The Journal

The Journal Investigates is dedicated to lifting the lid on how Ireland works. We expose injustice, get forensic on complex stories and demand change on your behalf.

With your support, we get results that deliver impact.

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Impact

Our team goes beyond breaking news to spotlight issues that don’t get the attention they deserve.

We travel the length and breadth of Ireland to unveil its murky inner workings. We dive deep into data and documents, unearthing anomalies and failures. We listen to unheard voices and push the powerful to answer challenging questions.

Tough Start

A series exposing how institutional prejudice thwarts the lives of Traveller children from their birth, across every basic right from education to justice, from housing to health.

Education Minister committed to progress actions “to support improved educational outcomes for the Traveller community”. Recognition: Mary Raftery Prize, Justice Media Award and Irish Red Cross Journalism Excellence Award.

Revolving Door

Analysis of tens of thousands of lobbying returns highlighting the extent of lobbying by former senior public officials in Ireland.

Hundreds of lobbying returns amended following discovery that former government officials were not listed correctly on almost 400 entries.

Recognition

Our investigative unit is dependent on generous support by The Journal readers and Journal Media. Investigative reporting is time-consuming and difficult to resource but our readers make financial contributions because they know we deliver impact-driven journalism. Time and time again.

That’s not just us saying so. The Journal Investigates, and previously as Noteworthy, has brought home over 20 awards, including the prestigious Mary Raftery Prize, Irish Red Cross Humanitarian Awards, Journalist Awards and Justice Media Awards. Our investigations are regularly cited in the Houses of the Oireachtas, spur legislative change and call wrongdoing to account.

See all of our awards

Hands on Deck

A joint investigation between our team and Philippines outlet Philstar revealing the ongoing exploitation of migrant workers in the Irish fishing industry.

Significant policy changes on the status of migrant fishers followed. Findings were addressed by the Taoiseach and cited in the United States Department of State 2023 Trafficking in Persons Report. Recognition: Mary Raftery Prize, Irish Red Cross Humanitarian Journalists of the Year Award and Irish Food Writing Awards.

Factory Farm

A joint investigation by our team, The Detail in Belfast and The Guardian in the UK detailing fraudulent activity in the cross-border poultry litter trade.

Findings covered by national outlets including BBC and RTÉ, with politicians on both sides of the border calling for official investigations. Recognition: UCD Smurfit School Business Journalist Awards and Justice Media Awards.

A team that’s dedicated to the truth...

Maria Delaney

Editor, The Journal Investigates

Passionate about exposing injustice, Delaney is the only two-time recipient of the Irish Red Cross Humanitarian Journalism Award and has also won a number of other Irish and international awards, including the prestigious Mary Raftery Prize in 2022 and 2023. Her reporting has sparked policy change and reaction from politicians, including from Ireland's head of government. She regularly speaks about protecting sources, inclusive reporting and sourcing public information at national and international events, including at the renowned International Journalism Festival in 2024.

Patricia Devlin

Investigative Journalist

With 16 years experience in reporting crime in the UK and Ireland, Devlin is an investigative reporter who digs into contentious issues. In 2015, while working at Northern Ireland's Sunday Life newspaper, she won Reporter of the Year, Scoop of the Year and Campaign of the Year at the UK Regional Press Awards. In 2021, the then Sunday World journalist was a finalist in the Reporters without Borders Press Freedom Awards for her work on organised crime in Northern Ireland.

Conor O’Carroll

Junior Investigative Reporter

Skilled in obtaining documents through Freedom of Information requests, O’Carroll uncovers exclusive stories through extensive research. He is also proficient in using open-source investigative techniques and is passionate about environmental issues. He graduated from City, University of London with a Master's in Investigative Journalism. Prior experience includes Village Magazine, the Irish Examiner as well as The Journal’s news desk.