Midlands Today with Will Faulkner

Sport, identity and teen stories on screen — Olympian Jordan Conroy joins the show to share the message behind United FC, RTÉ’s new teen docuseries where 15 young players from diverse backgrounds come together through football to explore belonging, resilience and growing up in modern Ireland.

Local voices on work, cost-of-living and community — Mullingar businessman Mark Brady discusses building skilled teams post-Covid; Offaly shoppers warn energy costs are biting harder as new FOI documents reveal officials urged Government to restore energy credits; and PATH highlights bogus collectors falsely using the homelessness charity’s name.

Support, opportunity and standout moments — Tullamore pension experts explain major changes to topping up UK state pensions; the Offaly Volunteer Centre launches its Professional Exchange Bank; young Cormac Brady prepares for his big moment on the Late Late Toy Show; and Camross celebrates the Poet’s Cottage Café revitalising village life

David Hollywood brings the latest happenings from around the Midlands and further afield

STEM, creativity and community pride — Will Faulkner and Peter Dunne broadcast live from Tyrellspass and Rochfortbridge as students showcase their renewable-energy inventions for the Bright Sparks competition. Lumcloon Energy and Midlands Science celebrate hands-on learning, innovation and the engineers of tomorrow.

Crime, farming and rural life — Four men plead guilty to a violent Athlone street attack; IFA President Francie Gorman urges workable conditions in Ireland’s new nitrates derogation; and Camross Heritage marks the opening of the Poet’s Cottage Café — a community hub transforming social life in the village.

Consumer rights and seasonal pressures — Proposed telecom reforms could let customers escape CPI-linked contract hikes; Turn2Me warns of the emotional toll behind Black Friday spending; and the Friday Panel tackles everything from heating-oil costs to parent-teacher gripes, ‘stylish’ tobacco warnings and minors using delivery-app loopholes.

Online danger and digital responsibility — TU Dublin’s Hugh McAtamney reacts to damning Garda warnings that children are being groomed and exploited on gaming platforms like Roblox, where sexual content, predators and zero age-verification were uncovered in an RTÉ investigation. Parents are urged to stay present, set boundaries and use controls.

Property, prices and rural pressures — Laois photographer Fra Lucchesi goes viral after filming a mouse crashing a Westmeath wedding; estate agent Clement Herron cautions against bridging loans as BoI pilots a “Trade Down” scheme for older homeowners; and heating oil users get a reprieve as proposed telecoms-contract reforms could allow customers flee price hikes.

Farming, mental health and the Midlands future — Irish beef traceability concerns deepen amid revelations from Brazil; Turn2Me warns of the emotional fallout of Black Friday overspending; regional leaders preview next week’s Midlands Showcase; and Offaly TD Tony McCormack confirms the N52 Tullamore–Kilbeggan link is finally advancing under the National Development Plan.

Crime patterns and community concern — New CSO data shows over 80% of theft, fraud and public-order offences involve repeat offenders, with one in five reoffending within a month. Former Portlaoise Prison governor Ciaran Reilly breaks down what the surge in recidivism means for justice and safety in the Midlands.

Local pressures, local resilience — Durrow residents demand safer N52 junctions after disruptive works fail to improve conditions; avian flu hits a turkey flock in Laois as housing orders and restriction zones intensify; and Moate pushes for its first accessible ATM in four years as new laws require nationwide ATM access within 10km.

Support, services and accountability — Peadar Tóibín reveals disability allowance refusals are being overturned on appeal at “savage” levels; the Midlands Showcase highlights innovation, skills and regional growth; and Enoch Burke is returned to prison for a fourth time for breaching court orders.

Celebrating the Midlands — Business, education, training and tourism leaders come together for the Midlands Showcase, with Gillian Murtagh, Michael Tobin, John Costello, John Kelly and Jasmine Elkhershi highlighting the region’s innovation, apprenticeships, skills agenda and future investment.

Crime, community and care — Gardaí arrest three people in the 2019 murder investigation of William Delaney; Daingean Canoe Club rebuilds after a costly break-in; and health expert Liam Butler answers listeners’ winter wellness questions from itchy scalps to probiotics.

Human stories and hard choices — a Westmeath family remembers the bravery of Cora Doyle, who lived with severe EB; heating-oil prices soar during the cold snap; and Sean Fleming discusses new proposals for income-based accommodation charges for people seeking international protection.

Road safety and rising risks — IRHA President Ger Hyland warns of a crisis as learner-permit numbers hit 394,000 nationwide — including over 21,700 in Laois, Offaly and Westmeath — amid spiralling road deaths and major concerns over RSA delays and enforcement.

Community action and local stories — Soroptimist Mullingar prepares to join the UN’s Orange the World campaign; Portlaoise Library shares the tale of a well-travelled book found in Spain; Daingean Canoe Club rebuilds after a break-in; and volunteers like 78-year-old Alice Culliton lead this year’s Concern Fast.

Support, sport and family focus — IFA hosts a major meeting on farm succession; Alcoholics Anonymous opens its doors to newcomers; Laois launches Ireland’s first sports hub for vision-impaired and physically disabled athletes; and workplaces learn how to better support parents returning from maternity leave.

Communities take a stand — Éist launches the Zero Tolerance Midlands Campaign, calling on businesses, schools and clubs to unite against violence toward women, girls and LGBTQ+ people, and to visibly pledge zero tolerance across the region.

Music, youth and opportunity — Tullamore students from St. Philomena’s and Scoil Eoin Phóil II Naofa release a festive single with Music Generation, as the national programme celebrates giving one in 12 young people access to music tuition and creative expression.

Health, housing and inclusion — Minister Norma Foley promotes early-years supports through the Community Families Programme, See Her Elected launches a guide for women seeking political roles, Laois Sports Partnership unveils Ireland’s first VIP sports hub, and Meath homebuyers plea for justice amid a stalled development.

Big business battles & local heritage — journalist Amy Molloy outlines the high-stakes controversy surrounding US investor Joe Elias as Meath homebuyers fight for completed houses, while Offaly’s John Feehan and Amanda Pedlow celebrate the launch of The Silver River of Slieve Bloom.

Money, water & everyday rights — financial adviser Gerry Farrell explains the Government’s emergency move to protect the My Future Fund pension scheme from employer loopholes; Irish Water details major upgrades to Westmeath’s supply; and Citizens Advice tackles property splits, dodgy builders, employment rights and more.

Health, housing and ageing well — distressed Meath buyers plead for justice as liquidation threatens their homes; Active Retirement Ireland calls for a national shingles vaccine programme and better supports for older people; and communities across the Midlands prepare for winter wellbeing.

Leadership and safeguarding — newly elected SIPTU Honorary President Alan Lindley outlines priorities on housing, cost-of-living and worker stability, while CyberSafeKids warns parents that smart devices “aren’t toys” as Christmas buying ramps up.

Courts, community and rural change — Enoch Burke is ordered back to prison for a fourth time in a damning High Court ruling, Offaly’s Mount Briscoe Estate unveils plans for a glamping expansion, and Tullamore hosts an International Men’s Day “Breakfast & Banter” celebrating men and boys.

Health, safety and local voices — stronger flu vaccines deemed too costly for over-65s despite fears of a severe season, an Athlone dad urges men to get PSA tests after his own prostate cancer diagnosis, farmers raise flood-risk objections to a proposed windfarm, and Turn2Me promotes a booze-free Christmas for better mental wellbeing.