The Indo Daily

Carrie Jade Williams. Sadie Harris. Lucy Fitzwilliams. Jade Cookes. Samantha Black. Rebecca Fitzgerald. ­ These are just some of the fabricated identities used by serial con artist Samantha Cookes. ­ In 2024, her Walter Mitty-style life finally collapsed as online communities, journalists and a WhatsApp group of victims cross-referenced the inconsistencies in her story, joining the dots that autho...

A woman in her 50s, who has been arrested by gardaí investigating the disappearance and murder of Kyran Durnin, was known to the young boy and has had multiple previous interactions with gardaí about his disappearance. Gardaí said in a statement that the woman was arrested on Monday morning and a new search was underway at a house in Drogheda. She is the third suspect to be arrested in the case of...

Irish woman Annalouise Spence stands accused of fraud that resulted in an incredible spending spree to the tune of $1.6m. Ms Spence previously worked as a private secretary for Australian billionaire philanthropist Judith Neilson. Spence is currently behind bars, charged with 68 counts of dishonestly obtaining property by deception, with premium concert tickets, opulent hotel bookings and high-fas...

This episode of The Indo Daily is brought to you by our sister podcast Indo Politics . ­ A “just delighted” Daniel Ennis of the Social Democrats is racing ahead in the Dublin Central by-election, leaving rival candidates from heavyweight parties in the dust. ­ A historic day for the Social Democrats proved to be a difficult one for both Sinn Féin and Fianna Fáil as Mary Lou McDonald and Micheál Ma...

On a cold winter night in December 2000 Sandra Collins went missing from a small fishing village in Mayo. Five days later, her fleece was found on a local pier, but despite extensive searches, no other trace of Sandra has ever been found. There have been arrests, trials, and even a reclassification to murder, yet the case endures as one of Ireland’s most tragic and unsolved mysteries. Crime World’...

How many encores can one scandal have? There were more fireworks as RTÉ director general Kevin Bakhurst and his executives found themselves brought before yet another tense Oireachtas Media Committee. Emotions were high as the payment status of late Arena presenter Seán Rocks and the perilous situation of his family were brought to light and challenged. Elsewhere, similar question marks were appli...

In May 2018, the body of 18-year-old Cameron Reilly was found by a dog walker in a field in County Louth. Local teenager Aaron Connolly was eventually convicted of murder four years later. This week, his conviction was quashed and a retrial could be granted. On this episode of The Indo Daily, senior journalist with the Irish Independent Conor Feehan joins host Kevin Doyle to review the case and th...

Somehow, the Brexit Wars have returned. As a defiant Keir Starmer barely clings on to his throne at 10 Downing Street, former health secretary Wes Streeting has thrown the cat among the pigeons by calling Brexit a “catastrophic mistake” and implying that Britain should indeed rejoin the EU.  The resurrected debate is obviously of interest to us here on this side of the Irish Sea. But, 10 years on,...

Just a heads-up: This episode contains references to suicide and suicidal ideation, so please take care when listening . In December of 2019, the body of Moira Killeen was discovered in her apartment in the Belair distract of Luxembourg. Her death quickly became a matter of dispute. On one side, the medical examiner cited Ms Killeen's death as “violent and suspicious”. On the other, the prosecutor...

Tattle Life is a self-described “commentary website”.  Supporters of the site say it’s free speech, protects consumers, and that influencers are fair game, with the website saying it has a zero-tolerance policy to any abusive, hateful or harmful content. But critics claim users have published private documents, that the site facilitates vile and cruel trolling – even stalking.    La...

In the wake of a new payments scandal, RTÉ Director-General Kevin Bakhurst has defended the broadcaster's decision to reclassify presenter Derek Mooney as a producer back in 2020 and said the move was not a side deal. How big of an embarrassment is this development for RTÉ? How resilient will it be moving forward? And is it losing the hotly-contested radio war?  Host: Dave Hanratty  Gues...

Former taoiseach Bertie Ahern has stood by comments he made in a viral clip of him saying “there are too many” immigrants coming into Ireland. ­ In an exclusive interview with The Indo Daily, he told Kevin Doyle he believed he was “speaking privately” while the clip was being recorded, and he was being recorded without his knowledge. Mr Ahern told The Indo Daily he rejects racism “in all its forms...

