- 4d ago
Flash floods hit Killarney and Dublin as torrential downpours bring up to 57mm of rain
Intense downpours triggered flash flooding in Killarney and Dublin on Thursday evening, submerging roads, flooding homes, and prompting upgraded weather warnings across eastern Ireland.
- 5d ago
Andy Burnham rules out Irish unity referendum during first official visit to Belfast
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham met Stormont leaders in Belfast, dismissing calls for an Irish unity referendum while addressing Northern Ireland's £1.6 billion budget shortfall.
- Aug 22
Munster and Leinster secure Women's Interprovincial final berths with decisive victories
Munster defeated Connacht 47-12 in Galway while Leinster beat Ulster 75-5 in Belfast on Saturday, setting up a fourth consecutive Women's Interprovincial Championship final between the two provinces.
- Aug 9
Belfast hosts Fleadh Cheoil for first time as visitors top one million
The world's largest Irish traditional music festival has come to Belfast for the first time, drawing over a million visitors and exceeding all forecasts with one day still to go. Only the second Fleadh ever held in Northern Ireland, it has brought cross-community participation to a city once defined by sectarian division.
- Aug 7
Colombia shifts to recovery after magnitude 7.4 earthquake kills at least 289
One week after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck western Colombia, emergency teams are ending active survivor searches as the confirmed death toll reaches 289 and over 26,000 homes lie destroyed.
- Aug 6
Cambridge reviews hiring after professor Jason Arday resigns over plagiarism and CV claims
Jason Arday resigned from Cambridge on 5 August amid plagiarism allegations and questions about his CV. Both Cambridge and Glasgow are reviewing his appointment, while academics demand an independent inquiry.
- Aug 4
Thunderstorm warnings issued for Ireland and Northern Ireland after record dry July
Met Éireann and the UK Met Office have issued yellow thunderstorm and rain warnings for several counties, with heavy downpours, lightning, and spot flooding expected. The alerts follow the driest July on record in England and Wales.
- Aug 2
Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann opens in Belfast for first time, celebrating traditional Irish music with 200 events
More than 200 events and 180 competitions mark the week-long celebration of traditional Irish music, song and dance, held in Northern Ireland's capital for the first time.
- Jul 31
Bev Craig wins Greater Manchester mayoral by-election with 66% of vote, succeeding PM Andy Burnham
Bev Craig secured 66.3% of the vote after second preferences, defeating Reform UK's Sian Astley in the by-election triggered by Andy Burnham's move to Downing Street.
- Jul 26
Kelly retains IBF super welterweight title with close points win over Agyarko in Jeddah
Judges scorecards of 114-113, 115-111 and 115-111 went to the Sunderland champion, who survived a point deduction and a late rally from Belfast's Agyarko on the undercard of Anthony Joshua's heavyweight comeback.
- Jul 21
Ireland tightens e-scooter rules with under-18 ban, helmets and licences, but stops short of outright prohibition
Sales to under-18s will be banned from August, and all riders must wear helmets and hi-vis vests, hold a driving licence, and keep to 20km/h, the government announced.
- Jul 21
Andy Burnham names Chris Bryant as Northern Ireland Secretary, replacing Hilary Benn in late-night reshuffle
Prime Minister Andy Burnham appointed Chris Bryant as Northern Ireland Secretary late on Monday, 20 July 2026, after Hilary Benn confirmed he would not continue in the role he had held since Labour returned to power in 2024.
- Jul 12
Northern Ireland Fire Service handles 303 emergency calls on Eleventh Night, with 54 bonfire-related incidents and homes destroyed in Greenisland
The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service received 303 emergency calls during Eleventh Night bonfire celebrations, attending 151 incidents including a hostile crowd forcing withdrawal in Cookstown and a row of terraced houses destroyed in Greenisland.
- Jul 9
Replica mosque on Moygashel loyalist bonfire condemned as incitement to hatred
A loyalist bonfire in Moygashel, County Tyrone, has been topped with a replica mosque and anti-Islam banners, drawing condemnation from Amnesty International as incitement to hatred and a call for police intervention.
- Jul 8
Patrick Kielty signs new three-year deal to continue hosting Ireland's Late Late Show until 2028
RTÉ confirms Patrick Kielty will return as host of The Late Late Show this September, signing a three-year deal that keeps him at the helm until 2028.
- Jul 6
Maine Democrats scramble to pick new Senate nominee after Platner withdraws amid rape allegation
The party faces a July 27 state deadline, with a convention set for July 25 in Bangor and a crowded field of contenders emerging, including former state Senate president Troy Jackson and Secretary of State Shenna Bellows.
- Jul 4
Funeral of former minister David Andrews held in Dublin, remembered for Good Friday Agreement role
Family, political leaders, and former president Michael D Higgins gathered in Blackrock, Dublin, to pay tribute to the former foreign affairs minister and signatory of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.
- Jul 3
Three men acquitted of murdering journalist Lyra McKee after two-year trial in Belfast
A Belfast judge has found three men not guilty of the 2019 murder of journalist Lyra McKee, shot while covering riots in Derry. The family calls the verdict a failure of the justice system and demands an end to the culture of silence that shields killers in Northern Ireland.
- Jul 3
Culture secretary Lisa Nandy and her department quit X, blaming a platform that 'favours abuse and misinformation'
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy announced on 2 July that she and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport will leave Elon Musk's X, accusing the platform of prioritising abuse and misinformation over meaningful debate.
- Jul 2
Tesla delivers 480,126 vehicles in Q2, a 25% jump as European demand rebounds
Tesla reported 480,126 global vehicle deliveries in the second quarter of 2026, blowing past analyst estimates as resurgent European sales offset a continued slump in the United States.
