The Agenda

After 69 years of waiting, Louth are back in an All-Ireland Senior Football Championship semi-final, and excitement across the Wee County has reached fever pitch. This morning on The Agenda, we heard from Louth GAA Chair Sean McClean ahead of the biggest game in a generation, while passionate supporters share what a place in the final would mean. Plus, avid fans Hess Matthews and Jim McQuillan tel...

Fear is growing in Duleek as masked scrambler bike riders continue to wreak havoc in housing estates and public spaces. Residents say they're fed up with the intimidation, reckless behaviour and damage, with many families now afraid to use local parks. This morning on The Agenda, we heard about why calls are growing for tougher action to restore safety and peace of mind in the community. Hosted on...

This morning on The Agenda, we spoke to a disable woman living in Louth named Karen, who opened up about the shocking conditions she says she has endured for years in her council home. She claims the property has been overrun by rats, plagued by damp and mould, and left with poor insulation despite repeated pleas for help. Karen says she has killed more than 100 rats and spent thousands of euro of...

This morning on The Agenda, we heard about mounting concerns ahead of next weekend’s concerts in Slane, with rural residents raising questions over access to homes, farms and businesses during planned road closures. A local farmer (and Aontu rep) says carers, livestock owners and people who rely on the roads every day are worried about how they’ll get through during the busy weekend. We heard the...

This morning on The Agenda we discussed the mounting pressure over Ireland's alumina exports to Russia as fresh questions are raised following a vote in the European Parliament and an ongoing investigation into exports linked to Russia's war industry. We spoke to Minister of State for European Affairs and Meath East Fianna Fáil TD, Thomas Byrne, about Ireland's position, the growing scrutiny, and...

The FAI says it has no regrets after a clear majority of delegates backed its decision to proceed with the Republic of Ireland's Nations League fixtures against Israel at an Extraordinary General Meeting. Almost 68 per cent voted in support of the Association's position, with FAI officials insisting they had no alternative but to move the home fixture to a neutral venue in Serbia, behind closed do...

Police have been urged to intervene after a replica of a mosque was placed on top of a loyalist bonfire pyre in Co Tyrone. The model was visible on top of the pyre in Moygashel this morning. Signs saying "Secure our borders" and "End the threat of radical Islam" have also been placed on the fire which is made up of pallets and is due to be set alight tomorrow night. Amnesty International described...

The Dáil has voted overwhelmingly against legislation that would have banned hare coursing, with the proposed bill defeated by 125 votes to 24. The People Before Profit bill, which was backed by the Social Democrats, Labour and the Green Party, sought to outlaw the practice, arguing that it causes unnecessary suffering to hares, despite greyhounds being muzzled.  Supporters of the ban also po...

The Courts Service has said 55 solicitors have resigned from the criminal legal aid panel after the Government introduced a flat fee for those representing clients in criminal cases in district courts.  Hundreds of solicitors have withdrawn their services from the free legal aid scheme in recent weeks in protest at the new payment system. Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan introduced a new flat...

The opening of a new HSE surgical hub in Swords, designed to reduce waiting times for patients across the Dublin North East region, has prompted fresh concerns about the future of services at Our Lady's Hospital in Navan. The Government says the new facility will expand day-case surgery capacity, reduce pressure on acute hospitals and deliver benefits for patients in Meath and Louth. However, whil...

Up to 12 households at the Steeples Apartments in Navan remain without electricity following a fire in the basement car park last week, which led to several residents being evacuated. Meath Fire Service has since issued a closure notice on the car park, warning it poses a serious and immediate risk due to fire safety concerns, including damaged electrical installations, inadequate emergency lighti...

Ireland’s growing wealth gap is being put under the spotlight, with a new report examining how a net wealth tax could be introduced and what impact it could have on the country’s finances. The report argues that while many households continue to feel the pressure of rising living costs and stretched public services, wealth at the very top has become increasingly concentrated. It claims a carefully...

There is huge excitement building in County Louth ahead of this weekend’s historic All-Ireland Senior Football Championship semi-final, but there are also calls for investment to ensure the county has the facilities to match its growing ambitions. Fianna Fáil TD for Louth, Erin McGreehan, has raised the issue in the Dáil, calling on the Government to redirect sports infrastructure funding towards...

In just over a week, thousands of music fans will descend on Slane as Luke Combs headlines two major concerts at Slane Castle. While anticipation is building for what promises to be a huge weekend, some local residents say they're becoming increasingly frustrated by a lack of information. People living in the village say they still haven't been told what traffic management plans, road closures or...

Calls for reform of Ireland's bail laws are back in the spotlight as the family of Shane O'Farrell continues its long campaign for change. Shane was just 23 years old when he was killed in a hit-and-run near his home in Carrickmacross, County Monaghan, in August 2011. The driver responsible was out on bail at the time, despite a lengthy history of offending and a court ruling that should have seen...

Calls for a statutory public inquiry into the treatment of older and vulnerable people during the Covid-19 pandemic have been brought to the European Parliament. Independent Ireland MEP Ciaran Mullooly has used a speech in Strasbourg to highlight the experiences of families represented by Care Champions Ireland, an advocacy group campaigning for greater accountability and stronger protections for...

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has announced he is stepping down as the MP for Clacton and will contest the resulting by-election, describing the move as a direct challenge to what he calls the political establishment. Mr Farage made the announcement during a defiant address, saying he wanted to put his position back to voters and prove that there is continued public support for him remaining in Pa...

Excitement is building right across County Louth ahead of this Saturday's All-Ireland Senior Football Championship semi-final, with a real sense of anticipation taking hold in towns and villages across the wee county. From homes and businesses decked out in red and white, to flags, bunting and jerseys flying off the shelves, there's no doubt that Louth fever has well and truly arrived. Shop window...

***TRIGGER WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT*** Gardai are investigating a report of alleged animal cruelty that took place in a public area in Ballymun, Dublin. It comes as the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) Animal Rescue has said that its inspectors last Thursday responded to reports related to “the remains of a dog that had been severely burnt in Ballymun”.  T...

Louth is counting down to one of the biggest days in recent years, with thousands of supporters expected to make the journey to Croke Park this Saturday for the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship semi-final. To help fans get to and from the capital, Iarnród Éireann has announced a number of additional rail services between Dundalk and Dublin Connolly. The extra trains went on sale last Frida...

Nine out of ten asylum seekers whose applications were assessed under a new fast-track international protection system have had their claims rejected by the State, according to internal Department of Justice briefings. The accelerated procedure, which is being rolled out on a permanent basis under EU-wide asylum reforms, is designed to deliver decisions — including appeals — within a 12-week timef...

Families in Louth are continuing to struggle with the cost and availability of childcare, with a local TD claiming Government inaction is leaving parents without the support they were promised. Sinn Féin’s Joanna Byrne says childcare remains unaffordable and inaccessible for many families, and has called on the Government to back her party’s motion calling for urgent reform of the sector.  Sh...

Irish businessman and philanthropist Martin Naughton, who founded the Glen Dimplex Group, has died aged 87. In a statement, his family said that he took ill while travelling in the US with his wife Carmel. He passed away a short time later at Harborview Medical Centre in Seattle. The entrepreneur, businessman and philanthropist founded the Glen Dimplex Group and the Naughton Foundation. The Louth...

Two gardaí remain off duty after what has been described as an "unprovoked, violent attack" outside Dundalk Garda Station on Tuesday morning. An off-duty garda was allegedly assaulted in the station car park, and a second garda was injured while attempting to arrest a man in his 20s. The Garda Representative Association has condemned the attack and is renewing calls for greater protections for fro...

TDs clashed in the Dáil last week over the Government's decision to oppose legislation that would ban hare coursing.  A bill brought forward by Deputy Paul Murphy from People Before Profit seeks to outlaw the practice, arguing that it causes unnecessary suffering to a protected wild species. While the Social Democrats, Labour and the Green Party have backed the proposal, Fianna Fáil and Fine...