Global gold supply means Sperrins mine ‘not needed’, inquiry hears The inquiry heard challenges to the economic case for Dalradian’s project

Latest from the Omagh goldmine inquiry as council barrister says there’s no need for the project, citing 2025 supply and demand data from the World Gold Council.
I’ll be reporting for @thedetailtv.bsky.social again this week
thedetail.tv/articles/glo...

Global gold supply means Sperrins mine ‘not needed’, inquiry hears The inquiry heard challenges to the economic case for Dalradian’s project

Analysis of global gold supply and demand was used to challenge the economic case for Dalradian’s Sperrins project, an inquiry has heard

@shaunacorr.bsky.social reports from the second week of the reconvened public inquiry

Closed doors and open questions: inside week one of the Sperrins mine inquiry A long-running battle over a controversial gold project reached a pivotal public inquiry stage this week

Closed doors and open questions: inside week one of the Sperrins mine inquiry
Here's my wrap of week one of the Omagh goldmine inquiry as week two set to commence at Strule Arts Centre this morning.
I'll be reporting for @thedetailtv.bsky.social again this week
open.substack.com/pub/thedetai...

Closed doors and open questions: inside week one of the Sperrins mine inquiry A long-running battle over a controversial gold project reached a pivotal public inquiry stage this week

Closed doors and open questions: @shaunacorr.bsky.social reports from inside week one of the Sperrins mine inquiry

Tommy Greene: Stormont can’t keep ignoring the evidence on Lough Neagh sand dredging New research shows sand dredging is "negatively affecting water quality, habitats, and biodiversity"

New research suggests that sand dredging at Lough Neagh is negatively impacting the entire ecosystem, including water quality, habitats, and biodiversity.

Can Stormont keep ignoring the evidence?, asks journalist @tommygreene.bsky.social

Tommy Greene: Stormont can’t keep ignoring the evidence on Lough Neagh sand dredging New research shows sand dredging is "negatively affecting water quality, habitats, and biodiversity"

New research suggests that sand dredging at Lough Neagh is negatively impacting the entire ecosystem, including water quality, habitats, and biodiversity.

Can Stormont keep ignoring the evidence?, asks journalist @tommygreene.bsky.social

Dalradian operated in planning breach for years at ‘temporary’ Tyrone site, inquiry hears Dalradian applied in 2017 to mine gold and other precious metals in the Sperrin Mountains

A US-backed company seeking to mine gold in the Sperrin Mountains operated “in breach of planning control” for years over a “temporary” exploratory site it failed to restore, a public inquiry heard on Wednesday.

@shaunacorr.bsky.social reports

Cyanide still referenced in Dalradian Gold’s Sperrins mine application The bid to mine in the Sperrin Mountains received 50,000 objections to the project

Latest from the Omagh goldmine inquiry - cyanide still referenced in the planning application.
I'll be writing on the issue for investigative and long-form journalism outlet @thedetailtv.bsky.social this week.
Read all about the proceedings here..
www.thedetail.tv/articles/cya...

Cyanide still referenced in Dalradian Gold’s Sperrins mine application The bid to mine in the Sperrin Mountains received 50,000 objections to the project

Cyanide is still referenced in Dalradian Gold’s application to mine in Northern Ireland despite assurances the toxin will not be used to process ore on site, a public inquiry has heard.

Reporting by @shaunacorr.bsky.social

Dublin-Holyhead facial recognition trial scans thousands but finds no matches Thousands of passengers travelling from Dublin to Holyhead were scanned in February as part of a UK immigration enforcement pilot

A trial of controversial live facial recognition technology that scanned thousands of faces and cost tens of thousands of pounds produced no matches, The Detail can reveal.

Passengers travelling from Dublin to Holyhead were scanned in February as part of a UK immigration enforcement pilot.

The Detail is looking to commission freelance journalists in (or with an interest in) northern Ireland.

If that's you, drop me a DM or email me at lbutterly@thedetail.tv

Half of all Scotland’s terror support cases tied to Palestine Action ban Most other Scottish cases related to UVF and other loyalist paramilitary groups

Over 100 Scottish terrorism charges have been linked to Palestine Action. That's more in seven months than all other groups faced in 25 years.

Most of the other Scottish cases were linked to the UVF and other loyalist paramilitary groups

‘Disastrous’ anti-fraud scheme that wrongly cut child benefits to resume More than twice as many families in Northern Ireland were affected than originally thought

‘Disastrous’ anti-fraud scheme that wrongly cut child benefits to resume

There were more than twice as many families in Northern Ireland were affected than originally thought - 800 rather than 350

Shortlist for 2025 Mary Raftery Prize announced | Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences Reporting by RTÉ Investigates, The Journal and The Detail nominated for the prize that will be awarded on 25 March

The Detail has been shortlisted for the 2025 Mary Raftery Prize.

