The Mick Clifford Podcast

Prison overcrowding has become a serious problem, with prisoners sleeping on mattresses and dangerous conditions prevailing. So is it time to ramp up efforts to find an alternative to prison, particularly for those who are sentenced to a year or less. The Irish Penal Reform Trust has done extensive research into offending, sentences and conditions in prison and have produced submissions and propos...

Niall Muldoon is the ombudsman for children. His role gives him a perfect view into the problems that afflict the lives of children, right across society, down along the socio economic ladder, but particularly for those who are most vulnerable. He shared some very interesting insights into child poverty, issues around education and whether his office has enough powers to effect change. Hosted on A...

Electrify now: Hannah Daly The loss of electric power in some parts of the country following last week’s storm has brought into focus the whole way in which we source our electricity and particularly whether it is sustainable. Hannah Daly, professor of sustainable energy in UCC talks about how there is a more sustainable route to getting our electricity and ensuring that the scenes we witnessed th...

Micheal Martin was elected Taoiseach this week at the second time of asking. First he, the Dail and the wider public had to endure the spectacle of attempts to elect a Taoiseach ending in chaos. But was it self-inflicted or if not whose fault was it and does it auger for a new type of politics in the coming years. Irish Examiner Political Editor Elaine Loughlin joins this week’s podcast.  &nb...

As Donald Trump is inaugurated as the next president of the United States, we look at what the world can expect. Will Trump 2.0 differ greatly from first time around and if so will it be more dangerous? Will this country get caught in the spokes of his apparently free wheeling plans? Joining the podcast to map out the road ahead is Scott Lucas, Professor of US politics at UCD.  Hosted on Acas...

Carlow Weather is a twitter handle that many might be aware of as a place to go for a usually on-the-ball weather forecast. Its operator Alan O’Reilly is now probably one of the best forecasters in the country albeit one who is not a meteorologist. So how does he do it? When did he start? And what kind of a Summer can we expect before rooting around in the attic for the oul buckets and spades. Ala...

The issue of whether prison does what it was designed to do has been popping up regularly in recent years. Does it work? Does it provide rehabilitation? Are we imprisoning too many or for crimes that don’t merit such a penalty. Irish Examiner investigative reporter Ann Murphy has looked at one case of a man who has over 500 convictions and who has been in and out of the system for decades. She als...

Irish Examiner reporter Sean Murray joins Mick to chew over some of the big stories from 2024, from failed referendums to shock resignations, from foregone conclusions to an earthquake election. And then there was the story that showed our capacity in this country to act the ejit and never know when to stop. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tis the season to huddle around family, friends and community, but what of those who are exiled far from home? Many Irish people spend Christmas overseas, some by choice, others through necessity, but one group do so in the interests of keeping peace. Ireland’s defence forces personnel are based in various hotspots, but particularly the Middle East. So what is Christmas like for them, and their fa...

From an early age Ciaran Prior was exposed to the spectre of premature death but once he joined An Garda Siochana it became part of his job. Mid career Ciaran became a member of the first regional crime scene investigation units and in that capacity he became a frequent sight at scenes of serious crimes including murder. His book Traces Of Truth is both a police procedural and a personal reflectio...

The election is over, the votes counted, seats filled. So what now? The people have spoken but what have they said? How long will it take to put a government together? Joining the podcast to look briefly over the election and into the future is Gary Murphy, the head of DCU’s Department of government and politics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s the second day of the general election count, the period in which the whole picture clears up to present the reality of the next Dail. Irish Examiner Political Editor Elaine Loughlin joins Mick to sketch out the national picture and who are the big winners and losers. She will also talk about the rise over the two days of the count of the candidacy of Gerry ‘the Monk’ Hutch and how it all fel...

Irish Examiner Political Editor Elaine Loughlin and Special Correspondent Mick Clifford give their analysis of the key stories emerging from the GE24 Election Count as the day continues to throw up some surprises across the country.   Keep up with all that’s happening in count centres across the country in our General Election hub Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informati...

With just a few days to polling day we take a final look at the campaign with Irish Examiner political correspondent, Paul Hosford. Who to look out for? Who is up and who is down? What shape will the next coalition take? Are we there yet? Tune in and kick back Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted by Irish Examiner columnist  Mick Clifford , the Election Watch podcast brings UCC experts and students together to examine topics that matter to students ahead of the 2024 General Election. This is the third part of the special podcast series coming directly from the UCC campus as we hear from a generation who could shape the result of this General Electi...

With just a week left before polling day, we take a look at where everybody and everything stands in the general election campaign. Has any issue really emerged to shape the narrative? Who is having a good election? Who is not? And which entities are most likely to form the next government. Irish Examiner Political Editor Elaine Loughlin joins the podcast to give the rundown on where exactly we ar...

As polling day gets closer, the Irish Examiner and University College Cork have teamed up to present the Election Watch podcast. Have young people lost faith in Ireland’s politics? Is housing the number one issue this election? Will climate conversations really come up on the doorstep? Hosted by Irish Examiner columnist Mick Clifford, this podcast brings UCC experts and students together to examin...

Showtime was what political guru PJ Mara once described as the start of a general election campaign but how is this one going? We have had skirmishes, Michael O’Leary, housing and cost of living. Where do we go from here and what impact could AI have on this election. UCC political scientist Theresa Reidy joins the podcast to discuss. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As polling day gets closer, the Irish Examiner and University College Cork have teamed up to present the Election Watch podcast. Have young people lost faith in Ireland’s politics? Is housing the number one issue this election? Will climate conversations really come up on the doorstep? Hosted by Irish Examiner columnist Mick Clifford, this podcast brings UCC experts and students together to examin...

The posters have been printed, the canvassing routes worked out. The Taoiseach has made the call, the Dail has risen. Here comes general election 20204 with a handful of questions. How is everybody fixed? Who is going to win, who is going to lose and who will surprise us all. Irish Examiner political editor Elaine Loughlin joins the podcast to take a look at how the runners and riders at looking a...

Donald Trump won the US presidential election in what many are describing as the greatest comeback in US political history. But how did he, a convicted felon, a man deemed by a civil court as sex abuser, a politician who induced multitudes to falsely believe that the electoral system in the USA was rigged. And what will a Trump presidency bring to the country and the wider world. Scott Lucas, Prof...

The Mick Clifford Podcast: US election on a knife edge - but who will win? Having gauged the temperature on both sides heading into next week's US presidential election, Mick Clifford tells Sean Murray about his experience at rallies for both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, rates both their chances and describes where this most pivotal of ballots could be won and lost.  Hosted on Acast. See a...

This week’s podcast comes from Pennsylvania, where Mick has gone to take the temperature and see what makes MAGA tick. We have contributions from some of those who attended a major Trump rally last Saturday in the crucial state and we also have an interview with Ray Wrabley, Professor and Vice President of Academic Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh, Johnstown, that gives a fascinating insigh...

Catherine Cleary had spent her working life in journalism when in 2020 she gave it all up to grow trees. With a friend she set up a company called pocket forests, a social enterprise which caters for planting native trees and shrubs in small urban areas. She and her family also began looking for land in the west of Ireland where it might be possible to grow a forest. Her journey over the last four...

In this week’s podcast focusing on the US election we look at whether having other candidates or issues on the ballot paper can impact on the vote for those running for president. Senate and House of Representative seats are up for grabs in this election and the party that emerges with the majority in each house will be in the driving seat for the next term. Also the issue of abortion is on the ba...