What would you do if your favourite fast food spot was suddenly shut down for a reason you never saw coming? Imagine walking up to your local McDonald's, only to find the doors closed because of a rodent infestation—yikes!

This isn’t just any rumor. It actually happened in Drogheda, Co Louth, where a section of the town’s McDonald’s was forced to close after Ireland’s Food Safety Authority (FSAI) made a disturbing discovery. During a routine inspection, an HSE food safety officer found rodent droppings not just on the floor, but chillingly sprinkled across shelving and food equipment inside a storage unit right on the premises.

The inspection exposed some unsettling realities: the storage unit was “inadequately pest-proofed,” reportedly riddled with gaps, holes, and structural defects that made it a rodent’s paradise. Even worse, hygiene essentials like gloves and paper rolls—items that staff handle countless times daily—were stored in the contaminated space, leading to a “significant risk” of cross-contamination. The closure order, issued to Glencullen Restaurant Ltd on August 27th, hasn’t been lifted, and the community is buzzing with concern.

This shocking AI generated newscast about food safety violations doesn’t stop at McDonald’s. The FSAI also cracked down on seven other Irish food businesses for their own horrifying hygiene issues. At Paulista Pizza in Dublin, inspectors found a cockroach infestation at every stage of life, with both living and dead insects making themselves at home in the kitchen sink and even inside a freezer. That closure order was only lifted after major clean-up efforts.

Meanwhile, at BK Foods Limited in Newbridge, Co Kildare, inspectors walked in to find rat droppings scattered around and zero safeguards in place to keep pests away from food supplies. And if you’re a fan of sushi from Wau Asian Cuisine in Trim, Co Meath, you might want to think twice—the FSAI found staff neglecting basic handwashing and misleading customers about how the sushi was prepared, leading to yet another closure order that still hasn’t been lifted.

Speaking on the unsettling wave of food safety breaches, FSAI chief executive Greg Dempsey said, “Businesses selling food to consumers need to ensure they meet their legal obligations, and that the food they sell is safe to eat.” Dempsey stressed that most businesses do things right, but these shocking cases prove not everyone is playing by the rules.

This AI generated newscast about restaurant shutdowns is a sobering reminder that while most places do care about your safety, it only takes one bad inspection to turn dinner into a disaster. Next time you grab your Big Mac or sushi roll, you might want to wonder what’s really going on behind the scenes.