In The News

Despite all the talk over the summer, the names that came and went, the speculation and supposition – there is still only one name confirmed for the presidential race.Catherine Connolly, who launched her candidacy early with the support of Labour, the Soc Dems and others will be on the ballot paper.She will be joined by other presidential hopefuls – that much is certain – but who?Today in The Irish Times Pat Leahy reports that Fianna Fáil may have found its candidate. On today's podcast political correspondent Ellen Coyne looks at GAA legend Jim Gavin's potential candidacy, why Fine Gael picked Heather Humphreys over Sean Kelly, and whether the independents pushing for a place on the ballot have a real shot.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This podcast was first published in June 2025. The use of so-called 'dodgy box' technology to illegally stream television is widespread. Last week Mary Hannigan reported on the impact dodgy boxes are having on Irish sports broadcasters like Clubber, LOITV and GAA+. “I said it before, it's no different to going in to your local shop, picking up a loaf of bread or a bottle of milk and just walking out the door without paying,” said Jimmy Doyle, the founder of Clubber, the subscription platform that streams GAA club games. “It's theft, at the end of the day.”Individuals have been prosecuted for selling dodgy box services. But so far there have been no consequences for those using them. Back in June on In the News Conor Pope reported on whether dodgy box users will ever face the law. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the space of a few short years, generative AI has exploded into our daily lives, impacting the way we learn, work and understand the world around us.Open AI, the American artificial intelligence company cofounded by Sam Altman and Elon Musk in 2015 which runs ChatGPT, claims its non-profit “mission” is to ensure these systems “benefit all of humanity”.And while the launch of ChatGPT has undoubtedly lightened the workload of many, engineer, journalist and AI expert Karen Hao says the AI race for world domination carries a huge human and environmental cost.In 2019, Hao spent three days embedded in the offices of OpenAI and discovered this company, which claims to be transparent and operating “for the good of humanity”, was in fact highly secretive.In her bestselling book ‘Empire of AI: Inside the reckless race for total domination', Hao warns that the world has entered a new and ominous age of empire, where a small handful of companies are writing the future of humanity.Today, on the In The News podcast, how the race for total AI domination is repeating the worst of human history.Karen Hao discusses the severe cost of the seemingly unstoppable growth of OpenAI.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Aideen Finnegan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For years the Irish Republican Brotherhood – the IRB – was remembered annually in a curious ceremony at Dublin's Mansion House when its self-styled president Billy McGuire conducted a ritual that involved turning a golden harp to reaffirm the sovereignty of Ireland.The existence of an IRB will come as a surprise to historians who consider that the secret-oath-bound society of the same name was disbanded more than 100 years ago.But in recent years, a new cohort has taken over the IRB name, turning it into a growing organisation steeped in the pseudo-legal language of the sovereign citizen movement, which believes citizens are not subject to State laws.This has caused officials in Dublin and nationally to become increasingly nervous about the group's intentions.The leaders of the modern IRB are in large part veterans of the Covid-19 anti-mask and anti-lockdown campaigns, along with property owners who turned to conspiracy theories after losing vast sums during the crash. Its leaders include a prominent Clare businessman, a teacher, a healthcare worker and a life coach.This version of the IRB has a shadow government, a nascent court system and a network of local government bodies. It has also adopted a new time zone, Irish Rising Time, which is 25 minutes slower and based on the time zone used in Dublin until the 1916 rising. It even claims control over Óglaigh na hÉireann.So is this fringe group like those harmless re-enactors who cosplay historical events or does it have the potential to go the way of some sovereign citizen groups in the US and Germany who have escalated their actions to include violence?Irish Times Crime and Security Correspondent Conor Gallagher explains.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The arrest of more than 500 people at a Palestine Action rally in London on August 9th did more than raise the profile of the little-known anti-war action group: it raised questions about the fundamental right of British people to engage in peaceful protest, and exactly what constitutes a terrorist organisation in the eyes of the government.The arrests were on foot of a ban in July under UK terrorism legislation which put the group in the same proscribed category as Islamic State, al-Qaeda, the IRA, the UVF and a long list of banned terror groups.In an essay in the Irish Times last weekend, novelist Sally Rooney made her position clear.In the piece which she says she could not legally publish in a British publication, she writes that she supports Palestine Action – including financially – and “If this makes me a ‘supporter of terror' under UK law, so be it“.The images that emerged of the arrests at the rally included those of elderly men and women with home-made “Stop the Genocide” signs and of people wearing Palestine Action T-shirts and carrying banners.Since then, civil liberties groups have been vocal in what they say is the dangerous route the British government is following, appearing to conflate peaceful protest with terrorism.So what is Palestine Action? Irish Times London correspondent Mark Paul explains.And he describes the scenes inside and outside the court in London on Wednesday when Belfast rapper Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh was in court facing charges of supporting a proscribed organisation by allegedly displaying a flag in support of Hizbullah at a Kneecap gig in London gig last year.