Ireland Crime

Man arrested after woman in 40s found dead in Finglas, Dublin

Death · Dublin

Romanian woman Loredana Morosanu, 48, was found dead from two stab wounds at her apartment on Melville Terrace, Finglas, Dublin 11, shortly after 4:30am on Monday 26 October 2026. A man made multiple calls to gardaí claiming she had stabbed herself before leaving the scene, and her partner, Daniel Simion Toader, 47, a Romanian national, was arrested after a six-hour manhunt near Charlestown Shopping Centre at around 11am. CCTV footage showed a man calmly walking away from the apartment making a phone call, and the victim had run screaming from the property at 1am on 21 October, five days earlier. Toader was charged with murder on Tuesday 27 October and appeared before Dublin District Court, where he was remanded in custody to appear via video link at Clover Hill District Court on 3 November.

High Court appoints liquidators to Liberty Recycling charity in money-laundering probe

Money laundering · Dublin

A garda money laundering investigation into Liberty Recycling Training and Development CLG, a west Dublin charity that provides employment and training to people affected by drugs, led to the seizure of around €300,000 in assets including two BMW X5 cars and luxury goods during searches in Dublin and the south and east in the week before 27 October 2026. No one was arrested. The charity is chaired by Sinn Féin TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh, though the Charities Regulator said there is no evidence the trustees are involved in the activities under investigation and there is no suggestion of wrongdoing on Ó Snodaigh's behalf. On 27 October 2026 the High Court appointed provisional liquidators to the charity following a winding-up petition by the Charities Regulator under the Charities Act 2009, section 74(1). A hearing on the winding-up application is scheduled for November.

Gerry Mooney's victim impact statement at sentencing for 1982 rape of sister in Co Offaly

Rape, indecent assault · Offaly

In 1982, man Gerry Mooney, then aged 16 or 17, raped and indecently assaulted his 11-year-old sister, woman Olivia Payne, at their family home in Clonin, Rhode, Co Offaly. Payne made a formal complaint to gardaí in January 2020, and Mooney was arrested and interviewed in April 2022. Mooney, now 61, pleaded not guilty and was convicted by a unanimous jury at the Central Criminal Court earlier in 2026. At the sentencing hearing on 27 October 2026, Payne delivered a victim impact statement, and Justice Eileen Creedon remanded Mooney on continuing bail to 23 November 2026 for sentence.

Gardaí concerned for 16-year-old Megan O'Brien missing from Arva, Co Cavan

Missing person · Cavan

Megan O'Brien, 16, has been missing from Arva, Co Cavan, since 16 October 2026. Gardaí are concerned for her health and wellbeing and believe she may have travelled to Dublin city.

Three men remanded on rape and child cruelty charges after Navan house search

Rape, attempted rape, child cruelty, endangerment of a child, assault, threatening to kill · Meath

Three unnamed men, aged 37, 42 and 59, were arrested on 27 October 2026 and appeared at Trim District Court charged with rape, attempted rape, child cruelty, endangerment of a child, assault and threatening to kill, following a Garda search of a house in the Navan area, Co Meath in January 2025. The offences are alleged to have occurred on dates unknown between 2012 and 2022, with the victims described as a female and a child. The 37-year-old man faces the most charges, including 10 counts of rape of a female and one count of attempted rape. All three men were remanded into custody and are due to appear before the court again in December 2026.

Sean McGovern sues over prison segregation at Portlaoise

Prison segregation, judicial review · Laois

Sean McGovern, a senior figure in the Kinahan organised crime group, was sentenced to 24 years in prison by the Special Criminal Court in June 2026 after pleading guilty to two charges of directing the activities of a criminal organisation. He was subsequently placed in a solitary confinement regime at Portlaoise Prison in County Laois, where he is locked in his cell for over 20 hours a day due to security concerns. In October 2026, McGovern sued the Irish Prison Service, the governor of Portlaoise Prison, and the Minister for Justice in the High Court, alleging the segregation is causing him deteriorating mental health. On 27 October 2026, Judge Mary Rose Gearty granted permission for him to pursue a judicial review challenge, with the case set to return in November 2026.

Murder trial opens for 89-year-old woman strangled in Nenagh

Murder · Tipperary

Josephine Ray, 89, was smothered and strangled to death in her bed at her home in Nenagh, Co Tipperary, on 4 August 2024. Hasan Ali Gori, 52, from Chad, who was in a relationship with her daughter Mary Ray and living in the house, has been charged with her murder. He pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court, Limerick, where the trial opened in October 2026 before Mr Justice Seán Gillane. The prosecution alleges he suffocated and strangled her after a row, and the trial is expected to last four weeks.

36 computers stolen from unfinished National Children's Hospital in Dublin

Theft · Dublin

36 computers, each estimated to be worth around €1,000, were stolen from the Early Access areas of the unfinished National Children's Hospital in Dublin 8 on 30 and 31 July 2026. The theft was identified by Children's Health Ireland's ICT team and reported to gardaí at Kilmainham. No suspects have been identified or arrested, and a Garda Síochána investigation is ongoing. A security review of all access routes into the Early Access area was conducted after the incident.

Kerryman pleads not guilty to crystal meth seizure charges

Importation of drugs · Cork

James Leen, 43, of Kilmorna, Listowel, Co Kerry, pleaded not guilty to five charges at the Special Criminal Court on 27 October 2026, relating to the seizure of 564kg of crystal meth with an estimated value of €32.8 million from a container at Cork Port on 16 February 2024. The charges include importing methylamphetamine at Cork Port, Ringaskiddy, Co Cork on 16 October 2023, possessing it for sale or supply at Ballyseedy Garden Centre, Tralee, and directing the activities of a criminal organisation between February 2023 and February 2024. The State's case is that the drugs were imported from Mexico, stored at Ballyseedy Garden Centre, and transported to Cork for export to Australia. The matter was adjourned to 2 November 2026 before Ms Justice Caroline Biggs, with the trial scheduled to commence on 9 November 2026.

Honduran man given non-custodial sentence for sexual assault of teen boy in gym

Sexual assault · Dublin

In April 2025, Dario Maradiaga Flores, a 33-year-old Honduran man, sexually assaulted a 16-year-old boy in the changing room of a gym in Tallaght, Dublin, by groping his genitals through his clothing. The teenager reported the incident to gym staff, who contacted gardaí, and Flores was traced through CCTV footage and his gym swipe card. He pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after the District Court refused jurisdiction. On 27 October 2026, Judge Martin Nolan handed down a sentence of two and a half years suspended in full, with a condition that Flores pay €5,000 to the victim within six weeks.

Gazan student's study visa refusal challenged in High Court judicial review

Judicial review · Dublin

Shaymaa Abudalu, a 20-year-old Gazan woman, was refused a study visa in July 2026 despite holding a fully-funded scholarship for a four-year engineering degree at UCC. Her mother, two sisters, and brother were killed in an Israeli air strike in March 2024, leaving her and her father as the only surviving members of her immediate family. She challenged the refusal in a High Court judicial review heard by Mr Justice Anthony Barr on 20 October 2026, with her lawyers arguing the decision was unlawful, irrational, and in breach of fair procedures. On 27 October 2026, the court found significant and demonstrable errors in the decision-making process, overturned the refusal, and ordered the application be reconsidered within ten working days, with a stay on the order until Thursday.

Gardaí arrest 195 people driving under the influence over bank holiday weekend

Driving under the influence

Gardaí conducted a nationwide roads policing operation from 22 to 27 October 2026, during which 195 people were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Three fatal collisions occurred over the bank holiday weekend, bringing the total number of people killed on Irish roads this year to 154. Over 4,190 drivers were detected for speeding offences in the first four days, with notable speeds including 159km/h in an 80km/h zone at Dundalk, Co Louth. The operation, which included both statutory mandatory intoxicant testing checkpoints and regular high-visibility policing, concluded on 27 October.

Cocaine and Alprazolam tablets seized in Blanchardstown drug search

Sale and supply of drugs · Dublin

Gardaí from the Drugs Unit and Crime North seized cocaine with an estimated street value of €30,000 and Alprazolam tablets with an estimated value of €20,000 during a search in Blanchardstown, Dublin 15, on Bank Holiday Monday 26 October 2026. The search was part of an ongoing investigation into an organised crime group involved in the sale and supply of controlled drugs in the area. No arrests or charges have been reported. Investigations into the group are ongoing.

Man arrested after garda raid on Ballymun e-bike drug gang

Sale and supply of drugs · Dublin

On Bank Holiday Monday morning, 26 October 2026, gardaí carried out a large raid on an organised crime gang involved in the sale and supply of drugs in Ballymun, Dublin. A man was arrested and detained at Ballymun Garda station. A large quantity of drugs, several Surron e-bikes and scramblers, a taser, fireworks, fast gas, and a large quantity of counterfeit clothing were seized during the operation. The raid was conducted by Ballymun Garda station backed up by the ASU, Dog Unit, Detective Unit, and Drugs Unit. Gardaí said they will continue to target organised crime groups in the area.

Woman in 60s killed in pedestrian collision on Fonthill Road, West Dublin

Road traffic collision · Dublin

A woman in her 60s was struck by a car on Fonthill Road at Liffey Valley, West Dublin, on Monday 26 October 2026, shortly before 5:30 pm. She was pronounced dead at the scene and no other injuries were reported. Garda Forensic Collision Investigators examined the scene and the local coroner was notified, with a post-mortem examination due to take place. Gardaí issued a public appeal for witnesses and dash-cam footage from road users on Fonthill Road at the time. No arrest or charge has been reported.

Man in 60s arrested over 2003 assault during burglary in Kilmacud

Assault and aggravated burglary · Dublin

On the morning of 31 March 2003, a man is alleged to have posed as a TV technician, forced his way into the home of a woman in her 30s in Kilmacud, South Dublin, bound her with plastic ties, threatened her with a knife, and raped her twice while her six-month-old child was in the house. A 68-year-old Irish man based in Dublin, who would have been about 45 at the time, was arrested on 7 October 2026 following a 2023 peer review of the long-running investigation. He was charged with two counts of rape, one count of false imprisonment, and one count of aggravated burglary, and pleaded not guilty. Bail was denied at Dún Laoghaire District Court on 12 October 2026 by Judge Anne Watkin, and the accused was remanded in Cloverhill Prison with a fresh hearing set for 10 November 2026.

Romanian woman charged with smuggling man into Ireland via Dublin Airport twice in a fortnight

Smuggling of persons · Dublin

A 34-year-old Romanian woman, Daniela Rusescu, of Northampton in the UK, was charged with smuggling a man into Ireland via Dublin Airport on two occasions within a fortnight. She was arrested at Terminal 1 in Dublin Airport on Saturday evening, 24 October 2026, just after 8.30pm following the arrival of a flight from Barcelona. She faces two counts under Section 6(1) of the Criminal Justice (Smuggling of Persons) Act 2021 for assisting a man to enter the State on 10 October and 24 October 2026. At Dublin District Court on Monday, 26 October 2026, bail was opposed on flight risk grounds and she was remanded in custody to appear again on Wednesday. Gardaí require directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions before she enters a plea, and the charges carry a maximum sentence of 10 years.

Man in 30s arrested over murder of Paul O'Connor near Mallow

Murder · Cork

Paul 'Bosco' O'Connor, a 56-year-old man from Ballyphehane in Cork, was found shot dead on a walkway near the River Blackwater at Ballyellis, 2km from Mallow, on 15 October 2026, after travelling by train from Cork city the previous evening. Gardaí believe he was shot at close range with a shotgun while trying to retrieve stolen drugs. Alfred Gjonaj, a 39-year-old Albanian man with an address in Co Cork, was arrested in Mallow on 19 October and charged with murder on 26 October, when he was remanded in custody at a special sitting of Fermoy District Court. A woman in her 40s was also arrested on 23 October but released without charge the same week. Gjonaj is to appear again by video link for DPP instructions.

Alleged armed robbery at store in Cashel, Tipperary

Armed robbery · Tipperary

An alleged armed robbery took place at a retail premises in Cashel, Co. Tipperary, shortly after 8pm on Saturday, 24 October 2026. No victim or suspect has been identified or named in the available reporting. Gardaí confirmed on 26 October that an investigation is ongoing, with no arrests, charges, or court proceedings reported to date.

Four killed in gangland arson attack on family home in Waterford

Murder and arson · Waterford

Four people were killed when a petrol bomb was thrown at their home in Birchwood, Waterford City, shortly after 5am on Tuesday 13 October 2026. Philip English, in his 50s, Kim English, in her 30s, and their sons Callum, 12, and Jayden, 9, died in the fire; two other children, a 14-year-old girl and a 6-year-old boy, were rescued in critical condition. Gardaí believe the attack was drug-related, linked to a local gang pressing Philip English, who had no involvement in crime, to pay a debt of up to €20,000 owed by an associate. Cian Stacey, 21, and Jessica Dalton, 31, were arrested on 15 October, charged with criminal damage and two counts of assault causing serious harm, and remanded in custody; four further people were arrested and released without charge. As of 26 October, Stacey and Dalton remain remanded with their next court appearance set for 17 November 2026, and the murder investigation is ongoing.

