Upfront: The Podcast

A mother-of-two killed in Cork last week became the first woman killed in Ireland this year, sparking renewed discussions about femicide and gender-based violence. Jenna McMonagle, whose sister Jasmine was killed by her partner in 2019, says “a lot needs to be done” to address this problem.

Welcome back to a new season of Upfront: The Podcast. Our first guest is Jolene Morey, whose sister Nicole Morey was attacked and killed by her dogs earlier this year. Jolene joins Katie Hannon as new legislation is introduced to ban the XL bully dog breed.

On the same day as the local and European elections, the people of Limerick will be asked to vote for Ireland's first directly elected mayor. And all 15 hopefuls for the election join Katie Hannon for a live debate from Limerick's Lime Tree Theatre.

Dr John O'Connor, assistant professor in clinical psychology at Trinity College Dublin, has specialised in examining the causes of stalking and tells Katie Hannon how it has changed in the digital age.

Irish surgeon Dr Morgan McMonagle, who has worked in some of the world's most active warzones, tells Katie Hannon the recent killing of seven people in Gaza working with World Central Kitchen has given him pause for thought about the true risk involved in such missions.

Ms Allen's story was central to a major investigation published by the Financial Times two weeks ago. In her first interview with Irish broadcast media, she told Katie Hannon on ‘Upfront: The Podcast' further remarkable details about what she experienced within the organisation.

On World Obesity Day, Katie Hannon speaks to consultant endocrinologist and obesity specialist Professor Francis Finucane about Ozempic and the impact it's having on perceptions of obesity.

Around half the adult population of the globe will have the chance to vote in 2024 and with rapid improvements in Artificial Intelligence in recent years, experts, including Professor Barry O'Sullivan from UCC, are concerned what threat it could pose to democracy.

As the war Gaza enters a fourth month, combat between the Israeli military and Hamas has advanced farther south. In that period, many Palestinians fleeing the violence have moved to Rafah, Gaza's southernmost city, on the border with Egypt. Katie Hannon speaks to Isam Hamad about life in Rafah and his concerns for him and his family.

Dr Christopher Nowinski is an American neuroscientist and ex-WWE wrestler. He tells Katie Hannon about how a bang to the head he suffered while working as a professional wrestler eventually led to him discovering the true extent of his own previous concussions, and how they could cause him problems in the future.

Iona Craig is a British-Irish investigative journalist who's been covering Yemen and the Arabian Peninsula for over a decade. She tells Katie Hannon about the latest flare up in tensions and what it means for the troubled region going forward.

Actor and comedian Michael Fry joins Katie Hannon to talk about his strongly held views on why Irish should remain a compulsory subject in schools. The Derry Girls actor started re-learning the language later in life, and talks to Upfront about his experience.

The prevalence of scams is increasing with fraudsters also becoming more convincing and more sophisticated. One man who is doing his bit to take the fight to scammers is 'Jim Browning,' a Northern Ireland YouTuber known for exposing the activities of scammers across the world.

Patrik Hermansson is a Swedish anti-racism campaigner who spent a year infiltrating the white nationalist movement mainly in the UK under an assumed identity. He tells Katie Hannon about what he went through during his time undercover.

Theo Padnos is an American journalist who spent 22 months as a hostage after being kidnapped by Islamist extremists before being passed to a group affiliated with Al-Qaeda in Syria in 2012. He tells Katie Hannon what he went through during his time in detention, and the mental toll of life in captivity.

Violence against women is at crisis levels in Ireland, according to the Council of Europe. Katie Hannon is joined by Dr Ciara Staunton, a forensic psychologist at UCC, to discuss what is driving this level of violence and is the problem getting worse?

Who is responsible for protecting Ireland's subsea infrastructure and how vital is it to Ireland's economy? Katie Hannon speaks to Eoin Micheál McNamara, a research fellow at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA) in Helsinki.

What was the motivation for the Hamas attacks and what is the endgame for Israel? Katie Hannon speaks to long time peace campaigner Gershon Baskin, one of very few people to have had close contact with both the Israeli authorities and Hamas.

More than 50,000 women are pregnant in Gaza with an estimated 160 women giving birth every day. Katie Hannon spoke to Soraida Hussein-Sabbah in the West Bank about the crisis.

With the Israel-Hamas conflict now entering its sixth day Katie Hannon spoke to Colum McCann, a Dublin born writer, who made many trips to the region during research for his Booker Prize longlisted novel Apeirogon.

