In The News

Something strange is happening in the Irish gangland scene. After years of escalating violence, gun crime across the country has now reached record lows. What's behind the drop and will it last? Crime and Security editor Conor Lally reports.Hosted by Aideen Finnegan. This episode was originally published in March 2023. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Russian spy Sergey Cherkasov spent four years deep undercover as a politics student in Trinity College Dublin. His classmates knew him as Victor Muller Ferreira, a Brazilian national, eager to further his education and his prospects in Ireland. Five years on from his graduation, Cherkasov is in Brazil serving a 15 year prison sentence for several counts of fraud. And now, the Trinity graduate is facing fresh charges in the US, for acting as an illegal agent of the Russian intelligence service; in other words – a spy. Irish Times public affairs editor Simon Carswell explains how Cherkasov was busy making connections but unusually careless about leaving an information trail. A carelessness that finally caught him in the end. This episode was originally published in March 2023. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How did controversial landlord Marc Godart build his extensive portfolio of properties, owned and managed, in Ireland?Europe correspondent Naomi O’Leary followed the money back to the Godart family home in a leafy suburb in Luxembourg.Dublin correspondent Olivia O’Kelly explains what might happen next in the disputes between the prolific landlord and tenants who have lodged complaints against him.Plus: Irene Hayden and Frank Kavanagh expected nothing out of the ordinary when they rented their own property to Mr Godart. They got more than they bargained for.This episode was originally published in April 2023. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At first glance, many of the policies of Ireland First seem conservative rather than extreme. But a private, invite-only Telegram group paints a much darker picture of the party’s priorities.Conor Gallagher talks to Aideen Finnegan. This episode was first published in March 2023. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alice Coyle lost €10,000 in a matter of minutes in a Revolut scam. The Galway woman tells Bernice Harrison how the scam unfolded after she received a text from what she believed was Electric Ireland. We also hear from Irish Times consumer affairs correspondent Conor Pope, who explains what scams to look out for – from e-flow to Hey Mom – and what you should do if it happens to you. Presented by Bernice Harrison. This episode was first published in June 2023. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During the Troubles the IRA set up a unit to find informers within its organisation. Informally called the ‘nutting squad’, it was led by Freddie Scappaticci, the son of an Italian immigrant who grew up in the Markets area of Belfast. Scappaticci, who died earlier this year, was one of the highest ranking men in the IRA. He was also an informer in the pay of British intelligence, operating under the codename Stakeknife.During his final years, he was being investigated by Operation Kenova, an inquiry set up in 2016. Its findings are due out later this year.  But how will his death impact the inquiry and the families of his victims who are still seeking justice? Hosted by Bernice Harrison. Guests Gerry Moriarty and Kevin Winters. This episode was originally published in April 2023. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ozempic is a drug, designed for diabetics, but which has a game-changing secondary use. It has the power to transform the lives of people with complex obesity. It’s only available in Ireland for people with Type 2 diabetes – and in very limited circumstances for those with obesity. In this episode Bernice Harrison heard from Belinda in Tipperary, who after taking the drug for five months, lost more than three stone. We also heard from Professor Donal O’Shea, HSE lead on obesity, who explained how the treatment works and how access to it has been put at risk by its association with celebrity weight loss, and its popularity on social media. This episode was originally published in March 2023. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More than one in 10 teenagers in Irish secondary schools experience bullying. It can happen in school, or outside it, on social media or in person. For her summer-long series, Irish Times parenting columnist Jen Hogan talked to parents of bullied children, adults whose lives have been impacted negatively by school bullying and to the children themselves. For this podcast she also talked to an expert on the ground, a school principal, Craig Petrie from East Glendalough School in Wicklow Town. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last month a New York architect, Rex Heuermann, was arrested in connection with the deaths of three young women whose bodies were found buried in a remote location on Gilgo Beach in 2010. He is also the prime suspect in the death of a fourth victim. Prosecutors now believe they have found the Long Island serial killer. Maria Cramer, NYPD bureau chief at The New York Times has been following the case and tells Bernice Harrison how the police finally found the suspect they spent almost 13 years looking for.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The savage and unprovoked attacks on an American tourist Stephen Termini, from Buffalo, New York, and the Ukrainian actor Oleksandr Hrekov in Dublin’s city centre made headlines – prompting debate around safety on the streets of the capital.Various reasons have been put forward for the ever-present sense of danger many say they feel in the capital’s centre, ranging from lack of gardaí on the beat to the aimlessness felt by many young people after the pandemic leading to antisocial behaviour.For Irish Times columnist Una Mullally, the blame must also be shouldered by Dublin City Council, which is charged with the care, planning and development of the city. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.