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about


former car washer, barman, cellar man, labourer, electrical goods salesman, civil servant and currently journalist with 35 years experience as an investigative off-diary reporter, foreign correspondent, feature writer, photographer and news editor.

Titles worked for - as a member of staff or as a stringer - include The Washington Post, Sunday Times, The Press Association, Daily Mail, Daily Mirror, Daily Express, the News of the World, The Sun, Mail on Sunday, People Magazine, Heat, Time Out, City Limits, Irish Daily Mail and the London Evening Standard.

In 1999, I started work as Deputy Showbiz Editor at the Daily Express in London's Blackfriars, not far from Fleet Street. 

While working at the Daily Express as the paper's Deputy Showbiz Editor, the paper's then editor - Rosie Boycott - allowed me to double up as a part time press officer and media adviser for the campaigning NGO, Fair Trials Abroad.

While working at the Irish Daily Mail, I set up Whistleblowers Ireland in 2010. Since then, I have dealt with a variety of whistleblowers. You will never have heard of any of them because none of them have ever wanted their names known.

After various roles there over the years - including News Editor, Chief Reporter and Southern Correspondent - I worked for Kerry’s Eye (briefly) before starting with the Irish Examiner in 2019, where I have covered and continued to cover a variety of stories, including a number of some of the most awful tragedies, details of which I sometimes report on for RTE.

In 2021, I was one of a number of Irish Examiner journalists who won a Justice Media Award for Human Rights/Social Justice Reporting for coverage of the Mother and Baby Homes - an issue I covered extensively when I worked for the Irish Daily Mail.

Needless to say, I wouldn't be a huge fan of government or civil service spin, and tend to get even more stuck into a story the more I am either lied to, fobbed off or I get long answers to questions I didn't ask instead of answers to questions I did ask (which happens a lot). 

I should add: I am very much against the brutal and horrific genocidal actions of the Israeli Defence Forces in Gaza and the West Bank, and the murder (and hostage taking) not just of defenceless civilians - especially little children - but also defenceless journalists, medics, first responders, paramedics, ambulance drivers, NGO workers - basically anybody who has died or been maimed trying to help Palestinians during this evil and horrific period history of humanity - but also while trying to bring to the world much-needed attention to the atrocities being committed by the US and UK-funded Israeli military.  Needless to say, I am also against the constant shelling of homes in Lebanon, in ongoing ceasefire breaches.

You can donate to 

UNICEF here or 

UNRWA here or

The ICRC here 

Email: neil.michael @ examiner .ie or Text/WhatsApp: +353 87 002 8771 

featured articles

Irish Examiner •

'Gobsmacked': HSE does not know outcome of probe into almost 500 baby deaths and injuries

The HSE has said it does not know the outcome of investigations into almost 500 baby deaths and birth-related brain injuries over the past four years.The Irish Examiner has confirmed that between 2020 and 2023, investigations were conducted in 488 cases where a baby was either stillborn, died within a month of birth, or suffered brain dysfunction.The majority of the investigations have been completed but when asked what proportion of probes resulted in a negative finding, the HSE said the info...
Irish Examiner •

Portlaoise Hospital baby deaths: Is history repeating itself?

There were nine empty chairs this Christmas at the dinner tables of mothers who have attended Portlaoise Hospital maternity unit in the last 17 years.Four should have been occupied by teenagers; and another four by younger children, still giddy with the magic of the holiday. The last chair should have a smiling toddler in it.Katelyn McCarthy would be 17, Dylan Franks 16, Nathan Molyneaux 15, Joshua Keyes 14, and Mark Molloy turning 12 in January. Mary Kate Kelly should be 10, Aaron Cullen seven,...
Irish Examiner •

At least 38 baby deaths in nine years after serious incidents in Irish maternity units

At least 38 babies died in the space of nine years after serious incidents in the country’s maternity units, it has emerged.The total is based on research of both media reports of inquests and settled claims.Before Christmas, a review by the  Irish Examiner  revealed 21 hospital baby deaths followed one or more serious incidents, between 2013 and 2021.However, further study in the same nine-year period shows the toll to be higher. The worst year was 2018, when not only did at least 10 babies die...
Irish Examiner •

No health service accountability for preventable deaths, says campaigner

A campaigner says there is still no accountability in the health service more than 11 years after her son died.Roisin Molloy also says there is no sign of any accountability coming “anytime soon” for predictable and preventable deaths and injuries.She says the recent case of a premature baby who died after a procedure at the Coombe Hospital shows there has been little or no real change in practice since her son died on January 24, 2012.Nobody has been disciplined for failings that led to his de...