In The News

Sonia ‘Sunny' Jacobs was 76 when she died on Tuesday morning in a house fire in Connemara.Her tragic death made headlines far beyond Galway and Ireland because Jacobs had led a truly remarkable life. It included a death row sentence for the murder of two policemen in Florida in 1976.She spent 17 years in a US jail, five in solitary confinement, before a deal with prosecutors saw her released in 1995.Another person died in the fire in the remote cottage, her carer a young man called Kevin Kelly from Moycullen.Her life – before and after that highway shooting – has been chronicled in books, a play and a film as Jacobs became a campaigner against the death penalty.In an extraordinary twist of fate, a coincidence that could barely have been imagined, she ended up married to a man whose experience mirrored hers. Peter Pringle had also been handed the death sentence over his part in the murder of two policemen: gardaí John Morley and Henry Byrne during a bank robbery in Co Roscommon in 1980.Irish Times reporter Ronan McGreevy has been in Connemara where Jacobs found peace and sanctuary and where she died. He tells In the News her story.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Children operated on when there was no need; industrial springs being used instead of approved medical devices; a doctor diverting children to his own private clinic leading to them facing dangerous treatment delays; and a poisonous work culture on the wards – these are some of the issues that have emerged in our children's hospitals.And that's before the not so little matter of the massive budgetary and time overruns that plague the unfinished national children's hospital.The body tasked with overseeing the healthcare of the nation's children is Children's Health Ireland.It was founded in 2019 and in just six years has faced a mounting number of controversies and scandals.Questions are now being asked about the ability of CHI to do its job.And that's a job that will get all the more complicated when the children's hospitals, each with their own culture and way of doing things, have to merge under one roof when the new hospital opens.CHI is funded by the HSE and answers to it, so what role does the State's healthcare body play in all this? And what is Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll McNeill going to do as CHI lurches from crisis to crisis?Irish Times health correspondent Shauna Bowers explains.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the early hours of May 8th, two masked men in a stolen Audi staged a drive-by shooting, firing nine shots indiscriminately at houses on Limerick's Hyde Road, including at April Collins's home. More shots were fired at a Collins-owned home on the Hyde Road in November 2024, and in two separate attacks in January 2025. Since then, there have been a dozen violent incidents, including pipe and petrol bomb attacks. The Garda Emergency Response Unit now conducts nightly armed checkpoints in flashpoint areas. The gangs appear undeterred.Between February and April, the Cork-based bomb disposal unit was deployed on multiple occasions to deal with pipe bombs seized in Limerick's criminal strongholds.In 2012 there was hope that the violent territorial feud between the city's key drug suppliers, the McCarthy-Dundon gang and the Keane-Collopy gang had been calmed, particularly with the jailing of key members of the Dundon family. April Collins's evidence sealed the case for the State. She moved away from Hyde Road following the court case but in late 2023 she moved back and tit-for-tat attacks ensued.And what of the new generation street criminals? Some are so young they were not even born when the original feud was in at its peak, but their actions show those gang lines that were drawn still exist: that the feud has never gone away.Brian Carroll tells In the News about the resurgence in drug-related gang violence in Limerick.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon and Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kerry farmer Michael Gaine's disappearance on March 20th was first treated as a missing person's case.Soon though, it was upgraded to a murder investigation as the Garda searched for his body and explored multiple lines of inquiry.Then the farmer's body was found – in the most grisly of circumstances. He had been dismembered with his body parts deposited into the silage pit on his farm.One such line of inquiry involved Michael Kelley, an American who lived and worked on Gaine's 1,000-acre farm for the past three years.Kelley has identified himself to the media as having been arrested and questioned in relation to Gaine's murder. He was released without charge.So is he and what was he doing in Kerry? How did he come to live and work on the Gaine farm? And why is he giving interviews?Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From the moment he reported her missing in 2017, Richard Satchwell stuck to his story that his wife Tina had run off.His many media appeals begged her to come home. But as the jury heard during his five-week trial in the Central Criminal Court for her murder, she was indeed home and she had been all along.Richard had killed her in 2017, dug a hole under the stairs of their terraced Youghal home and buried her.The Garda did look for her – as a missing person – but “red flags” emerged soon after her disappearance were “simply ignored” by gardaí, the court was told.What were they? And why did it take until six years after her disappearance for a thorough search of the Satchwell house to take place?Irish Times legal affairs correspondent Mary Carolan tells In the News how the court case unfolded and what happens next.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon and John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shane O'Farrell was 23 when he was the victim of a hit-and-run near his home in Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan. A law graduate, he had just submitted his master's thesis and was enjoying a carefree cycle on that August evening in 2011.Questions around how the crash happened soon turned to who was behind the wheel. It was Lithuanian Zigimantas Gridziuska, a man known to the Garda and the courts.On the day he killed Shane and drove off, he had more than 40 convictions, including some in Northern Ireland.So how was he free to go out and kill? He had breached his bail conditions many times so why was he not in prison?Since 2011, the O'Farrell family has been seeking answers and has worked tirelessly to understand how the justice system failed their son and brother. His parents Lucia and Jim, and his sisters, Hannah, Pia, Gemma and Aimee were in Leinster House last Tuesday to hear Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan give a State apology to the family “for the fact that the criminal justice system did not protect him [Shane] as it should have”.Gemma O'Farrell tells In the News about the family's long campaign, how they were stonewalled and disrespected by branches and agencies of the State that should have helped them and how they persisted despite all that.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan and John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nearly thirty years ago, in August 1996, 25-year-old Fiona Pender disappeared and was never seen again. Detectives have always believed Ms Pender, who was seven months pregnant when she vanished, was murdered on the day she was last seen alive. However, her remains have never been found.Earlier this week, gardaí announced the case had formally been upgraded to a murder investigation and began a search and excavation operation at Graigue near Killeigh village in Co Offaly.Gardaí are now carrying out a second search operation in Co Laois.What does the upgrade to murder inquiry mean for the investigation and why are gardaí suddenly conducting new searches?And what do we know about the primary suspect in the case?Crime and security editor Conor Lally discusses the latest developments in the case.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published its latest projections for the 2030 climate targets and it's bad news for Ireland.The Irish State has the worst emissions per capita in Europe – projections show our greenhouse gas emissions will fall by just 23 per cent by 2030, compared to our original national target of 51 per cent, according to EPA data published on Wednesday.The latest figures indicate none of the State's biggest emitting sectors – transport, agriculture and electricity – will meet their climate commitments. In most sectors, emissions continue to rise or are going down only marginally.The cost of missing these targets is obvious – extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and disruptive. And countries who fail to meet these commitments must pay huge fines.What can Ireland do between now and 2030 to reduce emissions? And how much will Ireland pay if it fails to meet these legally-binding targets?Irish Times environment and science correspondent Kevin O'Sullivan discusses the implications of Ireland's failure to meet climate targets. Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Five years ago, and three months into the 2020 global pandemic, the Leaving Cert was cancelled.The Department of Education announced in May 2020 that students due to sit their final school exams would instead receive predicted or ‘calculated' grades from their teachers.These much more generous results led to grade inflation which has seen tens of thousands of students receive bumper Leaving Cert results in recent years. The rise in grades also forced universities to use lotteries for entry to some high points courts, especially highly competitive courses such as medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and others.The Government is now moving to reduce this grade inflation, meaning Leaving Certificate results will be lower this year.What does this mean for the class of 2025 and what price will they pay for the reversing of grade inflation?Irish Times Education editor Carl O'Brien discusses the plans to bring grades back down to pre-pandemic levels.