Inside Politics with Hugh Linehan

EU Elections: The State of the Race

17 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

To talk about what has been a rather low-key EU election campaign so far, Hugh is joined by Pat Leahy, Fiach Kelly and Jennifer Bray. Hosted on Acast....

Going Through The Motions: The Problem With Local Government

15 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

They are powerless, frustrated, underpaid and too often reviled by their constituents. Many local councillors have spoken out about how unattractive t...

Trump, Truth & US Politics - with Bob Woodward

11 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

At the age of 76, Bob Woodward has now covered nine different American presidents. That's 20% of all presidents from George Washington to Donald Trump...

POLL: Who Leads in the Race for Europe?

10 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today's Irish Times / Ipsos MRBI poll is actually three polls, with one conducted in each of our three European parliament constituencies: Dublin, Mid...

Plebiscites and Populism and Broadband, Oh My

08 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It's the topic none of you has been asking us to cover: the forthcoming plebiscites in Limerick, Cork and Waterford to see if those cities should have...

Nationalism & The Irish-American Identity - with Michael Brendan Dougherty

03 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today is Irish-American writer Michael Brendan Dougherty, who is a journalist with the New York-based conservative magazine National Review....

The New IRA and Politics in the North

01 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Nearly a fortnight on from the murder of journalist Lyra McKee in Derry, local elections take place in Northern Ireland tomorrow. Will those who come ...

Bret Easton Ellis on US Politics Invading His Apolitical Life

25 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Bret Easton Ellis, best known as a fiction writer of novels including American Psycho and Less Than Zero, has just published his first non-fiction boo...

Anti-EU Parties in the European Parliament - with Dr Kevin Cunningham

24 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Political scientist and polling expert Dr Kevin Cunningham joins Hugh, Pat and Fiach to discuss a report he co-authored for the think tank, the Europe...

"This Is Not A Retirement" - Clare Daly on Running for Europe

17 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Independents 4 Change TD Clare Daly joins Hugh and Fiach to discuss her decision to run for a seat in the European parliament. Why has the TD some see...

Brexit Day Blues II - with Fintan O'Toole & Denis Staunton

12 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The new October Brexit deadline impacts British politics in myriad ways, obvious and subtle. But it also has implications for politics here in Ireland...

Brexit: Ireland's Wasted Opportunity - with David McWilliams & Shana Cohen

10 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

As Theresa May waits to find out what Brexit extension EU leaders will offer her, we ask what, if anything, Irish society can gain from Brexit. To do ...

Brexit: Can Corbyn and May Strike A Deal? - with Helen Thompson

05 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

As Theresa May sends a letter to Brussels seeking another extension, Hugh and London Editor Denis Staunton are joined again by Helen Thompson, Profess...

Zuckerberg in Dublin, A Green Consensus, The Carbon Tax – with Eamon Ryan

03 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg made a flying visit to Dublin this week, during which time he met with politicians including Green Party lead...

Brexit Day Blues - with Ronan McCrea

29 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It was meant to be the day when "church bells were rung, coins struck, stamps issued and bonfires lit to send beacons of freedom from hilltop to hillt...

Indicative Vote Day, or 'Strictly Come Brexit' - with Denis Staunton

27 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

First: Later today in the UK House of Commons, 'indicative votes' - designed to show how much support different Brexit options enjoy - will be held, u...

US Politics: The 2020 Democratic Candidates - with Suzanne Lynch

21 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Taking a break from the chaos of Brexit, we turn to a rather chaotic and already crowded field of candidates for the Democratic Party nomination to ta...

Brexit: What is The EU's Strategy? / Councillors & Gambling Machines

20 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

First: Patrick Smyth in Brussels joins Hugh and Pat to talk about the thinking behind the EU's stance on a potential Brexit delay. Then: Jennifer Bray...

David Runciman on Democracy's 21st Century Problems

15 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Western democracies are beset by a variety of problems: fractured legislative bodies, the rise of the far right, the erosion of norms and the dangers ...

Politics Fails Utterly in Westminster - with Fintan O'Toole & Lisa O'Carroll

13 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Prime Minister Theresa May has failed spectacularly in her bid to pass a Brexit deal through the House of Commons. The Guardian's Brexit correspondent...

