The Indo Daily

Summer is here, and thus so is Love Island.
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The sun-kissed and famously amorous reality show has technically been around since 2005, but its revival in the last 11 years has made it a true household name – whether your household actually tunes in or not.
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This year, Irish tongues are wagging thanks to the inclusion of a strapping young Galway man who has left both his teaching post and his county behind in search of fame, fortune, and, presumably somewhere in there, love.
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Bleach blond Seán ‘Fitzy’ Fitzgerald has caused quite the stir, with some arguing that teachers are supposed to be role models and thus appearing on a raunchy entertainment extravaganza is very much not the message to hand down to young and impressionable souls.
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For others, it’s just a bit of fun and a possible pathway to celebrity and endorsement deals.
So, what should we make of Love Island in 2026? And indeed its associated controversies and tragedies to date?
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On this episode of The Indo Daily, host Kevin Doyle is joined by Irish Independent multimedia reporter Deirdre Barry, and by broadcaster and content creator Fionnuala Jones, to examine if Love Island’s newest Irish star can make the grade and to look at the problematic pipeline that may await.
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Stephen McCullagh will do at least 31 years of jail time before he is even considered for release.
32-year-old Natalie McNally had been 15 weeks pregnant when she was subjected to a violent attack and murdered at her home in Lurgan in December 2022.
The judge, Mr Justice Kinney, told McCullagh that he committed a “brutal senseless murder and planned it in remorseless detail.”
“The killing was cold blooded and calculated.”
McCullagh tried to pin the murder on Lewis Jones, Natalie’s ex-partner, after having set up a false alibi.
But the jury rejected that and found McCullagh guilty of the murder at Belfast Crown Court earlier this year.
Kurtis Reid was in court for the tariff hearing.
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Pressure is mounting and the volume is only getting louder regarding the upcoming Uefa Nations League fixture between the Republic of Ireland and Israel. With the first of two games against Israel scheduled for late September, the Football Association of Ireland is running out of time to carry out the administrative duties required should they decide to bow out and accept the consequences. Recent days have brought on-field protests from fans and eloquent soundbites from pundits and players – perhaps most notably Seamus Coleman, who spoke of the difficulty that he and his colleagues find themselves in as the questions keep on coming. So, is playing this highly contentious match the only option? If it is, where will it take place and how will it unfold? And what are the repercussions if Ireland does indeed decide to abstain? On this episode of The Indo Daily, host Fionnán Sheahan is joined by Irish Independent senior sports correspondent Conor McKeon to examine a national discussion that has reached boiling point. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite an endless number of problems at home and overseas, Donald Trump and his United States of America are in a celebratory mood.
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The occasion? Trump’s imminent 80th birthday, for one.
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There’s also the small matter of the 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence, or “Freedom 250”, if you’re so inclined.
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Though the actual anniversary isn’t until July 4, the White House – or more specifically, its south lawn – will play host to the Ultimate Fighting Championship on June 14 with a card that isn’t quite what Trump promised some time ago.
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Still, there will be plenty of morbid curiosity, if nothing else.
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The event is estimated to cost the UFC around $60m (€52m), and it’s not expected to turn a profit. No big deal, the organisation and its CEO Dana White already have plenty of riches, and though White swears he isn’t political, he enjoys both a long-running friendship and professionally beneficial relationship with the leader of the free world.
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But why is Trump so enamoured by the UFC, and the significantly more choreographed WWE, for that matter?
And has he deliberately moulded himself in the image of an entertainment-focused modern-day gladiator?
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On this episode of The Indo Daily, host Fionnán Sheahan is joined by freelance combat sports journalist Philip O’Connor and by the Irish Independent’s Dave Hanratty, to look ahead to the big brawl at the White House.
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We want to earn your trust and are members of the Trust Project. See our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalism
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If you’ve ever wondered whether your sex life is “normal”, this episode is for you. This episode of The Indo Daily is brought to you by our sister podcast Just Between Us with Jennifer Zamparelli. In this special listener Q&A episode, Jen is joined by sex educator and intimacy coach Grace Alice O’Shea to answer the questions people are often too embarrassed to ask out loud. From awkward body reactions to feeling undesired in a relationship, no topic is off limits. We want to earn your trust and are members of the Trust Project. See our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalism See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.