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Declan Conlon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Butter is becoming a luxury item. Rents have reached an all time high – just two examples of prices that seem to be constantly on the move upwards. Good news for the hard-pressed consumer is in short supply – even as inflation has reduced to around 2 per cent. And to add to the uncertainty, US president Donald Trump on Friday said he will impose a 50 per cent tariff on goods from the EU starting on June 1st. In previous years, the government has sought to help households with a range of one-off payments and double allowances, but the mood music coming from Leinster House is that those days are over as the chill winds of changing US tax and tariff policies start to bite. Two years ago, it seemed that every second headline and radio discussion was about the “cost-of-living crisis” but we don't hear that expression much any more. Are we worn down with ever-rising prices? Or could it be that those price rises might reverse? Irish Times consumer correspondent Conor Pope explains why prices are staying stubbornly high and suggests ways people can help themselves. Cliff Taylor looks at the potential impact of tariffs. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Former US president Joe Biden's announcement on Sunday that he has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer paused the avalanche of damning stories about his mental acuity and cognitive fitness for office during his presidency.The leaks and pre-publicity around a new book Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again by Alex Thompson and Jake Tapper have been going on for weeks.The authors contend that Biden's decline was obvious during his tenure as president and accelerated while he was campaigning for a second term. They say the facts of the 82-year-old's health were kept secret from the wider Democratic party and the American public by a small inner circle, led by his wife, Jill.Then last weekend audio surfaced of his interview with former special counsel Robert Hur in 2023 in which Biden sounded confused, rambling and with a notably weak voice.There were public messages of support and sympathy for Biden and his family from his supporters and political rivals - even president Donald Trump - when he announced the news.But as the week has gone on, commentary has turned to speculation around the timeline of his diagnosis, reviving questions about what health issues he was dealing with while in the White House.Irish Times Washington correspondent Keith Duggan looks back a monumental week for Biden and the Democrative party.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon and John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A new investigation drawing on thousands of internal emails and documents reveals the activities of Pravfond, a Russian organisation established in 2012 with the stated goal of protecting the rights of Russians living abroad, primarily by offering assistance in legal matters.However, the EU and European intelligence agencies say that in some countries Pravfond acts as a safety net for Russian intelligence assets – agents or spies – who get into legal trouble. In some countries, it also provides cover stories for these spies.Two lawyers operating in Ireland, Elizaveta Donnery and Olga Shajaku, are mentioned in the documents.There is nothing to suggest that Donnery, Shajaku or other Russians in Ireland supported by Pravfond engaged in intelligence gathering, influence operations or illegal activity.But the connection shows that Russia has an interest in Ireland.Conor Gallagher tells In the News about the investigation, Pravfond's activities and its significance.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The trial of Richard Satchwell, who has pleaded not guilty to murdering his wife Tina at their home in Youghal, Co Cork in March 2017, has now entered its fourth week. The first three weeks of this high-profile trial featured testimony from gardaí, crime scene managers, the family doctor, a forensic archaeologist and friends regarding the disappearance of Tina Satchwell in 2017 and the discovery of her body six years later. On Tuesday, the Central Criminal Court heard a cause of death for Tina Satchwell, whose skeletal remains were found buried under her Co Cork home in 2023, could not be determined due to the level of decomposition. After more than three weeks of testimonies, what else have we learned from the Richard Satchwell murder trial about the death of his wife in 2017?Today, on In The News, courts reporter with Ireland International news agency Alison O'Riordan discusses the Satchwell trial. Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Monday morning, Israel's Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu posted a video on his Telegram account pledging to take control of all of Gaza.