The 25th anniversary almost passed by without mention last summer, but the impact of Michelle Smith's medal haul at the Atlanta Olympics can still be felt to this day. Featuring Paul Kimmage, Vincent Hogan, Paul Howard, Eamon Dunphy and silver medallists Allison Wagner and Marianne Limpert. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
After the showbiz fiasco of 2014 where five Garth Brooks concerts planned for Croke Park had to be cancelled after planning issues and local outrage, he’s now planning a big return in 2022. Is this the last chance saloon for the country music icon to finally perform as he wanted for his 400,000 Irish fans? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Amazon's new mega warehouse in Ireland will spell the start for faster, cheaper online shopping. But at what price? Irish Independent Technology Editor Adrian Weckler explains the future of Amazon in Ireland. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A semblance of normality was supposed to return to politics post-pandemic. However, with the Dáil resuming next week, the Government is engulfed with numerous problems. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Michael Burke lost his close friend Kieran Gorman in the attack. He made his way to ground zero and became part of the volunteer rescue team charged with finding survivors and clearing the mountains of tangled wreckage. It wasn’t just lives lost that day. US politics and foreign policy also changed for a generation with the start of the War on Terror. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mica - a shiny silicate mineral with a layered structure... but it can be devastating when contained in the building blocks used to construct houses. Families in up to six counties are now watching the walls of their homes crack and are being forced to demolish their houses, as a result of the mineral mica. In this In Focus podcast, host Denise Calnan speaks to Sunday Independent journalist Rodney Edwards who has been following the crisis. He explains the mica controversy and tells us about meet...
Ministers are set to push ahead with the phased return to offices from next month. But what sort of Dublin City will many office workers be returning to? Dublin Independent councillor Mannix Flynn says the fear on the street is palpable. “Many people are fearful of assaults, and what they’re going to be faced with when they see people coming down the street and how it may entangle very fast. Within many parts of the city there is a myriad of assaults” With street violence, anti-social behaviour ...
The Irish Army Ranger Wing has arrived in Kabul to assist the evacuations of Irish citizens from an embattled Afghanistan. But who are the Irish Army Rangers and what sets them apart from other Irish military units? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Government will publish a new roadmap for the lifting of Covid restrictions at the end of the month but already it has been branded too little, too late by many in the events industry. Justin Green, spokesperson for Event Industry Alliance believes the sector has been discriminated against at a time when 40,000 GAA fans were allowed inside Croke Park. “Enough is enough, and it’s now time for Micheál Martin to consider his position. On one side he says he can’t allow a sector to fully reopen ...
The Taliban’s sudden return to power in Afghanistan has caused shock, fear and desperation. But what next for Afghanistan? And what does it tell us about Western intervention in the region? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
From Dublin’s north inner city, Gerard 'The Monk' Hutch is the once untouchable crime boss who became a fugitive on the run. Irish Independent journalist and author of The Monk, Paul Willams tells the story of a career criminal now fighting extradition from Spain "tooth and nail". See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Kellie Harrington. The pride of Portland Row. World Champion. Olympic Champion. People’s champion. Commercial sponsors will now be knocking at her door and she needs to decide whether to go to Paris or go pro. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On October 26, 2020, two sons and a father lost their lives in what became known as the 'Kanturk tragedy'. Mark O'Sullivan (26) was shot dead by his father and brother, who then took their own lives. Six months later, their bereaved mother and wife Anne O'Sullivan lost her life to terminal cancer. In this podcast, host Denise Calnan talks to Irish Independent Southern Correspondent Ralph Riegel about the Kanturk tragedy, the story of how a family was wiped out after an inheritance row, and a mot...
Last week the Government confirmed that the Covid-19 vaccination programme will be extended to all those aged 12 to 15. But even the experts can’t agree on the issue with some urging caution and others who believe primary school children should be vaccinated . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The charity sector has been rocked by a series of financial scandals, resulting in investigations, court cases and questions over transparency. Moreover, public trust has been severely damaged. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The summer’s biggest horse-racing festival, the Galway Races, starts next week. But it comes at a time when the horse racing industry is dogged by controversy, scandals and crises. From bans on trainers, to doping allegations to revelations of animal abuse, the sport of kings is under the spotlight. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The brutal murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier has captured the public imagination with two documentaries on the crime. Host Fionnán Sheahan talks to Irish Independent journalist Senan Molony who met the main suspect Ian Bailey at the scene of the crime 25 years ago. “Sophie Toscan du Plantier’s death remains a stain on the national consciousness, the savage who slew her having remained free for a quarter-century (unless dead himself). Ireland’s criminal justice embarrassment currently has the a...