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode was originally published in June 2025. Tattle Life is a gossip site that many will have never heard of until a landmark defamation trial in Belfast in June 2025.Donna and Neil Sands bought a defamation case against the site – and won. They were each awarded £150,000 (€176,000) in damages, with the court saying their costs should also be covered.The married couple who live in Northern Ireland said that cruel, untrue and hateful anonymous postings over several years on the site left them fearing for their safety, their businesses and their relationships and impacted on their mental health.Award-winning journalist Aoife Moore knows exactly how the Sands feel. She too has been the victim of an onslaught of online abuse on Tattle Life, with entirely untrue gossip spread about her personal and professional life.She tells In the News how that impacted on her and what the defamation case means for her. And while this is the first successful defamation case against the gossip site, she says it will not be the last.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the 12 months leading up to April 2024, 30,000 Irish citizens who had been living abroad returned to Ireland. A similar number of Irish emigrants returned to Irish shores the previous year, in the 12 months leading up to April 2023.Who are these people, why are they coming home and what do they think of the Ireland they've returned to? Today, on the In the News podcast, we speak to three Irish people who recently returned to Ireland after years of building a life overseas. Are Irish infrastructure and healthcare as bad as we believe when compared with other systems abroad? What is it that pulls people back? And are they back for the long haul, or is reintegration back into Irish society too difficult after a long stint overseas?Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Rose of Tralee is one of the biggest events in Ireland's cultural calendar.It pumps millions of euro into the local economy and pulls in well over half a million viewers; no mean feat in an age of dwindling linear TV viewership.Almost 30 years of being lampooned as a ‘Lovely Girls' competition thanks to that Father Ted episode has seen its popularity undimmed.Albeit only relatively recently, it has evolved to permit married and transgender women enter the contest.However 29 is still the cut-off age, meaning you are officially too old for Rose of Tralee at the age of 30.The title is bestowed upon a young woman whom the judges think would be a good ‘cultural ambassador' for Ireland for the following year.While the spirit of diversity has been embraced, with women of colour among those to don the sash, is the competition still overly focused on a narrow version of femininity?Last year, the documentary ‘Housewife of the Year' highlighted the eponymous competition which ran from 1969 to 1995.In what seems utterly baffling now, married women were judged on their ability to “budget effectively and prepare a simple meal.”Eventually the competition was scrapped quietly; collapsing under the weight of public opinion which was rebelling against societal norms of the quiet homemaker.But the Rose of Tralee doesn't appear to be in any such jeopardy, and is arguably as popular as ever.Reporter Niamh Browne joins the podcast from Tralee to ponder the question: Is the Rose of Tralee uncancellable?Presented by Aideen Finnegan. Produced by Declan Conlon and Andrew McNair. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2021, GP Paddy Davern returned to Ireland after eight years working as a doctor in Qatar. Four years on, the Tipperary man is still struggling to come to terms with the time he spent working with the Special Operations Service (SOS), a specialist medical team treating the country's royals and other VIPs.In today's episode, Irish Times health correspondent Shauna Bowers shares Dr Davern's traumatic experience in Qatar and explains why he is now speaking out about the working conditions and ethical dilemmas he faced during his time there. Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Suzanne Brennan and Andrew McNair. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The prescription of pain medication among Irish patients, including highly addictive opioids, is rapidly rising, according to new research.The use of opioids has increased by 25 per cent in Ireland, while the prescription of paracetamol rose 50 per cent between 2014-2022, according to a study published last week in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.The prescription of even stronger medication, like codeine and opioids including tapentadol and oxycodone, is rising even higher.This sharp increase in pain medication prescriptions by doctors in Ireland contrasts starkly with the approach in England, where the NHS is cracking down on the overuse of these potentially-addictive medicines.Why are so many doctors prescribing this heavy-dose medication?And is this growing reliance on opioids at risk of become an addiction crisis for patients seeking pain relief?Today, on In The News, is Ireland heading towards an opioid addiction crisis?Royal College of Surgeons Ireland (RCSI) associate professor Frank Moriarty, who co-authored the study into how pain is treated in Ireland, discusses the significant rise in opioid prescriptions.