In The News

Irish property prices are climbing at their highest rate for over seven years. In the last year alone, the average cost of a home jumped by just over 15 per cent. Most estate agents are forecasting continued price growth for the remainder of the year, and beyond. But can they really be so sure? Irish Times economics correspondent Eoin Burke-Kennedy explains why he believes a drop in prices is on the horizon, as interest rates rise and housebuilding finally takes off.Host: Conor PopeProduced by Jennifer Ryan and Suzanne Brennan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last month, the United States announced it would sanction members of the Kinahan family and offer a $5 million reward for evidence leading to their prosecution. One month on, what impact have they had on the cartel's wealth and business? Crime editor Conor Lally reports. Hosted by Conor Pope. Produced by Suzanne Brennan and Jennifer Ryan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In October 2001, Apple chief executive Steve Jobs debuted the original iPod, the first MP3 player that could hold 1,000 songs and had a 10-hour battery life. This week the company announced it was discontinuing the iconic device, saying other gadgets have made the iPod redundant. Patrick Freyne talks to Conor Pope about how the iPod transformed the way we consume music and the impact it has had on the relationship between music, culture and identity. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hundreds of Ukrainian doctors are arriving into Ireland, eager to take up work in the health service. However, they are facing barriers when it comes to registering with the Irish Medical Council. Sorcha Pollak speaks to Dr Nicholas Stefanovic to find out why. We also hear from Victoria Sinelnik, a newly qualified Ukrainian doctor who arrived in Ireland last March and is hoping to start her medical career. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following her victory against Amanda Serrano at Madison Square Garden last week, Katie Taylor remains boxing’s golden girl and the undisputed lightweight world champion. Sorcha Pollak speaks to Irish Times sports writer Johnny Watterson, who was at the fight in New York, about Taylor's path to the top and whether an Irish rematch could be on the cards. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Cabinet has held off on approving the planned relocation of the National Maternity Hospital from Holles Street in Dublin 2 to a site on the St Vincent’s hospital campus in Dublin 4, to give the plan further consideration amid continuing concerns about the future ethos and governance of the maternity hospital.Irish Times political correspondent Jennifer Bray talks to Sorcha Pollak about why the project has been debated and delayed for nearly a decade.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Now in its 70th day Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine was supposed to dismantle the country. But across Ukraine, the invasion has only strengthened ties: between the citizens of Odesa, between east and west and between Russian and Ukrainian speakers. That's what reporter Dan McLaughlin has found on his return to the country. As the Russian military holiday of May 9th draw near, Russian losses are staggering and successes are few. Will Putin escalate? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Actor Johnny Depp this week concluded his testimony in the defamation case he has filed against his ex-wife Amber Heard, over an article she wrote for the Washington Post newspaper in 2018.Journalist Nick Wallis has been attending the trial each day since proceedings began on 11th April.He talks to Conor Pope about why Depp has taken this defamation case, what has been said in court so far and what's at stake for both parties.Produced by Jennifer Ryan and Suzanne BrennanFollow Nick Wallis's daily updates on his website and on Twitter.If you are affected by the issues raised in this report, helplines are available at:Women’s Aid – 1800 341 900Safe Ireland – 1800 341 900Men’s Aid – 01 554 3811 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week the UK government announced a scheme to send asylum seekers arriving on its shores to the central African nation of Rwanda, 10,000 kilometers away. The plan has plenty of opposition in the UK, but even if it never happens, it serves a political purpose,says London editor Denis Staunon. Plus: is Rwanda ready to be a safe haven for the UK's asylum seekers? On several trips there, Sally Hayden learned about how similar schemes operated by the EU and Israel operated. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Surging gun crime in the United States has put the issue of gun control back on the agenda. But why is it happening - and can anything be done? Washington correspondent Martin Wall reports. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Elon Musk says he wants to buy Twitter, but the board of the company doesn’t seem too hot on the idea. Musk has, nevertheless, filed papers to the Securities and Exchange Commission outlining a $46bn financing package to fund his takeover bid. If it succeeds, it will be just the latest in a long list of controversies surrounding the company.  