Today on Early Edition:

President-elect Catherine Connolly will be inaugurated this afternoon. Follow our live blog on irishtimes.com.

Caroline O'Doherty has the latest from the Cop 30 climate summit in Brazil.

A well-known burger restaurant is going to court to argue that it is not 'fast food'.

And meet the patients fighting for small but meaningful improvements to our health care system.

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Early Edition is a new podcast from The Irish Times, bringing you four of our top stories in under ten minutes each morning from Monday to Friday.

On today’s episode:

There’s a plot twist in the row between DAA, which runs Dublin and Cork airports, and its CEO Kenny Jacobs over a €1m exit deal. Current affairs editor, Arthur Beesley breaks it down.

There’s been a sharp increase in the number of Irish men seeking treatment for porn addiction. A leading psychiatrist speaks to health correspondent Shauna Bowers.

From today, physical boarding passes are a thing of the past on Ryanair flights. Conor Pope says you must use your smartphone to avoid a €55 charge.

And London correspondent Mark Paul contemplates accents, as his Dublin-born children begin to speak like their English friends.

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The government really understands this is its last chance to get housing right, writes political correspondent Ellen Coyne, who has been analysing the latest strategy to solve the housing crisis.

“I’m nearly 70 and he would still slip me a fiver,” John Mackey’s niece Pat Schan tells Mark Paul. The family of the murdered Irish man in London has been speaking fondly of their uncle, following the conviction of his killer yesterday.

Sinn Féin says it won’t tolerate far right elements in the party, after confirming it expelled a member who’s house was raided, and partner arrested, in a cross border investigation into the alleged plot to destroy Galway Mosque.

Denis Staunton’s letter from Beijing outlines the peculiar reason his friends cancelled long-standing plans to have him over for dinner. Bad feng shui.

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A teacher at Scoil Aoife near Citywest in Dublin tells Kitty Holland that pupils living in the International Protection centre are being harassed and intimidated.

Conor McGregor’s attempt to overturn a civil jury’s finding that he was responsible for the rape of Dublin woman Nikita Hand, is to be examined by a panel of Supreme Court judges today. Mary Carolan explains the process.

Donald Trump’s threat to sue the BBC should act as a warning bell for RTÉ and all public service institutions, writes Laura Slattery.

Consumer affairs correspondent Conor Pope has been speaking to butchers and retailers about the threat posed by bird flu this Christmas. There’s good news and bad news.

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Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Harris asked his Polish counterpart for help in resolving a child abduction case involving a young girl with dual Irish-Polish citizenship. Orla Ryan has the story.

A leading psychologist diagnoses the causes behind Ireland's lengthy waiting lists for child mental health services.

Winter arrives early this week in the form of an 'arctic air mass' - find out what to expect.

The eruption of joy following Ireland's World Cup qualification win over Hungary continued into Monday - especially on Portland Row, home of hat-trick hero Troy Parrott.

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Ireland’s dream of returning to the World Cup is still alive after the men’s national team beat Hungary in Budapest on Sunday afternoon. What next for the boys in green? Read our match report and Ken Early’s soccer column.  

In this era of scarce and unaffordable housing, Ireland’s suburbs are undergoing a transformation, with old patterns reversing. Our new series looks how the suburban landscape is changing.  

He’s been called Spain’s answer to Charlie Kirk. Guy Hedgecoe looks at the growing appeal of young far-right activitst Vito Quiles.  

And with Miss Piggy is set for the Barbie treatment, film critic Donald Clarke recalls his fraught encounter with the hostile muppet.  

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A suspected Russian spy ship, off the coast of Scotland, is believed to planning to enter Ireland’s wider waters. Conor Gallagher is writing about the Yantar today and why it’s provoking a strong diplomatic response in Westminster.

Plans for the long-awaited Metrolink project could require up to 8,000 workers; many of whom may have to be housed in Ireland for the duration of construction. Martin Wall has been covering yesterday’s Oireachtas Committee meeting.

The teaching of religion in schools in Northern Ireland will have to be made compliant with the European Convention on Human Rights after a landmark Supreme Court ruling.

