In The News

Consumer journalist Conor Pope says he loves a good bandwagon and it was in that spirit that three years ago he – and his wife – thought they’d give Dry January a go.The idea – to give up alcohol for the first month of the year, as a post Christmas detox – has gained traction over the years and for most who try it, and who make it through to the end of the dreariest month, February 1st signals the opening of a favourite tipple and a return to drinking as usual. Not so for Conor.The February 1st target gave way to staying off alcohol until the summer and then he stopped counting.Not drinking had become a habit and he found that he was having a good time. He’s still, very happily, off alcohol. It did bring its challenges. In an alcohol-soaked culture, not drinking can prompt a range of reactions from suspicion to derision, but the benefits he says far outweigh any awkward questions.The three years has also given him time to reflect on his drinking habits, which began as it does for many, as a teenager raiding his parents’ drinks cabinet.The rewards, he says, are a clear head, more energy and, theoretically, a healthier bank balance. He estimates that the Pope household has saved €10,000 in the three dry years.Conor came into studio to tell In the News about his new alcohol-free life and with a huge response from readers to his Irish Times article on his Dry January that has gone on forever, why it’s touched a nerve.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.

Michael Healy-Rae may be offered a junior ministerial role in the next government. The Kerry TD is in talks with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael on entering a coalition with other independents. The deal would likely involve favourable terms for his constituency in exchange for his support, and that of his brother Danny. The horse trading is one element of the government formation talks that are proceeding faster than expected. Political correspondent Jack Horgan Jones says we could see a deal struck by tomorrow and a government in place as early as next week. But who would be Taoiseach first in a new arrangement between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, which Independents could land a ministerial portfolio and why is controversial Tipperary TD Michael Lowry playing such a central role in the deal-making?Presented by Aideen Finnegan. Produced by Suzanne Brennan and Aideen Finnegan.

News that the Garda is to send a file to the DPP following its investigation into the findings of the Moriarty tribunal will test the memory of even the most avid news watcher.The tribunal, which lasted 14 years and cost the taxpayer millions, explored in jaw-dropping detail the relationship between prominent business people and politicians. It filed its report in 2011.One politician featured prominently: Michael Lowry, and the tribunal found that he “secured the winning” of the State’s second mobile phone licence for Denis O’Brien’s company, Esat Digifone. It also found that Lowry, a former Fine Gael minister, was given money by O’Brien, with the payments “demonstrably referable” to his winning of the licence. Both men have disputed the findings.It is not known if there is any recommendations in relation to Lowry in the file submitted to the DPP.Lowry is a vote topper in his native Tipperary as an Independent TD and he has been in the news since the recent election, labelled a kingmaker because he is leading negotiations on behalf of the nine-strong Regional Independents group, with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.So, will this latest development in the Moriarty tribunal saga impact on his role in government formation?Colm Keena reported on the Moriarty tribunal from its inception in 1997 to 2011. He explains what it did and why, and who exactly is Michael Lowry.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.

On Tuesday, Mark Zuckerberg announced that Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Threads, was ending its fact-checking programme and going back to its roots – promoting free expression.And the reason? That fact-checking had led to “too much censorship” and “too many mistakes”.He positioned himself as a supporter of free speech, an American virtue that’s a world away from Europe, a tech backwater with ever-creeping censorship.But critics say the move is a cynical ploy to curry favour with incoming US president Donald Trump – and with millions of people using these social media platforms every day it risks ushering in “an age without facts”.Irish Times tech journalist Ciara O’Brien goes through Zuckerberg’s five-point plan for Meta and explains why the newly bullish Meta boss is changing the way his business operates.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon.