Our investigation showed how families in Northern Ireland had their Child Benefit payments stopped simply because they flew through Dublin Airport

HMRC child benefit crackdown under investigation after thousands of families wrongly targeted The National Audit Office will examine how HMRC used flawed travel records to incorrectly identify parents suspected of living abroad

HMRC child benefit crackdown under investigation

Internal documents, obtained by The Detail, show officials considered the scheme a success even as thousands of payments were wrongly suspended and most families were later found eligible

My two cents on where things stand at Lough Neagh, after a rare interview the media-wary Earl of Shaftesbury gave to the Irish News (published last Saturday).

Who decides the lough's future and who *really* holds the power in this equation?

Some analysis here 👇

Tommy Greene: Who decides the future of Lough Neagh? A rare interview from the Earl of Shaftesbury has reopened questions about who holds power over the future of Ireland’s largest lake

Tommy Greene: Who decides the future of Lough Neagh?

@tommygreene.bsky.social

Launch of No Stone Unturned Journalism Fellowship "Investigative journalism is essential in restoring public confidence at a time of widespread distrust"

The Detail is proud to announce the No Stone Unturned Journalism Fellowship.

It is dedicated to pursuing issues arising out of the landmark 2017 documentary and the subsequent arrest of Barry McCaffrey and Trevor Birney.

Investigative reporter @coramazov.bsky.social will be the first fellow.

Barry McCaffrey: Will Finucane Inquiry be allowed to get to the truth? Journalist Barry McCaffrey asks whether the new inquiry will answer the question of whether collusion was the work of rogue agents, or the product of policy

Barry McCaffrey: Will Finucane Inquiry be allowed to get to the truth?

PSNI challenged on claim that journalists were not treated as criminal suspects Mr Boutcher said politicians and the media had continued to ‘misinterpret’ revelations emerging from the Investigatory Powers Tribunal

The Chief Constable of the PSNI has said that journalist Vincent Kearney was never treated as a suspect by the force -despite police documentation from 2013 clearly labelling him as one.

thedetail.tv/articles/psn...

PSNI challenged on claim that journalists were not treated as criminal suspects Mr Boutcher said politicians and the media had continued to ‘misinterpret’ revelations emerging from the Investigatory Powers Tribunal

The Chief Constable of the PSNI has said that journalist Vincent Kearney was never treated as a suspect by the force -despite police documentation from 2013 clearly labelling him as one.

thedetail.tv/articles/psn...

Irish officials warned before mass facial recognition scans on Dublin–Holyhead route An earlier trial in November 2025, during which more than 7,500 faces were scanned over six days, leading to one arrest

Irish authorities were warned in advance of mass facial recognition scans on Dublin–Holyhead route by UK immigration enforcement.

The cost of a six-day operation, that led to one arrest, was £50,000

PSNI surveillance included detailed 'profile' of journalist's private and public life Submissions to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal allege that the extent of MI5 and PSNI surveillance of Vincent Kearney was “unprecedented”

My scoop this morning in @thedetailtv.bsky.social about PSNI surveillance including a detailed 'profile' of journalist Vincent Kearney's private and public life

www.thedetail.tv/articles/psn...

Dublin passengers scanned with controversial tech by UK border force The Home Office scanned more than 7,500 faces were scanned on the Dublin-Holyhead route, leading to one arrest

Passengers travelling from Dublin to Holyhead will be scanned by live facial recognition technology this week as part of a UK immigration enforcement pilot.

Eight times more prosecutions of republican paramilitary displays than loyalist The figures have emerged amid renewed debate over how laws on paramilitary symbols are enforced

Eight times more prosecutions of republican paramilitary displays than loyalist

Eight times more prosecutions of republican paramilitary displays than loyalist The figures have emerged amid renewed debate over how laws on paramilitary symbols are enforced

Eight times more prosecutions of republican paramilitary displays than loyalist

The PSNI will stop sharing data on migrant victims of crime with the Home Office, with the exception of very specific circumstances. This is a step in the right direction.

It is time for our Government to follow suit and stop putting victims of VAWG and modern slavery at risk.

PSNI curbs migrant victims’ data sharing with Home Office after ‘institutional racism’ concerns

The PSNI will stop sharing data on migrant victims of crime with UK immigration enforcement in all but “very specific and exceptional circumstances”, after admitting that its previous approach “could be perceived as constituting institutional racism”.

✍️ @lukejbutterly.bsky.social

Wind farms and carbon credits: ‘advanced’ plans over Lough Neagh’s future Lough Neagh provides half of Belfast’s drinking water and more than 40% of Northern Ireland’s overall supply

British investors have presented ‘advanced’ plans for Lough Neagh’s future.

Documents seen by The Detail show proposals that would reshape ownership and management of parts of Ireland’s largest inland waterbody.

✍️ @tommygreene.bsky.social

Call for pitches The Detail is inviting pitches for investigations and analysis that address our strategic areas of focus

📢 CALL FOR PITCHES

The Detail is inviting pitches for investigations and analysis focusing on:

- Rights under the Good Friday Agreement and the post-Brexit landscape

- Addressing the past - legacy, accountability and justice

First deadline Friday 30th January.

thedetail.tv/articles/cal...