The Candidate

John Collison, billionaire Stripe co-founder, lobbed a political bombshell in the direction of Kildare Street with a 2,500-word Irish Times think piece (manifesto, perhaps). Is it a bold vision or simply Silicon Valley naivety?Sinead O’Carroll, Christina Finn, and Rónán Duffy break down the response to Collison’s 'Make Politicians Powerful Again' call, from ministers nodding along to critics pointing out all the things he left out. They also ask: why can Irish governments deliver for the Ryder Cup, but not for housing? What does that say about leadership, blame, and priorities?Also: will we have a new taoiseach this time next week?

Catherine Connolly’s presidential victory was more than decisive (but we're not going to call it stonking because Christine hates that word).In this post-election episode, the team unpack what went so right for Connolly, and but where to even begin about where it went wrong for Heather Humphreys? Between Fine Gael’s incoherent campaign and the truly remarkable scale of spoiled votes, this race was far more revealing that anyone expected.

With just days to go before the public go to the polls, we sit down with presidential candidate Catherine Connolly. She joins Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, Jane Matthews, and Rónán Duffy in studio for a wide-ranging conversation. We delve into her campaign so far - its origins, its controversies, and its future. We look ahead to after the election, and whether the movement she has built up has the strength to continue. The team also unpicks her views on the role of the media, and look back on her time as a barrister.

We're turning the corner into the final stretch of the presidential election. Catherine Connolly is pulling ahead in the polls, and it's starting to look a lot like Heather Humphrey's campaign just hasn't landed - and she's running out of time to change that.Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, Jane Matthews and Rónán Duffy unpack a (somewhat) turbulent week of resignations and pointed remarks, from the Green Party’s internal backlash to Labour’s at times reluctant support. Is this what unity on the Left really looks like?

Eh... what just happened? Jim Gavin’s shock, abrupt, and unprecedented withdrawal from the presidential race has sent an earthquake through Fianna Fáil and will reshape the campaign. Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, Jane Matthews, and Rónán Duffy unpack the landlord-payment story, Fianna Fáil's vetting processing, the big questions this poses for the party's leadership, and what a narrowed field means for Connolly and Humphreys in the final stretch.

The first presidential debate is unlikely to be one that anyone will ever really remember, but it gave voters their first real close-up look at how the three candidates perform under pressure. Humphreys tried to steer clear of any mistakes, Jim Gavin attempted to appear less “low energy”, while Catherine Connolly appeared to be in the most control.Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, Jane Matthews, and Rónán Duffy unpack who came out strongest (and maybe even who 'won'), if any awkward moments might stick, and whether this campaign will ever move beyond safe talking points.

As the presidential election campaign kicks off in earnest, we're back with a new season of The Candidate. However... we have just three candidates in the race: Catherine Connolly, Heather Humphreys, and Jim Gavin. It's the smallest field in years.Christine Bohan, Jane Matthews, and Rónán Duffy examine why Maria Steen fell at the final hurdle, what it says about Ireland’s political spectrum, and whether it signals the need for change in the current system of nominations.Also: who can avoid making a major mistake in the weeks ahead?

After a summer of speculation, six-time All-Ireland winning Dublin manager Jim Gavin has emerged victorious in the race to be Fianna Fáil's candidate for the presidency. There was a contest and Billy Kelleher ran him closer than many expected but Taoiseach Micheál Martin got his man in the end. The question now is whether Martin's vision is shared by the public and whether Gavin is the superstar signing the party leader clearly thinks he is.Sinead O'Carroll, Christina Finn, Jane Matthews, and Rónán Duffy unpack what all this means and also discuss the shocking threats made against the family of Tánaiste Simon Harris.

The unexpected withdrawal of Mairead McGuinness has left a massive hole in the presidential race, one that has yet to be filled by any of the three major parties. Where do Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, and Sinn Féin go from here?In this unscheduled episode, Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, Jane Matthews, and Rónán Duffy look at what this means for the campaign timeline, whether Gareth Sheridan’s bid is being taken seriously, and ask if Catherine Connolly has a brand recognition problem.