Heart disease induced in pigs. Rabbits’ eyes surgically removed. Chinchillas’ eardrums deliberately perforated. Just some of the procedures commissioned by Irish universities in overseas labs. Our latest investigation by @trishdevlin.bsky.social www.thejournal.ie/irish-animal...

https://www.thejournal.ie/irish-animal-testing-overseas-7183554-Oct2026/

thejournal.ie

This is a great piece on how the FOI process actually works

Patricia Devlin@trishdevlin.bsky.social · last mo.

Six years ago, Ireland was promised a dedicated Wildlife Crime Unit. It never materialised, and no one really explained why. I went looking for answers. It took a year-long battle with the NPWS and an Information Commissioner investigation to get them. Here’s what I found ⬇️ jrnl.ie/7135559

Six years ago, Ireland was promised a dedicated Wildlife Crime Unit. It never materialised, and no one really explained why. I went looking for answers. It took a year-long battle with the NPWS and an Information Commissioner investigation to get them. Here’s what I found ⬇️ jrnl.ie/7135559

The FOI Files: The year-long battle for records on Ireland’s promised Wildlife Crime Unit

The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage claimed disclosure could harm wildlife crime investigations and future prosecutions, but the Information Commissioner disagreed.

jrnl.ie

On the show today: Ciara Glynn on the Solace Café; Máire Treasa Ní Cheallaigh on naming kids; Henry McKean on the secretive Irish; Declan Buckley & Barbara Scully wearily shake their heads; Rían Gill on the solar-power racing car; Patricia Devlin on skunks in Kildare.

An absolutely mad story. Someone is out there in Ireland breeding skunks for pets.

Patricia Devlin@trishdevlin.bsky.social · last mo.

Well, this was an unusual story for me to write. 7 skunks found roaming near protected bog land captured and destroyed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service. How did they get there? No one knows. But, there were 8 for sale some wks prior on an Irish pet trading group, I’m told jrnl.ie/7150402

Well, this was an unusual story for me to write. 7 skunks found roaming near protected bog land captured and destroyed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service. How did they get there? No one knows. But, there were 8 for sale some wks prior on an Irish pet trading group, I’m told jrnl.ie/7150402

Seven skunks captured and destroyed after being found roaming near protected Kildare bogland

The Journal understands that eight skunks had been advertised for sale in a private WhatsApp pet trading group several weeks before the animals were discovered.

jrnl.ie

The FOI Files: Sixteen hares hit by dogs. One greyhound euthanised. A “clerical error” recording 10 dead hares. All revealed in four DAFM inspection reports. www.thejournal.ie/hare-coursin...

https://www.thejournal.ie/hare-coursing-inspections-7120798-Aug2026/

thejournal.ie

When an entire arena boos you for telling the truth, you quickly learn who has courage. Kris Kristofferson walking onto that stage and standing beside Sinéad as the insults rained down remains one of the most powerful acts of human decency I’ve ever seen. Three years resting in peace 🙌🏼🤍🙌🏼

maybe the funniest part of the Mayo curse story is that the curse was supposedly issued by a Catholic priest. like I’m not being funny but I don’t think Catholic priests are supposed to do that

Thanks for this Patricia. As a firefighter, we have definitely noticed an increase/intensification in wildfires north of the border. Unfortunately, after reading the comments under the article, there's a fair amount of education that needs to occur to really spell out the causal human factors.

Clear similarities with the fires in nature reserves and sensitive habitat in the Scottish Highlands and Wales. Note that you can register for free to read this article:

Patricia Devlin@trishdevlin.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Worked on this wildfire investigation for the last number of months with colleagues across the EU. To publish today is, sadly, very timely. While Ireland doesn’t experience the ‘mega fires’ we see in Spain etc, the damage caused to protected sites here is actually far greater than most of Europe.

Worked on this wildfire investigation for the last number of months with colleagues across the EU. To publish today is, sadly, very timely. While Ireland doesn’t experience the ‘mega fires’ we see in Spain etc, the damage caused to protected sites here is actually far greater than most of Europe.

The Journal Investigates@investigates.thejournal.ie · 3mo ago

NEW INVESTIGATION: Despite escaping the 'mega fires' seen in countries such as Spain and Greece, Ireland actually has one of Europe’s highest rates of wildfire overlap with protected nature sites, we can reveal

Coimisiún na Meán says it is “actively engaging" with providers of a sinister suicide glorifying forum which, despite a UK ban, is freely accessible in Ireland. @trishdevlin.bsky.social reveals how the site is linked to at least two deaths in Ireland.

