Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Donncha O’Connell @donnchalaw.bsky.social · 3h

Insufficient capacity to train 1,000 gardaí in Templemore. Recruitment Training Capacity Group was expected to make decision on whether a second Training College should be established but recommended that another group be established to consider that matter:

www.rte.ie/news/2025/10...

No capacity to train 1,000 gardaí each year - report

A working group set up to consider how to increase garda recruitment has found that the Garda College at Templemore, does not have the capacity to train 1,000 new gardaí every year.

www.rte.ie

Donncha O’Connell @donnchalaw.bsky.social · 3h

I sniff the emergence of a formidable ‘Centrist Dads for Connolly Campaign’… #Áras25

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Donncha O’Connell @donnchalaw.bsky.social · 5h

Almost half of people in Ireland fear they won’t be able to pay their bills – survey. IHREC research finds a country being pulled in different directions and in need of leadership on key issues…

www.irishtimes.com/ireland/soci...

Almost half of people in Ireland fear they won’t be able to pay their bills – survey

Research finds a country being pulled in different directions and in need of leadership on key issues

www.irishtimes.com

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Reposted by Donncha O’Connell

Irish Legal News @irishlegal.com · 1d

Applications are now open for the legal access internship scheme jointly run by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Law Reform Commission, the Office of the Attorney General, the Chief State Solicitor’s Office and the Houses of the Oireachtas.

Legal access internship scheme opens for applications

Applications are now open for the legal access internship scheme jointly run by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Law Reform Commission, the Office of the Attorney General, the Chief State Solicitor’s Office and the Houses of the Oireachtas.

www.irishlegal.com

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Donncha O’Connell @donnchalaw.bsky.social · 1d

Carna 50 – bhí Charlie Haughey ann in am an ghátair. Déanfar ceiliúradh i gCarna anocht ar an tSaotharlann Taighde Mara i Maínis i gCarna, nó ‘an Lab’, atá 50 bliain ar an bhfód

tuairisc.ie/carna-50-bhi...

Carna 50 – bhí Charlie Haughey ann in am an ghátair

Déanfar ceiliúradh i gCarna anocht ar an tSaotharlann Taighde Mara i Maínis i gCarna, nó ‘an Lab’, atá 50 bliain ar an bhfód

tuairisc.ie

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Donncha O’Connell @donnchalaw.bsky.social · 1d

Watched this last night, the beautiful, joyful and at times wild funeral service of the wonderful Manchán Magan. Well worth taking some time to behold:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8--...

Manchán's Funeral Service

YouTube video by The Coop Dublin

www.youtube.com

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Donncha O’Connell @donnchalaw.bsky.social · 2d

DPP calls for re-examination of disclosure policies and practices

www.irishlegal.com/articles/dpp...

DPP calls for re-examination of disclosure policies and practices

Disclosure policies and practices should be re-examined in response to the "relentless growth in digital data", the director of public prosecutions has said. Writing in the foreword to her office's la...

www.irishlegal.com

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Donncha O’Connell @donnchalaw.bsky.social · 2d

Colin Murphy: Catherine Connolly’s air of authenticity is making her a real contender for the Áras. The left-wing populist’s surprisingly frank answers carry the message: ‘You don’t have to like me, but I’m not hiding who I am’

www.independent.ie/irish-news/p...

Colin Murphy: Catherine Connolly’s air of authenticity is making her a real contender for the Áras

On Thursday on RTÉ Radio 1, Claire Byrne started her interview with Catherine Connolly with the kind of question that could be a death knell for an ordinary presidential campaign: “Is it true that you...

www.independent.ie

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Donncha O’Connell @donnchalaw.bsky.social · 3d

New book profiles life and work of two exceptional Galwegian women academics, Anderson and Tinney - Connacht Tribune - Galway City Tribune

connachttribune.ie/new-book-pro...

New book profiles life and work of two exceptional Galwegian academics - Connacht Tribune - Galway City Tribune

New book profiles life and work of two exceptional Galwegian academics

connachttribune.ie

Donncha O’Connell @donnchalaw.bsky.social · 3d

Paul Gillespie: President Michael D Higgins spoke truth to the powerless as well as the powerful. His prolific speeches and writings are a highlight of his two-term presidency - The Irish Times

www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2025...

Worldview: Michael D Higgins chose to speak truth to the powerless as well as the powerful

His prolific speeches and writings are a highlight of his two-term presidency

www.irishtimes.com

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Donncha O’Connell @donnchalaw.bsky.social · 3d

FF vote in #Áras25 will be very interesting. Suspect those not too enthused by the Gavin candidacy may also not fancy switching their vote to FG or voting for Gavin as a FG sweeper. Ó Cuiv-minded FFers and those of a stronger republican persuasion may well vote for Connolly…

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Donncha O’Connell @donnchalaw.bsky.social · 3d

Lots of Undecideds to be won over but great momentum for Connolly and no sign that negative campaigning is benefiting those targeting her. Gavin seems to be going the way of Gay Mitchell in 2011. #Áras25

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Donncha O’Connell @donnchalaw.bsky.social · 4d

‘Better quality’ planning decisions would mean fewer judicial reviews - Bar council chairperson

www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/co...

‘Better quality’ planning decisions would mean fewer judicial reviews - Bar council chair

Seán Guerin SC says decision-making failure over planning for Dublin drainage project ‘not the fault of judicial review’

www.irishtimes.com

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Donncha O’Connell @donnchalaw.bsky.social · 4d

Lawyers on collision course with Justice Minister over reforms to judicial review process

www.independent.ie/irish-news/c...

