The Indo Daily

He was the man who presided over one of the country’s most turbulent events, when Ireland’s Celtic Tiger came crashing down. Now, a new book chronicling the political life of Brian Cowen has hit the shelves. Cowen's time as taoiseach was defined by the banking crash, the recession and the financial crisis that transformed the country. So, what led to the Offaly man's political rise? What light does this book shed on his time in Leinster house? And how will history remember the man who handled the bailout? On today’s Indo Daily, Tessa Fleming is joined by the Irish Independent’s Ireland editor, Fionnán Sheahan, to discuss Gary Murphy’s new book, Brian Cowen: Anatomy of a Taoiseach, and the crisis that defined his tenure.

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Ed Sheeran has built his career on being one of music's most likeable stars. But after rapper Macklemore was dropped from his US tour over pro-Palestinian comments, the singer is facing a backlash from fans, fellow artists and even members of his own touring team.

As support acts pull out and questions grow over free speech, politics and celebrity responsibility, Kevin Doyle is joined on the Indo Daily by the Irish Independent’s Dave Hanratty to examine whether this may be the biggest controversy of Sheeran's career and what it means for his carefully crafted image.

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Donald Trump may be back in the White House following his newsworthy trip to Dublin and Doonbeg, but his spirited call for a united Ireland continues to provoke intrigue.  

Micheál Martin may have moved to play down the "overreaction" but the subject will surely be on the agenda when the Taoiseach treks to Manchester for his first meeting with new UK prime minister Andy Burnham later this week.  

So, how will both leaders tackle Trump's green-tinted vision? And why was Sinn Féin slow to embrace the scenario?  

On this episode of The Indo Daily, host Fionnán Sheahan is joined by Irish Independent political correspondent Cónal Thomas, and by The Guardian chief reporter Daniel Boffey to assess the chaos Donald Trump has left in his wake, and just how much of a clean-up job the Taoiseach has on his hands.  

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Westlife are back in Dublin for a record-breaking 13-night residency at the 3Arena, 25 years after they first became Ireland's biggest musical export.

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From Sligo schoolboys to global chart stars, the band's story is one of extraordinary success, personal setbacks and remarkable longevity.

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Today on The Indo Daily, Fionnán Sheehan speaks to Aoife Rooney, features writer with the Irish Independent, and Eddie Rowley, showbiz editor with the Sunday World, to look at how Westlife survived boyband burnout, Brian McFadden's departure, bankruptcy, changing musical tastes and the collapse of the boyband era itself.

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Why are they still filling arenas in 2026 when so many of their rivals have faded away?

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Once Ireland's richest man, Seán Quinn has returned to tell his story once again, this time through his new podcast, The Quinn Files.

On today's Indo Daily, Fionnán Sheahan is joined by SundayIndependent’s Liam Collins and the Irish Independent’s Sean Pollock to examine Quinn's latest account of the events that transformed him from billionaire businessman to one of the most controversial figures of post-crash Ireland.

From the extraordinary success of the Quinn Group to the collapse of Anglo Irish Bank, prison and life after bankruptcy, they ask whether Quinn's latest intervention brings fresh insight or simply revisits a story the public already knows.

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Donald Trump has come and gone from Áras an Uachtaráin, but not without causing considerable consternation. The US president said he would “love” to see a united Ireland and suggested it “may as well happen now” because it is “going to happen eventually”. So what prompted his unexpected intervention, and could it have any impact on the debate over Ireland’s future?

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For almost 50 years, successive British governments have condemned Israel's illegal settlements in the occupied territories. 

But condemnation never translated into action, and the settlements continued to expand. 

So, why has Andy Burnham’s government finally chosen to flip the script and impose trade sanctions with the settlements? 

Meanwhile, in Israel, political pressure is mounting on prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 

A newspaper report claims Netanyahu received intelligence warnings ahead of Hamas's October 7 attacks in 2023, but failed to pass that information on to Israel's security chiefs. 

With Israel edging closer to another election, fresh questions are being asked about his political future, and whether his grip on power can survive the growing scrutiny. 

On today’s Indo Daily, Tessa Fleming is joined by Sam Kiley, world affairs editor at the UK Independent and host of the World of Trouble podcast, and by Middle Eastern correspondent with The Economist, Gregg Carlstrom, to discuss the UK government’s seismic policy shift and to ask what the political future holds for Netanyahu. 

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Catherine Connolly has called Donald Trump volatile, a bully and a misogynist. Now, she must welcome him to Áras an Uachtaráin. So, what could possibly go wrong?

­Host: Kevin Doyle, Guests: Mary Regan and John Downing

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Donald Trump is returning to his west-Clare retreat and its luxury suites, championship golf and Atlantic Ocean views. But what's it really like behind the gates of Trump International, Doonbeg?

Is the experience worth the eye-watering price tag? And how much of the attraction is about world-class hospitality versus the power of the Trump brand?

Fionnán Sheehan is joined on The Indo Daily by Irish Independent business journalist John Mulligan and travel editor Pól Ó Conghaile to take a look inside Donald Trump's Irish playground, covering everything from planning disputes and environmental controversies to the locals who live alongside it - all ahead of Doonbeg hosting the Irish Open. 

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The fall of Lance Armstrong was intertwined with the similarly disgraced descent of his one-time American Postal teammate Floyd Landis.

Landis, having come from a unique rural and religious background, rose through the ranks to take the coveted Tour de France title for himself just one year after Armstrong stood adorned in the famous yellow jersey as a record-breaker en route to retirement and the continued adulation of millions who bought into his story of triumph over tragedy.

In time, both men would be exposed as doping cheats after Landis confessed to what many had suspected, and indeed accused of, for years – creating the domino effect that would ultimately bring Armstrong down.

