Inside Politics with Hugh Linehan
Episodes
Polls suggest three-way shootout in Galway West byelection
07 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Pat Leahy and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:· The findings of the...
Inside Politics Live in Galway: Who can win the Galway West byelection?
06 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Hugh Linehan hosts a live Inside Politics show in Galway’s Róisín Dubh with Pat Leahy, Ellen Coyne and Galway native Harry McGee ahead of the May ...
Byelection candidates are confirmed as campaigns ramp up
01 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Ellen Coyne and Pat Leahy join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:· There are now 14 candidat...
Fintan O'Toole: 100 years on, Fianna Fáil is flailing
29 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Fintan O’Toole talks to Hugh Linehan about Fianna Fáil as the party’s 100th birthday draws near. Fintan credits the party with helping create a v...
Another violent attack on Trump brings a short-lived truce in his battle with the media
27 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Hugh is joined by Irish Times Washington correspondent Keith Duggan to talk about the dramatic events at the White House Correspondents' Association d...
Is there real pressure on Sinn Féin to win at least one seat in upcoming byelections?
24 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Ellen Coyne and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:· The posters are g...
What the fuel protests meant
22 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The country is moving on from the protests that dominated the national discussion over Easter, even as what the protests actually meant continues to g...
Another Fianna Fáil heave that wasn’t
17 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Cormac McQuinn and Pat Leahy join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:· There were renewed que...
Healy-Raes' departure caps a terrible week for the Government
15 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Hugh, Pat and Ellen are joined by columnist Gerard Howlin to talk about a tumultuous day in Leinster House that capped a terrible week for the governi...
The end of the Orbán model
13 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
All agree that the scale of Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán’s defeat in yesterday’s general election is hugely significant, for Hungary, Eu...
How the Government bungled its response to fuel protests
10 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Ellen Coyne and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:It was becoming clear towards the end of last week that prote...
Could Labour have done anything to avoid electoral wipeout in 2016? Collapse, part three
08 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In the final instalment of our series on Labour’s time in government from 2011 to 2016, things get darker as it becomes clear economic progress...
Pressure builds on Labour as austerity bites: Collapse, part two
06 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Inside Politics is coming to Galway in May for a live recording. Get your tickets here.In part two of this three-part series on Labour's harrowing exp...
Collapse: How Labour went from boom to bust
03 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Inside Politics is coming to Galway in May for a live recording. Get your tickets here.When Labour came to power in 2011 Ireland was in the depths of ...
Is Ireland taking anti-Semitism seriously enough?
01 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Oliver Sears, founder of Holocaust Awareness Ireland, joins Hugh to talk about his growing alarm at the rise of anti-Semitism in Ireland and what...
Government can't help helping as fuel costs soar; and how many TDs are too many?
27 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week the Government decided to unveil a €250 million package to help citizens meet the elevated cost of fuel. And this could be just the start ...
Was Seán Lemass really Ireland's greatest taoiseach?
25 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Seán Lemass is remembered as the man who changed Ireland.Several opinion polls have noted Lemass as the country's most admired taoiseach.He never lef...
'In the pocket of US multinationals': How is Ireland seen by Europe?
23 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Eoin Drea is a senior researcher at the Wilfried Martens Centre, the official think tank of the European People’s Party (of which Fine Gael is a mem...
In the shadow of the war in Iran, inflation and energy costs look set to climb ever higher
20 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Ellen Coyne and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:· Israeli strikes o...
The Taoiseach in the court of the mad king
18 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Taoiseach Michel Martin has been meeting US president Donald Trump as part of the annual St Patrick’s Day pageantry. Martin once again faced th...
Taoiseach awaits his next dentist’s appointment at The White House
13 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Ellen Coyne and Harry McGee join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:· Taoiseach Micheál Mart...
How the Iran war is impacting the world's economies
11 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
As war in the Middle East rages on, the world's superpowers are making diplomatic representations to end it, and contingencies to protect their econom...
The modern face of Irish America
09 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Irish-American experience fitted seamlessly into the story of the United States as a “nation of immigrants”. In the Trump era that narrative h...
How could Donald Trump have thought war with Iran was a good idea?
06 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Naomi O’Leary and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:· After six days o...
Why is the US blocking oil imports to Cuba?
04 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
While the world’s attention is focused on the Middle East, Inside Politics looks at the US sphere of influence on Cuba, which is facing ever tighten...
Is regime change in Iran a realistic possibility?
02 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Denis Staunton, author of The Irish Times Global Briefing newsletter on international affairs, joins Hugh to talk about the escalating war in the Midd...