Five hospitalised after two-car crash on N2 at Blakestown, Ardee

Road traffic collision · Louth

A two-car crash on the N2 at Blakestown, Ardee, Co Louth, left five people hospitalised late on Sunday, 25 October 2026. Four occupants of one vehicle, two men and two women, were taken to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda with serious injuries, while the driver of the second car, a man in his 30s, was brought to the same hospital for injuries not currently thought to be life-threatening. Gardaí and emergency services attended the scene at around 11.40pm. The road was closed for a technical examination by Garda Forensic Collision Investigators, and Gardaí appealed for witnesses and dash-cam footage from the area between 11:20pm and 11:50pm.

Unidentified man's body found at Clondalkin waste recycling facility

Death · Dublin

An unidentified man's body was found by workers at the Greyhound Recycling Centre in Clondalkin, Dublin, before 1am on Saturday 24 October 2026. The man, described as aged 20 to 50 with a slim build, white complexion, brown or blonde hair and no tattoos, was wearing a white Adidas t-shirt, blue Nike sweatshirt, grey Nike tracksuit bottoms and a navy/white Adidas tracksuit top. Gardaí believe the body had been at the facility for a number of days and have committed a homicide inquiry, with a post-mortem completed but results withheld for operational reasons. As of 26 October 2026 the man remains unidentified and Gardaí are appealing to the public for information, having released a photograph of the tracksuit top.

Murderer Colin Whelan ordered to stay away from Stamullen and Gormanston ahead of release

Murder · Dublin

Colin Whelan, 55, a computer analyst, strangled his wife Mary Gough, 27, a legal secretary, and pushed her body down the stairs of their home in Balbriggan, Co Dublin, on 28 February 2001, six months after their marriage. He left his clothes and car at Howth Head, staged a fake suicide in 2003, and fled to Majorca under the name Martin Sweeney until a Garda recognised him; after extradition he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life imprisonment on 11 April 2005. Having served 22 years and been moved to Shelton Abbey Open Prison, where he is on daily temporary release to train as a chef, Whelan is due to be freed in the coming months. Under his release licence he has been ordered not to return to Stamullen or Gormanston, Co Meath, where the couple met and where Mary Gough grew up, and the Probation Service will deliberately locate him elsewhere.

Man with 110 convictions jailed for restaurant burglary in Dublin 8

Burglary · Dublin

Michael Joyce, a 50-year-old man of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to one count of burglary of a restaurant in Dublin 8 in the early hours of 3 April 2025. A witness in his car on his way to work spotted two men, one with a limp and a crutch, climbing out of the ransacked restaurant and called the gardaí, who arrested both men at the scene. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, where Joyce, who has 110 previous convictions including two for rape, was sentenced by Judge Orla Crowe on 23 October 2026 to two years and six months, backdated to when he went into custody.

Man dies in hospital after serious assault in Listowel, Kerry

Assault · Kerry

Glen Keane, a 21-year-old man from Listowel, Co Kerry, suffered significant head injuries in an assault outside a pub in The Square, Listowel, at around 8.40pm on 24 September 2026 during the Listowel Racing Festival. He was taken to University Hospital Kerry before being transferred to Cork University Hospital, where he remained in critical condition for a month before dying late on Saturday night, 24 October 2026. Three men, one in his 30s and two in their 20s, were arrested and detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act but were all released without charge on 25 September 2026. A post-mortem is scheduled for 26 October 2026, after which the investigation is expected to be upgraded from assault to murder, and a file is being sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions regarding the detentions.

Gardaí do not suspect foul play in death of man in Farran, Co Cork

Death · Cork

A man in his 30s was found unresponsive at a house in Farran, Co Cork, at around 3.20am on Sunday 25 October 2026, and was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later. His body was transferred to Cork University Hospital, where a post-mortem examination was conducted that afternoon. Gardaí said they do not suspect foul play and a file will be prepared for the coroner. The post-mortem results are not being released for operational reasons.

Woman in 80s dies in Ballymacoda fire, Co Cork

Death · Cork

An elderly woman in her 80s died from injuries sustained in a fire at her home in Ballymacoda, East Cork, at around 11pm on Saturday 24 October 2026. Gardaí from Youghal and emergency services attended the scene, where the woman was pronounced deceased and subsequently taken to Cork University Hospital. The coroner has been notified and a post-mortem examination is to be arranged. Foul play is not suspected, and Gardaí are investigating the cause of the blaze.

Death of man in Macroom no longer treated as suspicious

Death · Cork

The body of 28-year-old Jack O'Donovan, a man from Macroom, Co Cork, was found at approximately 9.30am on Friday 23 October 2026 on Macroom Golf Course, between the first green and second tee box. Initial reports noted injuries that appeared to suggest a possible assault, and the death was treated as suspicious. A state post-mortem examination completed on Saturday 24 October indicated he may have died from hypothermia, and Gardaí are no longer treating the death as suspicious. A file on his death will be compiled for the coroner's court.

Woman jailed for two years and nine months for Dublin launderette robbery

Robbery · Dublin

Ennis Dunne, a 47-year-old woman, pleaded guilty to robbing a laundrette on the South Circular Road in Dublin on 24 October 2025, taking €410 from the till after pushing a sharp object into the back of a female staff member. She had been using the launderette machines for about an hour before the robbery and was heavily intoxicated on illicit substances at the time. Dunne was identified from CCTV footage and appeared at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, where she told gardai she was on methadone maintenance and taking crack cocaine. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced her to two years and nine months, backdated to her custody in October 2025, noting her 77 previous convictions including 11 for robbery.

Man remanded in custody over intimate image recording at Dublin Airport

Recording intimate image without consent · Dublin

A 25-year-old man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is accused of recording an intimate image of another man without consent at Pier 2 in Dublin Airport on Friday 23 October 2026. He appeared unrepresented before Judge Máire Conneely at Dublin District Court on Saturday 24 October, facing a single charge under Section 3 of the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020. No plea was entered and no evidence was heard; he requested an adjournment and deferred his bail application. He consented to being remanded in custody to appear again the following week.

Garda seriously injured after falling from moving patrol van outside Dalymount Park

Road traffic incident · Dublin

A male garda in his 30s based in the Dublin Region suffered a serious head injury after falling from a moving patrol van outside Dalymount Park on Phibsborough Road, Dublin 7, at approximately 10.20pm on Friday 24 October 2026. He was policing a League of Ireland match between Bohemians and Shelbourne FC at the time. The garda was taken to Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, where he remains in serious condition. An Garda Síochána is investigating all the circumstances of the road traffic incident, with no arrests or charges reported as of the latest coverage.

Gardaí searching for 16-year-old girl missing from Dublin 8

Missing person · Dublin

Alannah Price, a 16-year-old girl, has been missing from Dublin 8 since 20 October 2026, when she was last seen around 4:00pm. She was described as 5 feet 2 inches tall, of medium build, with blonde hair and blue eyes, and was wearing brown leggings, a brown crop top, black runners, and carrying a small black backpack. Gardaí issued a public appeal on 24 October 2026, expressing concern for her welfare and asking anyone with information to contact Kevin Street Garda Station or the Garda Confidential Line. No arrests or charges have been made in connection with the case.

Burglar with 214 convictions jailed for 10 years for Dublin burglaries

Burglary, theft, trespass, criminal damage, aggravated burglary · Dublin

Andrew Cleary, 50, of no fixed abode and with 214 previous convictions, entered seven homes across Dublin between October 2024 and July 2025, stealing items to sell to feed his polysubstance drug addiction. In a Ranelagh burglary a victim gave him his wallet and was told to lock the door and not come out, while in a Killiney burglary the homeowner watched Cleary in real time on a security camera app before Gardaí apprehended him holding two bags. Cleary pleaded guilty to multiple counts of burglary, theft, trespass, criminal damage, and one count of aggravated burglary at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Ms Justice Patricia Ryan sentenced him to 10 years' imprisonment with the final 18 months suspended on strict conditions.

Triple murder accused Robert O'Connor trial hears pathologist evidence on parents' deaths

Triple murder · Louth

Robert O'Connor, 32, of Drumgowna, Louth Village, Dundalk, Co Louth, is accused of stabbing his mother Louise (56), father Mark (54) and younger brother Evan (27) to death at their home between 6.30pm and 7pm on 28 September 2025, inflicting a combined 139 stab wounds. He was found the following morning in a black hoodie with white headphones, had dried blood on his hands, and told gardaí 'Yes, I killed them'. He has pleaded not guilty of murder by reason of insanity, or guilty of manslaughter on the basis of diminished responsibility, and accepts he caused the deaths. At the Central Criminal Court trial, which began in October 2026, the defence psychiatrist Dr Fiona Toal testified that O'Connor was experiencing a relapse of schizophrenia at the time and meets the criteria for not guilty by reason of insanity, while the prosecution psychiatrist Dr Ronan Mullaney accepts diminished responsibility but does not support the insanity verdict. The trial continues before Justice Mícheál P O'Higgins.

SF TD named as chair of charity under money laundering investigation

Money laundering · Dublin

Gardaí and the Charities Regulator are investigating Liberty Recycling Ltd, a Dublin-based charity that recycles clothing and provides employment to people affected by drugs, for alleged money laundering. Searches were carried out on 21 and 22 October 2026 at locations in the Dublin, Eastern and Southern Regions, including an accountant's office, during which two BMW X5 cars worth €250,000 and luxury goods worth €40,000 were seized. Sinn Féin TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh is the charity's chairman and Tony Geoghegan is a trustee, though there is no suggestion either is under investigation. No findings have been reached, a very small number of people are under suspicion, and arrests are expected in the next phase of the inquiry.

Social media commentator on trial for harmful communication about IPAS resident

Harmful communication · Wicklow

Kirk Loco, a 44-year-old social media commentator from Rathnew, County Wicklow, is accused of publishing a threatening or grossly offensive communication about a resident of an IPAS centre in a social media post made on 21 June 2024. He faces charges under Section 4(1) and 4(3) of the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020 for distributing the communication with intent to cause harm. As of 23 October 2026, Loco is on trial and has denied the charge.

Two men arrested and explosives seized in Co Louth counter-terrorism operation

Possession of explosives · Louth

On 23 October 2026, Gardaí arrested two men and seized component parts and suspected explosive material in a counter-terrorism operation in Co Louth. The men, one in his 50s and the other in his 20s, were detained under the Offences Against the State Act, 1939, as part of a long-standing investigation by the Special Detective Unit, with a Defence Forces EOD team examining the scene. Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly described the find as particularly significant and said he was in contact with PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher regarding countering dissident groups. No charges or court proceedings had been reported as of the latest update.

Supreme Court hears appeal over super junior ministers at Cabinet

Constitutional challenge

Sinn Féin TD Pa Daly and People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy challenged the attendance of super junior ministers at Cabinet meetings, claiming it breaches Article 28 of the Constitution which limits government members to 15. A three-judge High Court dismissed their challenges in December 2025, ruling there was no constitutional breach, and awarded them 50 per cent of their legal costs. The Supreme Court, sitting as a seven-judge panel, heard the appeal over three days from 21 to 23 October 2026, with the Attorney General arguing the appeals were fundamentally flawed and the appellants saying the practice undermines accountability. The Supreme Court reserved its judgment on 23 October 2026.

Security guard's sexual assault conviction upheld on appeal

Sexual assault, false imprisonment, demanding money with menace · Dublin

A 15-year-old girl was detained after shoplifting a makeup brush and face mask from Penneys at Dundrum Shopping Centre on 4 December 2022, where security guard Abdul Rahman Mohammed, 37, of Mountjoy Square, Dublin 1, was convicted by a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in February 2024 of sexual assault, false imprisonment, and demanding money with menace. He was jailed for five years by Judge Orla Crowe. His appeal, in which he denied the offence and alleged the victim and her friends had been following him around the shopping centre, was dismissed by Mr Justice Paul Burns in October 2026.

Man in 40s arrested over murder of Mark Cullen in Dún Laoghaire

Murder · Dublin

Mark Cullen, a 39-year-old father of three from Shanganagh Cliffs, Shankill, was shot in the upper leg at Patrician Park on Kill Avenue, Dún Laoghaire, on Sunday 5 July 2026 and bled to death at the scene. Gardaí believe he attended a prearranged meeting at around 8.30am and was fatally injured during a struggle with a handgun or deliberately shot as part of a dispute or punishment shooting. A man in his 40s was arrested on 10 September and released without charge on 12 September, while Edward Andrews, 32, of Wicklow town, Co Wicklow, was subsequently arrested and charged with Cullen's murder. Andrews was remanded in custody at Dublin District Court on 18 October, and the case was adjourned at Cloverhill District Court on 23 October pending preparation of a book of evidence, with the next hearing set for 19 November.

