The week that really was

John and Sarah discuss whether there's merit in chemical castration for paedophiles; What to make of Bambie Thug and Eurovision; Javier Millei's astonishing success in Argentina; and general European and Local election chat.

John and Sarah review the week, including Ireland's renewed - if conveniently timed - war with Britain on immigration; reflections on the battle of Newtownmountkennedy; whether the polls are to be believed; and is the cost of living being ignored?

Sarah Ryan explains to John McGuirk why she has decided to manage Niall Boylan's EU election campaign. Also, they talk about events at the Oireachtas committee on immigration, Helen McEntee's bad week, and are smartphones the new "microchipping"?

Bestselling author, Journalist, and now campaigner Helen Joyce joins John and Sarah to explain the contents of the Cass Review into the treatment of "transgender" children, and the wider implications of transgender ideology on western society.

John and Sarah discuss Simon Harris's cowardly reshuffle, the desired return of Kate O'Connell to frontline politics, the Cass Review, and the state of abortion politics, stateside.

John and Sarah talk JK Rowling's defiance of the Scottish Government, The Government's incestuous relationships with journovisors, the costs of a United Ireland, Sinn Fein's loss of "middle finger status", and checking in on Trump v Biden.

John and Sarah discuss how the week-long debate on the Hate Speech Bill underlines the identity crisis facing Ireland's politicians; The possibly permanent loss of Sinn Fein's mojo; and why Assisted Suicide absolutely is a slippery slope, and one that cannot be escaped.

The fall of the House of Varadkar is set to leave the country in the hands of Simon Harris, at 37, the youngest Taoiseach Ireland has ever had. John and Sarah talk through Varadkar's legacy, and are divided on the prospects for Harris as leader.

John and Sarah discuss the tent city on Mount Street and the collapse of Irish immigration policy, as well as the Taoiseach's comments on Saint Patrick, Dylan Mulvaney's hot new music video, and the sudden decline of the Late Late Show.

In a special reaction episode, John and Sarah analyse the Government's crushing defeat in the referendums on the 39th and 40th amendments. Their takeaway? "A lot of people who felt very alone now know that they're not the ones in the minority at all".

John and Sarah discuss the Government's new sex education reforms, including the new gingerbread person. Also: Final referendum predictions, Sinn Fein's continuing woes, and the Government, if it will do nothing else for us, will at least kill us off before the end.

John and Sarah talk about an epidemic of double standards in Ireland: The lack of any concern about the attack on Carol Nolan's office, as opposed to the horror at the NWCI receiving mean tweets. Also: FF's selection mess, crazy cat killing women, and the perils of canvassing.

John and Sarah recap an eventful week, from the Taoiseach's flight and fight attitude to Gript, the continuing chaos of the referendum campaigns, a sausage festival in Belfast, and the competing scandals in a Limerick hospital.

In this week's edition, John and Sarah discuss being male, pale, and stale, per an FG MEP, as well as the mounting Children's hospital disaster, Simon Harris's latest bright idea, and Michael McDowell's palpable fury over Government misinformation in the referendum campaign.

John and Sarah discuss the funding of the National Women’s Council of Ireland, which Sarah insists doesn’t represent her. Also: The Sinn Fein polling slump is real, Euthanasia breaks new frontiers in Holland, and Joe Biden is now talking to the dead.

John and Sarah review some of the sentences from the Irish courts in January, and conclude that it’s a good time to be a criminal in Ireland. Also: Is politics putting women off dating, and are Sinn Fein in serious decline?

A dumb new RTÉ funding plan, a stupid controversy over the Oscars, confusion from the electoral commission, and a covid enquiry that won’t blame anybody: The week was a carnival of nonsense, says Sarah Ryan, and John finds it hard to disagree.

John and Sarah discuss Javier Millei and the World Economic Forum, and how Argentina’s President is confounding expectations. Also, Roderic O’Gorman and Throuples, Roscrea’s community hotel, and Jordan Petersen’s re-education.

John and Sarah discuss the latest developments in Ireland’s widening immigration debate, including the vexxed question of whether it’s justified to be worried about “unvetted migrant men”. Also: a heated debate about whether historic sex crime trials can ever be fair.

