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Dundalk Leader 19th August 2026
Dundalk Leader Local Democracy Reports By LAUREN ROSS l lauren@dundalkleader.com
Councillors call for GAA Championship games to be free to air THE wee county’s recent run to their first All-Ireland senior football semi-final since 1957 gave supporters a summer few are likely to forget, but supporters following their county from home can find some games available only through a paid streaming service. Cllr Rachel Kerley (FG) wants that to change, and the cross-party support her motion received at Louth County Council’s July meeting shows that other councillors do too. The motion called on the GAA to make all senior intercounty football and hurling games available on free-to-air television in 2027 and, where needed, on other online streaming platforms so that everyone should be able to watch their county team compete at inter-county championship matches. Cllr Kerley told the meeting that attending every game was out of reach for many families, while paywalls and the move to streaming platforms had made it harder for others to watch from home. “It’s not feasible for everyone, especially people with young kids, to go to every game,” she said. “Fans should be able to watch their county play without the restriction of paywalls.” Referencing her own 86-yearold grandfather who would “happily sit down to watch any GAA match shown on television” she said the move online has “effectively prevented him from doing something he has enjoyed for years.
Cllr Rachel Kerley. “We’ve seen some cracking GAA matches, and it would be a shame if people who don’t have access to the internet, or who can’t afford another subscription, are simply unable to watch them,” said after the meeting. Supporting the motion, Cllr Ejiro O’Hare Stratton (FG) said young people were also missing out because they could not always travel to games while Cllr Marianne Butler (GP) said accessing GAA+ could be “very tricky”, particularly for older supporters. Cllr Shane McGuinness (FF) also supported the motion saying people sometimes had no choice but to go to their local GAA club if they wanted to see a game and that his own parents sometimes had difficulty accessing the games on the streaming platform. He said he believed the decision to not to allow games to be shown free-to-air was a financial one and suggested the GAA could, at the very least, offer passes or credits to young people and pensioners.
“The GAA are doing a lot of good work with the local clubs but they could do more around the screening of matches,” he said. Also in support, Cllr Pearse McGeough (SF) spoke about what the past few years had meant for Louth supporters, adding the atmosphere in the run-up to the All-Ireland semi-final against Mayo had been “fantastic” and everyone should be able to watch their county play. “There really is no reason why games coverage can’t co-exist as free-to-air and streaming,” Cllr Declan Power (Ind) said adding, he felt it was unfair that supporters missed some of the best games because they were not shown free to air. GAA+ carried 40 exclusive Championship games in Ireland during the 2026 season. The service says 83% of the profits it generates will be reinvested in coaching, local clubs, county and player-welfare aid. Cllr Kerley is not arguing that streaming should be done away with. “I completely recognise that online streaming has its place, particularly for people living abroad or those who want greater access to games,” she said. “But I think we need to find a way for both to co-exist without creating barriers for people who want to watch and support our sport. The GAA belongs to everyone, and I think everyone should have the opportunity to watch it.”
Council hopes to retrofit up to 300 homes this year UP to 300 council homes in Louth could be made warmer and more energy-efficient this year, 80 more than the original target set for 2026. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage allocated funding to retrofit 220 homes in the county in 2026 under the Energy Retrofit Programme (EERP), up from 140 last year. According to Louth County Council (LCC) it now believes it may be able to stretch that funding further after securing what officials at the council’s July meeting described as “good value” through its tendering process. “Through efficiencies of scale, careful property selection, and prudent management of the programme, it is anticipated that additional units may be completed beyond the allocated target,” the council stated. The final number of completed
units is not yet known, and will depend on a range of factors but the council is aiming to complete as many as 300 homes by the end of the year, though that figure is subject to change. “Regardless of the final total achieved, the council strongly welcomes both the increased funding allocation for 2026 and the potential to retrofit additional homes beyond the initial allocation through the effective management of the programme,” LCC stated. Cllr Marianne Butler (GP) welcomed the news at July’s council meeting, saying it was important ahead of what could be a difficult winter for households struggling with energy costs. “I was reading the chief executive’s report and I was blown away and delighted,” she said. “To see that we are able to do
additional units with the same money, we need to be shouting this from the rooftops. “An absolute bualadh bos and well done to the EERP team for delivering these extra retrofits, especially coming into what will probably be a very tricky winter for many people running into fuel poverty. It is just great to see.” Furthermore, and separately, more council homes than originally planned are also set to have their windows and doors replaced under the separate Planned Maintenance Programme. The council says it is assessing the scope of these additional works but it expects work to begin this September, adding it is “committed to improving the quality, comfort, and energy efficiency of its housing stock for tenants across the county.”