Irish Times media columnist Laura Slattery talks to Conor Pope about the three eras of Twitter and what, if anything, might change with the world's richest man at the helm. Produced by Jennifer Ryan and Declan Conlon. www.irishtimes.com/podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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The Kinahan family's rise to the top of the Irish drug trade was helped by the low profile and overseas life of Christy Kinhan snr. But a violent feud brought growing attention, as did his son Daniel's ambition to be a player in the world of boxing. Then this week, the United States announced it would sanction the family and offer a $5 million reward for evidence leading to their prosecution. Will this unprecedented move bring down the Kinahans? Conor Lally reports. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

European countries are welcoming Ukrainian refugees with open arms. But migrants from other parts of the world get much different treatment, as reporter Sally Hayden reveals in her new book. 'My Fourth Time, we Drowned" tells the story of how EU policy has helped create an inhumane system that ends in imprisonment in Libyan detention centres for thousands of migrants. Sally talked to Sorcha Pollak about how she communicated with migrants trapped in Libya and the unseen consequences of Europe's determination to keep migration numbers down. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Moldova is a small country sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine. It was once part of the Soviet Union. It's not an EU member or a member of the Nato alliance. And it is home to a small breakaway region where Russian is spoken. For all those reasons, many Moldovans are worried that Moscow has its eye on them, and will see the invasion of Ukraine as the best opportunity it will ever get to bring Moldova too back under its control. Simon Carswell visited the capital Chisinau to learn how realistic an invasion is and whether Moldova, like Ukraine, could fight back. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After more than three decades in the limelight, action star Bruce Willis has retired from acting. Taking to social media, his family revealed the actor has recently been diagnosed with Aphasia, a cognitive disorder which affects a person's ability to communicate. Chief film correspondent Donald Clarke speaks to Sorcha Pollak about Willis’ path to fame, from his days on 80s comedy drama Moonlighting, to becoming one of the world’s biggest film stars. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alleged war crimes in Ukraine have shocked Europe and the world. But as war drags on, can the EU react strongly and maintain a united response to Russia's invasion?Meanwhile in Budapest the EU leader closest to Putin, prime minister Viktor Orban, has won reelection. But Hungary's isolation within the EU is growing.Naomi O'Leary is Europe correspondent. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Russian diplomats have been expelled from Ireland in the past, but the move to send four of them back to Moscow last week as a signal to the Kremlin of Ireland’s condemnation of the war in Ukraine, marks a low-point in relations between the two countries. The controversial Russian embassy on Dublin’s Orwell Road has come under a renewed spotlight since the war began, but it has been suspected of being a front for intelligence gathering since the Cold War. The Irish Times crime correspondent Conor Gallagher talks to Conor Pope about the origins of that suspicion and the likelihood that the Kremlin could run a spy network out of Ireland.Produced by Jennifer Ryan and Aideen Finneganwww.irishtimes.com/podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After more than two years advising the Government on the coronavirus pandemic, the National Public Health Emergency Team for Covid-19 (Nphet) finally disbanded in February of this year. But as Ireland grapples another wave of the Omicron variant, was it the right time to go? Irish Times political reporter and co-author of Pandemonium, an upcoming book on the Irish pandemic Jack Horgan Jones speaks to Conor Pope about the legacy of Nphet and what will eventually replace it.Produced by Jennifer Ryan and Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Multi-level marketing companies, or MLMs, have grown in popularity across the UK and Ireland in recent years, particularly during the pandemic when online companies wooed people with the promise of big money and work-from-home flexibility. They’re touted as one way tickets to financial success, but in reality many recruits end up working for free.Irish Times reporters Jessica Doyle and Adesewa Awobadejo speak to Sorcha Pollak about their investigation into MLMs in Ireland. One of the women they spoke to, Karina O'Dowd, describes the year she spent working for one of these companies.Produced by Jennifer Ryan and Suzanne Brennan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sunday April 3rd will be a big day for Ireland. It’s the day when every household in the country will complete the census, answering questions about who they are, what they do and what they believe in. So what insight does it give us into modern Ireland and how is the information used to plan for the future? Conor Pope speaks to Eileen Murphy, head of census administration at the Central Statistics Office and Kevin Cunningham, statistician and lecturer at TU Dublin. Produced by Aideen Finnegan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why has Mariupol, a major port city in the south east of Ukraine, become the focal point of Putin's war? In today's episode, Lara Marlowe describes the devastation faced by the people of Mariupol over the last four weeks, while Dr Christian Kaunert, Professor of International Security at Dublin City University, explains what Russia stands to gain by capturing the city. Hosted by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Suzanne Brennan and Jennifer Ryan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A second wave of Omicron is hitting the country like a tsunami and hospital case numbers are on the rise. The Government is reluctant to re-introduce restrictions or mandatory mask wearing, so what options remain? In today’s episode Dr Gerald Barry, Assistant Professor of Virology at UCD, speaks to Conor Pope about this fresh wave of Omicron and what ‘living with the virus’ will really mean for people in the weeks and months ahead. Produced by Jennifer Ryan and Suzanne Brennan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over half a million cold calls have been made to random phone numbers in Russia in recent days, as part of an international campaign to bypass Putin’s propaganda. The people making these calls want to inform Russians about the real atrocities of the war, in an attempt to spur them into action. In today’s episode, Conor Pope speaks to one of the developers behind the Call Russia campaign, Irish-based Ukrainian Anton Krazun. We also hear from Joanna Szostek, a lecturer in political communication in Glasgow University, who has been monitoring the output coming from state run media in Russia.You can find out more at CallRussia.org/engProduced by Suzanne Brennan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's three weeks since Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine, expecting to fight a short war that he would win. While that hasn’t happened, people in besieged cities like Mariupol are suffering terribly under intense daily bombardment by Russian forces. Daniel McLaughlin and Lara Marlowe are reporting for The Irish Times from the western city of Lviv, which has not seen any fighting so far. They speak to Sorcha Pollak about life on the ground in Ukraine, the people they’ve met since the war began and why it’s still not clear how this will end.Produced by Jennifer Ryanwww.irishtimes.com/podcasts  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Climate scientists are warning that the Amazon rainforest may be nearing a tipping point of “dieback”, the point where it dries out and turns to savannah. If it’s reached, it will have consequences across the planet.Sorcha Pollak talks to one of the scientists behind the research, Dr Chris Boulton of University of Exeter, about what they’ve learned. Irish Times South American correspondent, Tom Hennigan, reports on how Brazil’s policy failures are accelerating the destruction of the Amazon rainforest.Produced by Jennifer Ryan, Suzanne Brennan and Aideen Finnegan.www.irishtimes.com/podcasts  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Irish Times features writer Patrick Freyne delves into the confusing world of NFTs. What are they and why are they making people so rich? And how easy it to make one? He tells Conor Pope everything there is to know about the non-fungible token. Produced by Declan Conlon and Suzanne Brennan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has triggered the fasting-growing refugee crisis in Europe since the second world war. Already, more than one and half million people have crossed into neighbouring countries to escape the onslaught. In today's episode, Conor Pope speaks to political correspondent Harry McGee about the Irish government's plan to take in 100-thousand refugees. We also hear from two Ukrainian women Olena Melentova and Elaina Ralovets, who arrived here this week and from Tetyana Maryshko who is helping with the humanitarian effort and assisting those coming in to the country.Produced by Jennifer Ryan and Suzanne Brennan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since late 2021, the United States was warning that Vladimir Putin was about to invade Ukraine. Yet despite two decades of deteriorating relations with the Russian president, EU leaders refused to believe it would happen.Now, nearly a fortnight into Putin’s war with Ukraine, it’s far from clear as to how this ends.In this episode, The Irish Times assistant editor Ruadhán Mac Cormaic profiles the Russian leader, whom biographer Masha Gessen dubbed ‘the man without a face’, from middle-ranking KGB officer, to Boris Yeltsin’s successor, to today’s isolated autocrat in Moscow. Presenter: Sorcha PollakProduced by Jennifer Ryan and Suzanne Brennanwww.irishtimes.com/podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Labour’s outgoing leader Alan Kelly surprised many when he announced his resignation on Wednesday after less than two years in the role, saying the parliamentary party had lost collective confidence in his leadership.The Irish Times political reporter Jack Horgan-Jones talks to producer Jennifer Ryan about what happened behind the scenes to bring about the Tipperary TD’s toppling.Producer: Declan Conlon  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lara Marlowe travels from Paris to the Ukrainian border with a group of men returning to fight against the Russian invasion.Dan McLaughlin reports on hope and fear, kindness and determination in Kyiv, as the fate of the city hangs in the balance.And Naomi O'Leary observes a historic day in the EU parliament, where solidarity with Ukraine took precedence over old concerns about Europe's role in conflict. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today the requirement to wear masks in shops and on public transport is gone. In terms of rules and restrictions at least, things are "back to normal". But many things are different than they were in March 2020, from behaviour and lifestyle to crime, the economy and politics. Sorcha Pollak talks to Jennifer O'Connell and Simon Carswell about how things have changed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Earlier today, we spoke to our reporter in Ukraine Dan McLaughlin about what he is witnessing on the ground in Ukraine as Russia invades, the resilience of the Ukrainian people, its president and its neighbours, and how although this moment was predicted, it still comes as a horrific shock. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Monday was an extraordinary day of tension and drama as, in a series of televised events, Russian president Vladimir Putin made clear his decision to recognise the independence of two regions of Ukraine that broke away from the Kyiv government in 2014. Putin's dark reasoning for the move, explained in a lengthy address, raises the very real prospect of further action against Ukraine. Dan McLaughlin reports. Western allies announced a number of moves in retaliation against Russia, the most significant being the suspension of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project by Germany. Naomi O'Leary explains the implications. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last month, a shocking HSE report into South Kerry’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (Camhs), shed light on how some of our youngest mental health patients have been treated here in Ireland. In this episode, Irish Times Political correspondent Jennifer Bray takes us through the details of the report, while Dr Ian Kelleher, a Consultant Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist tells Sorcha Pollak how the severe lack of resources is impacting mental health services.Produced by Suzanne Brennan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New figures reveal there has been a 14.4% year-on-year rise in the cost of buying a home in Ireland, bringing the price of a house almost back to its Celtic Tiger era peak.Eoin Burke-Kennedy on why there is little hope for optimism that housing will become more affordable as things stand. Karl Deeter on the risk of another Celtic Tiger phenomenon returning: the property crash. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For nearly three years, Dublin businessman Richard O’Halloran was effectively trapped in China, after travelling there in February 2019 to handle a dispute between his employer and the Chinese authorities. Last month, after previous unsuccessful attempts to leave the country, he flew home to his wife Tara and their four children. Irish Times Public Affairs editor Simon Carswell visited the couple in their home last weekend. He tells Jennifer Ryan what the O'Hallorans had to say about their three-year fight for freedom.Producer: Declan Conlonwww.irishtimes.com/podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Loneliness is an emotion that most of us will experience at some stage in our lives. While it is often associated with the elderly or isolated, loneliness can still be felt in a relationship or group and can have profound effects on physical and mental health. Professor Roger O’Sullivan of the Institute of Public Health tells Sorcha Pollak why loneliness should be a top political priority and what measures must be put in place to address it. We also hear from Assistant News Editor of the Belfast Telegraph, Eimear McGovern, who shares her experiences of loneliness following a move away from family and friends.Produced by Suzanne Brennan and Jennifer Ryan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mississippi is the centre of a legal battle over abortion in America that could soon see the right to terminate a pregnancy removed or curtailed in dozens of states, affecting millions of women. The southern state is also home to an abortion clinic that attracts protesters and activists on both sides of the bitter debate. Washington correspondent Martin Wall went there. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Winter energy bills are now costing hundreds of euro more than last year and prices are climbing up and down supermarket aisles. In this episode, consumer affairs correspondent Conor Pope tells Sorcha Pollak what is behind the rising cost of living and how long should we expect prices to soar. We also hear from single mother of two, Cheryl Barry, who shares her experience of living on the one-parent family payment, while trying to provide for her family. Produced by Suzanne Brennan, Jennifer Ryan and Declan Conlon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar is set to become Taoiseach again in December.  But a Garda investigation into the leaking by Varadkar of a document to a friend in April 2019 is a fly in the ointment.Political reporter Jack Horgan Jones talks to In the News about the background to the story and what it might mean for Irish politics in the year ahead. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI has been named by Munich investigators as a potential accessory to child abuse in a file made available to state prosecutors. It's after a law firm commissioned by the archdiocese of Munich and Freising to study its archives presented a report flagging 497 cases of clerical sexual abuse and 67 alleged perpetrators. The investigators highlighted four cases of abusing priests during the 94-year-old’s term as archbishop of Munich from 1977 to 1982.Derek Scally, The Irish Times Berlin correspondent, and author of The Best Catholics in the World: The Irish, the Church and the End of a Special Relationship, reports on the story.Presenter: Sorcha PollakProducer: Jennifer Ryanwww.irishtimes.com/podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Arts and Culture editor Hugh Linehan speaks to Conor Pope about Neil Young’s decision to leave Spotify and how the streaming service now plan to tackle misinformation on their platform.Produced by Suzanne Brennan and Declan Conlon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More than two dozen “lunatic asylums” were built throughout Ireland in the 1800s. Today some are hospitals, while others are derelict. Through interviews and archive research, Rosita Boland pieces together what life was like inside the walls of these state-run institutions. She discovers that for many of the thousands of Irish citizens who passed through them, mental illness was not the only reason, or even a reason at all. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What can we do for ourselves to ensure that we live long, fulfilling, happy and fit lives? In this episode, Conor Pope speaks to Professor of Medical Gerontology at Trinity College, Rose Anne Kenny about the surprising and novel ways in which we can keep ourselves feeling younger.Age Proof: The New Science of Living a Longer and Healthier Life by Prof Rose Anne Kenny is published by Lagom.Produced by Suzanne Brennan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A buildup of Russian troops along its border has the people of Ukraine on heightened alert, and the world wondering: what exactly does Vladimir Putin want to achieve and how far is he willing to go? Dan McLaughlin reports from Kramatorsk in the east of the country. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week, the parents of five children in Munster were jailed for a combined 24 years after being found guilty of abusing, exploiting and wilfully neglecting their five children between 2014 and 2016. The children’s father and mother, two of their uncles and an aunt were found guilty of all but one of the 78 charges against them. Today we hear the story of the Munster child abuse case from the reporter who covered it, and ask: what does the future hold for these children who were abused and neglected for so long?Guests: Court reporter Isabel Hayes and social worker Tara KeoghProduced by Suzanne Brennan and Declan Conlon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Plunkett, a heavy metal-loving filmmaker and producer. In this episode, Sorcha Pollak travels out to Dunsany to discover how rewilding has changed the landscape and contributes to the fight against climate change. However, not everyone is happy with Randal’s unconventional approach to the land and new national transport plans could threaten everything he’s created so far. See more about Dunsany Nature Reserve here. https://www.instagram.com/dunsanynaturereserve/?hl=en Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 affairs editor Simon Carswell and Professor of Immunology at DCU, Christine Loscher, about passing the peak of the Omicron wave and why leaders remain “cautiously hopeful”.Presenter: Conor PopeProducers: Suzanne Brennan and Jennifer Ryanwww.irishtimes.com/podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 primary school teacher was attacked and killed.Her death led to an outpouring of grief and anger across the nation with calls for men to stand up and call out the abuse and harassment of women.Irish Times journalists Jennifer O’Connell and Malachy Clerkin talk about why it’s time for a change of mindset to help end male violence against women.Presenter: Sorcha PollakProduced by Jennifer Ryan and Suzanne Brennanwww.irishtimes.com/podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.