Twenty years on from his tainted victory in 2006, Landis still has a lot to say, and the Sunday Independent's Paul Kimmage was on hand to hear it.

On the conclusion of a two-part Indo Daily special, we outline why Landis denied the truth for years, the fallout from his eventual admission, and how his story had to come all the way back to the start in order to find a new way forward.

Host: Fionnán Sheahan

Guest: Paul Kimmage

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Paul Kimmage's three-part 'Cheat or Be Cheated' documentary can be watched on the Irish Independent YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D54sDw_M1nw

And you can read the full 35,000-word transcript of his original 2010 interview with Floyd Landis here: https://nyvelocity.com/articles/interviews/landiskimmage/

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In 2006, American cyclist Floyd Landis reached the pinnacle of his career by winning the Tour de France, just one year after former teammate Lance Armstrong bowed out after a record-breaking seven wins at the same competition.

Just days after Landis's victory, however, he failed a drugs test. So began years of costly public denials and legal challenges until Landis finally confessed to the truth of his doping.

In doing so, he accused Armstrong of engaging in the same practices, breaking ranks to ultimately expose arguably the biggest controversy in the history of professional cycling.

Twenty years on from Landis's tainted Tour de France victory, Sunday Independent journalist Paul Kimmage travelled to Pennsylvania to reconnect with the man who blew the whistle on Lance Armstrong.

This first episode of a two-part Indo Daily special charts the meteoric rise of two very different athletes and personalities, and the incredible fall that followed.

Host: Fionnán Sheahan

Guest: Paul Kimmage

The Indo Daily is part of the Trust Project. See our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalism

Paul Kimmage's three-part 'Cheat or Be Cheated' documentary can be watched on the Irish Independent YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D54sDw_M1nw

You can also read the full 35,000-word transcript of Paul's original 2010 interview with Floyd Landis here: https://nyvelocity.com/articles/interviews/landiskimmage/

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Today's episode of The Indo Daily is brought to you by our sister podcast The Big Tech Show, as Adrian Weckler is joined by Emanuel Maiberg, journalist and co founder of 404 Media, to explore how AI companies are buying up old and rare books for training data.

They discuss reports of books being physically cut apart and scanned, why obscure manuals and textbooks are particularly valuable to AI companies, and what could be lost when printed material is destroyed.

Maiberg also explains how 404 Media tracked a shipment using an AirTag and uncovered evidence of books being scanned and destroyed at an Amazon warehouse.

https://www.independent.ie/service/why-you-can-trust-the-irish-independent/a/98708550.html

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Andy Burnham may be new to the job in Number 10 Downing Street, but he's already found himself at the centre of a political row over one of the most sensitive issues on this island: Irish unity.

The British prime minister's unequivocal dismissal of any prospect of a border poll has reignited a long-running debate about who gets to decide Northern Ireland's future, and when that moment should come.

But strip away the politics, and one question remains: in an Ireland that's changing socially and demographically, would a vote for unity actually succeed?

Is there a genuine appetite for a united Ireland north and south of the Border?

And what can past referendums and reunification projects across Europe tell us about the challenges ahead?

On today’s Indo Daily, Tessa Fleming is joined by the Irish Independent's John Downing to examine the question that has shaped Irish politics for generations: could a border poll actually deliver a united Ireland?

The Indo Daily is part of The Trust Project. You can see our ethics policies atindependent.ie/ourjournalism

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The night of October 11, 2025 was meant to be one of celebration in the north Cork town of Doneraile. Locals gathered to mark a GAA victory, continuing their festivities into the night. However, over the next few hours tensions began to rise on the town's Main Street. A short time later, local postman and father-of-five Barry Daly was beaten to death with a golf club outside his own home. Now, 21-year-old Alex Deady has been sentenced to life in prison for his murder. 

Kevin Doyle is joined by Irish Independent southern correspondent Ralph Riegel to examine how a community celebration descended into a brutal killing.

Please note: this episode features discussion of graphic violence.

Host: Kevin Doyle | Guest: Ralph Riegel

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Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch’s son, Jason, is facing extradition from Spain to Ireland over alleged money laundering offences. Until now, the 37-year-old has largely remained outside the public eye and has no criminal record. So, who is Jason Hutch, and what role do authorities allege he played within the Hutch organisation?

Fionnán Sheahan is joined by Irish Independent special correspondent Paul Williams and multimedia reporter Darragh Nolan to examine his case and the next generation of the Hutch family.

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Katie Taylor has spent 25 years making boxing history.  This weekend, she will also make a fortune.

The Bray boxer was just 15 when she won her first competitive fight. Now, after Olympic gold, world titles and a career that transformed women’s boxing, she is preparing for one final contest, in the one venue that has always eluded her: a sold-out Croke Park.

So, how big will Taylor’s final payday be? And as the curtain comes down, just how much is Ireland’s greatest boxer worth?

Today on The Indo Daily, Katie Bryne is joined by senior features writer John Meagher to count the cost of Katie Taylor’s extraordinary career and look ahead to her last dance on her biggest stage yet.

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Mark Zuckerberg has survived scandal after scandal, and Meta has now agreed to an $18bn settlement that keeps him out of the witness box. The landmark lawsuit accused Meta of deliberately designing addictive features that harmed children’s mental health. But will the deal force real change at the tech giant. Fionnán Sheahan is joined by Irish Independent Tech Editor Adrian Weckler, to examine Meta’s deal, Zuckerberg’s reinvention and why he has bought gothic an Irish castle.

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Dave Rupert is at least six and half foot tall, he was a middle-aged trucker from Chicago and had no Irish links. Incredibly, Rupert was also recruited as an FBI spy at the very heart of dissident republicanism. This episode of The Indo Daily is brought to you by our sister podcast The BelTel. This podcast was first published in December 2025. 

