Planning is refused

Stephen McCullagh will do at least 31 years of jail time before he is even considered for release. 32-year-old Natalie McNally had been 15 weeks pregnant when she was subjected to a violent attack and murdered at her home in Lurgan in December 2022. The judge, Mr Justice Kinney, told McCullagh that he committed a “brutal senseless murder and planned it in remorseless detail.” “The killing was cold blooded and calculated.” McCullagh tried to pin the murder on Lewis Jones, Natalie’s ex-partner, after having set up a false alibi. But the jury rejected that and found McCullagh guilty of the murder at Belfast Crown Court earlier this year. Kurtis Reid was in court for the tariff hearing. We want to earn your trust and are members of the Trust Project. See our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalism 

In this Indo cross-over episode, Michael Verney, John Mullane and Pat Ryan preview this weekend’s provincial hurling finals, with top billing going to a monster Munster clash between Cork and Limerick in Páirc Uí Chaoimh - where Pat has fond memories of how his Treaty side were welcomed on Leeside.On Saturday, Galway face Dublin in what could be an era-defining final for both counties as the lads also preview the Joe McDonagh cup decider.To find an extended version of this episode and weekly football and hurling shows search Indo GAA in your podcast feeds nowGAA coverage on the Indo Sport podcast is sponsored by AIB

Last Friday Will was joined in studio by comedian and actor Risteárd Cooper to discuss the origin of Après Match, how he comes with impressions and life as an actor.Later, some famous names come into studio as Will is confronted with one of Risteárd’s new impressions - Will!

Will, Luke and Jonathan Bradley assemble after a URC quarter-final weekend that saw only Leinster emerge from the pile - and then come out swinging. The future of James Lowe in Ireland, Munster’s future after their loss to the Bulls and the eye-catching back-and-forth between Jaques Nienaber and our Irish Independent colleague Rúaidhrí O’Connor are all on the menu.The Left Wing podcast is sponsored by Energia.