Stories from Ireland

An 11-year-old child found a firearm in a bush in Ballymun and discharged the weapon yesterday. No injuries were reported following the incident. The event has drawn attention to firearm safety.

capital projects are being planned as part of a £275 billion framework set out in recent months. Officials aim to ensure new contracts are robust enough to prevent delays and cost overruns similar to the Children's Hospital situation.

A conference held in Ireland reported that new medicines have taken an average of 600 days to become available to public patients over the last ten years. Brenda Dooley, head of access consulting, stated that the speed of access to new drugs is personal for patients.

The new national children's hospital project missed its 19th completion deadline today. The National Pediatric Hospital Development Board's Chief Officer, Dave Gunning, stated that all remaining issues rest with the contractor. Developer BAM reported that 75% of the 5,000 rooms meet completion standards, but over 12,000 defects remain unresolved. BAM issued a statement claiming highly selective data is being used regarding the defects. Representatives from Children's Health Ireland and the National Pediatric Hospital Development Board provided the update. TD Shane Moynihan stated that thousands of defects remain unresolved at the site. The project's cost has increased to approximately 2.2 billion euro from an original estimate. The builder, Bam, described claims regarding the project status as selective and misleading.

New home completions in Ireland increased by almost 33 percent during the first quarter. New data from the Central Statistics Office shows an increase in dwelling completions in Ireland during the first three months of the year. The border region recorded a 58 percent rise in completions. Minister for Housing James Brown stated the figures were reinforced by strong mortgage drawdowns. The CSO began collecting this specific data in 2011. New dwelling completions in Ireland reached 7,856 for the first quarter of 2026. This figure represents a 32.9% increase compared to the same period last year. The increase covers completions built during January, February, and March of this year.

New owners have lodged a full planning application for the redevelopment of the Phibsborough Shopping Centre. The proposed works aim to retain and refurbish the existing 1969 structure.

A large basking shark, estimated to be 35 feet long, was filmed thrashing its tail near the surface off Arranmore Island. The creature was spotted by Northwest Charters skipper John Paul Basker alongside other sharks. The sighting occurred off the coast of Dundigawd.

Oprah Winfrey is scheduled to visit Dublin in September. She will participate in a discussion regarding her life and career. The event will take place at the 3Arena.

Up to 1,000 young people across Ireland have been groomed into gangs, according to Rory Hearn. The issue has been highlighted in Ballimore. Hearn said that addressing the problem requires a focus on prevention and community-level depth.

Building materials group Kingspan reported a 3 percent increase in sales for the first quarter. The company warned of the impact of growing build-cost inflation on its performance. Shares in the group saw a slight dip following the report.