And Ed Power is reviewing the new track from hip-hop trio Kneecap; their first release since a British court dismissed a terrorism case against Mo Chara in September.  

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Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe’s surprise resignation yesterday prompts a cabinet reshuffle and questions over Ireland’s future fiscal strategy.

Child and family agency, Túsla, has been criticised over its welfare and protection services in Dublin’s north inner city.

Kathy Sheridan is taking umbridge with the Housing Minister James Browne over the issue of subdividing family homes into flats.

And Neil Briscoe is answering a reader’s question regarding home battery storage. Are they worth the significant outlay?

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The Minister for Justice and the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces must hand over the names and contact details of people who may have blocked, or simply ignored, complaints of abuse within army ranks. Ellen Coyne has the details.

Nursing home owners want immigration rules relaxed so they can hire more workers from outside the EU, UK and European Economic Area. Martin Wall says they’re seeking changes to the so-called 50/50 rule.

Tech workers in Ireland think the general public has an unrealistic idea of who they are and what they really do. Three of them have been speaking to Hugh Linehan in the first of our series, The Professionals, which looks at Ireland through the lens of different categories of worker.

And winner of The Traitors Ireland, Vanessa Ogbonno, has been chatting to Tony Clayton-Lea for Me and My Money. She describes herself as a saver, but her most extravagant purchase ever was a bit of retail therapy to take the sting out of losing a football competition.

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The crisis-hit homeless charity, the Peter McVerry Trust, has revealed a former CEO signed off on spending for a peacock enclosure at one of its residential sites. Sarah Burns is reporting on the astounding revelation at the Public Accounts Committee yesterday.

The Republic of Ireland men’s team will face Czechia in the first of potentially two qualifying play-offs next year. Is that a game we can realistically win? Gavin Cummiskey is speaking to In The News.

The husband of an Irish citizen, detained by ICE agents in the US as part of Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, has given emotional testimony at a congressional committee about Donna Hughes-Brown’s treatment in custody. Keith Duggan has been speaking to Jim Brown about his bid to free the 59 year-old.

And reader Shane McLoughlin has been in touch in a letter to the editor about how “low salaries, inconsistent public services and an impossible housing market were key reasons” why he emigrated to Australia. He doesn’t think the government’s attempt at persuading skilled construction workers to move home is connected to reality when nothing has meaningfully changed in the six years he’s been living in Melbourne.

Presented by Aideen Finnegan.

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A decision has been made not to remove tricolours erected across Dublin city, over fears it could put council workers at risk. Conor Gallagher has been investigating the proliferation of Ireland flags hung on lamp posts across the country.

The manner of Enoch Burke and his family’s combative approach to protesting can be traced back through the decades, and according to Diarmaid Ferriter, is particularly similar to the catholic anti-divorce crusaders of the 1980s.

The number of people being served notice to quit their tenancies has risen again, mostly due to landlords selling up. Niamh Towey has been analysing the latest figures from the Residential Tenancies Board.

And if you’re looking for some inspiration for your next read, you might be interested to see who won big at last night’s Irish Book Awards.

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Around 20 male International Protection applicants slept rough on a wintry Tuesday despite thousands of beds available. Sources have told Kitty Holland officials want to them to “demonstrate homelessness” in order to prove their need.

Meanwhile Pat Leahy analyses Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan’s claim that immigration is increasing at the fastest rate in the EU, and Ireland can’t cope.

The HSE tried to conceal the fact it was on the cusp of awarding a state contract to the company at the centre of a false Garda vetting scandal. Jack Power reveals a review of Good People homecare’s dealings with Túsla, resulted in an employee being prohibited from any further work with vulnerable children.

Monday’s drug-related attack on a woman in Clondalkin in Dublin was akin to “cartel tactics,” a Garda source has told Conor Gallagher.

And Ukrainians on the streets of Kyiv have told Eastern European correspondent Dan McLaughlin that Donald Trump’s “peace plan” with Russia is a “total betrayal.”

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“Flying blind” and “budgeting like there’s no tomorrow” – the government’s management of the economy is being roundly criticised by the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council.

A group of Ranelagh residents have launched a legal challenge to the Metrolink project – with the potential to stall the long-awaited underground rail line.

