In The News
Episodes
The plot to kidnap Holly Willoughby
05 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Security guard Gavin Plumb hatched an online plot to kidnap, rape and murder British TV personality Holly Willoughby. Yesterday he was found guilty of...
Immigration: What is a 'safe country'?
04 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week Minister for Justice Helen McEntee announced that five more countries have been added to the list of safe countries. They are Egypt, Morocco...
Trump's immunity ruling and will Joe go?
03 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's been a big week in US politics with Donald Trump's partial legal victory in the Supreme Court and Joe Biden's disastrous head-to-head debate with...
Is France set to have its first far-right government since the second world war?
02 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Three weeks ago, French president Emmanuel Macron stunned and bewildered French voters, and his own Government, by calling a snap general election. By...
Car theft in Ireland: Are international gangs to blame?
01 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Last year, nearly 5,000 cars were stolen across Ireland – making it the worst year for car thefts in more than a decade.Opportunists and joyriders h...
The 'affordable' homes costing twelve times the average wage
28 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dublin’s housing market has reached the point where a three-bed semi-detached house in Coolock priced at €475,000 is deemed ‘affordable.’ The ...
Gamblegate: Is a Tory wipeout inevitable after yet another scandal?
27 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Revelations that members of UK prime minister Rishi Sunak's inner circle correctly bet on the timing of the general election have damaged the Tory par...
Cathal Crotty case: Are judges out of touch with the public?
26 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Another protest is planned today in Limerick over the suspended sentence handed down to a serving soldier who was convicted of assault last week. Two ...
The Aer Lingus pilot strike will end - but when?
25 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The war of words between Aer Lingus and the pilots union Ialpa ratcheted up at the weekend with the airline accusing Ialpa of “blackmail” and the ...
What is the EU migration pact and what will it mean for Ireland?
24 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week the Dáil will vote on the EU migration and asylum pact.Why is Ireland opting in to the EU-wide system of migration control? And how will it...
How Taylor Swift ushered in a new era of exorbitant ticket prices
21 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
“Slow ticketing”, VIP packages and platinum pricing - there's a new lexicon involved in buying concert tickets. But all of them involve forking ou...
Is Ireland on the brink of a Fentanyl crisis?
20 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The global heroin supply is under threat. But observers of international narcotic trends warn that drugs addicts will replace heroin with - synthetic ...
What's behind Eamon Ryan's shock resignation?
19 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Green Party leader, Eamon Ryan, is stepping down after 13 years at the helm. However, the Transport Minister is staying on as a member of the Cabi...
The cover-up: Jonathan Creswell's crimes are laid bare - Part 2
18 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Last April, Jonathan Creswell’s trial for the rape and murder of 21-year-old Katie Simpson opened in Derry’s Crown Court. B...
The cover-up: How Jonathan Creswell tried to get away with murder - Part 1
17 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In August 2020, in a small housing estate in Derry, 21-year-old Katie Simpson was found in a critical condition. According to the man who discovered h...
Deadly dogs - the case for banning XL bullies
14 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When the UK banned ownership of XL Bully dogs – with certain exemptions – on February 1st, In The News explored whether Ireland should also consid...
Shein: How the Chinese fashion giant's low prices come at a cost
13 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As the fast fashion behemoth, Shein, prepares to float on the London Stock Exchange, there's renewed focus on the company's sustainability credentials...
Five key takeaways from the local and European elections
12 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It's all over bar the shouting in the local elections while in the European elections, counting is continuing in centres around the country. Sinn Féi...
How Israel saved four hostages at a terrible cost
11 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Israeli forces rescued four hostages captured by Hamas and held since October in a raid in Gaza on Saturday that Palestinian officials said resulted i...
Will Simon Harris call an early election after a good weekend for the Government?
10 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What happened on day two of the local and European election count? Yesterday evening on The Irish Times Inside Politics podcast, host Hugh Linehan tal...