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Andrew McNair. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week, in the early hours of Tuesday, August 5th, Martha Nolan-O'Slattara was found unconscious on a boat at an exclusive yacht club in the Hamptons. She was later pronounced dead by first responders.The 33-year-old entrepreneur from Co Carlow had been living in the United States for nearly a decade where she had set a series of pop-up clothes boutiques and lived in Manhattan's upper east side.US police are now trying to piece together the events that led up to the death of this young Irish woman after the result of a preliminary examination were deemed inconclusive. A final postmortem report will reportedly take at least three months to complete.Irish Times reporter Niamh Browne discusses the Irish fashion entrepreneur's life and untimely death.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu has continued to defend his government's plan to escalate the war in Gaza, despite widespread international condemnation and outrage.The Israeli leader claims his security cabinet's decision to capture Gaza City, which could mean months, possibly years, of combat ahead, is “the best way to end the war, and the best way to end it speedily”.The plan has resulted in protests across Israel with calls for a total end to the war and the release of hostages. Israeli military leaders have also opposed the plan.Meanwhile, starvation continues to spread across Gaza, with Israel permitting just a fraction of the aid needed to address the catastrophic levels of hunger into the strip.And this week, five journalists, including a prominent Al Jazeera reporter, were killed in a targeted Israeli air strike. Their deaths bring to 192 the total number of journalists who have died since the war in Gaza nearly two years ago, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.Why, in the face of all this, is Mr Netanyahu pushing ahead to reoccupy Gaza City, despite overwhelming opposition to his plan?Today, on In The News, Netanyahu says the plan to control Gaza city will end the war. But, is that what he really wants?Irish Times contributor Mark Weiss discusses the fallout from the Israeli Government's decision to take control of Gaza city.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Aideen Finnegan and Andrew Mc Nair. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the heart of Limerick city sits a newly-built six storey landmark, offered as a gift by JP McManus to Limerick City and County Council. The billionaire businessman had a vision for an iconic tourist attraction in the southwest, offering a boost to the area and honouring Ireland's proud rugby tradition. The International Rugby Experience opened to great fanfare in May 2023, but was shuttered just 19 months later amid a bitter row between McManus and the local authority. The city's directly-elected mayor refused to take the gift. Now the red-bricked white elephant has become a metaphor for intractable local politics or a billionaire's vanity project, depending on who you ask. So what happened behind the scenes to collapse the scrum and what efforts are underway now to try and end the impasse? Limerick journalist and Irish Times contributor Brian Carroll tells the story of the ill-fated International Rugby Experience.Presented by Aideen Finnegan. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Seven years ago, in September 2018, the Government approached a company called Brimwood Ltd asking for help to secure extra accommodation in hotels and B & Bs for asylum seekers.While the number of international protection applicants arriving in Ireland was significantly lower at that time when compared with today – nearly 6,000 in 2018 compared with almost 33,000 in 2025 – the State's direct provision system had reached full capacity and needed temporary additional beds.Brimwood Ltd, which is now unlimited and so does not have to publish financial accounts where it might show the profits it makes, is run by Séamus ‘Banty' McEnaney and his two daughters Sarah and Laura. It is just one of a number of companies owned by the wider McEnaney family which provide accommodation for asylum seekers and homeless people.Before 2018, McEnaney's name was synonymous with Monaghan GAA, but these days, the businessman is more likely to be associated with the State's asylum system.How did McEnaney build up his property empire and how much have his family's companies earned through the provision of emergency accommodation?And who is to blame for the lucrative contracts being paid to secure this accommodation – private operators or the Government?Today, on In The News, how one family earned millions from housing refugees and homeless people.Irish Times reporters Colm Keena and Sorcha Pollak discuss their investigation into the McEnaney family's earnings and how the State has become so reliant on private operators to house refugees and the homeless.Presented by Aideen Finnegan. Produced by Suzanne Brennan, Andrew McNair and John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

