What the papers say: Saturday's front pages
Eva Osborne
A range of stories feature on the front pages of Irish newspapers on Saturday.
European leaders are considering reopening a direct line of dialogue with Russia, ending an effective four-year diplomatic silence in a bid to avoid being sidelined in negotiations to end the Ukraine war, according to The Irish Times.
The Irish Examiner reports on Irish security services suspecting Russian intelligence — or groups acting on their behalf — were most likely behind the hybrid drone incidents during the visit of the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Ireland.
The Echo leads with the amount of cancelled buses in Cork city jumping from just under one per cent at the start of the year to over five per cent during the summer.
Family members face the distress of not being able to see sick relatives in hospital over Christmas, as many impose a strict “one person only” visiting rule to stem the spread of flu, the Irish Independent reports.
The Irish Daily Mirror leads with Ryan Tubridy leaving Virgin Radio to host a new show on YouTube, The Late Show.
Five trainee gardaí have been sacked for handcuffing another rookie and leaving him under a running shower in what has been described as a "prank gone wrong", the Irish Daily Star reports.
The Irish Daily Mail leads with Ryan Tubridy saying he will come back to live in Ireland, but will continue presenting work in the UK.
The front page of The Herald focuses on the brother of a man fatally shot by a family member with a submachine gun saying his sibling was a “decent, honest man” who paid the ultimate price for meeting people in the drugs trade.