“We are going to take control of all areas of the Strip, that's what we're going to do,” said Mr Netanyahu in the video.He also addressed Israel's humanitarian aid blockade into the besieged area, saying “minimal” food aid would be allowed into the strip, “just enough to prevent hunger”. Preventing famine among Palestinians is necessary both from “a practical and a diplomatic standpoint”, said the Israeli prime minister.This latest announcement comes one day after the Israel military launched Operation Gideon's chariot – a major new ground offensive across the Gaza Strip.Aid agencies have continued to warn that the 2.1 million Palestinians in the besieged area are at “critical risk” of famine, while Unicef says the “entire child population” is at risk of malnutrition.Today, on In The News, Israel says it plans to “take control” of all of Gaza. But what does that mean for Palestinians in the strip?Sky news Middle East correspondent Alistair Bunkall discusses the intensifying violence in Gaza and the implications of Israel's latest ground offensive.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Declan Conlon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kerry farmer Michael Gaine disappeared in March. In April Gardaí upgraded the search to a murder inquiry, despite not finding a body. Now, following a macabre discovery, a man has been arrested on suspicion of murder. Irish Times southern correspondent Barry Roche explains what we know. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ten years ago this week, on May 23rd, 2015, the people of Ireland voted to legalise same-sex marriage.Writing in The Irish Times the day after the referendum, columnist Fintan O'Toole noted the overwhelming victory for the Yes side “looks extraordinary” but was actually “about the ordinary”.“Ireland has redefined what it means to be an ordinary human being,” wrote O'Toole.“Everybody gains from equality – even those who didn't think they wanted it. Over time, those who are in a minority on this issue will come to appreciate the value of living in a pluralist democracy in which minorities are respected.”Ten years on, is Ireland a pluralist democracy in which minorities are accepted and equal? Or has the rise of far right groups and the fear-driven, macho-infused culture of Trump and Tate, impacted how gay and lesbian people in this country are perceived and treated?Buzz O'Neill Maxwell, a nightclub promoter and freelance events manager who campaigned for a Yes vote in the 2015 referendum, is one of many LGBTQ people who feel acceptance has declined and homophobia has increased over the past five years.Today, on In The News, ten years on from Ireland's referendum to legalise same-sex marriage, have old prejudices returned?Social affairs correspondent Kitty Holland and Buzz O'Neill Maxwell reflect on whether Ireland has become a better or worse place for gay people to live their lives.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Declan Conlon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From the end of June, the people of Ireland will no longer be able to pick up the phone and talk to Joe.Last week, Joe Duffy announced he was leaving his role as presenter of the RTÉ radio phone-in show after 27 years in the hot seat.The 69-year-old broadcaster, whose contract was due to expire this summer, said he was “deeply privileged and eternally grateful” to have worked for so long presenting the programme. He also said he hoped Liveline had “made people feel heard”. Over nearly three decades, Duffy presided over Ireland's court of public opinion, while his tagline, ‘talk to Joe', could be seen as either an invitation or a threat.His weekday radio slot gave a platform to issues that were sometimes ignored by the rest of the media. And some of the most unintentionally hilarious, totally unplanned, moments on Irish radio also emerged through the Liveline phone lines. What legacy does Duffy leave behind and who has the experience, and kudos, to fill his shoes?Today, on In The News, Joe Duffy is leaving but who will replace him?Irish Times radio columnist Mick Heaney discusses the history of Liveline, Duffy's career and the names already in the mix for the much-coveted afternoon slot.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mark Paul on why UK prime minister Keir Starmer evoked the arguments for Brexit - which he had opposed - when announcing a new crackdown on migration into the UK. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Members of Gaeltacht community groups and Irish language campaigners have issued a stark warning. They say the lack of housing, and oversupply of short-term holiday lets in Gaeltacht areas, is displacing native Irish speakers from their home counties.As a result, many fluent Irish speakers, who seek to bring up their families fully immersed in the Irish language and return home to their native town lands or villages, are unable to find a place to live.Census data in recent years continues to how the language is in decline – the number of daily Irish speakers dropped from 36% to 33% between 2016 and 2022.And now, the housing crisis in the Gaeltacht is creating a linguistic and cultural crisis.Campaigners have repeatedly warned that without a national language, Ireland will lose a unique part of its heritage. As the familiar Irish proverb warns – Tír gan teanga, tír gan anam.Dr Lorcan Sirr, senior lecturer in housing at the Technological University Dublin, discusses how Airbnb landlords and holiday homeowners are squeezing native speakers out of Gaeltacht areas.And physiotherapist and Gaeltacht housing campaigner Adhna Ní Bhraonáin describes the real-life implications for native Irish speakers who cannot find a place to life.