Sinn Féin – ag caint ar dhá thaobh an bhéil i ngach aon rud. (For those who are not SF members this Irish sentence translates as “Sinn Féin – Talking from both sides of their mouth, in all things”).
Sinn Féin presents itself as the uncompromising defender of Palestinian rights. It lectures the Irish Government about neutrality, condemns military cooperation and attacks anyone it considers insufficiently “pure” on matters relating to Gaza. Yet when Sinn Féin councillors had an opportunity to oppose the expansion of Moyola Precision Engineering; latter a County Derry company involved in the international F-35 fighter-jet supply chain, all seven abstained. Their abstentions allowed the planning application to pass.
The F-35 Lightning II is not an ordinary passenger or transport aircraft. It is an advanced stealth combat jet manufactured by Lockheed Martin and designed for air strikes, surveillance, electronic warfare and air-to-air combat. Israel operates a customised version called the F-35I “Adir.”
Yes, the F-35 has a shared multinational supply chain, so it may not be possible to trace an individual component made in Northern Ireland to one specific Israeli aircraft. But that does not erase the central fact; the factory participates in the same global programme that supplies and maintains F-35 aircraft operated by Israel. Components are pooled across the programme rather than manufactured exclusively for one country.
Sinn Féin and Ms Boylan MEP, cannot have it both ways. It cannot pose as morally superior on Palestine, lecture everybody else about neutrality and militarisation, and then stand aside when a company involved in the F-35 weapons programme seeks to expand in a council it dominates. When speeches are easy, Sinn Féin is loudly principled. When jobs, investment and an actual votes are involved, those principles suddenly become an abstention.
That is not neutrality. It is not leadership. It is political hypocrisy.
Application Ref: 2660461. Applicant: Air Impact Ltd. Development Address: Racecourse Retail Park, Thurles, Co. Tipperary. Development Description: The temporary storage containers on site and PERMISSION for change of design of previously granted store shed, which consists of increase footprint/area and alterations to elevations of previously granted store shed, including all ancillary site works. This store shed was previously granted permission under planning permission Ref. no. 2560292. Status: Conditional. Application Received: 18/05/2026. Decision Date: 01/07/2026. Further Details:http://www.eplanning.ie/TipperaryCC/AppFileRefDetails/2660461/0.
Pre-deceased by his parents James and Josephine (Main St. Borrisoleigh), brothers Kevin, Dermot and Pat, sisters Eileen, Breda (Curran) and Kathleen (Doyle); Mr O’ Shea, passed away peacefully, while in the care of staff at Milford Care Facility, Co. Limerick.
His passing is most deeply regretted, sadly missed and lovingly remembered by his sorrowing family; loving sons and daughters Shane, Damien, Dermot, Grainne, Fiona, Fionn and Sorcha, his partner Mariam and her children Joy, Lynn and Denis, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, sisters Doreen, Joan (Butler), Mary-Theresa, and Margaret (McGrath), nephews, nieces, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, extended relatives, former colleagues in Independent Newspapers, neighbours and a wide circle of friends.
For those persons who would wish to attend Requiem Mass for Mr O’Shea, but for reasons cannot, same can be viewed streamed live online, HERE.
The extended O’Shea family wish to express their appreciation for your understanding at this difficult time, and have made arrangements for those persons wishing to send messages of condolence, to use the link shown HERE.
Ten suspected illegal IPTV resellers across Ireland have been served with legal warnings as authorities step up efforts to disrupt the sale and distribution of unauthorised television subscriptions.
The latest action by the Federation Against Copyright Theft and Sky targeted suspected operators in Carlow, Cork, Dublin, Kildare, Galway, Laois and Limerick. The individuals were identified following investigations into services allegedly providing customers with unlawful access to premium television channels, films and live sporting events. Cease-and-desist notices have instructed the suspected resellers to stop supplying illegal IPTV subscriptions immediately. Those who continue operating could face civil proceedings or be referred to An Garda Síochána.
The services are believed to have supplied thousands of customers. Users have also been warned that information held by illegal providers, including names, contact details and payment records, could potentially be identified during investigations and passed to the relevant authorities. The action follows a Garda operation in Thurles, County Tipperary, in March. Gardaí searched a residential property as part of an investigation into suspected illegal streaming and money laundering offences. Electronic equipment was seized for examination and more than 500 accounts believed to be receiving illegal streaming services were shut down. No arrests were made during the Tipperary search, but a file was being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The latest developments show that enforcement is expanding beyond major suppliers to include local resellers and the customers connected to their services. Illegal IPTV operations are frequently promoted through social media, messaging applications and personal recommendations. Authorities and broadcasters have also highlighted the risks associated with these services, including fraud, malware, theft of personal information, sudden loss of access and possible legal consequences.
The operation is part of a continuing nationwide campaign aimed at dismantling the networks that advertise, sell and distribute unauthorised television, film and sports content.
Ten charter deportation operations carried out from Ireland between February 2025 and June 2026 returned 377 people at a combined departmental cost of just over €3.9 million.
The flights, which travelled to destinations including Georgia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Romania, Poland, Lithuania and South Africa, involved 988 Garda escorts. Based on the Department of Justice’s detailed expenditure figures, the operations cost an average of approximately €10,355 for each person returned.
The figures were provided to the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee by Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Secretary General Doncha O’Sullivan in correspondence dated July 2nd, 2026.
The Department said escort numbers were determined by the assessed risks associated with each operation. Factors included the number of adults travelling, whether passengers had criminal backgrounds, the likelihood of resistance and the need to maintain a reserve team in case of injury, illness or another unexpected incident.
Garda escort leaders receive training through the EU border agency Frontex and follow its operational guidance. Their role is to ensure that forced returns are completed safely and professionally, with particular care required when children or family groups are among the passengers. The largest Garda deployment was recorded on a flight to South Africa on February 28, 2026, when 133 officers accompanied 63 returnees. A further 119 Garda members escorted 34 people on a flight to Poland and Lithuania on May 24, 2026.
Aircraft charter costs accounted for most of the expenditure, totalling €3.55 million. The single most expensive operation was a South Africa flight on June 19, 2026, for which the aircraft cost €904,050. Other departmental expenditure included almost €162,917 for doctors and paramedics, €106,348 for commercial return travel and €60,165 for flight-management services. Additional charges of €21,740 included €8,653 associated with an emergency landing during a Nigeria operation in June 2025 and €13,087 for de-icing the aircraft used for a Poland and Lithuania flight in January 2026.
Each group was also accompanied by a human-rights observer. The observer service cost €36,307 for nine of the operations, with the cost relating to the most recent flight unavailable when the Department prepared its response. Routine Garda escort duties are generally funded through the annual Garda budget. However, the Department has also awarded funding to the Garda National Immigration Bureau through the EU Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund to support non-EU deportation operations. The funding agreement covers the period from January 2025 until the end of 2027. Two payments worth a combined €1.84 million had been made to the GNIB at the time of the Department’s correspondence. Eligible expenses include additional Garda pay, accommodation, travel, subsistence and interpreter services.
Up to 75 per cent of qualifying expenditure may be recovered through the EU fund. The Department expects the overall repayment to the Exchequer to be in the region of €3.45 million and is seeking reimbursement for eligible charter and commercial-flight costs.
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