In The News

What started as a one-man play about the life and times of Gerry Hutch became a two-hander this week when, in a curtain-raising surprise, Hutch himself appears on stage to deliver a prologue.Rex Ryan premiered his play The Monk – called after the widely used nick-name of his subject – last summer but for its second outing it moved to a much larger Dublin venue, The Ambassador, for a weeklong run.Ryan, who produces, stars and directs The Monk is, says Irish Times crime and security editor Conor Lally, a powerful presence on stage.Hutch, adds little says Lally – except audience pulling power. He went along to a performance to see how Hutch, whose career he has followed closely, is portrayed. He gives his plain-speaking review here.Lally found the section on the murder of journalist Veronica Guerin deeply distasteful and the extent to which RTÉ journalist Paul Reynolds lives rent-free in Hutch’s head simply bizarre.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey.

The Geran-2 is a deadly weapon; a drone bomb that can be launched from thousands of kilometres away and yet hit its target with precision accuracy.Low cost and easy to make, this winter it has become a key weapon in Russia’s armoury as it pummels Ukraine, causing hundreds of deaths and cutting off energy supply.And a key component in the Geran-2 design is a chip manufactured years ago by Taoglas, which is headquartered in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford.So how did it make its way into Russia’s armament supply chain – especially given EU rules which ban the export to Russia of “high priority” dual-use technology that can have both civilian and military applications.An investigation by The Irish Times in partnership with the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project and others has revealed that technology from EU companies is making its way into Russia in vast quantities, where it is used in weapons such as the Geran-2.This includes various components manufactured by Taoglas and another Irish-based company, TE Connectivity.Irish Times crime and security correspondent Conor Gallagher was part of that investigative consortium and he explains how these drones work and why stopping their manufacture has proven difficult.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.

The tip-off that led the Garda to begin a major search for the bodies of Jo Jo Dullard and Deirdre Jacob is likely not new according to crime and security editor Conor Lally. The piece of land on the border of counties Wicklow and Kildare has been in the Garda’s sights for many years but since the disappearance of the young women, missing since the 1990s, are now considered murders, ongoing reviews of the files bring new leads and new thinking on the investigation.News on Monday that gardaí had begun an extensive dig on the land was accompanied by mention of Dullard and Jacob leading to speculation that it had been determined that both young women were the victims of the same murderer.Not so, says Lally, who notes that gardaí suspect Jacob, who disappeared in broad daylight, was killed by convicted rapist Larry Murphy, while Dullard was killed by an unknown male who gave her a lift as she tried to get home.Lally analyses this new phase in the investigation.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. 

Belfast man James O’Neill, or Jim as he was known, led an unconventional life. He was according to his family a highly intelligent man in his 40s who lived nomadically, sometimes sleeping rough, moving between cities. His body found was found in Dublin’s Phoenix Park in November 2023 but his parents, Paul and Ann O’Neill were not informed of their son’s death until 13 months later. That’s because his body was not identified when he was found or during the postmortem despite the fact that he had nine forms of ID in the pocket of his anorak. So how were they found and why did it take so long to find them? Irish Times columnist Una Mullally talked to his parents about their son and about the questions they want answered by Fiosrú, the Office of the Garda Ombudsman, which is investigating the force’s handling of the puzzling case. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.

Ultra-processed foods are irresistible – they’re made that way. The food manufacturers that dominate our supermarket shelves are constantly looking for ways to make us buy (and that means eat) more. And to find cheaper ingredients.But isn’t just about everything in our diet, apart from fresh fruit and vegetables, processed in some way? So why has ultra-processed food become the focus of so much concern and debate?Nutritionist Sarah Keogh gives her view on what’s happening on our plates.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. 

The Jeffrey Epstein files reveal the convicted child sex offender was fascinated by magicians, and detail a years-long relationship between Epstein and David Blaine as well as an FBI investigation into alleged sexual misconduct by David Copperfield.Since the files were released by the US department of justice two weeks ago, Irish Times journalist Naomi O’Leary has been combing through the documents.It is not, she says, an easy cache to navigate, with a clunky search function and opaque filing system.However she has been able to find multiple emails which reveal a relationship between Epstein and several famous magicians including Blaine and Copperfield – after the disgraced financier had been convicted and served prison time for soliciting sex with children.O’Leary came into studio to detail her experience of searching the consistently disturbing files – so big that only a fraction of them have been excavated by journalists worldwide. She explains how sex trafficker Epstein, collector of powerful people and expert at developing transactional relationships with them, had a weird fascination with magicians.Being mentioned in the Epstein files is not an indication of wrongdoing.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan and Andrew McNair.

For Alexander Abnos, senior sports editor at the Guardian US “removing the US as World Cup host would be eminently sad – and entirely justified”.The 2026 Fifa World Cup will be hosted this summer by Mexico, Canada and the US.But the killings by Ice agents of US citizens and their intimidatory presence on city streets has been well reported globally which may make travelling fans nervous. And that’s if they get in at all: the US president Donald Trump has imposed travel bans on several countries – including Senegal and Ivory Coast which have qualified to play.And then there is the stratospherically high price of stadium tickets which make going to the game prohibitively expensive.In January, former Fifa president Sepp Blatter supported calls by Swiss anti-corruption lawyer Mark Pieth for fans to boycott matches taking place in the US. But calls for boycotts of big sporting events are not unusual. They were loud before the last World Cup in Qatar but didn’t make much of an impression.Abnos explains why a US boycott won’t happen.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey.

The Irish Times wants to hear listener feedback on our two news podcasts: In The News and Early Edition.This survey is open to anyone who has listened to either In The News or Early Edition – whether you listen regularly, occasionally, or have listened in the past.On Monday, British prime minister Keir Starmer survived a day that could have ended his political career. The momentum against him had grown from Westminster whispers to the leader of Scottish Labour Anas Sarwar coming straight out and calling for him to step down. The release of the Epstein Files - which showed deeply damaging evidence against Starmer’s ambassadorial appointment to Washington, Peter Mandelson - was the excuse for the move against the prime minister, not the cause. His party has deep divisions. But Starmer rallied his party who publicly pledged support.So he has survived – for now. But as Irish Times London correspondent Mark Paul explains there are several pitfalls ahead that may prove fatal for his leadership. Coming up as key days in Starmer’s diary are the release of the so-called “Mandelson Files”; the byelection on February 26th in Manchester and most dangerous for him according to Paul, the Scottish and Welsh parliamentary elections on May 7th when Labour is expected to get an electoral drubbing. So if by the summer Starmer is forced out, what will it mean for Ireland and its relationship with the UK? And who might succeed him?Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan and Declan Conlon. 

Teacher Enoch Burke has been in and out of court – and of prison – over his refusal to stay away from the school he once worked for.His legal challenges have clogged up the courts, but he is also involved in another process – an appeal against his dismissal before a disciplinary appeal panel.Last month that panel fell apart when two of its three members stood down. But the courts need the disciplinary panel to finish its work before Burke’s case can be resolved.So how is this new delay being viewed by the lawyers attempting to bring this long running saga to an end?And how does the panel work? What is the holdup and why has their been two panels so far with a third one now likely?Irish Times legal affairs correspondent Mary Carolan explains this new twist in the Enoch Burke affair.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon and Suzanne Brennan.The Irish Times wants to hear listener feedback on our two news podcasts: In The News and Early Edition.This survey is open to anyone who has listened to either In The News or Early Edition – whether you listen regularly, occasionally, or have listened in the past.