Your Public Service Media Do Mheáin Seirbhíse Poiblí

– Hidden cameras capture horses being repeatedly hit and punched around the head 

– Images show a horse too weak to stand being prodded with a pitchfork

               – Major new investigation to air over two nights this Wednesday and Thursday on RTÉ One and worldwide on RTÉ Player

FÉACH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akZR58U2PMs

Serious animal welfare abuses and cruelty have been uncovered in the treatment of horses that are being sent for slaughter at the country’s only licensed equine abattoir. The behaviour was filmed in a building (a lairage) used by Shannonside Foods Ltd in Straffan, where the company keeps horses before they are brought to the kill room. Footage, captured by RTÉ Investigates, shows the routine mistreatment of the animals and will be aired as part of a special documentary tomorrow night on RTÉ One.

Horses hold a very special place in Irish life – for pleasure, leisure, racing, showjumping, and even as pets. RTÉ Investigates goes inside the equine industry to show how some of these horses are slaughtered here in Ireland, while others are given new identities and traded in deals across Europe. The racing industry alone will receive €76m in State support this year. Thousands of horses are bred each year to sustain this and other equine pursuits.  What happens when they are no longer useful or too expensive to keep?

Arising out of concerns for the welfare of horses, including their treatment by some associated with the Shannonside Foods Ltd slaughterhouse in Straffan, Co.Kildare, RTÉ Investigates monitored activity at the facility. The research focused in particular on a lairage shed where official Department of Agriculture inspectors do not have a remit to regulate or inspect. In this shed, the animals are held and screened in the days leading up to their slaughter.

RTÉ hidden cameras caught the routine abuse of animals. The abuses included ill-treatment of dying horses. Viewers can see horses routinely be whipped and struck with long lengths of plastic piping, including being hit around the head. In another example, a horse is filmed struggling for hours before it fell, and tried to get up many times. The only attention the horse got was the illegal use of a pitchfork in its side to try and force it up. After hours of struggling, it died. It was physically dragged out of the shed the next day.

In Ireland, RTÉ Investigates analysed data which allowed, for the first time, to profile the background of horses that were sent for slaughter. It has never been possible to fully see the link between the racing and slaughter industries until now.

The data allowed RTÉ Investigates journalists to track back and identify thousands of horses that passed through Ireland’s only licensed horse abattoir. Two-thirds of the horses were thoroughbred racers, competitors who between them had raced more than 3,000 times, earning their owners more than €1.5 million on tracks across Ireland, the UK and France as well multiples of that for punters.

Viewers will be shocked to see the full hidden camera footage in Wednesday night’s documentary capturing evidence of the systematic abuse of horses.

Professor Christopher Elliot, founder of Queen’s University Belfast’s Institute for Global Food Security: “I’ve visited lairages and slaughterhouses for probably about 45 years.  I have never seen anything like this. This is … like nothing I have seen ever experienced before, it’s just is unbelievably distressing.”

Forensic veterinary expert David Martin reviewed the material and said it raised serious concerns regarding the welfare of horses. “There’s no reason why the horses should be subjected to the cruelty that they’re being subjected to. There’s absolutely no justification for it.”

The Department of Agriculture said the lairage (holding shed) where secret filming took place was not part of the approved premises over which they have jurisdiction, but that all “evidence of illegal activity”… “will be appropriately investigated”.

Shannonside Foods Ltd said any allegation of an equine being mistreated “will be fully investigated by the Company”.

The wide-ranging investigation will be revealed in a hard-hitting hour-long documentary, RTÉ Investigates: Horses – Making a Killing to be broadcast this Wednesday night, 12 June at 9.35pm on RTÉ One and in an additional special report on Prime Time on Thursday night at 9.35pm on RTÉ One. The investigation also exposes evidence of systemic flaws in the traceability of horses and how this was threatening the human food chain across Europe. The work has already prompted investigations across Europe.

Both the documentary and special report across the two nights will be available to stream live and catch up on the RTÉ Player to viewers across Europe and worldwide. www.rte.ie/player

RTÉ took home Torcs in the current affairs, history, live music, single documentary, and drama series categories at the 2024 CMF, which was held in Cardiff in Wales. Viva Mary won the prestigious Spirit of the Festival award.

RTÉ DG Kevin Bakhurst attended the festival, and was interviewed by the BBC’s Kaye Adams.

Video from the festival – Celtic Media Festival.

Photos from the festival – Celtic Media Festival.

Meanwhile, Newquay in Cornwall was announced as the location for the 46th Celtic Media Festival in 2025, while Áine Walsh, the Head of the Irish Language Broadcast Fund at Northern Ireland Screen, was announced as the new Chair of the Celtic Media Festival. She succeeds Alan Esslemont, Director General of TG4, who has successfully led consecutive sold-out festivals over the past five years.

Catriona Logan, Festival Director, said: “From incredible speakers to deserving winners, Celtic Media Festival 2024 has surpassed all expectations. We’re so looking forward to taking the festival to Cornwall in 2025.”

A NEW PODCAST SERIES FROM RTÉ DOCUMENTARY ON ONE
FEATURING EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO CARRIE JADE WILLIAMS
LISTEN TO TRAILER HERE

In 2021, a 32-year-old English woman named Carrie Jade Williams contacted the RTÉ audio documentary unit with a heartbreaking story. She had Huntington’s Disease and was terminally ill. She had been adopted, so had no prior awareness of her medical history. She thought she might have a lifeline through lifesaving brain surgery, and she wanted RTÉ to record her final hope.

What followed was an unravelling of the most unusual of stories. Carrie Jade Williams was not who she claimed to be. Carrie Jade Williams does not exist. Her real name is Samantha Cookes.

The documentary team were to discover over time that Carrie Jade Williams lived under a number of different identities, and she sought out the vulnerable, right across Ireland and the UK. And, despite several convictions and being unmasked many times, she has shown no sign of stopping.

You think you know the story, but the real story of Carrie Jade with first-hand accounts from those closest to her who got caught up in her web of lies, is about to be told.

With direct access to Samantha Cookes, The Real Carrie Jade is a brand-new podcast series from the multi award winning RTÉ Documentary on One team behind Runaway Joe, The Nobody Zone and Finding Samantha, coming this Friday to RTÉ.

Ahead of the series release producer Ronan Kelly says: “She may have initially conned us into interviewing her for a podcast but that was nothing to what she did to her real victims: she stole their money, their property and, worst of all, their sense of trust.”

Narrator, Justine Stafford has said of the podcast “This is an incredible story.  As in, the original meaning, just not credible. It’s impossible to believe anything Sam says.”

RTÉ has announced details of comprehensive elections results coverage across digital, television, and radio platforms beginning this weekend. After the public have had their say and voted this Friday 7 June, they will be able to follow all the results on RTÉ’s digital platforms and in over 30 hours of dedicated TV and radio elections results programming.

RTÉ presenters including David McCullagh, Miriam O’Callaghan, Sarah McInerney, Fran McNulty, Katie Hannon, Rachael English, Colm Ó Mongáin, Áine Lawlor, Justin McCarthy, Gavin Jennings, Claire Byrne, Gormfhlaith Ní Thuairisg and Máirín Ní Ghadhra will be broadcasting alongside RTÉ’s reporters and staff in count centres nationwide as total of 964 candidates are elected.

From early Saturday morning, the RTÉ News App and RTE.ie will operate round-the-clock providing full results coverage, live count updates, reaction, video and analysis. An interactive map will provide live results from the European Elections, Local Elections and Limerick mayoral election. Users will be able to view all 31 council pages, and can also click through into each local electoral area to see who is elected in their area. Live blogs will carry updates and results throughout the counts until the final seats are filled, along with detailed articles and features on major developments from across Europe. RTÉ News’ political staff will provide analysis throughout the weekend exploring trends as they develop while there will be extensive coverage across all of RTÉ News’ social media accounts on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.

As ballot boxes are opened on Saturday 8 June, RTÉ Radio 1‘s coverage will feature a special Elections 2024 programme at 9.00am – 10.00am, presented by Sarah McInerney. Colm Ó Mongáin and Sarah McInerney will then continue presenting the latest election results radio coverage from 1.00pm – 3.00pm when they will be joined by a panel of guests for opinion and analysis along with updates from across the regions.

RTÉ One television’s Elections 2024 live coverage begins on Saturday at 12.00pm – 1.30pm as David McCullagh hosts studio discussion and reaction, and the latest early indications from count centres across the country.  As well as updates on RTÉ One’s evening bulletin, Nuacht will be providing coverage as Gaeilge across the weekend online and on social media. Live count updates from around the country and tally indications from the European Elections will also feature in an extended Six One News.

