Podcasts about ucd

Dr. Andrew Hines, lecturer at the School of Computer Science, UCD

From the Metro to Dublin Bus to off shore wind farms and housing, why can't we build anything and what is the problem? To discuss with Pat was Orla Hegarty, Architect and Assistant Professor at UCD and Karl Deeter, Director at Irish Mortgage Brokers.

Joining Dearbhail to dissect the Sunday papers are Dr Graham Finlay, Assistant Prof. of Politics and International Relations, UCD; Dr Keire Murphy, Senior Policy Advisor at the ESRI, Cormac Lucey, Economics Columnist with The Sunday Times, and Ellen Coyne, Political Correspondent, The Irish Times.

In his address to the IIEA, Fintan Slye discusses NESO's new organisation and how it is supporting the UK Government's ambitions to achieve clean power by 2030. Fintan Slye also touches upon UK-Ireland and UK-EU energy cooperation, and NESO's recent work on reforming the process for connecting to the electricity transmission system. About the Speaker: Fintan Slye is the Chief Executive Officer of National Energy System Operator (NESO). NESO is an independent organisation responsible for planning Great Britain's entire energy system, operating the electricity network, and offering expert advice to the sector's decision makers. The organisation brings electricity and gas network planning under one roof, plotting the country's course for clean power and paving the way for lower energy bills. Prior to this, Fintan led Great Britain's Electricity System Operator (ESO) as its Executive Director. He was also CEO of the EirGrid Group and worked for McKinsey & Co, supporting clients across Ireland, the UK and Europe, as well as holding various management roles in ESB in Ireland and the United States. Fintan is a Non-Executive Director at AEMO Services Limited, which is based in Sydney, which is responsible for planning the level of investment in generation and storage over time in New South Wales, including designing and running the competitive tenders to deliver this. He holds an Engineering Degree, a Master's in Engineering Science, and an MBA from UCD and is a Fellow of the Institute of Engineers Ireland. He also has a keen interest in law, holding diplomas in Legal Studies and European Law.

What are the effects of stress on memory? How does age change the nature of this vital piece of human cognition? What are the limitations of memory, and how can we embrace them?Ciara M. Greene is an Associate Professor in the School of Psychology, UCD, where she also heads up the Attention and Memory Laboratory. She's also the co-author of the book Memory Lane: The Perfectly Imperfect Ways We Remember.Greg and Ciara discuss the nature of memory, challenging the common belief that the best memory is akin to a flawless recording device. Ciara argues that memory's imperfections are actually evolutionarily beneficial, aiding in survival and decision-making. They discuss how metaphors for memory have evolved alongside technology, the reconstructive nature of memory, and the importance of understanding its functions. Ciara also explains how schemas play a role in memory errors, but how they are also beneficial.*unSILOed Podcast is produced by University FM.*Episode Quotes:Why forgetting your shopping list is a feature not a flaw44:38: We don't need to have this fear that means technology is ruining our mind. This is exactly the same way as is. Like you say, you're, I dunno, you're going to the supermarket and instead of remembering your shopping list, you write it down. Okay. You don't then also need to remember it. They're able to adapt. So like if you say, I have written down my shopping list, you've essentially told your brain you no longer need to remember this. You don't need to remember bread and eggs and mouthwash. Like, our brains are flexible. Like they're not just running on tracks. It's not necessary.It's not a good use of your resources because you've offloaded that task. That doesn't mean that your ability to go to the shop tomorrow and remember that you need to buy laundry detergent is going to be impaired because you wrote it down yesterday. It's just that we're, if you could think of it as being almost like extending your mind. Okay. It's almost like adding an external hard drive to your computer. You're just giving yourself a little bit more, like an, again, a broader sketch pad to play with. And that we, sometimes we use those tools. There's nothing wrong using those tools, but we should do them consciously.How does the basis of memory work?30:21: The reconstruction of memory is literally the basis of how memory works. It's inescapable. You can't just have a good memory and not have a reconstruction.Memory helps us belong03:46: It's important to think, not just about what memory is — it's not something static — but to think about what it's for, what its function is, and how it evolved in the way that it did.Because just like every other part of our minds, and our bodies, every function that we have evolved under evolutionary pressures — you know, that there are survival pressures and reproduction pressures — and those influence the way in which we evolved as human beings, as any kind of species. So when we think about our memory, I think it's important to keep that in mind, and that evolution wasn't prioritizing: it's super important that you remember absolutely every boring detail of every single experience you've ever had. And, you know, that you have this perfect fidelity and recollection of every detail of everything you observe — that's not necessary to support your survival, it's not necessary to support reproduction, and in some cases, it can be counterproductive.Show Links:Recommended Resources:Jorge Luis BorgesHyperthymesiaSource-Monitoring ErrorThird-Person EffectElizabeth LoftusRepressed MemorySatanic PanicMcMartin Preschool TrialGuest Profile:Faculty Profile at University College DublinSocial Profile on XAttention and Memory LabHer Work:Memory Lane: The Perfectly Imperfect Ways We RememberGoogle Scholar PageResearchGate Page

