Niall O’Connor
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nialljournal.bsky.social
Niall O’Connor
@nialljournal.bsky.social
News correspondent @thejournal.ie - long time hack, ex-garda (Irish cop) also ex pro-cycling PR. I cover mostly national security, defence and crime.
Reposted by Niall O’Connor
Gardaí have "Common Law powers” entitling them to use their own “discretion” when dealing with the public, a trial of four gardaí and a retired superintendent accused of unlawfully interfering in pending or potential road traffic offences, heard, Friday.
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Text messages over speeding ticket given to Limerick hurler Pat Ryan shown in Garda trial
The five on trial are accused of “engaging in conduct tending and that intended to pervert the course of justice”.
jrnl.ie
November 28, 2025 at 10:17 PM
Air ambulance mission 'stood down' after Air Corps forced to ground its fleet of PC-12 aircraft jrnl.ie/6882021
Air ambulance mission 'stood down' after Air Corps forced to ground its fleet of PC-12 aircraft
Sources said that this was because there were not enough technicians available to maintain the small planes.
jrnl.ie
November 23, 2025 at 11:12 AM
Kremlin spokesperson remarks about Ireland's neutrality are 'nonsense', says Taoiseach jrnl.ie/6881769
Kremlin spokesperson remarks about Ireland's neutrality are 'nonsense', says Taoiseach
Maria Zakharova, who speaks on Foreign Affairs matters for the Putin regime, rounded on Ireland about neutrality and militarism.
jrnl.ie
November 21, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Why are the British and others making threats about Russian ship the Yantar? jrnl.ie/6880571
Why are the British and others making threats about Russian ship the Yantar?
The ship, built for subsurface work, is suspected of involvement in espionage that could pose a risk to undersea cables.
jrnl.ie
November 20, 2025 at 5:28 PM
25-year-old man charged with murder of his mother and assault of his father in Cork jrnl.ie/6879275
25-year-old man charged with murder of his mother and assault of his father in Cork
The couple have been named locally as Stella and Brian Gallagher.
jrnl.ie
November 19, 2025 at 7:51 PM
Serving garda arrested as part of probe after large quantity of drugs goes missing from garda station jrnl.ie/6879492
Serving garda arrested as part of probe after large quantity of drugs goes missing from garda station
The suspect was arrested by members of the Anti-Corruption Unit, which is attached to the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
jrnl.ie
November 19, 2025 at 7:49 PM
Russian spy ship, previously escorted out of Irish waters, warned by Britain after aircraft incident jrnl.ie/6879585
Russian spy ship, previously escorted out of Irish waters, warned by Britain after aircraft incident
The Journal has learned that Irish authorities were also warned that the suspicious ship may make its way into Irish controlled waters in recent weeks.
jrnl.ie
November 19, 2025 at 7:47 PM
Lublin line connects with Chelm in east Poland where train will then take you straight into Kyiv. I traveled the route on my last trip to Ukraine. Drone incident in Denmark also. EU meeting this week.

Donald Tusk says attack on rail line inside Poland had intended to strike a train jrnl.ie/6877102
Donald Tusk says attack on rail line inside Poland had intended to strike a train
Donald Tusk visited the site of the explosion on the Warsaw to Lublin train line – a key route into Ukraine for aid.
jrnl.ie
November 17, 2025 at 12:08 PM
Search for missing crew member from UK Naval support vessel continues off coast of Donegal jrnl.ie/6875736
Search for missing crew member from UK Naval support vessel continues off coast of Donegal
The missing crew member was last seen at 10:30pm last night.
jrnl.ie
November 15, 2025 at 5:47 PM
State alleges four serving gardaí and one retired senior officer 'terminated' road tickets jrnl.ie/6871047
State alleges four serving gardaí and one retired senior officer 'terminated' road tickets
The gardaí were all based in the mid-west, particularly in Limerick garda division.
jrnl.ie
November 11, 2025 at 9:03 PM
Trial to begin of four gardaí and retired superintendent for alleged perverting course of justice jrnl.ie/6870150
Trial to begin of four gardaí and retired superintendent for alleged perverting course of justice
The gardaí were all based in the mid-west, particularly in Limerick garda Division.
jrnl.ie
November 10, 2025 at 5:33 PM
Companies must begin to search for child sexual abuse imagery on work computers, expert says jrnl.ie/6867966
Companies must begin to search for child sexual abuse imagery on work computers, expert says
Mick Moran, CEO of Hotline.ie, spoke to The Journal at a major international cyber security event in Dublin.
jrnl.ie
November 9, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Israeli drone strike destroys vehicle short distance from Irish soldiers on patrol in Lebanon jrnl.ie/6869005
Israeli drone strike destroys vehicle short distance from Irish soldiers on patrol in Lebanon
No injuries were reported for Irish peacekeepers in the incident.
jrnl.ie
November 8, 2025 at 7:28 PM
A few weeks of work gone into this. To say security sources are exasperated would be an understatement.

