#Drugs Crisis

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

Cannabis ready to roll
No jail for man found with €19k worth of cannabis at his home in Cork City
Cork Circuit Criminal Court heard the accused 'was engaged in drug-dealing because of a drug debt'

Wed, 05 Nov, 2025

Cork man who has used numerous types of drugs for 35 years jailed for drug-dealing
Cork man who has used numerous types of drugs for 35 years jailed for drug-dealing
Dean Coughlan, who has been a polydrug user from the age of 15, was caught with €10k worth of heroin in his underpants

Mon, 03 Nov, 2025

Gardaí close to submitting file to DPP on leaders of 'The Family' drug gang
Gardaí close to submitting file to DPP on leaders of 'The Family' drug gang
‘The Family’ was hit again in a swoop on a distribution centre in Laois, with the seizure of 116kgs of cocaine

Thu, 30 Oct, 2025

€8.1m cocaine haul seized in Co Laois
€8.1m cocaine haul seized in Co Laois
One man in his 30s was arrested and is being held at a Laois Garda Station.

Tue, 28 Oct, 2025

drug syringe and cooked heroin on spoon. drug addict problem and therapy concept
Prevention and tackling alcohol need to be main focus of next drugs strategy, department told
The issue of nitrous oxide among children and young people was also raised

Fri, 24 Oct, 2025

Man accused of directing organised crime for 'large-scale distribution of heroin in Cork'
Man accused of directing organised crime for 'large-scale distribution of heroin in Cork'
It is the first time such a count was ever brought in Cork

Wed, 22 Oct, 2025

Man Buying Drugs On The Street
Demand for addiction treatment rises by 35% as more people seek help, report shows
Coolmine Therapeutic Community reports a 35% rise in people seeking addiction help, with alcohol and cocaine leading cases

Tue, 21 Oct, 2025

Cocaine worth 10.5 million euro found in lead lined fuel tank
Nearly €25m worth of cocaine seized at Rosslare Europort over last week
On Monday, an intelligence-led operation at the port led to the seizure of approximately 150kg of suspected cocaine in a lorry

Sun, 19 Oct, 2025

Prisoners who failed or missed drug tests allowed to keep special privileges
Prisoners who failed or missed drug tests allowed to keep special privileges
Audit of the Irish Prison Service’s incentivised regime system found that in half of 201 cases involving failed or missed drug tests,  the prisoner was not downgraded as required under policy

Fri, 17 Oct, 2025

‘Ireland is awash with cocaine — we’re losing the battle,’ warns former Navy commander
‘Ireland is awash with cocaine — we’re losing the battle,’ warns former Navy commander
Revenue’s new €9m Customs cutter will patrol Ireland’s southern coast, but experts warn the country is still 'losing the battle' against smugglers

Fri, 17 Oct, 2025

Cocaine worth 10.5 million euro found in lead lined fuel tank
Gardaí believe they have taken out key transportation route for cocaine smugglers
Targeting drivers of trucks transporting drugs across Europe into Ireland "is maximising the disruption on organised crime groups", says security source.

Wed, 15 Oct, 2025

Cannabis ready to roll
Truck driver faces further wait for DPP directions in €2.1m cannabis case in Cork
The man is charged with cannabis possession and having the cannabis for sale or supply at the Port of Cork, Ringaskiddy

Tue, 14 Oct, 2025

Alleged 'logistics figure' refused bail in €32m Kerry crystal meth case
Kerry crystal meth haul co-accused had 'no connection' to machine where drugs were found, court told
From his 'sparse' viewing of the disclosure so far, defence barrister Colm Symth SC said he was 'confident' that his client had no link to drugs found in the third machine

Mon, 06 Oct, 2025

drug syringe and cooked heroin on spoon. drug addict problem and therapy concept
Questions over 'incomprehensible' exclusion of community groups from drugs strategy steering group
The Oireachtas drugs committee is seeking an explanation of the reasoning behind this decision.

Thu, 02 Oct, 2025

Discharge of sewage into a river
HSE tenders for €480k contract to test wastewater for 'objective, real-time' data on illicit drugs
The three-year contract will inform research, policy and practice in the HSE’s National Social Inclusion Office as part of an early warning system for drugs

Wed, 01 Oct, 2025

Drug Use in West Midlands, England
Cork judge notes 'very sad lives of addiction' of two men accused of stealing car
One of the accused told the court: 'If I go back to prison I will be on the floor and back to square one.'

Fri, 26 Sep, 2025

Two arrested after €15k cocaine and diamorphine seizure in Dublin raid
Two arrested after €15k cocaine and diamorphine seizure in Dublin raid
Gardaí seized €15,200 worth of cocaine and diamorphine, along with cash and phones, during a Dublin 1 operation

Wed, 24 Sep, 2025

Medical Marijuana Edibles, Candies Infused with HHC Cannabis in food industry
Ireland's delay in banning HHC may have boosted demand 
Teenagers in Ireland have become ill and had to be hospitalised due to vaping the semi-synthetic cannabinoid

Mon, 22 Sep, 2025

HSE to operate harm reduction tents at dance festival as high potency drugs circulate 
HSE to operate harm reduction tents at dance festival as high potency drugs circulate 
The aim is to help people 'reduce the harms and look after themselves and others, to help create a safer festival'

Fri, 19 Sep, 2025

Cork man jailed on theft and shoplifting charges claims to have an awakening
Cork man jailed on theft and shoplifting charges claims to have an awakening
The court was told the defendant started taking tablets and heroin after his father died when he was 13

Fri, 19 Sep, 2025

Man arrested in Cork on five-year-old drug charge hoped it had been forgotten
Man arrested in Cork on five-year-old drug charge hoped it had been forgotten
When he was arrested, the defendant gave a false name

Fri, 19 Sep, 2025

Cork gardaí investigating alleged Lithuanian crime gang compile 3,000-page file, court told
Cork gardaí investigating alleged Lithuanian crime gang compile 3,000-page file, court told
Sergeant John Kelleher gave details on the extent of the file as he explained why it was taking some time for DPP directions to be given in the case

Wed, 17 Sep, 2025

Limerick brothers charged with possession of cocaine and cannabis for sale or supply
Limerick brothers charged with possession of cocaine and cannabis for sale or supply
Court heard the drugs were allegedly offloaded to another man who stashed some of it in his underwear

Wed, 10 Sep, 2025

Woman feared for children's safety as Cork bag snatcher almost overturned buggy carrying infant
Woman feared for children's safety as Cork bag snatcher almost overturned buggy carrying infant
Woman from Northern Ireland was visiting Cork city for first time

Thu, 04 Sep, 2025

Cannabis ready to roll
Truck driver charged over €2.1m drug seizure in Cork remanded in custody
Man remanded the accused in custody until September 17

Wed, 03 Sep, 2025

COLOMBIA-MARIJUANA-PROTEST
Cork man gets suspended sentence for fourth conviction for drug possession again
The defendant told Macroom District Court he took cannabis to help with pain management and worked as a panel beater

Wed, 03 Sep, 2025

Community networks left out of National Drugs Strategy steering group for first time in 30 years 
Community networks left out of National Drugs Strategy steering group for first time in 30 years 
Department of health set up steering group last month 

Mon, 01 Sep, 2025

drug syringe and cooked heroin on spoon. drug addict problem and therapy concept
Cork man accused of dealing from a 'drugs storehouse' remanded in custody
The court heard that the accused was found with €3,000 worth of heroin stuffed down his pants

Mon, 01 Sep, 2025

Cork City Hall event to hear about neuroscientist's recovery from 15-year heroin addiction
Cork City Hall event to hear about neuroscientist's recovery from 15-year heroin addiction
Ahead of the event, Brian Pennie said: 'Recovery is about so much more than simply getting clean. It’s about rebuilding your life from the inside out'

Mon, 01 Sep, 2025

HSE launch project in Cork to provide take-home medicine packs that reverse opioid overdoses
HSE launch project in Cork to provide take-home medicine packs that reverse opioid overdoses
The team will provide naloxone directly to people who have overdosed but decline ambulance transport to hospital

Fri, 29 Aug, 2025

HSE warns Electric Picnic festivalgoers over high-strength drugs in circulation
HSE warns Electric Picnic festivalgoers over high-strength drugs in circulation
The HSE has urged Electric Picnic attendees to use its on-site harm reduction tents as concerns grow over high-potency drugs

Wed, 27 Aug, 2025

Irish police
Co-operation with Poland leads to more than €8m worth of drugs seized in Ireland
Thirteen Polish nationals were arrested in Ireland during the course of the investigation

Tue, 19 Aug, 2025

Cannabis plants worth more than €750,000 seized in Co Louth
Cannabis plants worth more than €750,000 seized in Co Louth
A large-scale cannabis cultivation factory was found after a premises in Drogheda was searched by gardaí attached to the Dublin Crime Response Team

Wed, 06 Aug, 2025

Poison
Alcohol Ireland's leading addiction among those seeking treatment from services, new report shows
Alcohol accounted for 40% of all presentations to drug and alcohol treatment service Coolmine so far this year, followed by cocaine at 31%

Wed, 06 Aug, 2025

Cannabis ready to roll
Truck driver 'maintaining his innocence' over €2.1m cannabis seizure in Cork, court told
Cork District Court heard that the employers of the accused were 'very concerned about their truck'

Wed, 06 Aug, 2025

James Mahon: Hawk against the Dove photography exhibition
Woman who was homeless in Kildare says a stranger’s kindness saved her life
Antoinette Foley, who is recovering from addiction to heroin and crack cocaine, has urged people not to make assumptions about people who are sleeping rough

Mon, 04 Aug, 2025

Cocaine seizure
Gardaí investigate narco-subs used by cartels to smuggle cocaine into Ireland
Gardaí are probing how narco-subs used by South American cartels could be moving drugs into Irish and European waters

Fri, 01 Aug, 2025

Alcohol Change UK survey
Alcohol and drug treatment cases jump almost 80% since 2017
Cocaine replaced cannabis in 2022 as the most common additional drug, according to a report from the Health Research Board

Thu, 31 Jul, 2025

Garda inscription on a police jacket from Ireland
Drug searches in Ireland fall by 7,000 amid garda staffing crisis
Drug searches fell by 15% last year, with garda unions warning of staff shortages and 1,900 possible retirements by 2028

Thu, 31 Jul, 2025

Courts of Criminal Justice, Dublin
Five men jailed for roles in 'cruel and sadistic' torture of woman over false accusation
The sentencing judge said the offending 'demonstrates the evils associated with the drugs trade' and its wider criminal associations

Wed, 30 Jul, 2025

Medical Marijuana Edibles, Candies Infused with CBD HHC or THC Cannabis in food industry
Ireland finally bans HHC 'but we must be vigilant about new drugs’
HHC, widely available to children as vapes and edibles, has been linked to serious medical episodes and psychosis here in Ireland

Wed, 30 Jul, 2025

HHC added to list of illegal drugs in Ireland by health minister
HHC added to list of illegal drugs in Ireland by health minister
The import, export, production, possession, sale, or supply of products containing HHC is now illegal.

Tue, 29 Jul, 2025

Despair
Diversion scheme for those caught in possession of drugs to be in place by November
Health intervention to operate on discretion of gardaí

Tue, 29 Jul, 2025

Oberstown Campus
Cork teenager who threatened to kill woman told by judge to sort out his drug and anger issues
Judge Carroll told the youth that he has great potential but she said: 'You need structure, you need routine.'

Mon, 28 Jul, 2025

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Mick Clifford
Mick Clifford

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