Man rearrested after Citywest sexual assault charges dropped

Sexual assault · Dublin

A 27-year-old Sudanese man was charged with two counts of sexual assault of a 10-year-old girl in the care of Tusla, allegedly committed on 20 October 2025 at the Citywest IPAS centre in Saggart, Dublin. The allegations sparked three days of violent rioting in the area in October 2025. On 23 October 2026, the State withdrew both charges via nolle prosequi at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, and Judge Martin Nolan discharged the man from the indictment. The man, who had appeared by video-link from Midlands Prison, was immediately rearrested by the Garda National Immigration Bureau on foot of a deportation order made the previous spring. He is now back in custody in Midlands Prison, and gardaí are monitoring online activity ahead of a planned protest on Saturday evening.

Gardaí believe foul play unlikely in deaths of Bray couple

Death · Wicklow

The remains of Bridget "Biddy" O'Brien (45) and Jamie McGinn (38) were found at their shared home in the Cois Cairn estate, Old Connaught Avenue, Bray, Co Wicklow, at about 8am on Wednesday 22 October 2026. McGinn's body was discovered in the garden with wounds gardaí believe were self-inflicted, while the precise cause of O'Brien's death awaits toxicology results. Gardaí believe foul play of any kind is very unlikely and are treating the deaths as a tragedy. The couple had lost their two children, Jordan (4) and Holly (3), in a 2017 fire at a domestic violence facility in Clondalkin, Dublin, and had struggled with trauma and drug use in the years since. No criminal file is expected unless unusual results emerge from the pending toxicology tests, which may take several weeks.

Civil servant sent to Special Criminal Court over leaking sensitive information to hostile power

Breach of Official Secrets Act, breach of Data Protection Act, disclosing confidential information · Dublin

Yevgen McKeeffe, a 46-year-old Irish man originally from Ukraine, is accused of leaking sensitive State information to a hostile foreign power between July 11, 2025 and May 28, 2026. He was arrested at Dublin Airport on May 28, 2026 while attempting to leave the State, carrying €5,650 and a one-way ticket. He faces four charges including two breaches of the Official Secrets Act, a breach of the Data Protection Act, and disclosing confidential information from a government department. He was refused bail and remanded in continuing custody. In October 2026, he was sent forward for trial to the non-jury Special Criminal Court after the DPP certified that the ordinary courts were not suitable.

Kyran Durnin murder investigation 'remains active and fully resourced' at second anniversary

Murder · Louth

Kyran Durnin, a boy, was last seen at his primary school in Dundalk, Co Louth, in June 2022 at age six, and was declared missing along with his mother Dayla Durnin on 30 August 2024. Gardaí formally launched a murder investigation on 16 October 2024, and Anthony Maguire, a 36-year-old man, was arrested but released without charge before being found dead at his home six days later. A woman in her 20s was arrested in December 2024 and a woman in her 50s in May 2026, both released without charge. As of October 2026, the investigation remains active and fully resourced, with over 570 investigative actions, more than 29,500 hours of CCTV reviewed, and multiple property searches and excavations carried out.

Gardaí examining new information in Philip Cairns disappearance case

Disappearance · Dublin

Thirteen-year-old boy Philip Cairns disappeared on the afternoon of 23 October 1986 while walking from his home on Ballyroan Road to Coláiste Éanna school in Rathfarnham, Dublin 16. His schoolbag was found six days later in a laneway near the school with some books missing, but he has never been located. No suspect has been identified and the case remains unsolved after more than 40 years, during which Gardaí followed over 1,600 lines of inquiry. On the 40th anniversary in October 2026, Gardaí renewed their public appeal and are examining new information that emerged following recent media attention.

Former teacher's indecent assault conviction appeal heard at Court of Appeal

Indecent assault · Dublin

A 74-year-old former teacher was convicted of 118 counts of indecent assault against eight boys aged six to 14, with the abuse taking place between 1977 and 1984 at various locations in Dublin including the school, his home, and his car. An earlier investigation in 1995/96 canvassed witnesses whose statements did not support the allegations, and the DPP did not prosecute. Following a trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, he was sentenced to five years in prison by Judge Orla Crowe. At the Court of Appeal, defence counsel argued that essential evidence from the 1995/96 investigation was unavailable and that the trial judge's delay warning was diluted, while the man continues to maintain his innocence. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, presiding over the three-judge court, reserved judgment to a later date.

Couple challenge wrongful demolition of Meath home in High Court

Planning enforcement, breach of European human rights law · Meath

Rose and Chris Murray, a couple, built a 588 sq m property at Faughan Hill, Bohermeen, Navan, Meath, without planning permission after their application for a dormer bungalow was refused in June 2006. Meath County Council initiated enforcement action in 2007, and after proceedings spanning over two decades across the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court, the High Court gave the council permission to demolish the house, which was knocked in March 2026. In October 2026, the Murrays applied before Judge David Nolan in the High Court, alleging the council breached European human rights law by demolishing the home while an ECHR application was pending, and also challenged a finding that they were in contempt of 2020 court undertakings to vacate. The judge reserved his judgment.

Callan Ward appeals conviction for false imprisonment and demanding money with menaces in Tullamore

False imprisonment, production of a baseball bat, demanding money with menaces · Offaly

Callan Ward, a 32-year-old man from Tullamore, Co Offaly, was found guilty in June 2025 of false imprisonment, production of a baseball bat, and demanding money with menaces after luring John Murphy onto his motorbike at Kilcruttin Halting Site on 19 February 2022, where Murphy fell off and Ward demanded €500 while threatening him with a rusty bar and a steel baseball bat. Ward was sentenced to six years in prison. In October 2026, Ward's barristers told the Court of Appeal that Murphy and his wife Martina McCarthy-Murphy, who were declared hostile witnesses, had made unreliable statements while intoxicated, and Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy reserved his judgment on the appeal.

Man jailed for two and a half years over roof tile standoff and Lidl threat in Dublin

Criminal damage and threatening · Dublin

Martin Cunningham, a 32-year-old former lighting technician, pleaded guilty to threatening a Lidl security guard with a Stanley knife in Clonsilla in February 2024 and to criminal damage arising from a four-hour rooftop standoff with gardaí on Castle Grange Avenue, Dublin 15, in September 2025. The charges included throwing roof tiles and solar panels at approximately 20 assembled gardaí, causing more than €10,000 in damage, before he jumped down and was arrested. He had been awake for two days and had taken cocaine, vodka, and ketamine, and believed shadow men were on the roof. At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in October 2026, he was sentenced to two and a half years in prison, backdated to his arrest in September 2025.

Crack cocaine user remanded for headbutting garda unconscious in Dublin court

Assault causing harm · Dublin

Jason Gumble, a 33-year-old man with 148 previous convictions, headbutted Garda Conor O'Dwyer unconscious in the Courts of Criminal Justice, Dublin 8, on 3 March 2025 while being removed from Dublin District Court after a failed bail application. Gumble was using crack cocaine at the time and had been shouting profanities at the judge and his lawyer. Garda O'Dwyer was treated at Mater Hospital for concussion and soft tissue damage and was out of work for four weeks. Gumble pleaded guilty to assault causing harm, and Judge Orla Crowe remanded him in custody to 14 January 2027 for sentencing, directing a Probation Services assessment including mental health assessment and drug testing.

Man sentenced to eight months for cocaine possession in Edenderry, Co Offaly

Possession of drugs for sale or supply · Offaly

Aaron Holt, 28, of Edenderry, Co Offaly, was sentenced to eight months in October 2026 for possessing 49g of cocaine for sale or supply, found in a lunchbox on 27 March 2025 in a cul-de-sac near his home. His four-year-old son Tadgh Farrell and grand-aunt Mary Holt were killed in a petrol bomb attack at Castleview Park, Edenderry in December 2025, and Holt was refused leave to attend his son's funeral. He had been jailed for seven years in January 2026 for a May 2024 heroin seizure worth over €32,000, and was on High Court bail at the time of the cocaine offence. Judge Cody imposed the eight-month consecutive sentence at Tullamore District Court, where Holt pleaded guilty; he had 62 previous convictions, 14 for drug offences.

Man pleads guilty to manslaughter of 72-year-old former army member in Limerick

Manslaughter · Limerick

Michael Hayes, 72, a retired member of the Defence Forces, was found with critical injuries outside his home at St Michael's Court, Watergate, Limerick City, and died in hospital after being rushed there by ambulance. Philip Ambrose, 43, of no fixed abode, was originally charged with murder and made no reply, and was later flagged for a psychiatric evaluation. On 22 October 2026, Ambrose appeared before Mr Justice Sean Gillane at the Central Criminal Court in Limerick, where he pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter of Hayes. He was remanded in continuing custody to appear the following Friday for a sentencing date.

Elderly couple killed in Raheen house fire, Cork

Death · Cork

William 'Willie' Hawkes and his wife Geraldine 'Tina' Sullivan Hawkes, both in their 70s, died in a fire at their detached home in Raheen, Cork, in the early hours of Tuesday 20 September 2026, though the case record lists the incident date as 20 October 2026. Willie made the initial call to emergency services, which arrived around 7.30am, and re-entered the burning house to try to save his wife. Firefighters faced heavy fire damage and structural collapse at the scene. No arrest or charge has been reported as of the latest coverage on 22 October 2026.

Heated exchanges at Yves Sakila inquest in Dublin

Death · Dublin

Yves Sakila, a 34-year-old Congolese man, was held on the ground by security guards and then handcuffed by gardaí in Dublin on 15 May 2026, before being taken to Mater Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The cause of death was listed as cardiorespiratory arrest following prone restraint, with schizophrenia as a contributory factor. At an inquest on 22 October 2026, heated exchanges occurred between coroner Dr Myra Cullinane and the stepmother's solicitor over the involvement of Store Street Garda station officers in overseeing the investigation. The coroner granted a six-month adjournment, with the case next due to be mentioned on 21 April 2027, while separate investigations by An Garda Síochána and Fíosrú remain ongoing.

Elderly woman killed in two-car crash on N2 at Broomfield, Monaghan

Road traffic collision · Monaghan

A two-car collision on the N2 at Broomfield, Co Monaghan, at around 10.10am on Thursday 22 October 2026, killed a woman in her 70s who was a passenger in one of the vehicles. The driver of that car, a woman in her 30s, and the driver and sole occupant of the second vehicle, a man in his 50s, were taken to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda with serious but not life-threatening injuries. The deceased woman's body was brought to the mortuary at the same hospital and the coroner has been notified. Garda Forensic Collision Investigators are undertaking a technical examination of the scene, and Gardaí are appealing for witnesses and dash-cam footage from road users on the N2 at Broomfield between 10:00am and 10:30am that day.

Stryker Ireland charged over fatal burns at Carrigtwohill plant

Breach of Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 · Cork

John Murphy, a 42-year-old man (reported as 41 in one account), suffered fatal third-degree burns to 75 per cent of his body in a suspected explosion on the factory roof at Stryker's plant in Carrigtwohill, Co Cork, on 18 April 2023 while working for Apleona, a facilities management company on contract with Stryker. He died on 9 June 2023 at St James's Hospital in Dublin. Following a Health and Safety Authority investigation, Stryker Ireland Ltd was charged with seven breaches of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, and the DPP directed trial on indictment at Circuit Court level. The case was first mentioned at Midleton District Court on 22 October 2026 and adjourned to 3 December for preparation of a book of evidence.

Dublin mosque arson accused to enter plea in November

Arson, criminal damage, endangering life · Dublin

A blaze broke out at the doorway of the Faizan E Madinah Mosque on Talbot Street, Dublin, on 30 June 2026, and the mosque was evacuated with no reported injuries. Saeid Khosroabadi, a 41-year-old Iranian national and self-described anti-Islam activist, was arrested and charged with arson and criminal damage, with an additional charge of endangering life brought in August. The charges were sent forward for trial, and Judge Martin Nolan of Dublin Circuit Criminal Court set a date of 19 November for Khosroabadi to enter a plea. He was affected by the solicitors' withdrawal of services and told the court he fled Iran in 2016 to escape hanging.

