In The News
Episodes
Who is Seamus ‘Banty’ McEnaney and how did he make over €200 million from housing homeless people and refugees?
08 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Seven years ago, in September 2018, the Government approached a company called Brimwood Ltd asking for help to secure extra accommodation in hotels an...
The Runaway Couple part 2: Inside the trial of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon
06 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
British socialite Constance Marten, 38, and her partner convicted rapist Mark Gordon, 51, prompted a 53-day police manhunt when they went on the run w...
The Runaway Couple part 1: The turbulent lives of Constance Marten and Mark Gordon
05 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
British socialite Constance Marten, 38, and her partner convicted rapist Mark Gordon, 51, prompted a 53-day police manhunt when they went on the run w...
Who is the American drifter questioned over Michael Gaine’s murder?
04 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kerry farmer Michael Gaine’s disappearance on March 20th was first treated as a missing person’s case.Soon though, it was upgraded to a murder inv...
Mister Mancave: How a conman made $350 million selling fake sports memorabilia
01 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sports memorabilia is big business in the United States. Exceptional athletes can attain God-like status very quickly there, and everybody ...
Ukraine war: Is President Zelenskiy losing his people’s trust?
31 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Last week, hundreds of Ukrainians took to the streets across the country protesting a government move to slash the independence of two anti-corruption...
Famine unfolding in Gaza: ‘Children are eating grass and weeds at the side of the road'
30 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On Tuesday, after weeks of warnings, and growing reports of young children dying from malnutrition and starvation, a famine alert was issued for Gaza....
Trump's tariffs: could the EU and Ireland have got a better deal?
29 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On Sunday, shortly after playing a round of golf at his luxury Turnberry resort in Scotland, US president Donald Trump agreed to a trade deal with the...
Gang attacks Indian man in Dublin: ‘They took his trousers, his underwear and his shoes’
28 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The attack on an Indian man on a suburban street in south Dublin two weeks ago by a gang of teenagers was fuelled by racism and online misinformation....
Two names in the race for the Áras: early-mover advantage or risky tactic?
25 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
President Michael D Higgins’s 14-year term is in its final months with an election to decide his predecessor set to take place before November 11th....
Bonus: will Donegal or Kerry prevail in the GAA football final? With Dean Rock and Conor McManus
24 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The All-Ireland senior men's football final takes place on Sunday, and following last week's takeover of In the News by Malachy Clerkin to look at the...
Why has Trump accused Obama of treason?
24 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On Tuesday, during a meeting at the White House with the president of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, US president Donald Trump launched an ince...
Why is a Russian ‘shadow fleet’ sailing around Ireland?
23 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Earlier this month, a tanker laden with thousands of tonnes of crude oil, which had set off from a Russian port on the Baltic Sea, sailed down the wes...
What is life really like in the West Bank?
22 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In March of this year, the eyes of the world turned towards the occupied West Bank when the film ‘No Other Land’, which tells the story of Israel’...
Joe Grogan inquest: How a millionaire farmer died the day after he was married
21 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
An inquest doesn’t typically hear questions about the consummation of a relationship or the validity of a marriage certificate, and it’s not usual...
Afghan data leak: Panic, a press gag and a secret relocation scheme
18 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After the US and the Taliban signed a peace deal that saw all international troops leaving Afghanistan by May 2021, Britain promised to relocate those...
Bonus: will Tipperary or Cork triumph in this weekend's All Ireland hurling final?
17 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The All-Ireland senior men's hurling final takes place on Sunday.To mark the occasion, The Irish Times sports department takes over our podcast feed t...
Jeffrey Epstein Files: why Donald Trump's biggest supporters are turning on him
17 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump once said that he would "probably" release documents relating to the life and crimes of late billionaire and notorious sexual abuser Jeff...
Why are so many schools struggling to find teachers?
16 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the last academic year, hundreds of schools around the country have been affected by the ongoing teacher shortage. It’s a crisis which has l...
Are supermarkets ripping off Irish shoppers?