RTÉ’s elections results coverage on Sunday 9 June will begin with a special two hour-long Elections 2024 broadcast with Rachael English and Cormac Ó hEadhra from 9.00am on RTÉ Radio 1. This will be followed by The Brendan O’Connor Show at 11.00am, while Justin McCarthy and Gavin Jennings will be at the helm for an extended This Week programme from 1.00pm with further elections discussion and analysis. An Elections 2024 special programme at 6pm will see Claire Byrne and guests update listeners on all the breaking results. A special Late Debate with Colm Ó Mongáin and Rachael English will report and reflect on the results of the European Elections from 10.00pm.

From 12.00pm on Sunday on RTÉ One television, Aine Lawlor, Miriam O’Callaghan and Katie Hannon will present results, analysis and comment on the Local Elections along with live reports from around the country on the progress of the European Election count. David McCullagh, Miriam O’Callaghan and Katie Hannon return on RTÉ One at 9.35pm with comprehensive live coverage of the European Elections, with result and reports from the three count centres around Ireland, updates from Brussels as the final polls close across Europe at 10.00pm, and on the progress of the international counts, along with studio discussion and reaction.

RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta will have comprehensive coverage of the results of the Local and European Elections, throughout the weekend presented by Gormfhlaith Ní Thuairisg and Máirín Ní Ghadhra, starting at 11.00am on Saturday morning with Lá an Chomhairimh, and continuing throughout the day, with coverage on Sunday from 11.45am and continuing until midnight . There will be reporters in count centres across the country, and panelists in studio to analyse the results. Panelists will include former MEP Seán Ó Neachtain, journalists Áine Ní Chiaráin and Cathal Mac Coille, statistics expert Donncha Ó hÉallaithe, former County Councillor Connie Ní Fhátharta, historian Cormac Ó Comhraí, History Professor Emeritus Gearóid Ó Tuathaigh, and former Government Press Secretary Eoin Ó Neachtain.

Coverage will also continue on programmes across RTÉ stations on Monday, and include a Prime Time Election Special presented by Sarah McInerney and Fran McNulty on RTÉ One at 9.35pm and a dedicated election Late Debate on RTÉ Radio 1 at 10.00pm with Colm Ó Mongáin and Una Kelly looking at the results from the local and European elections, along with the latest from the Limerick Mayoral election.

RTÉ’s dedicated election coverage will also be available to stream live and catch up on the RTÉ Player and RTÉ Radio Player worldwide.

Prime Time’s report tonight examines the failures of the Charities Regulator to address public concerns, focusing on issues within the Peter McVerry Trust, repeated crises at the former Kerry-based Animal Heaven Animal Rescue, and the now-defunct Cat Haven charity in Cork.

The report examines internal documents seen by RTÉ’s Prime Time from the Peter McVerry Trust revealing significant breaches of trust in the use of donated money. The charity is currently under investigation by both the Charities Regulator and the Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority. Internal documents from the Trust indicate that over a six-year period, up to €40 million in restricted donations, designated for specific purposes, were diverted for other purposes, including to cover debts or other spending by the charity.

In September 2022, the Capuchin Day Centre for Homeless People charity donated €4.73 million to the McVerry Trust. The donation came with strict conditions dictating how it was to be spent. Those conditions were outlined in a 25-page legal agreement between the Peter McVerry Trust and the Capuchin Day Centre. Specifically, €1.6 million of the donation was earmarked to buy a large named property in north Dublin for housing unaccompanied minors fleeing war in Ukraine. However, just two weeks after signing the agreement in October 2022, the then CEO of the Peter McVerry Trust emailed the then head of finance instructing that €1.6 million be transferred from the Capuchin Restricted Capital Account to the Capital Development Account.

An internal finance report reveals that over €1.3 million of the Capuchin donation was immediately used to pay running costs and charity debts, including over €700,000 owed to the Revenue Commissioners and €500,000 to two other creditors of the McVerry Trust.

“This was a betrayal of trust,” said Jillian van Turnhout, a Chartered Director Certified in Corporate Governance. “The Capuchins had given the money for a very specific purpose. It was explicit,” To see an email that “violates that agreement in such a short space of time and such a clear manner, it makes me question, where were the controls in place in an organisation that one person could instruct in that way?”   

