relief Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, were involved in the October 7th ...

Racism in football: When the chants start, should the games end? With Ken Early

29 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan and Coventry City midfielder Kasey Palmer both paused their respective games last Saturday after they were subjected ...

How RTÉ lost control of Toy Show: The Musical

26 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Toy Show: the musical lost €2.2m – that much was well known before Grant Thornton delivered its report on RTÉ’s 2022 ill-advised foray into liv...

Why is Alec Baldwin facing new manslaughter charges?

25 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The case against actor Alec Baldwin in the death by gunshot of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on a film set in 2021 collapsed. But why has he been in...

Women, family and care: the referendums explained

24 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On March 8th, voters will be asked to change the Constitution in two referendums: one concerns care and the removal of the reference to the role of wo...

Is the Sophie Toscan du Plantier case now closed?

23 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On Sunday, Ian Bailey, the prime suspect in the 1996 murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier, died in West Cork from a suspected heart attack.Despite deca...

Controversial landlord Marc Godart: tenants and employees speak

22 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Landlord Marc Godart is being taken to court by Dublin City Council for allegedly breaking planning laws and breaching fire safety regulations in the ...

The financial mess behind Páirc Uí Chaoimh renaming plans

19 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It’s no secret that Cork GAA is in a financial hole. Rebuilding Páirc Uí Chaoimh went way over budget with a final cost – for the amateur organi...

Can anyone beat Trump to the Republican nomination?

18 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

For months all the polling and analysis has said Donald Trump is a huge favourite to win the Republican nomination for the US presidency. His win at t...

Restaurant killings spike fears of gangland retaliation

17 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On Christmas Eve, a shooting in a popular Dublin restaurant that resulted in the deaths of two men shocked the country. In a badly planned attack, Tri...

Ireland’s elite soldiers get an upgrade

16 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Army Ranger Wing (ARW), the most elite and secretive unit of the Defence Forces, is to undertake its largest restructuring in its 43-year history....

What next for convicted murderer Oscar Pistorius?

15 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When Oscar Pistorius murdered his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in 2013, he was one of the most famous athletes in the world. A double amputee and an Oly...

Would a fall in house prices be a good thing?

12 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The asking price for a house in Ireland has risen by around four per cent in the past year. It's bad news for those who can't afford to buy their firs...

Israel accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice

11 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, Israel will appear before the International Court of Justice, to reject South Africa’s allegation that it is committing genocide in Gaza...

Vladimir Putin benefits as the West's support for Ukraine wavers

10 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Twelve months ago, Ukraine was optimistic about reclaiming more land after successes against the Russian army. However, the front line is still roughl...

Does Ireland need more prison cells or fewer prisoners?

09 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Last November, after Josef Puska was sentenced to life for the murder of Aisling Murphy, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announced that the State needed more s...

The disappearance of Imelda Keenan: 'If she was alive, she'd tell us'

08 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Imelda Keenan was just 22 when she went missing from Waterford. Originally from Laois but living and studying in Waterford, she was reported missing o...

Stripping an Islamic terrorist of his Irish citizenship

05 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Department of Justice is to introduce a new process for stripping citizenship from Irish citizens, three years after the previous system was struc...

Can Ryan Tubridy succeed on UK radio?

04 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Former RTE broadcaster Ryan Tubridy kicked off his new job, presenting Virgin Radio UK’s midmorning show, on Tuesday. The London-based commercial ra...

New year, new you? The tools you need to stay healthy and happy

03 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Looking to feel happier and healthier in life, but don’t know where to start? Clinical Psychologist Dr Trudy Meehan joins Conor Pope to talk about t...

How a Nazi fugitive became a French teacher in a prestigious Dublin school

02 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

For decades, a prestigious Dublin school knowingly employed a former SS officer, Louis Feutren, as a French teacher. Now, former students of St Conlet...

How the generosity of an Irish-American billionaire transformed Ireland

01 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Chuck Feeney, the Irish-American philanthropist, died in October this year at the age of 92. Two months after his death in San Francisco, he was laid ...

Australia mushroom poisoning: how a family lunch ended in tragedy

29 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In late July, four relatives attended a family lunch at the home of Erin Patterson, a 48 year-old mother of two from Leongatha in Australia. Within da...

Why Irish criminals turned to Chinese restaurants to hide their cash

28 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

An investigation by the Criminal Assets Bureau (Cab) unearthed an underground “banking” network offering an international money transfer system to...

Behind the scenes of hit Netflix documentary 'The Deepest Breath' with Irish director Laura McGann

27 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Earlier this Summer, a Netflix documentary, all about the hidden world of freediving, catapulted the sport in front of a global audience. The Dee...

How Toy Show The Musical went wrong for RTÉ

26 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Late Late Toy Show is Ireland's most popular TV show every year by a distance, but Toy Show: The Musical was a complete flop, losing €2.2 millio...

How 2023 became the year of Taylor Swift

22 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

To call Taylor Swift simply a pop singer is to miss the point. She’s a one woman global phenomenon; the 34 year-old is the first musician ever to be...

Celebrity documentaries: prestige viewing or pr stunts? With Patrick Freyne

21 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If you spent far too much time this year watching Robbie Williams sitting on a bed in his underpants unpicking his life, or tried to do the Beckham’...

Liam Byrne: The rise and fall of a major Irish gangland figure

20 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Last week Liam Byrne, the alleged leader of the Kinahan cartel’s Irish operations, was extradited from Spain to the UK to stand trial and face charg...

After another arson attack, what options are left for housing asylum seekers?

19 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On Saturday night, a fire destroyed most of a disused hotel in Co Galway that was set to begin housing up to 70 asylum seekers from Thursday, December...

The tragic death of a rising Irish cyclist

18 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On Saturday, May 27th 2023 champion cyclist Gabriele Glodenyte was out on her bike for a morning spin in north county Dublin with her boyfriend Seán ...

"Fossil fuel lobbyists fought tooth and nail" - Eamon Ryan on how Cop 28 agreed

15 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As lead negotiator on climate finance for the EU at Cop28, Minister for the Environment Eamon Ryan was at the table in Dubai when the final agreement ...

Crisis in the classroom: where have all our teachers gone?

14 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Last month, new figures revealed more than 800 primary school teaching posts across the country were lying empty, with the problem most acute in the G...

Do new Israeli tactics mean more civilian deaths in Gaza?

13 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Israeli Defence Forces deny targeting civilians in Gaza and insist they take all practical measures to protect non-combatants in a war where ...

How did Ireland become the puppy farm capital of Europe?

12 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A recent closure order issued by the County Council to a registered puppy farm in north Cork saw veterinary inspectors seize dogs worth over €80,000...

Why a billionaire is buying up land in one Irish county - and why its farmers are unhappy

11 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Irish billionaire John Magnier has been steadily accumulating huge tracts of land in south Tipperary. He's entitled to do so. But local farmers say th...

Boris Johnson ducks and dives at the UK Covid inquiry

08 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Boris Johnson appeared in front of Britain’s Covid inquiry for the first time. In its six months, the inquiry has already heard damn...

What the latest corporation tax bonanza means for the economy

07 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Government received an early Christmas gift this week with the latest exchequer data pointing to another surge in corporation tax as well as incre...

The feis-fixing scandal that rocked Irish dancing

06 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In July 2022 a very public scandal erupted in the normally relatively closed world of Irish dancing. An Coimisiún le Rincí Gaelacha (CLRG), the olde...

Asylum seekers now face sleeping rough amid high tensions

05 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Once again the State has run out of places to put asylum seekers. Those newly arriving face the prospect of sleeping rough as temperatures fall and wi...

Are sinister conspiracies behind the Dublin riots? Yes, say 'alternative' media stars

04 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

US commentator Tucker Carlson interviewed MAGA figurehead Steve Bannon about Irish society and politics in the wake of the Dublin riots. The men agree...

Napoleon and The Crown are riddled with historical howlers. Does it matter?

01 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ridley Scott’s Napoleon is a “breathless rollick” says Irish Times chief film correspondent Donald Clarke; Joaquin Phoenix makes the character h...

Why is an oil CEO leading the world's biggest climate talks?

30 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

COP28, the UN’s annual climate change summit kicks off today in Dubai. This year the COP President is Sultan Al Jaber, who is both the UAE’s ...

Dublin Riot aftermath: the victims, the investigation and the political fallout

28 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Last week's stabbing attack on primary school children and subsequent riot have left Dublin city shaken. One child and her after-school carer are stil...

