In The News

Demands by Irish Catholics for major change in the church’s attitude to women, LGBTI+ people, those who are divorced or remarried, and single parents have been sent to Rome as part of a Vatican project to take the considerations of the faithful on board. But will the Church really change? Patsy McGarry is Religious Affairs Correspondent. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The killing of Michael Collins created the greatest "what if" in Irish history. If he had lived, would Irish history have played out differently? Would the influence of the Catholic Church have been less? Would he have attempted to win back the six counties of Northern Ireland? 100 years on from Collins' death, Irish Times reporter and historian Ronan McGreevy looks at the outstanding questions over his life, death and influence today. Ronan mcgreevy is the author of a new book Great Hatred: The Assassination of Sir Henry Wilson MP, which explores the origins of the Civil War. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One year on from the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, what is life like for the people living under their rule? Conor pope speaks to Fatema Mohammadi, an Afghan woman who has been living in Ireland since fleeing Kabul earlier this year. She explains what life is like for the women and girls there who have been denied access to work and education. We also hear from Colin P Clarke,  a senior research fellow at The Soufan Center, who speaks about the country’s prospects for peace and recovery. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What's going on at An Bord Pleanála? The state body with final say on planning appeals and power over fast-tracked housing developments is in focus this week after a report into conflict of interest claims against its former deputy chairman Paul Hyde was sent to the Gardaí and the Director of Public Prosecutions. Current affairs editor Arthur Beesley has been reporting on the story and he explains what it's all about. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Data centres already consume 14 per cent of Ireland’s electricity supply, more than all rural housing. Now these centres are on track to consume about a third of all Irish electricity by the end of this decade. As concerns mount over energy shortages as close as this winter, should more be done to regulate the industry? Sorcha Pollak speaks to Irish Times columnist Una Mullaley and Niall Farrell, energy and environmental economist with the ESRI to find out more.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Just over 25 years ago, the Criminal Assets Bureau was established in the wake of the killings of Detective Jerry McCabe and journalist Veronica Guerin. The murders shocked the nation and served as a wakeup call to the authorities that they were losing the fight against gangland figures and paramilitary groups. Over the years, the Criminal Assets Bureau has seized almost €200million in the proceeds of crime, forcing many to move abroad to keep hold of their cash. Today, Conor Pope speaks to Crime editor Conor Lally about the impact of Cab on the Irish criminal landscape. This episode was originally published in November 2021. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode was originally published in January 2022. 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.

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.This episode was originally published in January 2022. 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.This episode was originally published in May 2022. 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.This episode was originally published in April 2022. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.