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"The future can be seen" was the tagline of 2002 dystopian cop thriller Minority Report, in which Tom Cruise prevented crimes yet to take place with the help of a snazzy screen and three psychics floating in a tank. Now Gardaí want to use AI technology to do the same - well, kind of the same. Proponents of the technology say it will help avert criminality driven by online disinformation, like the 2023 Dublin riot. The new capability raises questions about civil liberties and the limits of AI surveillance in the hands of State authorities. Conor Gallagher explains why Gardaí want this tool and how it might be used. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A group of men dubbed the “grandpa gang” are among 10 suspects on trial in Paris on charges of robbing reality TV star and entrepreneur Kim Kardashian at gunpoint and stealing jewellery worth millions of euros during Paris Fashion Week in 2016. The billionaire business woman will be in court tomorrow to give evidence. Saskya Vandoorne, a senior producer for CNN based in the network's Paris bureau, explains how the trial has unfolded so far and how the group planned their €10 million heist. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

US-born Robert Prevost, who worked in Peru for two decades and became a citizen there before becoming a cardinal, is now Pope Leo XIV. But what sort of pope will he be? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For years tourists have been told it's a tradition in Dublin to rub Molly Malone's breasts – “for luck”. Something that's news to residents of the capital.And it is causing damage – not just to the look of the piece but also to its stability and that has prompted Dublin City Council to take action. Every day this week “Molly minders” were at the statue with one job – to stop tourists climbing up to touch her.The metal statue made by sculptor Jeanne Rynhart in 1988 shows all the signs of constant friction – the patina has rubbed off her breasts leaving them gleaming in the sunshine, a contrast to the dull finish on the rest of the near life-size figures.But that's been obvious for at least a decade, what hasn't been so visible is the damage people clambering up on Molly is doing to the structure of the piece and increase her stability is now in place.Irish Times Dublin editor Olivia Kelly explains why Dublin City Council has moved to protect the statue and what will happen next.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

India has conducted what it has described as “precision strikes” in neighbouring Pakistan and Pakistani-controlled Kashmir, days after it blamed Islamabad for a deadly attack on the Indian side of the contested region that killed 26 people.At least 26 civilians were killed and 46 injured by the Indian strikes, according to Pakistani officials.The Indian government claimed that nine non-military targets had been hit, in what it called “Operation Sindoor”.The military operation by India represents yet another bloody chapter in the decades-long simmering conflict over Kashmir, often called the Switzerland of India because of its lakes, forests and snow-capped mountains.The contested nature of the territory means that Kashmir is one of the most militarised zones in the world.To understand what happened this week – and why – it's necessary to look back to 1947 when Pakistan and India became independent from Britain and when both claimed Kashmir.Shashank Joshi, defence Eeditor with The Economist magazine, explains the background and explores the fears of further hostilities in one of the world's most dangerous flashpoints.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the early hours of Monday morning, a drone carrying a pipe bomb, a viable explosive device, crashed beside a family's home in North County Dublin. But who was controlling the drone and who or what was the intended target? Irish Times security and crime editor Conor Lally reports. Presented by Sorcha Pollak, produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chad now hosts 1.3 million forcibly displaced people, according to the UNHCR, despite itself being one of the world's poorest countries. More than half of these refugees are Sudanese, mostly women and children, who have fled the fighting between rival militaries which erupted in April 2023.It has been called “the forgotten war” because of the lack of media coverage and global attention particularly on the plight of the refugees who live in sprawling refugee camps.The reasons why so few journalists have gone to the African country to report on the war and the massive displacement of Sundanese people include the difficulty in getting there and safety issues.Two Irish Times journalists, writer Patrick Freyne and videographer Chris Maddaloni, travelled to East Chad in April to report from the refugee camps there.Their trip was supported by the Simon Cumbers Media Fund.They tell In the News about what they saw and heard and explore why the world has turned its back on this war.