Here's What Happened Today: Friday

18 Sep 2026, 20:16 by Eoghan Dalton, https://www.thejournal.ie/author/eoghan-dalton/ · TheJournal.ie

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

IRELAND

Culture Night is on across the country, including at the National Concert Hall in Dublin Mark StedmanMark Stedman

A 16-year-old boy collided with a civilian’s car and two garda vehicles after repeatedly driving on the wrong side of the M50 and other roads in Dublin, a court heard.
Ryanair chief Michael O’Leary U-turned and apologised for previously comparing competitor airlines to “rapists”.
A man accused of a politically motivated “broad daylight” attack on Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae in Dublin following a tirade of abuse was denied bail.
A senior garda union official faces a discipline probe for discussing workplace concerns, including pursuit training, publicly.
The PSNI is liaising with gardaí south of the border in relation to on-the-run murderer Gary Anderson, who failed to return to prison earlier this week.
The garda watchdog found no wrongdoing by gardaí in how they pursued a car that would later crash and kill five teenagers driving the wrong way on the M9 motorway.
The funeral of a couple found dead in a hot tub in Spain heard they were loving and kind parents.
Primary school teachers who are members of the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) will take part in industrial action next month amid the ongoing public sector pay dispute.

INTERNATIONAL

President Donald Trump banned CNN and other major news media outlets from the White House today. Photo of Trump on Friday, flanked by South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden, and, from left, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Mehmet Oz, Robert F. Kennedy Jr, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves and Abe Sutton, director of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. Alamy Stock PhotoAlamy Stock Photo

#US-IRAN: United Nations human rights experts reported that there are “reasonable grounds to believe” that the US committed war crimes in two strikes on Iran that killed 177 people.

#UK AND IRELAND: UK prime minister Andy Burnham vowed deeper ties with the EU as Taoiseach Micheál Martin became the first foreign leader to visit No 10 North.

AUSTRALIA EMIGRATION: Australia is to detain tourists who overstay visas to send a message of deterrence under new rules aimed at reducing levels of migration.

#ARE YOU A CAT PERSON?: Scientists discovered a new species of wild cat for the first time in more than a century. The Tilcayo tiger cat, a small feline with a spotted, leopard-like coat, was identified in the mountainous Yungas region near the capital La Paz.

PARTING SHOT

Andy Burnham and Micheál Martin

As mentioned above, the Taoiseach Micheál Martin was in Britain today to meet his UK counterpart.

Andy Burnham has garnered a reputation for his handling of social media, and so he of course got Martin in the action during his time in Manchester today.

A video on Burnham’s Tik Tok shows the two taking a taste-test for, what else, but tea. With a big blatant box of Barry’s landed in between them, of course.

You can see it here.