Consumer Affairs correspondent Conor Pope is urging caution in the Black Friday online shopping frenzy.

The RDS has been renamed the Laya Arena in a new naming rights partnership, while a bill to rename Dublin Airport after this former Taoiseach has progressed in the Dáil.

Presented by Aideen Finnegan

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If you’re commuting to work right now on a jam-packed train or bus, you’ll want to read Cliff Taylor’s look ahead to the Accelerating Infrastructure Taskforce report.

Considering whether to go to Prague for the Republic of Ireland’s World Cup play off against the Czech Republic? Dubliner Cóilín O’Connor has lived there since 1995 and has a few tips on how to avoid the sky high air fares.

What’s it like to learn Irish again as an adult? Completely different, reports Jack White. He’s been speaking to a number of people taking evening classes at Conradh na Gaeilge. “Raging I didn’t do this years ago,” says one.

And “regift the bejaysis out of it,” says Conor Pope. Our Pricewatch editor is doling out his top tips for a cheaper (and greener) Christmas 2025. There’s some “helpful” advice from some of our readers too.

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Ireland may be targeted by hostile actors in 2026 as it hosts the European Union presidency, and there is “considerable” concern it lacks capacity to defend against such attacks, a new paper has warned.

Meanwhile it’s emerged a “dark vessel” was spotted in the Irish Sea around the same time as the Naval Service noted five drones near the flight path of the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy last week.

A marathon dispute over a Dublin family home has been halted by a judge. The legal row began in 2001 and the brother and sister involved have since died. But legal proceedings are planned over the property’s transfer.

The Irish Times has learned of what appears to be a mass eviction at an old Georgian building on Mountjoy Square in Dublin 1.

It is hard to be kind about Meghan Markle’s festive Netflix special “With Love, Meghan,” but you can count on our features writer Patrick Freyne to try,

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Elon Musk is to take a case against Comisiún na Meán personally, as well as via his social media company X, after being granted permission in the High Court.

Board members and tech executives could be held liable for content on their platforms that poses a danger to children, under a radical reform of our online safety regulations.

British spy agencies helped the IRA double-agent codenamed Stake knife evade arrest for conspiracy to murder by taking him “on holiday.” Twice. As part of Operation Kenova, an interim report has also found “no evidence” of systemic British state collusion with the loyalist gang that carried out the Dublin Monaghan bombings in 1974.

Joanne Hunt is wondering if you are investing your savings, and if not, why not? Don’t know how to get started? Read her article in Your Money today.

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Only the top 20 percent of earners in Ireland can afford to rent an apartment, and only the top 40% can buy one. The findings are contained in a new report from the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland.

The final report into the activities of the British army’s top IRA mole during the troubles will be released today. It is not expected the double-agent codenamed Stakeknife - widely accepted as Freddie Scappaticci - will be named.

Saturday’s firebombing of a house in Co. Offaly, which killed 4 year old Tadhg Farrell and his grand-aunt Mary Holt, may have been done to intimidate Tadhg’s father Aaron Holt, currently on remand in Midlands prison.

Netflix’s deal to buy out Warner Brothers Discovery has the potential to reshape Hollywood forever if it doesn’t fall foul of antitrust laws in the US. Media columnist Hugh Linehan explains the significance of the mega merger.

And what is the correct etiquette when it comes to buying your child’s teacher a gift at Christmas? And why does it feel like it’s becoming a competitive sport, driven largely by parents themselves? Jen Hogan has garnered opinion from teachers and parents alike. 

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Gardaí suspect criminals involved in the drugs trade in the Midlands were behind the firebombing of a family home in Edenderry, Co Offaly, on Saturday night that claimed the life of a young boy and his grandaunt. 

E-scooters are now the leading cause of traumatic brain injury in children, despite the fact they’re now illegal for under 16s. Doctors and road safety advocates are appealing to people not to buy them as presents this Christmas.

In his Unthinkable column, Joe Humphreys is writing about Elon Musk’s apparent gunning for Ireland’s “wokerati” who *checks notes* want to ban Christmas. He points out it is capitalism that is corrupting the values of the nativity.

The M50 is maxed out. Now what? Professor of Transportation Research at Trinity College Dublin, Brian Caulfield, is writing about how to get it moving again.

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In the days since Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to Ireland, it’s emerged five drones were spotted off the coast of Howth. They were spotted by the naval ship, William Butler Yeats, near the flightpath of the Ukrainian president’s aircraft.

OnlyFans creators who haven’t paid their taxes don’t want their details published on the list of defaulters because they believe it could put their personal safety at risk, reports Barry O’Halloran.

The pain of three-hour, 30km commutes: Kildare motorists share stories of M7 traffic hell with Tim O’Brien.

For two decades, he’s been the Nosferatu of economic forecasting, torpedoing optimism with his ice-cold predictions. Nouriel Roubini has earned the nickname Dr. Doom which is why, Eoin Burke Kennedy writes, his latest forecast is so surprising.

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Libyan soldiers previously trained by former Irish Defence Forces personnel have appeared in Russia and have expressed fears they will be deployed to the frontline in Ukraine, writes Conor Gallagher.

More than 33,000 images of people disappeared, tortured and killed in Syria have been uncovered. Sally Hayden is writing about the trove of photographs which reveal previously unknown details about Bashar Al-Assad’s industrial killing machinery. Warning: this article contains distressing images.

The public service needs a complete mindset change from one of box-ticking and avoiding legal challenge, to getting things done. That’s just one of the reactions to the government’s Accelerating Infrastructure plan published yesterday.

Looking for tech gift ideas this Christmas? Don’t miss Ciara O’Brien’s festive tech guide today.

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Taxi drivers are to stage another protest in Dublin this evening in their ongoing campaign against a fixed-fare option introduced by booking platform Uber.

Winter is here and if you’re a parent of small children, so is the juggle of trying to work when coughs, colds and tummy bugs mean they can’t go to school or creche. Joanne Hunt writes about the different types of leave you can avail of when something’s got to give.

If you’re thinking of buying a new car in 2026, our motoring journalists Neil Briscoe and Michael McAleer have hand-picked the best vehicles on the market as we head into a new year. Today is the second instalment of a three part series. You can check out the best family and EV options here.

We all have a death day lurking unseen. When’s mine? When’s yours? It might sound morbid but Róisín Ingle hopes her column will actually be the uplifting read you need today.  

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Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy has arrived in Dublin for his first official visit here. It comes at a fraught time for peace negotiations, with Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff visiting the Kremlin at the same time as President Zelenskiy meets Irish leaders.

Fresh information has been revealed about President Catherine Connolly’s controversial trip to Syria in 2018, when she was photographed in the vicinity of a militia group leader. Colm Keena has been speaking to the Irish activist and Assad supporter who facilitated Clare Daly and Mick Wallace’s trip the year before.

A number of our reporters are covering the proposal to dename Herzog Park in Dublin’s Rathgar, and remove the reference to former Israeli president Chaim Herzog.

Ella Sloane profiles the Belfast-born, Dublin-raised man who would go on to be leader. Olivia Kelly reports on a stormy meeting of Dublin City Councillors over the proposed denaming. Ronan McGreevy examines similar controversies down through the decades over renaming streets. And the letters to the editor feature two sample perspectives on the issue.

Finding a restaurant that provides decent food, service and ambiance at moderate price is increasingly difficult these days. Our restaurant critic Corinna Hardgrave, however, has picked 12 particularly good value eateries from across the country.

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A homicide investigation has been opened into the death of toddler Daniel Aruebose, whose remains were found on open ground in Donabate, north Dublin, last September. Our crime and security editor Conor Lally says today would have been the boy’s eighth birthday.

The RTE payments scandal gripped the nation in 2023, and RTE’s director general at the time, Dee Forbes, ended up leaving her role in the wake of the controversy. Due to poor health she hasn’t spoken publicly since, but in her column today Justine McCarthy argues her legacy and influence over RTE remains; and the Irish public deserves an explanation.

A trad session in Naas, Co Kildare was part of the red carpet treatment for a visiting European Commissioner, during a tense week of negotiations for Ireland. Jack Power is writing about the horse trading going on behind the scenes of the nitrates derogation talks and asks what might Ireland have had to do to secure the exemption for another three years.