15 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Opposition parties including the Social Democrats and Sinn Féin have been criticising the Government over its record on the cost of living, and espec...
The Salt Path: How a blockbuster memoir strayed from the truth
14 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Salt Path, a memoir published in 2018, told an inspirational story; how Raynor Winn and her husband Moth lost their home following an unwise inves...
‘It was like a scene from an action movie’: How Ireland’s biggest drug bust unfolded
11 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The seizure of the MV Matthew, with its massive consignment of drugs, off the Irish coast in September 2023 was as daring as it was skilful.After days...
Walk this way: Is Dublin’s car-free plan working?
10 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Parliament Street, the short, wide road that has Dublin’s quays at one end and City Hall at the other was, up to last week, clogged with traffic.Not...
How the Texas floods sparked a political blame game
09 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Last week, a catastrophic flood tore through central Texas, killing more than a hundred people, including over two dozen children attending a Christia...
What really happens on a Leaving Cert holiday?
08 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The 2025 Leaving Cert exams are finally a thing of the past and 18-year-olds have begun their annual pilgrimage to party hotspots across southern Euro...
The Occupied Territories Bill: Why it became a major political challenge for Government
07 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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How Gaza became the most dangerous place in the world for journalists
04 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
At least 184 journalists and media workers have been killed in Gaza since October 2023, according to Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a non-pro...
How Japan fell in love with Irish culture
04 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Taoiseach Micheál Martin wraps up his four-day visit to Japan today with a visit to Hiroshima where he will lay a wreath at the cenotaph commemoratin...
George Gibney: why did it take decades for the alleged sexual abuser to face new charges?
03 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
George Gibney was arrested on Tuesday in Florida after a Garda request was made to the US State Department to extradite him to Ireland to face charges...
Carlow shooting: could Evan Fitzgerald's death have been avoided?
02 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Last month, a 22-year-old man named Evan Fitzgerald walked into the busy Fairgreen shopping centre in Carlow and opened fire. He then turned his weapo...
The project to recover 'seven centuries of Irish history'
01 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On June 30th 1922, a massive explosion ripped through Dublin’s Four Courts, after the Irish Free state national army opened fire on anti-treaty repu...
Could you really go to jail for watching a ‘dodgy box’?
30 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Two court cases this month will have signalled to those supplying so-called ‘dodgy boxes’ that there is a high penalty to be paid.A man who appear...
What you need to know about new rules for renters - and landlords
28 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Renters and landlords alike are confused about exactly how the forthcoming changes to rules governing tenancies will affect them. In what circumstance...
Iran-US relations: What is behind the hostility between the two countries?
27 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A new chapter in the fractious relationship between Iran and the US began this week with America’s bombing of three Iranian nuclear-development site...
Why Ireland football legend Damien Duff walked out on his team
26 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Last weekend, former Ireland international and premier league star Damien Duff sent shock waves through Irish football when he announced he was resign...
Boston rape case: How the trial of a Dublin firefighter unfolded
25 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the early hours of March 15th 2024, a woman walked into a hospital in the city of Boston and reported she had been raped.The following day, Dublin ...
Tattle Life: How a gossip website ended up in court
23 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Tattle Life is a gossip site that many will have never heard of until a landmark defamation trial in Belfast this month.Donna and Neil Sands bought a ...
Israel needs Trump’s ‘bunker buster’ but will US enter the war?
20 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Since Israel launched air strikes on Iran last Friday, the two states have traded missiles with mounting casualties on both sides.Iranian military lea...
Why winning €250 million isn't all its cracked up to be
19 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Someone in Ireland has just won €250 million. It's the biggest ever lottery win in Europe and it means the winner's life will never be the same agai...
Will the Tuam excavation finally bring closure to families?
18 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On Monday, preparatory works began at the former site of the mother and baby institution in Tuam, Co Galway in advance of the long-awaited excavation ...
Minnesota shootings and mass protests - has Trump’s divisive politics reached boiling point?
17 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On Sunday night, 57-year-old Vance Boelter was arrested and charged with murder following the largest manhunt in the history of the US state of Minnes...
Erin Patterson on trial: Latest in mushroom poisoning murder case
16 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On her last gruelling day on the stand in the murder trial that has gripped Australia, Erin Patterson faced three succinct questions from the prosecut...
'A war that’s been planned for a decade' - why Israel has attacked Iran and what happens next
13 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Israel has launched widescale strikes against Iran, saying it targeted nuclear facilities, ballistic missile factories and military com...
Valerie’s Law: Closing a loophole that lets spouse killers keep parental rights
13 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Valerie French Kilroy was the mother of three very young boys, an occupational therapist and a much-loved sister and friend.In June 2019 she was murde...
Is Conor McGregor really the only person who wants to be President of Ireland?
12 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The election for the next President of Ireland must take place before November 11th. It’s June, so where is the list of Áras hopefuls?As of now two...
Water cannons and body-worn cameras: How the Gardaí has changed under Drew Harris
11 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Garda Commissioner Drew Harris had much to show the media at an event at Garda HQ on Monday.New riot gear, a massive water canon, smart body-worn came...
Will new rent rules help or hurt tenants - or fix the housing crisis?
10 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Government will bring its latest housing fix to Cabinet today when it presents new rules on rent levels for approval.Aimed at boosting supply – ...
His name was Neville Kearns: Why five men are naming their abuser
09 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On Sunday, April 7th, 2024 there was a fatal road traffic crash in Churchtown, a suburb in south dublin. It happened early in the morning when a pensi...
Death in Connemara: who was Sunny Jacobs?
06 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sonia ‘Sunny’ Jacobs was 76 when she died on Tuesday morning in a house fire in Connemara.Her tragic death made headlines far beyond Galway and Ir...
'Fear, distrust and embarrassment': why children's healthcare in Ireland is in crisis
05 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Children operated on when there was no need; industrial springs being used instead of approved medical devices; a doctor diverting children to his own...
Petrol bombs and drive-bys: Why Limerick’s gangland violence is back
04 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the early hours of May 8th, two masked men in a stolen Audi staged a drive-by shooting, firing nine shots indiscriminately at houses on Limerick's ...
Who is the American drifter questioned over Michael Gaine’s murder?
03 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kerry farmer Michael Gaine’s disappearance on March 20th was first treated as a missing person’s case.Soon though, it was upgraded to a murder inv...
Richard Satchwell: why did it take eight years for the killer to face justice?
31 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From the moment he reported her missing in 2017, Richard Satchwell stuck to his story that his wife Tina had run off.His many media appeals begged her...
He killed Shane O'Farrell. Why was he out on bail?
30 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Shane O’Farrell was 23 when he was the victim of a hit-and-run near his home in Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan. A law graduate, he had just submitted h...
From missing person to murder investigation: The case of Fiona Pender
29 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Nearly thirty years ago, in August 1996, 25-year-old Fiona Pender disappeared and was never seen again. Detectives have always believed Ms Pender, who...
Why is Ireland so far off its climate targets?
28 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published its latest projections for the 2030 climate targets and it’s bad news for Ireland.The Irish ...
Is this year's Leaving Certificate unfair?
27 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Five years ago, and three months into the 2020 global pandemic, the Leaving Cert was cancelled.The Department of Education announced in May 2020 that ...
Why everything still costs so much - and there could be worse to come
26 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Butter is becoming a luxury item. Rents have reached an all time high – just two examples of prices that seem to be constantly on the move upwards.&...
Was the truth about Joe Biden’s health deliberately hidden from American voters?
23 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Former US president Joe Biden’s announcement on Sunday that he has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer paused the avalanche of...
Investigation: The links between lawyers in Ireland and Putin’s soft-power agency
22 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A new investigation drawing on thousands of internal emails and documents reveals the activities of Pravfond, a Russian organisation established in 20...
Richard Satchwell: Murder trial has reached its fourth week - what have we learned so far?