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Seven years ago, 41-year-old Icelandic man Jon Jonsson arrived in Dublin ahead of a 10-day trip.

A poker enthusiast, Mr Jonsson was set to take part in a tournament, one that offered illicit sides games, if one were looking to partake.

That first night in Dublin, he bought into one of those illicit games and walked away €4,000 out of pocket.

The next morning, he walked out of the Bonnington Hotel in Dublin, lit a cigarette and rounded the corner, walking towards Whitehall and was never seen again.

Despite years of investigations, extensive searches and appeals, no trace of Mr Jonsson has ever been found.

Now, seven years on, gardaí have identified a person of interest in the case.

However, this individual is refusing to talk.

On today’s Indo Daily, Tessa Fleming is joined by Sunday Independentsenior news journalist Ali Bracken to discuss the disappearance of Jon Jonsson and the latest developments in this long-running case.

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At around midnight on August 5 2025, the lifeless body of Irish woman Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra was discovered on a boat docked at a marina in the exclusive Montauk Yacht Club in the US. Originally from Co Carlow, the 33-year-old entrepreneur had moved to New York ten years previously and was forging a successful career in sunglasses and swimwear design.

Earlier that evening, Martha had arranged to meet with millionaire investor Christopher Durnan to discuss how her business was going. In an interview last year, Durnan’s lawyer claimed that his client told police that Martha suddenly went limp between 10.30pm and 11pm and that he thought she was having a heart attack.

According to witnesses, Durnan was seen at around midnight, running naked through the marina, screaming for help. On the first anniversary of Martha’s tragic death, her family filed a wrongful death proceedings for $50 million against Christopher Durnan.

Their lawyers have stated that the results of an independent postmortem examination commissioned by the Nolan family is at odds with the one carried out by the state of New York and their summons is seeking damages for wrongful death and for the personal injuries and conscious pain and suffering that Martha sustained before her death.

On Tuesday, legal filings made on Mr Duran’s behalf revealed that James E Mercante, of New York law firm Gallo Vitucci Klar, will be appearing as his lawyer in the case.

Mr Mercante specialises in commercial and recreational admiralty consultation and litigation, marine insurance coverage, transportation disputes, arbitration and appeals.

The New York City-based maritime lawyer has handled such high-profile cases as the sinking of the Kandi Won in Oyster Bay, New York, on July 4, 2012, in which three children drowned, and the 2014 case in which a powerboat struck a barge moored at the Tappan Zee Bridge on the Hudson River in New York, killing two people.

Lawyers for Ms Nolan-O’Slatarra’s family filed a “Summons with Notice” in New York County on three weeks ago on August 4, seeking damages for “wrongful death” as well as damages for the “personal injuries and conscious pain and suffering” she sustained before her death.

According to court documents, the actions arise from events that took place on August 4 and 5 last year aboard a vessel docked at the Star Island Yacht Club at 32 Star Island Road in Montauk, New York.

Today on The Indo Daily, Catherine Fegan , Special Correspondent for the Irish Independent, joins Tessa Fleming to discuss the latest developments in the case.

We want to earn your trust and are members of the Trust Project. See our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalism

This podcast description was edited on 1pm on Thursday August 27th to include details regarding the boat accident specialist. This is not featured in the podcast discussion, however.

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They’re coming home.  

Having sent shockwaves through the British royal family and beyond back in 2020 by swapping out gilded titles for the California sunshine, Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, have once again stolen headlines thanks to their shock imminent return to the UK.  

Why the move? Well, that's the question of the day.  

In the absence of a clarifying statement, speculation about the homecoming is rampant, with the rumour mill grinding together everything from their children's education to potential familial reconciliation to a return to acting.  

One thing is for certain, though: it won't be a quiet, clandestine comeback.  

“I reported [on the royals] all through the Nineties, and that’s when we first started calling the royal family a soap opera, and now we’re kind of back there again,” says former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond on the Indo Daily.  

“There are going to be headlines everywhere, as far as I can see, for the next few months about Harry and Meghan and the royal family, but not the kind of headlines that the rest of the royal family would want.”

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The fallout continues from the horrific crash on the M9 motorway two Sundays ago.

Three sisters – Niamh Kinsella, Alma Kinsella, Ella Hendricken, and a seven-year-old boy – remain in hospital.

Five young men – Jeremy O'Brien, Alex McCarthy, Joe Carthy, Kamil Pustkowski, and Jack Kennedy - lost their lives.

The incident captured the attention and emotions of the nation. Concern, alarm, fear, outrage – all have been thoroughly expressed in recent days.

Now, as the five teenage boys are laid to rest, a similar incident in England has provoked fresh anxiety, after a wrong-way car crash near Middlesbrough in the early hours of Saturday morning left seven people dead, including two police officers.

On this episode of The Indo Daily, host Fionnán Sheahan is joined by Irish Independent journalist Conor Feehan to look at the latest from the M9 crash, and by Irish Independent features writer Kim Bielenberg to examine the scourge of joyriding in society over the years.

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As criminal underworld nicknames go, ‘The Milkman’ certainly stands out.

The moniker may conjure cartoonish imagery, but the reality was quite simple – Brian Brendan Wright always delivered.

Having swapped out Cork for London at the age of 12, Wright grew up in a working-class Irish community before carving out a distinctive personality for himself.

In time, he would boast quite the collection of acquaintances, rubbing shoulders with celebrity names like Frank Sinatra, Clint Eastwood and Michael Caine, while also emerging as a well-respected “gentleman gangster” in the criminal underworld.

And so it was that when a suspicious yacht anchored in Cobh, Co Cork, on a stormy September night in 1996, investigators eventually found themselves on the trail of The Milkman.

