Early Edition

Polls open in byelections; Paul Rudd on filming in Dublin; Under the Hawthorn Tree

Voters in Dublin and Galway are going to the polls in two byelections [https://irishtimes.com/politics/2026/05/21/voters-in-galway-west-and-dublin-central-byelections-go-to-the-polls/] on Friday after intense canvassing in the closing days of the campaign and efforts by candidates to ensure their supporters turn up to vote. The Government has exceeded its annual spending target [https://irishtimes.com/business/2026/05/22/government-exceeds-annual-budget-by-average-of-51bn-since-2023/] by an average €5.1 billion in each of the last three budgets [https://www.irishtimes.com/budget/], new figures from the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (Ifac) indicate. Meanwhile, spending in the justice and transport areas seem set to be hit by the impact of the new levy being imposed across Government to offset a €640 million overrun in the education sector, an initial breakdown of the new savings being sought suggest. Ask any millennial which novels they remember reading as a child, and odds are they’ll list the fictional famine tale Under the Hawthorn Tree as one of them. In today’s Me Myself and Ireland [https://irishtimes.com/life-style/people/2026/05/22/marita-conlon-mckenna-i-write-what-i-see-and-what-i-feel-i-can-sense-things-i-always-have/], its author Marita Conlon McKenna says the inspiration to write it came during a ghostly dream. “I’m such a fan of this city and this country,” actor Paul Rudd tells Tara Brady [https://irishtimes.com/culture/film/2026/05/22/paul-rudd-on-filming-at-dundrum-town-centre-there-was-something-specifically-irish-about-it-it-was-kind-of-a-hoot/] while speaking about his new movie Power Ballad, which was filmed on location in Dublin. Presented by Aideen Finnegan ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Meta job losses; RTÉ salary row; more registered voters that residents in some areas

Meta is to cut 350 jobs from it’s Irish workforce amid a global round of layoffs affecting around 8000 roles worldwide. RTÉ has faced tough questions at an Oireachtas committee about newly disclosed salaries. More than 40 leading climate scientists are warning Ireland against adopting a controversial new way of measuring greenhouse emissions. Planned changes to the electoral register following revelations that there are more registered voters than residents in some areas. When might the result of the Dublin Central and Galway West byelection results be announced? ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Dodgy boxes; more flotilla boats set for Gaza intercepted; What happened to Yves Sakilas

200 users of so-called dodgy boxes used to illegally stream live TV have been issued with cease and desist notices. Rents across Ireland have just shot up at the fastest rate ever recorded, rising 4.4% in just three months, according to Daft.ie. More boats in the aid flotilla heading for Gaza have been intercepted by Israeli forces, crew members have said. What do we know about what happened to Yves Sakilas, who died shortly after being restrained by security guards in Dublin last Friday.  ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Tobacco lobbyists; sexually abusive homes; A.I. in schools

Irish diplomats in Brussels have been warned to be on high alert for lobbying by the tobacco industry. The European Commission has signalled tighter restrictions on exports that could be used by Russia’s military, following concerns raised about materials leaving the EU. Fear of homelessness is increasingly trapping people in sexually abusive situations, according to the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre. The couple who built a house in Co. Meath without planning permission face a legal bid by the council to recover costs for its demolition. An A.I. tool being used in a primary school is helping teachers plan lessons and answer pupil’s questions, but are teacher’s concerns about the technology being addressed?  ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Irregular betting on by election; bodyguards to protect special care staff

There are serious questions about betting activity linked to Friday’s by-election in Dublin Central in which $1 million (€860,000) was placed and then withdrawn with little or no profit. Immigration, the cost of living and housing are among the main issues on voters minds in Dublin Central and Galway West. Taoiseach Micheál Martin has used Fianna Fáil’s centenary Ard Fheis to defend the party’s record and set out its priorities in Government. Tusla has brought in bodyguards to protect staff at a special care unit in north Dublin as staffing shortages reach critical levels. Changes have been made to in-flight catering on Irish deportation flights after pork sausages were served on a charter flight to Pakistan, a predominantly Muslim country. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.