The Mick Clifford Podcast

Last week Mick wrote a column with the headline “McSwiney’s legacy is being stolen by Sinn Fein”. The McSwiney referenced was Terence, the Lord Mayor of Cork who died on hunger strike in 1920. One reader who took issue with the piece was Danny Morrison, former director of publicity for Sinn Fein and one of the central figures in the provisional movement in Northern Ireland throughout the Troubles. Danny suggested a podcast on the matter and who could turn down such an offer.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Throughout the state’s cities, towns and villages, dereliction has become a blight. Everywhere there are vacant and disused properties at a time when there is a huge housing crisis. So what is being done about it and where are the prospects of a brighter future. Irish Examiner reporter Neil Michael has completed a comprehensive series in the paper about dereliction right across Munster (the series is available on irishexaminer.com) and he talks to Mick on this week’s podcast about what he has found and where it is all going. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

He is a professor of history in UCD in his day job, but Paul Rouse also writes a weekly column for the Irish Examiner and presents the popular Irish Examiner Football Show podcast. His all round experience has led him to corral a collection of essays, reflections and pieces on what history says about sport and sport about history, entitled Sport in Modern Irish Life. Paul is this week’s guest on the podcast.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ireland’s women returned home this week after exiting their very first World Cup finals after just three games. Getting to the tournament was a momentous achievement for Irish sport in and of itself, but storm clouds over the team gathered prior to the tournament and persist post-competition after an apparent rift between captain Katie McCabe and manager Vera Pauw.  Joining us to discuss Ireland’s performance at the World Cup and the wider legacy for women’s sport in Ireland is John Fallon, Irish Examiner soccer correspondent, fresh off the plane from covering the tournament in Australia.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over a decade in the making, Ireland is finally set to pass laws updating gambling legislation and bringing it into the 21st century. It'll introduce the country's first gambling regulator, bring in strict curbs on advertising and introduce a social fund for problem gambling initiatives. But how important is it these laws are passed, and do they go far enough? And why does Ireland have a "mountain to climb"? Consultant psychiatrist Professor Colin O'Gara joins the podcast this week to discuss.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Covid has seen a huge migration from cash to digital payments, but has this heralded an unstoppable move towards a cashless society? Recently there has been controversies about the GAA refusing to take cash at the entry to some games and an attempt by one of the retail banks to have cashless branches. Dr Olive McCarthy, director of UCC’s Centre for Co-operative Studies examines in detail the evidence on whether cash remains king. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Where now for Ryan Tubridy and RTE? Will the presenter be back on the airwaves, how is the power balance now between him and the broadcaster? Communications expert Terry Prone reads the runes and offers some deep insights and observations of where the whole debacle now stands.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mark Woods recently retired from a forty year career in journalism, principally in the area of sports. Changes, he’s seen a few and here he shares his remarkable, interesting and humorous journey though all the changes that have happened since he first entered a newspaper fresh and green, straight out of school. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Artificial intelligence is having an increasing impact on how we live, particularly through the likes of chatbots such as ChatGPT. Some who are aware of the potential of AI are already warning of a future in which software could have more intelligence than humans. So what do we need to know, what needs to be done, and how can we take it handy. Professor Gregory Provan from UCC is this week’s guest on the podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of the most notorious murder cases in the state, which also almost brought down a government, was that involving Malcolm Macarthur, who was found hiding out in the Attorney General’s home in 1982. Macarthur, from an quasi aristocratic background, had vicious killed Bridie Gargan and Derek Dunne in fits of violence that somehow seemed at odds with her personality. Journalist Harry McGee’s new book, The Murderer and the Taoiseach, examines the case in detail and relates his own engagement with Macarthur who served thirty years in prison. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.