#Drugs Crisis

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

'Prisoners are brazenly stockpiling contraband': Rising number of criminal gangs operating in prisons
'Prisoners are brazenly stockpiling contraband': Rising number of criminal gangs operating in prisons
Irish Prison Service identified 34 known criminal groups in prisons in 2025

Fri, 01 May, 2026

'King Scum' Tony Felloni died after collapsing on toilet in rehab, inquest rules
'King Scum' Tony Felloni died after collapsing on toilet in rehab, inquest rules
Felloni was regarded as one of the key figures for the heroin epidemic which ravished poor inner city communities in Dublin during the 1980s and he was blamed for creating the first generation of heroin addicts in the capital

Thu, 30 Apr, 2026

Man accused of directing organised crime in Cork; two others face drug-dealing charges
Man accused of directing organised crime in Cork; two others face drug-dealing charges
The trial opened at Cork Circuit Criminal Court and was told of garda concerns about heroin dealing in Cork City, particularly around the Lee Fields and Fitzgerald’s Park

Thu, 30 Apr, 2026

Cork man admits possession of €185k of drugs in hotel room
Cork man admits possession of €185k of drugs in hotel room
The court was told that the defendant 'did have addiction problems'

Tue, 28 Apr, 2026

Four men to be sentenced exactly one year after smuggling €31m of cocaine into West Cork
Four men to be sentenced exactly one year after smuggling €31m of cocaine into West Cork
The four men — from Scotland, England and Germany — had already confirmed signed pleas of guilty to serious drugs charges in respect of the 440 kilos of cocaine

Tue, 28 Apr, 2026

€5.2m drugs haul seized at port after cross-border Garda-PSNI effort
€5.2m drugs haul seized at port after cross-border Garda-PSNI effort
Man, 53, arrested on suspicion of possession of the drugs

Mon, 27 Apr, 2026

Cork man convicted of drug-dealing after cocaine and cannabis found in mobile home
Cork man convicted of drug-dealing after cocaine and cannabis found in mobile home
Accused planned to build a home for his family on the site and he 'just needs to get on with his life'

Sat, 25 Apr, 2026

Classic bar
Research highlights serious harm caused to children by parental alcohol and drug use
"Young people should not be growing up in communities believing that endemic substance misuse and overt dealing is an appropriate norm," the report stated.

Sat, 25 Apr, 2026

Man admits to having machete and dealing drugs in Cork City on St Patrick's Day
Man admits to having machete and dealing drugs in Cork City on St Patrick's Day
The case was adjourned for sentencing at the sessions of Cork Circuit Criminal Court commencing on April 27

Thu, 23 Apr, 2026

Cork woman who admitted possession of cocaine and cannabis is now drug-free, court hears
Cork woman who admitted possession of cocaine and cannabis is now drug-free, court hears
Clonakilty District Court heard that at the time of the search she was 'hanging around with the wrong people' but the incident had given her 'such a fright' that she had not touched drugs since

Thu, 23 Apr, 2026

Cannabis ready to roll
Cork teenager 'was storing cannabis to pay off a drugs debt', court told
'The person I owe money to is threatening my house and my family'

Mon, 20 Apr, 2026

Drug Use in West Midlands, England
No bail for Cork man with 'heavy addiction' to drugs accused of drug-dealing
The court was told the addiction is believed to be costing the accused several hundred per day

Thu, 16 Apr, 2026

Cocaine in plastic packet on black background
Draft drugs strategy could 'unravel' decades of progress by community projects
Aoife Bairéad, chair of the Canal Communities Local Drug and Alcohol Task Force in Dublin south inner city, said vulnerable and marginalised groups and disadvantaged communities should be prioritised

Thu, 16 Apr, 2026

Life of former underage player for Cork City and Ireland spiralled after brother's death, court told
Life of former underage player for Cork City and Ireland spiralled after brother's death, court told
The court heard the defendant had benefitted from being in custody for the last number of weeks