In a wide-ranging interview Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan speaks to Political Editor Mary Regan and Political Correspondent Cónal Thomas about migration, Bertie Ahern's controversial comments on migrants and the long wait to become Fianna Fáil leader. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In March 2009, mechanic Liam ‘Blackie’ Murray was found dead in his bed, having been shot four times. Murray was keenly aware of threats on his life, yet his murder has left Gardaí puzzled for the past 17 years. This week, new searches took place in Dublin as investigators tried to finally crack the case. ­ Host : Kevin Doyle Guest : Ken Foy ­ We want to earn your trust and are members of the Trus...

Within publican circles few names carry the same weight or shine as the Chawkes. Led by pub mogul and family patriarch Charlie, the family have amassed a catalogue of some of Ireland's biggest public houses. But now a late-night incident in a hotel bar involving two of his children has put the Chawke name into the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Host: Fionnán Sheahan, Guests: David Raleigh an...

This week, Fianna Fáil turns the ripe old age of 100. But is the house that Éamon de Valera built in disarray? Irish Independent  political correspondent John Downing reckons “they’re a very pale, poor shadow of what they were”. So, how did Dev shape the party in the first place? How did Seán Lemass modernise Ireland? Why d...

The Rose of Tralee can mean many things to many people – proud symbol of Irish culture, outdated "lovely girls" competition, or a bit of craic to throw on the TV once a year. For others, it can hold incredibly strong sentimental attachment. Such was the case for US businessman Dick Henggeler, who significantly invested in Kerry following the death of his daughter Dorothy, who competed in the 2011...

Deepfake pornography is emerging as one of the most urgent challenges in the ever-evolving environment of artificial intelligence. ­ Now, the European Union’s landmark AI Act aims to tackle harmful AI-generated content. But, as ever, there are wider tensions around regulating the tech industry. Can this new initiative possibly stem the tide of highly problematic X-rated content? Host: Adrian Weckl...

It has been strongly indicated that fuel supports will be a major factor in this year’s Budget, while we’ve recently learnt that Ireland’s electricity costs are way above the European average. Elsewhere, by-election buzz is building as polls mark the way, and Gerry Hutch stands accused of evoking Donald Trump as he finally outlines his policies. Host: Fionnán Sheahan Guest:&nbs...

The murder of 14‑year‑old Ana Kriegel remains one of the most disturbing crimes in Irish history. In May 2018, Ana was lured from her home by a local boy. Three days later, her body was found in a derelict house – naked and violently assaulted. Two boys, just 13 years old at the time of the killing, were the youngest in the State to be tried, and convicted, of murder. Eight years on, Irish Indepen...

When Katie Simpson died in 2020 at the age of 21, her death was initially treated as suicide. Showjumping trainer Jonathan Creswell was later charged with her murder, though he took his own life in 2024 as his trial got underway. Now, a review into how Ms Simpson’s death was handled by the Police Service of Northern Ireland has found numerous investigative faults and has detailed “institutional mi...

It has been 35 days since luxury cruise liner MV Hondius set sail from Argentina, taking passengers on a once-in-a-lifetime expedition. For those on board, there’s no end in sight to quarantine conditions following a hantavirus outbreak. But what is hantavirus, what are the public health concerns, and what happens when a cruise liner has fatalities at sea? Host: Fionnán Sheahan | Guests: Laura Lyn...

To begin to understand the machinations and methods of the Hennessy organised crime outfit, you turn to a grim and unforgettable image: that of Barry Moore, who was lured to a house, brutally tortured, and branded with the word ‘rat’. That incident was the result of a series of violent events that created an atmosphere of intense paranoia within the Hennessy gang. With key members now in prison, d...

Proud sons of Tipperary Johnny B and Johnny Smacks are a bona fide comedy phenomenon, boasting 750,000 listeners a week – not to mention numerous other strings to their lucrative bow. Speaking of, the pair are going private, putting their considerable finances behind closed doors. So, how did they climb to the top of the mountain? Host: Katie Byrne Guest: Darragh Nolan See omnystudio.com/listener...

A purposely audacious speed-read, The Shortest History of Ireland attempts to condense the story of this country into just 250 pages. Not only that, author James Hawes has set out to challenge the recorded history of Ireland and debunk some popular myths along the way. Was there more to the murderous Oliver Cromwell than we think? Did Éamon de Valera really sign a book of condolences for Adolf Hit...