Morning Briefing – Ireland
Irish Times - West Belfast unrest: PSNI officers came under attack with bottles and masonry while responding to a large youth “meet-up” and reports of dangerous driving. Two officers were struck and police vehicles were damaged. A Sinn Féin representative condemned the “chaotic” scenes and criticised the police response. - Laois cyclist death: A man in his 50s died after crashing into railings in Mountmellick. Gardaí are seeking witnesses and camera footage. - Nuclear power back on agenda: Taoiseach Micheál Martin said Ireland should “seriously” examine nuclear energy, as FF TD James O’Connor advances a bill to lift the 1999 ban on nuclear fission generation. - Anti-abortion march: Hundreds attended a March for Life rally in Dublin; speakers warned of efforts to “remove safeguards” in current abortion laws and noted over 10,000 procedures last year. - Prisons and drones: Contraband drops are rising, with at least 384 drone deliveries detected in 2025. Recorded drops included 212 at Wheatfield, 58 at Cloverhill and 49 at Mountjoy; officers fear many more go undetected. - Brendan O’Brien obituary: The former RTÉ journalist, renowned for coverage of Northern Ireland and award-winning investigative work, has died aged 82. - Flotilla interception: Irish activist Catriona Graham says she was grabbed, cable-tied and left without adequate food or water for 24 hours after Israeli forces intercepted her ship in international waters, around 900km from Gaza. - Veronica Guerin 30th anniversary: A fundraising event titled “Truth and Transparency” will mark the journalist’s 1996 murder on Friday, June 26, at the Convention Centre Dublin, highlighting her legacy and the creation of the Criminal Assets Bureau. - Disability rights in Europe: Families of children awaiting needs assessments will bring cases to the European Parliament on Wednesday, citing years-long delays that denied legally entitled supports.
Irish Independent - Suspected hantavirus at sea: An Irish woman aboard the MV Hondius near Cape Verde described the shock after three passenger deaths amid a suspected hantavirus outbreak. Two Irish passengers are confirmed on board; a 69-year-old British man was evacuated to Johannesburg for treatment. - Closing a penalty-points gap: The Courts Service and Gardaí will directly coordinate to capture motorists’ driver numbers early in proceedings, aiming to stop court-imposed penalty points going unrecorded. - All-Ireland SFC draw: Kerry will host Donegal in Killarney in the first round, a repeat of last year’s final and this year’s Division 1 league final. Kerry face Cork in the Munster final next weekend. - Crime and security: Convicted gangster Devon Hennessy has installed a cage around his front garden to shield his car after tit-for-tat attacks; he is serving a three-year sentence for a torture assault. - Road fatalities: Tommy Reilly (30s) was named locally as the victim of a fatal tractor crash in Co Cavan; separately, a cyclist in his 50s died after striking railings in Co Laois. - Land dispute ruling: A court permanently restrained Tipperary farmer Patrick Heffernan from entering lands near Fethard sold by receivers in 2022 to US-based businessman Maurice Regan. - International watch: The paper reports Iran has struck ships and a UAE oil port amid rising tensions following a US directive to open a key strait; a live blog is tracking developments.