Sinéad Hussey

Midlands Correspondent

Spring in Athlone town Saints Peter and Paul church over river view, county Westmeath, Ireland

How could the Living City Initiative impact Athlone?

As part of Budget 2026, the Government announced the extension of the Living City Initiative. Athlone joins Sligo, Drogheda, Dundalk and Letterkenny as new regional centres under the initiative, alongside existing centres of Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kilkenny, Limerick and Waterford.

Budget 2026 • 12 Oct

A person using a hose to water plants in their garden

Mullingar hosepipe ban to be lifted on Monday

A hosepipe ban, which has been in place in Mullingar in Co Westmeath, for over five months will be lifted on Monday.

Leinster • 10 Oct

A group of men lined up arm in arm on a beach in the dark

Taking a dip with Blueballs 'takes me out of my head'

Members of a group, which aims to support men, recount how the community it has created in the midlands has benefited their lives.

Leinster • 10 Oct

Michal Luczak looks to camera with sunglasses on.

Trial begins of man accused of flying in €8m of cocaine

The trial of a man alleged to have been the pilot of an aircraft used to fly over €8 million worth of cocaine into the midlands three ago has begun.

Courts • 08 Oct

Michal Luczak pleaded not guilty to four charges arising out the alleged transportation of 120kg of cocaine into Abbeyshrule Aerodrome in Co Longfordd

Trial of man accused of flying in €8m cocaine to begin

A jury has been sworn in for the trial of a man charged with the seizure of €8.4m worth of cocaine which was flown into the midlands over three years ago.

Courts • 07 Oct

Photo of large crowds at Ploughing Championships in Offaly

National Ploughing Championships to return to Screggan

The National Ploughing Championships will return to Screggan outside Tullamore in Co Offaly next year.

Leinster • 05 Oct

Ciara Bardon, a qualified primary school teacher living in Boyle, Co Roscommon

Mother calls for Govt to address lack of childcare spaces

With less than a week to go before Budget 2026, many parents are wondering if accessibility to childcare will be addressed.

Budget 2026 • 01 Oct

Emily Scanlon grandmother of shane lowry reading a newspaper in her home

'I shut my eyes and heard the roar' - Lowry's grandmother

Shane Lowry's grandmother has said she was not able to watch the final moments of the Ryder Cup last night.

Ireland • 29 Sep

A green field beside a lake in Co Roscommon

Group calls for planned Roscommon wind farms to be paused

A community group in Co Roscommon has said it has serious concerns about a planned wind farm in their locality and believes planning applications for wind farms should be paused until national guidelines are updated.

Connacht • 28 Sep

Gardai are pictured outside a house in Finglas where the bodies of a man and young girl were found

Bodies found in Dublin believed to be father and daughter

Gardaí believe the bodies of a man and child discovered at a house in Finglas in Dublin are those of a father and his daughter.

Dublin • 29 Sep