The Mick Clifford Podcast

In March 1985, IRA man John Corcoran’s body was found outside Cork city. He had been shot as an informer. In the intervening years there has long been speculation that Corcoran’s murder could have been avoided and that he was sacrificed to protect another informer for An Garda Siochana, Sean O’Callaghan. The special branch detective who was John Corcoran’s handler, JP O’Sullivan, has now written a memoir about the times and the murky manoeuvres leading up to and following Corcoran’s murder. JP O’Sullivan is this week’ guest on the podcast 

A new book by Guardian Ireland correspondent Rory Carroll examines the hunt by British intelligence to capture Roger Casement and his role in assisting to foment, and ultimately attempting to call off, the 1916 Rising. The book is a unique take on the life of not just Casement but other figures who were central to the Rising and the British intelligence chief who was engaged in fighting a war against Germany as well as suppressing rebellion in Ireland. Rory Carroll is this week’s guest on the podcast. 

In the week that was, the question that arose was – will he make it out of there intact? The subject of course was Taoiseach Micheal Martin and the quandary was his Oval Office meeting with Donald Trump at a time of living dangerously for politicians who interact with the US president. Joining us to run the rule over the occasion and what else is brewing in politics is Irish Examiner political reporter, Tadgh McNally. 

The war in Iran is continuing and Israel is using the opportunity to pummel those it considers the enemy in Lebanon. Add to that the fact that the world economy is shivering, what is the way out of this morass? On hand to give us some clues as to where we might go from here is an old friend of the podcast, UCD's Clinton Institute professor of international relations Scott Lucas.Scott talks about how this might end and why so much comes back to sentiment in the USA towards a president who appears to live in his own world.

After the Presidential election last year saw Catherine Connolly elected President and Paschal Donohoe left Irish politics for a job at the World Bank, political parties will have two by-elections to contest in May.What are the issues, who are the runners and riders and who can claim the seats?Joining Acting Political Editor Paul Hosford to run the rule over Dublin Central and Galway West are Political Correspondent Louise Burne and Political Reporter Tadgh McNally. 

We are frequently being told that there is a constituency out there that is not being served by the mainstream political parties. Peadar Tobin believes that his Aontu party would be an ideal home for such voters. He and Mick discussed how politics is and argued over who represents what in today’s fractured firmament. Peadar Tobin is this week’s guest on the podcast. 

Adoption was a big business in the Ireland of the middle decades of the last century, in a country where birth outside of marriage was considered a stain. That was the country into which Paul Cullen was born and ultimately adopted. He has written a page turning account of his life as an adoptee, Outsider – Survival, Family Secrets and the Search To Belong. Paul is this week’s guest on the podcast. 

Rural depopulation and its impact on large tracts of the country was writ large late last year when the GAA published a report on the dangers of clubs disappearing. One of the areas that has been repeatedly referenced in terms of depopulation is the peninsula of Iveragh in South Kerry. Now Iveragh is fighting back in a manner that will resonate across rural Ireland. Joseph McCrohan, Development Officer with the South Kerry Partnership and chair of the South Kerry GAA board is this week’s guest.

The failure to prepare for the floods has left communities devastated along parts of the east coast, but whose fault is it? Also, has there been any whisper in Leinster House about the fate of George Mitchel’s legacy in the wake of his presence in the Epstein papers. And then there is the fate of the Taoiseach, Michael Martin. What dangers lurk for him, as they did for a predecessor Cork Taoiseach, in two upcoming byelections.Irish Examiner Political Correspondent Louise Burne is this week’s guest on the podcast