On this episode of The Indo Daily, host Kevin Doyle is joined by Irish Independent southern correspondent Ralph Riegel to look at how an Irish expat built a global drugs empire and how it all came spilling down around him.

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This episode is brought to you by our sister podcast Money Talks. New episodes land every Wednesday.

Regular listeners to Money Talks will know that the show has always focused on the personal side of personal finance. Now we’re really putting our money where our mouth is with our new Money Makeover series.

Financial expert Cian Carolan joins Katie Byrne to apply the actionable advice from Money Talks to real-life circumstances faced by our listeners.

On this episode, he focuses on a couple with very different saving styles – and a looming time crisis on their pension pot.

Host: Katie Byrne | Guest: Cian Carolan

The content of this podcast is for information purposes and does not constitute investment advice or recommendation of any investment product.

We want to earn your trust and are members of the Trust Project. See our ethics policies atindependent.ie/ourjournalism

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Five teenagers dead, three sisters and a seven-year-old boy seriously injured, and a wave of public outrage in the wake of the horrific wrong-way crash on the M9 motorway last weekend.

In the days since, the tragedy has sparked a huge amount of anger and debate around youth crime, garda powers, social media and even the role of parents.

Has this incident exposed a much bigger problem in Irish society?

And are we witnessing an unprecedented social reckoning unfold?

On this Extra episode of The Indo Daily, host Fionnán Sheahan is joined by Kevin Doyle, executive editor with theIrish Independent and group head of news at Mediahuis Ireland, to examine the public, police and political reaction to a story that continues to dominate the news agenda.

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The Sand and Sage motel in Odessa, Texas was the kind of rough outpost that attracted lonesome drifters and hard drinkers.

In other words, if you were of a sensitive disposition or simply happened to wander off the beaten track, it was probably best if you found somewhere else to bed down for the night.

By the early 1980s, Odessa was regarded as the murder capital of the United States. And so, the discovery of a body, bound and beaten, in a blood-soaked room at the Sand and Sage wasn’t all that shocking to the local authorities.

However, there was one piece that didn’t fit. The victim - Father Patrick Ryan.

One man would answer for this brutal crime. The wrong man.

On this episode of The Indo Daily, host Fionnán Sheahan is joined by Allison Clayton, deputy director of the Innocence Project of Texas, and by Deborah Esqeunazi, director of the documentary Night in West Texas, to look at a vicious murder of an Irish priest, a miscarriage of justice and a cold case that keeps raising questions.

This episode was first released in April 2026

The Indo Daily is part of the Trust Project. You can see our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalism

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It was supposed to be an oral record of the Troubles, made by those who were there.

Initially, the ‘Boston Tapes’ project seemed like a good idea, albeit one which would unavoidably include descriptions of violence and terror.

The concept was simple – former paramilitaries would be interviewed; the tapes would then be kept in storage, and their stories only revealed after the interviewees' deaths.

However, it became clear that the scheme was flawed and that the recordings were not as secret as participants had assumed.

Earlier this year, the Belfast Telegraph revealed that the Boston College tapes archive has been formally closed - and will remain shut for 75 years from when it was first created.

On this episode, host Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Belfast Telegraph reporter, Andrew Madden, to look at what went wrong with the project and why the records have been sealed.

This episode is brought to you by our sister podcast The BelTel and was first released in April 2026.

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Carrie Jade Williams. Sadie Harris. Lucy Fitzwilliams. Jade Cookes. Samantha Black. Rebecca Fitzgerald. 

These are just some of the fabricated identities used by serial con artist Samantha Cookes. 

In 2024, her Walter Mitty-style life finally collapsed as online communities, journalists and a WhatsApp group of victims cross-referenced the inconsistencies in her story, joining the dots that authorities had missed. 

In March 2025, Samantha Cookes was jailed for three years for deception and theft. 

Yet her story keeps getting fresh chapters. 

On this episode of The Indo Daily, host Katie Byrne is joined by Alan Bradley, documentary filmmaker and author of Unmasking Samantha Cookes: The Many Lives of a Serial Fraudster, to discuss the breadth and the impact of an incredible deception.

This episode of The Indo Daily was first released in May 2026

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The five teenage boys killed in a horror crash when their car was driven the wrong way on the M9 motorway were all aged between 15 and 18 years of age.

Post-mortem examinations will now be carried out on the bodies of Joey Carthy (15) and Jack Kennedy (17) from Athy, Co Kildare; Alex McCarthy (17) and his cousin Jeremy O’Brien (18) from Carlow; and Kamil Pustkowski (17) from Limerick.

The teenagers, including some members of the so-called Lucky Dip gang, were killed when the stolen BMW car they were driving sped the wrong way down the M9 motorway and ploughed head-on into another vehicle.

Three women and a seven-year-old boy who were travelling in the other Hyundai vehicle were hospitalised with injuries ranging from serious to critical following the early-morning smash on Sunday.

The women and child were on their way to Dublin Airport at the time of the crash which occurred shortly after 3am near Moone, Co Kildare, on the northbound lane.

Gardaí believe that the five juveniles were travelling in a suspected stolen BMW and are alleged to have been involved in a burglary and attempted break-ins in Carlow and Athy, Co Kildare, before the fatal smash.

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Robert Sangster later recounted how he then poured himself a ‘generous glass’ of Roederer Cristal champagne, “and I inhaled it as if it was draft lager, and I kept on saying over and over, ‘I like it John. I like it. I really like it.’”

It sounds like a scene from a film where the plot is about to go into overdrive.

For the young John Magnier, it was the eureka moment.

But how exactly did he set a cunning plan in motion that would pave the way for his envious billionaire bloodstock empire? What did he see in America that Ireland sorely lacked? And, given his recent and chastening high-profile defeat in court, what is the ultimate legacy for the man who changed horse-racing in this country forever?

