In The News
The Irish Times
300 episodes
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 Sorcha Pollak.
More about the show
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes page 1 of 6
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Rags and riches: How an Irish charity became the focus of a criminal investigation
Liberty Recycling is a well-known Irish charity associated with second-hand clothes and the bulk export of rags, not luxury goods. But all that changed last week when the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau revealed…
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What two surprising election results tell us about the world
It’s been a week of dramatic electoral upsets that show that right-wing waves moving across Latin America and Europe can be stopped. Lula’s dramatic comeback to win Sunday’s presidential election in Brazil has put a…
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Could a crime that shocked Dublin in 2003 be solved?
On the morning of Monday, March 31st, 2003, a woman answered the door of her house in south Dublin. A man purporting to work as a TV technician was standing on the doorstep. The attack that followed shocked the city…
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Inside the court as Russell Brand stands trial
One of the world’s most recognisable faces in entertainment, Russell Brand, is on trial in a London court. He has pleaded not guilty to seven charges. Three of rape, three of sexual assault and one count of indecent…
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Naza: The film the Israeli Government doesn't want you to see
‘You hack her phone then you kill her – that’s what one Israeli intelligence officer told Naza director Yuval Abraham about their tactics in Gaza. The shocking and disturbing film, comprising interviews with 24…
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Will Jim O’Callaghan back down in solicitors’ pay dispute?
The four-month dispute between criminal defence solicitors in the free legal aid system and Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan took a turn for the worse this week, with an escalation in both action and rhetoric.…
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One father’s fight to get help for his out-of-control teenage son
In recent months, a disturbing social media trend has emerged online in Ireland. Groups of masked teenage boys are stealing cars, taunting Gardaí, driving at high speeds and in some cases, against oncoming traffic.…
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What led to the eruption of violence across France last weekend?
In Paris and beyond last weekend, half a million people took to the streets in protest. Those highlighting the cost-of-living crisis joined the ongoing student protest over the state of the French public education…
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Has Elon Musk invented a flying car?
In Texas last week, Elon Musk told an invited audience they were about to “see some crazy stuff tonight”. It turned out to be a new version of Tesla’s Roadster sports car, this one equipped with thrusters to make the…
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The inside story of UDA commander Johnny 'Mad Dog' Adair
A man once regarded as one of the most feared loyalist paramilitary commanders of the Troubles now lives a largely quiet life in Scotland. But the legacy of Johnny Adair remains one of violence and intimidation. At…
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Ammi Burke’s seven-year battle to get her job back
Ammi Burke, a young solicitor from Castlebar, Co Mayo, was dismissed by Arthur Cox Solicitors in November 2019 and is now on her third legal challenge to her dismissal. In the Labour Court in Dublin this week, her…
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Why Sally Rooney's books will no longer be sold in the UK
Bestselling author Sally Rooney has announced that her publisher will no longer supply her books to the UK market. Why? Books editor Martin Doyle explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Why petrol bombs have become the weapon of choice for drug gangs in Ireland
On Tuesday morning, the country awoke to news that a house fire in Waterford had claimed the lives of four members of the same family. Within hours of the blaze, Gardaí ruled out an accidental cause and upgraded the…
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Does President Trump's 'energy ceasefire' really exist?
US president Donald Trump announced on Sunday that Ukraine and Russia had agreed an “energy ceasefire” effective immediately, warning either side against breaking the deal. The only problem was that the warring…
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Strike: is there any chance it could be called off?
On Wednesday Ireland is facing the biggest coordinated public sector strike since 2009. To find out what it is about, why it hasn't been averted despite the Government's offer to talk with unions and whether it still…
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How notorious predator George Gibney finally faced justice
Before the summer court recess George Gibney (77), former Irish Olympic swimming coach, was found guilty of sexually abusing four girls in the 1970s and 1980s. The jury found him guilty of 39 counts of indecent…
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Who was the millionaire who died in a homeless hostel in Galway?
