The country’s leader for 16 years, Putin puppet Viktor Orban, was ousted in a decisive election, to be replaced at the helm by his former party colleague Peter Magyar.

But who is Magyar and what does this mean for Europe?

Euronews reporter and Irish Examiner columnist Shona Murray has been following Orban for more than a decade – she's the guest on today’s episode.

Who is Péter Magyar: Hungary’s next leader energised voters but is ‘a dark horse’

Read Mick Clifford’s pre-election feature here: Russia and White House doing all they can to prop up Viktor Orbán

Listen to Shona speaking to Mick before the election last week: The Mick Clifford Podcast - Irish Examiner

Shona Murray: EU faced with Russian trojan horse if Orbán gets re-elected

Roderic O’Gorman: Budapest Pride was a rebuke to Orbán, we must keep an eye on his response

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Irish society was rocked by the discovery of two dead babies in different parts of County Kerry in 1984. One of those babies, named John by the local undertaker, was found with stab wounds on the White Strand in Cahirciveen.

Joanne Hayes, from a different part of County Kerry, was wrongly identified as Baby John’s mother by Gardaí and went through a gruelling trial and tribunal, in which she was accused of the biological impossibility of being the mother of both babies, pregnant simultaneously by two different fathers. Her own baby had died of natural causes and been buried on her family farm. Ms Hayes's ordeal finally concluded in 2020 after a State apology and a High Court case.

The investigation into what happened to baby John continues, with a man (60s) and woman (50s) arrested in 2023 following voluntary DNA examinations of the local population.

Reporting this week, the Irish Examiner’s Alison O’Reilly revealed that a file has been sent to the DPP in relation to the case.

Kerry Babies: Gardaí submit file to DPP after 'extensive investigation'

Kerry Babies: Ex-detective says people should not forget 'brutality inflicted on Baby John'  

Timeline: Key events in the Kerry Babies case

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Professor Aoife Foley is chair in Net Zero Infrastructure at the University of Manchester. She has written for the Irish Examiner recently on how the Government can support consumers and businesses through this crisis – without damaging the economy.

While she favours targeted energy supports for at-risk households and the farming, pharma and transport sectors, she believes that universal payments such as those given during the Ukraine energy crisis would be disastrous for the economy.

“It needs to be very, very targeted. It can't be the blanket approach because they need to look at the checks and balances. And that's the key thing - the other thing as well is we really need to focus on onshore and what we can do onshore."

She says Ireland must now prioritise onshore wind, repowering ageing wind infrastructure, and conduct an inventory of all gas and oil industry stocks and stores across all of the UK and Ireland.

Why Ireland’s energy supports are becoming part of the problem

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The grief of their brother’s lonely death was compounded for his family by the knowledge that, after being found, he had spent almost a week in Dublin City Morgue before his family were notified despite evidence of his identity in his home in the Iveagh Gardens sheltered housing facility. 

 Jamie’s body had to be formally identified through matching his DNA with a sample provided by one of his brothers and his remains were in the morgue for 27 days in total before they were released to his family. 

His inquest concluded last week with a verdict of suicide, but the Weldon family still have questions. Jamie’s sister Fiona Weldon is the guest on this week’s Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast. 

Inquest to take place of Waterford man who lay in morgue for almost a month 

Family of Waterford man whose remains were kept in morgue for 27 days complain to Gsoc 

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But the people bearing the brunt of this war are Iranian, and a repressive regime imposing an internet blackout means that we have limited information about their response to this war.  

Dr Mahya Ostovar is an Iranian political activist who has researched opposition movements in the country. An assistant professor at the University of Galway, she wrote for Saturday’s Irish Examiner about how Western anti-war movements are co-opting the Iranian war – and how they don’t speak for Iranian people. 

'Anti-war' groups drown out voices of Iranians opposed to Islamic Republic regime 

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Chris and Rose Murray built the 588sq m (6,220sq ft) house near Navan in 2006 despite being refused planning permission for a bungalow half that size on the site. After five unsuccessful retention bids and three failed appeals to keep the home intact, it was eventually demolished last week. 

While the house has now been demolished, the case divided public opinion enormously and it highlighted the tensions between the planning system, the public, and politicians.  

From the developer who superglued himself to a County Council office to the 11 Dublin councillors who took payments in return for planning permission, our relationship with the rules in Ireland has always been questionable. 

Housing lecturer Lorcan Sirr believes the Irish attitude to planning permission – sin first, seek forgiveness later – is a particular feature of Catholic countries, and that the disrespect shown to the rules by politicians filters down through the general population. 

He’s been writing about this for the Irish Examiner, and he’s the guest on today’s Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast.  

Lorcan Sirr: Meath house the latest example of our disrespect for planning 

Demolition of house built without planning set to continue after court ruling 

End of the line for unauthorised Meath house as demolition finally gets under way 

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Her partner, Adam Corcoran, the father of her children, was found guilty of her murder last week, and will serve a life sentence. 

Corcoran’s behaviour, from the moment he brutally stabbed his 27 year old partner to death and tried to burn her body, to his lies in court, piled “cruelty upon cruelty”, Daena’s brother Callum said afterwards. Callum Walsh described Corcoran’s actions as “demonic”.  

Irish Examiner court reporter Liam Heylin covered the case and he is the guest on today’s podcast.  

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In this episode, we revisit one of the most harrowing criminal cases in recent British history. Journalist Enda Brady joins us to unpack why the case still resonates, how the media covered the unfolding tragedy at the time, and what Huntley’s death means for the legacy of one of the UK’s most infamous crimes.

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However the history of our national symbol is equally contested – who first combined the green, orange and white, whose idea was it, what did it mean and why were other symbols rejected?

Historian John Crotty is the author of a new book on the tricolour.

The tricolour's contested origins show how myths are made

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36 families with nowhere to go would be a crisis in any context, but with record homeless figures, an incident like this in the Housing Minister’s James Browne’s own constituency would have been a political disaster for the government as well as a personal one for all of those concerned.

The uproar compounded when a Ring doorbell video emerged in the days that followed, showing the landlord’s agent stating clearly that the evictions were directly related to the new housing rules.

Following political outcry, Patchflow Ltd, which is owned by two local businesspeople with extensive other interests in the south-east, retracted the eviction notice.

Irish Examiner Acting Political Editor Paul Hosford broke the story. He’s the guest on today’s podcast.

Landlord withdraws eviction notices for 36 households at Wexford housing estate

Doorbell video shows agent linking Wexford eviction notices to new rental rules

Government urged to intervene after 36 Wexford homes given eviction notices

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Last month, Sligo musician Noel Farrell was sentenced to 20 years in prison after being convicted on sample counts of sexually abusing five of his children.

The Central Criminal Court heard how they were neglected, starved, locked in their rooms for days, raped, and beaten – and how after receiving medical treatment for rape-related injuries, they were returned to their father.

Their mother Tessie, a chronic alcoholic, was not believed when she told locals what Farrell was doing to the children and reported him to the Gardaí. The children were removed from her care on the grounds of neglect, but returned to Farrell for unsupervised visits, when he continued raping them.

Sentencing Farrell, Justice Tony Hunt said “One runs out of words in trying to describe the depths plumbed in this particular case. I say this as a way of trying to illustrate how extreme and awful the nature of the facts in this case are.”

