Inside Politics with Hugh Linehan

In case you missed it: back in March 2021 Hugh talked to Irish Times Berlin correspondent Derek Scally about his book The Best Catholics in the World. In the book Derek embarks on a quest to unravel the tight hold the Catholic Church has had on Ireland. In this conversation, Hugh and Derek discussed the origins of the book, the intersection of church, state and people and the strands of religion still intertwined in Irish society.This is the second of three back catalogue episodes this week. Inside Politics will return to its regular episodes from January 6th.

In case you missed it: back in August 2023 Hugh talked to New Yorker magazine writer Clare Malone about the US presidential election, still then in its early stages. They also discussed the role of legacy media and new media in American politics.This is the first of three back catalogue episodes to come. Inside Politics will return to its regular episodes from January 6th.

In December the Inside Politics team discussed the year in politics and the aftermath of the general election in front of an audience at the Laughter Lounge in Dublin city centre. Joining Hugh, Pat, Jen and Harry for part of the show was Irish Times soccer columnist and Second Captains podcaster Ken Early, who gave his take on the election, what motivates people to vote the way they do, why Sinn Féin's support declined relative to 2020 and what he learned when a pollster called to his door.

Jack Horgan-Jones, Jennifer Bray, Harry McGee and Pat Leahy join Hugh for part two of our annual "ask me anything" to consider many excellent questions submitted by listeners. Thanks to everyone who sent in their questions. Thanks also to all who listened to the podcast this year. From everyone on the Inside Politics team, we wish you a happy 2025.

Jack Horgan-Jones, Jennifer Bray, Harry McGee and Pat Leahy join Hugh for part one of our annual "ask me anything" session. Thanks to everyone who sent in questions. Thanks also to all who listened to the podcast in 2024. Happy Christmas from everyone on the Inside Politics team.

It's our final Friday wrap of the year and Jack Horgan-Jones and Jennifer Bray join Hugh to discuss the week in politics:The large influx of fresh TDs has brought a welcome joy and lack of cynicism to Leinster House. But the main event of the week was the election of Verona Murphy as Ceann Comhairle after some old-fashioned back-room dealing. Just how and why did it come about?The Regional Group of Independents, that clan of geographically diverse TDs that includes the new Ceann Comhairle, are now set to support Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil as a partner in the next government. With Murphy out of the picture, the remaining members have begun jockeying for ministerial posts.This incoming coalition faces big challenges in the years ahead, from fiscal threats to climate action and handling the Occupied Territories Bill. How will the new government function and can it hold together?Plus the panel pick their favourite Irish Times articles of the week, on TikTok, the €20 billion iceberg right ahead, and the sad decline of kissing under the mistletoe.

Hugh talks to former Minister for Housing and Fine Gael TD for Dublin Bay South Eoghan Murphy, whose recent memoir Running From Office explores how his once-promising political career went off the rails, how he struggled to get to grips with the housing crisis and what being a member of a cabinet and of Fine Gael looks like from the inside.

Host Hugh Linehan is joined by Jack Horgan-Jones and Pat Leahy to look back on the week in politics:·      With Labour set to exit coalition talks with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, the likelihood of Independents making up the small number of TDs needed to form the next government increases. Could consensus be harder to find on issues like climate change if the next government leans more to the right? ·      The question of who will be the next ceann comhairle has become harder to answer with some looking for Seán Ó Fearghaíl to continue in the role, Regional Independents putting Verona Murphy forward, and Sinn Féin also expected to put a name forward for the speaker’s position in the 34th Dáil.·      An awful week for the Social Democrats with newly elected TD Eoin Hayes being suspended on Tuesday for divesting shares in a company supplying military tech to Israel in July of this year, after being elected as a member of Dublin City Council in June.Plus, the panel pick their Irish Times stories of the week including:·      Patrick Freyne on the Christmas stuff the MSM don’t want you to know.·      Declan Walsh writes about the gold rush in war-torn Sudan.·      Finn McRedmond cringes at Paul Mescal on SNL.

British journalist Lewis Goodall is cohost of the UK's most popular news podcast, The News Agents. Today he talks to Hugh about the year in UK politics: why Keir Starmer has struggled to get a grip on governing, the lingering impact of Brexit and how Labour's numerical victory has hidden the fragmentation of political support across the spectrum. Then Lewis tells Hugh how the Irish general election looks from his point of view and wonders how history will look back on this period in UK and Irish politics.