Wed, 15 Apr, 2026

Accused had videos of arsons at Cork house while mother and children were inside, court told
Accused had videos of arsons at Cork house while mother and children were inside, court told
The court heard that the arsons are as a result of a drug debt

Tue, 14 Apr, 2026

Closeup of a disposable syringe and many blood drops isolated on white
Drug addict cleaning blood from a syringe on Cork City street intimidated woman, court told
The accused was also allegedly caught stealing perfume at Brown Thomas

Fri, 10 Apr, 2026

Drug Abuse
Case against Dublin man accused of drug-dealing in Cork may be struck out over DPP delay
Garda previously told court the accused 'was caught red-handed'

Wed, 08 Apr, 2026

Drug syringe and cooked heroin
Drugs a 'social justice' issue, not just a health one, families tell officials
Family Addiction Recovery Ireland (FARI) said the national drugs strategy does not recognise the 'chronic underinvestment' in family support and community drug projects

Mon, 06 Apr, 2026

Gardaí charge Cork woman in connection with €500k drug seizure
Gardaí charge Cork woman in connection with €500k drug seizure
The defendant was released on bail on agreed conditions

Wed, 01 Apr, 2026

Campaign highlights long-term harm to families and communities of buying drugs
Campaign highlights long-term harm to families and communities of buying drugs
The initiative from the Blanchardstown Local Drug and Alcohol Task Force aims to educate people that their purchases 'fuels organised crime, intimidation, violence and environmental damage'

Mon, 30 Mar, 2026

Opioids and Fentanyl: A Close-Up of Prescription Drugs and Powder on a Reflective Surface
More people faced drug possession charges in 2025 than in any of last five years
The Department of Justice has said there were a total of 8,287 people arrested and charged with possession of drugs in 2025

Sun, 29 Mar, 2026

Drug abuse: Focus on health is better than punishment, Oireachtas committee hears
Drug abuse: Focus on health is better than punishment, Oireachtas committee hears
Senior police officer from Portugal among those who addressed the Oireachtas committee on drugs use

Thu, 26 Mar, 2026

FRANCE-DEMO-DRUG-CANNABIS
Drug user told probation officer he was down from four to three joints a day, Cork court told
Cork District Court also heard that the accused believed that cannabis should be legalised

Thu, 26 Mar, 2026

Illegal medicine imports triple as fake Ozempic-style drugs flood Irish market
Illegal medicine imports triple as fake Ozempic-style drugs flood Irish market
Authorities warn of growing risks as imports of counterfeit medicines rise sharply despite a drop in total dosage units seized

Tue, 24 Mar, 2026

Criminal Courts of Justice
Judge imposes 'significant deterrent' as €42m cocaine smugglers jailed
Seven men were given prison sentences of between 10-and-a-half years and 12 years

Mon, 23 Mar, 2026

Groups criticise draft strategy for not referring to link between drug use and poverty, inequality
Groups criticise draft strategy for not referring to link between drug use and poverty, inequality
Anna Quigley, Citywide’s co-ordinator, said the voice of the communities most affected by drugs have been 'written out' of the draft strategy

Thu, 19 Mar, 2026

Almost 200 heroin addicts being treated with alternative to methadone 
Almost 200 heroin addicts being treated with alternative to methadone 
The HSE wants to expand the use of Buvidal — a newer form of buprenorphine that can be administered more easily than methadone

Tue, 17 Mar, 2026

Nightclub lights and silhouette of a party crowd
HSE warns of lethal 'pink powder' ahead of St Patrick’s Day weekend
Each bag or dose of pink powder 'is multiple times the average adult dose' with substances from MDMA to benzocaine to ketamine in a batch

Fri, 13 Mar, 2026

Irish DJ warns of people collapsing in front of her booth after taking 'pink stuff'
Irish DJ warns of people collapsing in front of her booth after taking 'pink stuff'
Shauna Dee, a DJ and youth worker, described performing at a gig at Dublin’s 3Arena recently and noticing several young people become distressed on the dancefloor in front of her