For years Victor Spaggiari was a familiar sight on the streets of Galway. A homeless man, he lived in the Cope Hostel and spent his days sitting on a bench in the city. He spoke little, caused no trouble and seemed…
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The astonishing fall of a German spymaster
It’s a story that could have come straight out a John le Carré thriller. The retired German spy chief accused of selling classified information amounting to thousands of secret documents; an alleged act of treason that…
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What is the row between RTÉ and Minister Patrick O'Donovan really about?
Jack Horgan-Jones has the latest on a row that has blown up in the aftermath of Tuesday's Budget, reopening RTÉ's rolling funding crisis and leaving questions unanswered about why Minister for Media Patrick O'Donovan…
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How the eviction of an 87-year-old woman sparked a political crisis in Spain
Over the past two weeks, tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets of Spain to protest the country’s worsening housing crisis. The demonstrations were triggered by the eviction of an 87-year-old woman,…
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What will happen to Christa Pike, the Tennessee woman who survived the lethal injection?
Christa Pike spent 30 years in jail in Tennessee on death row, waiting for the day the state would kill her. When that day finally came, last week, she was first given a lethal injection, then a second one when the…
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Budget 2027: what's in it for you?
Ministers Simon Harris and Jack Chambers have been explaining how the Government will tax and spend in the year ahead. They have promised to deliver changes we will feel in our daily lives. But will you really feel a…
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A look behind Brendan Kavanagh's business deals
Wicklow businessman Brendan Kavanagh (61) has an entrepreneurial skill for building connections and seeing gaps in the market. That has led him to set up multiple businesses including the successful…
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Why Andy Burnham says ‘Brexit has done more harm than good’
At the Labour Party conference last week, British prime minister Andy Burnham surprised delegates by putting the prospect of rejoining the EU firmly on the political agenda. In a rousing speech he said the Brexit vote…
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Manchester City or Scam FC - the €1bn scandal
Premier League football club Manchester City has been found guilty of boosting its coffers by more than €1bn by arranging “sham contracts” with big name commercial partners. The infringements to the league’s funding…
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Who is the Irish citizen facing a murder charge in Hungary?
Irish citizen David Anderson (45) is charged with the premeditated murder of his ex-wife, Megumi Anderson, who died in January 2025 aged 43. Megumi died in a fire in her apartment in Budapest. The Japanese woman was…
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How will the Drumcree standoff end?
Since early Sunday morning, 35 members of the Orange Order have been waiting at Drumcree Church to parade down the mainly nationalist Garvaghy Road in Portadown. It is a march that, in the 1990s, sparked tension and…
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How a Dublin flat complex became a hub for organised crime
When property developer Paddy Shanahan built Buckingham Village, a scheme of 125 apartments in north inner-city Dublin in 1991, hopes were high that it would help rejuvenate this socially deprived part of the north…
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Ireland v Israel: win overshadowed by division and discord
A comprehensive 3-0 away victory for the Republic of Ireland should have cause for celebration. Instead, it has been overshadowed by unprecedented crisis within Irish football. In the days before Ireland's Uefa…
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Kicked out of Dubai: where will Christy Kinahan snr go now?
After more than a decade living openly in Dubai, Christy Kinahan snr’s visa has been cancelled and he has been told to leave the United Arab Emirates before September 29th. The founder of the Kinahan drugs cartel…
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Ireland v Israel: Why the contentious soccer games are still going ahead
Since the fixtures were announced earlier this year, the voices calling for the Republic of Ireland to boycott its Nations League games against Israel have grown progressively louder. They come from all quarters: from…
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Does Russia have access to Irish state passwords?
This episode was originally published in July 2026. Employees of three key State agencies use a computer programme called Passwork to generate and protect their passwords. It’s a cybersecurity measure. But what they…
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Belfast’s race riots: what happened next?
The scenes of violence and rampant destruction on the streets of Belfast on June 9th were reminiscent of disorder we’ve seen before. But these were not sectarian-motivated attacks, instead they were race riots, with…
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50 years on, the story of how Ireland's biggest band was born
Today we're sharing the opening episode of a three-part series by Róisín Ingle that tells the untold origin story of U2. We hope you enjoy it. The full series can be found on irishtimes.com, or wherever you get your…
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How Irish scientists are fighting sophisticated drug gangs
Staying ahead of organised drug gangs is the daily challenge facing the scientists and analysts at Forensic Science Ireland (FSI). And with criminal organisations having their own sophisticated labs to make new drugs,…
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What does Canada want from the EU?
In her speech to MEPs on Wednesday, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen spoke about Canada becoming an “associate” member of the EU in future, a concept that does not exist in the union’s governing…
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Is it time to rein in the data centre boom?
It seems incredible that no one knows how many data centres there are in Ireland. It could be as many as 100, it could be more. Whatever the number there are several others in the planning stages. What we do know is…
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Could AI really wipe out humanity?
It has long been known that AI poses risks to humanity, but the scale of them is only starting to become clear. And those risks are terrifying. This month Evan Hubinger, a top scientist at Anthropic, said AI is…
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What happens to stolen art?
Thieves who broke into the Renoir Museum in the south of France escaped with two paintings, having dropped two others as they fled the building. The value of the works has been estimated at €9 million, but what are…
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How ‘assassin wanted’ ad links a Cyprus murder plot with Kinahan cartel
In late summer, a criminal using the name “SpongeJob” posted a wanted ad on Telegram, an the encrypted messaging service. He was looking for a hitman to travel to Cyprus to kill two men, twins from the UK. Everything…
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9/11: Could its disastrous legacy have been avoided?
Twenty five years ago al-Qaeda militants hijacked four commercial planes in the US and flew two into the World Trade Center in New York and one into the Pentagon, while the fourth crash-landed in a Pennsylvania field.…
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Two days of Trump – what to expect in Dublin and Doonbeg
No one doubts that it is the Irish Open at Trump International Golf Links & Hotel at Doonbeg that is bringing US president Donald Trump back to Ireland. It has attracted some of golf’s biggest stars to Trump’s golf…
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Why did Germans vote for the far-right AfD party?
It’s not just the win, but the landslide scale of the win that has shocked Germany – and sent ripples throughout Europe. The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has been growing in popularity but no one anticipated…
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Why can’t Ireland defend itself?
Minister for Defence Helen McEntee said that a “significant security operation” has been been put in place for Ireland’s presidency of the Council of the European Union. She didn’t elaborate on exaclty who would be…
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How much rain will supersized El Niño bring to Ireland this winter?
As autumn arrives and the supersized El Niño develops, global temperatures will rise, rainfall patterns will radically change and the number of extreme weather events will increase. But what does that mean for…
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How Katie Taylor revolutionised women’s sport
On Saturday, Katie Taylor will fight for the last time as a professional boxer. If she wins against France’s Flora Pili, she will bow out as undisputed light-welterweight champion, a title to add to all the others she…
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Why Dublin’s crack cocaine crisis is visible on the streets
The long-predicted crack cocaine epidemic is here and has been compared to the heroin epidemic that ravaged communities and destroyed lives in Dublin in the 1980s. It’s cheap at as little as €10 for a “rock”, though…
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Lost at sea on the ‘world’s deadliest migration route’
In the last week in June a boat set sail from The Gambia heading for the Canary Islands. On board were an estimated 200 people, made up mostly of men of all ages as well as about 20 women and five children. Within…
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Tracking down a romance scammer in Nigeria
This episode was originally published in June 2026. 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 job it…
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Why almost all Phoenix Park drivers break the speed limit
Every year, more than 10 million motorists drive through Dublin’s Phoenix Park. Almost all are breaking the speed limit. All of the park’s attractions, including Dublin Zoo, the People’s Gardens, the Ashtown Castle…
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