On this episode of The Indo Daily, Fionnán Sheahan is joined by Sunday Independent journalist Liam Collins to profile the early days of Magnier and examine how one of our most intriguing and reclusive figures built his fortune.

This episode of The Indo Daily was first released in January 2026

The Indo Daily is part of the Trust Project. You can see our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalism

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Ireland sits at the heart of the world’s digital economy, with most transatlantic data cables passing through or close to its waters. But is Ireland prepared to protect the infrastructure that keeps businesses, banks and public services connected? Today's episode of The Indo Daily is brought to you by The Big Tech Show, as Adrian Weckler is joined by Fearghal O’Connor, Chief Business Writer with the Irish Independent, to examine growing concerns over Ireland’s maritime security. 

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“I would class it as a form of grooming, that day in 2016 when we met at the GPA dinner and he gave me his whole life story. He was setting me up for the future and he put me into his diary, and he hit me up seven years after.”

The words of businessman Noel Tynan, who loaned DJ Carey €10,000 for what he claimed was life-saving cancer treatment in America.

But how did DJ’s stories about his health make it into the mainstream media?

And what about DJ’s former partner Sarah Newman? How did she find out about his lies?

Today on The Indo Daily, we bring you the final episode of our DJ Carey series and look at how his lies finally caught up with him, but there would be a last-minute twist to the story that nobody saw coming...

This episode of The Indo Daily was first released in November 2025.

The Indo Daily is part of the Trust Project. You can see our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalism

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It’s the mid-2000s and hurler DJ Carey is still playing at the top of his game for Kilkenny.

He’s divorced from his wife Christine but is in a new relationship with the multi-millionaire Dragons’ Den star, Sarah Newman.

They’re one of the Celtic Tiger’s golden couples, and Carey is fast becoming famous for his off-the-pitch activities. He is living the high life, owning several properties in some of the most exclusive addresses in Ireland and abroad.

But not everything was as perfect as it appeared. The financial crash of 2008 hit the country hard, and Carey was not immune to the global meltdown.

His businesses were coming under strain, as was his relationship with Sarah Newman, and soon stories about Carey’s health would circulate privately - stories that Carey would tell sympathetic people as he convinced them to part with their money.

Today on The Indo Daily, we bring you the second episode from our special three-part documentary on the rise and fall of DJ Carey.

This episode of The Indo Daily was first released in November 2025.

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If you asked people to name the biggest stars in Irish sporting history, Rory McIlroy, Katie Taylor and Brian O’Driscoll would be at the top of many lists – and, up until recently, many people would have gone for hurling legend DJ Carey.

The former Kilkenny and GAA icon is no longer famous for his sporting prowess alone.

Instead, he is currently serving a prison sentence for fraud and deception that nobody could have predicted just a few years ago. But how did DJ Carey go from a titan of Ireland’s favourite game to a convicted criminal?

Today on The Indo Daily we bring you the first episode from our special three-part documentary on the rise and fall of DJ Carey.

This episode of The Indo Daily was first released in November 2025.

The Indo Daily is part of the Trust Project. You can see our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalism

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“Everybody was interested in the case, and everybody wanted to know what was happening.”

That’s former RTÉ legal affairs editor Mary Wilson's recollection of reporting live on the Catherine Nevin trial back in 2000, after the violent killing of publican Tom Nevin in March 1996.

“I’d walk from the Four Courts to Tara Street to get a Dart home in the evenings, and people were shouting at me out of car windows and shouting at me from trucks: ‘Any sign of a verdict? What’s going on?’," Wilson says.

The media sensation that accompanied the trial was unlike anything Ireland had seen before. Speaking on the Indo Daily podcast, Wilson remembers someone describing it as like having a novel read aloud to you in court.

And that was before Catherine Nevin herself took to the stand.

“To say she wasn’t a good witness in her own defence is an understatement,” says Wilson. “[It was] all so bizarre that you look back on it and say; ‘What was she thinking?’.”

On the second episode of this two-part Indo Daily special, host Fionnán Sheahan is joined in-studio by Mary Wilson as they look back at how one of the country’s most notorious murder cases gripped the nation, and ask: why do we remain so fascinated with the ‘Black Widow’ today?

This episode of The Indo Daily was first released in March 2026.

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Daniel Kinahan sounded bemused when he described the frenzy around his life as “movie stuff”, but the scenes that accompanied his trip back to Ireland were undeniably cinematic.

A trip on a €53m government jet that was tracked by the public in real-time, a ring of steel around parts of Dublin as he was escorted in a bomb-proof convoy, and a long-awaited appointment at the Criminal Courts of Justice.

Perhaps the most surprising aspect, however, was the alleged criminal kingpin’s affable back and forth with the judge.

So, where does Daniel Kinahan go from here?

The Irish Independent’s news and security correspondent, Robin Schiller, was present to see it all unfold. He joins host Kevin Doyle on this Extra episode of The Indo Dailyto break it down.

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At around 4.30am on March 19, 1996, a panic alarm alerted gardaí to a disturbance at Jack White’s Inn near Brittas Bay in Co Wicklow.

Arriving at the scene, the guards discovered Tom Nevin dead in the kitchen of his pub in what initially appeared to be a robbery gone wrong.

The place was in disarray and Mr Nevin had been shot dead at close range.

His wife, Catherine Nevin, was found nearby, behind the hall door of the pub, her hands tied with a dressing gown cord.

She would claim that a hooded man had threatened her with a weapon as she slept, tied her up, ransacked the area in search of money and valuables, and murdered her husband in the process.

One part of her story would turn out to be true – her husband was indeed murdered, but his grieving widow was not the innocent bystander she claimed to be.