John and Sarah discuss how Ozempic has made new years resolutions moot for both of them, and also, share their predictions for the year ahead, featuring plenty of misery for the Irish Government.

“The hate speech bill was when the tide began to turn” – Sarah and John look back on a year that may be remembered, in decades to come, as one of the most politically eventful in Irish history.

With surrogacy on the political agenda this week, John and Sarah have a frank discussion about the issues involved, and why they both have deep concerns about surrogacy for money. But first: Aodhan O’Riordain’s flip-flops, and a very predictable last minute COP deal.

John and Sarah discuss Helen McEntee’s very broad definition of “far right”, why they’re both voting NO twice on March 8th, and why men are so useless at domestic chores. Also: Paschal Donohoe’s future, and the increase in domestic violence.

John and Sarah discuss the week that really was, including the background to Gript’s deleted story, and the wider ongoing coverage and cultural concerns around events in Dublin over the past week.

“They cannot figure out that it is not the “far right” fuelling anti-immigration sentiment in Ireland, it is anti-immigration sentiment fuelling the “far right”. John and Sarah discuss yesterday’s events, and the week that led up to them.

John and Sarah discuss RTE’s doom documentary from the future, the broadcaster’s big bailout, Tubridy’s new gig, and why Sarah thinks the new Independent Ireland party is going places.

JUSTICE SERVED: John and Sarah react to the Ashling Murphy murder trial verdict, and discuss other legal matters of the week: Was Maria Bailey vindicated? Is Chris Andrews TD right to sue a journalist? And is Russia trying to rig Irish elections?

Businesses suffering, marriages failed, faith in vaccines undermined: John and Sarah discuss the ongoing hangover from lockdown, the reasons nobody will accept any blame, and the lack of an enquiry. Also, how kids should play.

On Immigration, it turns out that the far right was… the far correct? John and Sarah are joined this week by Laura Perrins of @theconwom to discuss that, as well as conflicting UK/Irish narratives on Gaza, and whether Mary McAleese would make a good priest.1:06 Intro 1:37 Laura Perrins : There has been a change in tone of coverage following Gaza attack. 5:30 - Context is crucial9:10 - Irish Journalists 9:33 - There are eyebrows being raised in the US at the Irish position on Israel.19:07 - It has long been a far right talking point that Ireland is full. 27:53 - Economic migration is the most devastating kind for the climate.32:00 - Far Right 34:35 - People use terms like Nazi to shut down debate on issues like immigration.37:28 - Laura Perrins disagrees with Mary McAleese that women should have priests.

This week’s podcast covers Paddy Cosgrave’s sudden fall from grace, the disturbing revelations in Britney Spears’ new book, and asks: What’s become of us that we want to teach Irish children that they’re privileged for being white, or male, or Irish?0:02:06 - Israeli State Visit and Misconceptions 0:08:20 - Paddy Cosgrave0:11:13 - Social Media's Impact on Reputation0:14:36 - Irish Media's Influence on Pro-Palestine 0:19:00 - Britney Spears 0:25:57 - Trauma 0:33:38 - Norma Foley0:35:00 - White privilege0:35:50 - Minister of Education's Lack of Accountability 0:44:43 - Perpetuating Victimhood and Mental Health Disparity 0:48:30 - Talent problem 0:51:00 - Voting Culture 0:53:25 - Demands and Discouragement in Politics

The budget and the war: Two topics dominate this week’s podcast, after a very depressing week. Do Irish politicians lack imagination? And is there any prospect at all of peace in the Middle East? John and Sarah discuss:

John and Sarah are joined from the Seanad by Senator Ronan Mullen, in an episode that covers Colette Colfer’s stand against her university’s new gender policy, an update on the hate speech bill, and a question about whether the Seanad is a more hostile place than it used to be.00:00 - Intro 00:58 - Senator Ronan Mullen01:35 - Colette Colfer06:45 - Hate Speech 08:00 - Gender Equality 09:24 - Roderic O’Gorman 10:40 - Workplace Relations Commission 14:49 - Gender Identity, Pronouns, and Mandating Speech21:06 - Gender Dysphoria 22:35 - Helen Joyce23:45 - Children's Exposure Concerns31:10 - Hate Speech Bill41:26 - Media Bias and Censorship in Ireland55:08 - Political Environment and Consequences of Hate Speech Legislation01:00:20 - End

Does the case of the “racist gymnast coach” resemble the Carlow Teachers scandal? John and Sarah discuss that, the Laurence Fox scandal, and the latest opinion poll in this week’s episode.

