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
Murder at the bridge: What happened to Terence McKeever?
Terence McKeever left his home in Ballsbridge in Dublin shortly after 6.30am on June 16th, 1986. His daily commute in his distinctive bronze-coloured BMW took…
- In The News
Tracking down a romance scammer in Nigeria
When Carlos Barragán discovered his mother was the victim of romance fraud, he flew to Lagos to find the con man – and found the Yahoo Boys, young men whose…
- In The News
World Cup 2026: The ruthless rise of Gianni Infantino
As World Cup 2026 kicks off, Gianni Infantino’s grip on international football is total. Infantino was brought in to clean up Fifa’s image after the murky Sepp…
- In The News
Inside court as Jeffrey Donaldson takes the stand
Jeffrey Donaldson took the stand in Newry Crown Court on Thursday at his trial on charges of historical child sex abuse. It was the 13th day of the trial, and…
- In The News
How the murder of Jennifer Poole led to a change in Irish law
Abusers convicted of serious domestic violence will have their names included on a publicly available register under a new law designed to allow those with…
- In The News
How the Belfast riots unfolded
The event that sparked the racist riots in Belfast on Tuesday evening happened on Monday night in the north of the city. A Sudanese man, named in court as Hadi…
- In The News
What a 24-year jail term for Sean McGovern means for his boss, Daniel Kinahan
The 24-year sentence handed down to Sean McGovern in the Special Criminal Court prompted gasps in the packed courtroom. It will also have sent shock waves…
- In The News
‘Irish only or it burns’ - Why Ireland's far right is targeting vacant council houses
For the past 18 months, Dublin City Council has been keeping track of a worrying trend: an increase in the number of vacant council houses being targeted in…
- In The News
What is the 'free birth' movement and why is it becoming more popular in Ireland?
Naomi James (38) was pregnant with her fourth child when, disillusioned with Ireland's maternity services, she chose to give birth at home without medical…
- In The News
Why Irish far-right activists mingled with the ‘white Europe’ remigration movement
A summit in Portugal last weekend laid bare the growth in a pan-European remigration movement, with speakers who ranged from an MEP to Greg Bovino, a former US…
- In The News
Why Ireland is introducing a new system to diagnose autism
An assessment of need (AON) helps put children with a disability on a service pathway. But the waiting list is long and growing every year. It currently stands…
- In The News
What will the return of El Niño mean for Ireland's weather?
The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has firmed up its forecast for a return of El Niño this summer, increasing the risk of record-breaking heat and…
- In The News
Was death of billionaire fashion mogul an accident or murder?
When Isak Andic, who created the Mango clothes brand, died from a fall while our hiking with his only son, Jonathan, in the mountains outside Barcelona, it was…
- In The News
Our food reviewers give their picks for great summer restaurants
Is there such a thing as “summer on a plate”? What makes a great seasonal dish? And where is the best restaurant in Ireland for a memorable staycation night…
- In The News
Jeffrey Donaldson sex abuse trial: What the jury has heard so far
The trial of Jeffrey Donaldson began on Wednesday with the jury warned they would hear about “difficult and traumatic incidents” the two alleged victims claim…
- In The News
Why aggressive drivers are stopping Irish women cycling
Aggressive driver behaviour, speeding, poor cycling infrastructure and the increased size of vehicles are deterring women from getting on their bikes, research…
- In The News
AI is coming for tech jobs: what will it mean for the Irish economy?
Just a few years ago Meta’s workforce in Ireland was about 3,000. When the newly announced round of job cuts are complete, the tech giant’s headcount at its…
- In The News
How is AI being used in Irish primary schools?
If the junior infants in St Joseph’s Primary School in Dundalk, Co Louth want to know something they can ask AI. An AI voice assistant named Merlyn will tell…
- In The News
Jeffrey Donaldson: The former politician goes on trial
Jeffrey Donaldson (63) was arrested and charged with sexual offences in March 2024. The former DUP leader and MP is accused of 18 offences – one count of rape…
- In The News
Why RTÉ is caught in a never ending payments drama
RTÉ’s announcement that the salary of Derek Mooney, one of its most well-known on-air staffers, had been publicly misrepresented for years sparked a very…
- In The News
Byelections: who are the favourites to win in Dublin Central and Galway West?