Our Washington correspondent Keith Duggan is writing about a polarising Democratic congresswoman in Texas called Jasmine Crockett, who has a unique ability to get under the skin of US president Donald Trump.

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Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan says there is no intelligence to suggest a heightened risk to the Jewish community in Ireland following Sunday’s terrorist gun attack in Sydney. But speaking on Inside Politics with Hugh Linehan, he says antisemitism is something we have to confront.

After a suggestion in the US that 50 year mortgages could be one way of making American homes more affordable, Fiona Reddan looks at the viability of introducing them here.

A quiet, months-long battle between James Comer, the Republican chair of the oversight committee, and Bill and Hillary Clinton over the panel’s Jeffrey Epstein investigation could come to a head this week.

What’s Christmas like in Dubai? Waterford native Sinéad McCann is our first emigrant to share her experience of being abroad in December. Our “Letters Home for Christmas” series explores views about Ireland through the lens of young emigrants.

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New South Wales police have confirmed the alleged attackers in yesterday’s massacre on Bondi Beach in Australia were father and son. At least 16 are dead after two gunmen opened fire on a gathering of Jewish people celebrating Hanukkah.

Fianna Fáil is expected to hold a meeting of the parliamentary party this week to discuss a review into the handling of its disastrous presidential election campaign.

The granddaughter of the man described as “the father of the Dublin film trade” is paying tribute to Maurice Elliman, and his son Louis. The pair founded the Savoy in Dublin, Cork and Limerick as well as more than 30 other cinemas, and three Dublin theatres including The Gaeity.

Labubus appear to have had their day in the sun. The biggest toy trend of 2025 didn’t even make it to Christmas. It’s prompted Pricewatch editor Conor Pope to look back at some of the other toys to have topped children’s’ Santa lists.

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The most common scams that led to money being stolen from people this year started with text messages sent to phones. Consumer affairs correspondent Conor Pope is writing about new research released by AIB this morning.

There’s been a warming of relations between the British government and the European Commission. Yesterday it announced it’s rejoining the Erasmus student exchange programme, after Brexit brought an end to it.

An Irish citizen has been remanded in custody in Germany, over an alleged break in at a plant linked to an Israeli defence company. Derek Scally writes that Daniel Tatlow-Devally is kept in his cell for 23 hours a day.

Corinna Hardgrave is nominating the best eateries in Ireland in her annual “restaurant oscars.” She’s picked three for Early Edition; one casual dining, one mid-range and one fine dining experience.

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The Irish Times has learned of a report into a number of allegations of patients being mistreated at Bloomfield Hospital in south Dublin. Our health correspondent Shauna Bowers says they include patients being slapped, left in soiled clothing and threatened with an injection for not co-operating with staff.

The highly anticipated review into Fianna Fáil’s calamitous presidential election campaign has been revealed. There’s no smoking gun in relation to what the Taoiseach and other senior party figures knew about

Mr. Gavin’s rent dispute with a former tenant, but political editor Pat Leahy says it does clarify how the campaign unravelled.

A London company has been hired to provide counter terrorism simulations for Gardaí ahead of Ireland’s holding of the EU presidency next year. Crime and security correspondent Conor Gallagher says Gardaí will “war game” a number of scenarios, including a large scale terrorist attack.

With just over a week until many of us will be panicking about preparing the Christmas dinner, you might be relieved to hear that even professional chefs take shortcuts in the kitchen on December 25th. Here are the shop-bought suggestions that will work for everybody. 

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A founding member of the Irish pop-rock band The Script is the landlord of a mould-ridden, unregistered rented studio described by the tenant living there as “uninhabitable”.

Donald Trump’s “baby bonds” involve opening an investment account, like a pension, but can be managed from birth. The programme for government proposes a similar idea.

Calf’s head, pressed beef and hare meat are Christmas recipe ideas featured in The Irish Times archives. Úna McCaffrey has been trawling through them and found some other tips for women hosting the festive

dinner.

Forget the streaming services’ mediocre Christmas TV offerings and relive the golden era of linear TV’s “Christmas special”. From Father Ted to Alan Partridge, Lauren Murphy has been ranking the ten best festive episodes of iconic TV sitcoms.

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On today’s Early Edition podcast:

• Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro appeared in a New York Court yesterday. Meanwhile his former vice president is taking control in Caracas.

• Archbishop Eamon Martin wrote to Taoiseach Micheál Martin last September about the case of republican activist Denis Donaldson, who was murdered in 2006.

• New figures show the number of asylum seekers who returned to their country of origin increased last year. But there is no evidence that greater financial inducements on offer were a factor.

• And a warning about the dangers of unlicensed Botox procedures. 

Four of today's top stories from irishtimes.com.

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How Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien intervened in the debate over Dublin Airport’s passenger cap.

Abuse, privilege and enjoyment: TDs who were first elected in 2024 reflect on a year in their roles.

“Working from home” has been under attack from US business leaders and rules have been tightened in many Irish workplaces. But is the practice really in decline?

And 2025 marked an increase in workplace-related deaths, with one group of workers particularly vulnerable. 

Mark Hennessy shares four of today's top stories from irishtimes.com

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On this day in 1926 2RN, the radio station which became RTE, was launched for the first time.

Dozens of devices could be dropped into the waters off Ireland’s coast to track Russian submarines in Irish sovereign waters.

And in a New Year interview with The Irish Times, Sinn Fein leader, Mary Lou McDonald rejects charges that a stronger line by the party on immigration means it isn’t a left wing party. 

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The father of an autistic boy who cannot get a place at school speaks of the challenges with everyday life. 

The Head of Dublin City University hits back at claims it is overcharging for student accommodation. 

And An Garda Síochána pleads for people not to drink and drive, as the number of road deaths in 2025 nears 200. 

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Ukraine has denied carrying out a drone attack on one of Putin’s official residences. The allegation and denial came after US president Donald Trump claimed a peace deal was nearly complete.

The number of organ transplants from donors in Ireland fell sharply this year.

A threat to the delivery of new homes in key parts of Dublin because of electricity constraints led the government to demand urgent action from the state-owned grid operator and power supplier. 

And in an interview for today’s Irish Times, the actor James Nesbitt reflects on his identity as an actor and that Ballymena accent. 

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On today’s Early Edition:

• The US seizure of a Russian-flagged tanker en route from Venezuela in the North Atlantic yesterday.

• Minister for Higher Education James Lawless on how the shortage of skilled labour will impact housing - and why he believes ministers should leave social media platform X.

• New figures released by MyHome.ie show signs that house price inflation stabilised towards the end of last year.

• And how Belfast’s TV and film industries are booming.

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A selection of today's stories from The Irish Times.

• An especially vulnerable women, and survivor of the Donnybrook Magdalene Laundry, who’s facing eviction at the age of 70 speaks to the Irish Times.

• The scheme to compensate survivors of mother and baby homes says its received 7,000 applications for redress.  

• The government promises tighter regulations on e-scooters.

• A group of Irish students head to Bavaria on exchange.

Read more at IrishTimes.com

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A selection of today's top stories from The Irish Times.

• A crucial vote on the EU’s Mercosur trade deal in Brussels.

• The Health Minister criticises two hospitals over patients waiting on trolleys.

• President Catherine Conolly tells the launch of Dublin TradFest Irish music plays a huge role in communities across the country.

• One of the Republic of Ireland's 2002 World Cup squad writes the Saipan film is full of inaccuracies.

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As we head into the New Year, The Irish Times wants to hear listener feedback on our two news podcasts; In The News and our more recently released sister podcast Early Edition.

This survey is open to anyone who has listened to either In The News or Early Edition- whether you listen regularly, occasionally, or have listened in the past.

This survey should take around 3-5 minutes to complete. All responses are anonymous. Thank you!