British socialite Constance Marten, 38, and her partner convicted rapist Mark Gordon, 51, prompted a 53-day police manhunt when they went on the run with their newborn daughter in the depths of winter two years ago.That hunt ended in tragedy after the decomposed body of their baby, Victoria, was discovered in a shopping bag buried under rubbish in Brighton; the couple were camping nearby.While no definitive cause of the baby's death could be established, they were found guilty in July of her manslaughter by gross negligence.The scenes in the Old Bailey in London were as chaotic as their lives and the details that emerged of the birth and death of their daughter were harrowing.It is thought they went on the run when Marten was pregnant as their four young children had already been taken into care.Their sentencing is expected in September.In the second of two episodes on their case, BBC news correspondent Helena Wilkinson takes us inside the courtroom and explains why it "was the most extraordinary trial" she has ever reported on. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

British socialite Constance Marten, 38, and her partner convicted rapist Mark Gordon, 51, prompted a 53-day police manhunt when they went on the run with their newborn daughter in the depths of winter two years ago.That hunt ended in tragedy after the decomposed body of their baby, Victoria, was discovered in a shopping bag buried under rubbish in Brighton; the couple were camping nearby.While no definitive cause of the baby's death could be established, they were found guilty in July of her manslaughter by gross negligence.The scenes in the Old Bailey in London were as chaotic as their lives and the details that emerged of the birth and death of their daughter were harrowing.It is thought they went on the run when Marten was pregnant as their four young children had already been taken into care.Their sentencing is expected in September.BBC news correspondent Helena Wilkinson takes us inside the courtroom and explains how the tragic case unfolded.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by 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.This episode was originally broadcast in June 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sports memorabilia is big business in the United States. Exceptional athletes can attain God-like status very quickly there, and everybody wants a piece. The baseball that Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers hit for his 50th home run last season, recently sold for $4.3 million. And if you are into buying sports memorabilia, chances are at some point you logged on to a website called Mister Man Cave, which boasts one of the largest football, baseball and basketball autograph inventories on the web. That's what it looked like, but all wasn't as it seemed. During an investigation into fraud and counterfeiting at Mister Man Cave, its owner 45-year-old Brett Lemieux took his own life. Host Bernice Harrison is joined by Irish Times contributor and America at Large columnist Dave Hannigan, who explains that before his death, in a Facebook post, Lemieux spelled out for investigators and sports fans how he had flooded the market with hundreds of thousands of fraudulent sports-related items over two decades, generating hundreds of millions of dollars for his company. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week, hundreds of Ukrainians took to the streets across the country protesting a government move to slash the independence of two anti-corruption agencies.Volodomyr Zelenskiy faced the first street protests against his presidency since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 after he signed a controversial law that would curb the independence of Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau and Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office.Two days later, Mr Zelensky backtracked on the controversial changes after European officials warned the bill threatened to undermine Ukraine's ongoing bid to join the union. Mr Zelensky also said he had “heard the public opinion”.However, is this U-turn enough to end the controversy? And why did the Ukrainian president introduce the bill in the first place?Today, on In The News, is Zelensky losing the trust of the Ukrainian people?Irish Times eastern Europe correspondent Dan McLaughlin discusses the fallout from Ukraine's anti-corruption scandal, relations between Zelensky and Donald Trump and the latest on the front line of the war in Ukraine.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Declan Conlon and Andrew McNair. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Tuesday, after weeks of warnings, and growing reports of young children dying from malnutrition and starvation, a famine alert was issued for Gaza.UN-backed hunger experts announced that the “worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out in the Gaza Strip”.The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Initiative (IPC) said the latest evidence of widespread starvation, malnutrition and disease indicated famine thresholds had been reached for food consumption in most of the Gaza Strip.The UN's world Food Programme also warned the disaster unfolding in Gaza was reminiscent of the famine seen in Ethiopia in the 20th century. On today's In the News podcast, Dr Morgan McMonagle, an Irish trauma and vascular surgeon who has travelled to Gaza twice since the war began, describes how life in the strip has become “worse than hell on earth”.Video footage and pictures “do not do justice to the destruction” playing out in Gaza, he said. Children are undergoing surgery “for the most horrific injuries from the most sophisticated million dollar war machines,” he added.