Shows / In The News
In The News
In The News is a daily podcast from The Irish Times that takes a close look at the stories that matter, in Ireland and around the world. Presented by Bernice Harrison and Aideen Finnegan.
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Episodes
- In The News
Inside Ireland’s largest re-wilding experiment
Just 30 kilometres north of Dublin, lies a hidden oasis in Meath called Dunsany Castle. Home to Ireland’s biggest rewilding project, it’s run by Lord Randal…
- In The News
Is the end of the pandemic in sight?
With case numbers continuing to fall, the easing of Covid restrictions could begin as early as next week. Today, Conor Pope speaks to The Irish Times public…
- In The News
How do we end male violence against women?
Last Wednesday afternoon, 23-year-old Ashling Murphy went for a run along the canal pathway just outside the town of Tullamore in Co Offaly. At around 4pm, the…
- In The News
Can Boris Johnson survive as prime minister?
UK prime minister Boris Johnson has never been under more pressure after revelations emerged that he attended a party during Covid-19 lockdown in 2020. The…
- In The News
How Novak Djokovic’s vaccine-scepticism sparked an international sporting scandal
Novak Djokovic is on the cusp of becoming the best men’s tennis player in the history of the sport. In less than a week, he should be attempting to land a…
- In The News
Will Ireland’s longest-serving prisoner ever be released?
English national John Shaw has been in custody in Ireland since September 1976 when both he and another English man, Geoffrey Evans, were arrested for the…
- In The News
Is it time we learned to live with Covid-19?
Two years into the pandemic, it’s still not clear how, when, or if it will end. With health systems across the world in a permanent state of crisis mode, other…
- In The News
"It's worse than ever": The Capitol riot one year on
When rioters smashed their way into the US Capitol one year ago this week, it was seen as both a disaster for US democracy but also a potential turning point…
- In The News
Best of 2021: How South Korea’s social inequality inspired Netflix’s Squid Game
Have you watched Squid Game yet? Since its release, the South Korean drama has become a global sensation, making it Netflix’s biggest series launch to date…
- In The News
Best of 2021: Amazon's dark side: what might it mean for Ireland?
Amazon, the company founded by Jeff Bezos in a Seattle garage more than a quarter of a century ago, is building one of its massive fulfilment centres in…
- In The News
Best of 2021: Could Graham Dwyer win his appeal?
Could Ireland's most notorious murderer Graham Dwyer win a retrial, or even walk free? Dwyer, who was convicted of the murder of Elaine O'Hara in 2015…
- In The News
Best of 2021: Who killed Michael Collins?
Nearly 100 years after his death, the truth about who assassinated Michael Collins remains one of the greatest unanswered questions in Irish history. Collins…
- In The News
Best of 2021: How the Spelling Bee became a national American sport
It’s a quintessentially American institution, where kids battle it out to correctly spell ten-dollar words like 'querimonious' and 'solidungulate'. This year…
In The NewsIreland’s rent crisis and its toll on society
Ireland is in the midst of a rent crisis. Prices are increasing nationally at a rate of around 8%, housing stock is low and the cost of buying a home is beyond…
- In The News
From a single TD to the most popular party: Sinn Féin's political journey
How did Sinn Féin adapt, evolve and rise to become the most popular political party in the Republic of Ireland? And if it does win power in a future election…
- In The News
Omicron is here. How bad could it get, and are we ready?
The Omicron variant of Sars CoV 2 is the most transmissible variant yet and the percentage of cases here is growing dramatically. What is the Government going…
- In The News
Undocumented in Ireland: New hope for thousands living in the shadows
Earlier this month, the government approved a landmark scheme to regularise thousands of undocumented migrants and their families who are living in Ireland…
- In The News
“Change your face over your lunch break”: The rise in unregulated cosmetic procedures in Ireland
Demand for cosmetic procedures is on the rise across Ireland, but what are the risks involved when the industry remains unregulated? Features writer Jennifer…
- In The News
Will "Partygate" do real damage to Boris Johnson?