How Ireland's far-right campaigned
07 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today and tomorrow voters will find out who will fill council seats up and down the country and who Ireland will send to Europe to represent its inter...
Heatstroke and hallucinations: A mother’s record-breaking run from Malin to Mizen Head
07 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Sophie Power has just done something extraordinary – she ran 563km from Malin Head to Mizen Head in record time.It took her a record-breaking three ...
What is Nigel Farage's endgame?
06 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
With a landslide victory for Keir Starmer’s Labour Party predicted, the UK general election looks to be all over bar the shouting.But then this week...
Are you sharing too much of your children's lives online?
05 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever shared a photo of your child wearing her Halloween costume on Instagram? Or, perhaps you’ve uploaded a video of your nephew dancing to...
What exactly does an MEP do and why does your vote count?
04 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On Friday 7th June, the country will go to the polls to decide who should represent us at a local and European level. Voters will elect 14 MEPs t...
Release day for convicted killers Tom and Molly Martens
03 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week, father and daughter Tom and Molly Martens will be released from prison after serving just over six months for killing Jason Corbett in 2015...
How countries make national service an accepted part of life
31 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A plan to reintroduce National Service in Britain has been roundly criticised by former military personnel and opposition parties alike. But serving y...
'Googlepocalypse' - the way you search the internet is about to change forever
29 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Earlier this month, Google launched AI Overviews – software which uses artificial intelligence to answer people’s questions quickly, skipping the ...
Is flying more dangerous due to worsening turbulence?
28 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In the past week, two incidences of severe air turbulence have made international headlines.More than 100 people were injured and one man died last we...
The Limerick man investigating some of the world's worst crimes
27 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Malachy Browne heads up the New York Times’s visual investigations unit where he and his team investigate key events, from breaking news at home to ...
Why did Rishi Sunak call an election?
24 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On Wednesday, British prime minister Rishi Sunak stood in the rain outside 10 Downing Street and called a general election. But why? The Tories are pe...
The trouble with Temu, the cut-price Chinese competitor to Amazon
23 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A pair of trainers for the price of a sandwich; a Dyson-dupe hair straightener for a fraction of the real thing – just about everything you can thin...
What a leaked report tells us about Ireland's housing crisis
22 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On Tuesday, a leaked report revealed the Housing Commission’s criticism that the Government has not resolved the “fundamentally systemic” failur...
What will the death of Iran's President mean for tensions in the Middle East?
21 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On Sunday afternoon, a helicopter carrying Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi and several of his delegates, including the country’s Foreign Minister H...
Would prime minister Keir Starmer be good for Ireland?
20 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Later this year, UK citizens will cast their votes in a general election. And, with polls showing Labour well ahead of the Tories, it appears Keir Sta...
The Portal: Are we overreacting to a bit of 'bad' behaviour?
17 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
New Yorkers have been given a window into how some Dubliners behave in front of a camera. The portal is the city's newest public art installation; a t...
Is Ireland's welcome for refugees over?
16 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Government this week flagged its intention to further reduce the financial supports available to Ukrainian refugees. There will also be a review o...
Gangster's Paradise: How the Kinahans secretly make millions on property in Dubai
15 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A major new investigation by The Irish Times has uncovered details of the Kinahan cartel's property empire being secretly sold off in Dubai. Most of t...
Ireland is getting stricter on cigarettes. But is vaping the real threat?
14 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On today's podcast, In the News producer Aideen Finnegan explains what we know about a proposal from Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly to raise the...
‘It’s hard to stop scrolling’: What Irish teens are watching on TikTok
13 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
From cute dance videos to antifeminist and racist ones, the social media app is a growing part of young people’s lives. There are concerns, though, ...
A stormy week for Donald Trump but Daniels fails to land a blow
10 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump had to sit in front of Stormy Daniels in a New York courtroom this week, as the former adult film star spoke in excruciating and very fra...
What will it take for Israel to cease fire in Gaza?
09 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On Monday spirits were lifted in Gaza when Hamas issued a statement declaring it would accept the terms of a ceasefire deal brokered by Egypt and Qata...
Drimnagh murder - a new generation of rival drug gangs emerges
08 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The murder of a 20 year-old man in a chaotic gun attack on Dublin's southside may be a harbinger of a new gangland feud. Ballyfermot man, Josh Itseli,...
How the culture of gangland funerals provides crucial intel
07 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Over the last twenty years or so, the funerals of significant criminal figures in Ireland have tended towards the extravagant. Last week's sober churc...
Why are Chinese millionaires buying up South Dublin homes?
06 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When "Niamh" began house-hunting in Dublin's suburbs, she soon noticed that viewings were often attended by agents who were using phones to live-strea...
Has Simon Harris's Mount Street clearance backfired?
03 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On Wednesday, a multi-agency operation got to work, moving up to 290 migrants who had been sleeping in tents outside the International Protection Offi...
The incredible story of Narendra Modi's rise to power in India
02 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Nearly one billion Indian citizens are eligible to vote in a lengthy election that began on April 19th and runs until June.Prime Minister Narendra Mod...
Is the cost of living crisis over?
01 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Grocery inflation over the past 12 weeks was running at just under 3 per cent. During the same period last year it was almost 13 per cent. So our shop...
The major row between Ireland and the UK over migration, explained
30 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A major diplomatic spat has erupted between the Irish and British governments over migration.It began when Minister for Justice Helen McEntee stated t...
Housing, immigration, Gaza: Which issues are Irish voters really paying attention to?
29 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Snapshot, an Irish Times poll with Ipsos B&A, captures the issues that citizens are taking notice of.Every month, 1,000 people, over the age of 15...
Should Ireland boycott Eurovision over Israel?
26 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A group of 400 Irish artists have signed an online petition calling on singer Bambie Thug to boycott the Eurovision. The Macroom performer was chosen ...
Are the lessons of the Rwandan genocide being ignored 30 years on?
25 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Three decades ago, on April 7th 1994, the genocide and State-sponsored extermination of Rwanda’s minority Tutsi minority began. The country was grip...
The low-profile gang leader whose lavish lifestyle was laid bare by Cab
24 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Convicted drug dealer, David Waldron, played a senior role in the Finglas-Cabra crime gang following the deaths of Martin 'Marlo' Hyland in 2006 and E...
Are we in a new, dangerous climate era? Our weird weather suggests it is possible
23 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
2024 had the hottest March ever recorded. And it was the 10th month in a row to break its record.On one day in March, the Antarctic was 38.5 degrees w...
From Amy Winehouse to Queen: Why we love musical biopics
22 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Last weekend, the Amy Winehouse biopic ‘Back to Black’ jumped straight to the top of the Irish and UK box office. The release of the movie’s tra...
Why did justice for Stardust victims take so long?
19 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The jury in the Stardust inquests has returned a verdict of unlawful killing in the cases of each of the 48 young people who died in the fire at the A...
'He seemed pretty smug and arrogant' - Inside the secret online dating groups where women review men
18 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In 2022 Paola Sanchez, wanting to check out men she met online, created a Facebook group called “Are We Dating the Same Guy”. Its sisterhood-fuell...
Rising road deaths: What will it take to make Irish roads safer?
17 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On Monday, Taoiseach Simon Harris called a meeting the Road Safety Authority (RSA) to discuss the rising number of deaths on Irish roads.Mr Harris sai...
'A terrible thing' - why Eir's mistreatment of customers was more than just irritating
16 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A training manual provided to eir employees by parent company Eircom warned them that they would face disciplinary proceedings if they obeyed Irish la...
Havana Syndrome - all in their heads or a Russian spy attack?
15 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In 2016 US diplomats in Cuba’s capital reported a range of mysterious symptoms that were soon experienced by colleagues in other parts of the world....