Smartwatches promise a lot, from measuring your heart rate to calculating your sleep pattern. But, how accurate are they at counting the number of calories you're burning?Joining Seán to discuss is Cailbhe Doherty, Lecturer in the School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science at UCD…

Yesterday on the show, Jerry spoke to Deputy Danny Healy-Rae, who mentioned the landing of Papal Nuncio Archbishop Giovanni Battista Rinuccini at Kenmare in 1645. This was in the context of the Kerry TD’s request for more funding for Kenmare Pier. To find out more about Archbishop Rinuccini, Jerry spoke to Professor Tadhg Ó hAnnracháin, School of History, UCD, and author of Catholic Reformation in Ireland: The Mission of Rinuccini 1645-1649.

Smartwatches promise a lot, from measuring your heart rate to calculating your sleep pattern. But, how accurate are they at counting the number of calories you're burning?Joining Seán to discuss is Cailbhe Doherty, Lecturer in the School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science at UCD…

As tensions explode between President Trump and Elon Musk, talk of a third political party is gaining steam. Insiders say Musk is privately exploring options to back a new political movement that breaks from both Trump-style populism and Democratic progressivism. After their public clash over Trump's tax bill, and with no reconciliation in sight, some allies say Musk's next move could reshape the midterms next year. Scott Lucas, Professor of international politics at UCD says some republicans could be swayed. To discuss this fallout further, Alan Morrissey was joined by Lecturer & Director of Clinical Legal Education, Larry Donnelly.

The Government is preparing major changes to planning laws, including proposals to allow attic conversions, garden cabins, and home extensions for elderly relatives without planning permission.It's a move aimed at relieving pressure on the housing system and speeding up development. But questions remain about the effectiveness of these plans and whether they will move the needle at all.Tom Philips, Managing Director of Tom Phillips and Associates and Adjunct Associate Professor of Town Planning at UCD and later James Browne, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and Fianna Fáil TD for Wexford join Kieran to discuss.

Guests:Professor David Webb, Professorial Research Fellow at Aston Institute of Photonic Technologies at Aston University in the UKDr Shelley Brady of DCUDr Shane Bergin of UCD

Dr Andrew Hines, lecturer at the School of Computer Science, UCD

Ireland will need specialised rehabilitation clinics and detox services to deal with phone addiction within the next five years. That's according to Professor Colin O'Gara, Addiction Psychiatrist at St John of Gods Hospital and Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at UCD .

Ireland will need specialised rehabilitation clinics and detox services to deal with phone addiction within the next five years. That's according to Professor Colin O'Gara, Addiction Psychiatrist at St John of Gods Hospital and Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at UCD .