Amber (not her real name) is among the first people to use Ireland's long-awaited Supervised Injection Facility in Dublin. Speaking to Irish Times social affairs correspondent, Kitty Holland, Amber says up until now her day has been taken up by procuring heroin and crystal meth and then strategising about where she can consume them. Suffering from substance abuse since her teens, she says the new centre at Merchants Quay Ireland will change her life. "I am so tense when I am injecting I have had a needle break in my arm. Being able to relax, there is no price on the peace that would come with that.” The SIF was first proposed in 2015 and hasn't been without controversy. Objections to the centre came from stakeholders like the local primary school, where parents fear it will increase dealing and dangerous behaviour in the area. But those behind the pilot project say it will take intravenous drug use off the streets, encourage addicts to link in with local services and prevent deaths by overdose. Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Aideen Finnegan.

Earlier this week, tech billionaire Elon Musk publicly withdrew his support for the Reform UK party, posting on his social media platform that Nigel Farage “doesn’t have what it takes”.Musk’s decision not to back, or financially support, Britain’s right-wing reform party came as he continues a barrage of online attacks against prime minister Keir Starmer, who he has accused of being complicit in “the rape of Britain”.His interest in European politics extends to Germany where Musk has backed the far-right Alternative for Germany party and labelled outgoing German chancellor Olaf Scholz an “incompetent fool”.And back in the United States, the world’s richest man will take up his position as co-leader of the newly created department of government efficiency, when Donald Trump re-enters the White House later this month.In recent years, Musk has met presidents, prime ministers, lawmakers and political candidates from all around the world.So, what is his end game and how much political influence does he really have?Inside Politics presenter Hugh Linehan joins the podcast.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.

Red pill, normies and soyboys. The world of ‘masculinity influencers’ comes with its own jargon and those consuming the social media content become well-versed in speaking it.For the uninitiated, to be red pilled is an appropriated term from the film The Matrix, where the main character suddenly becomes alert to the world’s “truth”, while us normies and soyboys (the ignorant and emasculated) wander through life like sheeple.While absurd and almost comedic to many, there is a growing body of young men who internalise the message that feminism has disempowered them, men must be stoic, virile and violent- and that staying in school is a waste of time when they could pay for an online course of [insert “hustler” of choice here] and become a “high value male.”A new resource has been created to provide guidance to schools, teachers and parents on how to address the impact of online masculinity influencers on children and young people, particularly teenage boys, across Ireland.The 39-page guide has been created by Dr Darragh McCashin, Dr Catherine Baker, alongside Dr Fiona O’Rourke at The Observatory on Cyberbullying, Cyberhate & Online Harassment in the Anti-Bullying Centre at Dublin City University.It sets out how much of the social media content of the so-called “manosphere” promotes harmful ideologies that are not just damaging to women but also boys and young men, and crucially, how to counter the message.Presented by Aideen Finnegan. Produced by John Casey.

On Friday Diarmuid Phelan, a senior counsel and Trinity law professor, was acquitted of murdering a trespasser on his farm almost three years ago. Keith Conlon, a 35 year old father of four, had been planning to go badger-baiting on Phelan's Co. Dublin land when he was shot in the back of the head, and died two days later from his injuries. Neither of his associates, and witnesses to the shooting, took part in the subsequent trial. After ten weeks, the jury returned their verdict following seven hours of deliberation. Legal affairs correspondent Mary Carolan takes us through the evidence heard about that day in Feburary 2022, and explains what the jury had to consider.This episode contains strong language.Presented by Aideen Finnegan. Produced by Declan Conlon.

For more than a decade, between 2012 and 2023, non-European millionaires could secure residency in Ireland by investing hundreds of thousands of euro into Irish business or public bodies.Most of the millionaires who availed of the Immigrant Investor Programme, or ‘golden visa’ scheme, came from China.In February 2023, the Government abruptly closed the scheme with only a day’s notice.Nearly two years on, the full list of names of companies, public bodies and charities, who received €1.25 billion through the programme, remains hidden in State files.Newly released documents now reveal Department of Justice officials warned of the need to guard against potentially “unlawful” and “unethical” practices when granting visas to millionaire immigrants through the scheme.Irish Times Current Affairs Editor Arthur Beasley, who has been investigating the now defunct scheme for more than two years, joins the podcast to discuss the latest revelations regarding this controversial residency scheme.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.