In The News

Another protest is planned today in Limerick over the suspended sentence handed down to a serving soldier who was convicted of assault last week. Two years ago, 22 year-old Cathal Crotty beat his victim, Natasha O'Brien, until she was unconscious and later bragged about it on social media. The 24 year-old woman was set upon in the unprovoked attack after she asked him to stop shouting homophobic slurs at people in the street. Crotty avoided jail time after the judge took his guilty plea and his career in the Defence Forces into account. Natasha O'Brien went public with her dismay at the outcome and it is widely expected the case will be referred to the Court of Appeal. Tom O’Malley, barrister, author, law lecturer and Ireland’s foremost expert in sentencing, offers this explainer on how sentencing works in Ireland, the factors that are taken into consideration and why a suspended sentence can sometimes be the appropriate response.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Aideen Finnegan.

The war of words between Aer Lingus and the pilots union Ialpa ratcheted up at the weekend with the airline accusing Ialpa of “blackmail” and the union responding with claims of “greed” and refusing to rule out an all-out strike.On Sunday both sides said they were ready for talks while blaming the other side for being the stumbling block to meaningful negotiations happening.At the heart of this dispute is the pilots’ demand for a 24 per cent pay hike while management has made an initial offer of just under 10 per cent.The pilots begin a work-to-rule on Wednesday, a move that has forced the airline to cancel more than 200 flights between Wednesday and Sunday. Then on Saturday, the pilots will escalate their industrial action with an eight hour all-out strike prompting Aer Lingus to cancel 120 flights.All disputes eventually end but with the gap between the pilots’ demands and the company’s offer so wide, it’s difficult to see who will blink first. What is clear is that it is the travelling public who will suffer.Consumer correspondent Conor Pope looks at how we got here – and where this dispute might eventually land.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey

This week the Dáil will vote on the EU migration and asylum pact.Why is Ireland opting in to the EU-wide system of migration control? And how will it operate? And why is it proving controversial – not just in Ireland but in states across Europe?Irish Times social affairs correspondent Kitty Holland explains.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.

“Slow ticketing”, VIP packages and platinum pricing - there's a new lexicon involved in buying concert tickets. But all of them involve forking out much more for certain concerts since live entertainment resumed after the pandemic. Anyone who managed to snag tickets for Taylor Swift at the Aviva next Friday will probably have spent about €200. Why are concert tickets so expensive now, how much responsibility does Taylor bear and will stadium gigs ever come down in price again?Irish TImes media columnist, Laura Slattery, explains the new business model and how US lawmakers - incensed at the Taylor Ticketmaster fiasco last year - are moving to try and break up the allaged Live Nation monopoly of the American market. She also outlines why she herself is such a committed Swiftie.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Aideen Finnegan.

The global heroin supply is under threat. But observers of international narcotic trends warn that drugs addicts will replace heroin with - synthetic opioids including Fentanyl and nitazenes - are even worse. Crime Editor Conor Lally explains why these drugs may soon be making headlines in Ireland.

The Green Party leader, Eamon Ryan, is stepping down after 13 years at the helm. However, the Transport Minister is staying on as a member of the Cabinet, as the government enters its final phase in power. He says it will be up to the next leader of the party to decide if he remains in that role. The Greens lost their European seats and half their councillors in the local and European elections earlier this month. It was a poor result but it wasn’t quite the collapse that had been speculated upon. After Leo Varadkar’s shock departure in March as the leader of Fine Gael, and this latest announcement, is the prospect of an early general election even closer? And who is likely to succeed Ryan as the party leader?Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Aideen Finnegan.

Last April, Jonathan Creswell’s trial for the rape and murder of 21-year-old Katie Simpson opened in Derry’s Crown Court.    But as we heard in yesterday’s episode, it only sat for one day.  In today's episode, part 2, journalist Tanya Fowles explains how the prosecution's opening statements painted a terrifying picture of what really happened to Katie Simpson at the hands of her sister's long term boyfriend. And we also hear how Creswell, a manipulator and serial abuser, used the women in his life to help cover up his crimes. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.

In August 2020, in a small housing estate in Derry, 21-year-old Katie Simpson was found in a critical condition. According to the man who discovered her, her brother-in-law Jonathan Creswell, the young woman had attempted suicide.Six days later, Katie died in hospital from her injuries. The community was shocked that this outgoing and talented showjumper had taken her own life.But all was not as it seemed. The publicly charismatic and well-connected Creswell, a jockey and former showjumper, had a dark and violent past.Although the PSNI were quick to treat this case as suicide, news of Katie’s death raised suspicions within the community.Journalist Tanya Fowles tells In the News how she tried again and again to raise the alarm about Creswell – but it took until March 2024 for the violent abuser to appear in court in Derry to face charges of rape and murder.Why did it take so long to bring him to justice and why did the trial end after just one day?Presented by Bernice Harrison, produced by Suzanne Brennan.

When the UK banned ownership of XL Bully dogs – with certain exemptions – on February 1st, In The News explored whether Ireland should also consider a similar ban, particularly in the wake of the disfiguring of a nine year old boy in Co. Wexford. But authorities were slow to act, until this week which saw the funeral of 23-year-old Nicole Morey in Limerick. She died having been attacked at her hall door by one of her four pets, a massive XL Bully. This episode is an edited version of our February podcast. Listen to dog behaviour expert Nanci Creedon explaining how, where and crucially, why this relatively new type of dog was bred. She now says that it is time for a ban, until more data is gathered.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Aideen Finnegan and Suzanne Brennan.