How cannabis-induced psychosis can cause deadly harm
12 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In the most recent murder case where cannabis use was judged to be a factor, the court ruled that Diego Costa Silva killed his wife while in a state o...
What Dublin's new 'bus gates' will mean for your journey through town
11 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In August two more sections of the quays in Dublin will become no-go areas for private cars. When the “bus gates” open on Aston Quay on the souths...
Who is the Kennedy running for US president?
10 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Robert F Kennedy jnr is on the campaign trail, attempting to get on the ballot for the US presidential election.A scion of the Kennedy political dynas...
A new Taoiseach, new Ministers and a new policy on Palestine
09 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today on In the News we bring you an excerpt from another episode of our sister podcast, Inside Politics. Pat Leahy and Jennifer Bray joined host Hugh...
The challenges facing Ireland's youngest, most untested Taoiseach
09 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On Tuesday, Simon Harris will be officially voted into office by TDs in Dáil Éireann and become the new Taoiseach.Harris, who is the youngest ever T...
What is behind the rise in ‘school phobia’?
08 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Nearly three years have passed since Irish schools started reopening in March 2021 and children began returning to the educational environment that wa...
Country lane to fashion destination: the history of Grafton Street
05 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
From stately townhouses to cinema screens and Turkish baths, Grafton Street has had a fascinating and varied history. But how did it evolve to become ...
How ex-Irish soldiers are training a rogue Libyan militia
04 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In Libya, former members of the Irish Defence Forces, including men who served in the elite Army Rangers Wing have been providing training for a milit...
The Israel-Iran proxy war has escalated - now what?
03 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On Monday, suspected Israeli war planes bombed the Iranian consulate in Syria’s capital city of Damascus, marking a major escalation in Israel’s w...
How controversial president Javier Milei is changing Argentina
02 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When he was elected president last November, Javier Milei promised to fix Argentina's ailing economy and divided society with radical reforms. How is ...
The crisis at Boeing has cost its management their jobs. But are the planes safe to fly?
01 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode was first published in January 2024. A door that blew off a Boeing 737 Max shortly after take-off was not properly secured after maintena...
As the clocks go forward, here's how to get a better night's sleep
29 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How much is enough sleep? What is the best time to go to bed? What counts as a good night’s sleep?Is there any point in taking a nap and how long sh...
Why Isis still poses a deadly threat - and what the Moscow attack means for Ukraine
28 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Moscow attack which killed at least 137 people and injured many more was carried out by an Isis affiliate called Isis-K.On today’s In the News p...
The toll of war on the children of Gaza
27 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
At least 13,000 children have died in Gaza in the last six months; more than in 4 years of global conflict. Despite the UN Security Council calling fo...
How the investigation into Annie McCarrick's disappearance took a wrong turn
26 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This time last year, the 1993 disappearance of Annie McCarrick, a young American woman living in Dublin, was upgraded to a murder inquiry.For three de...
From farming to the sex trade - Ireland’s human trafficking problem
25 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Trafficking of women and girls into Ireland to work in the sex industry is one aspect of a transnational crime that has been discovered in a range of ...
Unmasked: the Co Armagh man at the centre of the world’s largest ‘catfishing’ investigation
22 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When it was put to Alexander McCartney that he had, in the words of the Belfast court, “unlawfully killed a female child”, the 26-year-old from No...
Why did Leo go - and who will replace him?
21 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today on In the News we bring you an episode of our sister podcast, Inside Politics. Pat Leahy, Jennifer Bray and Jack Horgan-Jones joined host Hugh L...
Breaking news: Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to step down - listen to his full speech
20 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has announced he is to step down. Listen to his full speech in this bonus episode. More to follow. Hosted on Acast. See acast....
The 'ghost student' visa scam spreading through the English language school sector
20 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Earlier this week, an Irish Times investigation revealed a rising number of foreign students from outside the EU are using forged documents to secure ...
Why did it take so long to convict prolific sex offender Bill Kenneally?