21 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The trial of Richard Satchwell, who has pleaded not guilty to murdering his wife Tina at their home in Youghal, Co Cork in March 2017, has now entered...
Gaza's dire situation: Israel intensifies attacks and allows 'basic food' in as famine fears grow
20 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On Monday morning, Israel’s Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu posted a video on his Telegram account pledging to take control of all of Gaza.“We a...
Michael Gaine: a gruesome discovery and a man arrested
19 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kerry farmer Michael Gaine disappeared in March. In April Gardaí upgraded the search to a murder inquiry, despite not finding a body. Now, following ...
Marriage equality a decade on: ‘Things have gone backwards’
19 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ten years ago this week, on May 23rd, 2015, the people of Ireland voted to legalise same-sex marriage.Writing in The Irish Times the day after the ref...
Joe Duffy is leaving Liveline, but who will replace him?
16 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From the end of June, the people of Ireland will no longer be able to pick up the phone and talk to Joe.Last week, Joe Duffy announced he was leaving ...
Keir Starmer's migration crackdown: why Britain is still struggling to 'take back control'
15 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Mark Paul on why UK prime minister Keir Starmer evoked the arguments for Brexit - which he had opposed - when announcing a new crackdown on migration ...
Could Ireland's housing crisis kill the Irish language?
14 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Members of Gaeltacht community groups and Irish language campaigners have issued a stark warning. They say the lack of housing, and oversupply of shor...
Can AI help Gardaí detect future crimes?
13 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"The future can be seen" was the tagline of 2002 dystopian cop thriller Minority Report, in which Tom Cruise prevented crimes yet to take place with t...
Kim Kardashian robbery trial: How the 'grandpa gang' carried out a €10 million heist
12 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A group of men dubbed the “grandpa gang” are among 10 suspects on trial in Paris on charges of robbing reality TV star and entrepreneur Kim Kardas...
What kind of pope will Leo XIV be?
09 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
US-born Robert Prevost, who worked in Peru for two decades and became a citizen there before becoming a cardinal, is now Pope Leo XIV. But what sort o...
Molly's minders: why the famous Dublin statue is being protected from tourists
09 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For years tourists have been told it’s a tradition in Dublin to rub Molly Malone’s breasts – “for luck”. Something that’s news to resident...
India's conflict with Pakistan, explained
08 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
India has conducted what it has described as “precision strikes” in neighbouring Pakistan and Pakistani-controlled Kashmir, days after it blamed I...
Dublin pipe bomb attack: How a criminal gang used a drone to target their victim
07 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the early hours of Monday morning, a drone carrying a pipe bomb, a viable explosive device, crashed beside a family's home in North County Dublin. ...
Patrick Freyne on Africa’s forgotten war
06 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Chad now hosts 1.3 million forcibly displaced people, according to the UNHCR, despite itself being one of the world’s poorest countries. More than h...
Australia mushroom poisoning: how a family lunch ended in tragedy
05 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Note: This episode was originally published in August 2023. In July 2023, four relatives attended a family lunch at the home of Erin Patterson, a...
Blackout in Spain and Portugal: why did the lights go out?
02 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On Monday, the unthinkable happened: Spain and Portugal experienced an electricity blackout. Just after midday the lights went out, wifi went down, tr...
Kneecap: will 'moral outrage' over controversial comments halt the rappers' rise?
01 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For Kneecap’s growing fan base, the band’s support of Palestine as they performed at the Coachella music festival in California last month didn’...
Will Ireland's new immigration laws affect asylum seeker numbers?
30 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Since taking over the Department of Justice, Jim O'Callaghan has embarked on a firmer, more hardline approach to immigration in this country.New legis...
The Satchwell murder case - what to know as the trial begins
29 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On Monday, a jury of seven women and five men was sworn in for the trial of Richard Satchwell at Dublin’s Central Criminal Court.The 58-year-old is ...
How the Chinese government monitors its citizens in Ireland
28 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When Nuria Zyden travelled from her home in Dublin to a conference in Sarajevo she became aware that two Chinese men were following her. They were on ...
What is a woman? The UK Supreme Court ruling
25 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On April 16th, the Supreme Court in London ruled unanimously that “the terms ‘woman’ and ‘sex’ in the Equality Act 2010 refer to a biologica...
'My foot was dangling loose': How a jogger injured in an e-bike crash sued in court
24 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever wondered what your recourse would be if you were hit by someone riding an e-bike? 48 year-old Karl Leonard assumed Gardaí would prosecu...
What kind of Pope will the Church pick next?
23 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Irish Times contributor and former religious affairs correspondent Patsy McGarry discusses the contenders for the job and how the Vatican conclave’s...
Why is Ireland's far-right movement so divided?
22 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Last Tuesday in Conor McGregor’s Black Forge Inn, the Irish Far Right were out in force. It was a celebration after a day showing US broadcaster Tuc...
‘A creep in a puffer jacket’: How a confidence trickster is scamming men in Dublin city
21 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
While walking through Dublin city, journalist Quentin Fottrell was scammed.A pleasant sounding, nicely dressed man stopped him and started chatting. D...
In China, the Communist Party appoints Catholic bishops - what’s the deal?
18 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most of China’s roughly 10 million Catholics attend officially sanctioned churches but a substantial minority belong to the so-called “underground...
Your Instagram posts are feeding Meta's AI; what does it all mean?
17 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Your 2007 Facebook posts, videos of your children or maybe your voice on Instagram stories. Everything you have ever publicly posted on Facebook and I...
Adult diagnosis of ADHD: ‘It was the missing puzzle piece’
16 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
While ADHD diagnoses among Irish children have risen significantly in recent years, growing numbers of adults are now opting for an assessment for Att...
How to avoid a fresh scam hitting Irish shoppers online
15 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Unsuspecting Irish shoppers are being duped by scammers who have figured out a fiendish way to win your trust. Consumer Affairs correspondent Conor Po...
Who was David Joyce, the Irish man shot dead by UK police?
14 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
David Joyce, 38, was killed with a single shot by British police officers at Milton Keynes railway station on April 1st.But who was he and what do we ...
Can a distinctive tattoo help solve Emer O’Loughlin’s murder?
11 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Gardaí have made a renewed appeal on the 20th anniversary of the murder of art student Emer O’Loughlin in Co Clare.Detectives believe that a man th...
After years of heartbreak, can Rory McIlroy finally win the Masters?
10 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Rory McIlroy will tee off on Thursday at 6.12pm Irish time on the first day of the Masters in Georgia.It is the first major tournament of the golf sea...
The disappearance of Kerry farmer Michael Gaine
09 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Shortly before 10am, on Thursday, March 20th, Kerry farmer Michael Gaine walked into a Centra store in Kenmare to buy phone credit. The 56-year-old fa...
How tariff chaos could affect Ireland
08 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Global markets plunged again on Monday after Donald Trump showed no signs of pulling back from his sweeping tariff plan. All the major stock exchanges...
Four weddings and a baby shower: the financial pressure of too many invites
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A reader wrote to Trish Murphy’s Tell Me About It column looking for advice for a problem that she says is driving her crazy and taking over her lif...
Have new rules fixed Gaelic football?
05 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship starts this weekend.It’s one of the biggest competitions in all of Irish sport. The All-Ireland foo...
Do Ireland’s laws on sex work need to change?
04 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Last week, a Brazilian man who rented out properties across rural Ireland under false pretences and used them as brothels, was jailed for nine years.I...
Trump launches a trade war against the world
03 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Last night US president Donald Trump announced tariffs on imports from dozens of countries, including Ireland and the European Union as a whole, launc...
Why are two Irish citizens being deported from Germany despite no convictions?
02 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Two Irish citizens living in Berlin have been issued with deportation orders and instructed to leave Germany before April 21st after facing ...
The climate threat to Irish houses
01 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As sea levels rise and extreme floods become more frequent, increasing numbers of Irish homeowners are struggling to secure insurance for their proper...