The MOTH NEWS Podcast

Six years after 14-year-old Noah Donohoe disappeared in Belfast, the inquest into his death has concluded. The jury found Noah drowned in a storm culvert and identified serious failings in the subsequent investigation which affected its ability to reach conclusions on aspects relevant to his death. Afterwards, Noah's mother Fiona said:“I came to this inquest seeking answers, and I leave it wit...

This week on MOTH News Live, we hear extraordinary audio from Seán Quinn's new podcast The Quinn Files. Quinn recounts a private conversation he says he had with then Taoiseach Brian Cowen during the crisis surrounding his business empire — including claims about what the Government knew about the financial position of his companies. We play the audio and ask: if Quinn's recollection is ac...

Is Ireland really a weak link in Europe's defences, and should Irish journalists be campaigning for increased military spending? This week on MOTH News Live, Johnny Vedmore looks at recent commentary from Irish Independent journalist Fionnan Sheahan about the threat posed by Russia, Ireland's military vulnerability and the case for significantly increasing defence spending. We examine the...

This week on MOTH News Live, Johnny Vedmore investigates Ireland's elite schools. Which schools have educated some of the country's most powerful figures — and do the friendships and networks formed there continue to matter in politics, business and public life? Keith Walsh shares part of his new interview with journalist and media critic Mic Wright, author of Breaking: How the Media Works...

Keith Walsh sits down with journalist, author and media critic Mic Wright to talk about who really decides which stories become news, and which ones don't. Mic is the author of Breaking: How the Media Works, When It Doesn't, And Why It Matters, now out in paperback, and writes the media criticism newsletter Conquest of the Useless. The conversation begins with a surprising Irish connection...

How Charlie Haughey Built a Network of PowerThis week on MOTH News Live, Johnny Vedmore looks back at the Ireland of Charles Haughey and asks how political access, business and influence became intertwined. We begin with the Taoiseach's constitutional power to nominate 11 senators and Haughey's 1987 decision to give one of those seats to a rising figure in the Irish bloodstock industry: Jo...

Daniel Kinahan is back in Ireland, in custody, and apparently determined to tell his side of the story. Following his extradition from Dubai, we examine the extraordinary circumstances surrounding his return, his claims about corruption within Irish systems, and his decision to publicly state that he is "not suicidal".What exactly is Kinahan alleging? Why is he speaking now? And if he ma...

This week on MOTH News Live, we examine a series of stories raising difficult questions about the future of Ireland—North and South. Following the discovery of military-grade Semtex near the border, the arrest of a trainee solicitor, and the political row over a decision to grant bail, Johnny Vedmore asks whether these are isolated events—or signs of deeper tensions that deserve closer attention....

This week on MOTH News Live, we ask whether Britain and Ireland are quietly accepting a new housing reality. A century ago, Dublin's infamous tenements became a symbol of poverty, overcrowding and social inequality. Today, as Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) continue to grow across Britain and shared accommodation becomes increasingly common in Ireland, are there uncomfortable parallels wi...

10 Reasons Ireland Is Asking Questions📺 STOP PAYING YOUR TV LICENCE?10 Reasons Ireland Is Asking QuestionsThis week on MOTH News Live, we tackle one of the biggest questions facing Irish media. RTÉ says public service broadcasting needs sustainable funding—but after years of controversy, governance failures and declining licence fee income, has public confidence been lost? Keith Walsh presents 10...

This week on MOTH News Live, we ask whether Northern Ireland has entered a new political era. Sinn Féin has brought forward legislation calling for the Irish Government to begin preparing for a possible united Ireland through a Citizens' Assembly and a Green Paper on constitutional change. The Government has rejected the proposal—but has the debate already moved into the mainstream?🎙️ Keith Wa...

This week on MOTH News Live:⚖️ The Noah Donohoe Inquest reaches its defining moment. After almost five months of evidence from 76 witnesses, expert testimony and detailed legal argument, the jury is considering its findings. If a verdict is returned before we go live, we'll break down exactly what it means. If deliberations continue, we'll explain what's happening, what the jury is bei...

This week on MOTH News Live: 🚁 Manna was once held up as one of Ireland's great startup success stories. Backed by investors and supported through Ireland's innovation ecosystem, the company promised to revolutionise drone delivery. But with questions now being raised about revenues, jobs, expansion plans and the future location of its operations, we ask a simple question: When Ireland he...

