The Candidate

Simon Harris is on a flying visit to Washington DC. He isn't under the same pressure that Leo Varadkar faced during a US visit earlier this year but the big question is similar: will he bring up the US's arming of Israel? In this episode, Jane Matthews, Rónán Duffy and Christine Bohan are joined by The Journal's political editor Christina Finn in Washington, where we look at how the Taoiseach will walk the tightrope of maintaining the close relationship between the two countries while also speaking truth to power. And do these visits actually matter in the real world?Also, is Michelle O'Neill actually at risk of losing her job over Sinn Féin's handling of its press officer controversy? (spoiler: no). And why are we still talking about €9 million for phone pouches over one week after the Budget?

We're back with a new format for The Candidate, with weekly episodes that will take you behind the scenes and beyond the headlines to focus on what’s really happening in Irish politics right now. This week, Christine Bohan, Rónán Duffy, Christina Finn and Jane Matthews examine how the country's two biggest parties are going to navigate their same-but-different personas on the doorsteps in the run-up to the general election. Also, we read the Budget tea leaves and try to figure out who it was really for (spoiler: not young people).

We're joined on this episode of The Candidate podcast by Theresa Reidy, political scientist at University College Cork; Barry Colfer, director of research at the Institute of International and European Affairs; and Muiris O'Cearbhaill, reporter with The Journal. Our guests take a step from the past few weeks to look at what the results of the elections mean for Ireland, and what it says about the state of European politics in 2024.

Dublin is the smallest of Ireland's three European constituencies, with 23 candidates running for four seats. Political Editor Christina Finn examines how this election could unfold in the capital with Gary Murphy, professor of politics at Dublin City University, Liz Carolan of TheBriefing.ie, The Journal's Deputy Editor Christine Bohan, and Muiris O'Cearbhaill, reporter with The Journal.

Midlands-North-West is the largest of Ireland's three European constituencies. 27 candidates are vying for five seats, hoping to win the votes of people across 11 counties. It's a diverse area where would-be MEPs have to field a wide range of issues on the doorsteps, and is a crucial battleground to win the agricultural vote. It's the latest constituency to be profiled by the new season of The Candidate podcast, helping to make sense of the European elections and giving you a comprehensive view of the big issues and the candidates in each area. Political Editor Christina Finn examines how this election could unfold in Midlands-North-West with Johnny Fallon, political commentator and strategy director with Carr Communications; Stella Meehan, editor of Agriland.ie; Jane Matthews, Political Reporter with The Journal, and Muiris O'Cearbhaill, reporter with The Journal.

Ahead of the crucial European election in June, we're profiling each constituency - who are the main contenders, and what are the big issues coming up on the doorstep? First up, we're heading to Ireland South with WLRFM's Damien Tiernan, UCC's Theresa Reidy, and our own reporters Rónán Duffy and Muiris O'Cearbhaill.

Our latest episode brings TheJournal.ie readers closer to Sinn Féin leader, Mary Lou McDonald. Here, we give you a chance to find out more about what McDonald's party stands for before we go to the polls on Saturday. For this episode of The Candidate podcast, our Political Correspondent Christina Finn sat down with the Sinn Féin leader and discussed the murder of Paul Quinn, the reference to "shadowy figures" behind her party and what she really thinks about the Special Criminal Court.

Our latest episode brings TheJournal.ie readers closer to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, leader of Fine Gael. Here, we give you a chance to find out more about what Varadkar's party stands for before we go to the polls on Saturday. For this episode of The Candidate podcast, our Political Correspondent Christina Finn sat down with the Taoiseach and discussed housing, childcare and his regrets over the cervical check crisis.