Louth councillors back call to protect local journalism CUTS to local newsrooms in light of the recent job losses at LMFM, have prompted Louth County Council to write to the government and the media regulator, following a motion brought by Independent Cllr Maeve Yore and backed by councillors at Louth County Council’s July meeting. The motion called for the council to affirm its support for independent, trusted and highquality local media and journalism and to write to Coimisiún na Meán, the Taoiseach and the Minister for Communications to emphasise the importance of local radio and reporting in sustaining a shared identity and sense of belonging across the country. Cllr Yore said the loss of journalists from local newsrooms was not simply a matter for those working in the industry, but one that had consequences for the communities relying on them. “They are at the heart and soul of our communities, and we trust them with our local news, our court cases and our local democ-
Cllr Maeve Yore. racy,” she said. She referred to a Coimisiún na Meán report which, she said, found local media remained among the country’s most trusted news sources adding it was “beggars belief” that the regulator had approved what she called the “decimation of journalists and jobs”. Referencing the impact of “fake news” on democracy, she also pointed to the United States and other countries where she said the decline of local media could have impacts on “social cohesion and democracy” and
asked, “Are we going to accept the same in Ireland?” Councillors across the chamber were in support of the motion with Cllr Michelle Hall (Lab) saying the jobs lost at LMFM were a “huge loss”. Cllr Marianne Butler (GP) welcomed the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme introduced by Coimisiún na Meán but said radio continued to be one of the most accessible ways for people to receive local news. Cllr Sionainn McCann (SF) said how important fair and transparent local media was not only for councillors in their jobs but also for the local community. “It gives a space that wouldn’t exist in terms of promoting local events, local people and local history and plays a bigger role in sustaining a shared identity and sense of belonging,” she added. Though Cllr Robbie Nash (FG) supported the motion, he was less hopeful about the council’s ability to influence decisions made by media companies saying, “Unfortunately, it comes down to the bottom line.”
Louth councillors back call for new allowance to help with bin charges LOUTH councillors have backed a call for a new social welfare allowance to help vulnerable households pay their bin charges. Cllr Fiona Mhic Conchoille (SF) brought the motion to the July meeting of Louth County Council amid concern about the rising cost of refuse and recycling services. It calls on the Government and the Minister for Social Protection to establish a Waste Collection Allowance under the Household Benefits Package, which currently helps eligible households with electricity or gas costs. Cllr Mhic Conchoille said bin charges were placing a growing financial burden on older people, those living alone, carers, people with disabilities and households on low incomes and described waste collection as an essential public health service and said households already struggling
with energy, food and housing costs should receive direct support towards the bill. Her motion also called on the Government to work with local authorities and licensed waste operators to develop a scheme that would be practical and easy for eligible households to access. Posting on social media after the meeting, Cllr Mhic Conchoille said waste collection was an unavoidable household expense. “It is not a luxury, and it should not become a bill that vulnerable households are forced to struggle with or fall behind on,” she said. She added the Government had previously pointed to Exceptional Needs Payments as a possible source of help but argued that these were designed for oneoff or exceptional circumstances, while waste collection was a regular bill faced by households
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
throughout the year. “If the existing supports were adequately addressing the problem, we would not continue to hear from older people, carers and low-income families struggling with these charges,” she said. Cllr Mhic Conchoille said the Household Benefits Package already provided a framework for helping people with essential household costs. “This motion is about providing a more practical, fair and dignified approach,” she said. “No one should have to choose between paying for essential needs and having their waste collected.” The motion asked that a copy be forwarded to the Minister for Social Protection, the minister responsible for the environment, every local authority and Louth’s Oireachtas members.