The Agenda

A powerful new RTÉ documentary airing this week tells the story of a young Monaghan woman's death and her family's relentless search for answers. The Girl in the Water follows the case of 23-year-old Kelly Marie Lynch, whose body was discovered near Horseshoe Bridge on St Patrick's Day 2024. While the initial post-mortem concluded she died by drowning, subsequent expert reviews have raised differe...

Last week on The Agenda, we discussed the growing problem of dog fouling across the North East, with many listeners telling us it's become a daily frustration in their communities. After that programme, we were contacted by Julie Feely, who launched a major campaign on the issue back in 2013. Julie says she worked tirelessly to raise awareness, gathered ideas and best practice from Ireland and ove...

This morning on The Agenda we had our weekly edition of the LMFM Roundtable debate panel, and this week were joined in-studio by 3 TD's from across the North East. Today we were joined by Fianna Fail TD for Louth, Erin McGreehan... Aontu leader & Aontu TD in Meath-West, Peadar Toibin.... and Sinn Fein TD for Louth, Ruairi O Murchu. Things got very heated on air with the TDs going head-to-head...

A startling new report has revealed the scale of abuse faced by female politicians in Ireland, with almost every woman surveyed saying they have experienced online harassment during their time in public office. The research, carried out by Women for Election as part of an EU-wide project, found that 96% of female TDs and Senators have been subjected to online abuse, while many have also received t...

A group of mothers and mothers-to-be is calling on the Government to protect access to private maternity care, saying women have been largely excluded from the debate over proposed changes to maternity services. The campaign group, Our Maternity Choice Ireland, has been formed in response to plans under Sláintecare that could see private maternity care phased out of public hospitals. The group arg...

US President Donald Trump has said he is considering travelling to Ireland later this year for the Irish Open, which will be held at his Doonbeg golf resort in Co Clare. In a video message played at US Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason’s Independence Day celebrations in Dublin, Mr Trump said he hoped to attend the tournament and watch what he described as “Rory and all the great players”. He added:...

Buying financial products online could soon become a lot more consumer-friendly, after new protections were signed into law giving people the right to speak to a real person instead of relying solely on chatbots or automated systems. The changes mean consumers can request human intervention when taking out financial products or services online or over the phone, helping to ensure they fully unders...

This morning on The Agenda, we dsicussed the growing frustration over illegal and dangerous parking in Dundalk, after a local man told us that the situation is spiralling out of control. Gary contacted the show to tell us about what he describes as a frustrating pattern in Dundalk town, where he says he regularly has to ask motorists to move from loading zones just to be able to carry out his deli...

Fine Gael TD Paula Butterly has said it was an "oversight" not to declare that she had received payments under the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme while questioning the Justice Minister about proposed changes to that very scheme at an Oireachtas committee this week. Deputy Butterly, who is a practising barrister, received €2,667 under the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme in 2025. Under Oireachtas rules, TDs an...

A jury has found a man guilty of the attempted murder of three children following the knife attack outside a school in Dublin's Parnell Square in November 2023. Riad Bouchaker was also found guilty of causing serious harm to crèche worker Leanne Flynn, along with assault causing harm to two other children and a teenager. The attack left one young girl with life-changing brain injuries and sparked...

It was announced this week that the Government is to introduce paid leave for women who experience a miscarriage before 23 weeks of pregnancy. Under proposals being examined by Enterprise Minister Peter Burke, women would be entitled to five days' paid leave following an early miscarriage.  It is also understood the same entitlement would apply to women who undergo an abortion. For many women...

The political fallout following Jeffrey Donaldson’s guilty plea to child sex offences continues, with fresh details emerging in recent days about aspects of the former DUP leader’s private life while he was one of the most prominent figures in unionist politics. Media reports have highlighted allegations relating to affairs, the use of gay saunas and excessive drinking, prompting further questions...