Denis Staunton on the latest scandal hitting UK prime minister Boris Johnson's government, after a week of denials that an illegal party took place in Downing…
- In The News
How a Covid cert revolt in Brussels reveals a dark trend in pandemic politics
A group of MEPs, citing civil liberties, are refusing to present a Covid vaccination certificate when entering the European Parliament. Their ringleader is…
- In The News
The Treaty: how it shaped modern Ireland
On the 6th of December 1921, the Anglo-Irish Treaty was agreed, paving the way for the creation of the Irish state. A century later, we explore how it was…
- In The News
The science behind Covid mutation
The emergence of the Omicron variant has us asking questions about the virus and vaccines. What exactly does it look like when Sars-CoV-2 mutates? Could it…
- In The News
Bracing for a possible Omicron wave
Jack Horgan-Jones on the new measures announced by the Government yesterday in light of the emergence of Omicron, a potentially more transmissible variant of…
- In The News
Is it time to scrap the Leaving Cert?
The Leaving Cert system is often accused of being one large memory test, placing high levels of stress on students and failing to prepare them for a life…
- In The News
What Diego Maradona meant to Argentina
Thanks to Argentinian heritage, comedian and TV presenter Stephen Mullan knows how much Diego Maradona meant to the people of Argentina, and how much his death…
- In The News
Is Europe losing patience with Covid?
Last weekend, tens of thousands of people took to the streets of European cities to demonstrate against the introduction of new Covid restrictions. Europe…
- In The News
Inside the Mater Hospital: 'There's no optimistic scenario'
Irish Times features writer Jennifer O’Connell recently spent the day in Dublin’s Mater hospital, speaking to frontline staff. With Covid cases continuing to…
- In The News
Remembering the Sean Quinn saga
Last week Google, following "right to be forgotten" rules, granted a request from a member of a well-known Irish business family to hide unfavourable news…
- In The News
How Belarus is engineering a migrant crisis
Thousands of migrants, mainly from the Middle East, are stuck on the Belarus border with Poland, having arrived into the country with the promise of a safe…
- In The News
"He was the only victim in this" - the killing of John Pat Cunningham
Dennis Hutchings was buried on Thursday in Devon with full military honours and applause. The 80 year old died in Belfast after contracting Covid-19 while he…
- In The News
Is rugby doing enough to tackle the concussion epidemic?
Last week, former All Black Carl Hayman revealed a diagnosis of early onset dementia at just 41 years of age. Hayman has also joined a long list of former…
- In The News
Can booster doses and anti-viral drugs end the pandemic?
The finishing line of this pandemic has been cruelly pushed back again and again. Vaccines have diminished the threat posed by Covid-19 but we're still a long…
- In The News
A tragedy in Sierra Leone is a story about poverty
Last Friday in Sierra Leone's capital Freetown, a fire in the busy neighbourhood of Wellington killed scores and injured many more. The fire was caused by a…
- In The News
Could Graham Dwyer win his appeal?
Could Ireland's most notorious murderer Graham Dwyer win a retrial, or even walk free? Dwyer, who was convicted of the murder of Elaine O'Hara in 2015…
- In The News
What's in the Climate Action Plan and does it go far enough?
How does a country halve its greenhouse gas emissions in just nine years? The new Climate Action Plan is the Irish government's answer to that question. The…
- In The News
Is Dublin losing its cultural soul?
A squat eviction, protests over plans to redevelop the site at the Cobblestone pub and the announcements of closures of the Science Gallery and a much-loved…
- In The News
The agency forcing Irish criminals to flee abroad
Just over 25 years ago, the Criminal Assets Bureau was established in the wake of the killings of Detective Jerry McCabe and journalist Veronica Guerin. The…
- In The News
Why is the EU fining Poland €1 million every single day?
This week, the European Union’s Court of Justice ordered Poland to pay a one million euro daily fine, believed to be the biggest penalty imposed by the EU, on…
- In The News
Cop26: Our last chance to tackle climate catastrophe
On Wednesday, just days before world leaders and policy makers descended upon Glasgow for the crucial Cop26 climate talks, UN secretary-general Antonia…
- In The News
Is Facebook damaging our world?