Grandmother with 310 convictions given suspended sentence for unprovoked assault on student doctor in Dublin

Assault causing harm · Dublin

On the afternoon of 28 January 2025, Jackie McElhatton, a 51-year-old woman with 310 previous convictions, approached a student doctor in her 20s at Marlborough Street, Dublin 1, shouting and asking where she was from, then punched her on the forehead while wearing a ring. The victim, who fled Sudan, sustained swelling and a small scratch, and a video of McElhatton recorded by the victim's friend led gardaí to identify her. McElhatton, who was on bail at the time serving a seven-and-a-half-year robbery sentence plus a consecutive one-year sentence, entered a very early guilty plea to assault causing harm at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Orla Crowe, noting the attack had troubling racial aspects, imposed a two-year sentence suspended in full with two-year probation supervision, directed to run from the expiry of the one-year consecutive sentence.

Convicted gang rapists appeal at Court of Appeal over screen and jury direction

Rape, oral rape, sexual assault · Dublin

A woman was raped, orally raped and sexually assaulted in a car and in a house in Dublin on 31 August 2019 after going to a nightclub. Anthony Hickey (41), Fabio Vicente (43) and Matin Zolfaghari (36) were convicted at the Central Criminal Court in February 2025 and sentenced in March 2025 to 14 and 16 years' imprisonment. In October 2026 the three men appealed at the Court of Appeal, arguing the trial was prejudiced by the complainant giving evidence behind a screen and that the trial judge's response to a jury question on recklessness versus carelessness was inadequate. The three-judge court reserved judgment.

Clare man on trial for indecent assault of two orphan girls in 1970s

Indecency assault · Clare

A 92-year-old Co Clare man is on trial for the alleged indecent assault of two orphan girls who lived with him and his wife in their home in the early 1970s. The offences are alleged to have occurred between July 1973 and January 1975, when the man was aged 39 to 40 and the girls were between seven and nine. The man denies eight counts of indecent assault. The trial opened at Ennis Circuit Court on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, and evidence was due to commence the following day before a jury.

Man in 20s killed in pedestrian collision on N20 at Burnfort, Mallow

Road traffic collision · Cork

A car struck and killed a male pedestrian in his 20s on the N20 at Burnfort, Mallow, Co Cork, at approximately 5.45pm on 21 October 2026. The driver, a male in his 20s, was taken to Cork University Hospital with injuries not believed to be life-threatening, while the pedestrian's body was removed to the hospital mortuary for a post-mortem examination. Forensic Collision Investigators are scheduled to examine the scene on 22 October, and Gardaí have appealed for witnesses with dash-cam footage from the N20 at Burnfort between 5:15pm and 5:45pm. The road was closed overnight following the collision.

Gardaí launch witness appeal after female assaulted in Dundalk

Assault · Louth

A woman was seriously assaulted at Navvy Bank, Point Road, Dundalk, Co Louth, on Wednesday 14 October 2026, between 4:00am and 8:00am. No suspect has been identified. On 21 October 2026, Gardaí launched a witness appeal seeking video footage, including dash-cam, from the area around Navvy Bank, Point Road, and Sean O'Mahoney's GAA Club. The investigation is ongoing.

Sentencing of Ross Deegan over assault on Brendan Courtney adjourned

Assault causing harm · Dublin

On 27 February 2025, broadcaster Brendan Courtney was assaulted at Usher's Quay, Dublin city centre, after being beckoned over to a car stopped at traffic lights; Ross Deegan, a 22-year-old man from Finglas, Dublin 11, left the vehicle as a back seat passenger and, with a co-accused, punched and kicked Courtney, causing a concussion and a fracture of his eye socket. Deegan voluntarily contacted gardaí on 5 March 2025, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm, and was remanded on continuing bail. At a sentencing hearing on 21 October 2026, Judge Martina Baxter adjourned the case to 9 December 2026 for a community service assessment, ordered a random urine test, and directed a €1,500 gesture of remorse to Mater Hospital after Courtney refused to accept it.

Teenager charged with dangerous driving after stolen car M50 wrong-way drive in Dublin

Dangerous driving, driving without insurance or licence, possession of stolen vehicle · Dublin

Michael Maughan, an 18-year-old man from Rathfarnham, Dublin, was charged with five counts of dangerous driving, driving without insurance or a licence, and possessing a stolen vehicle after allegedly driving a stolen red Toyota Aqua the wrong way on the M50 and other roads in Dublin in the early hours of 20 October 2026. Two male gardaí were injured and taken to hospital when their patrol car was hit during the pursuit, which began near Clondalkin and ended when the car was stopped on Cruagh Road in Rathfarnham. Two other teenage males in the car were arrested but released pending further inquiries and were not charged. Maughan appeared unrepresented at Dublin District Court, where Judge Peter White granted him conditional bail and remanded him to appear again on 9 December for possible further charges.

Man charged with possessing 15kg cocaine after controlled delivery in Dublin 7

Possession of drugs for sale or supply · Dublin

David Wheelock, a 36-year-old Irish man from Dublin 7, was arrested on 20 October 2026 after accepting a controlled delivery package at his home on Coleraine Street that contained 15kg of cocaine worth €1.5 million. He was charged with possessing drugs for sale or supply. He appeared unrepresented before Judge Michele Finan at Dublin District Court on 21 October, where he was remanded in custody with consent to bail in his own bond of €200 with a €10,000 independent surety. He is due to appear at Cloverhill District Court on 28 October.

Two men arrested after €1.7 million cocaine seizure in Dublin

Possession of drugs for sale or supply · Dublin

On 20 October 2026, two men, one in his 30s and one in his 50s, were arrested during a Garda raid on a property in north Dublin city targeting an organised drugs gang. Gardaí seized 17.35kg of suspected cocaine in vacuum-sealed foil packages with a street value of about €1.7 million. The men were detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996 and the substances were sent to Forensic Science Ireland for testing. On 21 October, the man in his 30s was charged with possession of drugs for sale or supply and is due to appear before Dublin District Court, while the man in his 50s was released without charge with a file to be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Second man arrested in Westmeath burglaries investigation

Burglary · Westmeath

Four burglaries took place in County Westmeath on 27 August 2026. A man was arrested in Mullingar on 19 October 2026 as part of Operation Thor, charged the same afternoon, and was due to appear at Athlone District Court. A second man was arrested in Clonmel, County Westmeath, on 21 October 2026 and detained for questioning at Athlone Garda Station under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984. Investigations into the burglaries are ongoing, with Gardaí conducting rolling checkpoints in rural areas as part of Operation Thor's October winter rollout.

Two men arrested in drug-related intimidation investigation in Balbriggan

Drug-related intimidation · Dublin

Two men in their 20s were arrested on 19 October 2026 by the DMR North Fógra Investigation Unit during search and arrest operations in counties Meath and Dublin, as part of an ongoing investigation into drug-related intimidation. Both were detained at Garda stations in Dublin under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2007, where they can be held for up to a week. On 21 October 2026, one of the men was charged and expected to appear before Balbriggan District Court, while the second remains in Garda custody. Investigations into the case are ongoing.

Man in 40s killed in single-vehicle crash on N5 at Bohola, Co Mayo

Road traffic collision · Mayo

A man in his 40s was killed in a single-vehicle crash on the N5 at Lisgormin, Bohola, Co. Mayo, at around 5:15am on Wednesday, October 21, 2026. He was the driver and sole occupant and was pronounced deceased at the scene. His body was taken to the mortuary at Mayo University Hospital for post-mortem examination and the coroner was notified. The road was closed for technical examination by Forensic Collision Investigators, with diversions in place at Ballyvary and Bohola. Gardaí are appealing for witnesses, specifically road users with camera footage from the N5 at Bohola between 5:00am and 5:30am.

Case struck out against Nathan Kenna over assault in fatal attack on Anthony Long

Assault causing harm · Dublin

On 3 July 2026, Anthony Long, in his 40s, attended a gathering at a house on Parslickstown Drive, Mulhuddart, Dublin, where a confrontation broke out around 3.55am. Nathan Kenna, 29, allegedly struck Long with punches and kicks, and Darren McNamee, 42, allegedly struck him on the head with a machete; Long was found with severe injuries, taken to hospital in critical condition, and died two days later. Kenna was charged with assault causing harm and remanded in custody on 20 July, while McNamee was charged with murder and also remanded. After several adjournments for DPP directions, Kenna's case was struck out at Cloverhill District Court on 20 October 2026 by Judge Alan Mitchell, as directions on the possibility of further charges were still unavailable; McNamee's murder charge remains.

Ex-boxer Joe Doyle jailed for 10 years for aggravated burglary and assault of elderly woman in Dublin

Aggravated burglary and assault causing harm · Dublin

Joe Doyle, 45, of Queen Street, Dublin, and another man with covered faces pushed into a 76-year-old woman's flat in Dublin city centre, attacked her and a second woman in her 40s, and took €70 in cash. Doyle, a former boxer with 111 previous convictions who was in the throes of crack cocaine addiction at the time, entered pleas to aggravated burglary and two charges of assault causing harm on January 12, 2023. On October 20, 2026, Judge Martin Nolan sentenced him to 10 years, a headline sentence of 12 years reduced to date from December 2023 when a separate five-year robbery term was imposed.

Murder accused Seth Whelan to watch trial by video-link

Murder · Dublin

Seth Whelan, 36, is accused of murdering his father Michael Whelan, 64, by crushing his head and repeatedly stabbing him at the flat they shared in Herberton Park, Rialto, Dublin 8, on 19 or 20 February 2024, before leaving the body for approximately one week until a neighbour raised the alarm and gardaí found it on 27 February 2024. He is also charged with criminal damage to a neighbour's Ring doorbell camera on 20 February 2024. At the Central Criminal Court, Whelan responded 'I don't know' when arraigned and his barrister Philip Sheahan SC entered not guilty pleas; the trial opened before Ms Justice Caroline Biggs and a jury of six men and six women, prosecuted by Anne-Marie Lawlor SC, and is expected to take up to four weeks. The latest development is that the judge ordered Whelan to attend the remainder of the trial by video-link after noticing him rocking and making humming noises, with a reference noted to him being autistic, though no evidence of a mental disorder will be adduced.

Man charged with assault on Michael Healy-Rae granted bail

Assault causing harm · Dublin

Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae was assaulted while sitting in his car on Cork Street in Dublin on 16 September 2026, when a man walking a dog shouted obscenities and punched him in the face, causing a laceration to his lip and damage to his front teeth. Anthony Foley, 51, of Dublin 8, was charged with assault causing harm and denied bail in the District Court two days later. On 8 October, Ms Justice Cathleen Noctor in the High Court granted Foley bail with strict conditions including a curfew and exclusion from Dublin 2, noting she was not convinced the attack was politically motivated. On 20 October, Judge Alan Mitchell adjourned the case to 1 December pending DPP directions.

Couple settles High Court action against HSE over newborn's death in Cork

Clinical negligence · Cork

Baby George Duggan, a newborn from Rathpeacon, Co Cork, died on 21 December 2022, two days after being delivered by emergency caesarean section at Cork University Maternity Hospital at 29 weeks and three days. His parents Áine and John Duggan brought a High Court clinical negligence action against the HSE, alleging that a failure to review and assess the mother during an 11-day window from 8 December to 19 December meant a caesarean section should have been performed earlier. The HSE admitted it breached its duty of care in not performing more frequent foetal monitoring after the 8 December review but denied it caused George's death. The case was settled at the Four Courts before Mr Justice Paul Coffey in October 2026, with a statutory €35,000 mental distress payment divided between the parties.

Former rugby international Brendan Mullin appears in Dublin District Court over shoplifting charge

Theft · Dublin

Brendan Mullin, a 62-year-old former rugby international, was charged with the theft of a bottle of Hermès perfume worth €158 from Brown Thomas department store on Grafton Street in May 2026. On 20 October 2026, Mullin represented himself before Judge Treasa Kelly at Dublin District Court, saying his solicitor was absent due to a strike. He chose to have the case heard by a District Court judge rather than a Circuit Court jury. The judge directed him to attend court on 2 November to set a hearing date, with the case likely to be taken in the new year.

Seven men charged with violent disorder over Ormond Quay disturbance

Violent disorder · Dublin

A violent disturbance occurred at a property on Ormond Quay, Dublin 1, on 30 August 2024, when several people were taken to Mater Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, including two men. Seven men were arrested and charged with violent disorder in early October 2026 following an investigation by the Garda Special Detective Unit: Conor Hughes (49), Rhys Kane (32), Daren Fox (37), Keith Hogan (43), Darren Weldon (55), Conor Mills (45), and Dean Shannon (40). On 20 October 2026, six of the seven appeared before Judge Karen Dowling at Dublin District Court, where the DPP directed trial on indictment at the Circuit Criminal Court. Rhys Kane did not appear due to a bereavement, and most defendants had no legal representation due to Dublin solicitors' industrial action over legal aid payment reforms. All seven were remanded on bail to appear on 27 November 2026 for service of the book of evidence and a return for trial order.