When two TDs left for bigger gigs last year it triggered elections to fill their places. Fine Gael’s Pascal Donohoe left for a big job at the World Bank and…
- In The News
Why videos of Yves Sakila’s last moments on Dublin street are key to Garda investigation
On Friday at about 5pm, Yves Sakila(35) was pursued by security guards on Dublin’s Henry Street. He was suspected of shoplifting. As he ran down the street, it…
- In The News
The son of killer dentist Colin Howell tells his story
This episode was first published in February 2026. On the night of his second birthday in May 1991, Seamus Daniel Howell’s mother Lesley was murdered by his…
- In The News
How punters on Polymarket have bet big on Gerry Hutch to lose
Betting on the results of an election is not unusual but Polymarket is not a typical bookies. It allows punters to take and then change their position on all…
- In The News
Why Donald Trump is in China
Donald Trump arrived in Beijing on Wednesday night for a two-day visit that both the United States and China hope will stabilise their relationship and prolong…
- In The News
Why do Dubliners suddenly love Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre?
When Dubliners first saw the multi-tiered, gleaming white, iron and glass shopping centre on St Stephen’s Green in the late 1980s, it was quickly nicknamed…
- In The News
Keir Starmer is clinging on to power but for how long?
British prime minister Keir Starmer is clinging to power after scores of Labour MPs – and several ministers – called on him to resign or at least plot a clear…
- In The News
How a Carlow garden centre left buyers millions out of pocket
When Irish Times consumer affairs correspondent Conor Pope got an email last June about the non-delivery of garden furniture, he couldn’t have known that it…
- In The News
How money laundering has become big business in Ireland
For online fraudsters to be successful they need a web of bank accounts to first receive the money they steal and then to channel it, often out of the country…
- In The News
Iran war: what a deal could look like - and why Trump blinked first
On Wednesday, in the midst of a tentative ceasefire, Iran issued what could be the first step in a deal with the US over the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile Iran’s…
- In The News
What do sky-high jet fuel prices mean for travellers?
The Iran war, which began on February 28th, has disrupted air traffic routes and pushed up jet fuel prices. That much is clear. But with the war showing little…
- In The News
A suspected murder-suicide in Iceland with an Irish connection
In June 2025, the Mancel family left their apartment in Leopardstown in south Dublin, headed to Dublin Airport and flew to Reykjavik. They checked into the…
- In The News
A sick man: DJ Carey and his cancer con
Last November former Kilkenny hurler DJ Carey was sentenced to five and a half years in prison for fraud. In July, the disgraced sportsman pleaded guilty to…
- In The News
Inside the Kinahan cartel’s secret phone chats: ‘Nobody is stopping until they’re all dead’
When Sean McGovern, a trusted member of the Kinahan organised crime cartel, was extradited from Dubai last May he can’t have known the depth and breadth of the…
- In The News
Dire reviews and controversy: Why the Michael Jackson movie broke box-office records
Michael, the biopic tracking the early years of Michael Jackson, opened to dire reviews and criticism over its silence on the child sex abuse allegations…
- In The News
Car bombs and hijackings: Why two attacks show the New IRA hasn’t gone away
Last Saturday evening, a food delivery driver was hijacked in Co Antrim, a bomb was placed in his car and he was ordered to drive to Dunmurry police station…
- In The News
Why Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch wants to swap Lanzarote for Leinster House
For a man who has been targeted by assassins, Gerry Hutch is surprisingly easy to track down in the village in Lanzarote where he has lived for more than 10…
- In The News
After the 'feis-fixing' scandal, has Irish dancing cleaned up its act?
