In The News
Episodes
The Black Axe gang: a new frontier in Irish crime
02 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Originating in west Africa the Black Axe gang has quickly become one of the most successful groups in Irish organised crime. In the Republic, the gang...
The history of Ireland’s old fashioned licensing laws
31 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever wondered why pubs and nightclubs in Ireland have a very strict closing time, whereas the rest of Europe has a more relaxed approach to h...
Face to face with a killer: Tibnin Bridge, part three
28 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The families of Corporal Morrow, Private Burke and Private Murphy watch on as Ireland's best criminal defence barrister tries to get Michael McAleavy ...
An unthinkable crime: Tibnin Bridge, part two
27 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Among soldiers who have served in Lebanon, no incident is more notorious than the 1982 killings of Corporal Gregory Morrow, Private Peter Burke and Pr...
Death at an Irish army checkpoint: Tibnin Bridge, part one
26 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Since the 1970s, Irish soldiers have served as UN peacekeepers in south Lebanon, a region where complex conflicts ebb and flow.47 Irish soldiers have ...
US midterms: Can a celebrity doctor deliver for the Republicans?
25 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
With just two weeks to go until the 2022 midterm elections, all eyes are on Pennsylvania and the two nominees vying for the Senate seat, Republican ce...
How the death of Savita Halappanavar changed the course of modern Irish history
22 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This month marks ten years since Savita Halappanavar died at Galway University Hospital. At seventeen weeks pregnant, she had presented to the hospita...
Liz Truss resigns. Now what?
20 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
After just 45 days on the job, UK prime minister Liz Truss has resigned. The proximate cause of her political demise was her mishandling of the econom...
Xi Jinping tightens his grip on China
19 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
China’s Communist Party is holding its National Congress this week. The highly choreographed event sets out the party’s plans for the country over...
What happens when the fun is taken out of children’s team sports?
17 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
There are lots of reasons why team sports are a great activity for children to be involved in. They offer kids a chance to improve fitness, make ...
Who is Madeleine McCann suspect Christian Brückner?
14 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
***Please note this episode discusses sexual assault and violence which some listeners may find distressing***German prosecutors have filed new sexual...
Iranian women's fight for freedom
12 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Iranian authorities are using increasingly violent force to suppress the female-led protests that are rocking the religious regime.Zahra Gholamvand is...
A tragedy in Donegal
10 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ten lives have been lost and many more irrevocably changed by the tragic events that took place last Friday in the small village of Creeslough, County...
John Murphy: A senior Garda’s fall from grace
10 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Last week, former garda superintendent John Murphy was jailed for six and a half years after he was caught holding cannabis worth nearly €260,000 in...
Rory Mason and the fighters of Ukraine's "international legion"
07 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Rory Mason, the young man who died in combat in Ukraine this week, was one of thousands of young men from around the world who travelled to join Ukrai...
Why former Sinn Féin councillor Jonathan Dowdall is facing life in witness protection
05 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Convicted criminal Jonathan Dowdall is about to lose his name, his identity and his home. The former Sinn Fein councillor and successful businessman h...
What does the Nord Stream sabotage mean for Ireland?
03 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Last week the major pipeline bringing gas from Russia into the EU was sabotaged with explosions recorded at at least four different points along the l...
Brazil election: Bolsonaro's January 6th moment?
30 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On Sunday, Brazilians will vote in a presidential election that pits former president Lula against incumbent Jair Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro is behind in th...
Budget 2023: What happened and how it affects you
28 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
One off lump sums, a 25% reduction in childcare costs and an increase in welfare payments. Those are some of the notable measures announced in ye...
Does sportswashing work?
26 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
After a controversial launch earlier this year, a breakaway professional golf league, backed by Saudi Arabia's investment fund, is still going, having...
Could Russian mobilisation change the course of the war?
23 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week Russian president Vladimir Putin tried to reclaim the initiative in his invasion of Ukraine by announcing a "partial mobilisation" of the po...
Why is the cost of childcare so high?
21 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Parents in Ireland today are facing some of the highest childcare costs in the world. What relief can be expected for parents in the upcoming budget a...
Murder in a Dublin Flat: the shocking death of Tony Dempsey
19 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Last week, the body of 28-year-old Tony Dempsey was discovered at a flat in Dublin’s north inner city. It’s believed his remains lay there for up ...
How wealthy is the British monarchy?
16 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The finances of the British monarchy remain, in part, a mystery. Royal wills are never made public, so it’s not quite clear what wealth is passed do...
How ready are we for another Covid winter?
14 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
While it may not be dominating the conversation like it did last year, Covid is still here and numbers are on the rise. Health Editor Paul Cullen spea...
What's happening with Ukraine's counter-offensive?
13 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dan McLaughlin reports on the counter-offensive carried out in recent days by Ukrainian Armed Forces that has recaptured swathes of territory from the...
How climate change is bringing devastation to Somalia
12 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Somalia is on the brink of famine. By the end of this year, the country will have gone through five failed rainy seasons, which means for over two yea...
For the love of Garth
09 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What is it about Garth Brooks we love so much? To find out, Conor Pope talked to superfans Anna O'Donoghue and Paul McKeever and music criti...
How will the UK cope with losing Queen Elizabeth II?
09 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
London editor Denis Staunton on the death of Queen Elizabeth II: how the world learned she was dying, what happens next, and the impact her death will...
How can Ireland find a way out of the energy crisis?
07 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As the colder winter months approach, the energy crisis shows no signs of abating. So, what is being done about it and how bad will it get? Conor Pope...
How Ireland’s asylum and refugee accommodation system has reached breaking point
04 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sorcha Pollak speaks to Irish Times crime correspondent Conor Gallagher about a recent incident in Dublin, which saw international protection applican...
The psychology of climate denial
02 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Climate denial can take many forms. Some refuse to accept the science, while others avoid the overwhelm by diverting their attention elsewhere. Profes...
Leaving Cert 2022: The points race and the housing race are harder than ever
31 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Students now need more CAO points than ever to secure a spot in many university courses, thanks to grade inflation caused by the predicted grades syst...
Why it’s time to end the silence around stillbirths and baby loss
29 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In early 2006, just days away from her due date, Cork woman Mairie Cregan was told her unborn baby, Liliana, had no heartbeat. Here, she tells Sorcha ...
Will therapy with psychadelic drugs become mainstream?
26 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Could psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, play a role in the treatment of PTSD, OCD and eating disorders? A global series of trials,...
Can the Catholic Church in Ireland really change?
24 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Demands by Irish Catholics for major change in the church’s attitude to women, LGBTI+ people, those who are divorced or remarried, and single parent...
What kind of leader could Michael Collins have been?
22 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The killing of Michael Collins created the greatest "what if" in Irish history. If he had lived, would Irish history have played out differently? Woul...
What next for Afghanistan and its people?
19 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
One year on from the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, what is life like for the people living under their rule? Conor pope speaks to Fatema Mohammadi,...
What's happening at An Bord Pleanála?
17 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What's going on at An Bord Pleanála? The state body with final say on planning appeals and power over fast-tracked housing developments is in focus t...
Can Ireland's electricity grid cope with the data centre boom?
15 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Data centres already consume 14 per cent of Ireland’s electricity supply, more than all rural housing. Now these centres are on track to consume abo...
The agency forcing Irish criminals to flee abroad (From November 2021)
12 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Just over 25 years ago, the Criminal Assets Bureau was established in the wake of the killings of Detective Jerry McCabe and journalist Veronica Gueri...
Inside Ireland’s largest re-wilding experiment (From January 2022)
10 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This episode was originally published in January 2022. Just 30 kilometres north of Dublin, lies a hidden oasis in Meath called Dunsany Castle. Home to...
The secrets to living a longer life (From January 2022)
08 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What can we do for ourselves to ensure that we live long, fulfilling, happy and fit lives? In this episode, Conor Pope speaks to Professor of Medical ...
How the iPod changed the world (From May 2022)
05 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In October 2001, Apple chief executive Steve Jobs debuted the original iPod, the first MP3 player that could hold 1,000 songs and had a 10-hour batter...
Did the EU help create a human rights disaster? (From April 2022)
03 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
European countries are welcoming Ukrainian refugees with open arms. But migrants from other parts of the world get much different treatment, as report...
The unpalatable truth about eating meat (From September 2021)
01 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How much do you think about where your food comes from, how the animals used to produce it live and die, or its impact on the environment? Journalist ...
How Ireland’s mountain rescue services are managing an alarming rise in callouts (From August 2021)
29 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This episode was originally published in August 2021. As more and more people take to the outdoors to explore Ireland’s hiking trails and mountain p...
The rise in unregulated cosmetic procedures in Ireland (From December 2021)
27 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This episode was originally published in December 2021. Demand for cosmetic procedures is on the rise across Ireland, but what are the risks involved ...
The forgotten history of Ireland's asylums (From January 2022)
25 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This episode was originally published in January 2021. More than two dozen “lunatic asylums” were built throughout Ireland in the 1800s. Today som...