Irish Examiner reporter Alison O’Reilly interviewed Amanda, Helen, Jessie and Christopher, four of the Farrell siblings, who say they were repeatedly failed by the State. On today’s episode she describes the court proceedings and the siblings’ reaction to finding justice at last, for them and their mother.

'We were treated for rape-related injuries and still sent back into his care'

Man gets 20 years for sexual abuse of his five children in a 'grotesque breach of parental trust'

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Hundreds of babies died at Bessborough between 1922 and 1994, and the Mother and Baby Homes Commission found they were most likely buried on the sprawling site of the former institution. Their bodies have never been located, and now there are plans to build on the site.

Donal O’Keeffe, reporter with the Irish Examiner and the Echo, was the first to unearth the names of all those babies born at the home whose deaths were registered there or shortly after discharge. The names were listed on an Irish Examiner front page that received worldwide coverage on 13 January 2021.

Despite this and the excavation currently ongoing at the Tuam institution, no dig is planned at Bessborough. Taoiseach Micheál Martin said in the Dáil this week he believes the City Council should have acquired the site for recreational and memorial purposes.

In today’s episode Donal recounts the history of the institution, its infant mortality rate of up to 80% in the 1940s, and the campaign by survivors to memorialise their lost relatives as well as this latest development.

Read Donal’s coverage here:

Plans for 140 new apartments on historic Bessborough site in Cork City approved

Bessborough planning decision shocking for mother and baby home survivors

Michael Moynihan: The prospect of building on Bessborough babies' bones should anger us all

Remembering the names of children who died in Bessborough Mother and Baby Home

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Over 20,000 Irish people live across the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, where US military bases are now being targeted by Iran. According to UAE authorities, three people have been killed in the strikes with a further 68 reported injured.

Over the weekend, the Irish Government warned Irish citizens to shelter in place and register with their local embassies. On Tuesday however Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee said her department was compiling lists of the most vulnerable Irish citizens in the region as the US advised its citizens to leave the Middle East.

Irish Examiner correspondent Colin Sheridan served with UNIFIL in Lebanon, Syria and Israel and regularly writes about Middle Eastern issues. He breaks down who’s who in the conflict, why Israel is targeting Iran, what the regional alliances are and how this conflict may unfold.

Broadcaster John Hayes works for the Saudi-owned news network Al Arabiya in Dubai. Speaking on Monday, he explained how an initial spate of panic-buying on Saturday had abated as the country’s missile defence system kept the skies safe, with tourists enjoying a beach day on Monday as their flights were unable to depart.

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Teacher, commentator and mother to a child with special needs, Ciara Reilly has been writing about the review for the Irish Examiner this week.

With her uniquely multi-faceted perspective on this issue she explains just how the SNA role has evolved since the circular of 2014 which governs the role, how dependent many schools are on their SNA colleagues, and how the hasty cancellation of the review amid political backlash means a missed opportunity to address real issues facing schools.

Read Ciara’s articles:

Ciara Reilly: Power shift behind SNA U-turn exposes Government's weakness

Ciara Reilly: Definition of need has changed to save money on SNAs

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‘I looked out of the window and I saw explosions. I was in Kyiv at the time and I saw explosions going around... you could hear explosions, and people were rushing for the apartments to the parking spot we had, and just packing their bags, kids, all they had, pets, and just leaving immediately.

‘It took me 30 hours just to get away from Kyiv on that day.’

It’s four years today since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It was a day that changed the course of world history, with ripple effects on the lives of ordinary people all over Europe and further afield.

The increasingly brutal and intractable war also has changed Ireland, with almost 120,000 Ukrainians seeking refuge here since the war began. About 84,000 of them mostly women and children, remain in Ireland.

One of those is journalist Liudmyla Bortok, who fled to Cork with the assistance of an Irish colleague, driving across Europe with her elderly father, her teenage son and her cat.

On today’s episode Liudmyla speaks candidly about the personal toll of war, the difficulty caring for vulnerable family members in a time with no instruction manual, the welcome she has received in Ireland, and how Ukraine has dropped down the news agenda over four grinding years of war.

Liudmyla Bortok: Every year we pray for the war to end, and for Russia to leave us alone

'Ireland stands in solidarity with Ukraine' on eve of fourth anniversary of Russian invasion

Four years of Ukraine war: EU leaders battle with Hungary on support

Ukraine is the biggest and most consequential of all the American betrayals

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He has described the conditions in the detention centre as like a "modern-day concentration camp" but, since his story came to the public's attention, reports have emerged relating to Mr Culleton's past including his estranged daughters and cases before the courts.

While he has been granted a temporary reprieve from deportation from the US, Mr Culleton said he would like Taoiseach Micheál Martin to raise his case with US President Donald Trump during his meeting in March for St Patrick’s Day.

Irish Examiner political reporter Tadgh McNally joins the pod to talk about the case and the wider context ahead of the White House visit.

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The appeal refusal and increase in Tyrell’s sentence for sending malicious and defamatory messages about his then partner marks the end of a three and a half year legal process for the Sinn Fein MEP, whose relationship with Tyrell began in 2016 when she was a candidate and he was a volunteer in her constituency office.

Tyrell’s behaviour became increasingly coercive and the couple broke up and got back together numerous times, leading her to eventually approach her local women’s refuge for support.

A professional with a public and media profile in a demanding job, she struggled to reconcile the public version of herself and the private version in which her confidence was shattered and she questioned every decision.

“It didn't matter what you did in this situation. It was always going to be like this, because this person just fundamentally, you know, was a controlling person.

“It wasn't about how many phone calls you made to any men in your life. It was about them and their behaviour. And I think if I can get that message out there, I would love to do that,” says Funchion now.

Read the full story here: Kathleen Funchion 'feels vindicated again' as ex-partner's sentence is raised for Coco's Law offence

Contact Women’s Aid on womensaid.ie or by calling 1800 341900.

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The IAA had announced the new rule, which comes into effect today, quickly and with little fanfare, and as the Irish Examiner's Emer Walsh reported on Monday, the operators were not happy.  

What is the new rule, who’s impacted, and – perhaps most importantly – who stands to benefit?

Business reporter Emer Walsh explains the issues on today’s episode of The Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast.

Alan Healy: There is a battle brewing over Cork's airspace that will be repeated across Ireland

New drone flight restrictions to come into force across Cork city

ieExplains: What are the new drone flight restrictions in Cork and why are they coming into effect?

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Trade relationships, including supplies of fuel, food and information are all now subject to the whims of an increasingly erratic US President. As state surveillance increases on US citizens, Europeans have become more aware that the technology underpinning daily life is largely controlled by US companies.

Reports in relation to sanctions against UN Special Rapporteur on Gaza Francesca Albanese, who is Italian, or French ICC judge Nicolas Guillou, have been eye opening. Neither can access the most basic services including banking, credit cards and email.

European alternatives to Microsoft products are now being employed by the French Government following testimony from a Microsoft France executive who acknowledged that US law would take primacy over the GDPR and other European regulations, if challenged.

Today’s guest on the podcast is cybersecurity expert Brian Honan, who has been writing in the Irish Examiner about how we can move to secure our tech in the face of increasing tensions with the US.

Why a gradual move away from US tech is a good idea

Yanis Varoufakis: Europe should be convulsing at US sanctions against French ICC judge

Trump sanctions on International Criminal Court prosecutor halt tribunal’s work

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Dining on seal and walrus meat in temperatures as low as –40, travelling by dog sled and sewing clothes from animal skins in the traditional Inuit way is not standard fare for a doctor on a sabbatical, but it makes a fascinating story.  