When Ellen Coyne heard her phone buzz in bed on a dark October night in 2022, she couldn’t have known that answering it would lead to the “biggest thing to…
- In The News
A surprising motive for criminal Robbie Lawlor's murder
Notorious Dublin criminal Robbie Lawlor was shot dead in Belfast in 2020, when he arrived at a house in the Ardoyne area of the city, to collect a drug debt…
- In The News
Devastation in Lebanon as Israel's 'yellow line' leaves huge numbers displaced
Sally Hayden reports on her visit to south Lebanon, where weeks of war between Israel and the Iran-linked paramilitary organisation Hizbullah have left a trail…
- In The News
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor: the lifestyle that led the former prince astray and endangered the royal family's future
Former British prince Andrew fell further from grace in February with his arrest as part of an investigation into whether he abused power by sharing…
- In The News
Daniel Kinahan: What evidence will form the case against him?
Daniel Kinahan, the leader of the Kinahan cartel and a member of the “super cartel” that runs about a third of the European cocaine market, was arrested last…
- In The News
Will the Peter Mandelson scandal bring down Keir Starmer?
The appointment of Peter Mandelson as UK Ambassador to the United States is a moment Keir Starmer will rue. On Monday, he faced MPs in the UK Parliament to…
- In The News
The surprising source of Ireland's cannabis
The amount of cannabis being smuggled into Ireland has risen significantly in recent years, with most of the product for sale now coming from the United…
- In The News
How Ireland’s top betting tipster promoted a black market gambling site
Rob Heneghan is one of Ireland’s most popular online gambling tipsters. His social media accounts show his more than one million followers a glamorous…
- In The News
Why not everyone is happy with free money for artists
When a pilot scheme was announced in 2022 to provide artists with a guaranteed weekly income of €325 a week for three years, there were more than 8,000…
- In The News
What Trump’s fight with Pope Leo says about his state of mind
As US president Donald Trump threatens to wipe out Iran and attacks the pope, even some former allies are questioning whether he has grown increasingly…
- In The News
Fuel protests: Could some people be radicalised by last week's events?
For almost a week there were blockades and go-slows which severely disrupted the country’s road network and Dublin city centre was at a standstill for several…
- In The News
Why deaths on Irish roads keep rising
There have been 45 deaths on Irish roads so far this year – that’s six more people than this time last year. Tragically, 2025 ended as the deadliest on Irish…
- In The News
How an Irish building contractor conned US homeowners out of €1.3 million
John O’Brien’s scam was simple. Arriving in the US on a tourist visa in 2021, he set himself up as a building contractor in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. By…
- In The News
How will the fuel protests end?
On Wednesday, as fuel protests over the Government’s response to rising petrol and diesel prices entered their third day it became clear the demands of the…
- In The News
Iran ceasefire: Did Trump run out of road?
The US, Israel and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire on Tuesday barely an hour before US president Donald Trump’s deadline to obliterate Iran was set to…
- In The News
How risky is Simon Harris' new savings scheme?
More details have emerged about the Minister for Finance’s new savings and investment idea which aims to unlock some of the €170bn Irish people are estimated…
- In The News
The spy service protecting Ireland Inc
It is not surprising that the army’s spy wing is a highly secretive organisation, but lately it’s becoming a little less so, with one of its top bosses giving…
- In The News
Are we closer to solving the mystery of missing Icelandic tourist Jon Jonsson?
Gardaí have identified a person of interest in the disappearance of Icelandic man Jon Jonsson. The suspect, who's from Liverpool, is a veteran criminal with a…
- In The News
Inside the State’s latest care scandal: The at-risk children on Tusla’s ‘no beds list’
In the entire country there are just 26 places for vulnerable children in need of the highest level of specialist care and supervision that Tusla is charged…
- In The News
David McWilliams: How the energy crisis could plunge Ireland into recession
The world is in oil shock. Since the US and Israel launched its war on Iran one month ago, the impact on the rest of the world has been felt in ever-rising…
- In The News
The euthanasia case dividing Spain
Please note, this episode contains discussion of suicide and sexual assault. Listener discretion is advised. Last Thursday, a Spanish woman called Noelia…
- In The News
Does Dublin need a €5 tourist tax?
Dublin City Council is keeping up the pressure on the Government to legislate for a tourist tax administered by local authorities. The level of the tax, also…
- In The News
What’s behind surge in fake weight-loss drugs and bogus steroids
The scale of the fake medicines in Ireland has been made worryingly clear with the latest figures from the State’s drugs watchdog. The Health Products…