'Sorry' doesn’t seem to be the hardest word for Government
27 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Ellen Coyne and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:· In the Dáil on Wedn...
Maria Steen: 'If you are in the centre and everybody else moves left, all of a sudden you look right wing'
25 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Campaigner Maria Steen, whose failed bid to launch a run for the presidency last year put the spotlight on the nominations process, talks to Hugh and ...
How climate slid down this Government’s agenda
24 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Under this coalition Government Ireland's climate ambitions are colliding with political reality. Hugh talks to Climate and Science Correspondent Caro...
School SNA row teaches Government a valuable lesson
20 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Jack Horgan-Jones and Pat Leahy join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:· The sharp criticism...
Fintan O'Toole: What would fascism look like in the 2020s?
18 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
13 months in, Donald Trump's second term is proving to be a much more radical political project than his first. On today's podcast Hugh is joined by F...
Are politics students getting too narrow an education?
16 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Disputes over freedom of speech, censorship and the shifting norms of acceptable discourse are part and parcel of modern political debate. Now the deb...
Have Sinn Féin adopted a populist stance on Ukraine?
13 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Jack Horgan-Jones and Harry McGee join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:· This week saw the...
Irish politics shifted left. Why?
11 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
How Ireland Voted is a regular publication featuring academic analysis of Irish elections. The latest edition looks at the 2024 general election and f...
John Mearscheimer: Why Europe still needs the USA
09 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
John Mearscheimer returns to the podcast to talk to Hugh about his view of geopolitics and global security in 2026.They talk about Donald Trump's...
Are we now seeing a grumpy electorate demanding action?
06 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Pat Leahy and Ellen Coyne join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:· When it comes to the hous...
Should Ireland keep the Triple Lock?
04 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Last week the Government confirmed it will push ahead with legislation to change how the Defence Forces are deployed overseas, including the removal o...
A wet week in Irish politics
30 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Harry McGee and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:· The floods brought b...
Will the Government's rent control legislation help tenants?
28 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Legislation to reform Ireland's residential property rental landscape is being fast-tracked through the Dáil. What impact will it have? On security o...
Has the EU learned that a tougher line might work with Donald Trump?
23 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Ellen Coyne and Pat Leahy join Jack Horgan-Jones to look back on the week in politics:· This week saw EU-US ...
Ireland and Europe weigh options as Trump keeps pressure up over Greenland
21 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Jack Power and Jack Horgan-Jones join Pat Leahy to assess a dramatic week in which the transatlantic alliance took a further battering from US preside...
Can Government actually hold Elon Musk and Grok to account?
16 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Harry McGee, Ellen Coyne and Mark Paul join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:· The Minister...
Will global turmoil matter to Irish politics in 2026?
14 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Despite global turmoil, the focus of Irish politics in 2026 is set to remain on matters close to home. Pat Leahy and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh to id...
How do Greenlanders feel about Trump's 'psychologically needed' takeover?
12 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
US president Donald Trump wants to acquire Greenland, asserting strategic and security needs but also a 'psychological need' to take over the vast, fr...
Could Coalition politics hurt Ireland’s influence in Brussels?
09 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Jack Horgan-Jones and Ellen Coyne join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:· The long-anticipa...
Venezuela has “emboldened” Trump. Here’s what it means for the world
07 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
After the weekend’s US airstrikes on Venezuela, and arrest of its president Nicolás Maduro by US special forces, The Irish Times’ China Correspon...
Ask us anything 2025, part two
31 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hugh Linehan is joined by Jack Horgan Jones, Cormac McQuinn and Ellen Coyne for part two of our traditional festive ‘Ask Me Anything’. Thanks to e...
Is there any such thing as a political genius? With Helen Lewis
29 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode was first published in July 2025. You can tell an awful lot about a society by who it labels a genius. You can also learn from who it exc...
Ask us anything: presidential nominations, a Minister for Defence and the centre holding
24 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hugh is joined by Jack Horgan Jones, Cormac McQuinn and Ellen Coyne for part one of our traditional festive AMA. This year listeners asked about the p...
What do Irish voters really want? Live at the IFI with Dr Kevin Cunningham
22 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Kevin Cunningham of TUD is one of Ireland’s most insightful political scientists and pollsters. At the Inside Politics live show in early Decembe...
Why the EU's climbdown on Ukraine aid matters
19 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It was a difficult week for Micheal Martin and FIanna Fáil with the delivery of the report on the party's failed presidential campaign. Martin's posi...