A selection of top stories from The Irish Times:

• Donald Trump is to speak to the World Economic Forum in Davos following fresh tariffs over his desire to take control of Greenland.
• An alarming number of Irish people believe the Holocaust is a myth
• Tusla defends itself in the High Court over its failure to give two children places in a secure unit.
• Still no screening for babies with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, two years after it was promised.
• The Irish language is to play a key role in Ireland's EU presidency.
• And a Dublin TD says restaurants shouldn't charge the same corkage fee for non-alcoholic drinks as it does for alcoholic drinks.

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As we head into the New Year, The Irish Times wants to hear listener feedback on our two news podcasts; In The News and our more recently released sister podcast Early Edition.

This survey is open to anyone who has listened to either In The News or Early Edition- whether you listen regularly, occasionally, or have listened in the past.

This survey should take around 3-5 minutes to complete. All responses are anonymous. Thank you!

A former garda who was assaulted by her ex-husband says she will handcuff herself to the gates of Leinster House if he is allowed to keep his job in An Garda Síochána. In an interview with The Irish Times, Margaret Loftus says Trevor Bolger was able to exert power and influence over her right up until the point of sentencing.

As the EU considers how to respond to Donald Trump’s threats to take Greenland, Cliff Taylor observes any form of retaliation will be bad news for Ireland’s economy.

Colin Howell walked into a Co. Derry police station in 2009 and confessed to the murder of his wife and his lover’s husband. Now Freya McClements reports audio of that confession is to be made public for the very first time.

And the sika deer has been added to a list of invasive species that shouldn’t be in the EU. Caroline O’Doherty explains Ireland will now have to come up with a national strategy to cull the breed, which is a major pest in parts of the country.

Presented by Aideen Finnegan

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we head into the New Year, The Irish Times wants to hear listener feedback on our two news podcasts; In The News and our more recently released sister podcast Early Edition.

This survey is open to anyone who has listened to either In The News or Early Edition- whether you listen regularly, occasionally, or have listened in the past.

This survey should take around 3-5 minutes to complete. All responses are anonymous. Thank you!

The number of Irish people being deported from the US amid Donald Trump’s hardline immigration crackdown has surged, writes Martin Wall.

An Irish citizen, who went back to his native Russia to visit family last August, has been in custody ever since and risks being sent to a forced labour camp, writes Órla Ryan.

The Dublin rioters: Conor Gallagher on who are they and what 82 prosecutions have told us about those involved on the night of November 23rd 2023.

John Fitzgerald, the professor at the Economic and Social Research Institute, has spoken of the time he unexpectedly ended up at a cabinet subcommittee in 1983 much to the surprise of his father, the then Taoiseach Garrett Fitzgerald. And somehow John manages to link this amusing anecdote to the controversial Mercosur deal.

And Rachel O’Dwyer has written a deeply touching article today where she takes issue with the film Hamnet being described disparagingly as “grief porn.”

Presented by Aideen Finnegan.

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A selection of today's top stories from The Irish Times.

• Schools must use the preferred name and pronoun of transgender children
• Ireland could create more jobs if it had a better energy supply 
• Senior officials at Ireland’s inward investment agency say the jobs market it being held back by constraints in the electricity network
• The company which runs Dublin and Cork airports has until 6 o’clock this evening to file court papers; in relation to the legal action begin taken against it by its suspended CEO
• Greenlanders tell our correspondent Derek Scally what they think of Donald Trumps threats
• The Oscar winning actor Brendan Fraser reveals his Grandad cross the Atlantic to escape the Famine 

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Just one single data centre in west Dublin consumes energy equivalent to 200,000 homes, according to an internal government document seen by The Irish Times. Jack Horgan-Jones reports that’s ten times the electricity consumption of a nearby pharmaceutical plant.

The number of US citizens seeking International Protection in Ireland has quadrupled in the past year. Although the numbers are small, the amount of Americans immigrating to Ireland on visas has spiked by almost 100%. Katie Mellett reports that figure equates to 9,600.

The €750,000 cost of constructing 14 steps and a ramp at a south Dublin park was half a million more than the local authority which developed the project had initially estimated, the National Transport Authority has told Martin Wall.

2026 could be the year you take back control of your devices instead of your devices controlling you, writes Ciara O’Brien. She has these tips to help declutter your digital life, secure your privacy and free up some mental bandwidth.

