Behind the Story
Episodes
Will Gov fuel supports help bring down the price at the pump? and a Love Story!
23 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
It's widely anticipated the Government will announce fuel supports in an attempt to soften the blow of increasing petrol and diesel prices. Paul Deane...
Trapped in Dubai: the Kinahan crime gang
20 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Earlier this week, a leading figure in the Kinahan crime gang, Sean McGovern pled guilty at the Special Criminal Court to directing a criminal gang in...
Why is the tech bro Peter Thiel warning about the Antichrist?
18 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
One of the world's leading tech billionaires, Peter Thiel is in Rome this week, giving a series of 'behind closed doors' lectures on the Antichrist. T...
Oscar success, Timothée's ballet faux pas and Taoiseach's high wire act
16 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Jessie Buckley made history by becoming the first Irish woman to win Best Actress at the Academy Awards. Success too for Dubliner Richie Baneham who w...
Has the manosphere gone mainstream? and inside the Oscars!
13 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Earlier this week, a documentary by Louis Theroux landed on Netflix. Fran is joined by Professor Debbie Ging of DCU to discuss the growth of the manos...
What's happening with the electric car market?
11 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
New figures released today show that used EVs are priced 11% below comparable diesel vehicles. After a fall in the value of electric cars, the market ...
Pump prices, inflation and Gulf food supplies
09 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Oil prices surged today to their highest levels since 2022. Stocks fell as the fallout from the Iran conflict continues to hit the economy and your po...
The suspicious death of Liam Farrell and Mr Beast's foray into finance!
06 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Leitrim man Liam Farrell's death in 2020 was in suspicious circumstances. His family received news on Thursday that the Minister for Justice has autho...
Enoch Burke's mother and sister to be jailed and the cost of war.
04 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
"The family circus has to end' says Justice Brian Cregan who, today, ordered that Enoch Burke's mother and sister be sent to jail for two weeks for co...
Bonus: Remember GPO Girl? There's a development!
03 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In 2013, the Gardaí, with permission from the courts, released a picture of an unidentified girl to try and find out who she was. Within hours, they ...
How the Iran crisis could hit your pocket and EU response
02 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
As the US-Iran conflict escalates, oil prices have begun to rise, so what impact could the crisis have on prices here? Adam Maguire of the RTÉ Busine...
BONUS - US attacks Iran
28 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The US and Israel have commenced 'major combat operations' against Iran. Iran has responded by hitting sites in several Gulf States including Israel. ...
Who is Larry Goodman? and axing the Arts degree?
27 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Larry Goodman is one of Ireland's richest men, with a business empire that stretches from beef to healthcare and property. A new two part TV documenta...
Protecting our seas, a billion dollar deal and Punch the monkey!
25 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The government published the country's first maritime strategy today, but what's in it? and do we have the money to pay for it? Former Army Ranger and...
Focus on Ukraine
23 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
As the 4th anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine approaches, Professor Donnacha Ó' Beacháin joins Fran and Laura to discuss the situation now....
Andrew's arrest and the story behind that photo!
20 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Following the arrest and release of Andrew Mountbatten Windsor by Thames Police, the story continues to dominate world headlines. Historian and author...
'It's a race': the risk of cyberthreats is increasing
18 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Richard Browne, the Director of the National Cyber Security Centre joined Fran and Paul for a deep dive into the cyber risks facing the country. AI is...
The search for JoJo Dullard and Deirdre Jacob
16 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
"I have a lift, bye'... the last words of Jo Jo Dullard in 1995 before she went missing. Gardaí declared her case a murder investigation in 2020. Dei...
What's going on with the proposed National Children's Science Centre?
13 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
An agreement between the OPW and a charity to build a National Children's Science Centre has run aground. The OPW says it doesn't have the money and n...
Can diplomacy help Seamus Culleton? and a Norwegian confession!
11 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Irish man Seamus Culleton who is detained by ICE in a facility in Texas went public with his story yesterday and appealed to politicians to help get h...
How 'auction fever' is fuelling bidding wars on homes and Starmer's woes!
09 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
House buyers who bid on properties in open or online auctions are pushing prices up more than they can afford. Bidders in sealed auctions pay less and...
Winter Olympics and the politics of sports bans
06 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
As the Winter Olympics gets underway in Italy, RTE Sport's Eamon Horan joins Fran and Laura to discuss the Irish hopefuls at the games and the controv...
Commuter hell for students and pressure grows on Starmer
04 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A new survey from the University of Limerick Student Union found 60% of commuter students travelled more than one hour each way to campus during the l...
Why are farmers fighting with Bord Bia? And danger here: US visa rules ahead of World Cup
30 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A bitter row has broken out over the last week between farmer organisations and the Chair of Bord Bia, but what's it all about? Agriculture and Consum...
Can nature help stop flooding and are you tipping too much?
28 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Slaney and Dodder rivers burst their banks and flooded surrounding areas following subtantial rainfall over the past few days. And while the clean...
Minneapolis: Is the US facing into the abyss? And the EU focus returns to Grok
26 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Officials in US President Donald Trump's administration continue to defend the fatal shooting on Saturday of a man by immigration agents in Minneapoli...
The murder of Marilyn Rynn - how Gardaí caught her killer
23 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
As the man who murdered Dublin woman Marilyn Rynn in December 1995 is released from prison, author and crime journalist Barry Cummins details the inve...
Trump's demand: 'We want a piece of ice' and billionaires squabble!
21 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
As President Trump continues to make demands, newly minted Washington Correspondent, Jackie Fox joins Fran and Fiona to discuss the US President's ext...
Trump's tariff threats and what could it mean for Ireland?
19 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
As US President Donald Trump issued tariff threats on 8 European countries, Fran [yes, he's back] and Karen speak to Chief Economist with the Institut...
China-Ireland relations and what is a k-hole?
16 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Earlier this week, it was reported that China's trade surplus has reached $1.9 trillion last year, a 20% increase on 2024. As China exports continue t...
Leaving X, Grok AI and is Dublin City Council on the move?
14 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Senior Gardaí appeared at the Oireachtas media committee today where they revealed they are investigated two hundred complaints about Grok AI and chi...
Jessie wins and Iran on the edge
12 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Jessie Buckley won Best Actress at the Golden Globes for her performance in 'Hamnet', an adaptation of the best selling book of the same name by Coler...
The Mercosor deal and On The Beat with the Gardaí!
09 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A majority of EU States voted to pass the Mercosor trade deal with South American countries. Ireland, along with 4 other countries voted against the d...
Tankers, Tourism and Grok AI
07 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Government is hoping to attract more tourists here from India, the UAE and the Asia-Pacific region as part of a new strategic investment plan of €...
Maduro in court and Venezuela's future
05 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Ousted President Maduro was brought to court in New York this afternoon to face drugs and weapons charges. Meanwhile, it remains unclear who is really...
Inside FIFA and who is Infantino?
02 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
With less than six months to the kick off of the World Cup, Fran is joined by sports reporter, Miguel Delaney for a deep dive into how FIFA operates a...
Entertainment year in review
31 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kneecap, Traitors, Adolescence and the Eurovision, just some of the big entertainment stories that hit the headlines this year. Streaming continues to...
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...