With insights into the Inuit way of life in Canada and Greenland, and the impact of climate change, this is a unique look at a world that has all but vanished with the melting polar ice. 

Dr Geraldine Osborne, author of Somewhere Cold, is the guest on today’s episode of the Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast.  

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The Buttevant woman, who’s been the subject of Irish Examiner investigations for a number of years, including the podcast series Catherine the Fake, was sentenced to 25 months in prison for fraud. 

But this is not the end of this story – as Ann Murphy reports, a judgment against O’Brien ordering her to repay €300,000 to the estate of a woman, now dead, who had loaned her the money on the basis of their friendship is now back in the frame.  

Ann Murphy is the guest on the podcast today.  

Fraudster Catherine O’Brien failed to repay money to estate of elderly woman she scammed of €250,000 

Fraudster Catherine O’Brien sentenced for scamming elderly man out of €22k over fake horse 

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Irish Examiner reporter Sean Murray has just returned from the twin cities and he is speaking to Deirdre on the podcast today.

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She was attending English classes in Cork, sending money home from her work as a hospital cleaner and embarking on a new relationship with a fellow student when her life was brutally cut short by Miller Pacheco, the obsessive ex-boyfriend who refused to acknowledge their relationship was over.

Last week Pacheco was convicted of her murder, despite his claims of self-defence. The evidence of his obsession, his refusal to let her get on with her life, and his actions in the early hours of 1 January 2023 proved overwhelming, with the jury reaching a unanimous verdict after just over an hour deliberating.

Bruna’s family and friends paid tribute to her after the trial, with her cousin Marcela Fonseca pointing out the injustice of what was done to her.

“A man decides to take someone's life. And the question that remains is: how little is our life worth? A life that was taken because a woman was not allowed to move on, to choose, to love, to live her own life."

The Irish Examiner’s court reporter Liam Heylin reported on the trial. He’s the guest on today’s episode.

Man faces mandatory life sentence for murder of Bruna Fonseca in Cork

'Not driven by hate, but by love': family’s words after Bruna Fonseca verdict

‘There is not a day I don’t want to be next to you’: Bruna Fonseca killer’s posts laid bare

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Eight years later, he and 23 other volunteers have finally been acquitted of serious criminal charges including people smuggling, belonging to a criminal organisation, and espionage. Thousands of refugees are still attempting the dangerous journey from North Africa and the Middle East to reach Europe by sea – but since charges were brought against the volunteers, fewer rescues are taking place, and evidence is mounting that Greek security forces are pushing back boats to Libyan or Turkish waters, contrary to international law.

Irish Examiner reporter Liz Dunphy has been covering the case in Lesvos and is today’s guest on the podcast.

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“He believes in the second term that nobody can stop him. In the first term, he didn't really know his way around the White House. He didn't know his way around the political machines.

“But also this time he's surrounded by people who just will not say no to him.

Marion McKeone has been writing about American politics for decades, and her article in Monday’s Irish Examiner laid out the Greenland situation starkly.

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She is the first mother to die in home birth in Ireland. Ms Liston’s inquest was held this week at Kilmallock courthouse in Co Limerick, returning a finding of medical misadventure.

Ms Liston’s husband, Fergal Mannion, and other relatives, including her parents, issued a statement through their solicitor after the inquest.

“Laura dreamed of becoming a mother and raising a family with Fergal in her native Croom,” solicitor Scarlett Griffin O’ Sullivan said.

“To become a mother was all she ever wanted, maternal by nature, she was a beautiful woman inside and out.”

The statement continued: “She did her research and opted for a homebirth via the HSE service and trusted that she would be afforded basic antenatal care. Unfortunately there were deficits in that care, in particular following her son’s delivery. But for those failings Laura would still be alive today.”

The families stood silently behind her, and added in the statement: “This tragedy was avoidable and should never have happened."

Irish Examiner Health Correspondent Niamh Griffin attended the inquest and is the guest on today's episode of The Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast.

Family says homebirth death was avoidable after medical misadventure verdict

HSE apologises to family of Limerick woman who died after giving birth at home

HSE completes review of homebirth services suspended due to death of Limerick woman

The Deirdre O'Shaughnessy Podcast: Free birthing and the tragic death of Naomi James

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Now, the owner of Crawford & Co, Aye and Osho and the late lamented Rosie Maddison’s is hosting an exhibition in one of his spaces to chart his journey to sobriety, as reported by Liz Dunphy in the Irish Examiner.

Michael Droney is the guest on today’s episode of The Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast.

To listen, find The Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

To read more about the exhibition read Liz Dunphy’s article here: 'Shame trapped me in addiction for 30 years, destroying my life, family and relationships'

Follow Michael’s story on Instagram at @addicted_beautiful

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The Limerick Lion was five times Ireland’s strongest man, and had also been named Britain’s Strongest Man. But who was he?

The Irish Examiner’s Limerick based reporter Manon Gilbart is today’s guest on the podcast.

Pa O’Dwyer 'always stood up for the underdog', funeral told

Tributes paid to ‘Limerick Lion’ Pa O'Dwyer after his sudden passing aged 40

Limerick man wins 'Strongest Man' contest in UK

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The technology allows users to ‘nudify’ photos of real people – including children – and subject them to an array of sexually objectifying and degrading practices including torture and violence.

Irish charities are calling for the Government to act here as the British government announced it was banning AI girlfriend and ‘nudification’ apps and websites.

Educator and researcher with SERP Eoghan Cleary is the guest on today’s episode of the Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast and explains how exactly children are being targeted with this tech.

Read Cormac O’Keeffe’s feature from Monday’s Irish Examiner here: Children being 'bombarded' online by 'AI girlfriend' porn apps

'Build your own AI slut': Boys being targeted online by surge in 'girlfriend' websites

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May McGee was a young, hearing-impaired mother to four children under the age of two living in a caravan when she took the Irish State to the Supreme Court challenging its position on contraception, and won.

Complicated pregnancies including a stroke she suffered in one meant that she was advised to take contraception by her doctor – but the spermicidal jelly she ordered in the post was intercepted by Customs and she and her husband were threatened with prison. She was furious at the Government interfering in her private life.

May, who died late in 2025, made it possible for Irish women to plan their families and to take control of their own fertility.

📲 To listen, find us wherever you get your podcasts.

‘It was one up for the women’: Mary ‘May’ McGee's family to celebrate her life at funeral

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Clodagh Finn: Carmel Snow, the Irish Anna Wintour who reshaped US fashion

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Sarah Curran was best known to generations as the tragic fiancée of United Irishman Robert Emmet, but in her own right she was a writer, poet and talented musician who made connections across Europe. Her sister Amelia was a notable artist who painted the famous portrait of Frankenstein author Mary Shelley and that of her husband, the Romantic poet, and came to the attention of US Vice President Aaron Burr, currently enjoying a resurgence in notoriety thanks to the musical Hamilton. How two sisters from Newmarket in Cork came to associate in such exalted circles is a fascinating story. 

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Clodagh Finn: Amelia Curran, the Irish painter who immortalised poet Shelley

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The first female stockbroker in the world made her debut on the trading floor of the Dublin Stock Exchange in 1927, at a time of unprecedented equality and opportunity for Irish women. Her groundbreaking role was entirely forgotten by all but her family until documents in relation to her were uncovered by stock exchange staff during Covid – and now there’s a room named after her in the grand old building.

