PEOPLE applying for Irish citizenship will be required to prove they can speak English or Irish before it is granted under a raft of new proposals. The Government has approved plans to update the Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2026, which went before cabinet this week. They include introducing language tests in English, Irish or Irish sign language, and an … [Read more...] about Language test among new requirements proposed for Irish citizenship applicants
Late actor Finnian Garbutt to feature in big-screen outing of TV drama Hope Street
FINNIAN GARBUTT, the Co. Down actor who died earlier this year, is set to appear in a feature-length version of TV series Hope Street. The actor, 28, got his big break on the BBC daytime police drama, starring in more than 30 episodes after being introduced to the show in its third season. Garbutt, who was diagnosed with skin cancer four years ago, left behind a wife and … [Read more...] about Late actor Finnian Garbutt to feature in big-screen outing of TV drama Hope Street
‘He took my innocence’: Survivor welcomes sentencing of Co. Antrim man for child abuse offences
AN ABUSE survivor has welcomed a three-year sentence handed down to a Co. Antrim man for 11 counts of indecent child abuse. Curtis Archibald, 26, from Bushmills, must serve 18 months in jail and 18 months on license and has also been given a Sexual Offences Prevention Order for seven years. The charges faced by Archibald include sexual communication with a child, causing or … [Read more...] about ‘He took my innocence’: Survivor welcomes sentencing of Co. Antrim man for child abuse offences
Gardaí seize ‘items of evidential value’ as part of investigation into teenager’s hit-and-run death
GARDAI investigating the death of teenager Bryan Lowe in a hit-and-run incident on Friday night have revealed they have seized 'items of evidential value'. Bryan, 16, was found unresponsive by the roadside on the L3050 at Cottage Cross near Cloonlara on the Clare/Limerick border and was sadly pronounced deceased at the scene. Gardaí said he had been riding an e-bike while a … [Read more...] about Gardaí seize ‘items of evidential value’ as part of investigation into teenager’s hit-and-run death
Man dubbed one of the ‘main instigators’ of 2025 Ballymena riots is jailed
A MAN described by police one of the ‘main instigators’ of the 2025 riots in Ballymena has been jailed. Bradley Douglas, 28, who is from the town, threw masonry, rocks and metal poles at officers, after which others joined in. At Antrim Crown Court today, Douglas was sentenced to five years after he was convicted of riot and burglary with intent to cause unlawful damage. He … [Read more...] about Man dubbed one of the ‘main instigators’ of 2025 Ballymena riots is jailed