Behind the Story
Episodes
Business year in review 2025
29 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Concerns around US tariffs dominated the first half of the year in 2025. While on the domestic front, the debate around working from home continued as...
The highs and lows of AI in 2025
22 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As the year comes to an end, Fran takes a look back at some of the stories on artificial intelligence that were covered on the podcast. From new ...
Dáil rows, tariff threats - the political year in review
19 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dáil rows, Trump's tariff threats and a Presidential campaign: Professor Gary Murphy of DCU and political reporter Sandra Hurley join Fran to dissect...
Fallout from the Fianna Fáil report and a visit to a refugee camp
17 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Twenty four hours on from the publication of the Fianna Fáil report into their Presidential campaign, Fran and Barry dissect the reaction to the repo...
Pressure on FF to release report and positive noise from Ukraine talks
15 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Pressure is mounting on Fianna Fáil to release the report into the Jim Gavin Presidential campaign. Three senior party members said today that the re...
Ireland's largest ever water project and what's going on in Venezuela?
12 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Uisce Éireann announced that it will submit plans for the country's largest ever water project next week. The plan involves building a 170km undergro...
RTÉ at the committee, media deals and is the door open for Tubridy's return?
10 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
RTÉ's Director General, Kevin Bakhurst and the leadership team appeared at the Oireachtas media committee today to give an update on developments at ...
Edenderry attack and drug debt intimidation
08 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Gardaí have described the fatal attack on a family home in Edenderry as 'callous, reckless and murderous'. Mary Holt and her four year old grand neph...
Boat strikes in the Caribbean and revealing your Spotify Wrapped!
05 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The US military and Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth are under pressure over the killing of 11 people during a boat strike on Sept. 2nd. Louise Byrne...
M50 at capacity and speeding up infrastructure delivery
03 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The country's most famous road is officially at capacity but can anything be done to improve journey times on the M50? Reporter Conor McMorrow joins F...
Zelensky is coming to town!
01 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Over the weekend, the government confirmed President Zelensky will visit Dublin on Tuesday. Political editor, Joe Mag Raollaigh joins Jackie Fox to ou...
What can the courts do with Enoch Burke?
28 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Earlier this week, Enoch Burke was jailed for the fourth time since 2022 for contempt of court. He appeared by videolink from Mountjoy today to listen...
Inside the crimes of disgraced surgeon Michael Shine
26 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, the government announced a scoping inquiry into abuse by former surgeon Michael Shine. Shine was found guilty of child abuse in 2019 and releas...
Is there progress on Ukraine talks? and a new law on ATM machines
24 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
President Trump is sounding positive about the talks to bring about peace in Ukraine, however President Zelensky says borders cannot be changed by for...
BONUS: DJ Carey: The Dodger
23 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Award winning Producer-Director Trevor Birney speaks to Fran about his new two part TV documentary, DJ Carey: The Dodger. Trevor, who produced critica...
Massive money laundering network undercovered and re-thinking Black Friday!
21 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Police authorities across Europe including Ireland have undercovered a massive money laundering network that included buying a bank! Crime corresponde...
Ivan Yates, the media committee and should Ireland go nuclear?
19 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Podcasts and conflicts of interest were under the microscope at the Dáil media committee today. Political reporter, Juilette Gash joins Fran an...
Soccer's hero and who is Jack Schlossberg?
17 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jackie Fox and Aisling Kenny are joined by former Democratic Governor Howard Dean to discuss JFK's grandson, Jack Schlossberg entry into political lif...
COYBIG, US v Venezuela and the Tik Tok Awards!
14 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The US military continues to build up forces off the coast of Venezuela, but what is really going on there? Professor of International Politics, Scott...
A look at the housing plan and what's a democracy shield?
12 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ahead of the release of the government's housing plan, Fran and Laura take at look at what is known so far and reel back the years on previous housing...
Trump threatens BBC with legal action
10 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Two senior executives at the BBC have resigned over an edited clip used in a Panorama documentary about Trump and the Capitol Hill riots. But, what ex...
Know your Cop and FIFA's new peace prize
07 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Love motels, cruise ships and new highways - some of the things you might not know about the Climate summit COP30. Laura Fletcher joins Fran to discus...
The murder of Emer O'Loughlin
05 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Reporter John Cooke joins Fran to discuss the ongoing murder investigation into Co Clare woman, Emer O'Loughlin. Earlier today, a jury at an inquest r...
Combatting ‘AI Slop’ after the presidential election
03 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
An expert in misinformation has warned about the amount of “AI slop” online as a new investigation found 172 instances of political mis- and disin...
Inside: DJ Carey's fall from grace
31 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The judge in the DJ Carey case told the former hurling legend that he can expect a prison sentence for defrauding people for falsely claiming he neede...
Micheál Martin’s future and RTÉ back in the news
29 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As the dust settles on the presidential election, some Fianna Fáil members are questioning how their campaign went so wrong – with pressure said to...
Want to run faster? a motorised runner could be the answer!
24 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
With the Dublin marathon taking place this weekend, David, Fran and Katie speak to Sean Ingle, Chief Sports reporter with the Guardian who recently vi...
Garda response: From Dublin Riots to Citywest
22 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There was “serious concern for public life” during violence seen in Citywest in Dublin last night, a journalist has told Behind the Story. It come...
BONUS - Was there a winner in the final Pres Election TV debate?
21 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
David, Fran and Katie are live backstage at the final Presidential Election TV debate. Joined by Gary Murphy, Professor of Politics at DCU, they analy...
The hunt is on for the Louvre jewel thieves
20 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's being described as the 'heist of the century', priceless crown jewels were stolen on Sunday from the Louvre museum and now questions are being as...
Can you trust everything you see online?
17 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
With the rise of AI and deepfake videos, Brian O'Donovan joins Katie and David to discuss whether we can really trust what we are seeing online? Brian...
Service charges and sinking funds - what you need to know!
15 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Campaign groups are raising serious concerns about how owner management companies are running apartment complexes. While some are well run, many are s...
Trump praises his peace deal for Gaza
13 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
US President Donald Trump hailed as historic the ceasefire between Israeli and Hamas that came into effect over the weekend. Earlier today, 20 I...
Katie gets a new job and how to win a Nobel Prize
10 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Amid a shake-up of RTÉ’s Radio 1 schedule, Katie reflects on her new job behind a different mic – and what it means for Fran.The duo also discuss...
Gavin tenant revealed and a look at the Gaza peace plan
08 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The tenant at the centre of the Jim Gavin debacle unmasked himself on the Sunday World podcast today prompting more developments on the story! David, ...
BONUS - The Budget - will you have more or less money?
07 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ministers Donohue and Chambers outlined Budget 26 this afternoon in the Dáil. Katie and Fran are joined by Kate English, Chief Economist with De...
Gavin pulls out of Pres campaign: the blame game begins!
06 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
'Fiasco' just one of the words used by Fianna Fáil politicians to describe the Presidential campaign for the party now. This follows the sudden withd...
Government spending and what do we think of Taylor Swift?
03 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
With the budget approaching, David, Fran and Katie look at how much the government has to spend. They are joined by Albert Dolan, Fianna Fail TD who h...
Social media scrutiny - how are tech giants responding to complaints?
01 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Katie and Fran discuss how drone footage has flown one presidential candidate into stormy skies. They also ask Brian O'Donovan if the Appeals Centre E...
Bitch and putt: verbal abuse at Ryder Cup as Irish golfers swing it for Europe
29 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After one of the most gripping final rounds in Ryder Cup history, Katie, Fran and David tee off a discussion with golf commentator Greg Allen about th...
Kneecap, Eurovision and the rise of authoritarianism!
26 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As a terror charge against Kneecap's Mo Chara is dropped by a London court, David and Evelyn discuss the case and the decision by Eurovision organiser...
Revealing the secrets of the Traitors
24 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The producers of The Traitors Ireland join David, Katie and Fran for a deep dive behind the scenes of the hit TV show. Last night's finale clocked up ...
RFK and the growing influence of MAHA
22 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
MAHA or Make America Healthy Again has grown in influence since Robert Kennedy Jnr became US Health Secretary. But what is the movement? Alex Stockton...
Jimmy Kimmel suspension and your phone data for sale!
19 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As the backlash to the suspension of US chat host Jimmy Kimmel grows, Trump's attack on the media is escalating with threats to revoke broadcast licen...
People not 'units' - are Ireland's housing targets wrong?
17 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
New figures released today show house prices are still increasing across the country but at a slightly lower rate. While at the same time, the number ...
BONUS - A day at the Ploughing!
16 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Fran, Katie and David hit the road to Tullamore for the first day of the Ploughing.Joining them to discuss all matters farm related are Agriculture Co...
How Tommy Robinson's protest gained so much support
15 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On Saturday, up to 150,000 people took to the streets of London to join a rally organised by far right activist Tommy Robinson. The size of the crowd ...
Charlie Kirk suspect turned into police by family
12 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The murder of political activist, Charlie Kirk shocked America but in the past twenty four hours, there have been some astonishing developments; the s...
Russian drones in Polish airspace and the suspicious death of Liam Farrell
10 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As Poland and NATO scramble fighter jets to intercept Russian drones in Polish airspace, the Prime Minister of Poland, Donald Tusk says his country is...
Threats to the Tánaiste and what is going on in France?
08 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As the Gardaí continue to investigate bomb threats to Tánaiste Simon Harris' home, David and Katie discuss the increasing number of threats against ...
Missing, presumed dead: the search for the young boy in Donabate
05 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As the search continues for a young boy, presumed dead, Social Affairs correspondent Ailbhe Conneely joins Katie and David to discuss the disturbing c...
The 'silent, quiet crisis' of endometriosis
03 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Writer Lisa Tierney-Keogh along with other endometriosis sufferers met the Minister for Health earlier this week to highlight the lack of treatment fo...
Tricolours, Traitors and FF Presidential hopefuls
01 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The national flag is showing up on lamp posts across Dublin and concerns are rising that the tricolour is being hijacked by anti immigrant groups. Dav...
Inside the business of live music events and David has news!
29 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As thousands of music fans descend on Stradbally for Electric Picnic, business reporter Adam Maguire joins Katie and David for a closer look at the li...
Reflections on the CAO and warnings about E-scooters
27 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As CAO offers reach students today, David, Katie and Fran reflect on demographic pressure and grade deflation which has had an impact on this year's L...
Security, defence and who is Agent Cobalt?
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill called for the removal of the Triple Lock at the Béal na Bláth commemoration evoking memories of ...
Safety measures needed for AI Therapy [Part 2]
23 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Professor Barry O'Sullivan, an expert on AI, joins Katie and Paul to discuss the dangers of AI Therapy, which is becoming increasingly popular amongst...
The dangers of AI Therapy [Part 1]
22 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Laura Reiley's 29 year daughter, Sophie took her life in February this year. Her parents later discovered that Sophie had been using an AI therapy cha...
Threats to Irish lawyer working on the Jimmy Lai case
20 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The international lawyer working on the Jimmy Lai case, Caoilfhoinn Gallagher, says she won't be intimidated by threats to her. Katie and Paul do a de...
Why there needs to be a contest in the race for the Arás
18 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As the main political parties are still deciding whether they will run a candidate in the Presidential Election, columnist and former Senior Advisor t...
Why has chocolate got so expensive? You can blame ‘climateflation’.
15 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
With food prices increasing and even your bar of chocolate costing more, Fiona Mitchell and Louise Byrne speak to Dr Ciaran O’Carroll, Lecturer on S...
Why meeting Trump in Alaska is 'handing Putin victory'
13 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As the Trump-Putin summit approaches, presenters Carole Coleman and Louise Byrne speak to Keir Giles, senior consulting fellow of the Russia and Euras...
Fresh insights into that Newsnight interview with Prince Andrew
11 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A new book coming out this week gives further insight into Britain’s Prince Andrew’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.Journalist Laura Burns, who...
What next for Gaza as Netanyahu orders military takeover of Gaza City?
08 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As Israel's Security Cabinet approves a plan to take over Gaza City, Fran McNulty and Juliette Gash discuss what this means for the people of Gaza ami...
New charity to help families with concerns over how a loved one died
06 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
James Brannigan, a retired detective, tells Fran how he hopes his new charity The Katie Trust will help families who fear their loved one's death was ...
Why Ireland’s seas 'urgently' need more legal protection
04 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The damage to the seas around Ireland has been branded “alarming” by marine biologist Rebecca Hunter.She joins Fran to outline why Ireland needs i...
Nikita Hand sues Conor McGregor and the best protest songs
01 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
RTÉ's Legal Affairs Correspondent Orla O'Donnell joins Fran and Evelyn to discuss Conor McGregor losing his appeal against a High Court jury's findin...
The Aussies tackle YouTube and should you buy an EV?
30 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Australia is adding YouTube to sites covered by its world-first ban on social media for teenagers, reversing an earlier decision to exempt the platfor...
Tariffs at Turnberry and what happens next?
28 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A transatlantic trade deal is being hailed and criticised across EU capitals.The EU and US have avoided a trade war after agreeing to a 15% tariff rat...
Gaza starves and reports from inside the West Bank
25 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After another devastating week in Gaza, dominated by reports of malnutrition in the enclave, Fran and David discuss the latest developments. They are ...
Marty Morrissey and the frenzy for All-Ireland tickets
23 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As the annual hunt for All-Ireland final tickets reaches its peak, GAA Correspondent Marty Morrissey joins Fran and David to discuss how tickets are a...
Will Dublin's Metro ever get built?
21 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ahead of an imminent planning decision on Dublin's proposed underground rail system, Eastern Correspondent Samantha Libreri joins David & Fran to ...
Trouble for Trump over the Epstein files
18 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Conspiracies, claims and counter claims regarding the release of the Epstein files have reached fever pitch in Washington DC. In a climbdown, Presiden...
Russia, Ukraine and why Putin won't retreat
16 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Putin refuses to bend to international pressure to agree to peace talks with Ukraine. His determination to control Ukraine continues unabated. Fr...
Trump, tariffs and the possible impact on dairy and whiskey
14 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
At the weekend, President Trump announced that a 30% tariff would come into effect for EU goods going into the US from August 1st. David and Katie are...
BONUS - "Breaking the Airwaves" our AI song!
14 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"Breaking the Airwaves" the AI generated song about the Behind the Story podcast [from Friday's episode]! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...
Media vs Machine - how is AI impacting news and music?
11 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The online journalism and entertainment sectors - from news websites to music streaming services - are facing new challenges with the rise of Artifici...
How water shortages could affect house building
09 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As the public is urged to conserve water in several counties, David and Katie speak to Public Affairs Editor, David Murphy about the shortage of water...
"There was a lot of blood"
07 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When she was a small child, Sinn Féin Senator Nicole Ryan lived in a home where domestic abuse was commonplace. On one particular night, her mother's...
Inside the McGregor appeal
04 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In an unexpected turn of events at the Court of Appeal, Conor McGregor withdrew the so called new evidence. McGregor is appealing the finding of...
The politics of college fees and tears in Westminister
02 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
David, Katie and Fran take a look at the politics behind the row over college fees. Earlier this week, Minister for Higher Education James Lawless con...
A stormy year for Starmer
30 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Labour's win over the Tories last summer was described as a 'loveless landslide' and as UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer marks one year in office, David...
A school beating, defence spend and 27 dresses!
27 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A school beating that lingered: Paul Cunningham reveals his personal story of what happened to him as a ten year old child and how recent changes to c...
NY Mayor's race and where have all the nightclubs gone?
25 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The race to become the next Mayor of New York took a surprising turn when a relative unknown candidate topped the Democratic primary - David, Katie an...
Saipan the movie and US-Israel-Iran conflict
23 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As the trailer drops for Saipan the movie, Fran and Katie discuss who they supported in the Roy Keane v Mick McCarthy row from World Cup 2002. Th...
Presidential Election: The most brutal race of all
20 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As some well known names rule themselves out, while others express interest in running for the Presidency, Fran, David and Katie discuss the mos...
Kneecap in court, Iran and Euromillions advice!
18 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Westminister Magistrates Court had never seen a scene like it – tunes were blaring, chants were sung, hundreds turned up to support Kneecap’s Liam...
Tattle Life and changing tourism trends
16 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Following a report today by Consumer Affairs Correspondent Aengus Cox, Katie, Fran and David talk about why people may be avoiding Greece and Spain an...
Former FBI agent on the Annie McCarrick case and Israel’s strikes on Iran
13 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kenneth Strange is a former FBI agent who is friends with the family of Annie McCarrick who went missing from her Dublin home in 1993. A suspect ...
Ballymena riots and the online forces at play
11 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There have been calls for calm following two nights of riots that saw 32 PSNI officers injured. The riots started out as a protest on Monday night lin...
Leaving Cert uncertainty over classroom chatbots
09 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
One of the country’s biggest teaching unions voted against Leaving Cert reform at the weekend citing resources and capacity. But another concern is ...
Care concerns in nursing homes, Trump and Musk’s big, beautiful breakup
06 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A documentary by RTÉ Investigates revealed multiple examples of care failings at one of Ireland’s leading nursing home providers. Fran a...
Are drones changing the Russia-Ukraine war?
04 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Operation Spider’s Web was a Ukrainian attack that saw more than 100 drones target strategic bomber aircraft at sites deep inside Russia. The countr...
Is Ireland heel-dragging on climate action?
02 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The latest EPA report shows that Ireland will at best achieve a 23% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, which is substantially lower than t...
Inside Richard Satchwell's murder trial
30 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Fran and Katie are joined by legal affairs correspondent, Orla O'Donnell and by Prime Time's Barry Cummins to reveal the inside story of the Richard S...
The O'Farrell family's fight for justice, crisis at CHI and RTÉ at Oireachtas
28 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Fourteen years after Shane O’Farrell was killed by a driver who should have been in jail at the time, his family have finally received an apology. K...
Surge in scams, and Springsteen annoys Trump
26 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The latest garda figures have shown a surge in online fraud, as more fake websites, ticket hoaxes, and phishing texts are popping up. Fran and David a...
Trump gets sour with Apple and the EU and exploring the manosphere
23 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Katie and Fran chat about Donald Trump's latest threat to slap the EU with a 50% tariff on goods which could kick in as early as June 1st. They a...
Are Israel's allies running out of patience?
21 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s Behind the Story Fran and David are joined by The Independent’s Chief Foreign Correspondent Bel Trew to discuss a week which saw many o...
Inside the Michael Gaine case, and the UK-EU deal
19 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
RTÉ's Southern Editor Paschal Sheehy joins David and Fran from Kerry to give them an insight into the investigation into Michael Gaine's death.There ...