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Note: This episode was originally published in August 2023. In July 2023, four relatives attended a family lunch at the home of Erin Patterson, a mother of two from Leongatha in Australia. Within days of the lunch, three of the guests were dead, with a fourth left fighting for his life in hospital. A beef wellington that was served for lunch on the day is suspected to have contained poisonous death cap mushrooms. But why were they in there? A court in Australia must now decipher whether it was simply a tragic accident or if there was something more sinister at play. Patterson's trial opened last week in Victoria, Australia and is expected to last six weeks. She is facing three murder charges and one of attempted murder. In 2023, following Patterson's arrest, Bernice Harrison spoke to John Ferguson, a journalist with The Australian who outlined the details of the case; while retired homicide investigator Charlie Bezzina, who has worked on some of Australia's most high-profile cases explained the challenges for police in a case such as this. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Monday, the unthinkable happened: Spain and Portugal experienced an electricity blackout. Just after midday the lights went out, wifi went down, trains stopped, airports closed, ATMs froze and everyday life for millions of citizens ground to a halt. Both countries quickly ruled out the possibility that the outage was caused by a cyberattack. Human error was also discounted. Critics of Spain's ambitious green energy policy were quick to lay the blame on renewables. Nuclear power proponents suggested the outage was the inevitable result of moving away from nuclear.Power started to be restored on Monday evening, and by Tuesday morning the Spanish government reported that more than 90 per cent of supply had returned, with a similar percentage restored in Portugal.The costs are now being counted; the CEOE employers' association estimating the economic cost at about €1.6 billion. Self-employed workers may have lost as much as €1.3 billion, according to the ATA workers' association.But what caused the blackout? And how is it possible that days later the authorities still don't know for sure?Contributor to The Irish Times Guy Hedgecoe was on a train in Madrid when the blackout began. He tells In the News what happened next and explores the reasons and reactions to the unprecedented outage that has shaken confidence in the energy supply.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For Kneecap's growing fan base, the band's support of Palestine as they performed at the Coachella music festival in California last month didn't raise a ripple of surprise.The Belfast-based rappers who sing mostly in Irish have been consistent in their vocal opposition to Israel's response to the October 7th Hamas attack.But an American backlash coincided with UK police investigations into comments made by members of the group during concerts.One appeared to be shouting “up Hamas, up Hizbullah”.Footage from another concert appeared to show one of the group shouting “the only good Tory is a dead Tory” and “Kill your local MP”.Kneecap have since apologised to the families of two murdered British MPs. But they also insist the controversy has been manufactured in retaliation against their pro-Palestine stance and to distract from the real story of what's happening in Gaza.Media columnist Hugh Linehan looks at the controversies surrounding Kneecap, how they have responded and whether they are right to argue this is not a story worth covering.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon. This episode was edited on May 1, 2025 to remove a reference to Kneecap concerts being cancelled. None of the group's US concerts has been cancelled. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since taking over the Department of Justice, Jim O'Callaghan has embarked on a firmer, more hardline approach to immigration in this country.New legislation brought forward by the Minister this week and approved by Government, will speed up the time it takes to process an application for asylum, reducing the entire process from years to just a matter of months.However, the number of people seeking asylum in Ireland have already dropped considerably when compared with this time last year.A total of 3,021 asylum applications were made between January and March 2025, compared to 5,162 during the first three months of 2024, a drop of more than 40 per cent.Why have the numbers seeking international protection in this countries fallen and is this decrease reflected across Europe?And how much do the Government's immigration policies, such increased deportation orders and the expansion of its ‘safe list' of countries, actually impact whether or not people come to Ireland seeking safety?Immigration lawyer Cathal Malone discusses the drop in numbers and whether Government policies are responsible for this change.