“What Gazan people need right now, more than a ceasefire, is food. Food and water. They don't even need medicine, because medicine is no good without food and water.”Today, on In The News, an Irish surgeon on the reality of violence and starvation in Gaza.The Irish Times contacted the Israeli government and Israel Defence Forces requesting that they respond to the points raised by Dr McMonagle in this podcast but they did not reply.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Andrew McNair and Declan Conlon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Sunday, shortly after playing a round of golf at his luxury Turnberry resort in Scotland, US president Donald Trump agreed to a trade deal with the EU commission president. It followed months of tension and shifting deadlines over a threatened 30 per cent tariff and all-out trade war, which would have been devastating for the Irish economy.And while 15 per cent avoids the worst case scenario, business leaders here like IBEC chief executive Danny McCoy claim “Europe has capitulated” by accepting the deal.Sow how exactly will these tariffs affect Irish businesses and what are the longer term implications?Was Ms von der Leyen correct in agreeing to it or should the EU have followed French president Emmanuel Macron's call to hit back hard against US trade threats with a more aggressive response?Irish Times acting Europe Correspondent Jack Power and economics and finance writer Cliff Taylor join the podcast to discuss the fallout.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Declan Conlon, Aideen Finnegan and Andrew McNair. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The attack on an Indian man on a suburban street in south Dublin two weeks ago by a gang of teenagers was fuelled by racism and online misinformation.The married father of one, who had left his wife and child in India to take up a job in Dublin just weeks before, was brutally assaulted, robbed and stripped of some of his clothes.It is understood the group had falsely accused the man of acting inappropriately around children. These claims were later spread online, including by prominent far-right and anti-immigrant accounts.Garda sources said there is no truth to accusations the man was acting inappropriately.Local woman Jennifer Murray was driving when she noticed the bloodied and half-dressed man standing at the side of the road, shocked and injured. She tells In the News how events unfolded.Irish Times crime and security correspondent Conor Gallagher explains that this incident is the not the first of its kind and how the Garda are dealing with the spread of misinformation.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

President Michael D Higgins's 14-year term is in its final months with an election to decide his predecessor set to take place before November 11th.After months when a changing list of potential candidates tended towards the fanciful – for a while it seemed that anyone with a public profile was in the frame – now two names have emerged as definite contenders: Independent TD Catherine Connolly and former MEP Mairead McGuinness.Connolly has secured the backing of the Social Democrats, People Before Profit and several Independent members, while McGuinness is the Fine Gael nominee.Going by previous presidential elections, it won't be a two-horse race but when will other candidates declare? And do the two women have early-mover advantage?Irish Times political correspondent Ellen Coyne explains.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The All-Ireland senior men's football final takes place on Sunday, and following last week's takeover of In the News by Malachy Clerkin to look at the hurling final, this week Malachy is back with two former football greats, Dean Rock and Conor McManus, to look at the clash between Donegal and Kerry. We hope you enjoy. In the News will return with a regular episode tomorrow. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Tuesday, during a meeting at the White House with the president of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, US president Donald Trump launched an incendiary attack on one of his predecessors, Barack Obama.In a fluent speech he accused Obama of “treason” and “sedition”.No evidence was given and the“papers” he mentioned seemed to refer to last week's report from Tulsi Gabbard, his national security director, on the 2016 election that claimed to show “a treasonous conspiracy” with Russia to fix the election against Trump.Trump has frequently attacked his political opponents, regularly mentioning “Sleepy Joe Biden” and “Lying Hillary Clinton”. But is this different? And why now? Might it be another diversionary tactic to take the focus of the so-called Epstein files, as the controversy around their release – or even existence – shows no sign of calming? And what has Obama said?Scott Lucas, political analyst and professor at UCD's Clinton Institute, explains.