The Explainer

There has been a lot of attention on Irish cows recently. In this episode, head of economics at Teagasc Trevor Donnellan and our reporter Orla Dwyer, live from the Cop26 climate summit, join us to explain why. How many cows are there in Ireland, why are they dominating headlines, how much do they contribute to Irish emissions, and what can be done to make cattle farming more sustainable? We also t...

In another episode by Noteworthy, Susan Daly speaks to reporter Maria Delaney and Anne Marie Quilligan – a social care worker for the Tipperary Rural Traveller Project - about the findings of the team's latest investigation into supports for Traveller children. This forms part of the recent TOUGH START investigation by Noteworthy and The Journal which revealed poor outcomes and lack of supports fo...

Our Political Correspondent Christina Finn and Aidan Regan, associate professor at UCD, join us on this week's episode to examine what comes next for Sinn Féin. The party has performed well in recent opinion polls, but what challenges remain between now and the next general election - due to be held in 2025 - for it to lead the next government? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Provi...

Authors Sophie White and Alice Taylor join us to explain how they entered the world of publishing, share tips for would-be book writers, and answer the all-important question - can you make a living from it? Both Sophie and Alice are nominated for Best Irish Published Book of the Year, The Journal's sponsored category at the 2021 Irish Book Awards. The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. P...

Nicky Ryan, author of The Journal's coronavirus newsletter, and Dr Gerald Barry, assistant professor of virology at UCD, join us on this week's episode to examine the latest concerning rise in the number of Covid cases. How much pressure are hospitals under, what could the next few months look like, and why is having 94% of adults fully vaccinated not enough to stop the spread of the virus? The Ex...

The 42's Gavin Cooney joins us on this week's episode to examine Stephen Kenny's role as manager of the Republic of Ireland men's soccer team - why is he proving so controversial, just how poorly has the team performed recently, and how has he retained so much support from fans? The Explainer is brought to you by The Journal. Providing open access to valuable journalism in Ireland has been the aim...

In another episode by Noteworthy, Susan Daly speaks to journalist Ella McSweeney and reporter Niall Sargent about how the EU's agri-subsidies (Common Agricultural Policy, CAP) are encouraging farmers to cut back on nature. 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 ensur...

Our reporter Gráinne Ní Aodha and immigration journalist CJ McKinney join us this week to look at how post-Brexit Britain is handling migration. They share insights from the latest instalment of The Good Information Project, which looked at everything from what the situation is for EU citizens living in the UK, to the issues behind the shortage of HGV drivers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privac...

Washington Post reporter Brittany Shammas and our producer Aoife Barry join us to discuss how recent high-profile murders raise questions about the media's handling of missing person cases. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most people will have heard some talk recently about household energy bills rising and the shortage of natural gas. This week, Sinéad O’Carroll speaks to The Journal's business reporter Ian Curran and Muireann Á Lynch of the ESRI about the perfect storm of events both in Ireland and internationally that have brought us to a winter of energy shortages. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for mor...

Yes, we're talking about Christmas in September. Our reporter Ian Curran joins us to discuss the strains facing global supply chains and how it could result in some items being hard to find during the busy winter retail season. And it's not just Covid to blame - semiconductors, pallets, and our old friend the Ever Given are in the mix too. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informatio...

Space expert Leo Enright joins us on this week's episode to look up at the heavens, and examine what role Ireland plays in getting more stuff up there. We discuss how space technology can benefit us on Earth, the ins and outs of how Ireland's first satellite will work, and how we have Dublin's Royal Canal to thank for a fundamental element of space travel. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy fo...

In a bonus episode, brought to you by our investigative team at Noteworthy, Susan Daly chats with reporter Niall Sargent about the state of Ireland’s biodiversity and what needs to be done to better protect it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Peter Bodkin, formerly of this parish but now editor of AAP Factcheck in Sydney, joins us to look at how Australia is handling its latest Covid outbreak. What is life like right now, how is the vaccine rollout going, and what does Delta mean for Covid Zero strategies? We also take a look at what level of misinformation there is down under. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informatio...

As Afghanistan descends further into an uncertain future, we're joined by Heather Barr, associate director of the women's rights division at Human Rights Watch, to look at what lies ahead for women in the country. Barr, who lived in Afghanistan between 2007 and 2013, shares her insights on what life was like before the US-led invasion, to what extent the situation improved for women since then, an...

Journalist John Gibbons and our reporter Lauren Boland join us on this week's episode to look at the recent stark report on climate change from the IPCC and what it means for Ireland. Are Ireland's targets enough for the country to play its part in reducing global emissions, is it even worthwhile if other larger nations fail to do their bit, and what's the best way to help at an individual level?...

Our reporter Lauren Boland joins us to examine how Ireland went from having an expansive rail network, with thousands of kilometres of track, to some counties having little or no access to rail services at all. Was it all just cutbacks or were consumer habits at play as well? Also, what's the future for Ireland's railways? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Radio Free Europe's Moscow correspondent Matthew Luxmoore joins us on this week's episode to examine Belarus and the hold of 'Europe's last dictator' on the country. We look at who Alexander Lukashenko is as well as the background to recent high-profile incidents like the grounding of a Ryanair flight in Minsk and the mysterious death of an opposition activist in Ukraine. Hosted on Acast. See acas...

Author and former editor of The Observer Magazine Ruaridh Nicoll joins us from Havana to examine what sparked recent widespread protests in Cuba. He shares what life is like on the island right now, how we likely haven't seen the end of the protests, as well as what exactly the people of Cuba want. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David Blevins, senior Ireland correspondent with Sky News, joins us on this week's episode to examine proposals to ban prosecutions for killings that took place during the Troubles - what's the exact aim, what do the families of victims want instead, and how has it caused some rare unity among parties in Northern Ireland? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Travel writer Eoghan Corry and our producer Nicky Ryan look ahead to holidays in 2021 - how will the Digital Covid Certificate work, will I have to quarantine, and what is it actually like to holiday in other EU countries right now? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our senior reporter Michelle Hennessy joins us to delve into the mica scandal. What exactly is it, how has it impacted the homes - and lives - of those affected, and what are the issues with the support available? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our reporter Gráinne Ní Aodha sets us straight on everything to do with the new National Maternity Hospital - why is the hospital moving, who will be in control of it, and what are the top clinicians saying? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

TCD virus expert Dr Kim Roberts and our senior reporter Michelle Hennessy join us to explain just how much more contagious the Delta variant of the coronavirus is, what the latest data on vaccine efficacy tells us, and why it appears to be a matter of time before it becomes the dominant variant of the virus in Ireland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

BBC Radio Foyle's Dominic McGrath and our own Gráinne Ní Aodha join us to discuss the latest Brexit spat and why it's being dubbed a sausage trade war. How could it be resolved, what is the fallout going to be, and why does it come at such a bad time for Northern Irish politics? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.