Gardaí appeal for witnesses after robbery in Ennis, Co Clare

Robbery · Clare

A robbery took place outside Bruach Na Habhainn Estate, Quin Road, Ennis, Co Clare on 14 October 2026 between 7:30pm and 7:45pm. The suspect is described as a male believed to be in his teens, around six foot tall with a very slim build, wearing dark-coloured tracksuit bottoms and a dark hooded top with the hood up. He left the scene on foot travelling in the direction of Quin. No arrests or charges have been made. On 20 October 2026, Gardaí launched a witness appeal seeking dashcam footage or CCTV recordings from the area.

Two men remanded over stolen car and M50 pursuit in Dublin

Stolen vehicle, dangerous driving and cannabis possession · Dublin

A VW Golf stolen during a recent burglary in the Santry area was pursued by Gardaí on the M50 in Dublin on the evening of 18 October 2026 after failing to stop near Dublin Airport, allegedly driving on the wrong side of the motorway for over a kilometre before being halted near Clondalkin. Three males were arrested: Daniel Brown, 22, and Adam White, 25, both of Hampton Wood, Dublin 11, and a juvenile in his mid-teens. The arrests were part of investigations into a series of burglaries in North Dublin, including a home invasion in Malahide in the early hours of the same day in which masked men armed with golf clubs damaged a house and car. Brown was charged with four counts of dangerous driving, being in a stolen car and possession of cannabis, while White was charged with being in the stolen car and possession of cannabis for sale or supply. Both men were remanded in custody on 19 October 2026 to appear at Cloverhill District Court on Friday, while the juvenile was released pending referral to the Youth Diversion Programme.

Gardaí renew appeal for information in 2007 murder of Paul Quinn in Monaghan

Murder · Monaghan

Paul Quinn, a 21-year-old Irish man, was beaten to death at outbuildings in Tullyvanus, Castleblayney, Co Monaghan, at around 6pm on Saturday 20 October 2007, after he and a friend were tied up by a gang of between eight and 10 masked men, some armed with weapons. The attackers fled in a white van that has never been recovered. Twenty-three people have been arrested in connection with the murder, 14 by An Garda Síochána and nine by the PSNI, but nobody has been charged. On the 19th anniversary, 19–20 October 2026, Detective Superintendent Ronan Carey renewed the appeal for information, specifically targeting the Cullyhanna area of South Armagh. The Quinn family believe members of the IRA were responsible, a claim Sinn Féin has denied.

High Court orders special care for sexually exploited 14-year-old girl

Sexual exploitation · Dublin

A 14-year-old girl with a mild learning disability, in the care of Tusla, was sexually exploited by multiple men who brought her to a house in another county and gave her alcohol, cocaine and other drugs. A 16-year-old boy was also found by gardaí with a consignment of heroin and crack cocaine worth several thousand euro. At a High Court hearing on 19 October 2026, Judge John Jordan lifted the in-camera rule and heard that Tusla could not provide the girl with a bed in any of its three special-care units, as only 15 of 26 beds were open due to staffing shortages. The judge directed papers to Ministers Foley, O'Callaghan and Chambers highlighting the State's failure to open all special-care beds.

Defence Forces member jailed for eight years for rape of 17-year-old girl in the midlands

Rape, oral rape

A 30-something member of the Defence Forces was convicted in the Central Criminal Court in 2026 of raping and orally raping a 17-year-old girl at his family home in the midlands on 26 January 2023. He was arrested at the scene and faced two charges of rape, one of oral rape, sexual assault and false imprisonment; the jury found him guilty on the three rape-related charges and acquitted him on the remaining two. The judge set a headline sentence of 10 years, reduced to nine with the final year suspended, giving an effective eight-year term. The man, who has no previous convictions and two children, is under suspension from the Defence Forces and will no longer be a member when the court process ends.

Man jailed for six and a half years for raping teenage cousin in Wexford

Rape · Wexford

A man, aged 20 at the time of the offence and 24 at sentencing, who cannot be named to protect the victim's anonymity, was sentenced at the Central Criminal Court in October 2026 to six and a half years in prison after pleading guilty to raping his 16-year-old second cousin at her home in Wexford between 8 and 10 June 2023. The man, who had just been released from a prison sentence for assault causing harm and had previous convictions including two for sexual assault, had been allowed to stay with the victim's family by her father after his own family refused to take him in. He entered the girl's bedroom, blocked her, put his hand over her mouth, and raped her, telling her he would kill her if she told anyone. The girl confided in a friend before telling her parents following an episode of self-harm, and Gardaí were notified immediately. Mr Justice Tony Hunt set a headline sentence of 10 years, reduced to seven, with the final six months suspended, and ordered three years' post-release supervision and a no-contact order.

Dean Boland pleads guilty to assault causing harm to prison officer in Mountjoy

Assault causing harm · Dublin

Dean Boland, a 38-year-old man, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm after punching prison officer Andrew Hart hard on the left side of his face, knocking him unconscious, in the medical wing of Mountjoy Prison on 14 April 2024. The officer was diagnosed with severe concussion, post-concussion syndrome and PTSD, and did not return to work for 14 months. Judge Martina Baxter adjourned the case to December for the preparation of probation, governor and medical reports along with a urine analysis. Boland, who has a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia and 34 previous convictions, is currently serving a six-year sentence for arson with an earliest release date in 2027.

Man in 60s killed in truck and car collision on N81 at Athgarvan, Co Wicklow

Road traffic collision · Wicklow

A man in his 60s was killed in a collision between a truck and a car on the N81 at Athgarvan, Co Wicklow, at approximately 11.15am on Monday 19 October 2026. The car driver was pronounced deceased at the scene, while the truck driver, also a man in his 60s, was taken to Tallaght University Hospital with injuries not believed to be life-threatening. The victim's body was removed to Naas General Hospital's mortuary for a post-mortem and the local coroner was notified. Gardaí have issued an appeal for witnesses with dash-cam footage from the N81, Athgarvan area between 10.45am and 11.45am on the day of the collision.

Four youths charged over alleged video sex attack on teenage girl in south Dublin

Rape, sexual assault, attempted sexual assault, possession of child pornography · Dublin

Four boys aged 16, 16, 16, and 15 are charged with rape, sexual assault, attempted sexual assault, and possession of child pornography over an alleged video-recorded attack on a teenage girl in south Dublin in February 2025. They were arrested at their homes and appeared before Judge Brendan Toale at the Dublin Children's Court on 19 October 2026, where all four were granted bail. The DPP authorised trial on indictment in the Central Criminal Court, the mandatory venue in rape cases. No plea has been entered and the case resumes in November.

Woman awarded default judgment over alleged rape by hotel employee in Leinster

Rape

A woman alleges she was raped by a male hotel employee at a hotel in Leinster. She brought a civil action against the employee and the hotel company, seeking damages for the alleged rape and the hotel's negligence. Neither the employee nor the hotel company entered an appearance in the lawsuit. On 19 October 2026, Judge Paul Coffey in the High Court granted default judgment in the woman's favour against the employee and confirmed a prior default judgment against the hotel company. The case was set down for a judge-alone trial to assess damages.

Sex assault victim challenges CICT compensation refusal in High Court

Sexual assault, physical assault

A woman was violently sexually and physically assaulted near a football pitch on 7 November 2021 and immediately reported it to the Garda Síochána. She learned of the criminal injuries compensation scheme only in 2026, after the two-year application deadline had passed, and the CICT refused her application on 1 April 2025. On 19 October 2026, Judge Mary Rose Gearty granted leave for her to bring judicial review proceedings challenging the refusal, arguing the tribunal is not an independent and impartial tribunal previously established by law. The proceedings, brought by counsel Conor Power, were adjourned to November 2026.

Woman who facilitated gangland murder jailed for over six years

Murder · Dublin

Jamie Tighe-Ennis, 24, was shot in the head on Moatview Avenue, Coolock, Dublin, in the early hours of 28 October 2017, becoming the 14th victim of the Hutch-Kinahan feud. Ciara Mahony, 46, a woman originally from Artane, was charged with facilitating a criminal organisation in the commission of the murder after evidence showed she phoned the victim on a burner phone, met him at a pub that night, and bought petrol used to burn out the black Audi getaway car. She was arrested in October 2018, released, and later extradited from Birmingham, England, in 2025 after the DPP decided to prosecute in November 2024. In October 2026, she pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court and was sentenced to six years and three months, reduced from a headline of nine to ten years, with the judge citing her severe crack cocaine addiction and the influence of organised crime figures. The murder itself remains unsolved.

Father's rape and sexual assault conviction of daughter upheld at Court of Appeal

Sexual assault, oral rape · Dublin

A 53-year-old man was convicted at the Central Criminal Court of 12 counts of sexual assault and five counts of oral rape of his daughter, who was aged between 10 and 14 at the time. The offences occurred in Dublin between 2010 and 2015 and came to light in 2017 when the child disclosed them to her mother. The man, who cannot be named to protect his daughter's identity, had no prior convictions and denied the allegations when interviewed by gardaí. He was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment, and the Court of Appeal rejected his appeal in October 2026.

Man stabbed to death on Blackhorse Avenue, Dublin 7

Stabbing · Dublin

Jamie Bailey, a 38-year-old man from Limerick living in Dublin, was stabbed to death outside the Blackhorse Place apartment block on Blackhorse Avenue, Dublin 7, in the early hours of Sunday 18 October 2026. He was arguing with a woman who refused to let him into the complex when two men emerged from a building and one stabbed him with a knife before fleeing the scene. Gardaí believe the killing arose from a bitter personal dispute that had worsened in recent weeks and suspect the attacker was someone known to Bailey. A full murder investigation is being coordinated from Bridewell Garda Station, with no arrests made as of Monday evening 19 October.

Man pleads guilty to fatal hit and run in Limerick

Dangerous driving causing death · Limerick

On 13 February 2026, Keelan O'Connell, a 19-year-old man from Castleconnell, Co Limerick, was driving a VW Golf at excess speed on the N24 at Grange West, Boher, when he collided with a Peugeot while attempting to undertake it, forcing it into the path of Áine O'Reilly's Nissan Micra. O'Reilly, a woman and nurse from Pallasgreen, Co Limerick, died instantly at the scene, and O'Connell fled on foot before handing himself in to gardaí a few days later. He was under the influence of cannabis and fast gas at the time. On 19 October 2026, O'Connell pleaded guilty to eight charges including dangerous driving causing death at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court before Judge Colin Daly. He was remanded in custody for a sentencing hearing in November.

Serious two-vehicle crash closes N81 at Ballymore Eustace, Co Wicklow

Road traffic collision · Wicklow

A serious two-vehicle road traffic collision occurred on the N81 at Silverhill Lower, Ballymore Eustace, Co Wicklow on 19 October 2026. Gardaí and emergency services attended the scene and the road was closed to traffic with diversions in place. No details on injuries or fatalities had been confirmed at the time of reporting. No arrests or charges had been announced as of the latest report.

Three charged over alleged 13-hour torture ordeal in Tallaght, Dublin

False imprisonment, assault causing harm, production of articles as weapons · Dublin

A woman was allegedly tortured for 13 hours in the early hours of 7 October 2026 at a home on Fortunestown Close, Tallaght, Dublin, where she was bound, beaten, burned, drugged, placed in a car boot and had her hair shaved. Paul Walsh (39), Sarahanne Smith (36) and James Colton (44), all from Tallaght, were charged with false imprisonment, with Walsh and Smith also facing charges of assault causing harm and production of articles as weapons. The violence was suspected to stem from the loss of a handbag and an accusation that the complainant was seeing her partner. At a bail hearing before Judge Treasa Kelly at Dublin District Court on 14 October 2026, Walsh and Colton were denied bail while Smith was granted bail with conditions. Walsh and Colton are due to appear at Cloverhill District Court on 20 October 2026.

Simon McGinley sentenced for breaching release conditions at Central Criminal Court

Breach of release conditions · Dublin

Simon McGinley, a 52-year-old man originally from Dundalk, appeared before the Central Criminal Court on 19 October 2026 for repeatedly breaching the notification requirements of his release under the Sex Offenders Act. He had been released from jail in 2021 after serving part of a 21-year sentence imposed in 2009 for the rape of an 86-year-old woman, and in 2023 two years of that sentence were reactivated with six months suspended. The week before the hearing, McGinley received a 2½-year jail term at Dundalk Circuit Criminal Court for the same breaches, and on 19 October Judge Tony Hunt reactivated three months of the suspended sentence to run consecutively to that term. McGinley had no solicitor present at the hearing due to the withdrawal of services.

Life sentence for Donegal man over Eddie Friel murder

Murder · Donegal

Eddie Friel, a 60-year-old man, was killed in an unexplained and frenzied attack at his home in Killybegs, Donegal, on 12 April 2025. James Spendley, a 59-year-old man, was found asleep at his home with blood-stained hands and was arrested after multiple interviews by Gardaí. He pleaded guilty to murder shortly before his trial date. On 19 October 2026, Mr Justice Paul McDermott at the Central Criminal Court sentenced Spendley to life in prison with a mandatory term.