And the hit ice hockey show Heated Rivalry, featuring a same sex romance, is getting the Patrick Freyne treatment. In a bid to appreciate more “sports”, he says he’s learning about ice hockey from the HBO series. Or as Patrick calls it, Canadian snow hurling.

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A selection of stories from The Irish Times.

• Children in Ireland are waiting years for primary medical assessments 
• Extreme weather - The EU’s climate service says Ireland is in for more of it 
• Execution of a protestor in Iran is schedule for today, human rights group says
• Dead whales washing up on Irish beaches
• Behind Pierce Brosnan's latest character, the renowned Irish boxing coach Brendan Ingle

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It’s the first day back in the Dáil for TDs after their Christmas break. Political editor Pat Leahy takes a look at the issues expected to command the most attention in this Dáil term.

The unsavoury confluence of Grok’s “nudification” function, and the shooting dead of Renée Good in Minneapolis last week have ushered in our new media dystopia, argues Hugh Linehan in his column today.

Scientists hope the intermittent fasting trend could, in the future, play a part in reducing neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.

And Greenlanders are sporting red baseball caps akin to the iconic MAGA hats worn by fans of US president Donald Trump. Except in the capital, Nuuk, the acronym stands for Make America Go Away.

Presented by Aideen Finnegan.

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As expected, Donald Trump brought the drama in Davos yesterday. Today EU leaders meet for an emergency summit in Brussels, where they’ll have to figure out what Greenland deal was done between the US president and the head of Nato in their absence.

Ellen Coyne has been canvassing opinions on an Australia style social media ban for under 16s here, and how it might work.

Over 500 people have had their say on proposed active travel scheme for the town of Skerries in north Co. Dublin. Olivia Kelly reports the vast majority of submissions to a public consultation show utter dismay at the plans for protected bike lanes, fewer car parking spaces and a one way system for part of the town.

And Emer McLysaght absolutely loves living alone, except for one completely terrifying prospect which plagues others like her.

Presented by Aideen Finnegan.

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The Irish Times wants to hear listener feedback on our two news podcasts In The News and Early Edition.

This survey is open to anyone who has listened to either In The News or Early Edition- whether you listen regularly, occasionally, or have listened in the past.

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Senior ministers are not entertaining suggestions the Taoiseach should boycott the White House this St. Patrick’s Day. Pat Leahy writes the cabinet is expected to sign off on their annual programme at their weekly meeting. Other items on the agenda include the widening of eligibility criteria for homeowners who can qualify for retrofits.

A Cork farmer will allege in the High Court this morning that armed gardaí twice used a Taser on him during the raid of his farm in December 2015, and that he was “unlawfully assaulted and battered and falsely imprisoned” by them.

US president Donald Trump has he’s had a “very good call” with the Democratic governor of Minnesota, following the fatal shooting of a second US citizen in the state by immigration agents that has sparked a fierce backlash.

Dart+ South West has cost the state 35 million euro, without a single shovel in the ground, nor construction even planned for another four years.

Forget your stocks and shares; how about trying to do something positive for the environment, while earning some money from the land? Fiona Reddan has the lowdown on the state’s various tree incentive schemes.

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A selection of top stories from The Irish Times:

• What do teachers think is behind the alarming number of young people denying the holocaust?
• Could hybrid working tackle traffic congestion on routes into Dublin?
• How many special advisors does the government have, and how much do they cost?
• Where can you buy a lunch in Dublin for less than €5?

The Irish Times wants to hear listener feedback on our two news podcasts In The News and Early Edition.

This survey is open to anyone who has listened to either In The News or Early Edition- whether you listen regularly, occasionally, or have listened in the past.

This survey should take around 3-5 minutes to complete. All responses are anonymous. Thank you.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A selection of top stories from The Irish Times.

• Volodymyr Zelensky had strong words for Europe, and is said to have agreed security guarantees from Donald Trump.
• Desperately needed flood defences in Clontarf on Dublin's north side are delayed again.
• Adults with ADHD tell The Irish Times of their struggles with addiction.
• The health minister criticised dentists who offer Botox.
• An Irishman is on the cusp of breaking the world record for the longest hike barefoot.

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