The suicide forum facilitating the deaths of vulnerable people in Ireland

An online platform, restricted in the UK, is operating freely in Ireland and can be linked to the deaths of at least two Irish people, The Journal Investigates can reveal.

jrnl.ie

New investigation: Almost half of all the speeding prosecutions that came before Ireland’s courts did not proceed any further, analysis by @trishdevlin.bsky.social has found. jrnl.ie/7069370t

'A giant symbol of Celtic Tiger excess that will kill swans' Residents say a new bridge which is fastly moving towards construction should not go ahead. Reporter @trishdevlin.bsky.social reveals why Sligo's new landmark has skipped strict environmental checks.

thejournal.ie

A €50m bridge given life-long planning permission 15 years ago is finally set to go ahead, despite no clear evidence of updated environmental checks. That includes collision risks to the area's large number of swans. @trishdevlin.bsky.social reports...

thejournal.ie

Stop normalising sexual violence as entertainment. NWC condemns the appalling inclusion of a float depicting the crimes of Epstein in a St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Co. Mayo. The float was offensive and deeply insensitive to victim survivors of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. #EndVAW

Honoured to be shortlisted for the 2026 Mary Raftery Prize for my investigation into Female Genital Mutilation services in Ireland. Since 2021, there has been a 338% rise in demand for FGM treatment in Ireland. Yet, there is only one clinic in the entire country providing care to women and girls

Shortlist for 2025 Mary Raftery Prize announced | Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences

Reporting by RTÉ Investigates, The Journal and The Detail nominated for the prize that will be awarded on 25 March

dcu.ie

Andrew Mountbatten Windsor arrested on suspicion of misconduct in a public office www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c7...

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office

It comes after Thames Valley Police said they were assessing a complaint over the alleged sharing of confidential material by the former prince with Jeffrey Epstein.

bbc.co.uk

Within a two-year period, HSE staff recorded almost 450 suspected suicides of patients who had recent contact with healthcare services, an investigation by @trishdevlin.bsky.social has found. www.thejournal.ie/suicides-aft...

Hundreds of people died by suspected suicide after recent contact with HSE services

Almost 450 suicides were reported to the HSE between 2022 and 2024 by healthcare staff across a range of patient services, including Emergency Departments.

thejournal.ie

Liam Ramos, a preschooler ICE detained the five-year-old Minnesota boy as he returned home from school and transported him to a detention center in Texas.

Hundreds of Ireland's historic landfills have been left in limbo despite a risk of polluting nearby waterways. Reporter @conorocarroll.bsky.social explains from the site of one of these former landfills how delays are contributing to the problem. Read more: jrnl.ie/6887357

#Spéirghorm

Patricia Devlin@trishdevlin.bsky.social · 11mo ago

In March this year, my niece Caitlin-Rose passed away after she was knocked down after getting off her school bus. Her mummy wants to help other children who need the help of emergency care in Caitlin-Rose’s memory.

In March this year, my niece Caitlin-Rose passed away after she was knocked down after getting off her school bus. Her mummy wants to help other children who need the help of emergency care in Caitlin-Rose’s memory.

More brilliant news for the TJI team: Conor O'Carroll has made the shortlist for the upcoming 2025 Business Journalist Awards! Conor's nomination in the Business Analyst of the Year category is for his work on Ireland's data centres... www.thejournal.ie/investigates...

Ireland's data centres turning to fossil fuels after maxing out country's electricity grid

Climate-impacting emissions are being released from data centres using off-grid generators.

thejournal.ie

A child in Tusla care was reported missing 274 times in a single year, The Journal Investigates can reveal. Records show the Child and Family Agency made almost 7,000 reports to gardaí on children who had gone missing from residential care in the last 5 years. www.thejournal.ie/tusla-missin...

Another big win for The Journal Investigates! Patricia Devlin has scooped an award at the Irish Food Writing Awards in Dublin

Brilliant news - our own Conor O'Carroll has won Young Journalist of the Year at the annual Newsbrands Awards!

'When they finished cutting, they tied my legs together for a week so the stitches wouldn’t open'. A young Somalian woman talks to @trishdevlin.bsky.social about becoming a victim of Female Genital Mutilation at 8-years-old, and later seeking protection in Ireland.

Over 330% increase in demand for Female Genital Mutilation treatment in Ireland

Health chief calls for a roll-out of regional FGM clinics to cope with soaring waiting lists for health services.

thejournal.ie

Ireland's sole clinic for treating women and some girls with horrific Female Genital Mutilation injuries has seen a 300% surge in demand for services. Its director tells @trishdevlin.bsky.social the current service is 'neither fair, nor sustainable'. READ: www.thejournal.ie/female-genit...