Thirty years on from the killing, host Fionnán Sheahan is joined by Mary Wilson, former RTÉ legal affairs editor and host of Drivetime and Morning Ireland, on the first of a two-part Indo Daily special to look back at the emergence of one of Ireland’s most notorious criminals; The Black Widow.

This episode of The Indo Daily was first released in March 2026.

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‘Work/life balance’ is a phrase that gets thrown about a lot – but what does it really mean? And how far would you be willing to go to achieve that balance in reality? Today's episode of The Indo Daily is brought to you by our sister podcast Money Talks, as Katie Byrne is joined by Anne Sheeran, a ‘de-influencer’ who put her money where her mouth is by taking a pay cut that allowed her to work a four-day week. 

Sheeran shares updates on her lifestyle and the challenges posed by her schedule on her TikTok and Instagram accounts. She tells Katie why she'd choose a four-day work week over a luxury seven-day trip with her family.

The content of this podcast is for information purposes and does not constitute investment advice or recommendation of any investment product.

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Daniel Kinahan is languishing behind bars in Dubai as he awaits extradition to Ireland, but the exiled cartel boss is speaking out – as a podcast guest.

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Having famously teased a previous audio sit-down with Kinahan that never made it to air, broadcaster James English insists he finally has a world exclusive, and a box-office one at that.

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English has released snippets of the apparently forthcoming interview, in which Kinahan states that he believes he’s “already got life in prison”, that he expects to receive “character assassination”, and that he doesn’t have “a hope of getting a fair trial”.

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Kinahan also alluded to potential attempts on his life while in custody.

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On this episode of The Indo Daily, host Katie Byrne is joined by Crime World journalist Neil Fetherstonhaugh to look at how a PR machine runs in the criminal underworld, and Daniel Kinahan’s latest attempt to control his narrative.

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Michael Fingleton was one of the most controversial figures of the Celtic Tiger. As the longtime boss of Irish Nationwide, he oversaw reckless lending that ultimately left taxpayers with a €5.4 billion bill. But was he simply the face of a wider banking culture, or the true "baddie of the bailout"? Deputy Business Editor John Burns joins Dave Hanratty to examine the man behind one of Ireland's most infamous banking collapses.

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The seizure last week of a bomb containing almost 400g of Semtex plastic explosive has put the New IRA back on to the front pages after a lull in violence.

Two people connected to the political group Saoradh have been charged in relation to the incident.

The sophisticated device has fuel fears that the group has gained access to fresh stocks of military-grade explosives.

The New IRA has been long been associated with but the group also has a presence in Dublin.

Who are the New IRA and what are they capable of?

Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Robin Shiller, News and Security Correspondent with the Irish Independent.

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Just a heads-up – this episode contains references to alleged sexual assault and may not be suitable for everyone, so please take care when listening.

Jared Leto is an Oscar winner, a rock star, a cult leader and now the focus of serious questions.

The 54-year-old has been seen onscreen in the likes of Fight Club, American Psycho, and Blade Runner 2049, while also finding the time to tour the world with his band Thirty Seconds to Mars.

But a BBC investigation has revealed an array of allegations against the actor, with a new documentary presenting the accounts of 10 different accusers.

The allegations against Leto span more than a decade and include claims of sexual assault, grooming and inappropriate behaviour with underage girls.

Leto has categorically denied the claims.

Is his gilded career in jeopardy or is the Hollywood of 2026 more comfortable overlooking such a scandal?

On this episode of The Indo Daily, host Kevin Doyle is joined by Alice McShane, director of BBC documentary Jared Leto: Hollywood's Dark Secret, to hear how the investigation came together, and by the Irish Independent'sDave Hanratty to look at Jared Leto's career to date.

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Artificial intelligence is fuelling a stock market boom unlike anything seen before, with tech giants spending trillions in a race to dominate AI. But what if the hype doesn't live up to the promise? Kevin Doyle is joined by Irish Independent columnist Richard Curran to ask whether we're watching the next financial bubble inflate, and what an AI crash could mean for Ireland's jobs, economy and future.

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Why do good people cheat? This episode of The Indo Daily is brought to you our sister podcast Just Between us with Jennifer Zamparelli.  On this episode Jen sits down with psychotherapist Dr. Richard Hogan to talk about the messy reality of infidelity and why it’s rarely as simple as right or wrong. They chat about attachment styles, midlife, rebuilding trust, and whether a relationship can ever come back from betrayal.

Listeners note; Competition entries are now closed for tickets to our live podcast recording.

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Jim O'Callaghan is a politician with leadership ambitions and a reform agenda.

But in his bid to overhaul Ireland's legal system, he has picked a high-stakes fight with a formidable adversary: the lawyers of Ireland.

It has been a month since solicitors withdrew their services in a deepening row over criminal legal aid fees, and tensions look to be escalating.

At the heart of the controversy is a new flat-fee payment model introduced by the Justice Minister, which he argues is necessary to control the spiralling cost of legal aid.

For O'Callaghan, the stakes could hardly be higher. The minister has made the legal reform a cornerstone of his leadership ambitions.

A victory could bolster his credentials as a future Fianna Fáil leader, but a stalemate could turn into a political crisis.

And while the political battle intensifies, it is those seeking access to justice who may be paying the highest price.

On today’sIndo Daily, Tessa Fleming is joined by two of theIrish Independent’spolitical team, Mary Regan and John Downing, to unpack the growing dispute, the political stakes and what it could mean for the future of the man at its centre.

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Word on the street is that Daniel Kinahan is suddenly being prepped for extradition from Dubai.

The 49-year-old could be back in Ireland in a number of weeks, likely prompting one of the biggest security operations in the recent history of the State.

So, what awaits Kinahan when he finally arrives home?