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Monday, a jury of seven women and five men was sworn in for the trial of Richard Satchwell at Dublin's Central Criminal Court.The 58-year-old is accused of murdering his wife Tina Satchwell, at their home in Youghal Co. Cork in March 2017. The trial is expected to take six weeks.Gardaí initially treated Ms Satchwell's disappearance as a Missing Person's Case, but it was upgraded to a murder inquiry when gardaí found human remains buried under the floor in the couple's home on Grattan Street in October 2023. Mr Satchwell has pleaded not guilty to the murder of his wife.Who is Richard Satchwell, how did he meet his wife and what happened when Tina went missing in 2017?Irish Times southern correspondent Barry Roche discusses the story of the Satchwell couple and the search that followed Tina Satchwell's disappearance.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Nuria Zyden travelled from her home in Dublin to a conference in Sarajevo she became aware that two Chinese men were following her. They were on her plane and they travelled to the hotel where she was staying. The conference was the World Uyghur Congress and she was there to represent the Irish Uyghur Cultural Association which she had founded in 2024 as a way to bring Irish Uyghurs together.She was not entirely surprised.Zyden is a Uyghur, a Turkic Muslim from Xinjiang – a minority that has been subjected to massive surveillance and repression by the Chinese government over the past decade.The mother of three who has lived in Ireland since 2009 and is an Irish citizen, gets calls from the security services in China complaining about her political activities and suggesting she work with them.Her contact with her elderly mother in China is, she says, severely curtailed and monitored by the authorities.Moving away to live and work in Dublin has not protected her from the reach of the Chinese Communist Party.She explains how this impacts on her life and her determination to give a voice to the millions of Uyghurs in China who cannot defend themselves.Irish Times journalist Colm Keena with his colleagues at the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists has been investigating how the Chinese government monitors its citizens abroad for a major new report called China Targets.He explains how Irish citizen Naria Zyden became the victim of transnational repression.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On April 16th, the Supreme Court in London ruled unanimously that “the terms ‘woman' and ‘sex' in the Equality Act 2010 refer to a biological woman and biological sex”.The ruling came in response to a legal dispute between the activist group For Women Scotland and the Scottish government over whether trans people with gender recognition certificates (GRC) identifying their gender as female were considered as having the sex of a woman.For Women Scotland had argued that the sex-based protections in the Act should only apply to people born female and that sex is “immutable biological state”.The judgment, which ran to more than 80 pages, found that “the concept of sex is binary” – there is a female and a male.It went on to say that the legislation gives transgender people “protection, not only against discrimination through the protected characteristic of gender reassignment, but also against direct discrimination, indirect discrimination and harassment in substance in their acquired gender”.The judgment has come as a blow to the transgender community, particularly to transwomen who fear it will marginalise them further.Irish Times London correspondent Mark Paul explains the ruling and its implications.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Aideen Finnegan and John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever wondered what your recourse would be if you were hit by someone riding an e-bike? 48 year-old Karl Leonard assumed Gardaí would prosecute the man who left him with a catastrophic leg injury, after he was knocked down in Swords last year. But after officers failed to pursue the case, Leonard took the rider to the criminal courts as a private citizen - and won. This episode contains graphic details of injury and surgery which some listeners may find distressing.Karl's story originally featured in this Irish Times article by legal affairs correspondent Mary Carolan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Irish Times contributor and former religious affairs correspondent Patsy McGarry discusses the contenders for the job and how the Vatican conclave's decision-making process will work.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last Tuesday in Conor McGregor's Black Forge Inn, the Irish Far Right were out in force. It was a celebration after a day showing US broadcaster Tucker Carlson around. He had arrived in Ireland to interview McGregor.But all is not what it seemed: the Irish far right are divided with splits and divisions multiplying since last year's local and general elections.But why? What has happened to their common goals and political ambitions? McGregor has pledged to contest the upcoming presidential elections on an anti-immigration platform so is he, with his fortune and global recognition, a unifying force or a divisive one?Conor Gallagher, Irish Times crime and security correspondent explains.