Poll: Northern Ireland Is United in Opposition to A Hard Brexit

07 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The second set of results from the Irish Times / Ipsos MRBI poll reveals attitudes to Brexit and Irish unity across the island of Ireland, north and s...

Poll: Support Dips for Varadkar and McDonald

07 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Political Editor Pat Leahy is here with the latest Ipsos / MRBI poll which brings bad news for most political groups but especially for Taoiseach Leo ...

Digestible Truth, The Soc Dems Rift, Unspinnable Brexit - with Peter Foster

06 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

First: Fiach Kelly explains what we've learned from a cache of documents featuring exchanges between Solidarity TD Paul Murphy, his party colleagues a...

Brexit Endgame, Beware The Ides of March, Looking for Ladders

27 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Finally it seems that meaningful moves are being made in Westminster toward some sort of conclusion to the Brexit saga. Denis Staunton and Pat Leahy a...

Brexit in The Desert: Progress, or Another Mirage?

25 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The EU-Arab League summit in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, today has been dominated by talk of Brexit. And it has turned out to be a more eventful day than ...

Ready, Steady, Wait: Fianna Fáil, Brexit and The Next Election

23 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

At the Fianna Fáil ardfheis in City West, everyone, from the regular delegates on up to the party leader Micheál Martin, wants to take the fight to ...

Children's Hospital: Questions Remain / The Politics of Dissident Republicans

20 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jennifer Bray and Fiach Kelly join presenter Harry McGee to discuss the big political stories this week: the continuing National Children’s Hospital...

A Short History of Brexit - with Kevin O'Rourke

15 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

As a professor of economic history at Oxford University, and an Irishman, Kevin O'Rourke is well placed to explain how the different economic experien...

Children's Hospital 'Learnings', FF-SDLP, Nurses Strike - with Dara Calleary

13 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Amid apologies and ‘learnings’, the row over the massive overspend on the National Children’s Hospital rumbles on. Two big questions remain: Wha...

Life After Brexit: Lives, Livelihoods & Communities At Risk

08 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Simon Carswell has been investigating the potential impact of Brexit on people - their lives, their communities and their businesses. He talks to Hugh...

May's Subtle Backstop Shift / Children's Hospital Blame Game

06 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

First: A subtle but deliberate shift was noted in Theresa May's position on the Brexit backstop during a trip to Belfast yesterday. As the two-day Nor...

Brexit: What is Theresa May's Strategy?

30 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Theresa May has united Tory MPs behind her plan to go to Brussels to seek legally binding changes to the Brexit withdrawal agreement, exploring 'alter...

Deborah Lipstadt on Antisemitism of The Right And Left

25 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Sunday is International Holocaust Remembrance Day and to mark it Hugh talks to academic and author Deborah Lipstadt about her new book Antisemitism He...

Brexit Reality Bites / No Child 2020 with Tanya Ward & Fintan O'Toole

23 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

First: Pat Leahy on the comments yesterday by an EU Commission spokesperson suggesting that a hard border will appear in the case of a no deal Brexit,...

Peadar Tóibín on Building A New Party With 'No Taboo Subjects'

18 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Public meetings to introduce pro-life TD Peadar Tóibín's new, as-yet unnamed political party have been drawing decent crowds around the country in r...

May's Crushing Commons Defeat

16 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Green Party leader Eamon Ryan joins Hugh and Pat to consider last night's historic House of Commons defeat for Theresa May's Brexit plan. Has the like...

Nurses Pay: Why Fine Gael Won't Back Down

09 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

As nurses prepare for days of strike action, our politics team consider the problem it poses for Minister Paschal Donohoe and how he is likely to resp...

Repost: Timothy Snyder, Author of "On Tyranny" (November 2017)

04 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today, for the benefit of those who recently discovered Inside Politics, we're reposting a podcast with one of our favourite interviewees: American ...

Ask Us Anything #2

02 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The second of two AMA episodes of Inside Politics. Answering your questions about politics and more are Pat Leahy, Fiach Kelly, Jennifer Bray and Harr...

Ask Us Anything #1

26 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We invited you to submit questions for our politics team and we received a lot of responses, so today is the first of two episodes dedicated to answer...