The 2025 NovaUCD Student Enterprise Competition, an intensive 4-week accelerator programme for student entrepreneurs, which is now in its 11th year, has commenced today at University College Dublin (UCD) with 11 early-stage ventures and 22 participating students. The participating ventures are focused on a wide range of business ideas including; sustainable agriculture, robotics, edtech, smart sensing systems for healthcare, sustainable fashion and music. A €3k NovaUCD One to Watch Prize, sponsored by Terra Solar, is available for the overall winning venture at the end of this year's competition. The accelerator programme is run by NovaUCD, the innovation and start-up hub, as a framework to support UCD undergraduate and postgraduate students who want to work together to develop and grow start-up companies. The aim of the accelerator is to assist the students in refining their start-up ideas through a series of structured workshops, including taught content from industry experts, interactive workshops, regular mentoring and pitching sessions. Caroline Gill, Innovation Pathway Manager at NovaUCD who manages the competition said, "Over the next month we will be supporting the participating student entrepreneurs as they begin the process of accelerating their business ideas into early-stage start-ups. A key objective of this annual competition is to provide the students with the skills, the confidence, and the opportunity to further develop their ideas and hopefully in time launch their start-ups in Ireland and even internationally." The 4-week accelerator, which uses the Lean Startup and Business Model Canvas approach, includes a series of structured and interactive workshops delivered by Raomal Perera, Lean Disruptor. Topics such as, customer development; value proposition; working in teams; design thinking; prototyping, environment mapping; financial planning and effective fundraising and pitching, will be covered. At a final workshop, to be held in late-June, the participating ventures will pitch to a judging panel. Based on the evaluation of the presentations an overall winner will be selected and will receive the €3k NovaUCD One to Watch Prize sponsored by Terra Solar. At the end of the 2024 competition physiotherapists Rory Lambe and Ben O'Grady, both then masters students in the UCD School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science, were announced as winners of the Tech Sustainability Prize. Clia, their early-stage venture, aims to make a meaningful difference to the lives of people with cardiovascular disease by combining clinical data with wearable technology to improve its management. Rory is now a PhD student and earlier this year to further develop Clia he was one of several UCD students selected to participate in Conception X, a nine-month venture programme in London, focused on supporting PhD students from the UK and across Europe, to turn their research into deep tech start-ups. Fourteen (14) postgraduate and 8 undergraduate students are participating on this year's accelerator programme. Over 80 early-stage ventures and some 200 students have completed NovaUCD Student Enterprise Competitions to date. More about Irish Tech News Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too. You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: https://anchor.fm/irish-tech-news If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at Simon@IrishTechNews.ie now to discuss. Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at Info@IrishTechNews.ie now to find out more about how we can help you reach our audience. You can also find and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.

In this episode we chat with Prof Paddy Wall about his recently published report into the scandal involving a horse abattoir in Ireland in 2024.Prof Wall is a vet and medical doctor and has awide-ranging resumé with contributions spanning public health, food safety, governance and education. He was the first Chief Executive of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland and has held senior positions on international food safety bodies including the European Food Safety Authority. He is Professor of Public Health at University College Dublin. He has further qualifications in infectious diseases, business administration and corporate governance. A keen horseman, Paddy has shown and judged young horses, produced riding horses for the Ridden Hunter classes, participated in hunter trials and one-day-event competitions, and ridden in Point-to-Points. He was co-author of the 2010 UCD report on Horse Welfare in Ireland commissioned by World Horse Welfare and was chairman of Horse Sport Ireland from 2013-2016.In 2024 the Irish national broadcaster, RTÉ, screened an investigative documentary which alleged potentiallysignificant animal welfare breaches and fraud at Ireland's only equine abattoir which was under the supervision of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM). In the wake of this documentary Paddy was asked by DAFM to carry out a review of the issues highlighted in the documentary, particularly around equine identification and traceability. The report was published in March 2025 and is available at this link.The report was accompanied by an ActionPlan from DAFM setting out proposals to implement the recommendations of the Wall report.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has sent a diplomatic cable to embassies worldwide requesting that they no longer schedule visa interviews for students ahead of increased vetting of applicants' social media. Scott Lucas Professor and Political Analyst, Clinton Institute, UCD joins us to cover this and more.

Video recording of this episode is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OcxwmDuUeU&ab_channel=UCD-UniversityCollegeDublin Henry Glassie is College Professor Emeritus at Indiana University, Bloomington, USA, and has published widely in the fields of material culture and vernacular architecture. His contribution to the discipline of Irish Folklore and Ethnology has been exceptional. Having lived in Ballymenone, Co. Fermanagh, for almost a decade in the 1970s, Professor Glassie published a number of studies inspired by the community there, including All Silver and No Brass (1975), Passing the Time in Ballymenone (1982) and The Stars of Ballymenone (2006). These books are landmark works which have become classic texts for students of Folklore in Ireland and abroad, along with many other items on Professor Glassie's long list of publications. Henry has rendered invaluable service to our understanding of Irish popular tradition and vernacular culture, and he can truly be described as a towering figure in the study of Irish Folklore for more than half a century. Even in his retirement, he remains a staunch and committed friend to Ireland and to the people he worked with while carrying out fieldwork here. Henry has had a long and extremely positive relationship with UCD since the establishment of the Department of Irish Folklore in the university in the early 1970s. With the approach of the fiftieth anniversary of his first major publication on Irish Folklore, All Silver and No Brass, it was deemed especially appropriate for the University to take the opportunity to honour Professor Glassie, and on Wednesday 21 May 2025, Henry was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Arts from UCD, in recognition of his remarkable contribution to the growing area of Irish Studies in general, and to the field of Irish Folklore and Ethnology in particular. It was a great honour and personal privilege for me to sit and 'Pass the Time' with Henry, and over the course of ninety minutes we explored his background, interests, intellectual life, and experiences of field work, as well as delving into the topics of place, creativity, art, meaning, identity, belonging and despair; invoking old friends such as Fred B. Kniffen, E. Estyn Evans, Michael J. Murphy, Seán Ó Súilleabháin, Ellen Cutler, Tommy Love, Michael Boyle, Peter Flanagan, and Hugh Nolan as we trooped our way homewards. My thanks to all my colleagues at the NFC, as well as Susan Lysaght, Sandra Collins, Evelyn Flanagan, Andrew Fogarty, Veronica Aguilar Olmos, Dominic Martella for making this episode possible, and - most especially - to Henry and Pravina for their generosity, openness and kindness.