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Earlier this month, a tanker laden with thousands of tonnes of crude oil, which had set off from a Russian port on the Baltic Sea, sailed down the west coast of Ireland. The decision by the Sierra, a 250-metre tanker which was destined for India, to sail around the British Isles and into the North Atlantic, rather than take the more direct route through the English Channel, has caused confusion and concern among maritime and naval experts. The tanker, which passed by the west coast of Ireland on July 10th, was just one of the rising number of sanctioned Russian ships, known as shadow fleet vessels, to sail through Irish-controlled waters in recent months. The suspicious and bizarre behaviour of these vessels has prompted the Irish Defence Forces and Government to step up maritime monitoring because of environmental and national security concerns. What is this Russian shadow fleet and why are some of their vessels taking the longer route around the Irish coast and sailing outside recognised shipping lanes? And what are the security and environmental risks posed by these ships? Irish Times crime and security correspondent Conor Gallagher discusses the dramatic increase in the number of sanctioned Russian ships sailing through Irish-controlled waters. Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Suzanne Brennan and Andrew McNair. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In March of this year, the eyes of the world turned towards the occupied West Bank when the film ‘No Other Land', which tells the story of Israel's forced displacement of Palestinians in the region, won the Oscar for best documentary feature.Two months later, The Settlers, a BBC documentary where broadcaster and journalist Louis Theroux meets the growing community of religious-nationalist Israelis who have settled in the occupied territories, went viral.Driving around the West Bank, 14 years on from his first visit to the area, Theroux said “much was still the same” in the occupied zone. “The same sense of a two-tier society: Jewish settlers who lived protected under Israeli civil law; Palestinians who were subject to an opaque regime of military rule, with roads closed, life made difficult in ways big and small,” he wrote in a Guardian newspaper in May.Yet, the situation in the West Bank is not what it was a few years ago. In January 2025, Israel launched its Iron Wall military operation which left tens of thousands of Palestinians without proper shelter or healthcare, while the expansion of Israeli settlements – which are illegal under international law – has rapidly increased since Hamas's October 7th attack on Israel in 2023.In May, Israel announced that 22 new Jewish settlements had been approved in the occupied West Bank – the biggest expansion in decades.Meanwhile, in Ireland, the pre-legislative scrutiny of the Occupied Territories Bill, which would ban trade in goods with the occupied Palestinian territories, is continuing.But even if it passes, what will this Irish legislation actually achieve? Irish Times journalist Sally Hayden reports from the West Bank. Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Suzanne Brennan and Andrew McNair. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An inquest doesn't typically hear questions about the consummation of a relationship or the validity of a marriage certificate, and it's not usual for there to be so many lawyers in a coroner's court. But when there's a farm, valued at €5.5 million at stake, and the circumstances around the death are somewhat confused, it's perhaps to be expected.The three-day inquest into the death of wealthy farmer Joe Grogan (75) at his home on April 15th, 2023 heard questions that a coroner's court is not there to answer. Its job is to establish cause of death.Grogan had been married the previous day, to his long-time friend and sometime carer Lisa Flaherty. A clear cause of death could not be established because he had been embalmed within hours.His 220-acre farm at Screggan, near Tullamore is well-known having hosted the National Ploughing Championships for two years and is set to do so again this year. As his widow, Flaherty stands to inherit his estate.Members of Grogan's family questioned the validity of the marriage – they said they were unaware it had taken place – and there were heated scenes in the court.Ultimately the coroner Raymond Mahon ruled that the newly-wed farmer probably died of an infection associated with his stage-four cancer, his immune system being compromised because of chemotherapy and significant weight loss. He said the evidence did not support a finding of unlawful killing as had been suggested and he rejected calls by Grogan's extended family to refer the circumstances of the death to the Garda.Irish Times reporter Colm Keena was in court to hear the verdict and explains the background.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the US and the Taliban signed a peace deal that saw all international troops leaving Afghanistan by May 2021, Britain promised to relocate those Afghans who had aided it in the war effort.They had to apply to the Ministry of Defence for consideration. But then in 2022 the list was leaked – in an administrative error – making those on it targets for retribution by the Taliban. It's thought that about 100,000 people were put at risk by the leak when wider family members were included.A panicked reaction followed in 2023 when the list appeared on Facebook and a series of decisions were made by a small number of senior civil servants that were only revealed to parliament and the British public this week.First a super-injunction was placed on the media and on anyone with knowledge of the leak leading to a blanket of secrecy.Then the UK government set up a secret multibillion-pound scheme to bring Afghans to Britain.The political fallout in the UK is ongoing as Mark Paul, Irish Times London correspondent, explains.