Additional discrepancies include €1.2 million donated to purchase three properties for homeless families and €1.5 million for a large North Dublin facility to support homeless individuals with chronic health issues, both of which were not used as intended. Moreover, €350,000 of the Capuchin money was transferred to NDP Counselling and Psychotherapy, a non-profit organisation with no commercial or service link to the McVerry Trust. It is unclear why such a large sum of money was transferred to NDP as it did not provide services to the Peter McVerry Trust.

Speaking about this David Hall, businessman and charity campaigner said, “There was no commercial link, there was no service link, in relation to the Peter McVerry Trust and this other counselling service.” 

Only 9% of the Capuchin donation, or €430,000, was used as specified, according to a document from September 2023. The legal agreement with the Capuchins allows them to demand repayment if the donation is not used as agreed.

The Peter McVerry Trust declined to comment on questions from Prime Time but stated it continues to cooperate with regulatory investigations and remains committed to supporting approximately 3,000 individuals, families, and children weekly.

Tonight’s Prime Time report is by reporter Paul Murphy and producer Isabel Perceval.

Watch the full report on Prime Time tonight Thursday June 6, at 9:35pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player and read the digital report at RTÉ.ie/Primetime.

Notes:   

Prime Time broadcasts Tuesday and Thursdays at 9:35PM on RTÉ One and stream on RTÉ Player.

You can read special reports from the Prime Time team on rte.ie/primetime

Follow @RTE_PrimeTime on X / Twitter for regular content, #rtept

RTÉ 2FM is the home of music this summer, entertaining listeners across the day and night, with the best music, chat and interviews providing the soundtrack to the season.  

Today, May 31st, marks the 45th anniversary of 2FM, and the station continues its commitment to supporting Irish music this summer across the country.

RTÉ 2FM will be taking to the road for upcoming festivals including this weekend’s Forbidden Fruit Festival, and Electric Picnic in Stradbally, bringing listeners live interviews and performances from some of the hottest names in the business. This Saturday and Sunday, 2FM will feature the music of 2FM Rising artists performing at Forbidden Fruit Festival, while Beta Da Silva takes followers of RTÉ’s social platforms to Forbidden Fruit throughout the weekend. 2FM will also be teaming up with Dublin’s We’ve Only Just Begun festival later this summer.

2FM continues its commitment to supporting Irish music and Irish artists through yearly projects including 2FM Rising and the RTÉ Choice Music Prize. Rising sees 2FM championing ten selected artists – Big Sleep, Brad Heidi, Chubby Cat, Jordan Adetunji, Qbanaa, Saibh Skelly, Shee, Sick Love, Strabe and The Cope – throughout the year. Previous 2FM Rising artists include Dermot Kennedy, Denise Chaila, Lyra, Pillow Queens, The Murder Capital and Wild Youth.

2FM’s summer schedule across weekdays and weekends kicks off on Tuesday with 2FM Breakfast with Donncha, Carl and Aifric, as Aifric O’Connell (pictured) joins Carl Mullan and Donncha O’Callaghan from 6am for early offerings of music, chats, listener call-ins and comedy to kick-start the day.

From 9-12pm Monday-Friday, The Laura Fox Show sees Laura at the helm for craic and chat and tunes, favourites including What the Fox?, and the voice bending daily Autotune Fortune challenge.

Tracy Clifford on 2FM from 12-3pm, brings listeners through their lunch with new tunes, as well as big hits, and the latest sounds from the legendary Studio 8 sessions.

Lottie Ryan and David O’Reilly will present Monday-Friday on 2FM Drive with Lottie and David. The ultimate messers, Lottie and David are set to make the nation’s commute a lot brighter and happier with great tunes, giveaways and giggles all the way home from 3-6pm.

Game On continues from 6-7pm, bringing all the latest sports news, with Marie Crowe and Ruby Walsh. Beta Da Silva on 2FM airs Mon-Thurs 7-9pm, where Beta invites listeners to lock in, chill, and discover all the latest in the music world, with new tunes, new projects, gig news, album breakdowns and a selection of music across all genres.

Jenny Greene curates a selection of the finest Indie and Electronic music, from 9-11pm Monday-Thursday on The Greene Room, including chats with names from the world of music, film and entertainment, followed by Dan Hegarty – The Alternative from 11pm-1am, showcasing an alternative to sleep, with alt rock, electro pop, hip hop and reggae.