Pipe bombs seized and four arrested in Tallaght, Dublin

Possession of explosives · Dublin

Two viable pipe bombs were found during a search of an apartment in Tallaght, Dublin 24, on 19 October 2026, prompting the evacuation of the apartment complex. Four people were arrested at the scene: a male in his 20s and three females, one in her 30s and two in their 40s. A Defence Forces EOD team made the area safe and removed the devices for further examination. The four are detained under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act 1939 at a Garda station in the Dublin area, and investigations are ongoing.

Pipe bomb and two firearms seized in Drogheda, Co Louth

Possession of explosives and firearms · Louth

On 18 October 2026, Gardaí attached to the Divisional Drugs Unit carried out a search on open land at Rathmullen Park, Drogheda, Co Louth, as part of ongoing operations targeting organised criminal activity in the region. During the search, a viable pipe bomb, two loaded firearms (a handgun and a machine gun), and ammunition were located. The pipe bomb was made safe by a Defence Forces EOD team. No arrests have been made, and the seized items are subject to further ballistic testing and forensic analysis as investigations continue.

Car ploughs through checkpoint near Donegal border, knives and phones seized

Failing to stop at checkpoint, possession of knives · Donegal

On Saturday 17 October 2026, a car failed to stop at a crime prevention checkpoint in the border area near Buncrana, Co Donegal, and continued through in a dangerous manner. Gardaí deployed a stinger device and the car was stopped after smashing into a fence, but was found abandoned with the driver having fled. Gardaí seized the vehicle, two knives, and two mobile phones. No arrest or charge has been reported; investigations are ongoing and Gardaí are appealing for witnesses and dash-cam footage from the Bridgend area.

Barry Murphy appeals rape and coercive control conviction over cross-examination

Rape, coercive control, sexual assault, assault causing harm, false imprisonment · Offaly

Barry Murphy, a 41-year-old man from Co Offaly, was convicted by a jury in 2024 of three counts of raping his partner Lisa O'Meara, coercive control over an 18-month period, one count of sexual assault, three counts of assault causing harm, and one count of false imprisonment, with offences occurring in Co Offaly and abroad between 2018 and 2020. He was sentenced to 14 and a half years in prison by Mr Justice Kerida Naidoo. Murphy appealed to the Court of Appeal on 16 October 2026, arguing that the admission of video recordings of the complainant's gardaí interviews under section 16 of the Criminal Justice Act rendered his cross-examination ineffective and illusory because she told the trial she could not remember the events. The Court of Appeal, presided over by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, reserved its judgment to a later date.

Man in 40s due in court over organised crime drug trafficking and money laundering operation in Dublin

Drug trafficking, money laundering · Dublin

A Garda operation targeting an organised crime group involved in drug trafficking and money laundering led to the arrest of three people following searches of homes in Dublin's north inner city on 14 October 2026. A man in his 40s, a woman in her 30s, and a woman in her 60s were arrested, and €301,000 in cash was seized from two properties. The two women were charged in connection with the operation. The man is due to appear before the Criminal Courts of Justice on 20 October 2026.

Gardaí searching for 16-year-old Megan O'Brien missing from Arva, Co Cavan

Missing person · Cavan

Megan O'Brien, a 16-year-old woman, went missing from Arva, Co Cavan on 16 October 2026. She is described as approximately 5 foot 3 inches in height, of slim build, with dyed red hair, brown eyes, and three earrings, and was last seen wearing a light blue tracksuit. It is believed she may have travelled to Dublin city. Gardaí launched a public appeal for information on 19 October 2026 and said they were concerned for her wellbeing.

Man who raped landlady appeals conviction over evidence lacuna

Rape · Dublin

In June 2016 in Dublin, a woman who had sub-let part of her home to tenant Dmitrus Aleinkovs, a 33-year-old man, said she was raped by a drugs courier and then by Aleinkovs while she was paralysed after taking cocaine. Aleinkovs left for Latvia before being charged, was extradited back to Ireland in December 2022, and was convicted at the Central Criminal Court in October 2024 of one count of rape, receiving a seven-year sentence. His defence argued the conviction should be quashed over missing interview tapes and transcript errors, and the prosecution responded. In October 2026, Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy reserved judgment on the appeal.

Man charged over fatal shooting in Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin

Fatal shooting · Dublin

Mark Cullen, a 39-year-old father of three, was shot in the leg and died at the scene at Patrician Park, Kill Avenue, Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, on the morning of Sunday 5 July 2026. The shooting is understood to have been a possible punishment shooting gone wrong. Edward Andrews, a 32-year-old man of Wicklow town, was arrested on 13 October 2026, the third arrest in the investigation, and charged with Cullen's murder. Andrews appeared before Dublin District Court on 17 October 2026, was automatically remanded in custody, and is due to appear before the Criminal Courts of Justice on the same day.

Petrol bomb attack on house in Tralee, Co Kerry

Criminal damage by fire · Kerry

A house occupied by a couple and their three small children was attacked with petrol bombs at about 4.50am on Saturday 17 October 2026 in the Fortfield area of Tralee, Co Kerry. A number of males got out of a car and threw the bombs at the property, which was damaged but no injuries were reported. No arrests or charges have been made. Gardaí are conducting door-to-door inquiries, canvassing for CCTV, and technical experts are examining the scene. The attack came a week after four people, including two children, were killed in a petrol bomb attack on a house in Waterford.

Man jailed for five years for assaulting partner in Dublin

Assault causing harm, criminal damage, breach of safety orders · Dublin

A man, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the injured party, pleaded guilty to multiple counts of assault, criminal damage, and breach of safety orders arising from incidents in July 2024 at a Dublin address, in which he punched, kicked, and threw objects at his then partner, causing her serious soft tissue injuries and mental health trauma. He was arrested in the garden and sentenced by Judge Martin Nolan on 17 October 2026 to five years on two assault causing harm counts running concurrently, backdated to his custody. The man, who has 36 previous District Court convictions, expressed remorse and said he was ashamed of what he did to his partner.

Laois solicitor used client cash to fund Forest Fest music event

Misuse of client funds · Laois

A suspended solicitor, Philip Meagher, a man from Portlaoise, Co Laois, was found to have used his clients' money to fund his Forest Fest music festival in Emo, Co Laois, over a three-year period. Meagher was suspended from legal practice in October 2026. On 17 October 2026, Law Society investigator Michael O'Connor presented the findings in the High Court before Judge Oisín Quinn, revealing that client fund deficits had grown from close to €450,000 in June 2026 to €1.13 million by August 2026. The case remains before the High Court.

Supreme Court orders retrial for man accused of stealing car used in fatal credit union robbery

Conspiracy to burgle · Louth

A Volkswagen Passat was stolen from a property in Clogherhead, Co Louth, between 22 and 23 January 2013 and used two days later in the robbery at Lordship Credit Union in Bellurgan, Co Louth, during which Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe, a married father of two, was shot dead by Aaron Brady. James Flynn, a 35-year-old man, was charged with conspiring to burgle cars at various locations in 2012 and 2013; the Special Criminal Court found the wider charge not proven but amended the indictment to convict him of stealing the Passat, and he was sentenced to eight years in December 2023. The Court of Appeal overturned that conviction in 2025, finding the post-trial amendment breached Flynn's right to natural justice, and ordered a retrial on the original charge. In October 2026, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled the retrial should proceed only on the amended charge relating to the Passat, and Judge Brian O'Moore ordered Flynn retried at the Special Criminal Court. Aaron Brady, 35, of Crossmaglen, Co Armagh, is serving a life sentence with a 40-year minimum for the murder, having been found guilty in 2020.

Man jailed for six-and-a-half years for manslaughter of man on stag party in Athlone

Manslaughter · Westmeath

Paul 'Babs' Connolly, a 48-year-old single man from Edenderry, Co Offaly, was assaulted for 21 minutes with punches and kicks by Seán Munnelly, 40, of Athlone, and David Higgins of Athlone, in the early hours of 13 August 2022 on Church Street in Athlone, Co Westmeath, while on a stag party. Connolly was knocked to the ground three times and died in an ambulance on the way to hospital, with a postmortem attributing his death to cardiac arrest from blunt force trauma to the head in a setting of acute intoxication. Munnelly, who had 102 previous convictions and was on bail and a suspended sentence at the time, changed his plea to guilty of manslaughter in June 2024 just before a jury was to be empanelled. He was sentenced at Mullingar Circuit Court in October 2026 to seven years with the final six months suspended, backdated to 27 February 2024, while Higgins had previously been jailed for one year for assault causing harm and violent disorder.

Parnell Square attacker Riad Bouchaker critically ill in hospital after collapsing in Cloverhill

Attempted murder, assault causing serious harm, assault, producing a knife in a manner likely to intimidate · Dublin

Riad Bouchaker, a 52-year-old Algerian-born Irish citizen, stabbed a five-year-old girl in the heart, a six-year-old girl, a five-year-old boy, and creche worker Leanne Flynn with a 36cm carving knife at Parnell Square East, Dublin, on 23 November 2023, after reportedly receiving a letter he believed refused his social welfare payments. He was charged with attempted murder of two girls and one boy, assault causing serious harm to Flynn, assaulting two other children and then-teenager Alan Loren-Guille, and producing a knife in a manner likely to intimidate. A jury at the Central Criminal Court unanimously convicted him on all eight charges following a three-week trial that ended in July 2026. His sentencing hearing before Judge Tony Hunt on 12 October 2026 heard victim impact statements, and sentencing was adjourned to 16 November 2026. On 16 October 2026, Bouchaker collapsed in Cloverhill remand prison and was taken to intensive care in a Dublin hospital, where he remains critically ill under armed guard.

Two men on trial for murder of 63-year-old man stabbed in Finglas

Murder · Dublin

Anthony aka Josh Fowler, a 63-year-old man and recovering drug addict, was stabbed to death just after midnight on 26 November 2024 at Dunsink Green, Finglas, Dublin, by two men who were looking for a person believed to have stolen cannabis and cash. Connor Brennan Moran, 23, and Ryan Brennan, 30, both of Lanesborough Gardens, Finglas, pleaded not guilty to his murder. The two accused left the area in a taxi to Newry, Co Down, after the stabbing. The trial opened at the Central Criminal Court on 16 October 2026, with the prosecution outlining a joint enterprise case in which the men intended to cause serious harm to the alleged drug thief but instead stabbed Mr Fowler, who died from a single stab wound to the chest.

Murder investigation launched after man found dead near River Blackwater, Mallow, Co Cork

Murder · Cork

A 56-year-old man, identified as Paul O'Connor from Ballyphehane in Cork, was found dead with visible injuries in undergrowth by a walkway on the banks of the River Blackwater at Ballyellis, Mallow, Co Cork, on 15 October 2026. He is believed to have travelled from Kent Train Station in Cork city to Mallow on 14 October, arriving shortly after 7:20pm. Following a post-mortem examination by Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margot Bolster, Gardaí upgraded the investigation to murder on 16 October 2026. An incident room was established at Mallow Garda Station, a senior investigating officer and a family liaison officer were appointed, and Gardaí issued appeals for witnesses on the train and in the surrounding area. No arrest or charge has been reported as of the latest updates.

Kurt Ryan pleads guilty to commissioning murder of Lee Slattery in Limerick in 2010

Murder, possession of firearm with intent to endanger life · Limerick

Lee Slattery, a 25-year-old man from Moyross, Limerick, was shot twice at close range and buried in a shallow grave at the derelict Delmege Estate, Knocknalisheen Road, Limerick, between 27 and 31 May 2010. His body was found on 31 May 2010 after relatives spotted freshly dug grass and the fabric of his blue tracksuit. Kurt Ryan, a man now 33 who was 17 at the time, was charged with the murder after the case was reopened by a cold case unit in 2021. Ryan pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court in Cork in October 2026 to the commission of murder in association with a criminal organisation and to possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. The case is listed for mention on 27 October 2026 at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin to fix a sentencing date.

Convicted rapist jailed for stealing milk van with driver's daughter inside

Dangerous driving, unlawful taking of a vehicle, assault · Dublin

Jamie Murray Kinsella, a 34-year-old Irish man with 74 previous convictions including a rape conviction, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, unlawful taking of a vehicle, and assault after he and another man took a milk delivery van with the driver's daughter in the back on 12 May 2025 in the Saggart and Tallaght areas of Dublin. The van travelled 24 km before Kinsella lost control, and both men were arrested; he was sentenced in October 2026 to five years and nine months (backdated) and a five-year driving disqualification. Separately, a 37-year-old Dublin factory worker was found guilty by a Central Criminal Court jury in June 2026 of 25 counts of sexual assault, rape, and child cruelty against his partner's two children, who were aged eight and nine at the start of the abuse between 2018 and 2021 in Dublin and Waterford. He was sentenced on 16 October 2026 to 12 years and three months with no part suspended, and both children are now in care. The man maintains his innocence and does not accept the jury verdict.