On this Extra episode of The Indo Daily, host Fionnán Sheahan is joined by Eimear Rabbitt, news editor with Crime World, who breaks down the latest developments on this fast-moving story.

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Five activists. One defence company. €1 million in alleged damage. An Irish man now faces up to five years in prison in a German trial that's raising difficult questions about protest, civil disobedience and the limits of the law. Kevin Doyle examines the Ulm Five case with BBC journalist Bethany Bell and Daniel Tatlow-Devally's father, Conor Devally.

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Academy Award-winning artist and leader of The Frames, Glen Hansard, has died at the age of 56.

The renowned singer-songwriter was killed in a motorcycle crash in Dublin in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Once the news broke, tributes quickly followed – Hansard was a hugely popular figure, not just in the Irish music scene, but also on the international stage.

On this Extra episode of The Indo Daily, host Fionnán Sheahan is joined by senior features writer and music critic at the Irish independent John Meagher to look back on the life of Glen Hansard.

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A “significant” bomb built for “catastrophic” damage, and a suspected plot to bring violence to the streets of Derry.

It was the stuff of Ireland’s past, but events last week clearly illustrated that it is also Ireland’s present. The foiling of an alleged New IRA plot to detonate a bomb was a stark reminder of the dissident republican activity that quietly continues on both sides of the border. 

At the heart of the case are two suspects: Simon O’Donovan (44), an employee at the National Museum in Collins Barracks, and Isobella Perrie Sullivan (25), a law student.  

On this episode of The Indo Daily, host Fionnán Sheahan is joined by Ken Foy, crime correspondent at the Irish Independent, to look at how the plot was uncovered – and what comes next. 

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The famous residents of an exclusive suburb just outside Barcelona have included footballers like Gerard Pique and Andres Iniesta, and international pop stars like Shakira. Recent World Cup winner Lamine Yamal is currently enjoying the spoils of a multi-million euro purchase there.

But a German businessman’s address in the neighbourhood has now scuppered his chance of application to be declared bankrupt in Ireland.

Last year, 44-year-old former convict Denis Melcher, who had amassed debts of close to €8m, convinced Ireland’s High Court to adjudicate him bankrupt.

As part of this process, Melcher submitted a sworn statement in which he declared that he was living in a modest rental home in Carlow.

However, at the time, Melcher was secretly spending €8,500 per month to lease a four-storey mansion overlooking Barcelona, with an option to purchase the property for €2.6m.

The revelation has raised fears that the Irish bankruptcy regime is now seen as an easy target for foreign nationals looking to shed colossal debts.

On this episode of The Indo Daily, host Fionnán Sheahan is joined by Irish Independent Legal Affairs Editor Shane Phelan to examine the implications of this curious case.

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Amy Winehouse’s time at the top was brief, but her impact was anything but.

With era-defining tracks like Rehab and Back to Black, she laid bare her life through brutally honest songwriting, delivered in a voice that was as soulful as it was unforgettable.

But alongside the awards and global success came something darker.

Winehouse’s rapid ascent was shadowed by addiction, relentless scrutiny, and a tabloid culture that often seemed to feed off her struggles.

And the media machine didn’t stop after Amy Winehouse tragically passed away aged just 27; if anything, it found new gears to crank up.

Her death, though tragic, was not altogether unexpected for those who had watched her very public battle play out in real time.

Fifteen years on, is the entertainment industry more protective of its stars?

On this episode of The Indo Daily, host Tessa Fleming is joined by Phil Udell, music lecturer at Ballyfermot College of Further Education and artist manager with Word Up Collective, and by Ian Winwood, music journalist and author of Bodies: Life and Death in Music, to look at the legacy of Amy Winehouse.

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On a spring morning in June 2001, an eight-year-old girl gathered moss for her grandmother’s hanging baskets in a forest near Ballinamore in Co Leitrim. The child let out a scream: she had discovered a body.  The remains belonged to Enniskillen businessman Gerry McGinley, and it was clear that he been murdered.  He had been killed by his own wife Julie and her lover.  But it wasn’t a simple tale of adultery. It involved hotel sex with strangers, lies, blackmail and videotape – and included many prominent people in Fermanagh.

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Today's Indo Daily was originally released on April 14, 2026, and is brought to you by our sister podcast The Bel Tel, as Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Andrew Madden.

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Taoiseach Micheál Martin put boots on the ground in Ukraine this week, travelling to Kyiv for a quick tete-a-tete with President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Mr Martin was there to lend Ireland’s support – to the tune of a further €125m, no less - and it really does seem like the Ukrainian president could use a helping hand right about now.

As the war with Russia rumbles into a fifth year, Mr Zelensky is facing new battles on the home front, as political rivals and vocal protestors wield their own weapons.

His decision to sack popular defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov led to street demonstrations, while the president also dismissed Ukraine’s army commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi just days later.

Is the leader once hailed as “the spirit of Ukraine” gradually losing his grip on power?

On this episode of The Indo Daily, host Fionnán Sheahan is joined by Irish Independentsenior journalist Sean Pollock for a look at the political, military and everyday life in Kyiv.

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The days of stars topping the poll of highest earners at RTÉ are gone.

Back in 2023, RTÉ director general Kevin Bakhurst pledged to rein in the broadcaster’s highest earners, promising the day would come when nobody would earn more than him.

In the latest list of RTÉ’s top 10 earners, it looks like his plan has finally taken shape.

So as the stars slide down the RTÉ rich list, who are the suits now commanding the biggest salaries at RTÉ?

What could it mean for the broadcaster's future as commercial rivals continue their hunt for talent?

And can a new slate of drama productions win back a waning audience?

On today’s Indo Daily, Tessa Fleming is joined by Ireland editor Fionnán Sheahan and entertainment correspondent Melanie Finn to unpack RTÉ's latest salary figures and examine whether its reforms are doing the job. 