What We Got Wrong About 2018

19 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

What did The Irish Times politics team expect to see happening in 2018 that failed to materialise? Which politicians impressed us? What disappointed u...

The Transformative Election of 1918

14 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This day 100 years ago, citizens (including, for the first time, women) across the entire island of Ireland voted together for the final time for a na...

May Digs Her Heels In

12 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Today's podcast focusses on Brexit and the Sinn Fein party's fortunes. London Editor Denis Staunton explains why UK Prime Minister Theresa May is unli...

Historic Times in Westminster, Peadar's Party, Paschal's Reprimand

05 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

With Hugh to appraise all this week's political news (including high drama in Westminster, the personalised abortion legislation debate, Peadar Tóibí...

Bill Browder on Putin's Kleptocracy & A "Cold War Against Crime"

30 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

"Putin and his regime are going to become more hostile, malicious and deadly to the rest fo the world, and we need to understand this".Since the murde...

What Really Caused Brexit? With Fintan O'Toole & Professor Helen Thompson

28 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

As we wait for UK parliament to vote on Theresa May's deal, Hugh talks to two people with thought-provoking and divergent ideas about what brought abo...

Abortion Bill Hurdles, Leo's Tax Promise, Brexit Rubber Stamp

21 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Concerns are growing that the Government’s proposed abortion legislation will not pass through the Oireachtas in time for its planned introduction d...

Simon Coveney on Brexit, the DUP & No Deal Contingencies / Leo's Big Tax Cut

17 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

On the floor at the Fine Gael National Conference, the Inside Politics team interviews Tanaiste Simon Coveney about Brexit, what happens if the deal i...

The Audacity of Theresa May

14 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

With a Brexit deal agreed between Britain and the EU, now all eyes turn to Westminster. Will Prime Minister Theresa May be able to bounce her cabinet,...

Michael Lewis on Cronyism in The Trump Administration & The Unsung Virtues of Civil Servants

12 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Author Michael Lewis (Moneyball, The Big Short, The Undoing Project)talks to Hugh about his new book 'The Fifth Risk'. The book concerns the Trump Adm...

Patrick Radden Keefe on Murder, Memory and Denial in Northern Ireland

09 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

New Yorker staff writer Patrick Radden Keefe has written a book about the killing of mother-of-ten Jean McConville by the IRA in 1972. As well as unco...

US Midterms / David McWilliams on The Successes of Centrism & The Property Problem

07 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

First: Washington Correspondent Suzanne Lynch on a night of mixed results for both parties and President Trump in the US Midterms. What message will D...

Martina Fitzgerald on 'Madam Politician', Labour's Next Moves

31 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

RTÉ political correspondent Martina Fitzgerald has written a book about the experiences of the small number of women - 10% of the total - who have sa...

Result Day Special: Higgins's Victory, Casey's Appeal, Sinn Féin's Problem

27 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The official numbers are not yet in but the result is clear. Kitty Holland, Pat Leahy and Fiach Kelly are here to talk about the reelection of Michael...

Tedious, Shallow & Lacklustre: The Final Full Presidential Debate

24 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

There’s still one more live debate left to endure in this presidential campaign, but last night’s on RTÉ’s Prime Time was the final one to feat...

Mary Lou McDonald on Brexit, Border Polls, The Presidency & Frances Fitzgerald

22 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In this bonus podcast, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald explains why her party is working “might and main” to ensure there is a Brexit backstop...

Fintan O'Toole on The Unfolding Tragedy of Brexit

17 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Could Brexit be "one of those historic circumstances where you end up with something only a hardcore of loopers really wants", asks Fintan O'Toole?Fin...

POLL: Fine Gael Maintain Steady Lead

16 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Pat Leahy joins Hugh to take a look at the latest poll from The Irish Times and Ipsos/MRBI showing Fine Gael enjoy a steady lead over nearest rivals F...

Denis Naughten's Exit & Micheál Martin Plays a Weak Hand Well

12 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Hugh is joined by Pat Leahy for a bonus Friday episode of Inside Politics. On the agenda: - Denis Naughten’s shock resignation as Minister for Commu...

A Social Democratic Budget?

09 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Leo Varadkar won the Fine Gael leadership on a promise of rewarding those who "get up early in the morning". 18 months later his government has delive...

FG Taking Hits as Housing Crisis Intensifies, Budget Business, Pugilistic Peter Casey

05 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Hugh is joined by Fiach Kelly and Harry McGee for a bonus Friday episode of Inside Politics. On the agenda: - It was another terrible week for Housing...

Blood-Red Lines, Brexit Crunch Time, Money in Presidential Politics

03 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The DUP's line on Brexit is "blood red", according to Arlene Foster. Her apocalyptic choice of words might reflect a deep-seated unionist fear of betr...

Senator Lynn Ruane on 'People Like Me', Housing Wars & 'Reverse Snobbery'

26 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Today's guest is Senator Lynn Ruane, the author of an excellent new memoir, who insists there is no such thing as 'reverse snobbery'. Or at least it's...

Housing Activists 'Take Back the City'

19 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A group of housing activists have been occupying vacant properties in Dublin city centre since early August as part of a protest over the amount of va...

Cash for Ash, CervicalCheck, And Then There Were... Five?

12 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Harry McGee is back on the politics beat and back in the Inside Politics studio to tell us about the political problems created by the CervicalCheck r...

FF and FG Stand-Off, Leo Defends Eoghan, Blimp Incoming

05 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

DCU's Jane Suiter joins Hugh and Pat to talk about the exchange of letters between and Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin on the topic ...

Paschal Donohoe on Social Change, Conservatism & 'The Radical Centre'

03 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Last week, Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe gave a talk at the Collins Institute, a Fine Gael-associated think tank in Dublin. The talk was about ...

"Unless we set priorities, nothing is a priority" - The State & Social Housing

29 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ireland's housing crisis is complex and multifaceted, but one key element that the government must address in seeking a solution to it is the social h...

Craig Unger, 'House of Trump, House of Putin'

25 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Craig Unger's new book, House of Trump, House of Putin: The Untold Story of Donald Trump and the Russian Mafia, analyses links between the Russian maf...

FF-SDLP Merger, Uncharted Waters for Michael D., Papal Visit

22 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week UCD professor Diarmaid Ferriter joins Hugh and Fiach to look at some of the issues currently on the civic and political agenda through the l...

Interview: Cody Keenan, Speechwriter for Barack Obama

17 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Cody Keenan has been a speechwriter for President Barack Obama for more than a decade, rising from a campaign intern in Chicago to Director of Speechw...

Labour's Leadership, Presidential Potentials

15 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

It’s a quiet week on the political front, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing happening. Brendan Howlin’s Labour leadership has come into qu...

Breaking Down a Border Poll

08 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Former Northern Ireland first minister Peter Robinson was criticised for telling the MacGill Summer School last month that he did not think the North ...

Amnesty and "Foreign Money" in Politics / Colm O'Gorman on Pope Francis's Visit

01 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

First we look at the news that broke yesterday that Amnesty International Ireland has won its challenge to an order made by the Standards in Public Of...

Fintan O'Toole on "Pre-Fascism" & The Yeats Test

27 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Fintan O'Toole's recent column about the characteristics of the Trump Administration, entitled 'Trial runs for fascism are in full flow' has found a l...

Different Schools of Thought

25 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Last weekend in Rialto a new event took place: The Danielle Carroll Summer School. Named in honour of a woman who took her own life after her and her ...

Chaos in Westminster, Slow-Moving Sláintecare

18 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week: Turmoil at Westminster means Ireland’s plans for a ‘no deal’ Brexit have stepped up a gear. The Tories were supposed to unite behind ...

"Women's Life Within the Home", Race for The Áras

11 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week: Hot on the heels of the #8thRef, the government has scheduled a referendum for October 26th on Article 41.2 of the Constitution. It refers ...

"Freewheeling" Varadkar Attacks the Media

04 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The Taoiseach went off-script in New York yesterday, sympathising with Donald Trump’s views on the media and spoiling an otherwise unremarkable visi...

New Commissioner in Town, Brexit Dawdling & Michael D

27 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The air’s been let out of this week’s EU Summit with no sign of the significant progress on Brexit negotiations that the Irish government had soug...

Interview: James Comey, Former FBI Director

23 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

On June 22nd, the man Hillary Clinton blames for her 2016 presidential election defeat to Donald Trump, the former FBI director James Comey, was in Du...

Prudent Paschal, Leo's Public Image & Sinn Féin's Ard Fheis

20 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Sarah and Fiach join Hugh for a roundup of what has been happening in and around Leinster House this week, with preparations for the 2019 budget well ...

The Separation of Church & State

13 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

As the country moves on from the resounding Yes vote in the referendum to repeal the Eighth amendment and with plans for another referendum on removin...

The Political Landscape after The Referendum

06 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Thousands of women and young people mobilised for the referendum campaign, but will many remain politically active in its aftermath? Sinead Gibney, th...

Referendum Debrief with Una Mullally, Pat Leahy, Jane Suiter & Sarah Bardon

01 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

One final Friday referendum podcast. Columnist Una Mullally and DCU political scientist Jane Suiter join Hugh, Pat and Sarah to debate what really hap...

"A Lot of My Colleagues Didn't Show Leadership" - One Fianna Fáil TD's Blunt Assessment

30 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

It will take a few podcasts to digest the historic referendum results of last weekend. Today we begin by looking at what lies behind the divergence be...

Referendum Special with Kitty Holland, Fintan O'Toole, Sarah Bardon & Pat Leahy

26 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The count is underway but the result is not in doubt. Social Affairs correspondent Kitty Holland, columnist Fintan O'Toole and Sarah Bardon and Pat Le...

Exit Poll: A Landslide for Repeal

25 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The people have voted to repeal the 8th Amendment. But not only that. If the results of The Irish Times exit poll are borne out when the final vote is...

The Story of The 8th with Ruadhán Mac Cormaic (October 2016)

24 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

"One of the most poisonous debates witnessed in twentieth century Ireland" is how historian Diarmaid Ferriter described the run-up to the passing of t...

Debate Drama, Pat v Sarah, Mick Heaney on Referendum Radio

23 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Which side won last night's referendum debate on RTÉ? Pat Leahy sees it as a tie, while Sarah Bardon calls it for Yes. The deciding vote is cast by o...

This Referendum is Different, Leaders Canvass, John Waters Takes A Stand

18 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Sarah, Pat and Harry return for another referendum roundup, including more poll analysis, a look at the nationwide canvass, the campaign activities of...

POLL: A Further Decline in Support for Repeal

17 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Fiach Kelly and Pat Leahy discuss the latest poll from The Irish Times and Ipsos/MRBI that shows a further decline in the number of those responding t...

Referendum Heats Up, The Rural Vote, 'Max Fac' Brexit - with Fianna Fáil's Lisa Chambers

16 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

To discuss the latest news from the 8th Amendment referendum campaign, the division of the Fianna Fáil party on that same issue, and the latest on Br...

Referendum Countdown, Tech Ad Ban Harms #SaveThe8th, More Fact Checking

11 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Liz Carolan of the Transparent Referendum Initiative joins Hugh, Pat and Sarah to talk about the biggest story of the campaign this week: the pulling ...

Facebook, #8th Ref Ads, CervicalCheck & Mandatory Reporting

09 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Transparency campaigner Gavin Sheridan joins Hugh Linehan and Pat Leahy to discuss Facebook's announcement that it will no longer accept foreign adver...

Three Weeks Until Referendum Day

04 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Referendum Day is drawing near, and over the next three weeks The Irish Times politics team will be bringing you extra podcasts on the campaign. What...

CervicalCheck Scandal, More Brexit Fudge, #8thRef - with Minister of State Helen McEntee

02 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Minister of State for European Affairs Helen McEntee talks to Hugh Linehan and Fiach Kelly about another critical period in Brexit negotiations and th...

Interview: Yascha Mounk, Author of "The People Vs. Democracy"

27 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Hugh talks to Harvard University lecturer and Slate columnist Yascha Mounk about his book "The People Vs. Democracy: Why Our Freedom is in Danger and ...

#8thRef, Labour's Hopes, Public Sector Pay, Paschal's Test - with guest Brendan Howlin

25 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Labour leader and former Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin joins Hugh, Sarah and Harry on today's politics podcast. They talk ...

POLL: With Most Minds Made Up, Repeal Maintains Its Lead

20 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

As the referendum campaign intensifies, the latest Irish Times / IpsosMRBI poll is here. 47% of respondents to this poll support repeal of the 8th Ame...