Was Jim Gavin's campaign implosion the political moment of the year?
17 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Earlier this month Hugh, Ellen, Cormac and Pat got on stage at the IFI in Dublin for our annual end of year live show. Today we’re bringing you an e...
Jim O'Callaghan: We made a bad decision on the presidency
16 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan talks to Hugh and Pat about antisemitism after the Bondi beach attack, the progress of the Occupied Territories B...
That interview, Fianna Fáil's review and thorny issues for the Government
12 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ellen Coyne and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh to look back on the week in politics:Next week Fianna Fáil will get the long-awaited review into the circ...
Eoin Lenihan on how Ireland was 'vandalised'
10 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Eoin Lenihan joins Hugh to discuss his bestselling book Vandalising Ireland. In the book Lenihan sets out his argument that the choices made by succes...
Does Ireland's neutrality leave room for increased defence spending?
08 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The appearance of drones of unknown origin in Dublin last week around the time of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy's visit again highlighted th...
Eurovision Israel boycott hits right note, but renaming Herzog Park feels tone deaf
05 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jack Horgan-Jones and Harry McGee join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:· Ireland, along wi...
The art of political communication - with Terry Prone
03 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Communications consultant Terry Prone has worked with generations of Irish politicians, from Charles Haughey to the current crop. She joins Hugh to ta...
Jim O'Callaghan's explicit message on migration
28 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Pat Leahy and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh to talk through the week in politics:Jim O'Callaghan's message on migration The Taoiseach's fondness for ove...
Could a left alliance transform Irish politics?
26 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When Catherine Connolly was elected president with the support of every left-wing party, it sparked new hope on the left that greater cooperation betw...
'The world looks very different from here' - Denis Staunton's global briefing
24 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Denis Staunton has reported from Washington, London and Berlin. Now, as Irish Times China Correspondent, he is using his new vantage point to make sen...
Is Simon Harris fit for the role of Minister for Finance?
21 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ellen Coyne and Pat Leahy join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:· As Paschal Donohoe departs for ...
Paschal Donohoe’s last interview
19 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In his final interview as an Irish politician before leaving for a new role at the World Bank, Paschal Donohoe talks to Hugh and Pat about his decisio...
Donohoe's departure leaves the Government and Fine Gael weakened
18 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After 14 years in Dáil Éireann and a decade in ministerial office, Fine Gael's Paschal Donohoe today announced his resignation. He leaves to take up...
‘A hot mess of uncoordinated gibberish’
14 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Harry McGee and Pat Leahy join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:· The inauguration of Ireland’s...
What is wrong with Ireland’s housing and planning system?
12 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The government has come under increasing intense criticism of its record on housing, and the sluggishness with which its addressed the need to build m...
How is Catherine Connolly viewed in Europe?
10 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As Catherine Connolly is inaugurated as Ireland’s 10th President on Tuesday, Inside Politics asks how the country’s European partners will be prep...
Is it possible to have a coherent debate on immigration?
07 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Harry McGee and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:· With renewed criticism fro...
Iain Dale, chronicler of British leaders, turns his attention to Irish taoisigh
05 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Iain Dale has written books profiling prime ministers, monarchs and dictators. Next up from the LBC broadcaster and podcaster is a book on the people ...
How does Micheál Martin quieten dissenting voices in Fianna Fáil?
31 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ellen Coyne and Naomi O’Leary join Pat Leahy to look back on the week in politics:· In the wake of Catherine Con...
What would a united Ireland actually involve?
29 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s Inside Politics podcast with Hugh Linehan explores what a united Ireland would actually involve, Irish Times columnist Fintan O’Toole ...
How outspoken will Connolly be as president?
26 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Pat Leahy joins Hugh Linehan for the final episode of Election Daily for this campaign. They look at the impact of Connolly's victory on left-wing pol...
Catherine Connolly wins the presidency on a disastrous day for Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil
25 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Votes are still being counted but it is already clear that Catherine Connolly has won the presidency by a huge margin. Connolly's victory will be conf...
Election Daily: The highs and lows of a strange campaign
23 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Cormac McQuinn and Jack Horgan Jones join Hugh Linehan to talk about the final day of campaigning before voters go to the polls.They look at how the C...
Election Daily: Will the 'spoil the vote' campaign be felt on Friday?
22 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does a two-horse race look like in our PR-STV electoral system? What happens when you throw a zombie candidate and a 'spoil your vote' campaign i...
Election Daily: Who came out on top in the final debate?