'I go up the stairs on all fours to conserve energy' - Ireland's ignored health crisis

27 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When musician and therapist Ailie Blunnie first caught Covid in 2021, she expected to recover quickly. Yet, more than two years later, the once active...

Can Patrick Kielty pass the Toy Show test?

24 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

RTÉ’s TV advertisements have been good fun with new Late Late host Patrick Kielty getting advice from some very opinionated children on how he shou...

Dublin stunned after dark day of violence

24 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The streets of Dublin city centre were ablaze on Thursday night, with at least one Garda vehicle, a double-decker bus and a Luas tram set alight and s...

Who is Javier Milei, "The Madman" elected president of Argentina?

23 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Javier Milei will be sworn in as president of Argentina next month. But just why is this political outsider called "The Madman" - and what can Argenti...

How Ben Dunne's bad behaviour changed Ireland - with Fintan O'Toole

22 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Last weekend, millionaire businessman and former Dunnes Stores chief executive Ben Dunne died suddenly in Dubai. He was 74 years of age,In 1992, Dunne...

Inside the Martens Trial (Part 2): Molly Martens according to the Corbetts

21 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Documentary maker and journalist Brian Carroll was in court for the sentencing hearing of Molly Martens and her father Thomas for the killing of Molly...

Inside the Martens Trial (Part 1): The carefully planned character assassination of Jason Corbett

20 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Documentary maker and journalist Brian Carroll was in court for the sentencing hearing of Molly Martens and her father Thomas for the killing of Molly...

Will Hong Kong's freedom survive China's clampdown?

17 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When Britain handed Hong Kong back to China in 1997 it was under a ‘One Country, Two Systems’ governance model that guaranteed the continuation of...

Leaked docs reveal Russian oligarch Abramovich's secret Chelsea deals

15 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For decades, a flood of foreign money has poured into the island of Cyprus, bringing extreme wealth to a few, but leaving the EU member status with a ...

David Cameron's shock return to UK politics

14 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Why has UK prime minister Rishi Sunk brought former prime minister David Cameron in from the cold after all these years? And what will Stella Braverma...

Why BSE in one Irish cow worries China - and spells trouble for farmers

13 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For Irish beef producers, China is a prize – capture that vast market and the troubled sector is secure. And Chinese influence in Asia means crackin...

Why three Irish nursing homes were forced to close

10 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Since September, three nursing homes have been forced to close – in Kilkenny, Waterford and Cork. The residents, all vulnerable and elderly have had...

Will Irish citizens be allowed to leave war-torn Gaza?

08 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Around forty Irish citizens remain trapped inside Gaza after their names were not included on the list of foreign nationals allowed to leave the besie...

How to talk to your children about war

07 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A child’s understanding of war, and why it happens, begins and ends with their parents. But as a parent, knowing the right thing to say is not alway...

Why Irish criminals turned to Chinese restaurants to hide their money

06 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

An investigation by the Criminal Assets Bureau (Cab) unearthed an underground “banking” network offering an international money transfer system to...

Molly and Thomas Martens killed Jason Corbett. How much time will they serve?

03 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Molly Martens and her father Thomas Martens have agreed a plea deal with prosecutors in the United States to accept a lesser manslaughter charge over ...

Horror on the M50: Why Dublin’s food delivery riders have had enough

01 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On Saturday, Brazilian Deliveroo rider João Ferreira was hit by a Garda car on the M50, while attempting to recover a stolen motorcycle. The 23 year-...

When the IRA kidnapped Don Tidey

31 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On December 16th, 1983, after 23 days in captivity, kidnapped supermarket executive Don Tidey was rescued. He had been taken by members of the Provisi...

Drama on the picket lines: why Hollywood is on strike

30 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Hollywood is on strike. It’s about money of course, but at its heart is changing technology: the way streamers, such as Netflix and Apple TV have al...

Why China’s falling birth rate means job losses for Limerick

27 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Earlier this month multinational food giant Nestlé announced the shocking news that it is to close its Wyeth Nutrition plant in Askeaton, Co Limerick...

Jailed for life: who is homophobic killer Yousef Palani?

25 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Earlier this week, Yousef Palani was sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering two men and seriously assaulting a third during a spree of violence ...

How Paddy Cosgrave lost his grip on Web Summit

24 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Web Summit co-founder and now ex-CEO Paddy Cosgrave was accustomed to speaking his mind. It never really did him, or his business, any harm, until his...

Week one of the Ashling Murphy murder trial: what the court heard

23 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Ashling Murphy murder trial began last week at Dublin’s Central Criminal Court. The 23-year-old teacher was killed in 2022 while out for a run o...

Israel-Hamas war: two weeks that shook the Middle East

20 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Two weeks on from the savage assault on Israeli civilians by Hamas that left 1,400 men, women and children dead, Israel’s fierce response continues ...

'A battle for the Polish soul' - why Poland voted for change

18 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On Monday, just one day after a record number of Poles voted in their country’s general election, opposition leader and former prime minister Donald...

How one of Ireland’s biggest homelessness charities ran into trouble

17 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As the homelessness crisis has deepened over the last decade, the Peter McVerry Trust, a key pillar in the State’s provision of homeless services, s...

Chuck Feeney: the Irish-American billionaire who gave his entire fortune away

16 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Chuck Feeney, the Irish-American philanthropist, died last week at the age of 92. During his lifetime he quietly gave away almost all of his $8 billio...

Can Ireland beat New Zealand to make Rugby World Cup history?

13 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tomorrow in Paris, Ireland will know has the hex been lifted, the bogeyman slain – has the team been able to make it out of the quarter-final stage ...

Sinn Féin brands it a 'budget for landlords' - but who else does Budget 2024 help?

11 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How will the tax cuts and new spending announced in yesterday's Budget 2024 affect you? Irish Times consumer affairs correspondent Conor Pope is here ...

Israel-Hamas war: 'a mega-event in the history of the Middle East'

10 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On Saturday morning, Hamas launched an unprecedented offensive by land, sea and air into Israel. A catastrophic failure by Israeli intelligence, the a...

Gardaí v Drew Harris: who won in row over rosters?

09 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A threatened “strike” by rank and file gardaí next month has been lifted following a compromise between Garda staff associations and senior manag...

How a Nazi fugitive became a French teacher in a prestigious Dublin school

06 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For decades, a prestigious Dublin school knowingly employed a former SS officer, Louis Feutren, as a French teacher. Now, former students of St Conlet...

Stardust Inquests: The cross examination of former manager Eamon Butterly

04 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Eamon Butterly, the former manager of the Stardust nightclub on Dublin’s northside, where 48 young people died in a fire in 1981, is one of the most...

What will Budget 2024 mean for you?

03 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Republic will run a huge budget surplus this year and next, thanks to bumper corporate tax receipts. So when Budget 2024 is announced next week, c...

TikTok discovers ‘covert influence operation’ targeting Ireland

02 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A network promoting disinformation to Irish TikTok users with the aim of “intensifying social conflict” has been discovered and removed by the soc...

Ireland's biggest drug bust: 'They didn't know one end of a boat from another'

29 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

After a dramatic week in which Gardaí and the Defence Forces thwarted an audacious attempt to import tonnes of cocaine into Europe, Irish Times Crime...

Murders have doubled - but is Ireland really more dangerous?

27 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The number of murders in the Republic has almost doubled in a 12-month period, according to new Central Statistic Office figures. The figure...

Lough Neagh is dying. Whose fault is it?

26 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Lough Neagh is dying in plain sight; the entire body of water has been contaminated by blooms of poisonous blue-green algae. How has it happened that ...

The Sallins Train Robbery: Will the wrongly accused ever get justice?

25 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Sallins Train Robbery in 1976 was one of the most audacious criminal acts ever in the State. The Dublin to Cork mail train, carrying £200,000, wa...

Sally Hayden: A 'naval blockade' won't solve the crisis in the Mediterranean

22 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

To understand the unfolding crisis on the Italian island of Lampedusa, where a state of emergency has been declared as 7,000 migrants arrived on boats...

Why did spinal surgeries on children fail in one Dublin hospital?

20 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Children suffering from spina bifida have been let down by an under-resourced healthcare system for years. This week’s news that there are now serio...

Can Patrick Kielty save The Late Late Show?

19 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Expectations were high for the start of the 61st season of The Late Late Show, and new host Patrick Kielty delivered on some of them: the comedian del...