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The All-Ireland senior men's hurling final takes place on Sunday.To mark the occasion, The Irish Times sports department takes over our podcast feed to bring you a conversation between sports writer Malachy Clerkin and columnists (and legends of the game) Nicky English and Joe Canning.They look at the teams and tactics they expect to see on Sunday, and make some big predictions. Whether you are a die-hard fan, or simply want to jump on the hurling bandwagon before kick-off, we hope you enjoy this conversation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump once said that he would "probably" release documents relating to the life and crimes of late billionaire and notorious sexual abuser Jeffrey Epstein. Others in his circle went further, pledging to reveal any information held on Epstein. Such files have long been rumoured to include the names of fellow abusers Epstein conspired with. Now that his administration has said it will not release the files, many among Trump's MAGA base believe that a sacred promise has been broken.But was it a promise that should ever have been made? Is there anything to the "Epstein client list" conspiracy theories? And could the controversy cause Trump real harm? Keith Duggan reports from Washington. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the last academic year, hundreds of schools around the country have been affected by the ongoing teacher shortage. It's a crisis which has left almost 1900 teaching posts vacant. But with record numbers of teachers employed in Ireland and a healthy supply of teaching graduates coming down the pipeline, what's going on? Why are schools scrambling for teachers and what are the knock on effects for students?In today's episode, Sorcha Pollak talks to Irish Times Education editor Carl O'Brien to find out more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Opposition parties including the Social Democrats and Sinn Féin have been criticising the Government over its record on the cost of living, and especially the price of food, alleging that supermarkets have been allowed to "price gouge" customers. It's true that food price inflation has hit Irish shoppers hard in recent years. But are supermarkets really ripping us off, and does the Government have the power to influence prices? Sorcha Pollak asks Conor Pope. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Salt Path, a memoir published in 2018, told an inspirational story; how Raynor Winn and her husband Moth lost their home following an unwise investment while the couple were dealing with Moth's diagnosis of a rare terminal illness.It was how they dealt with these blows that was so uplifting: they embarked on a 1,000km coastal walk and a journey of self-exploration. The book sold more than two million copies and prompted a film adaptation starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs.And while creative licence is usual and even expected in any memoir, an investigation by Chloe Hadjimatheou, a reporter with the Observer newspaper, claims Raynor – real name are Sally Walker – had embezzled money from a former employer.Hadjimatheou also raises a sceptical eyebrow about the diagnosis of corticobasal degeneration that Moth received in 2013, though she does say that nothing she has seen contradicts his diagnosis or the book's account of it.So what has been the reaction from the publishers, the film-makers and the couple in the eye of this literary storm – the Walkers, aka the Winns.Statements responding to the allegations came as the week went on including one from Raynor posting on her website.She admitted her deep regret for any mistakes she made while working for her former employer and is devastated by “unfair and false” accusations that her husband's illness was fabricated or exaggerated. She said the book's account of the way they lost their home is true and that their property in France is “an uninhabitable ruin”. She noted the couple have no outstanding debts.Chloe Hadjimatheou explains the fallout to her report.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The seizure of the MV Matthew, with its massive consignment of drugs, off the Irish coast in September 2023 was as daring as it was skilful.After days of a cat and mouse chase in challenging weather between the Naval Service and the Matthew, members of the elite Army Ranger Wing descended from a helicopter on to the deck of the cargo ship. The crew were arrested and the drugs found.Operation Piano – which brought Revenue, the Garda and the Defence Forces together – resulted in Ireland's largest ever drugs seizure, worth €156 million.While the operation was an undoubted success, a showcase of ability, power and intent, it also highlighted how ill-equipped the Defence Forces are.Only one ship was available for the operation, and only one helicopter. So many things could have gone wrong.Eight men have been jailed over the drugs seizure, their significant sentences a signal from the Irish courts that anyone involved in such international drug smuggling will be treated severely.Irish Times crime and security correspondent Conor Gallagher describes how the Matthew was intercepted and seized.