Gardaí searching for 15-year-old Chelsea Segrue missing from Termonfeckin, Co Louth

Missing person · Louth

Fifteen-year-old Chelsea Segrue went missing from Termonfeckin, Co Louth, on 10 October 2026. She is described as approximately 5 foot 4 inches tall with a medium build and short black hair, and was last seen wearing all-black clothing. She is known to frequent Dublin and Cork. Gardaí launched a public appeal for information on her whereabouts on 16 October 2026, expressing concern for her well-being. The case remains open as Gardaí seek the public's assistance to trace her.

Joseph Butler jailed for 10 years for manslaughter of Paula Canty in Mallow, Co Cork

Manslaughter · Cork

Joseph Butler, 43, was charged with the murder of Paula Canty, 31, after a stabbing at their shared apartment in Mallow, Co Cork, in the early hours of January 3, 2025, following a night of socialising and drinking at different houses. Canty, a mother of two in a relationship with Butler's brother Michael John Butler, died at the scene from a single stab wound to the chest. The DPP accepted Butler's plea of guilty to manslaughter. On October 16, 2026, Judge Eileen Creedon in the Central Criminal Court in Cork sentenced him to 12 years' imprisonment with the last two years suspended, conditional on keeping the peace and being of good behaviour.

€3m in illegal vapes and cannabis products seized in multi-county operation

Drug possession · Carlow

Gardaí seized illegal vapes and cannabis-based products with an estimated street value of more than €3 million, along with over €235,000 in cash, £3,000, $3,500 and high-value vehicles, during searches at properties in counties Longford, Mayo, Roscommon, Wexford and Carlow on Wednesday 14 October 2026. The operation, part of Operation Tara, targeted an organised crime group involved in the sale and supply of illegal vapes and cannabis products across the country. More than 100 gardaí, including members of the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau and national specialist units, carried out the searches. No arrests were made and investigations are ongoing, with the seized products to be sent to Forensic Science Ireland for analysis.

Man in 40s arrested and €170,000 in drugs and cash seized in Ballsbridge, Dublin 4

Sale and supply of controlled drugs · Dublin

On 15 October 2026, the Dublin Crime Response Team searched a residence in Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, as part of an ongoing investigation into the sale and supply of controlled drugs in the Dublin Metropolitan Region. A man in his 40s was arrested at the scene and is detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996 at a Garda Station in the Dublin area. Officers seized approximately €167,110 in drugs, including cannabis, cocaine, MDMA, psilocin and LSD, along with €4,575 in cash and drugs paraphernalia. The seized drugs are to be sent to Forensic Science Ireland for analysis, and investigations are ongoing.

Garda regains control of official X accounts after cryptocurrency hack

Unauthorised access to computer systems · Dublin

Two official An Garda Síochána X accounts, @GardaInfo and @GardaTraffic, were breached on Wednesday night, 14 October 2026, in a cryptocurrency-related hack that saw branding removed, the account location changed to Amsterdam, and scores of posts about a cryptocurrency published to a combined following of more than 900,000 people. Gardaí confirmed on Thursday evening, 15 October 2026, that they had regained control of the accounts, which will remain inactive while the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau carries out a criminal investigation. The breach was limited to the X platform, with no unauthorised access to Garda systems and no loss or impact on Garda data. The public was warned not to interact with any content posted on the affected accounts.

Gardaí given Orla Poole's name 28 years ago in George Gibney investigation

Indecent assault, attempted rape · Dublin

George Gibney, 78, an Irish man and former Olympic swimming coach, was convicted by a Central Criminal Court jury in July 2026 of 39 counts of indecent assault and one count of attempted rape of four girls, including Orla Poole, an Irish woman whom he abused from the age of eight and attempted to rape at 12, for offences committed between 1971 and 1981 at swimming pools in Stillorgan and Blackrock, Co Dublin, and in his car, home, and complainants' homes. After being extradited from Florida in 2025, Gibney was sentenced on 12 October 2026 to 15 years and 6 months' imprisonment. Carolyn Brown, another Irish woman victim, gave Orla Poole's name to gardaí in 1998, but they never contacted her, and the DPP directed no charges on Brown's complaint. Separately, Graham Carey, 42, an Irish man and truck driver, was convicted in April 2026 of incitement to hatred for a 2023 Instagram livestream in which he referred to refugees as 'rape-ugees' and sentenced in October 2026 to two years' imprisonment with the final year suspended.

Irish scaffolding company's €2.4m Revenue debt case in High Court

Winding up, asset dissipation · Dublin

A scaffolding company, Instant Upright Ltd, was wound up in January following a petition by the Revenue Commissioners, owing almost €2.4 million to Revenue along with other debts. In the High Court in Dublin, the company's liquidator alleged the business had been diverted to a Gibraltar-registered entity of the same name to place assets beyond creditors' reach. Judge Brian Cregan granted an interim freezing order and permission to serve proceedings on five named defendants outside the jurisdiction, including Robert Stowe, Andrew James Haynes, Joseph Oxley, Serge Marino and Graham Donald Croot. The case is set to return to court the following week.

Family of murdered Garda Horkan call for public inquiry

Murder · Roscommon

Detective Garda Colm Horkan, a man, was shot dead in Castlerea, Co Roscommon on 17 June 2020 when Stephen Silver, also a man, took his official firearm from its holster and fired it. The Horkan family has called for an independent public inquiry following revelations in a recent RTÉ Investigates programme that protected disclosers had stated the holster was faulty and not fit for purpose. Labour TD Alan Kelly welcomed the family's statement and said the Minister for Justice has questions to answer.

High Court orders arrest and jailing of Enoch Burke over school trespass

Contempt of court · Westmeath

Enoch Burke, a man, was ordered by the High Court on 15 October 2026 to be arrested and jailed for contempt of court after repeatedly trespassing at Wilson's Hospital School in County Westmeath in breach of a court order made over three years ago. Burke, who was dismissed from the school in May following a 2022 dispute over a student's pronouns, had been trespassing on the school grounds since late August despite the school contacting gardaí and hiring security personnel. Judge Brian Cregan, who described Burke's conduct as deliberate and flagrant contempt of court, ordered his immediate committal to Mountjoy Prison and the sequestration of a car he used to travel to the school, with a two-week stay on the sequestration. Burke, who has spent more than 700 days in prison and accrued over €208,000 in fines from prior breaches, was not present at the hearing and was unrepresented. The case was to return to the High Court later that week.

Masked men steal cash from Balbriggan business with apparent firearm

Robbery · Dublin

Two masked men armed with an apparent firearm entered a business in the Old Market Green area of Balbriggan, Co. Dublin, at approximately 9:15pm on Saturday 10 October 2026, threatened staff, and stole a sum of cash before fleeing on foot. The two suspects, whose names, ages, and nationalities have not been given, were described as wearing a navy hoodie with a white mask and a yellow/beige jacket with a dark hat respectively. No arrests or charges have been reported. On 15 October 2026, Gardaí from Balbriggan Garda Station issued a witness appeal seeking anyone with information or camera footage from the Old Market Green or Craoibhin Park area between 9pm and 9:30pm that evening.

Thieves rob Salsa Mexican Food restaurant in Dublin city centre

Burglary · Dublin

Thieves smashed the front window of Salsa Mexican Food restaurant on Custom House Square, Mayor Street Lower, Dublin city centre, and stole a number of items at approximately 3:30 am on Tuesday 13 October 2026. No suspects have been identified. Gardaí launched an investigation into the burglary. The restaurant owners described the incident as incredibly upsetting and appealed for information on Instagram. No arrests or charges have been reported as of the latest update.

Witness appeal after assault on Inver Road, Cabra, Dublin 7

Assault · Dublin

A man in his 50s was assaulted on Inver Road, Cabra, Dublin 7, at around 10:15pm on Monday 12 October 2026. He was taken to Mater Misericordiae University Hospital with serious injuries believed to be non-life-threatening. No suspect has been named or arrested. Gardaí from Cabra are investigating and have issued a witness appeal, specifically asking taxi drivers and road users in the area between 9:30pm and 10:30pm to provide information or camera footage. Investigations are ongoing as of 14 October 2026.

Convicted killer Derek Boyd jailed for one year for pub assault in Finglas

Assault with intent to cause bodily harm · Dublin

Derek Boyd, 31, a man, punched a man outside the Abbey Tavern in Finglas, Dublin, in April 2024, knocking him to the ground and causing a nosebleed. The injured man declined to co-operate with the garda investigation, but Boyd was arrested, initially denied it was him, and then pleaded guilty to assault with intent to cause bodily harm on April 17, 2024. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Boyd to one year in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Boyd is already serving a life sentence for the murder of Mark Carroll in June 2024 and a four-year sentence, with two years suspended, for the manslaughter of his sister Sandra Boyd in 2022.

FAI coach Matthew Hayes Rice jailed for stabbing close friend in Tallaght

Assault causing harm · Dublin

On 15 June 2020, Matthew Hayes Rice, a 29-year-old FAI coach, stabbed a close female friend during an altercation at her flat in Exchange Hall, Tallaght, Dublin 24, after a dispute involving his sister. The victim sustained a 9cm deep stab wound to her side and cuts to her face, and was taken to Tallaght Hospital. Hayes Rice pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and took three bench warrants in the case. On 14 October 2026, Judge Nolan sentenced him to two years and three months, reduced from a headline of four years and six months, with credit for time served.

Gardaí searching for missing 14-year-old boy Tyler Lindsay from Garristown, Co Meath

Missing person · Meath

Tyler Lindsay, a 14-year-old boy, went missing from Garristown, Co Meath on 12 October 2026, having been last seen in the Laytown area at approximately 1:30pm wearing a blue tracksuit uniform and black shoes. Gardaí issued a public appeal on 13 October 2026, noting that Tyler is known to frequent the Drogheda and Balbriggan areas and may be in Dublin. The public was asked to contact Ashbourne Garda Station or the Garda Confidential Line with any information. Gardaí said they are concerned for Tyler's wellbeing.

Gardaí searching for 17-year-old Sophie O'Connor missing from Finglas, Dublin

Missing person · Dublin

Sophie O'Connor, a girl described as 16 or 17 years old (reports differ), went missing from Finglas, Dublin 11. She was last seen at approximately 6.30pm in Finglas village getting a bus to the city centre, and reports give her missing date as either 27 September 2026 or 13 October 2026. Gardaí and her family are concerned for her wellbeing. No arrest or charge has been made; Gardaí have launched a public appeal for information on her whereabouts and the case remains an active search.

Man in 50s arrested after €2.2m fireworks seized at Rosslare Europort

Smuggling · Wexford

On 11 October 2026, Revenue officers at Rosslare Europort in Wexford seized 1,123,200 fireworks branded Black Cat Bangers, with an estimated value of €2,246,400, from an accompanied trailer that had disembarked from a ferry from France. A man in his 50s was questioned in relation to the seizure and was arrested. The seizure followed routine profiling aimed at identifying restricted and prohibited products. Revenue said on 13 October that investigations are ongoing as part of its work targeting smuggling and shadow economy activity.

Solicitor Ammi Burke challenges Arthur Cox dismissal in Labour Court

Unfair dismissal · Dublin

Ammi Burke, a solicitor from Castlebar, Co Mayo, was summarily dismissed by Arthur Cox Solicitors of Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2, on 12 November 2019 following a dispute over a lunch invitation email sent by senior partner Gráinne Hennessy in January 2019. Burke received an ex gratia payment of €70,000 and previously challenged the dismissal at the Workplace Relations Commission, which led to two judicial reviews. She is now on her third challenge, bringing the case to the Labour Court in October 2026, where Arthur Cox's barrister Peter Ward argued Burke was solely to blame for damage to her reputation. The Labour Court hearing, which heard evidence from Hennessy and managing partner Geoff Moore, continues on Tuesday.

Man in 70s seriously injured in four-vehicle crash on N15 at Carns, Co Sligo

Road traffic collision · Sligo

A four-vehicle crash involving three vans and a car occurred on the N15 at Carns, Grange, Co Sligo at around 10.20am on Monday 12 October 2026. The driver of one van, a man in his 70s, was seriously injured and taken to Sligo University Hospital, while two other van drivers, men in their 20s and 50s, were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. No other injuries were reported. Garda Forensic Collision Investigators examined the scene and the road has since reopened. Gardaí are appealing for witnesses with camera footage from the N15 near Carns between 9:45am and 10:20am on 12 October 2026.

