The Candidate

Heading into this election, it was disaster after disaster for Sinn Féin. The timing couldn't been worse. It wasn't going to be theirs for the taking, but literally anyone else.But is the party now having a normal election campaign? Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, Jane Matthews and (another new character unlocked) Muiris O'Cearbhaill examine how the coming days might pan out for Sinn Féin, and whether they or another party will be able to conjure up some real momentum.We also look at Aontú and the alleged media bubble the party is trying to pop, and ask whether we are forever caught in the orbit of rotating taoisigh.

A low-key, cranky election campaign manifested as a low-key, cranky election debate last night.Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, Jane Matthews and Rónán Duffy sit down to unpack last night's 10-way special on RTÉ's Upfront. Did anyone really come out on top in the end, or did the main party leaders let themselves down in the end?We also examine Fine Gael's John McGahon problem, and look at the feeling on the ground in some battleground constituencies (yes, that includes Dublin Central).

We're now almost a week into the election campaign, and the children are fighting. Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have traded a series of jabs that might across as surprising to hear from two parties who are currently in government together and may likely have to work together again in future. Is it all a show? Is it believable?Also, how important will appearances on podcasts be for candidates?

Show us someone who had 'jiving' on their 2024 general election bingo card, and we'll show you a liar.Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, Jane Matthews and Rónán Duffy look at how the campaign trail is progressing so far, and the need for politicians to pivot into the world of content creation (to very mixed results).We also hear about what Micheál Martin had to say about housing when Christina sat down with him last week, and a new podcast character is unlocked.

Finally. Finally!Candidates are already out on the doorsteps and some politicians packing up their office in Leinster House. Now, the government has announced — in unexpectedly messy fashion — the date of the next general election. The Dáil will be dissolved on Friday, and the public will go to the polls on 29 November.Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, Jane Matthews and Rónán Duffy look at how the next few weeks are going to pan out. Will the public react with bewilderment at the array of unfamiliar candidates vying for their vote? Will it be the 'big change' election that people previously expected? Or will the return of Trump mean that voters will play it safe?

It's one of the biggest issues facing families across Ireland, and yet it never ranks highly in the list of people's political priorities. Could childcare still be the issue that wins or loses this election?On the latest episode of The Candidate podcast — which now takes a weekly look behind the scenes and beyond the headlines to focus on what’s really happening in Irish politics right now — Christine Bohan, Jane Matthews, Rónán Duffy, and Sinéad O'Carroll examine the attempts at a political level to make access to childcare easier and to take that burden off parents. What are people experiencing right now, and are the solutions nothing more than throwing money at a growing problem?The team also discuss the decision by the Washington Post to not endorse any candidate (and why that isn't something an Irish audience might balk at) and the new (surprisingly naive or astutely reflective?) book from a certain former housing minister.

We're all caught up in the pre-election doldrums, but is one party's ship in particular trouble?On the latest episode of The Candidate podcast — which now takes a weekly look behind the scenes and beyond the headlines to focus on what’s really happening in Irish politics right now — Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, Jane Matthews, and Rónán Duffy examine how Fine Gael is continuing to lose TD after TD. As many as 18, but that depends on who you ask. How worried should their party headquarters be?The team also look at the fabled left-wing voting pact (and how the differences between the different groups remain larger than they first appear) and a certain other election across the pond (which no one is willing to make a call on).

It's a strange, strange week in Irish politics (and still with no election date in sight).On the latest episode of The Candidate podcast — which now takes a weekly look behind the scenes and beyond the headlines to focus on what’s really happening in Irish politics right now — Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, and Rónán Duffy turn their attention to the Occupied Territories Bill. It has been knocking around the Oireachtas for years now, but only now in the dying days of the government is it getting renewed attention. Is there real appetite to take tangible action on Israel, or is it an election ploy?We also look at Sinn Féin's week from hell, with the party in the headlines for all the wrong reasons across several fronts.Also: a conscious uncoupling for the media darling of Dublin Bay South.