21 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The two remaining candidates in the presidential election came into the final televised debate of the campaign needing different things.Well behind in...
Election Daily: Can the 'Vicar Street Alliance' hold after this election?
21 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Harry McGee and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh to talk about today's news from the presidential campaign trail:A concert in support of Catherine Connolly...
Election Daily: Has Fine Gael's 'new low' attack video backfired?
20 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ellen Coyne and Pat Leahy join Hugh to talk about the all the latest from the presidential election campaign. There is one topic dominating the campai...
Election Daily: Is it all over bar the shouting for Heather Humphreys?
17 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
With Catherine Connolly showing an unprecedented lead for a presidential candidate one week out from polling day, could her campaign only be derailed ...
POLL: Catherine Connolly opens huge lead in presidential race
16 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Catherine Connolly holds a commanding lead in the presidential election with just over a week to go before votes are cast, according to the latest Iri...
Election Daily: Is Humphreys playing it too safe?
15 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As independent candidate Catherine Connolly and Fine Gael candidate Heather Humphreys enter the final nine days of the c...
Is this the end of the gay rights revolution?
13 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hugh talks to Ronan McCrea, professor of constitutional and European law at University College London, about his new book, The End of t...
Head-to-head: Presidential election gets confrontational
10 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ellen Coyne and Harry McGee join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics: · With Jim Gavin gone, th...
'Cooking the books': Is Budget 2026 a 'cynical wheeze'?
08 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Yesterday’s budget spelled out the Government’s tax and spending plans for next year. But what happens after that?Barra Roantee of Trinity College...
Calamity for Fianna Fáil as Jim Gavin drops out of the presidential race
06 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ellen Coyne and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh to talk about the stunning news of Jim Gavin's withdrawal from the presidential race, leaving Heather Hump...
Jack Chambers channels 'Margaret Thatcher' as 'big squeeze budget' looms
03 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Pat Leahy and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh Linehan to talk about the week in politics: We already know next Tuesday’s budget is going to be a mu...
American carnage: Keith Duggan at the Ryder Cup
01 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Fresh from the hostile grass arena of Bethpage, where supporters of the US Ryder Cup team spent the weekend abusing their European opponents, Washingt...
Presidential debate: who came out on top and who struggled?
29 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Pat Leahy joins Hugh to talk about the first televised debate of the presidential campaign which took place on Virgin Media Television ...
Lea Ypi investigates a family mystery and hidden history
29 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hugh interviews Albanian academic and author Lea Ypi about her new book Indignity: A Life Reimagined. The book is an exploration of political, histori...
And then there were three – the presidential candidates set off on the campaign trail
26 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ellen Coyne and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics: · Catherine Conn...
Maria Steen falls at the final hurdle
24 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ellen Coyne and Pat Leahy join Hugh to talk about how independent candidate Maria Steen came close but ultimately failed to secure a nomination to run...
What our 'Charlie versus Garret' series got wrong - with Eoin O'Malley
22 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Last year The Irish Times Inside Politics podcast released a three-part series looking back at the political rivalry between Charles Haughey and Garre...
Can Sheridan or Steen get a presidential nomination over the line?
19 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Pat Leahy and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:The nomination process for presidential candidates rumbles on. ...
Charlie Kirk: A conservative's view on the fallout from a momentous crime
17 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hugh talks to Michael Brendan Dougherty, senior writer at National Review, about the murder of right wing activist and Christian nationalist Charlie K...
Leo Varadkar speaks his mind on reunification, Covid, Eoghan Murphy and Phil Hogan
15 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Leo Varadkar's new memoir promises readers an insight into what the former taoiseach really thought about the monumental events - Covid, Brexit, the h...
Charlie Kirk shooting another example of escalating political violence in US
12 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Harry McGee and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics: · The assassinat...
Kelleher's rousing speech isn't enough to overcome Micheál's man
10 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The run-in to October’s presidential election continues to pick up pace this week with the selection of Jim Gavin as Fianna Fáil’s nominee. Jack ...
Starmer's Labour in disarray as the UK's divisions deepen
08 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Keir Starmer's Labour government seems to be in big trouble, with opinion polls suggesting the possibility of a dramatic reshaping of British electora...
It’s all systems go for this presidential election
05 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ellen Coyne and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:· With polling day exp...
The broken UN, and Ireland's role: 'There's cynicism among member states towards our so-called neutrality'
03 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The absence of a coherent international response to the crises in Gaza and Ukraine has raised questions about what used to be called the international...