📲 To listen, find us wherever you get your podcasts.

Clodagh Finn: How Oonah Keogh made history on the Dublin Stock Exchange in 1925

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Despite this blistering account of her capabilities written by a training officer, Maureen O’Sullivan was one of the most successful Allied agents in the French Resistance, lasting seven months in the field compared to an average life expectancy of six weeks.

Her fascinating life story has been uncovered in recent years and she’s been honoured in France.

📲 To listen, find us wherever you get your podcasts.

Clodagh Finn: In the footsteps of Irish secret agent Maureen O’Sullivan

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The famous ‘pig-faced woman’ of Dublin was a trailblazer – in the 1700s she set up Ireland’s first public hospital using an inheritance from her twin brother.

Working with artisans, builders, doctors and notable figures in Dublin society, her work provided the first freely available medical treatment to the city’s poor.

The hospital she founded is home to the HSE today.

🎧 To listen, find us wherever you get your podcasts.

Clodagh Finn: If only we had hospital builder Madam Steevens in today's world

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Growing up in Pakistan as a refugee, studying dentistry in China and returning to Afghanistan as a highly educated woman during the country’s brief years of liberation, Manizha was bound to be a target for the Taliban when the Americans pulled out.

Working as Dean of a University Dental School, as the Taliban rolled into Herat and shots fired outside, she frantically printed student records – so they could prove they had studied, if the chance ever came again to resume education.

"I was in the university because the students were very scared that if university archive burns, then all their records will be destroyed.

“We were printing records for the students and signing and stamping them.

“My husband called, and he said the Taliban have entered the city, stop what you are doing, I'm coming to pick you up, just leave...

“Some people started laughing and they're like, well done now, all you women, you will be going back home. You enjoyed freedom for 20 years. Now again, back home, sit in your home, raise children...These things were coming from the people who are working with us, people we called brothers, people we called colleagues."

Read Manizha Khan’s article in this week’s Irish Examiner

Ireland welcomed me, but new rules mean my path is impossible to follow

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Arriving in Ireland at Christmas, Manizha and her family were welcomed warmly by their new neighbours in Rosscarbery.

"When we came, it was Christmas. And I remember when we reached Irish soil, my daughter said, where is Santa Claus? Because Dublin Airport was so beautiful with decorations.

“We were in Reenascreena at the time and that house was so isolated and all the neighbours came to us. They brought us Christmas gifts. They brought us Christmas cards. They brought us cookies. They didn't let us feel lonely. It wasn't like a show, you know, they didn't come to see ‘that poor refugee family’. It wasn't like that.”

“It was like, look at this refugee family alone here during Christmas.”

Ireland is home now.

“I think I am Irish. If God forbid tomorrow Ireland goes in war, I will be fighting for Ireland. I would die for Ireland. I won't let Ireland go to the same pain that Afghanistan went through.”

Read Manizha Khan’s article in this week’s Irish Examiner

Ireland welcomed me, but new rules mean my path is impossible to follow

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Irish Examiner columnist Caitriona Redmond has been keeping abreast of delivery problems this Christmas and she is the guest on today’s episode of The Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast.

Caitríona Redmond: Who is responsible when deliveries go missing from your doorstep?

An Post Christmas backlogs grow as customers wait a week or more for parcel deliveries

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Having previously experienced traumatic births in hospital, Ms James laboured at home and was brought to hospital where she later died. Her family believes she may have been influenced by the online Free Birth movement to avoid medical intervention.

A recent investigation into the Free Birth movement by the Guardian found an industry worth millions of dollars to a few figurehead leaders, putting the lives of women and babies worldwide at risk.

Irish Examiner Health Correspondent Niamh Griffin has been covering this story. She is the guest on today’s Deirdre O’Shaughnessy podcast.

Mother who died after giving birth was 'exceptional', her husband says

Maternity care in Ireland has seen 'a lot of change', leading to better outcomes, leading doctor says

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The retired school principal and farmer from North Cork was posthumously recognised last week with a gold medal at the National Bravery Awards.

His son Martin spoke to Deirdre about the life and death of an extraordinary hero.

Bravery Awards: Gold medal for 90-year-old Cork man who died saving a woman's life

Posthumous bravery award for Cork man who gave his life to save stranger

Man, 90, who died in Fermoy saved another life moments before being struck by car

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With most of his surviving family long dead, Jimmy’s brother Frank continues to search for answers, following traces of Jimmy to Liverpool and beyond.

Today’s guest on the Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast is Alison O’Reilly, and you can read her coverage of this case at irishexaminer.com.

Brother of child missing since 1947 to address National Missing Persons Day event

Jimmy O'Neill letter to be forensically examined 77 years after his disappearance

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Speaking in the Dáil, he said Ireland’s support for the thousands of Ukrainians who have sought protection here and for the country’s defence was rooted in a shared historical understanding.

On today’s podcast, Irish Examiner political staff Paul Hosford and Louise Burne break down the visit, from President Connolly’s welcome at Áras an Uachtaráin to the statement from People Before Profit, who did not applaud the Ukrainian President’s speech.

Listen now on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

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Food writer Michelle Darmody says Ireland could be a leader in cleaning up our food systems, but we need a Minister for Food first Michelle is the guest on today’s episode of the Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast.

Read Michelle’s article here Michelle Darmody: Ireland could lead the way in ultra-processed foods control

Listen back: Podcast: I tried to give up ultra-processed foods — here's what happened

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Her 55 year son Billy, who suffered from bipolar disorder and was known to abuse drugs and alcohol, was convicted of her murder in the Central Criminal Court on Monday. He will be sentenced on Friday.

On today’s podcast, Deirdre speaks to court reporter Eoin Reynolds, whose reporting on this case you can read in the Irish Examiner and on irishexaminer.com.

Jury rejects insanity defence and finds Kerry man guilty of murdering his mother.

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Earlier this month, the Irish Examiner was given a rare look behind the curtain of what happens as people are forcibly removed from the country as 52 Georgian nationals – including three families – were sent on a chartered plane to that country’s capital Tbilisi.

Irish Examiner security correspondent Cormac O’Keeffe was the journalist who witnessed it all and he’s the guest on today’s episode of The Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast.

Inside Ireland’s deportation system: How gardaí carry out large-scale charter removals

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Residents of the Shrewsbury Downs estate on the southside of Cork city heard a disturbance outside between 8 and 9pm on Monday night and were warned by Whatsapp message to remain in their homes and lock the doors.

Irish Examiner reporter Ann Murphy has been covering this story and is the guest on today’s episode of The Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast.

'It is frightening': Neighbours in shock as couple named locally after fatal Ballinlough attack

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On this bonus Holly Bough edition of the Deirdre O'Shaughnessy Podcast, Mary and Deirdre delve into the detail of what makes the Holly Bough so special.

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One woman who spoke to the Irish Examiner remains in hospital with her baby after a C section, but is afraid that when she is discharged her baby will go into care.  

In a statement, Tusla the Child and Family Agency said “Our goal is always to keep children within their family units whenever possible. It is important to emphasise that managing any referral of concern involves an extensive process.

"This process can include several steps including screening, preliminary inquiries, initial assessments, and appropriate onward actions. Actions may then lead to family support services, safety planning processes, or, as a last resort, taking the child into State care, either voluntarily or through a court order.”