William Gallagher, Professor in Cancer Biology with UCD, discusses calls for breast density information to be given to women after a mammogram.

Donald Trump's latest threat of a 50% tariff on EU imports to the US, starting on the 1st of June. For reaction to this Dr Nora Strecker is Assistant Professor in the School of Economics at UCD and Neale Richmond, Minister of State in the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Dr Sorcha O'Meara graduated from UCD in 2015 and quickly decided to pursue a career in Urology. Dr O'Meara is currently a specialist registrar in urology and is currently completing a PhD. Dr O'Meara has a keen interest human factors and the non-surgical skills surgeons need to succeed. Dr O'Meara lives in Dublin with her husband, son and dog and when Sorcha is not in work she enjoys swimming or hiking. 

In this episode of Talking History, we're going back in time 10 years to remember how Ireland became the first country in the world to legalise same-sex marriage by popular vote, as we debate what the passing of the marriage equality referendum really meant for Irish history.Featuring: Dr Mary McAuliffe, historian and Director of Gender Studies at UCD, co-editor of ‘The politics of gender and sexuality in modern Ireland' and co-editor of ‘Sexual Politics in Modern Ireland'; Prof Sonja Tiernan, historian of modern Ireland, based at the Royal Irish Academy, and author of ‘The History of Marriage Equality in Ireland: A Social Revolution Begins' and co-editor of ‘Sexual Politics in Modern Ireland'; Dr Brian Tobin, Associate Professor at the School of Law at the University of Galway, author of 'The Legal Recognition of Same-Sex Relationships: Emerging Families in Ireland and Beyond'; and Frances Fitzgerald, former Tánaiste and former Minister for Justice, who introduced that legislation to hold the marriage equality referendum and signed its commencement order that November.

Joining Brendan to dissect the Sunday Papers are Ailbhe Smyth, Activist and Campaigner, Oísin Coghlan, Public Policy Advisor, Scott Lucas, Professor of U.S. and International Politics, the Clinton Institute at UCD, and, Sinéad McSweeney, Former Global Head of Public Policy at Twitter.

Professor Michelle Norris, Director of the Geary Institute for Public Policy, UCD; Micheál Carrigy, Fine Gael TD for Longford–Westmeath; Louise O'Reilly, Sinn Féin TD for Dublin Fingal West; Ken O'Flynn, Independent Ireland TD for Cork North-Central

In this episode of Talking Practice, host Grace La interviews Sheila O'Donnell, architect, educator and co-founder of O'Donnell + Tuomey. Sheila reflects on the creation of O'Donnell + Tuomey, the practice she formed with John Tuomey in 1988. She traces the evolution of her practice through the workings of Group 91 and shares her insights on how their collective energy reshaped Dublin's Temple Bar District.  She discusses how context fundamentally influences her design approach and the professional opportunities that opened for many of Ireland's most successful practitioners. Sheila describes the collaborative spirit within her firm, the challenge of competing against large corporate offices, and the creative benefits that a smaller, design-focused team offers its clients. She explores the evolving conversation around sustainability and material choice, offering a grounded yet optimistic view on how contemporary practices navigate design, context, and climate responsibility. The podcast highlights the early significance of working with existing buildings and honing an acute attention to context — characteristics that have become central themes of O'Donnell + Tuomey's practice. For more on Sheila O'Donnell, check out her GSD Department of Architecture lecture – “Conversations with Place.”       Sheila O'Donnell established O'Donnell + Tuomey with John Tuomey in 1988. O'Donnell + Tuomey's work is developed in the spirit of architectural, social and cultural investigation. The practice has been commissioned with a variety of work, including renowned projects such as the Photographers' Gallery and LSE Student Centre, a new museum for the V&A and a dance theatre and academy for Sadler's Wells. She is an Honorary fellow of the American Institute of Architects. In 2009 she was elected a member of Aosdána, an affiliation of Irish Artists. In 2015 she was joint recipient with John Tuomey of the RIBA Royal Gold Medal and the American Academy of Arts and Letters Brunner Prize, both awarded in recognition of a lifetimes work.  Sheila has been a lecturer in Architectural design in UCD since 1981 and a Professor since 2016. She has taught and lectured at schools of Architecture in Europe, Japan and the USA, including Harvard GSD, Princeton, Yale, Columbia, among others. About the Show Developed by Harvard Graduate School of Design, Talking Practice is the first podcast series to feature in-depth interviews with leading designers on the ways in which architects, landscape architects, designers, and planners articulate design imagination through practice. Hosted by Grace La, Professor of Architecture and Principal of LA DALLMAN, these dynamic conversations provide a rare glimpse into the work, experiences, and attitudes of design practitioners from around the world. Comprehensive, thought-provoking, and timely, Talking Practice tells the story of what designers do, why, and how they do it—exploring the key issues at stake in practice today. About the Host Grace La is Chair of the Department of Architecture and Professor of Architecture at Harvard University Graduate School of Design, where she served as Chair of the Practice Forum, and former Director of the Master of Architecture Programs. Grace is also Principal of LA DALLMAN Architects, internationally recognized for the integration of architecture, engineering and landscape. Cofounded with James Dallman, LA DALLMAN is engaged in catalytic projects of diverse scale and type. The practice is noted for works that expand the architect's agency in the civic recalibration of infrastructure, public space and challenging sites. Show Credits Talking Practice is produced and edited by Maggie Janik. Our Research Assistant is Victor Ohene. Contact For all inquiries, please email practicepodcast@gsd.harvard.edu.

Have you ever wondered how fair the coin toss actually is?Research has shown that perception of how fair the outcome is depends entirely on who led the toss.For more on this, Seán is joined by Michael Salter-Townshend, Assistant Professor of Statistics at UCD.

Cameron Hill from Off The Ball tells the story of the 4 by 1 mile relay record set by Irish runners at UCD in 1985.

Businesses in Ireland are taking a “wait and see” approach to capital investment, amid ongoing uncertainty over US tariffs. That's according to the Government's Annual Progress Report, which has been published. It highlights the unpredictability of US trade policy, as President Donald Trump continues to threaten sweeping tariffs. In the report, the Government has revised down its economic growth forecasts due to global uncertainty and warned that a transatlantic trade war will lead to a further economic weakening. It expects Ireland's domestic economy to expand by 2.5% this year, down from an earlier forecast of 2.9%. In the event of a tariff war between the EU and US, it said growth this year would be forecast at 2%, falling to 1.75% next year. Alan has been discussing this with the Ennis economist and Assistant Professor of Social Policy at UCD, Micheál Collins.. To discuss this further, Alan Morrissey was joined by Tulla-based Fianna Fáil Minister of state, Timmy Dooley.