Supreme Court to hear Brazilian woman's Irish citizenship appeal

Naturalisation appeal · Dublin

Danielle Caroline Cordeiro Sousa Diniz, a 31-year-old Brazilian woman who lived in Ireland from age 11 to 18 as a dependant of her father, applied for Irish naturalisation in January 2019. The Minister for Justice denied her application, and the High Court refused it in March 2023, finding she did not have a compelling discretionary case. The Court of Appeal dismissed her appeal on 13 March 2025. In October 2026, the Supreme Court agreed to hear her appeal, finding the case raises a matter of general public importance.

Trial date for man accused of murdering Denis Donaldson to be fixed

Murder, attempted murder, possession of firearm with intent to endanger life · Donegal

Denis Donaldson, a 55-year-old British man, was shot dead at a remote cottage near Glenties, Co Donegal, between 3 and 4 April 2006, months after he was exposed as a paid agent for Special Branch and MI5. Antoin Duffy, a man in his 40s, was extradited from Scotland earlier this year and charged with the murder, the attempted murder of Liam Copeland McGinley in November 2007, and possession of a shotgun and ammunition. Duffy appeared before the non-jury Special Criminal Court via video-link from prison on 12 October 2026, where Judge Caroline Biggs gave the alibi warning. The case was adjourned to 9 November 2026, when a trial date is expected to be set.

Man in 60s killed in car and truck collision on N2 at Ashbourne, Co Meath

Road traffic collision · Meath

A man in his 60s was killed when his car collided with a truck on the N2, north of the Ashbourne-Rath Roundabout in Ashbourne, Co. Meath, shortly after 3.00pm on Monday 12 October 2026. The car driver was pronounced dead at the scene and his body was removed to the mortuary at Navan. The truck driver, a man in his 40s, was uninjured. Gardaí are appealing for witnesses who were in the area between 3.00pm and 3.45pm and for dash-cam footage from motorists on the N2, with investigations ongoing.

Fake taxi driver Nicolae Zgherea jailed for false imprisonment of visually impaired woman in Dublin

False imprisonment · Dublin

In the early hours of 8 May 2022, a visually impaired woman in Dublin got into the car of Nicolae Zgherea, a 30-year-old man, at a taxi rank believing he was a taxi driver. After realising there was no licence or meter, she asked him to pull over but he continued driving until a 999 operator convinced him to stop on Mespil Road. Zgherea, who was not a taxi driver, pleaded guilty to false imprisonment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Orla Crowe sentenced him to four years, with the final 12 months suspended on strict conditions, after reducing the headline sentence of five years.

Gardaí appeal for witnesses after man found seriously injured on N7 near Kill, Co Kildare

Assault · Kildare

A man was found with serious injuries on the northbound carriageway of the N7 near Junction 7 at Kill, Co Kildare, at approximately 1.50am on Monday, 28 September 2026, following an alleged assault. He had stopped a passing motorist before Gardaí and an ambulance attended; he was taken to Naas General Hospital and later transferred to Beaumont Hospital. Gardaí attached to the Kildare/Carlow Serious Crime Hub are investigating and have appealed for witnesses and dashcam footage from anyone who was on the N7 near Kill between 1.20am and 1.50am that morning. No suspect has been identified and investigations are ongoing.

Marcus O'Neill sentenced to life for murder of partner Gillian Curran in Waterford

Murder · Waterford

Gillian Curran, a 47-year-old woman from Tramore, Waterford, sustained 143 injuries over the night of 25 January 2025, including strangulation marks and internal injuries, and died from brain damage. Her partner, 36-year-old man Marcus O'Neill, was charged with her murder and did not plead guilty. On 12 October 2026, Judge Caroline Biggs at the Central Criminal Court sentenced O'Neill to a mandatory life term. At the sentencing, Curran's brother Michael told the court the killer's lack of remorse was beyond evil.

Sentencing of Abdullah Khan, who stabbed garda and set fire to McGregor pub, adjourned to November

Assault, arson · Dublin

Abdullah Khan, a 24-year-old man and supporter of Islamic State, pleaded guilty to setting fire to the Black Forge Inn, a bar owned by Conor McGregor, in Walkinstown, south Dublin, on 25 July 2025 and to stabbing Garda Gary Lynch on Capel Street in Dublin city on 29 July 2025. He appeared before the non-jury Special Criminal Court in Dublin via videolink from prison on 12 October 2026. Judge Caroline Biggs adjourned the sentencing because the judge who had been dealing with the case was unwell. Khan was remanded in custody for sentencing on 2 November 2026.

Daniel Kinahan appears in person at Special Criminal Court, case adjourned to December 21

Directing a criminal organisation · Dublin

Daniel Kinahan, a 49-year-old Irish man, was arrested in Dubai in April 2026 on an extradition request from Ireland and was extradited to Ireland on 9 August 2026, where he was charged with directing a criminal organisation between 18 October 2015 and 6 April 2017 under section 71A of the Criminal Justice Act 2006. He was remanded in custody at Portlaoise Prison and has appeared at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin three times since his extradition. At his third appearance on 12 October 2026, the case was adjourned to 21 December 2026 for the service of a book of evidence, and his solicitor indicated a bail application would be made in the coming weeks before the High Court.

Witness appeal after burglary in Stamullen, Co Meath

Burglary · Meath

Two males forced open a rear window to gain entry to a property in Stamullen, Co Meath, at 12.40pm on Tuesday, 6 October 2026. They were disturbed by the owner and made their escape without taking anything, though a rear window was damaged. No arrests or charges have been made. Gardaí issued a witness appeal on 12 October 2026, asking the public to contact Ballbriggan Garda Station or the Garda Confidential Line with any information.

Man in 40s due in Bray District Court over 2005 murder of Eoin McCarthy in Clondalkin

Murder · Dublin

Eoin McCarthy, a 27-year-old man from Ashwood Park, Clondalkin, Dublin 22, was murdered in 2005. A man in his 40s was questioned in connection with the investigation into the killing. The man is expected to appear before Bray District Court on 12 October 2026 at approximately 10:30am in connection with the case.

Gardaí seize €150,000 of drugs in Swords, Co. Dublin

Possession of drugs for sale or supply · Dublin

Gardaí searched a residential property in Swords, Co. Dublin on 9 October 2026 and seized suspected cocaine and cannabis with an estimated street value of €150,000, reported as €175,000 in a later Garda release, along with drug paraphernalia, cash and other items. An adult male in his late teens was arrested in connection with the seizure and detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996 at a station in the Dublin Metropolitan Region. He was charged with possession of drugs for sale or supply and is due to appear before Balbriggan District Court on 3 November 2026. The search was part of Operation Tara and ongoing operations targeting the sale and supply of drugs in the area.

Woman's body found in house in Coolcotts, Wexford

Death · Wexford

The body of a woman in her 40s, a mother of two young children, was found at a residential property in Coolcotts, Wexford, on Sunday morning, 11 October 2026. Gardaí launched an investigation into all circumstances surrounding the discovery, with a forensic team entering the property and officers carrying out door-to-door inquiries. The body was removed to University Hospital Waterford for a full postmortem examination, with results expected to assist Gardaí in determining the direction of the inquiry. No suspect has been named and no arrest or charge has been reported as of the latest coverage.

Eight men charged with violent disorder at Ballinasloe horse fair

Violent disorder · Galway

On Saturday 10 October 2026, a violent disorder incident occurred at St Michael's Square in Ballinasloe, Co Galway, during the closing day of the International Horse Fair, and Gardaí on proactive patrol arrested six men. Eight men, aged 18 to 30, were subsequently charged with violent disorder, with Joe Joyce facing two charges relating to both St Michael's Square and the Marina car park. The men appeared before a special sitting of Loughrea District Court on Sunday 11 October 2026, where Judge Olivia Traynor remanded all eight on bail with exclusion conditions. Seven were set to appear before Ballinasloe District Court on 26 November 2026, while Joyce was set to appear on 3 December 2026, and Gardaí indicated further charges may be brought against the accused and other individuals.

Gardaí launch search appeal for missing 16-year-old Ben MacEoghan from Dalkey, Dublin

Missing person · Dublin

Sixteen-year-old Ben MacEoghan was reported missing from his home in Dalkey, Co. Dublin, on 10 October 2026, having been last seen on 29 September 2026. He is described as approximately five foot seven inches tall, of slim build, with sandy hair and blue eyes. Gardaí and his family, who are concerned for his wellbeing, launched an urgent search appeal on 10 October 2026. The public has been asked to contact Dun Laoghaire Garda Station or the Garda Confidential Line with any information on his whereabouts. No arrest or charge has been made in the case.

Motorist's friend arrested for active bench warrant after M50 stop

Driving without insurance or tax, active bench warrant · Dublin

On the M50 in Dublin in early October 2026, Gardaí stopped a BMW flagged by ANPR for having no active insurance and no tax for 274 days, and seized it under Section 41 of the Road Traffic Act. The BMW driver asked a friend to collect him, and when the friend arrived in an Audi, Gardaí found he had an active court disqualification and an active bench warrant. The Audi driver was arrested and held for court. Both men are due to appear at the District Court at a later date.

Teenager sentenced for defilement of 12-year-old girl

Defilement · Dublin

A 15-year-old boy pleaded guilty in early 2024 to defilement after engaging in sexual acts with a 12-year-old girl near his home in Dublin. The case was deemed unsuitable for the Garda Youth Diversion Programme and was sent to the Central Criminal Court, where Mr Justice Paul McDermott adjourned the matter in September 2026 for finalisation. In October 2026, the boy, now 17, was sentenced to a two-year detention order with eight months in detention and 16 months suspended for three years on very strict conditions, along with Sex Offender's Act requirements for three years. The judge reduced the headline sentence from six years to three years to reflect the boy's youth. The boy also pleaded guilty to possession and production of child sexual abuse material at the Children's Court.

Offaly man pleads guilty to sexual assault and rape of younger sister

Sexual assault, rape · Offaly

A man, 30, from Offaly pleaded guilty to eight counts of sexual assault and one count of rape of his younger sister in their family home on dates between 2010 and 2017. The abuse, which began when the girl was eight, took place on a near nightly basis while she was asleep in bed or on the sitting room couch. The woman disclosed the abuse to a counsellor and made a statement to gardaí in 2023, after which the man was arrested and interviewed but denied the offences. He entered guilty pleas on the first day of his trial at the Central Criminal Court in May 2026, and a sentence date has been set for 6 November 2026.

Cyclist killed in collision with van on N67 at Baunmore, Kilrush, Co Clare

Road traffic collision · Clare

A male cyclist was killed in a collision with a van on the N67 at Baunmore, Kilrush, Co Clare, at approximately 8pm on Friday 9 October 2026. The cyclist was pronounced dead at the scene, while the van driver, a man in his 30s, was uninjured. The cyclist's body was taken to the mortuary at University Hospital Limerick for a postmortem examination and the coroner was notified. The N67 was closed for a technical examination by Garda Forensic Collision Investigators, and Gardaí are appealing for witnesses with dashcam or mobile phone footage from the area between 7:15pm and 8:15pm.

High Court judge finds Limerick Language Centre owner gave misleading statements

Breach of ILEP requirements, misleading statements to court · Limerick

In July 2025 the Department of Justice removed Limerick Language Centre (LLC) and Erin College from the ILEP student visa scheme following complaints and an investigation into unmet refund obligations. LLC sole shareholder and director Sharif Ahmed Sarker, a national, sought a stay on that decision, but on 9 October 2026 High Court judge Cian Ferriter refused the stay, finding that Sarker's sworn statements were materially and inexcusably misleading and that both schools were in admitted breach of the scheme's requirements. An agency had told the court that €50,000 paid for 29 prospective students had not been repaid and that LLC had deducted accommodation fees from refunds for students who never travelled to Ireland. LLC announced its closure in September 2026.

Three men plead guilty over planned Galway mosque bombing

Attempted terrorist activity · Galway

Three men, Garrett Pollock (36), Darren Gorman (34) and Karolis Peckauskas (39), planned to attack the Maryam Mosque in Galway using improvised explosive devices as part of a group calling itself the Irish Defence Army. The plot was foiled on 4 November 2025 when Gardaí stopped Pollock and Peckauskas in a black BMW in Portlaoise during a routine drug stop and found bomb-making equipment, a manifesto and a statement claiming responsibility for the bombing. Pollock pleaded guilty to possessing an explosive substance and Peckauskas to attempting to engage in terrorist activity, an offence aggravated by hatred. At the Special Criminal Court in October 2026, mitigation pleas were heard and sentencing was adjourned to 13 October 2026, with all three men remanded in custody.

Woman jailed for four years for storing €1.5m cannabis in Lucan, Dublin

Possession of drugs for sale or supply · Dublin