John and Sarah talk through the protest at Kildare Street, it’s likely consequences, media double standards, and what we should think about Russell Brand.

Paul Murphy’s doxxing disgrace, RTE’s 80k photographer, Micheal Martin’s infection warning, and dumb new speed limits: It was a week to raise the hackles of the most placid person. John and Sarah are no exceptions:Available on Spotify & iTunesSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7kOPNDrvsxqXv8uicOotvPiTuneshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-week-that-really-was/id1653091194?uo=4

John and Sarah discuss a packed week in Stradbally which started with Up the Ra chants at the Electric Picnic and ends with Ukrainians about to move into the site on an emergency basis. Also: Speed limits, American Mommy bloggers going to jail, and why Sarah’s a tough parent herself.#gript

Having survived an earthquake in Greece, and listened to three hours of Andrew Tate on her holidays, Sarah returns to an Ireland transformed by new constituency boundaries, and the dramatic fall from grace of singer Roisin Murphy.

John is joined by Irish writer Conor Fitzgerald (@fitzfromdublin) to discuss the question of whether Ireland, and western society at large, is increasingly divided politically along gender lines, and why cultural institutions sometimes seem to hate their own audiences.

According to the government democracy is where the government pays billions of dollars to one side and jails the other.

In the sorry absence of Sarah Ryan, John is joined by NIAMH UI BHRIAN to discuss Gerard Craughwell’s one-man crusade against Gender Self-ID, Helen McEntee as the victim of misogyny, and the prospects for the new Farmer’s Alliance.

In this week’s episode, Sarah tells John all about the Lizzo banana scandal, which leads to a chat about the unfashionability of normal boring old sex, and a question: Has the fall of traditional religion and the rise of a new religiosity led to a fall in contentment?

John and Sarah talk about the issues of the week, ranging from gold heists to climate worries, crime, and Sinead O’Connor. But also, as the Government introduces free IVF for some couples, the growing challenge of infertility:

In this week’s episode, the story of a missing American woman leads John and Sarah into a chat about gender quotas, victimhood, the state of Dublin, the Children’s Hospital and how the media can’t stop terrifying the population with scary stories of crisis.

John and Sarah are joined by William Campbell of the @hereshowpodcast to tell them – as respectfully as possible – why they’re wrong about most things, and why Ireland is in fact one of the most successful countries in the world.

“Justin Trudeau with fancier socks” – That’s Keith Redmond’s verdict on Leo Varadkar as he joins John and Sarah to talk hate speech, Helen McEntee’s illiberalism, RTE’s implosion, and the public finances careening out of control:

RTÉ dominates this week’s podcast, as John and Sarah wonder whether the state broadcaster has even a shred of credibility left; Also: Is Dublin a crime-ridden dump, and who is to blame?

Is the tide of public opinion turning on the transgender agenda? John and Sarah are joined by women’s rights campaigner Laoise DeBrun to discuss the Hate Speech Bill, Ryan Tubridy, Lost Submarines, and Laoise’s drafting of a new bill to keep men out of women’s prisons.

“it’s almost like a tea party”: Gript’s own Ben Scallan joins John to talk about his journey from political candidate to Government press conferences, the pitfalls of Ireland’s political system, and how impending fatherhood changes a man.

“It’s like being governed by a divorced mum and dad” – John and Sarah discuss the growing sense that Ireland just doesn’t have a leader, and also reflect on the terror in France, and the Labour Party’s call for a “NPHET style” approach to immigration.

“Very few are willing to speak openly and honestly” - John and Sarah are joined by columnist Cormac Lucey to discuss the state of the nation, including Ministerial competence, abortion, tax cuts, and the hate speech bill: