Tis the season to huddle around family, friends and community, but what of those who are exiled far from home? Many Irish people spend Christmas overseas, some by choice, others through necessity, but one group do so in the interests of keeping peace. Ireland’s defence forces personnel are based in various hotspots, but particularly the Middle East…

From an early age Ciaran Prior was exposed to the spectre of premature death but once he joined An Garda Siochana it became part of his job. Mid career Ciaran became a member of the first regional crime scene investigation units and in that capacity he became a frequent sight at scenes of serious crimes including murder. His book Traces Of Truth is…

The election is over, the votes counted, seats filled. So what now? The people have spoken but what have they said? How long will it take to put a government together? Joining the podcast to look briefly over the election and into the future is Gary Murphy, the head of DCU’s Department of government and politics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priv…

It’s the second day of the general election count, the period in which the whole picture clears up to present the reality of the next Dail. Irish Examiner Political Editor Elaine Loughlin joins Mick to sketch out the national picture and who are the big winners and losers. She will also talk about the rise over the two days of the count of the cand…

Irish Examiner Political Editor Elaine Loughlin and Special Correspondent Mick Clifford give their analysis of the key stories emerging from the GE24 Election Count as the day continues to throw up some surprises across the country. Keep up with all that’s happening in count centres across the country in our General Election hub Hosted on Acast. Se…

With just a few days to polling day we take a final look at the campaign with Irish Examiner political correspondent, Paul Hosford. Who to look out for? Who is up and who is down? What shape will the next coalition take? Are we there yet? Tune in and kick back Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

Hosted by Irish Examiner columnist Mick Clifford, the Election Watch podcast brings UCC experts and students together to examine topics that matter to students ahead of the 2024 General Election. This is the third part of the special podcast series coming directly from the UCC campus as we hear from a generation who could shape the result of this G…

With just a week left before polling day, we take a look at where everybody and everything stands in the general election campaign. Has any issue really emerged to shape the narrative? Who is having a good election? Who is not? And which entities are most likely to form the next government. Irish Examiner Political Editor Elaine Loughlin joins the …

As polling day gets closer, the Irish Examiner and University College Cork have teamed up to present the Election Watch podcast. Have young people lost faith in Ireland’s politics? Is housing the number one issue this election? Will climate conversations really come up on the doorstep? Hosted by Irish Examiner columnist Mick Clifford, this podcast …

Showtime was what political guru PJ Mara once described as the start of a general election campaign but how is this one going? We have had skirmishes, Michael O’Leary, housing and cost of living. Where do we go from here and what impact could AI have on this election. UCC political scientist Theresa Reidy joins the podcast to discuss. Hosted on Aca…

As polling day gets closer, the Irish Examiner and University College Cork have teamed up to present the Election Watch podcast. Have young people lost faith in Ireland’s politics? Is housing the number one issue this election? Will climate conversations really come up on the doorstep? Hosted by Irish Examiner columnist Mick Clifford, this podcast …

The posters have been printed, the canvassing routes worked out. The Taoiseach has made the call, the Dail has risen. Here comes general election 20204 with a handful of questions. How is everybody fixed? Who is going to win, who is going to lose and who will surprise us all. Irish Examiner political editor Elaine Loughlin joins the podcast to take…

Donald Trump won the US presidential election in what many are describing as the greatest comeback in US political history. But how did he, a convicted felon, a man deemed by a civil court as sex abuser, a politician who induced multitudes to falsely believe that the electoral system in the USA was rigged. And what will a Trump presidency bring to …

The Mick Clifford Podcast: US election on a knife edge - but who will win? Having gauged the temperature on both sides heading into next week's US presidential election, Mick Clifford tells Sean Murray about his experience at rallies for both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, rates both their chances and describes where this most pivotal of ballots c…

This week’s podcast comes from Pennsylvania, where Mick has gone to take the temperature and see what makes MAGA tick. We have contributions from some of those who attended a major Trump rally last Saturday in the crucial state and we also have an interview with Ray Wrabley, Professor and Vice President of Academic Affairs at the University of Pitt…

Catherine Cleary had spent her working life in journalism when in 2020 she gave it all up to grow trees. With a friend she set up a company called pocket forests, a social enterprise which caters for planting native trees and shrubs in small urban areas. She and her family also began looking for land in the west of Ireland where it might be possibl…

In this week’s podcast focusing on the US election we look at whether having other candidates or issues on the ballot paper can impact on the vote for those running for president. Senate and House of Representative seats are up for grabs in this election and the party that emerges with the majority in each house will be in the driving seat for the …

Irish peacekeeping troops in south Lebanon are coming under pressure from Israeli defence forces as Israel moves into its neighbouring country, ostensibly to protect itself but actually killing indiscriminately as it goes. But what are the Irish soldiers doing there, what connection do they have to the local area and people and should they remain i…

The phenomenon of Donald Trump is often associated with the rust belt states and among those who have been economically left behind in the USA. Not so, according to the experience of the Irish Examiner’s Michael Moynihan who recently went in search of MAGA (Make America Great Again) on the east coast of the USA and found them in the unlikeliest of …

A recent report that the Russian agents have recruited a source in the Oireachtas has led to concerns about the state’s security apparatus and the interest of foreign actors. Are we a target for spies? Are we capable of repelling any such threats. This week’s guest Cathal Berry is an Independent TD and formerly a long standing member of the defence…

The first our US presidential election podcasts hears from Bob Schmuhl. Bob, a professor emeritus of American Studies at the University of Notre Dame is a keen student of the history of American presidents and he has never seen anything like this campaign. He believes that the election will be the most consequential in US history whomever wins. Hos…

The budget was delivered this week and the general consensus was that it was a precursor to a general election, possibly to be announced in the weeks to come. So who are the winners on paper and who might be the real winner. Irish Examiner Political Correspondent Elaine Loughlin provides a global view of the big event and the fall-out. Hosted on Ac…

When he isn’t lecturing on history in UCD or presenting the Irish Examiner football podcast, Professor Paul Rouse mulls over how our world has become so susceptible to lies, spin and misinformation. He has now developed a module called Manufacturing Truth that looks at how there have always been attempts to sell lies in pursuit of political or fina…

As the campaign rhetoric ramps up and the polls continue to fluctuate, another would be assassin has been arrested in the USA. Senior CNN correspondent Donie O’Sullivan talks to us about the current temperature in the USA, while it is lazy to label all Trump supporters as bigots and why violence is an increasing feature of this election. And he als…

With the Dail returning next week and the budget on the horizon the expectation is that all politicians will have their eyes firmly focused on a November election. But will it come to pass? And what else can we expect from the coming political season in the wake of bicycle shed-gate (sorry), the Apple billions and Sinn Fein’s recently publishing ho…