Indoor dining and drinking will be back next week - provided you have a vaccine passport. How will the system work and who will police it? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Football is going to Rome after Italy beat England to win Euro 2020 - and there are plenty of Irish football fans having a good laugh at our near neighbour's expense. Is it about rivalry or racism? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The British Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed that the so-called “Freedom Day” is on track to go ahead on July 19. Meanwhile, the Irish Government are concerned about the Delta variant and have postponed further lifting of restrictions. Which country has picked the right path out of lockdown? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The reopening of hospitality has been delayed again - and it's now balancing on the controversial introduction of a vaccine pass system. What exactly is a vaccine pass and how would it work in Ireland? A vaccine pass could grant those who are vaccinated or immune access to indoor restaurants and amenities - but it has been steeped in controversy with allegations of discrimination and inequality and the question of who exactly would police the pass. In this podcast, host Denise Calnan speaks to I...
Dublin Bay South one of the wealthiest constituencies in the country will go to the polls later this month to find a replacement for Fine Gael TD Eoghan Murphy. History suggests the constituency is an FG stronghold. But their candidate James Geoghghan has Labour's Ivana Bacik and Sinn Féin's parachute candidate Lynn Boylan clipping at their heels. Host Kevin Doyle is joined by Political Correspondent John Downing to assess the field and the likely outcomes from the constituencies. See omnystudio...
The Delta variant is taking hold. The UK has pushed back their reopening. And our own reopening is being impacted by Delta, with question marks over the lifting of restrictions and the speed of the vaccine rollout. Is it time to reboot our strategy for dealing with Covid? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Irish wife of an internationally acclaimed mechanical engineer being "held hostage" in an Iraq prison said his 12-day solitary confinement was "like any of the American movies that you see with torture.. just appalling". Father-of-three Robert Pether is currently in a 14-foot cell with 22 other inmates in a prison in Iraq. He was held in solitary confinement for the first 12 days of his imprisonment. The Australian citizen, who lives in Roscommon with wife and three children, was allegedly l...
It has been 25 years since Veronica Guerin was shot dead on the Naas Road as a result of her exposes in the Sunday Independent. Only one person is behind bars for the murder and it isn’t the man who ordered the hit. Paul Williams recounts how most of the men who set out to kill his friend have avoided justice. And Liam Collins recalls working alongside the journalist whose impact on Irish society has arguably been greater than any other. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Michaela McAreavey was murdered in her hotel room on her honeymoon in Mauritius on January 10, 2011. In 2012, two hotel workers were unanimously acquitted of her murder after an 8-week trial. Michaela’s family is still searching for justice. So what went happened in the trial? And what went wrong with the police investigation? Why have the Mauritian government now agreed to look at the case again? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
The vaccine rollout powering on and falling Covid-19 cases means a return to the office is on the horizon for workers. Taoiseach Micheál Martin is tentatively talking about a return at the end of the summer. Tánaiste Leo Varadkar acknowledges that convincing employees to return to the workplace will not be an easy task. But with footfall in city centres down by more than 70pc, businesses are lobbying the Government to ensure office workers return soon. On InFocus, the current affairs podcast fro...
They said it could never happen. They promised it would never happen. But with the country shutdown by Covid, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael formed a grand coalition and ended a century of tribal politics. Election 2020 also saw the Green Party move back centre stage as they put their 2011 wipe-out behind them as joined the traditional ‘big two’ in Government Buildings. But it has been a year like no other. Multiple resignations, people ordered to stay at home for months, a Tánaiste under garda inves...
The story of Princess Latifa who has been missing since 2018 when she attempted to flee Dubai but was forcibly returned by her father, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Host Kevin Doyle examines what happened to the Princess and how former Irish president Mary Robinson became embroiled in the controversy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
One of the casualties of the pandemic was Romantic Ireland. Single people were left in isolation when dating was replaced by distancing. But as lockdown lifts host Fionnán Sheahan examines the legacy Covid has left on dating and relationships See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