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Parliament Street, the short, wide road that has Dublin's quays at one end and City Hall at the other was, up to last week, clogged with traffic.Not any more.In the latest phase of the Dublin City Centre Transport Plan it has now been closed off to motorised vehicles. It is not fully pedestrianised – cyclists can still use it.That's another car-free initiative ticked off the city council's list, with the development of College Green Plaza next on the agenda. But that's been in the works for years and it still seems a long way off.And already the costs have spiralled from €10m to €80 – with no start date in sight.So what's happening? Irish Times Dublin editor Olivia Kelly explains.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week, a catastrophic flood tore through central Texas, killing more than a hundred people, including over two dozen children attending a Christian girls' summer camp.An entire summer's worth of rain water was dumped on the region within hours, leaving total devastation in its wake.Now, as the search and rescue efforts continue, the political blame game has well and truly begun.Some Democrats quickly warned about the “consequences” of the Trump administration's cuts to the federal government workforce, including meteorologists within the National Weather Service.The Trump administration responded that the floods were a “once-in-a-generation natural disaster” and accused the Democrats of pushing “falsehoods” through the media.Today, on In The News, the political fallout from the Texas flooding disaster.Irish Times Washington correspondent Keith Duggan discusses the aftermath of the Texas floods and the political posturing that has followed the human catastrophe.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 2025 Leaving Cert exams are finally a thing of the past and 18-year-olds have begun their annual pilgrimage to party hotspots across southern Europe to blow off steam after a year of study.And while these trips are regarded as a rite of passage for some students, it can also be a worrying time for parents, with some tracking their children for the entire holiday.Last week, Irish Times reporter Niamh Browne travelled to the Greek island of Zakynthos, or Zante as it's better know, where she spent a week speaking to South Dublin students, local Greek residents and even the mayor of the island.Why did these students choose to travel to Zante, how do they pay for these holidays and how bad is the drugs and drink scene on the party strip?And are parents taking things a step too far by online tracking, and sometimes following, their children on their post-Leaving Cert overseas celebration?Today, on In The News, What happens in Zante, stays in Zante. That is, until now ...Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin wraps up his four-day visit to Japan today with a visit to Hiroshima where he will lay a wreath at the cenotaph commemorating those who died after the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the city in 1945.It's been a hectic few days with an itinerary that included the opening of Ireland House in Tokyo, which at more than €20 million is the largest capital project overseas since the foundation of the State, as well as a visit to Osaka to visit the Irish pavilion at Expo 2025, an international exposition that is expected to attract more than 28 million people.Irish Times Beijing-based correspondent Denis Staunton explains why this visit is so timely and why it has focused on an economic relationship that has doubled in size over the past decade.He also explains the deep interest in Irish culture that has been building in Japan, from the development of Irish pubs to the thriving branch of Comhaltas.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

George Gibney was arrested on Tuesday in Florida after a Garda request was made to the US State Department to extradite him to Ireland to face charges relating to alleged historical child sex abuse.The 77-year-old former swim coach, who avoided trial on sexual abuse charges in 1994 after successfully challenging his prosecution in the High Court, is now accused of 78 counts of indecent assault and one count of attempted rape relating to four girls; and the alleged attempted rape of one of the girls.All four were minors, aged between eight and 15, and were coached by Gibney.They made complaints to the Garda between 2020 and 2022 after the BBC and Second Captains podcast Where is George Gibney? was aired in 2020.But why did it take over 30 years for Gibney to face fresh charges - and what happens next?Irish Times crime and security editor Conor Lally explains the background.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last month, a 22-year-old man named Evan Fitzgerald walked into the busy Fairgreen shopping centre in Carlow and opened fire. He then turned his weapon on himself and ended his own life.Following the incident, details quickly emerged about the young man's fascination with guns and his previous run-in with gardaí.And this week, it emerged Fitzgerald had possession of more weapons than previously reported.The shooting, and gardaí's interaction with Fitzgerald before the Carlow incident, have become the subject of much debate and discussion in recent weeks. Senator and former minister for justice Michael McDowell described the Garda operation to sell Fitzgerald guns as “entrapment”, while Labour TD Alan Kelly questioned the need for gardaí to have delivered weapons to the young man.Today, on In The News, Irish Times Crime and Security Correspondent Conor Gallagher discusses the twists and turns of the Evan Fitzgerald case.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.