19 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Paedophile Bill Kenneally is serving an 18-year sentence for the sexual abuse of 15 young boys in Waterford in the 1970s, 80s and 90s.But it took unti...
Were Irish colonisers too? A new book reveals our forgotten dark history
18 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In discussions around empire and colonisation, including popular movements such as Black Lives Matter and Rhodes Must Fall, Ireland likes to think its...
"There's no way he would have sex with me if I said to use a condom" - why STIs are spreading so quickly in Ireland
15 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ireland has the highest reported rate of gonorrhoea infection across 30 European countries, with a record number of cases reported in Ireland in 2022,...
Could Daniel Kinahan finally face trial in Ireland?
14 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In February 2016, just three days after the notorious Regency Hotel Shooting, 59-year-old Eddie Hutch was gunned down outside his home in Dublin’s n...
Charlie Bird's courageous final act
13 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The death was announced yesterday of broadcaster and journalist Charlie Bird. The former RTÉ chief news correspondent, who was 74 when he died, was d...
Why are Chinese millionaires buying up South Dublin homes?
12 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When "Niamh" began house-hunting in Dublin's suburbs, she soon noticed that viewings were often attended by agents who were using phones to live-strea...
How vulnerable children were put at risk by Ireland’s state care system
11 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A large provider of accommodation for children in care, Ideal Care Services, has been found to have put young people at risk by failing to carry out p...
Can Cillian win the Oscar - and who else deserves one?
08 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Cillian Murphy looks unbeatable for the Best Actor gong. But who else should win at the 96th Academy Awards on Sunday night? And who will win?Irish Ti...
Russia claims leaked audio proves Germany wants war
07 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On Monday, Russian media published an audio recording of high-ranking German military officers discussing weapons which could be used by Ukrainian mil...
The arguments for Yes and No in the referendums, explained
06 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If you're not sure how you're going to vote in Friday's referendum, you're not alone. According to an Irish Times / IPSOS B&A poll in February, 53...
What will happen to Dublin’s empty office blocks?
05 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dublin’s office market is likely to get worse before it gets better with no relief in sight until 2027 amid a collapse in demand and a glut of new d...
What’s wrong with University Hospital Limerick?
04 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The death last month of a 33-year-year old first-time mother at University Hospital Limerick once again put the troubled hospital in the headlines.Sho...
Intermittent fasting: the good, the bad and the hungry
01 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Health and family editor Damian Cullen had already ticked off a long list of diets before he hit on intermittent fasting and three years later, and 16...
The 'impulsive joke' tweet that caused an Irish MEP three years of 'torture'
28 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When Diarmuid Hayes send a strange tweet from his employer MEP Luke 'Ming' Flanagan's account, the resulting mockery caused huge damage to Flanagan's ...
Can we trust the new FAI?
28 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Last week’s FAI’s appearance before the Public Accounts Committee did not go particularly well. Members of the committee expressed concern regardi...
The latest twist in the RTÉ saga, explained
27 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s been another awful week for the national broadcaster. Last Friday, RTÉ board chairwoman Siún Ní Raghallaigh resigned after her position was ...
How a small Irish seaside town has opened its doors to those fleeing war
26 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Two years ago, what would become 105,000 Ukrainians began arriving in Ireland to seek refuge from the Russian invasion of their country.They were disp...
Why Gardaí are still investigating rogue solicitor Michael Lynn
23 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Renegade solicitor Michael Lynn stole €18 million from the banks at the height of the Celtic Tiger property boom. It took until this week for justic...
Why spy fears have led to the downsizing of the Russian Embassy
22 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
For decades concerns were raised at Government level that the Russian Embassy in Dublin was an espionage hub, with the sheer scale of the Soviet diplo...
Cork drugs bust: Are Irish agents working for Mexico’s deadliest cartel?
21 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Last week, a consignment of synthetic drugs, thought to be crystal meth worth €32.8 million, were seized in Cork Port. It is believed the shipment, ...