On the 121st episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I'm delighted to welcome our guest, Dave Gribben. Dave is a performance coach who works with strategic decision-makers, ambitious leaders, and teams, helping them engage the best of their humanity to realise more of their potential and achieve goals that matter.Based in Dublin, he enjoys life as an empty nester with his wife, staying close to their three children and four grandchildren. Dave partners with organisations of all sizes across Europe, helping them build cultures they're proud of and leadership teams that inspire. He also contributes to MBA programmes on High Performing Teams at UCD, DIT, and as Associate Faculty at the Irish Management Institute. Dave has held leadership roles in nonprofits tackling homelessness and poverty, serving as Director and Chairman of Stepping Stone and as a founder of Seachange.In this conversation, we discuss profound questions about life, self-discovery, and the delicate balancing of the ego and the soul. We also talk about self-acceptance and the ongoing journey of personal growth. This conversation highlights the significance of family, the joy of connection, and the idea that a good life is one where we enable others regain their dignity.For more of Dave's work, check out the following:Dave's website: https://enableconsulting.ie/Dave's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davegribben/Contact me at mark@whatisagood.life if you'd like to explore your own lines of self-inquiry through 1-on-1 coaching, take part in my 5-week What is a Good Life? group courses, discuss experiences I create to stimulate greater trust, communication, and connection, amongst your leadership teams, or you simply want to get in touch.- For the What is a Good Life? podcast's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife/videos- My newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/- Exploring one-on-one coaching: https://www.whatisagood.life/p/one-on-one-coaching- What is a Good Life? Course: https://www.whatisagood.life/p/the-what-is-a-good-life-course00:00 What have I left behind of myself?06:30 Approaching our inquiry more playfully11:30 Getting bored of busyness16:20 Space for awareness without our phones19:00 Trying to balance the needs of our ego and soul24:20 Being attentive to life and our nature30:20 A journey to self-acceptance36:55 What brings a feeling of abundance43:10 The security of love and family48:35 The importance of each other57:34 What is a good life for Dave? 

In a recent episode of Joe & Stacey on BBC 1, it emerged that Joe Swash couldn't remember most of the family's birthdays.But, why is that, and does it have anything to do with gender? Ciara Greene is Associate Professor in the School of Psychology, UCD and author of ‘Memory Lane: The Perfectly Imperfect Ways We Remember'. She joins Seán to discuss.

100 Days down, 1,361 to go. There has been a blitz of rhetoric and action in the first months of Donald Trump's second term as president. We take a look back with our panel Scott Lucas, Professor and Political Analyst, Clinton Institute, UCD, Gina London, Former CNN White House Correspondent and Sunday Independent Columnist and TJ Mulloy, Democrats Abroad Ireland.

It's over a week since many of us would have first heard that Pope Francis had “sadly died”.And this particular phrasing may have reminded those of you who are more grammatically minded of the much slower demise of something else; the adverb.So, why have they gone out of fashion?Stephen Lucek is Assistant Professor in Linguistics at UCD. He joins Seán to discuss.

Dr Paul D'Alton, Associate Professor of Psychology at UCD, is back with us today for the last of his three part series, helping us find ways to live with the global and local uncertainties. Today we looked into psychology of hope ‘grown-up hope' and why ‘grown-up hope' is essential for the times we are living in.

On The Newspaper Panel this week,is joined by; Alison O'Connor, Columnist with the Sunday Times, Dr Graham Finlay, Assistant Professor of Politics and International Relations in UCD, Aideen Heydon, Housing Policy Expert and author, and former chairperson of Threshold & David Quinn, Columnist with the Sunday Independent and The Irish Catholic.

Diarmaid Ferriter, Professor of Modern Irish History at UCD 

Scott Lucas, Professor of US and International Politics at Clinton Institute in UCD; James Waterhouse, BBC Ukraine Correspondent

Graham Finlay, School of Politics and International Relations at UCD

Dr Paul D'Alton, Associate Professor of Psychology at UCD is back for the next few weeks to help us find ways to live with the global and local uncertainties that seem to be hitting us from every direction. Talking about how awe can help us weather the storms, live with uncertainty & more joy and increase our resilience.

With 73,000 kilometres of rivers, measuring water quality is a large exercise for the EPA and the Local Authorities. UCD decided to enlist the help of citizen scientists, supported by LAWPRO, the local authorities water programme.

Dublin City Council has published a plan to develop a new town in north Dublin between Glasnevin, Cabra and Finglas. The town of Ballyboggan would be located along the Royal Canal west of Glasnevin Cemetery and east of Ratoath Road, which is currently occupied by the Dublin Industrial Estate. A public consultation on the plan opened yesterday and is inviting submissions until May 12th. We hear all about it with Tom Philips, Managing Director of Tom Phillips and Associates and Adjunct Associate Professor of Town Planning, UCD.

If you've been lucky enough to visit Newgrange, you can attest to the fact that it's a pretty impressive structure - so you can imagine just how impressive it was when first constructed over 5000 years ago.Accordingly, it has often been assumed that those who were buried there were part of some sort of ruling class, but new research from UCD suggests that rather than being a grave for an elite family, the tomb was a social hub for the people, frequented by travellers coming from as far away as Sligo.Dr Neil Carlin is a Lecturer in the School of Archaeology at UCD who was involved in the research. He joins guest host Tom Dunne to discuss.