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While walking through Dublin city, journalist Quentin Fottrell was scammed.A pleasant sounding, nicely dressed man stopped him and started chatting. Didn't Quentin remember him? After all, the man said, he had worked on his house some years ago. Not wanting to be rude and a little embarrassed at forgetting a face, Quentin continued the chat which slowly turned to the fact that the man had forgotten his wallet and needed some help to get home. It was only when he had walked away, €40 lighter, that Quentin realised he had been scammed.He wrote about the experience in The Irish Times and his article elicited multiple replies from men who had also been scammed by the same man in Dublin city centre.Donal Cronin was one such reader. Although he is a communications expert and deeply knowledgable in the psychology behind persuasion, he too fell victim to the smooth-talking scammer. He took a photograph of the man while they were chatting and Quentin was able to confirm it was the same confidence trickster.This episode was first published in January 2025Quentin and Donal came into studio to explain how the scam worked and how they feel now having being duped.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most of China's roughly 10 million Catholics attend officially sanctioned churches but a substantial minority belong to the so-called “underground church”, attending masses in unapproved venues and private homes.Under Pope Francis, the Vatican entered into an agreement with China in 2018 aimed at ending the division between the two Catholic communities by regularising the appointment of bishops.But the agreement, which was renewed last October for four years, has drawn criticism from some Catholics who fear it cedes too much influence to the Communist Party.Irish Times Beijing correspondent Denis Staunton explains the controversy and why Catholicism is growing in China.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon and John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Your 2007 Facebook posts, videos of your children or maybe your voice on Instagram stories. Everything you have ever publicly posted on Facebook and Instagram will now be used to train Meta's artificial intelligence model, Llama. Notifications will start appearing in your social media feed asking whether you want to opt out of the practice which was paused last year on foot of a request from the Data Protection Commissioner. Meta says its AI will improve the service it provides its EU users but campaigners have concerns around privacy and bias. Meanwhile, a group of Irish authors have launched legal action against the company over allegations that pirated versions of their work were used to train Llama. Irish Times business and technology journalist Ciara O'Brien explain it means for your historical uploads and how you can choose to opt out.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Aideen Finnegan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While ADHD diagnoses among Irish children have risen significantly in recent years, growing numbers of adults are now opting for an assessment for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.ADHD Ireland, a charity supporting those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, says there had been a “tsunami” of demand in recent years that is “overwhelming” services. And in the last budget, the Government announced funding for four new adult ADHD teams.But what does an adult diagnosis of ADHD – a common neuro-developmental disorder which makes it harder to concentrate and manage time – mean for a person's life?Why are more adults choosing to be assessed for the disorder? And does a diagnosis have a positive impact on a person's life?For Mairéad Deevy, a Waterford-based barrister, her ADHD diagnosis seven years ago brought a “sense of relief”.“There was probably a sense of hopefulness that things would improve,” Ms Deevy told the In The News podcast. “For me, and I think for a lot of people, when they get the ADHD diagnosis, other symptoms of anxiety and depression very much go into the background. It's an important piece of an overall diagnostic picture.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Unsuspecting Irish shoppers are being duped by scammers who have figured out a fiendish way to win your trust. Consumer Affairs correspondent Conor Pope explains what the scam is, how it works and how to avoid it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David Joyce, 38, was killed with a single shot by British police officers at Milton Keynes railway station on April 1st.But who was he and what do we know about his life in the lead up to that tragic day?Irish Times London correspondent Mark Paul visited Milton Keynes to explore what happened at the train station and how Joyce lived and died.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.