Tara Walsh kickstarts Saturday and Sunday mornings from 7-9am with Weekend Breakfast on 2FM. Bláthnaid Treacy is on air Saturday and Sunday from 9am-12pm, and Roz & Emma will keep listeners entertained each weekend from 12-3pm. Conor Behan presents 3-6pm across Saturday and Sunday, followed by The Electric Disco with Jenny Greene, and Dave Treacy from 8-10pm.

Head of RTÉ 2FM Dan Healy said: “We are very happy that for the summer we are strengthening our schedule with 2FM homegrown talent with Aifric, Lottie and David. 2FM has always been programmed with a mix of presenters who have learnt their craft here with personalities from outside who have built a profile with younger audiences. It always starts with the audience first and this summer’s schedule is built with only them in mind. I believe that 2FM has the most exciting mission in RTÉ. Our mission is to inform and entertain younger audiences with wonderful music, chat and sport. The summer is full of music and sport and that is where we will be. We will be working hard to continue to build a station with the next generation of 2FM presenters and there’s no shortage of those.”

RTÉ Supporting the Arts: What’s On this June

Watch our promo: RTÉ Supporting the Arts | What’s on – YouTube

This June, RTÉ is delighted to support Limerick Sings International Choral Festival, Cork Midsummer Festival, the YES Festival and 23 other arts and cultural events taking place nationwide.

RTÉ is supporting an array of fantastic events spanning from theatre, music, opera, exhibitions, literature, art, film and more. From music in Dublin, Dundalk, Limerick, Galway and Down, to Opera in Waterford, theatre in Dublin and Donegal, and several arts festivals taking place across the country.

Dundalk Lovely Music | www.louthcms.org

Nationwide We are Music Generation | www.musicgeneration.ie

Waterford Blackwater Valley Opera Festival (pictured) | https://blackwatervalleyopera.ie

Dublin Abbey 120 years | https://www.abbeytheatre.ie/

Limerick Limerick Sings International Choral Festival | www.limericksings.com

Dublin, Derry~Londonderry & Letterkenny Akihiko Okamura – The Memories of Others world premiere | https://photomuseumireland.ie/akihiko-okamura

Dublin Circle Mirror Transformation – The Gate | https://www.gatetheatre.ie/production/circle-mirror-transformation/

Dublin and Donegal  Boyfriends presented by LemonSoap Productions | www.lemonsoap.ie

Carlow & Dublin An Audience with Margaret Atwood | www.festivalofwritingandideas.com

Cork Cork Midsummer Festival | www.corkmidsummer.com

Galway WhistleBlast Quartet | www.whistleblastquartet.com

Dublin Garden Party 2024 | https://www.tseac.ie/garden-party

Dublin Dublin International Chamber Music Festival | www.dicmf.com

Tipperary Clonmel Junction Arts Festival | www.junctionfestival.com

Dublin Hilary Heron: A Retrospective | https://imma.ie/whats-on/hilary-heron-a-retrospective/

Nationwide Irish National Opera | www.irishnationalopera.ie

Dublin National Museum of Ireland – Make a Date with your Museum | www.museum.ie

Derry~Londonderry & Donegal YES Festival | www.yesderry.com

Dublin KinoD Kabaret | https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/kinods-may-weekend-filmmaking-kabaret-2024-tickets-881274544887

Dublin KinoD’s June Weekend Filmmaking Kabaret | https://www.eventbrite.com/manage/events/861972501957

Down Narrow Water Chamber Music Festival | www.newrychambermusic.org

Limerick Limerick Summer Proms | www.uch.ie

Dublin Society & State: Ireland Through Its Records | http://www.nationalarchives.ie/news/exhibition-society-state-ireland-through-its-records/

Dublin Bloomsday Film Festival | https://www.bloomsdayfestival.ie/bloomsday-film-festival/

Galway Galway Uke Fest | www.galwayukefest.com

Meath  Hinterland Festival of Literature & Arts | http://www.hinterland.ie

During 2023, RTÉ supported a record 170 arts and cultural events all over Ireland through the RTÉ Supporting the Arts scheme. Spanning film, music, dance, opera, festivals, literature, theatre and exhibitions, and with dedicated promotion on RTÉ’s television, radio and digital services, and extensive support across RTÉ’s social channels, the RTÉ Supporting the Arts scheme is a lifeline to Ireland’s creative and cultural sectors.

To find out more information about RTÉ Supporting the Arts and to apply visit
About RTÉ Supporting the Arts – About RTÉ (rte.ie)

Find out what’s happening near you on www.rte.ie/culture