We're living in uncertain times. Dr Paul D'Alton, Associate Professor of Psychology at UCD, is back with us for the next few weeks to help us find ways to live with the global and local uncertainties that seem to be hitting us from every direction

Donald Trump's put a 90 day break on most of his global tariffs. The US president's says he's pausing his "reciprocal" levies, but keeping his 10-percent baseline tax on nearly all global imports. However, goods from China will be hit with an extra charge of 125 percent "effective immediately". The move is being seen as an attempt to halt a sharp decline in world markets. However, Ireland is still in President Trump's sights as he again confirmed he plans to target the pharmaceutical sector. For more on this Alan Morrissey was joined by Ennis Economist and Assistant Professor of Social Policy at UCD, Micheál Collins.

Graham Finlay, Lecturer in School of Politics and International Studies at UCD

The recent debate on Dáil speaking time wasn't exactly a shining example of parliamentary decorum, but it was far from the first time such behaviour reared its ugly head in Leinster House…Diarmaid Ferriter is Professor of Modern Irish History in UCD, and he has been looking at some of the more colourful exchanges down through the years. He joins Seán to discuss.

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack In this Reboot Republic, Rory is joined by UCD's Dr Michael Byrne (his substack:https://theweekinhousing.substack.com/ is a weekly must read) to discuss the hybrid-housing market that we have and why Mick feels that the Left are losing in their messaging around housing. A great conversation. Support Dignity for Palestine:https://www.patreon.com/posts/dignity-for-your-124980167

Pauline O'Reilly, CEO of the Irish District Energy Association // Paula Carroll, UCD associate professor and a member of UCD's Energy Institute and its Centre for Business Analytics

To the best of our scientific knowledge, 70% of our universe is made up of a mysterious force we call ‘Dark Energy'.Since its discovery in the 1990s, it has been assumed that this accelerating force would continue to expand the universe until everything was so far apart that the whole thing would come to a very cold, and very quiet end.However, new findings have called all of that into question.Shane Bergin is a Physicist & Assistant Professor in Science Education at UCD. He joins Seán to discuss.

In this episode of The First Day podcast, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D., is joined by Dr. Patrick Rooney, Emeritus Professor at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, to discuss the ongoing debate over the Universal Charitable Deduction (UCD). With decades of expertise in philanthropy and economics, Dr. Rooney explains how tax incentives impact charitable giving, particularly in light of past tax reforms that significantly reduced the number of itemizing households. While many donors give based on personal values, research shows that financial incentives, like tax deductions, can encourage even greater generosity. Dr. Rooney and Bill dive into the latest UCD proposal currently moving through Congress, which suggests a deduction of up to $5,000 for individuals and $10,000 for couples—substantially higher than previous temporary versions, which were limited to just a few hundred dollars. Rooney highlights research indicating that well-structured tax incentives can increase both the number of donors and the total amount given. While the proposal is still in flux, and there's no guarantee it will become law, he emphasizes that higher deduction limits could provide a strong incentive for charitable giving. The discussion also touches on donor psychology and the role of tax policy in philanthropic behavior. While tax breaks often rank low in surveys about giving motivations, donors tend to notice when those benefits disappear. Rooney suggests that many donors are motivated by a mix of altruism and financial awareness—wanting to do good while also considering the impact on their taxable income. He shares research showing that even a 25% tax credit could significantly boost giving, reinforcing the importance of tax policy in shaping philanthropic trends. For fundraisers, the key takeaway is to stay informed and prepared to discuss these potential changes with donors. While the legislative process is uncertain, fundraisers should be ready to explain how tax incentives can help donors maximize their giving impact. Bill closes the episode by emphasizing the broader importance of economic and policy literacy in nonprofit fundraising. He also highlights The Fundraising School's resources, including public courses, webinars, and the Achieving Excellence in Fundraising textbook, to help fundraisers stay ahead of policy changes and effectively engage donors.

US president Donald Trump's hard line with allies and his overtures to Russia have upended assumptions about the transatlantic security alliance. So where does it leave Europe and Ireland? Hugh talks to Edward Burke from UCD's Centre for War Studies and Irish Times security correspondent Conor Gallagher. They discuss Ukraine's ability to fight on without US assistance, the future of European security architecture and what these changes mean for Ireland's defence policy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.