The battle to succeed Boris Johnson
22 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Conservative leadership contest has been underway for two weeks and the eight candidates have been whittled down to two.Now things get serious. Lo...
Ukraine: rebuilding lives scarred by Russia’s war
20 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As the war in Ukraine approaches its sixth month, many of the five million refugees who fled the country are returning. In total, more than two m...
Will Mo Farah’s story help other victims of human trafficking?
18 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Last week, British athlete Mo Farah revealed he was illegally trafficked into the UK at the age of nine. Flown over from Djibouti, he was given the na...
Burning effigies overshadow Loyalism's "funday"
15 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
At Eleventh Night bonfires and 12th of July parades, the experience hits very differently depending on your background. Northern correspondent Seanín...
Why are some women still travelling overseas for abortions?
13 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In 2019, at fourteen weeks pregnant, Emma Connors was told that her unborn baby had a fatal foetal abnormality. Just a few weeks later, she and her hu...
Is the tide going out on crypto?
11 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The prices of cryptocurrencies have plummeted this year. Bitcoin, the most popular one, has lost over 70 per cent of its value in the last six months ...
48 hours that undid Boris Johnson
08 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
From the moment on Tuesday morning when a retired British civil servant went public about how Boris Johnson was covering up his involvement in yet ano...
Why is Ireland so expensive?
06 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
All of Europe is in the grip of inflation, and Ireland is no different. But here we already had some of the highest prices in Europe across a range of...
Will there be a second Scottish independence referendum?
04 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Eight years after Scotland said no to independence in its 2014 referendum, Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon now wants to ...
"Setting us back 150 years": What now for abortion rights in America?
01 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the US, in places where women get abortions, but also in courtrooms and within political campaign headquarters, the decision of the Supreme Court t...
Will we have to ration energy - and how would we do it?
29 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The current energy crisis shows little sign of easing, and the worst may be to come. Some have warned that, with Russian gas supplies in doubt, Europe...
How concerned should we be about the summer Covid surge?
27 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Just three months on from the last pandemic wave which swept across the country, Ireland is once again experiencing a surge in Covid cases. But was it...
Could a tsunami hit Ireland?
24 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Nearly 300 years ago an earthquake off the coast of Portugal caused a tsunami which hit Ireland’s coast. Records show that the Lisbon tsunami, as it...
Why Ireland’s junior doctors are ready to strike
22 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Many hospitals around the country could soon be functioning without hundreds of junior doctors. Earlier this month, they voted in favour of strik...
Energy poverty: why are so many people struggling to power their homes?
20 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
With many Irish people now feeling the bite from the soaring cost of living, a new report has found a record number of households are experiencing ene...
The George Bento trial: How the Brazilian Deliveroo cyclist walked free
17 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Earlier this week, George Gonzaga Bento walked out of Dublin’s Central Criminal Court, a free man. The 36-year-old from Rio de Janeiro in Brazi...
January 6th Committee: did Trump attempt a coup?
15 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
After 11 months, nearly 100 subpoenas and more than a thousand interviews, the congressional committee investigating the January 6th attack on the US ...
Sorry not sorry: Merkel's Putin policy under the spotlight
13 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
For the first time since retiring, former chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel spoke out last week about how her government treated an increasingly agg...
Will a four-day working week become a reality?
10 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In 2018, Andrew Barnes decided to trial a four-day working week at his New Zealand-based business Perpetual Guardian. His employees work 80% of the ti...
The vilification of Amber Heard
09 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Two weeks ago, a jury in Virginia delivered the verdict that everyone had been waiting for: Johnny Depp had won his multimillion-dollar defamation cas...
What will replace the Leaving Cert?
08 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's that time of year again. The Leaving Certificate has been in existence since 1925, so it may come as no surprise to learn that students, academic...
Is facial recognition technology a good idea?
07 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Gardaí will soon be using facial recognition technology to crack cases and help win convictions. But the technology is already widely available. For ...
Should Queen Elizabeth celebrate her platinum jubilee by abdicating?
03 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Queen Elizabeth was 21 when she told her subjects that she would dedicate her whole life, whether it be long or short, to their service and the servic...
School shooters: why do they do it?
01 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The killing of 19 children and two teachers in a Texas elementary school has put the spotlight back on gun control - for now. But Robin Kowalski, a US...
Chaos at Dublin airport is just another problem for travel in 2022
30 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
After everything that’s happened over the past few years, many of us are dying for a nice holiday.And we’re willing to pay for it, with ...
Wine, vomit and fighting: Can Johnson hang on despite Partygate revelations?
