Here's What Happened Today: Thursday

13 Aug 2026, 19:40 by Jane Moore, https://www.thejournal.ie/author/jane-moore/ · TheJournal.ie

NEED TO CATCH up? The Journal brings you a round-up of today’s news.

People watching the Little Flower boat in Howth in the good weather. Leah Farrell / RollingNews.ieLeah Farrell / RollingNews.ie / RollingNews.ie

IRELAND

A man in his 50s died after getting into difficulty in a river in Cork.
A National Museum employee charged in connection with the seizure of an explosive device in Co Monaghan lodged a High Court bail application.
The FAI confirmed it has withdrawn its support for Gianni Infantino’s re-election as Fifa president.
There were calls for short-term prison sentences to be abolished, as the early release of Alison Chawke prompted a renewed interest in Ireland’s overcrowded prisons.
Two gardaí were hospitalised after the car they were driving was rammed in Finglas, Co Dublin.
The HSE confirmed that it is “managing” an outbreak of a potentially serious infection at University Maternity Hospital Limerick.
RTÉ Radio 1 remains the most-listened-to station in the country, but some of its popular shows have seen a decline.

INTERNATIONAL

Many residents have been evacuated and a large number of roads have been closed as firefighters tackle a huge wildfire around Stourbridge. Alamy Stock PhotoAlamy Stock Photo

#WEST MIDLANDS: Huge fires caused “apocalyptic scenes” in England’s West Midlands, forcing some people to flee after blazes started tearing through homes on the UK’s hottest day of the year.

#DERAILMENT: Elsewhere in England, two people were seriously injured after a train with around 150 people on board derailed in East Sussex.

#ITALY: A powerful explosion rocked an ammunition factory near Rome but no injuries were reported.

#NETHERLANDS: At least one person was killed and several injured in an explosion at a Rotterdam port refinery belonging to the Dutch subsidiary of the Swiss-based Gunvor Group.

PARTING SHOT

Irish Whale and Dolphin GroupIrish Whale and Dolphin Group

Volunteers came to the rescue of dolphins stranded on a Gaeltacht beach in West Kerry on Wednesday.

Stephen Comerford, the IWDG’s offshore renewable energy officer, responded after the group received a call on its emergency line indicating that dolphins had been left stranded on Trá na Feothanaí in west Kerry’s Corca Dhuibhne.

“When we arrived at the beach, there were twelve animals there, and there were five calves as well – but all the young dolphins were already dead by that point and four adult dolphins were dead, so there were eight remaining with a chance of survival.”