The Explainer

Donald Trump is back in the White House. Some are rejoicing, others can't bear to look. This week, Larry Donnelly — law lecturer at the University of Galway and a political columnist with The Journal — gives us a quick overview of the main talking points from the past few days. What are Trump's priorities, and what does it tell us about the coming four years? And what opposition, if anything, will...

Take a look around an Irish charity shop, and it won't be long before you find clothes from Shein. They might be completely unworn, still with their label on them. The e-commerce giant is having a huge impact on the world of clothing, causing an influx of cheap, almost disposable clothing at an unprecedented scale, driven by ease of purchase and, sometimes, the dopamine hit of a big clothes haul....

Elon Musk has been an almost ever-present figure beside Donald Trump. Initially a supportive donor, he was elevated to a much higher standing soon after Trump’s victory — and it became clear that Musk has an agenda and aims to disrupt. He has big plans to upend the US civil service, but has now been garnering huge attention on this side of the Atlantic for his interventions in the politics of...

Another year coming to an end means another year of explanations to look back on. This week on The Explainer, presenter Laura Byrne takes a look back at what we've covered over the past 12 months, where our reporters and guests have demonstrated their eye for detail and ability to break down complex stories in a clear and easy-to-understand way. That ranges from Israel's attacks on Lebanon to gend...

Larry Donnelly, Boston lawyer and law lecturer at the University of Galway, joins us to look at the world of US politics in 2024, and examines what 2025 might hold. Now that the dust has settled, what went wrong for the Democrats in the election? What might Biden's legacy be? And will Trump be more effective during this second term in the White House? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for mor...

Counselling psychologist and lecturer in TU Dublin Leslie Shoemaker joins us to examine how we can make this busy time of the year less of a handful. What are the best ways of taking some of the pressure off yourself? How do you navigate around those tricky family tensions? And how can parents manage the expectations of children? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Homes built near the sea have always been at risk as coastlines moves closer and closer — and in our warming climate, rising sea levels will become an increasing reality. The Journal Investigates has examined the scale of this in Ireland, revealing that the number of homes at risk of falling into the sea due to coastal erosion has increased 173% in just five years. Reporter Patricia Devlin joins u...

Dr Cara Augustenborg, assistant professor in Environmental Policy at UCD, joins us to look at the fallout from the Green Party's collapse in the 2024 general election. Roderic O'Gorman survived as the party's sole TD in the Dáil. How did this happen to a party when the climate is at the forefront of so many people's minds? Which party is best placed to fill that void and take the action that is ne...

With the 2024 general election just around the corner, we're revisiting a valuable episode from earlier this year: Virgin Media's political correspondent Gavan Reilly sits down with us to explain what exactly proportional representation with a single transferable vote (PR-STV) is all about. Do you need to give a preference to every candidate listed on a ballot paper? How and when do preferences be...

It's now more than 1,000 days after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and there are signs that the conflict is taking on a new dimension. The use of Western-supplied long-range missiles by Ukraine on targets within Russia led to renewed sabre-rattling from Vladimir Putin, sparking questions over whether Moscow could consider using nuclear weapons. But how much has actually changed on the ground? What...

After weeks of what felt like endless speculation, the Taoiseach Simon Harris finally put us out of our misery last week (with a bit of a jump on him by Micheál Martin) and announced that the election will take place on Friday 29 November. Since then, the posters went up in jig time and every party has been out campaigning with gusto. There’s not a baby not kissed or a chance to jive missed since...

You likely saw the images from Dublin city centre last week: hundreds of people lining O’Connell Street on Halloween night, all eagerly awaiting a promised parade. It soon became apparent that something was amiss… there was no parade and these people had been duped by online misinformation. The Journal’s FactCheck Editor Stephen McDermott joins us to examine how this happened, and how the rise of...

We’re joined by our own political columnist, Larry Donnelly who is a law lecturer at the University of Galway, to check in on the final days of the race for the White House. Trump and Harris have duked it out across the US in recent weeks in an attempt to woo voters, but the polls continue to indicate that this race is closer than ever. So what is making voters tick right now? What do they want to...

We're joined by Dr Shelley Deane, researcher at DCU’s School of Law and Government, to examine the deepening crisis in southern Lebanon following Israel's invasion. The UN has maintained a presence in the region since the late 1970s and members of the Irish Defence Forces continue to play a significant role in that mission. They are now under almost unprecedented threat. Israel's focus is on elimi...

If asked to name some things we know about Nepal, most of us would probably say Mount Everest. The next might actually be landslides. The country is plagued by them. They can often be deadly, killing people, destroying homes and villages and disappearing entire road networks. Because of their prevalence in Nepal, there has to be constant vigilance and massive preparedness for when they actually ha...

One of the most successful BBC TV shows, Strictly Come Dancing, is back on air for its 20th year after it was rocked by a summer of in-house scandals. An investigation into harmful work practices was launched by the BBC when two of Strictly's two professional dancers, Italians Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima, were accused of bullying and inappropriate behaviour during rehearsal sessions. Bo...

The Budget has been dubbed a giveaway — but will it really make that much of a difference to your pocket? Barra Roantree from TCD's Department of Economics joins us to examine whether the tax decreases and once-off payments will help those who need it the most and how there is a chance it could add fuel to an overheating economy. Who stands to gain from the changes, and what were the most interest...

Puff Daddy, P Diddy, Diddy, Love or Sean Combs — many of us would have grown up with the numerous names of that rapper over the last 30 years or so. The 54-year-old music producer, businessman and global celebrity is in federal custody in the United States, awaiting trial for a number of serious charges, including sex trafficking and racketeering. The charges come on the back of a broad federal in...

The 42's Gavin Cooney joins us to examine where it all went wrong for Casement Park. The redevelopment of one of Northern Ireland's largest stadiums was on the table until the UK government pulled the plug on promised funding. Will Northern Ireland still have a role when the UK and Ireland host the Euros in 2028? And is there still hope for those who want to see the stadium returned to its former...

The village of Dundrum in Co Tipperary has been the site of protests and division in recent months over the housing of international protection applicants. To look at exactly is happening on the ground — and, after similar incidents elsewhere, what the government can learn from the approach it has taken — we're by our reporter Eoghan Dalton, who has reported extensively from Dundrum in recent mont...

To look at what emergencies can tell us about how connected, or not, our healthcare systems are, we're joined on this week's episode of The Explainer by Jean Paul Jemmy, a health expert specialising in nutrition with European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations. He has been a humanitarian worker for the last three decades with direct experience in healthcare in conflict-affected areas...

The numbers alone stopped the country in its tracks this week: 2,395 allegations of sexual abuse of children in schools run by religious orders. 844 alleged abusers. 308 schools. 42 religious orders. A new report revealed stories of abuse across many schools. But how are we back here again? And has enough changed to stop it from happening again? We're joined by Dr Joe Mooney, an assistant professo...

Tech journalist and author Chris Stokel-Walker joins us to examine what's going on with messaging app Telegram and its owner Pavel Durov. Telegram is touted as a secure, privacy-focused app, and while that is appealing to many and useful in countries where free speech is curtailed, it has also led to the platform being used as a base for a range of illegal content and activities. Durov was arreste...

This week, The Journal has published a series of in-depth interviews with a number of victims of convicted paedophile, Michael Shine. Editor Sinéad O'Carroll joins to explain why they are waiving their anonymity to call for a public inquiry. 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...

Arts writer and Sunday Times columnist Aoife Barry joins us to explore the world of Kneecap. The bilingual hip hop trio are surging in popularity, changing attitudes towards the Irish language while drawing both praise and consternation (depending on which Northern Irish tradition you talk to) along the way. Now, with the release of their semi-fictional biopic, they're set to make an even bigger m...