Gavan Reilly

@gavreilly • 238,882 subscribers

Political correspondent @virginmedianews; one-third of The Group Chat (Thursdays, 10pm, Virgin Media One); author of 'The Secret Life of Leinster House':

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Gavan Reilly

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Moment of the Day today belongs to European Commission spokesman Olof Gill and this response to the new U.S. tariffs on cars from Europe and elsewhere:

Hello from the Ireland Pavillion at Expo 2025.

Counting - or rather, pre-counting - underway for the 43 Seanad seats filled through vocational panels. Outer envelopes have to be opened and declarations of ID examined before the ballots themselves are opened and split. Formal counting expected to start at 2, and run til Monday

Here’s some of the opposition frontbenchers coming back in at the conclusion of Nolan’s question slot:

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Plus: Glen Hansard and Lisa O’Neill perform ‘Fairytale of New York’ as a reflection after Communion. Can honestly say this is the first time I’ve ever seen dancing in the aisles at a funeral…

Nick Cave performs 'A Rainy Night in Soho' at the funeral of Shane MacGowan in Nenagh, Co Tipperary, this afternoon. @virginmedianews

Kay Burley has just unexpectedly announced her retirement from Sky News live on air.

A bit overwhelmed at all the kind words about the piece on radio this morning about World Autism Awareness Day and what you may experience if you’re the parent of an autistic child. You should be aware.

During this afternoon's debate on Irish foreign policy, neutrality and the Triple Lock, Danny Healy-Rae expressed concerned about unvetted immigration. Donegal's Thomas Pringle was... unimpressed. F bombs ahoy:

Wow. Simon Harris says Israel is now engaged in a “war on children” and seems, to him; to be “blinded by rage”. “You cannot build peace on the graves of children,” he tells the Dáil. @virginmedianews

Magnificent work

Never known a reception like it.

🚨 Donald Trump singles out Ireland as he promises future tariffs on pharmaceutical imports, in an effort to bring drug manufacturing back to the U.S. Ireland was “very smart” attracting that sector, he says. Trump was speaking as he announced 25% tariffs on all imported cars

NEW: Members of the Burke family have been forcibly removed from a Washington event at which Micheal Martin was a guest of honour. Martina, Isaac and Ammi Burke interrupted another honouree’s speech to complain about Enoch Burke’s imprisonment. Virgin Media News

They’re giving people *what* in RTÉ?

Full footage from Heather Humphreys, who denies telling the Sunday Independent that Catherine Connolly profited off the misfortune of others (or, seemingly, mentioning her by name?):

I’m ten years in Leinster House and I’ve never seen a minister simply agree to take on a good opposition idea. Today it happened, because of the stubborn campaigning of a 12-year-old who just wants the best for her little brothers. Well done, Cara.

Dessie Farrell tells GAA+ he is stepping down as Dublin senior football boss after six seasons, including two All-Ireland titles. #gaa

These comments from Norma Foley at the INTO’s education debate are beginning to cause a stir in teacher circles. Is the abject shortage of teachers - where it’s almost impossible to get a substitute teacher - a ‘crisis’? The minister would prefer to label it an “opportunity”…

As it’s beginning to attract some coverage: here’s the last four-and-a-half minutes, unedited, of Catherine Martin’s press conference today about the future funding of RTÉ.

Things got a bit… personal… in the Dáil this evening. (The comments off-mic at 0:25 are “fuck off, asshole.”)

The nub of the Soc Dems’ problems is that over 22 evasive minutes at a press conference today, Hayes effectively only said two things about selling his Palantir stock - neither of which were true. And senior party figures, knowing no better, backed him up.

Are you a little confused about how Ireland’s Presidential Election works? Fear not: I have once again picked up some 🔴 popular 🟠 coloured 🟡 chocolate-based 🟢 confectionary 🔵 treats 🟣 to show how the #aras25 votes are counted. Virgin Media News

They’re giving people what in RTÉ?