After Monday's audience discussion about young people struggling to get on the housing ladder in Ireland, we wanted to look at the issue in broader terms and ask the question – what's causing the housing crisis and how can we solve it? Katie Hannon is joined by Philip Lawton, an Assistant Professor in Global Urbanism at Trinity College.

Kerry-man Donie O'Sullivan is a CNN journalist and correspondent who covers the role of social media in politics, conspiracy theories in US and the rise of the alt right in American politics.

Dr Aoibhinn Ní Shuilleabháin served as chair at the Citizens' Assembly on Biodiversity Loss. The UCD academic speaks to Katie about the damage being done to our biodiversity and what needs to happen to reverse its decline.

What exactly is public service broadcasting and why should we care if it is undermined or under threat? We're joined by Shaunagh Connaire, a twice Emmy-nominated journalist who has worked with Channel 4, BBC and PBS to get an international perspective.

Randal Plunkett, also known as the heavy metal baron, is the ancestor of a saint and an advocate of the rewilding movement who returned more than 700 acres of his family's Dunsany estate to nature.

On the week Katie Taylor looks to make boxing history, Katie Hannon chats to Drogheda's Deirdre Gogarty. When Gogarty became the first Irish woman to win a boxing world title in 1997, it was still illegal for women to box in this country and her success went unnoticed by many.

Clare Dunne is the star of the ground-breaking family crime drama Kin. She is a two-time IFTA winner, picking up gongs for both acting and writing and she chats to Katie Hannon about her journey to becoming the head of the Kinsella crime family.

Christine Collins is an actor and member of the Irish Traveller community who's set to appear in a new production of Tennesee William's The Rose Tattoo. She tells Katie about her experience with discrimination, why 'education is power' and self-determination for women within the Traveller community.

This week Katie Hannon speaks to David Gorman. David is a recovering cocaine addict who found himself in throes of addiction for almost five years, racking up debts of €80,000 before eventually turning his life around. If you have been affected by on of the issues in today's episode visit www.rte.ie/helplines.

On the week Gerry ‘The Monk' Hutch escaped a conviction for the murder of David Byrne, Katie Hannon speaks to the man responsible for running Ireland's most notorious prison. Eddie Mullins is the Governor of Mountjoy Prison and he tells us about organised crime and addiction within the prison service.

In the wake of the damning IRG report into equality and dignity issues in the Defence Forces, Katie Hannon speaks Roslyn O'Callaghan about her own experiences in the army and a devastating sexual assault she suffered at the hands of a more senior officer. If you have been affected by any of the topics discussed please visit www.rte.ie/helplines.

Dubliner Becky Lynch will continue her remarkable journey in the world of professional wrestling this weekend when she stars at WrestleMania. The Baldoyle native tells Katie Hannon about her rise and influence in the ever-changing industry.

With the recent collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and the bailout of Credit Suisse, it's beginning to feel a lot like 2008 again. This week Katie is talking to political economist Mark Blyth of Brown University to try and make sense of the current state of the global economy.

This week Katie is joined by Tomm Moore. Tomm is a filmmaker and co-founder of Kilkenny animation studio Cartoon Saloon, which has been nominated for Best Animated Feature four times at the Academy Awards. His Irish folklore trilogy, Wolfwalkers, Song of the Sea, and The Secret of Kells, changed the face of Irish animation.

Ahead of the 2023 Cheltenham festival, Ireland's greatest woman horse racing trainer Jessica Harrington tells Katie about her career in racing and gives her first interview about her ongoing recovery from breast cancer.

Who are the New IRA? In the wake of the horrific attack on PSNI Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell, Katie speaks to Dr Aaron Edwards, a leading expert on dissident organisations in Northern Ireland.

On the anniversary of the launch of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Clodagh Kilcoyne tells Katie Hannon what it's like covering the war on the ground. A staff photographer with the Reuters news agency, she speaks from Antakya in Turkey, where she's on assignment documenting the aftermath of the recent series of earthquakes.

Former Minister for Communications, Denis Naughten, shocked many in the political world this week when he announced he's not going to stand at the next general election. Why is he leaving, what's next, and what will he miss most about political life? He tells Katie Hannon.

Katie Hannon speaks to Reuben Hambakachere of the Cultúr Migrant Centre in Navan about life as a migrant living in Ireland, and his experience in the direct provision system.

Katie Hannon speaks to acclaimed actor, Liam Cunningham, about his life and politics. Cunningham is best known for his roles in Hunger, The Wind That Shakes The Barley, and more recently as Davos Seaworth in the HBO series Game Of Thrones. He speaks about his working class roots in north Dublin, and how it shaped his political outlook.