Concerns across Europe that Ireland's military shortfalls could put major summit at risk jrnl.ie/6865198
Concerns across Europe that Ireland's military shortfalls could put major summit at risk
Security concerns are being raised as Ireland prepares to take on the rotating presidency of the EU next summer.
jrnl.ie
November 7, 2025 at 8:46 AM
Two arrests in probe into alleged arson at Drogheda Ipas centre jrnl.ie/6866233
Two arrests in probe into alleged arson at Drogheda Ipas centre
The arrests were made this morning by investigators.
jrnl.ie
November 6, 2025 at 9:41 AM
Loud booms heard in Dublin this morning were a practice run for the presidential inauguration jrnl.ie/6864334
Loud booms heard in Dublin this morning were a practice run for the presidential inauguration
Shortly after 10.30am, a flurry of booms could be heard across Dublin’s northside from Dublin 5 to Dublin 15.
jrnl.ie
November 4, 2025 at 2:19 PM
The Criminal Assets Bureau sold a record number of seized homes last year jrnl.ie/6864200
The Criminal Assets Bureau sold a record number of seized homes last year
CAB’s annual report was brought to Cabinet this morning and shows it sold 20 properties seized from criminals across the country and one in Lanzarote.
jrnl.ie
November 4, 2025 at 2:18 PM
Irish Special Forces receive international award honouring their work in €157m drug seizure jrnl.ie/6863779
Irish Special Forces receive international award honouring their work in €157m drug seizure
The capture off the Waterford coast of the MV Matthew by the Army Ranger Wing (ARW) saw €157m worth of cocaine seized in a daring raid in September 2023.
jrnl.ie
November 3, 2025 at 8:32 PM
UN peacekeeping troops shoot down 'aggressive' Israeli unmanned drone in south Lebanon jrnl.ie/6857590
UN peacekeeping troops shoot down 'aggressive' Israeli unmanned drone in south Lebanon
The Irish Defence Forces confirmed in a statement that there were no Irish troops involved in the incident.
jrnl.ie
October 27, 2025 at 10:41 PM
A man has been arrested after he barricaded himself inside an empty creche in County Meath jrnl.ie/6857745
A man has been arrested after he barricaded himself inside an empty creche in County Meath
The man was arrested after the standoff in the Flowerhill area of Navan earlier today.
jrnl.ie
October 27, 2025 at 10:40 PM
Reposted by Niall O’Connor
During our investigation #RussianSecrets we heard something interesting: There is intelligence within #NATO indicating suspicious Russian subsea activities around the wreck of the „Estonia“ cruiseferry which sank in the Baltic Sea in 1994. www.tagesschau.de/investigativ... #Russia #GUGI
Unterwasser-Sensorik - Das Spionage-Geheimnis der "Estonia"
Rund um das Wrack der Ostsee-Fähre "Estonia" gilt ein Tauchverbot. Nach Recherchen von WDR, NDR und SZ besteht jedoch der Verdacht, dass Russland den Ort für Unterwasserspionage gegen die NATO nutzt.
www.tagesschau.de
October 24, 2025 at 1:45 PM
I’m not sure people are grasping the significance of this for not just global peacekeeping but for Irish foreign policy and future peacekeeping missions.

Ireland may be forced to cut up to 40 troops from Lebanon jrnl.ie/6851606
Ireland may be forced to cut up to 40 troops from Lebanon
We visited the 127 Infantry Battalion today who are preparing to deploy to Lebanon in November. They are putting their final training touches in the Glen of Imaal.
jrnl.ie
October 22, 2025 at 11:25 PM
Over 20 arrests made after two gardaí injured during second night of riots at Citywest Ipas centre jrnl.ie/6852015
Over 20 arrests made after two gardaí injured during second night of riots at Citywest Ipas centre
Tonight’s confrontation follows a much larger riot at the same site last night.
jrnl.ie
October 22, 2025 at 11:23 PM
Town missing unit of gardaí after four members injured in two serious assault incidents jrnl.ie/6849526
Town missing unit of gardaí after four members injured in two serious assault incidents
The gardaí are based in Dungarvan and were attacked over two nights last week, causing them to have to take sick leave to treat their wounds.
jrnl.ie
October 21, 2025 at 10:33 AM
One of the most striking moments last week in Lebanon was how highly respected Irish troops were by the people of Kounin.
In a traditional gesture they held a dinner for them with senior community leaders.
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October 20, 2025 at 6:32 PM