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
The parents saying no to smartphones for their kids
Groups of Irish parents dotted around the country have unwittingly started a large-scale social experiment – they’re joining together and aiming, as a group…
- In The News
Why did it take ten years for Elizabeth Clarke’s disappearance to be upgraded to murder?
The Garda investigation into the disappearance of Elizabeth Clarke, a mother of two from Co Meath, has been upgraded to a murder inquiry. She was officially…
- In The News
The NFL is coming to Dublin but why are we paying €10m for it?
Dublin will host Ireland’s first NFL regular-season game at Croke Park later this year. No date has been given but one side is known: the Pittsburgh Steelers…
- In The News
Rubiales on trial: How the World Cup kissing controversy made it to court
Luis Rubiales' infamous kiss on Jenni Hermoso during the Women’s World Cup celebrations in August 2023 provoked a global reaction. He swore it was consensual…
- In The News
Coldplay Catfish: How one Irish woman lost €20,000 in a romance scam
Consumer affairs correspondent Conor Pope joins In the News to discuss the rise in online romance scams, while Dublin woman Stacey* shares her own experience…
- In The News
The myth of the monk - how Gerry Hutch came to be loathed, and revered, by so many
Last November, in one of the most surprising stories of the general election, Gerard Hutch, the head of the Hutch organised crime gang, came close to securing…
- In The News
Derelict Dublin: Why are there so many rotting buildings in the capital?
Take a five-minute walk in any direction in Dublin city centre and you’ll come across boarded-up, even cemented-over shopfronts, upper floors supported by…
- In The News
Why the arts minister’s obsession with Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is missing the point
When it comes to the political pecking order, Minister for Arts is way down the list. It’s been called the last seat on the bus. The newly-appointed arts…
- In The News
Can Donald Trump really end the war in Ukraine?
On the campaign trail, Donald Trump promised he would end the war in Ukraine in just 24 hours. Despite missing his own deadline, Trump has threatened Russia…
- In The News
What's behind Trump's Gaza takeover plan?
At the White House on Tuesday US President Donald Trump announced an outrageous idea to end the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The US would seize control of the…
- In The News
From Kerrygold butter to tech: What will US tariffs mean for Ireland?
During his last presidency Donald Trump slapped a tariff on Kerrygold butter; costing its parent company, Ornua, €50m in one year. A fortnight into his second…
- In The News
'We believe in the healing power of God': How a religious sect in Australia left an eight-year-old girl to die
When the parents of eight-year-old Elizabeth Struhs stopped giving her the insulin she needed to control her diabetes, they thought God would cure her. And…
- In The News
The backstory to Disney's IRA thriller Say Nothing
This episode was first published in November 2024. Veteran republican Marian Price initiated legal action against streaming giant Disney+ after the release of…
- In The News
Ross Ulbricht: The online drug kingpin pardoned by Donald Trump
Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht was one of the hundreds of prisoners who walked free thanks to a pardon from US president Donald Trump. His online marketplace…
- In The News
Why are babies' births being investigated at Portiuncula Hospital again?
***Please note some listeners may find this episode distressing*** Seven babies, delivered since January last year at Portiuncula University Hospital in…
- In The News
Why do billionaires like Jeff Bezos pay less tax than you?
The wealth of the world’s billionaires grew at roughly $5.7 billion (€5.5 billion) per day last year, according to Oxfam’s annual report on the financial…
- In The News
How can Ireland prepare for its next weather bomb?
The worst storm to hit Ireland in decades, Storm Éowyn left over a million homes and businesses across the island without power. A new humanitarian group has…
- In The News
As Trump’s deportations begin, what now for the undocumented Irish?
President Trump campaigned on immigration. He promised mass deportations, zero tolerance and border security. His first acts in office included several…
- In The News
The race against time to save lives in Gaza
After 15 months of warfare, humanitarian aid is finally getting through to Gaza. By Wednesday, 2,400 trucks had crossed the border and aid agencies are ramping…
- In The News
'He was obsessed with massacres and gore': What we know about the Southport killer
Last summer a teenager walked into a children's Taylor Swift-themed dance class in a quiet Liverpool suburb, and murdered three girls under the age of ten…
- In The News
What did President Trump do in his first 24 hours in office?
On Monday, Donald Trump stood before a packed Rotunda room in the US Capitol building and announced the beginning of a new “golden age” for Americans standing…
- In The News
Why could the US TikTok ban affect Ireland?
TikTok users across the United States breathed a sigh of relief on Sunday when US president Donald Trump pledged he would issue an executive order to allow the…
- In The News
‘A creep in a puffer jacket’: How a confidence trickster is scamming men in Dublin city
While walking through Dublin city, journalist Quentin Fottrell was scammed. A pleasant sounding, nicely dressed man stopped him and started chatting. Didn’t…
- In The News
Why did Israel finally agree to a ceasefire?
After 15 months of bloodshed, a ceasefire will commence in Gaza on Sunday. The pause in hostilities for an initial six week period will allow food and medical…
- In The News
How the super-rich played the blame game while LA burned
Two years ago, climate scientist and activist Dr Peter Kalmus moved his family away from Los Angeles because as California’s climate kept growing drier and…
- In The News
How Ireland's next Government was formed
The next government of Ireland is taking shape. Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and nine Independents will go into coalition and we now have a blueprint for the next…
- In The News
Conor Pope: How dry January turned into dry forever
Consumer journalist Conor Pope says he loves a good bandwagon and it was in that spirit that three years ago he – and his wife – thought they’d give Dry…
- In The News
Could the next government feature a Minister Healy-Rae?
Michael Healy-Rae may be offered a junior ministerial role in the next government. The Kerry TD is in talks with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael on entering a…
- In The News
Can Michael Lowry still be government kingmaker now Moriarty Tribunal has resurfaced?
News that the Garda is to send a file to the DPP following its investigation into the findings of the Moriarty tribunal will test the memory of even the most…
- In The News
Meta goes Maga - why Zuckerberg chose Trump
On Tuesday, Mark Zuckerberg announced that Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Threads, was ending its fact-checking programme and…
- In The News
'I've broken a needle in my arm while injecting' - the drug users at the first Supervised Injection Facility
Amber (not her real name) is among the first people to use Ireland's long-awaited Supervised Injection Facility in Dublin. Speaking to Irish Times social…
- In The News
Hugh Linehan: What is Elon Musk's endgame?
Earlier this week, tech billionaire Elon Musk publicly withdrew his support for the Reform UK party, posting on his social media platform that Nigel Farage…
- In The News
How to speak to young men about masculinity influencers
Red pill, normies and soyboys. The world of ‘masculinity influencers’ comes with its own jargon and those consuming the social media content become well-versed…
- In The News
How barrister Diarmuid Phelan was cleared of murder
On Friday Diarmuid Phelan, a senior counsel and Trinity law professor, was acquitted of murdering a trespasser on his farm almost three years ago. Keith…
- In The News
Golden visas: what we know - and still don’t know - about the scrapped scheme that lured millionaires to Ireland
For more than a decade, between 2012 and 2023, non-European millionaires could secure residency in Ireland by investing hundreds of thousands of euro into…
- In The News
Too posh to police? Why garda numbers are falling
This episode was originally published in September 2024. An Garda Siochana has a serious retention and recruitment problem. The Commissioner knows it, so does…
- In The News
How a ‘global forum’ promising billionaires became a small Dublin event with muffins
This episode was originally published in October 2024 Anti-female genital mutilation advocates expected high-profile speakers at a packed Dublin conference –…
- In The News
Ireland 1994: what declassified documents reveal about the Troubles, a Russian snub and Jack's Army
Every year, the release of the State Papers reveals a treasure trove of opinions, views and attitudes all committed to paper by ministers, diplomats and…
- In The News
In the News: our podcasters review big stories of the year
For this episode, In the News presenters Bernice Harrison and Sorcha Pollak take a listen back - to pick the podcasts that covered the biggest news stories and…
- In The News
Roblox: what is it and are Irish children at risk?
This episode was originally published in September 2024 If you don't have young children in your life, you may be completely unaware of one of the world's…
- In The News
Moving to Australia: Instagram Vs reality
This episode was originally published in September 2024 A record 10,600 Irish people emigrated to Australia last year, according to the Central Statistics…
- In The News
‘Saint in a tracksuit’: Could first millennial saint bring young people to Catholic Church?
Carlo Acutis was just 15 when he died in 2006. British-born and living in Milan, the teenager became a devout Catholic and used his computer skills to develop…
- In The News
Denis Staunton goes inside China's Christmas city
One city in China produces 80 per cent of the world’s Christmas decorations. Yiwu International Trade City exports more than 20,000 types of Christmas products…
- In The News
Gisèle Pelicot case: How the trial that shocked France unfolded
A French court on Thursday found Dominique Pelicot guilty and sentenced him to 20 years in prison for repeatedly drugging and raping his ex-wife Gisèle Pelicot…
- In The News
Kyran Durnin: a suspect is dead. What clues did he leave behind?
On Tuesday, gardaí and emergency services found the body of Anthony Maguire (36) in his Drogheda home, six days after he was arrested in connection with the…
- In The News
Why did Israel single out Ireland and accuse Simon Harris of being 'anti-Semitic'?
Israel’s move to close its embassy in Ireland means the diplomatic rift between our two countries is wider than ever, with potentially big implications for…
- In The News
Sally Hayden goes inside Sednaya prison in Syria
Irish Times international correspondent Sally Hayden is the only journalist from any Irish media outlet to witness, first-hand, the dramatic scenes that have…
- In The News
A deepening crisis at the Peter McVerry Trust
Another report, another disturbing finding about governance at one of Ireland’s best known, and well-funded charities, the Peter McVerry Trust. Between 2022…
- In The News
House prices: why economists fear a 'painful correction'
Irish house prices are overvalued by up to 10 per cent, the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) has warned, adding that an increasing number of…
- In The News
Luigi Mangione: Why do some Americans support a suspected killer?
On Wednesday, December 4th, Brian Thompson (50), the UnitedHealthcare chief executive was murdered in cold blood outside a hotel in Manhattan. The manhunt to…
- In The News
Syria: Lara Marlowe on the tyrannical al-Assad dynasty
Lara Marlowe met Bashar al-Assad twice during his early years as president of Syria. The writer and journalist also interviewed the dictator's father, Hafez…
- In The News
What now for Sinn Féin and Mary Lou McDonald?
Four years ago, Sinn Féin changed the landscape of Irish politics by securing the highest share of first preference votes in the 2020 general election and…
- In The News
The backstory to Disney's IRA thriller Say Nothing
Veteran republican Marian Price has initiated legal action against streaming giant Disney+ over the TV series Say Nothing, based on a book of the same name by…
- In The News
Dublin Airport has a hidden metro station. Why was it never opened?
When a taxi driver told Irish Times economics correspondent Eoin Burke-Kennedy that there was a ghost train station under Terminal 1 in Dublin Airport he was…
- In The News
Explainer: How the martial law debacle rattled South Korea
South Korea’s unpopular President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law late on Tuesday in a move that surprised citizens and parliamentarians. His attempt to ban…
- In The News
What did Hunter Biden do and was President Biden wrong to pardon him?
Joe Biden has granted his son Hunter Biden a full and unconditional pardon following his criminal conviction on tax and gun charges. The US president's only…
- In The News
How Padraig Nally's manslaughter case divided the nation
Last week, Mayo farmer Padraig Nally, the man who was jailed for less than a year for the manslaughter of an intruder in his home near Lough Corrib in 2004…
- In The News
Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch loses out and Ireland's political future takes shape
The count continues with seats in several constituencies throughout the country still to be filled. As it stands, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are in pole…
- In The News
The standout stories from Angela Merkel's autobiography
Angela Merkel's eagerly anticipated memoir lifts the lid on parts of her childhood, her private meetings with world leaders and what she thought of Ireland and…
- In The News
Will the ceasefire in Lebanon hold?
In the early hours of Wednesday morning, a ceasefire between Israel and Hizbullah came into effect. The deal was announced the day before with US President Joe…