Thu, 12 Mar, 2026

'10 months ago I started a new drug treatment medication... I now have a normal life'
'10 months ago I started a new drug treatment medication... I now have a normal life'
A new injectable addiction treatment is helping heroin users rebuild their lives, but access remains limited outside major cities

Wed, 11 Mar, 2026

Cannabis ready to roll
Recreational drugs can more than double risk of stroke, study suggests
Rise in strokes observed in connection with some drugs was not confined to older people

Mon, 09 Mar, 2026

Revenue spent €2.7m destroying seized nitrous oxide, alcohol, and tobacco
Revenue spent €2.7m destroying seized nitrous oxide, alcohol, and tobacco
Cannabis, cocaine and heroin were among the contraband seizures last year, which also included weapons and ammunition, pepper spray, laughing gas, and vapes

Sun, 08 Mar, 2026

Drug dealer sells drugs for cash
'Ireland should have wide range of options on drug possession'
Oireachtas Committee on Drugs Use heard from EU Drugs Agency principal scientist Brendan Hughes

Thu, 05 Mar, 2026

A small pile of white powder on a dark surface
Man faces drug-dealing charge after gardaí seize cocaine in Bantry
The accused was released on bail subject to conditions

Wed, 04 Mar, 2026

Cannabis ready to roll
'You should try it': Cork man caught with cannabis suggested gardaí cook with it, court told
Judge Boyle imposed a sentence of three years and four months with the final six months suspended

Fri, 27 Feb, 2026

Speeding motorcyclist puts garda in hospital during patrol
Speeding motorcyclist puts garda in hospital during patrol
Gardaí were on a patrol to disrupt the sale and supply of controlled drugs when they saw the man driving a Surron-type electric motorbike

Fri, 27 Feb, 2026

Man Buying Drugs On The Street
Drug possession health diversion scheme is 'not yet finalised'
A lack of clarity still surrounds the health diversion scheme, specifically what will happen if a person is caught a second time

Thu, 26 Feb, 2026

Blue lights on the roof of a Garda Siochana Irish police car
Automatic checking system alert about car's tax led to garda's discovery of €35k of cocaine
Garda Patricia Hanley said she got a notification from Garda authorities via Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) to stop the vehicle

Thu, 26 Feb, 2026

Prisoner
Former jockey who had €400-a-day cocaine habit jailed over €553,000 drugs seizures
James O’Neill was trying to pay off a €100,000 drugs debt by transporting drugs in the hope of reducing it by €1,000 each time 

Tue, 24 Feb, 2026

Cannabis ready to roll
'Tough young fella' admits to dealing drugs in Cork town
Judge Sinéad Behan said: 'He flushed cannabis down the loo — that is pretty hardcore. And the evidence is that he was a person of significance in dealing in Kinsale.'

Mon, 23 Feb, 2026

Man jailed after cannabis and €64k in cash wrapped in clingfilm found in his bedroom in Cork
Man jailed after cannabis and €64k in cash wrapped in clingfilm found in his bedroom in Cork
He was sentenced for having cannabis for sale or supply and money-laundering

Fri, 20 Feb, 2026

(FILES) This file picture taken on Octob
'I'm no Pablo Escobar,' says Cork farmer described as 'no Robin Hood either' for growing cannabis
Before the Judge could characterise the defendant, they had to look into the issue of the accused man also having a revolver and an air rifle discovered during the garda investigation

Tue, 17 Feb, 2026

'It won’t happen overnight': Cork drug injection centre to take up to five years to deliver
'It won’t happen overnight': Cork drug injection centre to take up to five years to deliver
Merchants Quay Ireland called on Government to commit to supervised injection in the city, while Cork TD says failure to act 'will cost lives'

Tue, 17 Feb, 2026

Man who used 'honesty box system' to deal drugs in West Cork gets suspended sentence
Man who used 'honesty box system' to deal drugs in West Cork gets suspended sentence
The court heard the defendant 'had been selling since October 2020 during the second covid lockdown'

Sat, 14 Feb, 2026

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Mick Clifford
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