Lawyers on collision course with Justice Minister over reforms to judicial review process

The head of the representative body for barristers has expressed concern about major proposed changes to the judicial review process.

www.independent.ie

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Reposted by Donncha O’Connell

Martin Doyle @martindoyle.bsky.social · 4d

Seamus Heaney’s Ribbons: A beautiful poem about his sisters, published for the first time and astutely analysed by Dr Rosie Lavan, co-editor of his Colleced Poems with Bernard O’Donoghue, out next week
www.irishtimes.com/life-style/p...

Seamus Heaney’s Ribbons: A beautiful poem about his sisters, published for the first time

The reader is transported by Heaney’s illuminating memory: we’re in a school, a photographer is visiting and the girls are having their picture taken

www.irishtimes.com

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Reposted by Donncha O’Connell

Shane Darcy @shanedarcy.bsky.social · 4d

Ireland’s Occupied Territories Bill being hollowed out at the behest of US and Irish business interests

Uninterrupted trade and investment being placed above compliance with international legal obligations and meaningful action to end atrocities in Palestine

www.reuters.com/sustainabili...

Exclusive: Ireland poised to blunt sanctions on Israel under corporate pressure, say sources

There is pressure from business groups concerned about the impact on investment.

www.reuters.com

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Donncha O’Connell @donnchalaw.bsky.social · 5d

Manchán Magan, an scríbhneoir agus déantóir clár faisnéise, ar shlí na fírinne

tuairisc.ie/manchan-maga...

Manchán Magan, an scríbhneoir agus déantóir clár faisnéise, ar shlí na fírinne

A chláir faisnéise taistil agus a shaothar faoin nGaeilge is mó a thuill cáil do Mhanchán Magan agus tugtar aitheantas dó as cabhrú le spéis daoine a mhúscailt sa Ghaeilge

tuairisc.ie

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Donncha O’Connell @donnchalaw.bsky.social · 6d

Vol. 47 No. 18 · 9 October 2025: Unwelcome Remnant
Conor Gearty on the threat to the Human Rights Act

www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...

Conor Gearty · Unwelcome Remnant: Erasing the Human Rights Act

The Supreme Court is quietly editing the Human Rights Act out of existence. In cases where human rights cannot be...

www.lrb.co.uk

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Donncha O’Connell @donnchalaw.bsky.social · 7d

Fáilte curtha ag Bánú roimh chinneadh gan tithe saoire a dhíol sula bhfiosróidh an Roinn Tithíochta an scéal

tuairisc.ie/failte-curth...

Fáilte curtha ag Bánú roimh chinneadh gan tithe saoire a dhíol sula bhfiosróidh an Roinn Tithíochta an scéal

Tuairiscítear gur iarr an Roinn Tithíochta orthu treoir a thabhairt do Thearmann Éanna na tithe atá le díol acu a bhaint den mhargadh le deis a thabhairt don Roinn athbhreithniú a dhéanamh ar an scéal

tuairisc.ie

Donncha O’Connell @donnchalaw.bsky.social · 7d

Offering asylum seekers more money to leave in the course of an international protection application is ‘unethical’, says Irish Refugee Council - “particularly troubling” given 30 per cent of appeals in 2024 were successful.

www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...

Offering asylum seekers more money to leave is ‘unethical’, says Irish Refugee Council

Irish Refugee Council opposes controversial move saying stakeholders were not forewarned

www.irishtimes.com

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Donncha O’Connell @donnchalaw.bsky.social · 8d

Irish judge elected president of EU General Court chamber

www.irishlegal.com/articles/iri...

Irish judge elected president of EU General Court chamber

Judge Suzanne Kingston has been elected as president of one of the 10 chambers of the General Court of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). The Irish judge, who has sat on the EU bench s...

www.irishlegal.com

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Donncha O’Connell @donnchalaw.bsky.social · 8d

‘Plean simplí’ ag Connolly chun an Ghaeilge a chur chun cinn mar uachtarán – ‘í a labhairt gach lá’. Deir an t-iarrthóir neamhspleách gur mhaith léi ‘timpeallacht’ a chruthú san Áras ina mbeidh sé ‘nádúrtha’ an Ghaeilge a chloisteáil

tuairisc.ie/plean-simpli...

‘Plean simplí’ ag Connolly chun an Ghaeilge a chur chun cinn mar uachtarán – ‘í a labhairt gach lá’

Deir an t-iarrthóir neamhspleách gur mhaith léi ‘timpeallacht’ a chruthú san Áras ina mbeidh sé ‘nádúrtha’ an Ghaeilge a chloisteáil

tuairisc.ie

Donncha O’Connell @donnchalaw.bsky.social · 8d

Trump’s Targeting of Soros Foundations Elicits Fear and Defiance on Left. Facing a nascent administration investigation, Alex Soros privately pledged that the Open Society Foundations would back down only “over my dead body.”

www.nytimes.com/2025/09/26/u...

Trump’s Targeting of Soros Foundations Elicits Fear and Defiance on Left

www.nytimes.com

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Donncha O’Connell @donnchalaw.bsky.social · 9d

Ireland’s natural environment in ‘very poor’ condition, EU analysis finds. Report says water quality, habitats and species all suffering

www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2025...

Ireland’s natural environment in ‘very poor’ condition, EU analysis finds

European Environment Report - news (analysis piece to follow) Embargoed to Sunday night 11pm

www.irishtimes.com

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Donncha O’Connell @donnchalaw.bsky.social · 9d

Online dispute resolution and AI ‘could revolutionise’ Irish courts system - Judge Max Barrett

www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/20...

Online dispute resolution and AI ‘could revolutionise’ Irish courts system - judge

Online dispute resolution

www.irishtimes.com