In The News

Earlier this month, a tanker laden with thousands of tonnes of crude oil, which had set off from a Russian port on the Baltic Sea, sailed down the west coast of Ireland. The decision by the Sierra, a 250-metre tanker which was destined for India, to sail around the British Isles and into the North Atlantic, rather than take the more direct route through the English Channel, has caused confusion and concern among maritime and naval experts. The tanker, which passed by the west coast of Ireland on July 10th, was just one of the rising number of sanctioned Russian ships, known as shadow fleet vessels, to sail through Irish-controlled waters in recent months. The suspicious and bizarre behaviour of these vessels has prompted the Irish Defence Forces and Government to step up maritime monitoring because of environmental and national security concerns. What is this Russian shadow fleet and why are some of their vessels taking the longer route around the Irish coast and sailing outside recognised shipping lanes? And what are the security and environmental risks posed by these ships? Irish Times crime and security correspondent Conor Gallagher discusses the dramatic increase in the number of sanctioned Russian ships sailing through Irish-controlled waters. Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Suzanne Brennan and Andrew McNair. 

In March of this year, the eyes of the world turned towards the occupied West Bank when the film ‘No Other Land’, which tells the story of Israel’s forced displacement of Palestinians in the region, won the Oscar for best documentary feature.Two months later, The Settlers, a BBC documentary where broadcaster and journalist Louis Theroux meets the growing community of religious-nationalist Israelis who have settled in the occupied territories, went viral.Driving around the West Bank, 14 years on from his first visit to the area, Theroux said “much was still the same” in the occupied zone. “The same sense of a two-tier society: Jewish settlers who lived protected under Israeli civil law; Palestinians who were subject to an opaque regime of military rule, with roads closed, life made difficult in ways big and small,” he wrote in a Guardian newspaper in May.Yet, the situation in the West Bank is not what it was a few years ago. In January 2025, Israel launched its Iron Wall military operation which left tens of thousands of Palestinians without proper shelter or healthcare, while the expansion of Israeli settlements – which are illegal under international law – has rapidly increased since Hamas’s October 7th attack on Israel in 2023.In May, Israel announced that 22 new Jewish settlements had been approved in the occupied West Bank – the biggest expansion in decades.Meanwhile, in Ireland, the pre-legislative scrutiny of the Occupied Territories Bill, which would ban trade in goods with the occupied Palestinian territories, is continuing.But even if it passes, what will this Irish legislation actually achieve? Irish Times journalist Sally Hayden reports from the West Bank. Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Suzanne Brennan and Andrew McNair.

An inquest doesn’t typically hear questions about the consummation of a relationship or the validity of a marriage certificate, and it’s not usual for there to be so many lawyers in a coroner’s court. But when there’s a farm, valued at €5.5 million at stake, and the circumstances around the death are somewhat confused, it’s perhaps to be expected.The three-day inquest into the death of wealthy farmer Joe Grogan (75) at his home on April 15th, 2023 heard questions that a coroner’s court is not there to answer. Its job is to establish cause of death.Grogan had been married the previous day, to his long-time friend and sometime carer Lisa Flaherty. A clear cause of death could not be established because he had been embalmed within hours.His 220-acre farm at Screggan, near Tullamore is well-known having hosted the National Ploughing Championships for two years and is set to do so again this year. As his widow, Flaherty stands to inherit his estate.Members of Grogan’s family questioned the validity of the marriage – they said they were unaware it had taken place – and there were heated scenes in the court.Ultimately the coroner Raymond Mahon ruled that the newly-wed farmer probably died of an infection associated with his stage-four cancer, his immune system being compromised because of chemotherapy and significant weight loss. He said the evidence did not support a finding of unlawful killing as had been suggested and he rejected calls by Grogan’s extended family to refer the circumstances of the death to the Garda.Irish Times reporter Colm Keena was in court to hear the verdict and explains the background.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.