27 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
London Editor Denis Staunton explains what a newly-published report into illegal gatherings in UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's home and office means...
Can Ukraine win the war against Russia?
25 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It is a war that Putin and western analysts predicted would be over within days, but three months down the line, fighting still rages on in Ukraine. S...
A nation divided: Saipan, 20 years on - part three
24 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This is part three of a three part series. If you haven't listened to part one or two yet, we recommend you go back and do so - they're the previous e...
A volcanic eruption and Roy Keane is sent home: Saipan, 20 years on - part two
23 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This is part two of a three part series. If you haven't listened to part one yet, we recommend you go back and do so - it's the previous episode in th...
Roy Keane, Mick McCarthy and the pain of Saipan, 20 years on - part one
20 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
20 years ago this week, Irish football fans were in a state of giddy excitement about the World Cup, which was about to begin in South Korea and Japan...
Are Irish house prices approaching a peak?
18 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Irish property prices are climbing at their highest rate for over seven years. In the last year alone, the average cost of a home jumped by ...
Have sanctions weakened the Kinahans?
16 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Last month, the United States announced it would sanction members of the Kinahan family and offer a $5 million reward for evidence leading to their pr...
How the iPod changed the world
13 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In October 2001, Apple chief executive Steve Jobs debuted the original iPod, the first MP3 player that could hold 1,000 songs and had a 10-hour batter...
Why are Ukrainian doctors struggling to find work in Ireland?
11 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Hundreds of Ukrainian doctors are arriving into Ireland, eager to take up work in the health service. However, they are facing barriers when it comes ...
From Bray to Madison Square Garden: The unstoppable rise of Katie Taylor
09 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Following her victory against Amanda Serrano at Madison Square Garden last week, Katie Taylor remains boxing’s golden girl and the undisputed lightw...
The National Maternity Hospital: what's behind the latest delay?
06 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Cabinet has held off on approving the planned relocation of the National Maternity Hospital from Holles Street in Dublin 2 to a site on the St Vin...
How Ukraine's resolve is denying Putin a May 9th victory
04 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Now in its 70th day Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine was supposed to dismantle the country. But across Ukraine, the invasion has only strengthened...
Inside Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s defamation trial
29 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Actor Johnny Depp this week concluded his testimony in the defamation case he has filed against his ex-wife Amber Heard, over an article she wrote for...
How the UK plans to export its asylum seekers
27 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Last week the UK government announced a scheme to send asylum seekers arriving on its shores to the central African nation of Rwanda, 10,000 kilometer...
Why is gun crime rising again in America?
25 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Surging gun crime in the United States has put the issue of gun control back on the agenda. But why is it happening - and can anything be done? Washin...
Does it matter if Elon Musk buys Twitter?
22 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Elon Musk says he wants to buy Twitter, but the board of the company doesn’t seem too hot on the idea. Musk has, nevertheless, filed papers to the S...
How Clare Daly and Mick Wallace became stars of authoritarian state media
21 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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Will sanctions topple the Kinahan cartel?
15 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Kinahan family's rise to the top of the Irish drug trade was helped by the low profile and overseas life of Christy Kinhan snr. But a violent feud...
Did the EU help create a human rights disaster?
13 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
European countries are welcoming Ukrainian refugees with open arms. But migrants from other parts of the world get much different treatment, as report...
The war next door: could Russia invade Moldova?
11 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Moldova is a small country sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine. It was once part of the Soviet Union. It's not an EU member or a member of the Nato...
As Bruce Willis retires, what legacy does he leave behind?
08 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
After more than three decades in the limelight, action star Bruce Willis has retired from acting. Taking to social media, his family revealed the acto...
Will war crimes in Ukraine galvanise Europe's response?
06 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Alleged war crimes in Ukraine have shocked Europe and the world. But as war drags on, can the EU react strongly and maintain a united response to Russ...
Could Russia run a spy network out of its Dublin embassy?
04 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Russian diplomats have been expelled from Ireland in the past, but the move to send four of them back to Moscow last week as a signal to the Kremlin o...
Was it the right time to say goodbye to Nphet?
01 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
After more than two years advising the Government on the coronavirus pandemic, the National Public Health Emergency Team for Covid-19 (Nphet) finally ...
How young Irish women are losing money in too-good-to-be-true social media sales jobs
30 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Multi-level marketing companies, or MLMs, have grown in popularity across the UK and Ireland in recent years, particularly during the pandemic when on...
What the census tells us about modern Ireland
28 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sunday April 3rd will be a big day for Ireland. It’s the day when every household in the country will complete the census, answering questions about...