The Explainer

The European Union has a massive but often unseen impact on our day-to-day life here in Ireland. Despite that, how exactly it all works can remain a bit of a mystery for a lot of people. John O’Brennan, a professor at the Department of Sociology at Maynooth University, leaves the Brussels jargon to one side and focuses on what the core institutions are and how they all interact with each other. Th...

Thousands of people in need of critical medical care but unable to access it in Ukraine have been sent to other EU states for treatment in a mammoth operation known as Medevac. On this week's episode, supported by the European Union’s Department for Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations, we look at how this is organised and the impact it has for people on the ground in Ukraine. Hosted o...

We're joined by our Deputy Editor Christine Bohan and Assistant News Editor Rónán Duffy to look at the shock resignation of Taoiseach Leo Varadkar. Did it really come out of the blue? And who is best placed to take up the mantel? What will his legacy be? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a dec...

An Oireachtas Committee is set to recommend that the Irish government introduce laws to allow for assisted dying and euthanasia under certain strict criteria. It follows an in-depth consultation period on the matter. This week, The Journal's Stephen McDermott tells host Laura Byrne about what the committee is recommending and what we can expect to see happen. The Explainer is brought to you by The...

We're joined by News Correspondent Niall O'Connor, who has just returned from the contested Golan Heights where he visited the Irish peacekeeping mission there. He shares the day-to-day activity of the troops and examines what the future of Irish peacekeeping might look like. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of...

Fiery appearances before Oireachtas committees are all the rage these days, and the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) is no stranger to them. What are the latest revelations? What do they say about the future of the FAI? We're joined by Gavin Cooney, sportswriter and podcast host with The 42, to explore why the organisation is making headlines again. The Explainer is brought to you by The Jour...

Susan Daly speaks to Noteworthy's investigative journalist Patricia Devlin about her latest dive into threats to our monuments and heritage sites. Also joining the podcast is Ian Lumney, heritage officer with An Taisce. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On 8 March, the public is being asked to have their say in two separate votes - the Family Amendment and the Care Amendment. But are up to speed on what exactly they're about? We're joined this week by News Correspondent Órla Ryan, Political Editor Christina Finn, and Assistant News Editor Rónán Duffy to delve into everything you need to know. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Provid...

Dr Scott Walkin, a GP in Co Mayo and the Irish College of General Practitioners’ lead for infection control, explains the impact of low uptake of the MMR vaccine, how sick measles can make you, and shares some crucial advice for parents of young children. So far in Ireland there have been several suspected cases of measles but at the time of recording just one confirmed in 2024.The Explainer is br...

We're joined by our Senior Producer Nicky Ryan, who has just returned from Turkey, and Diego Cupolo, editor-in-chief of the Turkey Recap newsletter, to look at the situation on the ground one year after the devastating earthquakes. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute...

Power sharing in the north has been stalled for two years due to the DUP's reluctance to participate. With the absence of any Stormont Assembly, Northern Ireland's public services have suffered. There are many political challenges ahead. But this week, DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson announced that the party’s executive had come to an agreement and voted in favour of restoring the Executive. On Thurs...

Power sharing talks at Stormont have been going on for some time without ever reaching an agreement, taking its toll on the population. The culmination of this was a mass strike last week, where thousands of workers took to the streets in what’s been dubbed the largest strike in the North for 50 years. We're joined journalist and author - and current The Journal contributor - Brian Rowan to give h...

This week, we're looking at everything about Yemen that might have flown under the radar in recent years with Dr Elisabeth Kendall, the Mistress of Girton College at Cambridge University and an Arabist and middle east specialist. Who are the Houthis? What do they want? Why did the UK and the US act together against them? How has the world barely noticed the war in Yemen? How did it last for so lon...

Marian Ryan, consumer tax manager with Taxback.com, joins us on this week's episode of The Explainer to demystify the world of income tax returns, statements of liability, and the Revenue website. She lays out why it's worthwhile for all PAYE workers to sniff around their tax return, and outlines the main tax refunds people are entitled to but often don't look into claiming. The Explainer is broug...

Our team pick their favourite moments from the podcast in 2023.The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute to ensure we can keep questioning, investigating, debunking, explaining and informing at www.thejournal.ie/contribute/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more i...

We're joined in studio by our Political Correspondent Christina Finn and Political Reporter Jane Matthews to dissect the year that was, and to look at what 2024 what bring. Who were the political winner and losers? What was the most important legisilation passed? We also analyse how likely it is that an election will be called in the new year, and what potential banana peels might force the coalit...

Author and arts journalist Aoife Barry takes us through the history of the awards as well as the familiar faces who are up for Best Actor. We also explore what is next for Murphy, Scott, and Keoghan, and what the Golden Globes mean for next year's Oscars. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a de...

Will the new international plan to tackle climate change really achieve anything? Ou reporter Lauren Boland explains what the COP28 deal means, the drama of the last-minute agreement, the likelihood of it actually having an impact. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a decade. You can contribute...

We're joined this week by Larry Donnelly, law lecturer at the University of Galway and a political columnist here with us at The Journal, to look at the issues cropping up for Biden - and Trump - ahead of next year's US presidential election. Larry explains the how Biden is polling among the public, and what they see as the real issues facing Americans right now. The Explainer is brought to you by...

In an episode of The Explainer brought to you by Noteworthy, Susan Daly talks to investigative reporter Alice Chambers and a former prison governor of Mountjoy and Portlaoise prisons, John Lonergan, about the latest in-depth series, CALLING TIME. Our investigation found that prison visits have not returned to pre-pandemic levels, leaving children cut off from their parents in prison. We explore ho...

Shockwaves from the events of last Thursday are still reverberating around Ireland. A knife attack on three children and their carer on a busy Dublin street horrified the nation. Then came riots and looting. Now, the social and political fallout is massive. We're joined by several members of The Journal's newsroom to examine how the day unfolded. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Pro...

We're joined on this week's episode by Dominic McGrath, PA Media political correspondent, to dissect the former UK prime minister's unexpected comeback. What is Cameron's background, what could he achieve in the role - and what exactly is the end goal here? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim of The Journal for a...

Dr Austin O Carroll, a GP who specialises in addiction services, speaks to us about nitazine, a potent synthetic opioid suspected to be responsible for a spike in the number of drug overdoses in Dublin recently. He shares how two overdoses occurred in his own clinic, and gives his insights on what Ireland can do to prepare for the arrival of fentanyl. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal...

We're now a month into a violent conflict between Israel and Hamas, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of civilians and sparking a dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza. This current spate of fighting is just one in a long, long history of tension between Israel and Palestine, dating right back to the partition of the country in the 1940s. So how did we get here? We're joined by our Assistant News Edi...

Arts and culture journalist Louise Bruton explores how Taylor Swift became the powerful force in the music industry that she is today. We look at why the billionaire pop star is re-recording her albums, her many feuds, and the history of how she rose from a country music singer to the most streamed artist in the world. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuab...