Stranger Things have happened...
The best of UTV journalism, programmes and more from across Northern Ireland.
Hamnet cast and crew including the Coleraine born author Maggie O’Farrell at the Golden Globes. The film picked up two awards best drama and Jessie Buckley for best female actor. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Welcome to the UTV newsletter, a selection of our best journalism, must-see programmes and much, much more.
This week there was a touch of Hollywood (LA) glamour with Northern Ireland taking centre stage. The Coleraine-born author Maggie O’Farrell was celebrated after the film adaption of her Shakespearean tragedy novel Hamnet won big at the Golden Globes. Could an Oscar be next?
And Helen’s Bay local Louis McCartney is running up that hill to stardom. The 22-year-old has snagged a Tony Award nomination for his role in the West End phenomenon Stranger Things: The First Shadow.
Alison Jaye, Burke Swanson, Louis McCartney, and Gabrielle Nevaeh attend “Stranger Things: The First Shadow” Broadway opening night at the New York Marriott Marquis on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Pressure mounts on ailing health service
In the news, Northern Ireland’s healthcare system continues to face a series of crises. As hospitals struggled to find space for new admissions this week, there was an attempt to strangle a healthcare worker in Daisy Hill Emergency Department which is currently under police investigation. Fresh figures revealed that staff are facing a very real risk of abuse while trying to do their job with more than 60,000 physical attacks over the last five years.
We also brought you the story of a 75 year-old woman with Motor Neurone Disease forced to wait almost 30 hours for an ambulance. Nurses have warned that corridor care is now commonplace, with staff describing conditions for patients as “torture”. We told the story of one man from Co Down with pneumonia who had to spend three days on a chair in an emergency department (ED) corridor before then being diagnosed with cancer.
The Royal College of Emergency Medicine says medics have never seen it so bad.
New term, old problems for Stormont
With the new year in full swing, the folks on the hill made their return to parliamentary business and there was some familiar themes.
In the latest episode of ‘UTV Talking Politics’, our Political Editor Tracey Magee and Political Correspondent Vicki Hawthorne discuss the start of the new term which revolved around flags, money and one new MLAs meteoric rise to the top of his party.
Family of man who lay in morgue unidentified for a year say authorities stripped him of his dignity
To find out your eldest son has died is a parent’s worst nightmare. To hear that he had been a nameless body in a morgue for over a year was simply too much. In December 2024, the family of James O’Neill, known as Jim, were told he was dead, after his body was discovered in Dublin’s Phoenix Park. What they didn’t know, was that James had been dead for a year and was lying in a morgue unidentified. Watch Sharon O’Neill’s report here.
Tragedy as couple and their unborn baby killed in crash
Cathrene Kith Quiñones Singco who was seven months pregnant, and her husband Ralph Antony Singco died following a collision on the Moira Road in Crumlin near Nutts Corner on Sunday .
Over £70,000 has been raised online to return their remains to the Philippines for their funerals.
Police recruitment drive to address ‘dangerously low’ officer numbers
The PSNI has launched a new campaign in an effort to increase what the Police Federation has described as ‘dangerously low’ officer numbers. The aim - to boost staffing levels by more than 1,000 - could be made difficult by budget constraints and legacy cases.
Going the Extra Mile
After her dad's illness, journalist Fionnuala Sweeney voluntarily created a podcast to raise awareness and dispel the myth that dementia is a death sentence. On the latest episode of Going the Extra Mile, Fionnuala talks about de-stigmatising the diagnosis, showcasing the ever-growing range of treatments available and how we can proactively protect the health of our brain, as we can our heart or lungs.
From Helen’s Bay to Broadway
Louis McCartney is just 22 but he has already been nominated for a top Tony Award for his performance in the hit stage show ‘Stranger Things: The First Shadow’. The production is the prequel to the hit Netflix series that has captivated millions of viewers worldwide. The role has propelled McCartney into the spotlight, marking a significant rise to fame on the international stage. Watch Gareth Wilkinson’s report above.
Stories you should be watching:
+ School principal’s ‘toxic masculinity concerns’ see 19 pupils suspended
+Call for fresh investigation into Kelly Lynch’s death after independent forensic report
+ Royal Mail investigates missing Christmas presents worth £500 after collection error
+Stormont parties denounce social media platform X amid AI chatbot Grok misuse row
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UTV Sports Correspondent Ruth Gorman presents an intimate portrait of six-time World Superbike Champion and racing legend, Jonathan Rea. Watch the full programme here.
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