Facebook’s brand is in crisis. The social media giant is rarely out of the headlines, most recently after whistleblowers and leaked documents shed light on its…
- In The News
Squid Game: How South Korea’s social inequality inspired Netflix’s biggest ever hit
Have you watched Squid Game yet? Since its release, the South Korean drama has become a global sensation, making it Netflix’s biggest series launch to date…
- In The News
Climate action: "I'm not gonna give up, there's too much to fight for"
We’re told that eating less meat or giving up flying are things that we can do to help fight climate change. But given that a relatively small number of fossil…
- In The News
Why is Covid so prevalent in Ireland compared to other European countries?
Health editor Paul Cullen on what we know about the reasons for Ireland's high level of Covid-19 right now, despite our high vaccination rates. Plus: political…
- In The News
Can the UK and the EU overcome mistrust to do a deal on Northern Ireland?
Earlier this week, Britain's Brexit minister David Frost called for a new "Northern Ireland protocol" to completely replace the agreement he negotiated two…
- In The News
Ireland 2050: 'The big changes will be at the extremes... droughts, floods'
More flooding, longer spells of hotter weather, heavier rain events and the disappearance of frost: The changes to Ireland's weather if we fail to tackle the…
- In The News
The disappearance of Deirdre Jacob: Could new evidence crack the case?
A large search operation has begun in Co Kildare in relation to the disappearance of 18-year-old Deirdre Jacob, who went missing as she walked home in…
- In The News
What Ireland's corporate tax hike means
A global deal means our 12.5% corporate tax rate will be going up for the first time in decades. Cliff Taylor tells Conor the story of the rate: where it came…
- In The News
Berlin's rental revolution: could it happen in Ireland?
On September 26th a referendum was held in Berlin. The question? Should landlords be forced to sell nearly a quarter of a million apartments to the city. The…
- In The News
When did the climate crisis begin?
In a few weeks' time, world leaders meet for the COP26 UN Climate Conference in Scotland, where they will try to agree on a plan to reduce emissions and…
- In The News
The Pandora Papers: Ireland's role in hiding global wealth
Ireland is being used as a de facto offshore location by people and businesses in Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and other countries in eastern Europe and central…
- In The News
Why are people turning to an anti-parasite drug to treat Covid-19?
This month the first Irish person was hospitalised after using the anti-parasitic drug Ivermectin to treat the symptoms of Covid-19. In the US, demand for the…
- In The News
Allegations of sexual abuse, betrayal and threats: The downfall of a charity and its founder
Before his sudden death Anthony Flynn was accused of sexually assaulting several men in the care of the charity he founded. He leaves behind alleged abuse…
- In The News
The unpalatable truth about eating meat
How much do you think about where your food comes from, how the animals used to produce it live and die, or its impact on the environment? Journalist and…
- In The News
Why did Boris Johnson have to sack some of his closest allies?
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson reshuffled his cabinet last week, firing ministers who had been key supporters of his leadership. What prompted the move?…
- In The News
Covid and unvaccinated school children - what are the risks?
The success of Ireland’s vaccine rollout has exceeded even the most optimistic projections of earlier this year and allowed the country to re-open, with…
- In The News
After years of decline, can the Ireland men's football team turn things around?
The Republic of Ireland senior men's football team has brought joy and heartbreak to fans over the years. But now, after a disappointing run of resultsa third…
- In The News
How the 9/11 attacks tore one Irish family apart
Twenty years ago, on Tuesday, September 11th, 2001, Mark Clifford was in Dublin attending the funeral of a friend, when he caught sight of a TV screen. What…
- In The News
Are we ready for the next pandemic?
As Ireland continues towards the full reopening of society with the lifting of pandemic restrictions, experts have warned that the next global outbreak is just…
- In The News
What does the future hold for Fianna Fáil?
This week, Fianna Fáil TDs, Senators and MEPs will gather in the town of Ballyconnell, Co Cavan to discuss the future of their political party. The two day…
- In The News
Who are ISIS-K and what threat do they pose?
Less than a fortnight after the Taliban took control in Afghanistan, the country saw its first horrific terror attack. The suicide bombing near Kabul Airport…