NEWS

A new children’s series created in Belfast is putting the experiences of autistic pupils at the heart of stories about starting school, friendship, inclusion and bullying — with autistic young people helping to shape what viewers see and hear on screen. Pablo: Next Level, produced by Belfast-based Paper Owl Films and Crayola Studios, launches on Monday 7 September on RTÉ KIDS and CBBC, before being rolled out internationally. Aimed at children aged five to eight, the 40-episo

Ten-year-old Ballymena tennis player Emma Maria Mezei proudly presents her runner up trophy after reaching the final of William Fry All Ireland U10 Junior Championships Ten-year-old Ballymena tennis player Emma Maria Mezei has finished runner-up in one of Ireland’s most prestigious junior competitions, completing a remarkable run which began among around 1,700 young players from across the country. The Ballymena Lawn Tennis Club youngster reached the final of the William Fry

All-Ireland Champions 2026 Legends Ladies – Angela, Alex, Anne Marie and Nikky Castle Rowing Club, based in Ballygally on the East Antrim coast, has returned from the 2026 All-Ireland Coastal Rowing Championships with two championship titles and six podium finishes following a memorable weekend of competition in Bantry. The club’s Novice Mixed and Legends Ladies crews were both crowned All-Ireland champions, while Castle rowers also secured two silver and two bronze results a

Sculptor and climate activist Eoghan Daltun, whose journey to rewild an area in Ireland is chronicled in An Irish Atlantic Rainforest A remarkable effort to transform an ecologically damaged West Cork farm into a thriving native rainforest will be explored in a new two-part documentary series beginning this weekend. An Irish Atlantic Rainforest follows sculptor and climate activist Eoghan Daltun, who has spent years rewilding land on the rugged Beara Peninsula and allowing na

The forty-five new PSNI officers who formally attested on Friday at the Police College, Garnerville, accompanied by the pipes and drums of the Police Service of Northern Ireland and An Garda Síochána bands. TUV leader Jim Allister has accused the PSNI leadership of engaging in “all-Ireland symbolism” after members of An Garda Síochána’s band took part in a ceremony marking the attestation of 45 new police officers in Belfast. The North Antrim MP described the Garda band’s par

Amble and John Creedon in Creedon's Musical Atlas of Ireland 2026 (Episode 2) Music, memory and identity take centre stage this weekend as John Creedon returns to RTÉ One with a new series exploring the stories behind Ireland’s musical heritage. The broadcaster’s acclaimed documentary series, Creedon’s Musical Atlas of Ireland, begins on Sunday 2 August at 6.30pm, taking viewers on a journey across the country to discover how music has helped shape Irish identity through gene

Barry Cummins and Katja Mia present the new RTÉ podcast series, ‘Unsolved’. (Photo: Marc O'Sullivan) A new RTÉ true crime podcast examining some of Ireland’s most enduring unsolved criminal cases has launched today, aiming to keep long-running investigations in the public eye while giving victims and their families a renewed voice. Unsolved, released every Wednesday, explores unsolved murders and other unresolved crimes from across Ireland, with experienced crime journalist B

Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald is pictured at Roe Valley Residents Associations Youth and Community Hub in Limavady where she met some of the young people who have participated in the Peaceplus Journeys Project. More than 1,000 young people across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland have taken part in a cross-border programme designed to help disadvantaged young people build confidence, gain qualifications and move towards education or employment. The mileston

The new All-Ireland Pollinator Plan 2026-2030 was launched on Thursday at the National Botanic Gardens, Dublin, by Andrew Muir, Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Northern Ireland and Ireland’s Minister for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, Christopher O’Sullivan TD. Pictured with Dr Úna FitzPatrick, Co-founder of the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan and Chief Scientific Officer, National Biodiversity Data Centre. Northern Ireland is backing an ambitious new

The Girl in the Water: Kelly Lynch A young woman’s unexplained death, conflicting post-mortem findings and a family’s determination to uncover the truth are at the heart of a powerful new RTÉ documentary airing this week. The Girl in the Water tells the story of 23-year-old Kelly Marie Lynch, whose body was discovered near Horseshoe Bridge in County Monaghan on St Patrick’s Day 2024. More than two years later, her family say they are still searching for answers about what hap

A new true-crime podcast has revisited the disturbing story of former pirate radio DJ Eamon Cooke, shedding fresh light on how one of Ireland’s most prolific child sexual abusers was able to evade justice for decades while operating in full public view. Released by the team behind several acclaimed investigative productions, Pirate Predator examines the life and crimes of Cooke, the founder of the once hugely popular Radio Dublin pirate station, and explores new evidence and

Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald is pictured with George Healy (Go Succeed, Belfast City Council), Prof Thomas Cooney (Technological University Dublin), and Marty McLaughlin (Disability Action) to launch this year’s programme. People with disabilities across Northern Ireland are being encouraged to turn their business ideas into reality through a specialist entrepreneurship programme that is now open for applications for a second year. The Self Employment for Persons wit

The Moravian Church in Gracehill, Ballymena A major new cross-border initiative centred on Gracehill World Heritage Site is set to connect 14 UNESCO-designated locations across the island of Ireland, creating new opportunities for education, community engagement, tourism and peacebuilding while placing the historic Ballymena village at the heart of an ambitious all-Ireland heritage network. The project, known as UNESCO Together, has secured €93,000 through the PEACEPLUS Chang

Immigration enforcement activity in Northern Ireland has increased significantly over the past two years, according to information provided by a Government source, which says arrests for immigration offences have risen by 30% and nearly 1,000 illegal migrants have been removed during the past year. The figures emerge as immigration, border security and the movement of people through the Common Travel Area have become central issues in political debate following recent unrest

The Public Health Agency (PHA) and the Republic of Ireland’s Health Service Executive (HSE) have issued a major cross-border warning over dangerous drugs circulating ahead of the busy summer festival and concert season, with officials raising serious concerns about high-strength MDMA, ketamine-related harms and the spread of so-called “pink cocaine” across the island of Ireland. Thousands of people are expected to travel north and south for concerts, festivals and nightlife e

A major new cross-border attempt to tackle bovine tuberculosis across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland has secured £4 million in public funding — but questions are already being raised over whether it will deliver real change for farming families living through repeated herd breakdowns. DAERA Minister Andrew Muir confirmed the funding allocation on Tuesday as part of a wider research programme focused on reducing bovine TB in cattle across the Derry and Strabane a

Passengers travelling between Belfast and Dublin on Enterprise rail services are being warned to expect delays and bus transfers for three days after engineering works forced the closure of part of the line south of the border. The rail line between Dundalk and Dublin will close from Saturday 30 May until Monday 1 June inclusive, with replacement buses operating for affected sections of the journey. The disruption is expected to affect passengers travelling between Northern I

A new season of Back From The Brink is set to shine a spotlight on the hidden wildlife thriving in cities across Ireland and Europe — from suburban Dublin foxes enjoying “The Full Irish” to Belfast’s breathtaking starling murmurations and peregrine falcons nesting high above Cork City. Returning for a fifth season this weekend, the acclaimed RTÉ wildlife series follows conservationists, researchers and local communities working to protect species increasingly pushed to the ed

New research spanning the island of Ireland has exposed major gaps in the support available to pregnant and postpartum women trying to stay physically active — with researchers warning that thousands are being left without clear guidance during one of the most challenging periods of their lives. The findings, released during Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week 2026, reveal that while physical activity is widely recognised as beneficial before and after childbirth, many wome

AIB Branch Manager Peter Hughes pictured with RNLI staff and volunteer crew at the 2026 AIB Community Fund launch Communities across Ballymena and Northern Ireland are being urged to nominate local charities for support after AIB officially launched the fifth year of its Community €1 Million Fund — with additional funding added this year to mark the bank’s 60th anniversary. The initiative, which has already supported nearly 300 charities across the island of Ireland since 202