In September, 16,614 people were living in emergency accommodation, almost a third of them children. Over 3,000 women are now homeless, the highest number ever. The Government this week launched a new housing plan, promising 300,000 new homes by the end of 2030.

Irish Examiner Reporter Alison O’Reilly joins Deirdre on today’s episode of the podcast.

Homeless mums fear their babies will be taken into care

Some 76 babies impacted by mothers taking drugs during pregnancy

'I feel safe': How Anew helps pregnant homeless women and their babies

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Her sister Pam O’Loughlin has been campaigning for Gardaí to treat Emer’s death as murder since the family learned in 2010 that she had been buried without a cause of death, her case treated as accidental. A forensic examination at that time established that she had been violently killed.

23 year old Emer’s last known movements were to borrow a phone charger from neighbour John Griffin, a native of Mervue in Galway city.

Griffin is the chief suspect in Emer’s death, but a series of bizarre events culminated in his disappearance off the island of Inis Mór.P am believes he faked his own death, and is hiding somewhere in Europe.

In the years since Emer died, her mother has also passed away. Now her family, including her elderly father Johnny, hope that last week’s inquest may pave the way for a breakthrough in the case.

Pam O'Loughlin is the guest on today’s episode of The Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast.

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Caitríona Redmond and her family spent 20 years fighting the bank after their bank illegally withdrew the tracker rate. They were put under immense pressure to pay thousands more than they owed, at a time when her husband had lost his job and they had very young children. 

The Redmonds went through seven separate procedures with the bank which involved every penny they spent being scrutinised – they were criticised for spending 70 euro a week on food for five people.  

In today’s episode of the Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast, Caitríona describes the impact on the couple’s mental and physical health.  

"There'd be some times when [John] would have walked out of the house and I remember ringing one of his brothers saying, I don't know where he is. Can you see where he is? I'm really worried about him. And I wasn't... I wasn't really worried that he'd do something, he was just so out of his mind with stress. You know, he just needed to talk to somebody other than me.” 

Caitríona, who now writes a consumer column for the Irish Examiner, began blogging about her recipes and budgeting, and was contracted to write a cookbook – but the family budget didn’t extend to buying ingredients for recipe testing.  

“I'd signed a contract to write a cookery book with Mercier and we didn't have enough money for me to pay for the ingredients for the recipe testing. And I rang Mam and I said, you know, I was under pressure, I was under deadlines.  

“And Mam was like, right, I'm just gonna see what I have. And she arrived up with two big bags of shopping. Like she literally just like hoofed it all out and into the shopping bag.” 

We took the bank's calls in hospital as we watched our new baby struggle to breathe 

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At the time the fire was set, families including a 20 year old baby were asleep in the building.

CCTV footage widely circulated of the incident shows a masked man pouring a substance onto the building’s only staircase and igniting it before fleeing.

The incident is part of a pattern of more than 30 arson attacks on buildings associated with asylum seekers since 2018, but according to Irish Refugee Council CEO Nick Henderson, an attack on a building that was inhabited at the time represents an escalation. It took place just days after an anti-migrant rally in the town.

One speaker at the protest on Saturday, October 25, previously made online comments about fires at Ipas centres, and reportedly wrote "burn baby burn" online about a hotel being used to house asylum seekers.

At the rally, he claimed that all migrants were provided "four-star accommodation" while some "16,000 Irish people don't know where they're going to sleep tonight".

Irish Examiner reporter Liz Dunphy has been covering this story – she's the guest on today’s episode of the Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast.

Anti-migrant rally held in Drogheda days before near fatal attack on Ipas centre

Fuel was poured on stairs at Ipas centre before it was set alight

'Terrifying ordeal': Children amongst those rescued as gardaí say Ipas centre fire was arson attack

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On Wednesday, his killers Luke Taylor and Niall Long were sentenced to life in prison – and the court finally heard about Kieran Quilligan the man, rather than Kieran Quilligan the murder victim.

“I miss my best friend every day. I feel lonely and lost without him. Kieran was a good man, a good friend and a good partner. Kieran was adored by his family and he will be missed forever and always,” said Mr Quilligan’s partner Colette O’Driscoll.

Today’s episode features moving testimony from his parents Stephen and Catherine, and his long-term partner Colette O’Driscoll.

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Audio recording from on-street cameras of a row over €200 worth of crack cocaine,  footage tracking the victim’s evening stroll across the city centre, and a phone call to Gardaí from distressed residents who heard a man being beaten with a hammer were crucial to this case being solved.

Luke Taylor and Niall Long have been convicted of Mr Quilligan’s death – but questions remain about how a small-time drug dealer who lived at home with his parents and used his mother’s car to dispose of the body became a killer, and on whose orders.

Irish Examiner Court Reporter Liam Heylin is the guest on today’s episode of The Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast.

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She’s the first ever candidate backed by all the left wing parties and this represents a stunning success for the female-led left alliance, but it leaves the mainstream parties Fianna Fiáil and Fine Gael with egg on their faces.

In this special bonus edition of the Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast, Acting Political Editor Paul Hosford and Political Correspondent Louise Burne analyse the fallout from the race for the Áras.

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The protests began after an alleged sexual assault on a ten year old girl in the vicinity of the hotel last weekend. A man has been charged in connection with the assault and remains in custody.

Terrified international protection applicants including many Ukrainian women and children remained indoors at the centre, while residents in the Saggart area were unable use public transport or access local shops on Tuesday and Wednesday nights due to the violence.

What started the disturbances, who’s rioting, and who’s been stoking it up online?

Irish Examiner Security Correspondent Cormac O’Keeffe joined Deirdre O’Shaughnessy for today’s episode of the Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast.

'No incidents' at Citywest gathering after two nights of disorder

Frontline gardaí demand tougher stance on violent Citywest protesters after officers injured

Seventeen people charged after second night of disorder near asylum seeker hotel

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Presidential contests are rarely won in debates – but it is possible to lose an almost guaranteed win in that crucial final tussle.

In today’s episode of the Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast, behavioural psychologist Nuala Walsh advises undecided to voters to focus on the “cringe” factor, while Acting Political Editor Paul Hosford says he doesn’t believe this election is all over for Heather Humphries.

Leadership X-ray? Why presidential debates reveal less than you think

Paul Hosford: Fine Gael's US-style attack video may be a new departure in Irish politics

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She was the keynote speaker at Thursday’s IEStyleLive2025, and she is the guest editor of this Saturday’s Weekend Magazine. Annmarie sat down with Deirdre O’Shaughnessy for an honest and open chat about her life as it is now and her new book Twitch: My Life with Parkinson’s.  

In this special episode of The Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast, Annmarie speaks candidly about learning to live well with Parkinson’s, how her family’s history has shaped her, and her belief in the spirit world. 

“You’ll go on, dear, because you have to, and you’ll do it one day at a time,” is what her mother told her upon learning of her diagnosis. “One foot in front of the other” is the family motto, learned in adversity. 

The trajectory of Annmarie's family life was altered by the death of her father when she was just four years old, her mother returning from New York to rural Galway with her daughters to open a B&B. She describes her father’s mother, sent to America by ship at just seven years old to work in the household of a distant cousin, and the survival skills of her maternal grandmother, who raised her young family alone after her husband was killed at sea in a freak Galway storm.  

In this in-depth interview, Annmarie describes how a long-buried issue with disordered eating resurfaced after her Parkinson’s diagnosis, and how she dealt with it. She talks about her belief in psychics and the spirit world, the joy she has found in friendships and the love of her family, and the challenge of dating with the additional stress of uncontrollable limb movements.  

Inspiring, full-hearted and hopeful, Annmarie's is a story of surviving the worst that life can throw at you, and learning to thrive with it.  

ieStyle Live: Standing ovation as Annmarie O’Connor speaks about when 'life falls apart' 

Book review: O’Connor finds quiet certainty to carry on after Parkinson’s diagnosis 

Annmarie O'Connor: Three things I've learned since my Parkinson's diagnosis 

'I arrived at CUH before 9am. By 4pm, I had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease' 

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Opened by Cork Education and Training Board (Cork ETB) in 2021, Carrigaline Community Special School (CCSS) issued 17 official suspensions out of a maximum student body of just 48 in three years.

Parents at the school told the Irish Examiner that they believe their children are being punished for behaviours linked to and consistent with their conditions. They point to a lack of in-school therapies, children being repeatedly sent home from school, and a high level of staff turnover.

In response to queries from the Irish Examiner on the issues raised, Cork Education and Training Board (ETB) said it “is aware of the matters raised and has engaged intensively with parents around their concerns”.

In a statement, Cork ETB said: “The care and welfare of our students and their educational progress is always the number one priority for Cork ETB and for our special schools.”

Irish Examiner Education Correspondent Jess Casey  describes the issues on today’s episode of The Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast.

Read the story here: Suspensions ‘crisis’ at flagship special school in Cork

Read Cork ETB’s full statement here: 'It wouldn’t be acceptable in a mainstream school, so why should we have to take it?'

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Her attacker, Laura Kenna, who had a troubled history of childhood abuse and substance misuse, told Gardai that she would “finish her off” when her sentence had been served. 

Kenna was found guilty but insane and admitted to the Central Mental Hospital. Now, because of a legal anomaly, Fi Bourke has no right to know when her attacker will be released from custody.

Irish Examiner reporter Ann Murphy joins Deirdre on today’s episode. 

Ann's story: Victim of attempted murder seeks to have law changed around 'unique and complex' case

Coverage of the court case: Woman guilty of attempting to murder stranger walking home from work by cutting her throat

Other stories referenced:

Sinead O'Leary: Surviving victim of Rochestown murderer Peter Whelan warns he will kill again

Jury rejects James Kilroy's insanity claim to find him guilty of murdering his wife

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What’s in Budget 2026 – and more importantly, how will it impact you?

Budget 2026 is in, and Irish Examiner Political Correspondent Louise Burne joins Deirdre on today’s podcast to dive into the details.

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His announcement late late last night followed reports that Mr Gavin had failed to repay more than €3,000 paid to him by a former tenant in error. 

Mr Gavin failed to answer questions about that situation during Sunday's second presidential election debate and in a press conference afterwards when pressed by the Irish Examiner.

Acting Political Editor Paul Hosford joins Deirdre today to discuss what led up to Mr Gavin's decision to drop out; the pressure on candidates in the political race; and the repercussions for Fianna Fáil and for the remaining candidates Catherine Connolly and Heather Humphries. 

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While you may have learned some cost-saving tricks from a frugal granny, Gen Z learn these things online, so every penny-pinching trick conceivable is now part of a tiktok trend called Frugaltok.

Some of them are pretty mundane, some very extreme. The Irish Examiner’s Jess Casey has given it a go, and tells Deirdre about it on today’s episode.

Read Jess’s article here: Frugaltok is going viral — here's what happened when I tried some money-saving tips

For regular money-saving tips from the Irish Examiner, check out Caitriona Redmond’s weekly articles in Weekend here: Advice - Irish Examiner

The Irish Examiner will be covering Budget 2026 extensively – you can follow that here: Budget 2026 - Irish Examiner

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Teddy Murnane was a husband and father of three who was well known in Tipperary as a bus driver with Kavanaghs Coaches and a big GAA supporter, having driven Tipperary hurling and football teams for many years.

Widespread tributes were paid to Mr Murnane from GAA and political figures, and a community vigil was organised. A man has been charged with assault causing harm to Mr Murnane.

However, in the days after his death it was revealed that Mr Murnane had a conviction dating from 2024 for historic sexual offences – and his victim is unhappy with the widespread tributes to the deceased man.

Reporter Ann Murphy has been covering this story – she is the guest on today’s Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast.

Tipperary man who died after incident in his garden had recently been convicted of sexual offences

Priest questions safety in homes after death of Tipperary grandfather Teddy Murnane

Vigil planned for Tipperary man who died after incident in back garden

Man, 80s, who died in Co Tipperary named locally as former senior hurling team driver

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There has been considerable criticism of the investigation given that the slurry tank had previously been searched for his body.

A suspect in the investigation – American drifter Michael Kelley, who had been living on the Gaine farm in an old farmhouse – was arrested early on and released without charge. He is subject to a deportation order after a failed asylum bid and is now believed to be living in Tralee.

The family held a funeral for Mr Gaine in June of this year, his ashes carried into Holy Cross Church in a sheepskin-lined basket, a soft resting place for a man who was remembered as “soft and loving, caring and affectionate, kind and considerate”.

Six months after Mr Gaine’s disappearance, Irish Examiner Reporter Neil Michael went to Kenmare to find out whether people there believe the person who killed him will ever be caught

Neil is the guest on today’s episode of The Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast.

LINKS

Kerry murder mystery: Michael Gaine’s killing and the haunted life of suspect Michael Kelley

Vanished without a trace: What happened to Kerry’s missing farmer Michael Gaine?

Watch: The search in Kerry continued over the weekend for missing farmer Mike Gaine

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Almost two years since the October 7th attacks by Hamas and since Israel began its genocidal campaign in Gaza, the international community is finally reacting.

Over 65,000 Palestinians, among them many children, have been killed in what the United Nations Commission of Enquiry and the International Association of Genocide Scholars say is a genocide.

One such child is seven year old Khaled, who was killed in the bombing of Rafah on 17th October 2023. Khaled’s mother Amal El Khawaja, who works with the Norwegian Refugee Agency and now lives in Oslo, will visit Cork this weekend to tell her son’s story in a series of public events organised by Coffee for Palestine. She is the guest on today’s Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast.

Details of A Coffee and Conversation with Amal can be found on Instagram.com/coffeeforpalestine.

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The man was unknown to gardaí before approximately €750,000 in ATM withdrawals caused suspicions. Originally from Nigeria, he has a family and a business in Cork and works in a major Dublin tech company.

It’s suspected the case may be related to an international crime gang such as the Black Axe gang, which is active internationally and throughout Ireland. Last year, gardai arrested 63 people as part of Operation Skein, targeting the gang.

The Irish Examiner’s Security Correspondent Cormac O’Keeffe is the guest on today’s Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast.

Cork-based businessman arrested in major fraud probe

Black Axe: From Cork to Nigeria: Gang of cybercriminals caught out by their own technology

Gardaí arrest 63 as part of global operation targeting West African crime groups

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The subject of a 2022 podcast series by the Irish Examiner, Catherine the Fake, Catherine O’Brien has been sought by Gardai since 2019 when she failed to show up in court as a witness for the State in a case of demanding money with menaces.

Reporting of that case led to the gradual unravelling of the Buttevant woman’s story, as person after person came forward to the Irish Examiner with stories of being deceived or defrauded by O’Brien.

The 2022 podcast series Catherine the Fake investigated claims that O’Brien had convinced many people to invest in different business ventures over the years, causing losses in the millions of euro. She falsely claimed she had bought a pub in Clare; told acquaintances she worked as an agent for an Arab prince buying large properties in Tipperary; and pretended to be a solicitor who could ‘sort’ speeding fines for a man she met on a dating site.

She was finally arrested in June 2024 and in July, O’Brien was convicted of three charges of deception after meeting Dubliner John Blake on Plenty of Fish and convincing him to invest €22,000 in racehorses.

Listen to episode one of The Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast featuring Ann Murphy now on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

LINKS

Catherine O’Brien found guilty of deception charges

Listen back to the 2022 Catherine the Fake podcast series Catherine the Fake podcast: The story of florist turned fraudster Catherine O’Brien

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If you want the latest news, the best insight into what’s happening in Cork and around Munster, and the inside track on our exclusive national stories, look no further. 

Dropping twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays, the Deirdre O'Shaughnessy Podcast will help you stay up to date with the Irish Examiner's best content.

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Her victim Laura O’Connell spoke to Deirdre O’Shaughnessy on the Irish Examiner podcast about her fears for what the future holds with her stalker free, the lack of support for victims of crime, and how she has rebuilt her life, which was utterly destroyed after Egan’s relentless four year campaign of lies and intimidation.

Read the original Irish Examiner court report of Sonya Egan’s case here: 'You couldn't make it up' — The relentless and prolonged harassment of a Cork TD and a businesswoman

Listen back to Laura O’Connell speaking to Mick Clifford after Egan’s sentencing in 2023: https://www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/commentanalysis/arid-40913375.html

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Techbros, pensioners, young parents and even a 'financial astrologer' gathered to discuss how to get rich quick on the unregulated online market.

Emer tells Deirdre O'Shaughnessy about the paranoia, distrust and far-right conspiracy theories she heard at the conference. She heard what they had to say - but in the end she wasn't orange-pilled. 

Read more at https://www.irishexaminer.com/business/economy/arid-41640592.html

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Read Nicole's article here: I tried to give up ultra-processed foods — here's what happened (and what the experts had to say)

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*This episode contains strong language

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Mary Lou McDonald looks back on a year in which her personal resilience got tested to "the extremes". She speaks to political editor Elaine Loughlin on the Occupied Territories Bill, her thoughts on whether Gerry Adams will run for president and her view on Micheál Martin.

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A native of Wexford, Tom’s love of horses has seen him working in Australia and Japan before he headed to the US. However, an accident involving a horse – a stallion bit off his right thumb – caused him to re-think his role in the industry and led him to focus on bloodstock and investments. The thumb was successfully reattached, but the career trajectory had changed for good.  

Talking to Emer Walsh of the Irish Examiner Business desk, Tom discusses the horse racing industry from breeding to racing, management and decision-making. He discusses the fall-out of the recent US election and explains why he believes lives will improve in the US under a Trump presidency. 

Reflecting on the role of the Irish in America, Tom believes that Irish people have a head start when they arrive in the States which he describes as the ‘land of opportunity’.

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Keep up with all that’s happening in count centres across the country in our General Election hub

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In the fourth installment of Irish Examiner series interviewing the main political party leaders ahead of the general election, Irish Examiner Political editor Elaine Loughlin talks to Fine Gael leader, Taoiseach Elaine Loughlin. 

In a comprehensive interview, Taoiseach Simon Harris acknowledges that the election campaign has not gone as smoothly as he would like in the run up to polling day on November 29. He outlines why he feels that there is finally an opportunity to address the housing crisis in Ireland - “we have money and a plan.” Although he rejects the idea of political legacy, he says he would like to ensure that every child in Ireland can reach their full potential “no matter who they are or where they come from”. 

Listen wherever you get your podcasts for new episodes throughout our Election 2024 coverage. 

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In the latest of the Irish Examiner interviews with party leaders political editor Elaine Loughlin spoke to Roderic O’Gorman.

In a wide ranging conversation the Green Party leader has welcomed the growing awareness and acceptance of Green Party policies across the political divide but has warned that only the Greens will maintain that direction and focus.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts for new episodes throughout our Election 2024 coverage.

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In the latest of the Irish Examiner interviews with party leaders deputy political editor Paul Hosford spoke to Richard Boyd Barrett.

In a wide ranging conversation the People Before Profit leader laments the fact that all of Ireland's left leaning parties have not presented a unified and agreed left leaning alternative to the electorate.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts for new episodes throughout our Election 2024 coverage.

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In this episode we also took to the streets to gauge the opinions of people on this issue.  

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In this episode we also travelled to a local mart to gauge the opinions of people on this issue. 

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Hosted by Irish Examiner columnist Mick Clifford, this podcast brings UCC experts and students together to examine these questions. This special podcast series comes direct from the UCC campus as we hear from a generation who could shape the result of this General Election.

This week Mick Clifford talks to Irish Examiner's deputy political editor Paul Hosford, Dr Brendan O'Sullivan, Chartered Planner and Head of the UCC Centre for Planning Education & Research. Hayley O'Connell Vaughan, Communications & Events Officer, UCC Student Union & Reuben Murray, Gov & Pol student in UCC 

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Hosted by Irish Examiner columnist Mick Clifford, this podcast brings UCC experts and students together to examine these questions. This special podcast series comes direct from the UCC campus as we hear from a generation who could shape the result of this General Election.

This week Mick talks to Dr Philip Murphy, Lecturer in Politics in UCC and 3rd Year BSc Government and Political Science students, Alice Bogue & Caitlin Holland and Mia Poland.

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By Alan Healy

Wanting to work at the elite level of sports science, Shayne Murphy took a leaf from Roy Keane's book as a ytoung man and wrote to every club in the Premier League asking for a role.

Once club answered and Shayne, from Rathcormac in Cork, went on to spend more than a decade in England and Scotland working for the world's top clubs including Liverpool amnd Manchester City. 

Still working with top clubs he returned to Irelan din recent years to found ADM Performance where is applying his learnings in sport to the business worlkd.

In this episode of the Irish Examiner’s ieBusiness Podcast, in association with PwC, he spoke of the importance of the overall aim and direction of an organisation.

Shayne joins the list of other guests on this season of The ieBusiness Podcast that that delves into the journeys of Irish business leaders who have achieved remarkable success on the global stage.

Each episode will feature an in-depth interview with a different leader, exploring their background, career trajectory, key challenges, and insights into the business world in their adopted country.

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By Cáit Caden

Mark Garvey splits his time between Chicago and Ireland as Glanbia continues to build its presence across the US, especially with its protein powder products.

On this episode of the Irish Examiner’s ieBusiness Podcast, in association with PwC, Mark spoke about witnessing the company evolve over time, how consumer trends and global economic volatility continue to shape the company and how he manages his time between two timezones.

Mark also spoke candidly to business journalist Cáit Caden about his family ties to the US and how large Irish diaspora’s in places like Chicago make it easier for Irish businesses to tap the market.

Mark joins the list of other guests on this season of The ieBusiness Podcast that that delves into the journeys of Irish business leaders who have achieved remarkable success on the global stage.

Each episode will feature an in-depth interview with a different leader, exploring their background, career trajectory, key challenges, and insights into the business world in their adopted country.

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Dr Joanna Fortune believes we should focus more on the tween years because it is a significant stage of growth as the child’s relationship with the outside world starts to become more important. Negotiation and compromise are key during this stage and are skills that will come into play more in the teen years. 

Dr Fortune says the tween years are a great time to get to know your child as they work out their personal views and values. She shares tips on how to talk to tweens about more serious topics such as consent, respect and sexual curiosity.  

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The adolescent years bring a lot of changes and often teenagers struggle to cope with all their emotions.  However, it is important to keep lines of communication open and to allow for a teen to feel heard. 

Dr Noctor shares the one thing you should do and the one thing you shouldn’t do as a parent of a teen and offers guidance on how to navigate high sensitivity and effectively communicate with a teenager.  

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We are still seeing the impact of covid on children and young teens. Post-pandemic, Dr Joanna Fortune says she is getting more questions than ever from parents about anxious kids and has seen children a young as nine and ten presenting with anxiety. 

She shares how parents can approach the subject with teens and tweens and the signs to help recongise whether your child may be struggling with anxiety.  

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The role of grandparents has changed over the last number of years with the housing and cost of living crises placing more pressure on the family. As a result, many younger parents are relying on grandparents when it comes to childcare. 

Richard Hogan offers advice for grandparents on setting boundaries and how to negotiate with your adult children about your own needs while also supporting them. 

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According to ADHD Ireland, five per cent of children have a diagnosis and it can often present differently in young boys and girls. 

Dr Colman Noctor touches on the behavioural differences between ADD and ADHD and the importance of working to a child’s strength. He offers advice for parents who see a child with ADD or ADHD struggling to make friends and the one thing they can do to help. 

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Outdoor playtime has a range of benefits for children and is essential for physical and emotional development. According to Dr Joanna Fortune, unstructured play outdoors promotes positive risk-taking behaviour. 

She shares small ways to build movement into your daily routine and how to make it work even in the unpredictable Irish weather. Plus, she offers tips for getting even the most reluctant children outside. 

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One in ten people in Ireland have dyslexia and signs often emerge in early school years. In 2021, Richard Hogan shared his own diagnosis for the first time in the Irish Examiner.  

As someone who works in schools, he has seen how dyslexia can impact a child’s sense of self. He offers tips for parents on how to support a child with dyslexia and shares his own personal experience.  

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The covid-19 pandemic and a reliance on social media have created a world where many young people are missing tangible quality time with peers which is essential for development.  

Noctor shares tips for parents on how to support their child to develop friendships and the small tweaks that can be made to help create the all-important social opportunities with friends.  

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Loneliness is one of the biggest threats to mental wellbeing and Fortune says it is something that she is seeing regularly in her clinics, particularly since the pandemic.  

She notes the role social media plays in the lives and friendships of teenagers and offers advice for parents on what to do if their child is spending a lot of time on their own. 

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Exam season is a stressful time and Hogan says it’s important to make allowances for young people who may be a little more agitated and let them know that they are supported.   

He offers guidance on creating structure when it comes to studying and shares his advice for parents on how to be there for their children – and what not to say. 

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While some researchers say homework helps children to develop skills such as organisation, others believe it is counterproductive.  

Noctor is in the no-homework camp and sees how it impacts his children in very different ways. He offers guidance on creating healthy habits and advice for parents of teenagers who have little interest in studying or completing homework. 

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It can be tempting to shield your child but this comes with risks. Your child may struggle to navigate the failures and disappointments that are part of life. 

Hogan offers guidance on how to build your child's resilience and ability to cope with challenges head-on while also recognising when to ask for help. 

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Dr Fortune also offers helpful tips on navigating the tricky world of WhatsApp groups and how to turn down playdate invitations, which she sees as optional, not a necessity. 

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Colman explains how every child grows and changes at different rates and that parents must consider this when reacting to difficult behaviour.  

He also talks about identifying the root cause of what is often called 'attention-seeking behaviours'. 

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Healthy boundaries offer children a way to navigate their way in a world where we face challenges every day. They also give the child the tools to set their own boundaries with others.  

Here, Hogan gives a roadmap of how to set and maintain boundaries as well as how to respond when they are not followed. 

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With so many responsibilities and worries, self-care and fun can be the first things parents drop. But Fortune says looking after your own needs helps you to be the best parent that you can be. 

Fortune also speaks to those struggling to cope with low stamina, isolation, and the everyday pressures that come with parenting. 

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The more children are exposed to failure, disappointment and frustration, the more they learn how to cope with challenging life experiences, says Noctor. 

He also speaks about the impact of parental pressure - conscious and unconscious - on children.

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Gaming can be more than a fun pastime for some. The World Health Organization has classified severe gaming as a new mental health condition. 

Here, Hogan talks about the signs of excessive gaming, setting boundaries, and not depending on games and devices to keep children occupied. 

If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this podcast please click here for a list of support services.

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Dr Fortune teaches the concept of going to A&E - acceptance and empathise. 

She also offers guidance on parenting a sensitive child and how to help them through the 'uh-oh' moments. 

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Exclusively available as part of an Irish Examiner subscription. 

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Parkinson’s Association of Ireland www.parkinsons.ie

Parkinson’s Support Line 1800 359 359

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Cork Parkinson’s Association https://corkparkinsons.ie 

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My Moves Matter www.mymovesmatter.com 

Women’s Parkinson’s Project www.womensparkinsonsproject 

World Parkinson’s Congress 2023 https://wpc2023.org 

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Young Parkinson’s Ireland https://www.parkinsons.ie/branches/young-parkinsons-ireland 

Cork Parkinson’s Association https://corkparkinsons.ie 

Perpetual Motion Cork Parkinson's Choir https://corkparkinsons.ie 

Meet-ups: Monday evenings ( excl public holidays) at 7.30 in the Lough Parish Centre on the grounds of the Lough Church.

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Parkinson’s Association of Ireland www.parkinsons.ie

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On International Women's Day 2022 a bill went before the Dáil to outlaw such practices - but it hasn't been enacted, and they're still happening. Ann Murphy reports

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 To run the rule over the measures, Irish Examiner Political Editor Daniel McConnell hosts a special post-budget podcast with an expert panel – Caitriona Redmond, Fine Gael TD Neale Richmond and Social Democrats TD Holly Cairns. 

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Thomas's wanderings were not quite at an end - the draw of the mountains was still too strong. He was a man prone to going missing, fleeing from perceived dangers, but also disappearing out of reach of those looking to help him. It happened again in the Kingdom.

This much we know, as we follow Thomas's story in Episode 2 of The Lost American.

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When Echo journalist Mostafa Darwish was researching an award-winning series on deaths of people in Direct Provision, he discovered that one of those who passed away was an American. His name was Thomas Stofiel.

When we dug deeper into his past, it opened up a strange and often poignant story. Thomas was a man with illogical and unsettling beliefs, someone often struggling with his mental health, manacled to his convictions even as his life veered off course. Our investigation kept turning up more elements, opening more doors into his past - of his life in America, his life online, and ultimately, his time in Ireland, living as an asylum seeker in Tralee.

In Episode one of a two-part podcast series, we delve deep into Thomas's troubled time in his native country, tracing his often mysterious travels, before he finds himself in our own Kingdom, Co Kerry.

Thomas had a habit of going missing, and he was also the proverbial lost soul. This is the story of The Lost American.

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