The Noah Donohoe inquest has heard fresh evidence this week, raising new questions about events that continue to resonate across Northern Ireland almost six years later. At the same time, the Jeffrey Donaldson case continues to dominate headlines, with testimony bringing renewed focus not just on politics, but on the human impact of allegations of abuse and the people at the centre of the story. W...

This week on MOTH News Live, we examine the latest evidence from the Noah Donohoe Inquest, where repeated claims of "I can't recall" from police witnesses have raised fresh questions about CCTV evidence, investigative procedures and the crucial first hours after Noah disappeared. We discuss: 🚲 CCTV operator evidence and the race to track Noah's movements across Belfast 📹 Questi...

“I HAD NO REASON TO BELIEVE ANYONE COULD BE IN THERE.” A PSNI constable has told the Noah Donohoe Inquest that the culvert where Noah’s body was eventually found was “not a priority” during the early search operation. This week: 🚇 Why was the culvert not urgently prioritised? 🌊 Tides, search assumptions & public trust ⚖️ The Jeffrey Donaldson trial begins 💼 Elkstone, investment money &...

New evidence at the Noah Donohoe Inquest focused on the storm culvert where Noah’s body was found — including testimony about unexplained finger tracking marks inside the tunnel that were reportedly never photographed. We’ll also examine expert evidence around the tides flowing into the culvert from Belfast Lough during the six days Noah was missing:🌊 new moon conditions🌊 strong spring tides🌊 r...

This week on MOTH News Live: ⚖️ The latest developments from the Noah Donohoe Inquest — with new scrutiny around the storm drain search, confined-space risk assessments, and questions over how key search decisions were made. 💸 RTÉ faces backlash after revelations that up to €850,000 linked to the distribution of The Late Late Toy Show Appeal charity funds could go toward consultants and administr...

⚖️ NOAH DONOHOE: SECRECY, SURVEILLANCE & THE STATEWhy are parts of the Noah Donohoe inquest happening behind closed doors? What is Public Interest Immunity (PII)?Why does secrecy around policing and intelligence carry such weight in Northern Ireland? And does secrecy protect trust… or damage it? Tomorrow on MOTH News Live:⚖️ The Noah Donohoe inquest & PII🤖 Peter Thiel, AI tribunals &...

Who Are The New IRA? + The Latest From The Noah Donohoe InquestA car bomb outside a Belfast police station. An arrest under the Terrorism Act. And renewed focus on dissident republican activity in Northern Ireland. In this episode, we take a closer look at the New IRA — who they are, what they want, and what recent attacks tell us about their capability and intent. We also bring you the latest dev...

RIGHT vs LEFT: FAKE NEWS Was the fuel protest in Ireland truly political — or was it reframed? In this episode, Keith Walsh, Oscar and Al examine how a protest rooted in cost-of-living pressure quickly became a debate about identity, ideology, and legitimacy. We explore whether cultural and political framing shaped public reaction — and whether that made it easier to isolate and contain a broad, e...

Who is Shawna Coxon? Inside Ireland’s protest response Fuel protests swept across Ireland in a matter of days, tractors on roads, blockades at key infrastructure, Garda intervention, and the Defence Forces deployed to restore movement. Now, as the situation begins to ease, the focus shifts. What actually happened, and how was it handled? In this episode, Keith Walsh, Oscar and Al break down the re...

MOTH News Special Fuel protests have escalated rapidly across Ireland, tractors on roads, blockades forming, clashes with Gardaí, and now the Defence Forces deployed to assist in clearing disruption. But this story isn’t just about rising fuel prices. It’s about pressure, and how the State responds when that pressure turns into protest. In this live MOTH News Special, Keith Walsh and Al break down...

Fuel protests are gathering pace across Ireland — with farmers, hauliers and transport operators warning of growing pressure on the roads and across the economy. Are these protests the start of something bigger? Today’s programme focuses on the rising cost of fuel, the response from Government, and whether more industries could follow as pressure builds. We’ll look at what’s happening on the groun...

Date: April 2, 2026 ‍ Hosts: Keith Walsh, Oscar Virdee, and Al With a bank holiday on the horizon, the MOTH News team gathers for a special Thursday broadcast to tackle a unsettling question: Is Ireland drifting toward a new kind of lockdown? As fuel prices skyrocket and economic pressure mounts, we aren't being told to stay home by the government—but our bank accounts might be giving the orde...