The Dark State

The recent drone incursion off the coast of Dublin during President Zelensky's visit exposed gaping failures in Ireland's ability to protect the state and visiting heads of state. The former air corps pilot Kevin Phipps and the former naval commander Tony Geraghty join John Mooney to discuss the details of the incident, the government's response, public perception, and the implications for militar...

The Russian spy ship Yantar is now heading for Irish waters. Purpose-built for clandestine undersea operations, it specialises in covert seabed missions. I’m resharing this interview with Aaron Amick, a retired US Navy sonarman who served with America’s subsurface fleet.

Dr Kacper Rekawek discusses Russia's use of organised crime gangs to conduct hybrid warfare across Europe. The conversation explores how Russia utilizes criminal networks to achieve its geopolitical objectives, the implications for European security, and the specific threats faced by Ireland.

In this episode of The Dark State, John Mooney is joined by James Nixey, an expert in international relations and security affairs at the Royal Institute of International Affairs in London, to dissect the looming threat posed by Russia to Europe and its implications for Ireland. From Russia's geopolitical goals to the role of hybrid warfare and Ireland's vulnerabilities, this episode explores the...

In this episode of The Dark State, John Mooney talks to Bruce Hoffman and Jacob Ware, authors of God, Guns, and Sedition: Far Right Terrorism in America. The guests provide an overview of their book, exploring the roots and contemporary manifestations of white supremacy. They discuss the perception of white supremacy as a threat to democracy, its evolution over time, and the role of technology in...

John Mooney talks to Calder Walton, one of the world’s leading intelligence and national security scholars, about his ground-breaking book, Spies: The Epic Intelligence War Between East and West. The conversation extends beyond historical analysis as Walton draws pertinent parallels to the present geopolitical landscape, offering valuable insights and lessons applicable to the contemporary challen...

John Mooney speaks to the former government advisor and Irish Times columnist Gerard Howlin about the government's handling of immigration. Will anti-immigrant campaigners run for election and eat into the Sinn Fein vote? This is the first of two podcasts on the issue.

Join host John Mooney for a compelling conversation with Eoin Keary of Edgescan as they delve into the critical landscape of cybersecurity in Ireland. Keary also sheds light on Edgescan's mission to fortify Irish businesses against cyber threats and shares his expert projections, forecasting the emerging cyber threats anticipated to surface in 2024.

The Far Right managed to encourage hundreds of people to engage in violence and looting in Dublin city on Thursday night. Gardai were attacked, buses set on fire and shops looted. John Mooney speaks to Ciaran O'Connor from the Institute for Stratedgic Dialogue about what happened, how it was organised online and what's likely to happen next.

John Mooney talks to Aaron Edwards of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst about the UVF statement ordering its East Belfast Brigade to stand down.

John Mooney talks to the Fianna Fail senator Lisa Chambers on the likely appointment of an external candidate to protect Ireland's national security.

John Mooney talks to Barry Flynn about Operation Harvest, the IRA Border Campaign 1956 - 1962. Flynn is the author of Soldiers of Folly.

There have been many different IRAs but where does the name come from and when did it become associated with terrorism. John Mooney talks to Dr Séan Ó Duibhir.

The Garda Representative Association (GRA) says morale is on the floor promptring gardai to retire early or in some cases resign. John Mooney talks to Laura Young about why she quit the force.

Why do criminals seek out attention and publicity?

John Mooney talks to Roy McComb, the former deputy director of Britain's National Crime Agency about the fallout from the online publication of the names, ranks and posting of every police officer and police staff in Northern Ireland.

John Mooney and Aaron Edwards of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst discuss the accidential disclosure of information about all of the Police Service of Northern Ireland's serving officers and staff. What are the ramifications?

Liu Jianchao, a senior figure in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) who stands accused of heading up the illegal repatriation of pro-democracy activists who oppose the regime, visited Ireland last month to meet a government minister, politicians and a think tank. What was the purpose of his visit? John Mooney talks to Laura Harth of Safeguard Defenders.

John Mooney talks to James Doherty about the history and evolution of Irish smuggling from the 1700s to modern times.

Reposting this episode of the Dark State from last year which covered the not so secret agreetment which allows the Royal Air Force to protect Irish skies. Our guest is George Allison of the UK Defence Journal who spoke about Ireland's inability to patrol its own airspace.

John Mooney talks to Joanne Stocker, a defence analyst at Storyful about the leaking of highly classified US intelligence documents.

John Mooney talks to Eoin McNamara about Finland's membership of the Alliance

John Mooney talks to Mark Randell about dog fighting and other types of serious crime involving animals. Randell is a former anti-terrorist officer who now trains law enforcement in animal crime.

John Mooney and Aaron Edwards of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst provide analysis on the New IRA attack on DCI John Caldwell.

John Mooney talks to Raffaello Pantucci about the relationship between China and the EU. Pantucci also provides insight into the worsening relations between Beijing and Washington, and those spy balloons.