The Irish Government has officially passed legislation to scrap the contentious 32-million annual passenger cap at Dublin Airport, a limit originally set in 2007. Ministers say the move will allow the airport to meet growing demand and support future growth. But critics argue that removing the cap alone won't solve the airport's capacity problems. Dublin Airport Terminal 3 Limited says unless the...

Today marks a significant moment for Ireland as the country officially takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union for the eighth time since joining what was then the European Economic Community in 1973. Over the next six months, Ireland will chair meetings, broker negotiations and help steer some of the EU's most important legislation through the decision-making process. With E...

The number of boil water notices and water restriction notices issued across Ireland increased significantly last year, according to a new report from the Environmental Protection Agency. In total, 100 public water supplies, affecting almost 200,000 people, were impacted in 2025—an increase of almost 20 per cent on the previous year. Despite the rise in notices, the EPA says the overall quality of...

Residents and regular visitors are calling for urgent action to repair the road leading to Benhead Beach near Gormanston, saying its condition has deteriorated to the point where it poses a serious safety risk. The access road, which serves one of the north-east's most popular and secluded beaches, has become badly damaged with large potholes, prompting concerns from locals that someone could be i...

Claims made about the recent Finance Bill and proposed fuel excise increases have sparked a public disagreement between two Meath West TDs. Sinn Féin's Johnny Guirke took to social media to criticise Aontú leader and fellow Meath West TD Peadar Tóibín, claiming he failed to speak out in the Dáil on the issue and arguing that rural communities and motorists deserved stronger opposition to the measu...

A Navan resident says he has launched a civic initiative aimed at testing how open political parties and public representatives are to direct, unscripted feedback from members of the public. Darren Stapleton says he has contacted the leaders of all major political parties, including local representative and leader of Aontu, Peadar Tóibín, with what he describes as a “raw reflection” on the cost of...

The daughter of a Balbriggan man who was killed by his partner has welcomed planned changes to the law that would reform how character references are presented in court for people convicted of serious offences. Karen Ryan has been campaigning for change since her father, James Ryan, was killed in 2024 by his partner, Olesja Hertova .  Karen has now spoken about the distress caused when a char...

Sinn Féin TD for Meath East Darren O’Rourke has launched a strong attack on the Government over what he describes as persistent failures in planning and a chronic shortage of community infrastructure across County Meath. Raising the issue in the Dáil with the Minister for Housing and Planning, Deputy O’Rourke said the county has been left “buckling” under decades of rapid population growth, while...

Cork’s Sexual Health Clinic is warning that people cannot be complacent about the threat that social media and far-right ideology may pose to members of the LGBT+ community. The clinic is currently conducting a survey asking LGBT+ people across Ireland about their experiences of discrimination, safety concerns and online hostility, with a particular focus on hearing from trans and gender-diverse r...

History has been made by Louth, who are through to their first All-Ireland Senior Football Championship semi-final in 68 years after a thrilling victory over Monaghan at Croke Park. In one of the county's greatest ever championship performances, Louth overcame the loss of midfielder Seán Callaghan to a first-half red card to record a remarkable 0-27 to 2-18 win. Playing with 14 men for almost the...

Friday marked 30 years since the murder of investigative journalist Veronica Guerin, whose killing in broad daylight on the Naas Road on June 26th, 1996, shocked the nation and became a defining moment in Ireland's fight against organised crime. Veronica was renowned for her fearless reporting on Dublin's criminal underworld at a time when few were willing to expose the activities of some of the c...

A north Louth TD has welcomed new Shared Island funding aimed at boosting tourism projects around Carlingford Lough, saying it could help support efforts to restore the Carlingford Lough ferry service, which has not been operating this summer. €820,000 has been allocated for the further development of the Great Lighthouses of Ireland initiative, as well as wider tourism development in the area.&nb...

The debate around Irish unity returned to the Dáil last week, with Sinn Féin urging the Government to move beyond cross-border investment and begin actively preparing for the possibility of constitutional change. Louth TD Ruairí Ó Murchú welcomed projects being delivered through the Shared Island Initiative, including the Narrow Water Bridge, but argued that the Government also needs to establish...