The Candidate

When Michael Healy-Rae resigned as minister in April, he walked out of the Dáil, put his fist in the air outside the gates, and told reporters he was standing with the people of Kerry. This week, he told a different story, that it was his brother Danny's surprise interview calling on the Taoiseach and Tánaiste to resign that cost him his job. Two versions, two months apart... and Michael somehow making both of them work for him.Christine Bohan, Christina Finn and Jane Matthews unpack the most public split in the Healy-Rae dynasty, and ask whether this is really about what happened in April, or about what comes next.Also: consultants at the Rotunda are seeing private patients despite being on public-only contracts, and the government isn't happy.

Byelection fallout continues for Sinn Féin as Labour says Mary Lou's party is left-wing no more. And while Holly Cairns says a left-wing government is within 'touching distance', the question being asked now is just how big could the Social Democrats get and could they end up eating everyone's lunch? Aside from the opposition benches, the government is in a spin over its climate targets.

It's count day and we have the latest analysis live. In Dublin Central, Daniel Ennis of the Social Democrats has opened up a comfortable lead in what could potentially be a big moment for the party. Sinn Féin's Janice Boylan is in second but the transfers don't look like they'll save her, meaning the party could miss out on a crucial seat. And yes - Gerry Hutch is in the mix. In Galway West, it's a nailbiter between Independent Ireland's Noel Thomas and Fine Gael's Sean Kyne.Christine Bohan, Jane Matthews, and Rónán Duffy break down the tallies, the transfers, and what it all means.

Polls open on Friday in Dublin Central and Galway West, and both races are still wide open. The cost of living is the dominant issue on the doorsteps, rents have just hit record levels, and the fuel protests are still fresh. But that anger hasn't settled neatly behind any one party or candidate.Christine Bohan, Jane Matthews and Rónán Duffy make their (reluctant) predictions, look at how Fine Gael have outrun Fianna Fáil in both races, and ask whether the change vote has somewhere else to go now (including a Hutch campaign that's been surprisingly active this time round).Also: One sister in London meeting King Charles, the other being detained by Israel.

The vultures are circling Keir Starmer in a way that just doesn't happen in Irish politics. We ask why, and whether the difference between a prime minister on 19% approval and a Taoiseach on 38% is less about likability and more about having an economy on performance enhancing drugs.Christine Bohan, Christina Finn and Rónán Duffy compare the Starmer psychodrama with Micheál Martin's version of the same problem. What Ireland can learn from a country that's about to get its sixth prime minister in seven years, and vice versa?Also: Bertie Ahern was secretly recorded on a canvas saying he worries about immigrants, which is very awkward timing given the Fianna Fáil ard fheis is on this weekend.

Reports suggest Britain's King Charles is likely to visit Ireland on an official trip, possibly as soon as next year. His mother's visit in 2011 was a landmark moment, but it had a clear purpose along the lines of healing and 'turning a new page'. This one doesn't have a script yet. Christine Bohan, Christina Finn and Rónán Duffy discuss what kind of visit this should be, and whether Ireland has moved on enough that it's just another head of state dropping by.Also: the byelections are two weeks out and the team have been out on the doors.

In Dublin Central, Sinn Féin should be the favourites but the Social Democrats are quietly eating into their vote, and Gerry Hutch is back with a first-preference base that nobody should be ignoring. In Galway West, Catherine Connolly's seat is up for grabs and the left parties that united to get her into the Áras have gone straight back to fighting each other. Sinéad O'Carroll, Christina Finn, and Jane Matthews walk through both constituencies

It's been nine days since a court heard that a former TD gave a character reference for a man convicted of sexually exploiting a 13-year-old boy at a children's camp. We still don't know their name, their party, or why they wrote it. The Tánaiste has called on them to come forward, but there is no law, no mechanism, no compulsion that can make them reveal themselves. The legislation that was supposed to prevent this has not done so.Christine Bohan, Jane Matthews, Christina Finn and Rónán Duffy unpack the gap in the law.Also: We're already talking about Budget 2027, and Sinn Féin head to Belfast.