After the US and the Taliban signed a peace deal that saw all international troops leaving Afghanistan by May 2021, Britain promised to relocate those Afghans who had aided it in the war effort.They had to apply to the Ministry of Defence for consideration. But then in 2022 the list was leaked – in an administrative error – making those on it targets for retribution by the Taliban. It’s thought that about 100,000 people were put at risk by the leak when wider family members were included.A panicked reaction followed in 2023 when the list appeared on Facebook and a series of decisions were made by a small number of senior civil servants that were only revealed to parliament and the British public this week.First a super-injunction was placed on the media and on anyone with knowledge of the leak leading to a blanket of secrecy.Then the UK government set up a secret multibillion-pound scheme to bring Afghans to Britain.The political fallout in the UK is ongoing as Mark Paul, Irish Times London correspondent, explains.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey. 

The All-Ireland senior men's hurling final takes place on Sunday.To mark the occasion, The Irish Times sports department takes over our podcast feed to bring you a conversation between sports writer Malachy Clerkin and columnists (and legends of the game) Nicky English and Joe Canning.They look at the teams and tactics they expect to see on Sunday, and make some big predictions. Whether you are a die-hard fan, or simply want to jump on the hurling bandwagon before kick-off, we hope you enjoy this conversation.

Donald Trump once said that he would "probably" release documents relating to the life and crimes of late billionaire and notorious sexual abuser Jeffrey Epstein. Others in his circle went further, pledging to reveal any information held on Epstein. Such files have long been rumoured to include the names of fellow abusers Epstein conspired with. Now that his administration has said it will not release the files, many among Trump's MAGA base believe that a sacred promise has been broken.But was it a promise that should ever have been made? Is there anything to the "Epstein client list" conspiracy theories? And could the controversy cause Trump real harm? Keith Duggan reports from Washington.

In the last academic year, hundreds of schools around the country have been affected by the ongoing teacher shortage. It’s a crisis which has left almost 1900 teaching posts vacant. But with record numbers of teachers employed in Ireland and a healthy supply of teaching graduates coming down the pipeline, what’s going on? Why are schools scrambling for teachers and what are the knock on effects for students?In today’s episode, Sorcha Pollak talks to Irish Times Education editor Carl O’Brien to find out more.

Opposition parties including the Social Democrats and Sinn Féin have been criticising the Government over its record on the cost of living, and especially the price of food, alleging that supermarkets have been allowed to "price gouge" customers. It's true that food price inflation has hit Irish shoppers hard in recent years. But are supermarkets really ripping us off, and does the Government have the power to influence prices? Sorcha Pollak asks Conor Pope.

The Salt Path, a memoir published in 2018, told an inspirational story; how Raynor Winn and her husband Moth lost their home following an unwise investment while the couple were dealing with Moth’s diagnosis of a rare terminal illness.It was how they dealt with these blows that was so uplifting: they embarked on a 1,000km coastal walk and a journey of self-exploration. The book sold more than two million copies and prompted a film adaptation starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs.And while creative licence is usual and even expected in any memoir, an investigation by Chloe Hadjimatheou, a reporter with the Observer newspaper, claims Raynor – real name are Sally Walker – had embezzled money from a former employer.Hadjimatheou also raises a sceptical eyebrow about the diagnosis of corticobasal degeneration that Moth received in 2013, though she does say that nothing she has seen contradicts his diagnosis or the book’s account of it.So what has been the reaction from the publishers, the film-makers and the couple in the eye of this literary storm – the Walkers, aka the Winns.Statements responding to the allegations came as the week went on including one from Raynor posting on her website.She admitted her deep regret for any mistakes she made while working for her former employer and is devastated by “unfair and false” accusations that her husband’s illness was fabricated or exaggerated. She said the book’s account of the way they lost their home is true and that their property in France is “an uninhabitable ruin”. She noted the couple have no outstanding debts.Chloe Hadjimatheou explains the fallout to her report.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.