The Explainer

Luke Saunders, co-founder and CEO of Studyclix, joins us on this week's episode to give the lie of the land for anyone whose own memory of sitting the Leaving Cert might be fading. We look at the lasting impact of the Covid pandemic on the exams, explain the current points system, dig into recent and future reforms, and also share advice for students and parents alike.The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robbyn Swan, author of Looking for Madeleine and who featured in the Netflix series The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann, joins us to examine the recent developments in this long-running missing person case. This month, in what looked to be a significant development, police announced that a reservoir and the surrounding area in Portugal would be searched as part of their new investigations. But what led to this? Are police making progress? Who is the suspect who has been linked to the case?The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Another chapter in the story of Ireland's longest-running television programme is coming to a close, as Ryan Tubridy wraps up before handing over the presenter's chair to Patrick Kielty. Mark O'Brien, head of DCU's School of Communications and associate professor in journalism history, and Kirsty Blake Knox, writer with the Irish Independent, delve into The Late Late Show's history, examine its enduring popularity, and ask what its new presenter must do to keep it going strong.The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We are now a month into a conflict that has turned Sudan's capital into a war zone. Hundreds have been killed, thousands injured and an estimated 700,000 have been displaced. On this week's episode, we sit down with Dr Sulafa Salama, a Sudanese doctor working in St James's in Dublin, who was trapped in Khartoum when the fighting broke out. We're also joined by Dr Aia Mohamed, assistant professor at Trinity College Dublin, who speaks to us about how her father was visiting Sudan when the fighting broke out.The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We've all noticed that we're spending more and more on our weekly shop - but in recent weeks, we've seen price cuts to staples like milk, butter, and bread. But why now? What changed? We're joined by Caitríona Morrissey, news editor with the Irish Farmers Journal. She gives us the background to these recent price drops and explains how cuts to 'loss leaders' might have little impact on your overall shopping basket.The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Summer is approaching, which means rising temperatures and an increased chance of wildfires. On this week's episode, Pádraic Fogarty of the Irish Wildlife Trust tells us about the damage caused by wildfires - many set deliberately - in Ireland, while Marcin Pater from the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO) of the European Commission explains how countries are pooling resources to battle the growing threat posed by these huge blazes.The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, in an episode of The Explainer brought to you by Noteworthy, journalist and Examiner columnist Mick Clifford joins the podcast. He and our reporter Alice Chambers tell Susan Daly about Noteworthy's latest investigation into how the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) handles public complaints. They uncovered a process that is slow and is lacking in transparency and enforcement powers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You can now get an Irish IBAN for Revolut - so should we start treating it as a traditional bank? Daragh Cassidy of Bonkers.ie joins us to discuss what's next for Revolut - is it on track to dominate Irish banking, or will it remain nothing more than a handy app for splitting a bill? What do the latest changes mean for it customers? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tensions in Sudan have boiled over into a violent conflict between the country's army and a rival paramilitary group. There is a fear now it could spread to other parts of the region. But how did happen, when just a few short years ago the country began the transition from a military dictatorship to a democracy? Joining us on this week's episode to explain more is Jehanne Henry, a human rights lawyer based in East Africa who was an advisor to Sudan's transitional government in 2020-21.The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Frank Greaney, courts correspondent with Newstalk and Today FM, joins us on this week's episode to delve into the trial of Gerry Hutch and the fallout from its verdict. We examine the origins of the feud, explain who exactly The Monk is, look at key moments from the trial, and explore the origins of the Special Criminal Court. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.