The Candidate

The general election is... over? And it's clear that the team have gone a little stir-crazy after a few too many hours in count centres. Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, and Sinéad O'Carroll sit down to look at the case of Stephen Donnelly, and how the Cabinet minister ended up losing his seat — there were some early warning signs that Fianna Fáil feared he was in trouble, and possibly because of...

The media scrums in the RDS were growing bigger and bigger as the count went on... and then Gerald Hutch arrived. The gangland figure's failed election bid drew huge attention from national and international press, but has he achieved his ultimate aim? Could his unexpectedly strong performance shine a light on Dublin's north inner city and the reasons why people voted for him? With Christine Bohan...

It's all systems go: the votes have been cast, the exit polls revealed, the ballots separated, and the counting is now underway. A picture of general election 2024 is starting to come together piece-by-piece. Christine Bohan and Christina Finn (the latter joining us from a car park outside the Wicklow count centre) chat about the big talking points so far, and ask: is it really viable anymore for...

Just days to go now, and we've had our first real talking point of the campaign — but also another lacklustre debate. Sinéad O'Carroll, Christina Finn, and Jane Matthews chat on today's episode about the final stretch and what could really make a difference in the minds of undecided voters. Or maybe, instead of undecided voters, do we need to focus on the undecided coalition partners? Hosted on Ac...

Heading into this election, it was disaster after disaster for Sinn Féin. The timing couldn't been worse. It wasn't going to be theirs for the taking, but literally anyone else. But is the party now having a normal election campaign? Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, Jane Matthews and (another new character unlocked) Muiris O'Cearbhaill examine how the coming days might pan out for Sinn Féin, and w...

A low-key, cranky election campaign manifested as a low-key, cranky election debate last night. Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, Jane Matthews and Rónán Duffy sit down to unpack last night's 10-way special on RTÉ's Upfront. Did anyone really come out on top in the end, or did the main party leaders let themselves down in the end? We also examine Fine Gael's John McGahon problem, and look at the fe...

We're now almost a week into the election campaign, and the children are fighting. Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have traded a series of jabs that might across as surprising to hear from two parties who are currently in government together and may likely have to work together again in future. Is it all a show? Is it believable? Also, how important will appearances on podcasts be for candidates? Hosted...

Show us someone who had 'jiving' on their 2024 general election bingo card, and we'll show you a liar. Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, Jane Matthews and Rónán Duffy look at how the campaign trail is progressing so far, and the need for politicians to pivot into the world of content creation (to very mixed results). We also hear about what Micheál Martin had to say about housing when Christina sat...

Finally. Finally! Candidates are already out on the doorsteps and some politicians packing up their office in Leinster House. Now, the government has announced — in unexpectedly messy fashion — the date of the next general election. The Dáil will be dissolved on Friday, and the public will go to the polls on 29 November. Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, Jane Matthews and Rónán Duffy look at how th...

The US presidential election is all but lost for Kamala Harris. Donald Trump is preparing his return to power. The results are still coming in, but we're bringing you a quick bonus episode with two sleep-deprived reporters to examine how the night unfolded and what comes next. Christine Bohan and Rónán Duffy begin the postmortem on the Democrat's failed campaign, and look at what Trump's victory m...

It's one of the biggest issues facing families across Ireland, and yet it never ranks highly in the list of people's political priorities. Could childcare still be the issue that wins or loses this election? On the latest episode of The Candidate podcast — which now takes a weekly look behind the scenes and beyond the headlines to focus on what’s really happening in Irish politics right now — Chri...

We're all caught up in the pre-election doldrums, but is one party's ship in particular trouble? On the latest episode of The Candidate podcast — which now takes a weekly look behind the scenes and beyond the headlines to focus on what’s really happening in Irish politics right now — Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, Jane Matthews, and Rónán Duffy examine how Fine Gael is continuing to lose TD afte...

It's a strange, strange week in Irish politics (and still with no election date in sight). On the latest episode of The Candidate podcast — which now takes a weekly look behind the scenes and beyond the headlines to focus on what’s really happening in Irish politics right now — Christine Bohan, Christina Finn, and Rónán Duffy turn their attention to the Occupied Territories Bill. It has been knock...

Simon Harris is on a flying visit to Washington DC. He isn't under the same pressure that Leo Varadkar faced during a US visit earlier this year but the big question is similar: will he bring up the US's arming of Israel? In this episode, Jane Matthews, Rónán Duffy and Christine Bohan are joined by The Journal's political editor Christina Finn in Washington, where we look at how the Taoiseach will...

We're back with a new format for The Candidate, with weekly episodes that will take you behind the scenes and beyond the headlines to focus on what’s really happening in Irish politics right now. This week, Christine Bohan, Rónán Duffy, Christina Finn and Jane Matthews examine how the country's two biggest parties are going to navigate their same-but-different personas on the doorsteps i...

Ireland's new MEPs are preparing to take up their seats in the European Parliament, while those who weren't so lucky are recovering from the bruising. The dust has settled after the elections. It's a time when European unity and priorities are in the spotlight, so what can we extrapolate from the results of the election? How will Ireland make its mark? What will the parliament's main aims be? And...

THE EUROPEAN ELECTIONS take place next Friday, as candidates across Ireland strive for a seat in the European Parliament. Dublin is the smallest of the three European constituencies. It has a total of four seats available, with 23 candidates running for election. It’s the final constituency to be profiled by the new season of The Candidate podcast by The Journal, helping to make sense of the Europ...

Midlands-North-West is the largest of Ireland's three European constituencies. 27 candidates are vying for five seats, hoping to win the votes of people across 11 counties. It's a diverse area where would-be MEPs have to field a wide range of issues on the doorsteps, and is a crucial battleground to win the agricultural vote. It's the latest constituency to be profiled by the new season of The Can...

WE'RE NOW LESS than three weeks away from polling day in the crucial European elections, but it can be difficult parse for voters when it's such a crowded field of candidates angling for votes across three constituencies, two of which span the majority of Ireland. The Journal's politics podcast, The Candidate, returns for a new season as part of the EU 2024 Explained series. The podcast delves int...

Our final episode brings TheJournal.ie readers closer to Green Party leader Eamon Ryan. Here, we give you a chance to find out more about what Ryan's party stands for before we go to the polls tomorrow. For this episode of The Candidate podcast, our Political Correspondent Christina Finn sat down with Eamon Ryan and discussed his hopes for a greener government this year. Hosted on Acast. See acast...

Our latest episode brings TheJournal.ie readers closer to Sinn Féin leader, Mary Lou McDonald. Here, we give you a chance to find out more about what McDonald's party stands for before we go to the polls on Saturday. For this episode of The Candidate podcast, our Political Correspondent Christina Finn sat down with the Sinn Féin leader and discussed the murder of Paul Quinn, the reference to "shad...

Our latest episode brings TheJournal.ie readers closer to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, leader of Fine Gael. Here, we give you a chance to find out more about what Varadkar's party stands for before we go to the polls on Saturday. For this episode of The Candidate podcast, our Political Correspondent Christina Finn sat down with the Taoiseach and discussed housing, childcare and his regrets over the cer...

Our latest episode brings TheJournal.ie readers closer to People Before Profit's Richard Boyd Barrett, giving you a chance to find out more about what his party stands for before we go to the polls on Saturday. For this episode of The Candidate podcast, Political Correspondent Christina Finn sat down with Barrett and discussed the housing crisis, land hoarding, banks and his dabbing dance moves in...

Our latest episode brings TheJournal.ie readers closer to Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín, giving you a chance to find out more about what his party stands for before we go to the polls on Saturday. For this episode of The Candidate podcast, Political Correspondent Christina Finn sat down with Tóibín and discussed social issues, hospital exclusion zones and Sinn Féin. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/pri...

Our latest episode brings TheJournal.ie readers closer to Catherine Murphy, joint leader of the Social Democrats. Here, we give you a chance to find out more about what Murphy's party stands for before we go to the polls on Saturday. For this episode of The Candidate podcast, our Assistant News Editor Laura Byrne sat down with Murphy and discussed housing, childcare and how she believes young peop...