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The Nation’s Fond Farewell:
83,000 Voices, One Last Walk as Ireland Says Thank You and Pays Tribute To Katie

Katie Taylor did not just have a career. She changed a sport that spent years trying to keep women on the margins.From Bray she boxed her way through the amateur ranks as a teenager and became the face of women’s boxing in Ireland long before the world was ready to treat it as a main event.

London 2012 gave her Olympic lightweight gold, Ireland’s only gold of those Games, and helped prove women’s boxing belonged on the Olympic programme. Rio 2016 ended in quarter-final heartbreak. She turned professional anyway.

On 26 November 2016 at Wembley Arena she made her pro debut against Karina Kopinska and stopped her inside three rounds. The Irish crowd turned an undercard fight into a homecoming. Titles followed. Then Madison Square Garden. In April 2022 she and Amanda Serrano headlined the Garden, the first women’s fight ever to do so, in a war that sold the building out and dragged women’s boxing into the centre of the sport. Their rivalry became a trilogy and Taylor won all three, first at MSG, then again in 2024, and finally back at the Garden in July 2025 by majority decision, a clean sweep that sealed one of boxing’s great rivalries.

In between came the only loss of her professional life. In May 2023 at Dublin’s 3Arena, Chantelle Cameron took a majority decision and handed Taylor her first pro defeat. Six months later, in the same building, Taylor won the rematch and became a two-weight undisputed champion.

Last night at Croke Park she closed the book the only way that fitted the story. In the first boxing show at the stadium since Muhammad Ali in 1972 she outclassed previously unbeaten Flora Pili over ten rounds, 100-90, 100-90 and 98-91, added the vacant WBC belt to her WBA, WBO and IBF titles, and retired as a three-time undisputed world champion. Twenty-six wins, one defeat, 83,000 people on their feet. She called it the highlight of her whole career.

The love afterwards was not polite applause. It was gratitude. For the Olympic night. For Wembley. For the Garden. For the Cameron redemption. For three fights with Serrano that raised the ceiling for every woman who follows. For walking into Croke Park at 40 and leaving the gloves in the centre of the ring.

SnD Media were on the ground last night. The best bits and the farewell tribute are in the video below. On the night we also bumped into Independent Ireland TD Micheál Collins, Councillor Gavin Pepper and fuel demonstration spokesperson John Dallon, who each gave a comment as the stadium emptied and Ireland said thank you to the fighter who gave it so much.

Credit to DAZN and Matchroom Boxing for the use of some of their content, and thanks to the team for allowing us ringside on the night to capture some unforgettable moments,much appreciated. Thank You Katie. A Nation, A People, And The Whole Boxing World Stand Grateful For Everything. Enjoy your well deserved retirement.

Dublin City Centre Locked Down As Thousands Of Gardaí Secure Historic EU Summit

More than 5,000 gardaí are on duty in Dublin city centre today as Ireland hosts the largest gathering of European leaders in its history. The European Political Community summit at the Convention Centre, followed by an informal European Council on Friday, has triggered the biggest policing and security operation ever undertaken by An Garda Síochána.

Extensive cordons, barriers and road closures surround the Convention Centre and the National Gallery of Ireland, where leaders will dine this evening. Temporary airspace restrictions covering a wide area over Dublin remain in force until Saturday, while a maritime exclusion zone operates on the River Liffey and nearby coast. Counter-drone technology, water cannons, search teams, the Garda dog and water units, and more than 700 Defence Forces personnel support the deployment. International specialist assistance has also been provided.

Public transport and road traffic face significant disruption, particularly during morning airport arrivals and afternoon and evening movements between the Docklands and Merrion Square. Residents and businesses within security zones retain access under controlled conditions, while the public has been urged to plan journeys carefully and avoid the affected areas where possible.

The operation comes amid a series of hoax bomb threats targeting schools and other sites across Ireland and Europe, which gardaí assessed as non-credible.
Authorities continue to monitor hybrid threats, public order risks and other potential interference linked to the high-profile events.

Second Well-Known Celebrity Hides Behind Injunction Over Multiple Alleged Victims

A second well-known celebrity is reportedly protected by a High Court injunction that prevents media from naming him or reporting allegations of multiple victims, according to comments made on The Private Eye Podcast.

Journalist Justine Smith, speaking before David Walliams was publicly identified, said two men in the public eye currently cannot be named. One relates to recent proceedings and the other to a case from several months earlier. Both face injunctions blocking any reporting, and both are accused of having “multiple, multiple victims.”

Smith said she had spoken to one alleged victim who is prepared to speak publicly and be named, but the injunction stops publication. She described the order as heavily enforced against anyone attempting to report details, leaving the individual able to remain anonymous while potentially continuing contact with others.The remarks follow the naming of comedian and children’s author David Walliams after he lost a bid for an injunction.

Walliams, previously known only as “PPT” in court, sought to block a joint investigation by The Guardian and ITV News into claims that he used his fame to prey on teenage girls and young women for sexual purposes. He cited a risk of suicide after previous attempts. Mr Justice Nicklin dismissed the application on 3 November. Walliams did not appeal by the deadline, allowing the outlets to publish on 10 November. He has denied all allegations, stating he is not a sexual predator, has not broken the law, and regrets thoughtless behaviour in some past relationships while insisting he never abused his power.

The earlier injunction case remains subject to reporting restrictions, with no further public details available. The developments come amid broader scrutiny of high-profile figures following recent convictions and investigations into sexual misconduct claims in the entertainment industry.

Gardaí Deem Nationwide School Bomb Threats ‘not credible’ As Hundreds of Schools Targeted

An Garda Síochána has assessed a wave of bomb threat emails sent to hundreds of schools across Ireland on Wednesday as not credible, advising that no evacuations are necessary.

The emails, titled “DEATH IS NEAR,” were received by primary and secondary schools north and south of the border, as well as media outlets including RTÉ and The Journal. Reports indicate roughly 300–400 schools in the Republic were contacted, with similar messages reaching schools in Northern Ireland, Italy and Scotland.

The messages claimed to come from “Mikhail Andropov, leader of the ‘Red Owl’ project” and alleged that an explosive device with a remote detonator had been left in a plastic bag inside the building, threatening mass casualties and further attacks. The same pseudonym was used in hoax threats to Irish and European media organisations last week.

Minister for Education and Youth Hildegarde Naughton confirmed that her department had liaised with senior gardaí and Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan. Official advice to schools is that the threat is not credible and there is no requirement to evacuate. Schools that received the email have been asked to contact emergency services on 999 and follow Garda guidance.

An Garda Síochána has said it is dealing with a large volume of calls and is engaging with affected schools in turn. Some schools in Dublin, Cork and elsewhere evacuated as a precaution before being cleared and reopened, no devices have been reported found.

The incidents form part of a recent pattern of hoax threats targeting schools, media and airlines in Ireland and Europe, occurring ahead of major EU summits in Dublin later this week. Authorities have previously linked similar activity to external actors. Speaking to SnD Media this morning, Dublin City Councillor Gavin Pepper Ballymun-Finglas said: “In this day and age the Gardaí should have an adequate cyber security team to trace who is doing these threats.”

Deputy Garda Commissioner Paul Cleary has reminded the public that anyone receiving a bomb threat by email or other means should contact An Garda Síochána immediately on 999 with as much detail as possible. A bomb threat does not automatically require evacuation, gardaí will assess credibility and advise on the appropriate response, which may include a search or further guidance.
Investigations into the origin of the emails are ongoing.

Inquest Opens Into Death Of Bright Much-Loved 23-Year-Old Runner Jenny Hall

An inquest into the death of 23-year-old runner Jenny Hall opened today at Crook Coroners Court, more than 20 months after her body was found in a remote stream in Teesdale.

Jenny, from Tow Law, was reported missing on 18 February 2025 after leaving her home at Barracks Farm shortly after 3pm to go for a run. Her red Ford Focus was discovered the following day parked on the B6278 between Eggleston and Stanhope, prompting a major search across the surrounding moorland.
Police, mountain rescue volunteers, specialist dogs, drones and air support scoured difficult terrain in challenging weather for five days.

On 23 February, her body was recovered from a stream west of the B6278 in a remote part of Teesdale. Durham Constabulary stated the circumstances were not believed to be suspicious.
At the short opening hearing, pathologist Dr Hoggard’s post-mortem examination recorded the cause of death as the effects of amphetamine and paracetamol. Jenny was formally identified by her sister.

Area Coroner Crispin Oliver adjourned the proceedings for a full inquest on Thursday 26 November at 2.30pm at the same court. The coronial process will examine the full circumstances surrounding her death. No final conclusion has yet been reached.

Friends and fellow runners previously described Jenny as a bright, fiercely independent and much-loved member of the local running community. Her family have been supported throughout by specialist officers.