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After a five-year wait, Mayo are back in the All-Ireland football final, but whispers of the famous curse, which supposedly condemned the county to endless defeat, can still be heard.

Legend has it that the celebrating team of 1951 disrespected a local funeral and became the subject of a damning and highly effective hex that has kept the Sam Maguire Cup from their grasp ever since.

So, is the old tale fact or fiction? Or is it just a handy excuse to explain away decades of heartbreak?

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On this episode of The Indo Daily, host Tessa Fleming is joined by Frank Roche, the Irish Independent's Gaelic games correspondent, to debate supernatural sabotage – and to ask if Mayo can finally overcome their demons this Sunday.

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This episode of 'The Indo Daily' contains references to rape and sexual assault, and may not be suitable for everyone, so please take care when listening

Andrew Tate and his brother, Tristan, like to talk about male empowerment and freedom, yet both are currently shackled away from the outside world.

Arrested last weekend by US authorities, the pair are unlikely to find that the confines of a Miami jail cell measure up to the lavish lifestyle they routinely flaunt online – but that’s their home for now.

The reason? A volley of 38 new charges, including rape and sex trafficking, courtesy of the Crown Prosecution Service in the UK, with an extradition attempt to follow. The brothers now face a total of 59 charges, all of which they deny.

So, where to now for Andrew and Tristan Tate?

On this episode of The Indo Daily, host Fionnán Sheahan is joined by Isabella Kwai, reporter with the New York Times, to break down the complexities of the criminal investigation into the Tate brothers – and to question what made them such prominent public figures in the first place.

The Indo Daily is part of the Trust Project. You can see our ethics policies atindependent.ie/ourjournalism

You can read Isabella Kwai’s reporting on the Tate brothershere. 

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Speaking during his inauguration speech on Monday, new UK prime minister – the seventh in the last 10 years, if you're keeping score – Andy Burnham spoke of his mission to "bring back hope" and to make Britain "believe again".

Good luck to him.

Burnham knows the job ahead is unlikely to be an easy one, but he's put the work in to get here, from emerging as a fresh-faced MP at the turn of the century to failed attempts to take over the Labour leadership in 2010 and 2015, to finally ascending to the lofty halls of No 10 Downing Street.

But is Burnham inheriting a poisoned chalice, given the increasingly fractured nature of present-day British politics?

How did he go from "King of the North" in Manchester to the top job in London?

And can he handle Donald Trump any better than Keir Starmer did?

On this episode of The Indo Daily, host Fionnán Sheahan is joined by Daniel Boffey, Chief Reporter with The Guardian, to discuss the new UK PM's rise to power and why he's likely to call a general election sooner rather than later.

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As the 2000s came to a close, gang violence in Ireland was a common problem.

In the summer of 2009, Paul ‘Frank’ Byrne, who was not considered to be a major criminal but was associated with a serious criminal gang, was seen getting into a wine-coloured Mitsubishi Carisma.

It would be the last time the 20-year-old was seen alive.

Byrne’s remains were discovered a little over a year later in a forest in Co Wicklow, identified only via DNA analysis.

Seventeen years later, those responsible for his murder remain at large. The investigation remains open, with gardaí making a fresh push for information.

Will those in the know ever come forward?

On this episode of The Indo Daily, host Fionnán Sheahan is joined by Irish Independent crime correspondent Ken Foy to look at the murder of Paul ‘Frank’ Byrne and where the authorities hope to finally make a crucial breakthrough.

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Former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson earned massive sums over a successful career. But the Belfast Telegraph understands the now convicted pedophile's fortune is ebbing away – and that he still has a mortgage on his Dromore home.   

He has to pay a legal bill of half a million pounds – can he afford an appeal?  

Today's Indo Daily is brought to you by our sister podcast The BeTel as Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Sam McBride. 

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In early November 2024, Dublin man Lorcan Tadgh Murphy was in a bar in downtown Budapest, scanning the room.

He was alone, supposedly in the city on business, but something of a more personal nature else caught his eye.

Among the patrons in the bar that evening was a 31-year-old American nurse by the name of Mackenzie Michalski. She was enjoying her last night out as her trip around Europe came to an end.

Across the room, Michalski and Murphy made eye contact and a flirtation began. The pair later moved to a nightclub before heading back together to Murphy’s nearby apartment.

Hours later, Mackenzie Michalski was dead, and a panicked Murphy was frantically trying to get his story straight.

But the life of Lorcan Murphy, now serving a lengthy prison sentence in Hungary, has since been revealed to be far more sinister than anyone first realised, as details emerged of covert recordings and an expressed ambition to sleep with 1,000 women.

On this episode of The Indo Daily, host Katie Byrne is joined by Sunday Independent senior correspondent Maeve Sheehan to discuss a shocking murder in the Hungarian capital, and why the killer was named in Ireland despite reporting restrictions abroad.

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As Bill and Alison Chawke waited outside courtroom number three in Limerick Circuit Court on Tuesday morning, their mood appeared upbeat.

However, a short time later, as Judge Fiona O’Sullivan started to talk about prison time, the reality of their situation dawned on them, and shock quickly became visible on their faces.

The son and daughter of prominent publican Charlie Chawke were in court for a vicious assault they launched on two men at the Dunraven Arms Hotel in Adare, Co Limerick, in November 2023.

Both victims were left with physical and mental injuries.

The Chawkes own some of the country’s best-known pubs, with Bill and Alison heavily involved in the family business, and seemingly highly respected in their industry.

And yet today, mother-of-three Alison and recent newlywed Bill find themselves behind bars.

So, what does it all mean for the Chawke empire?

On this episode of The Indo Daily, host Kevin Doyle is joined by Catherine Fegan, special correspondent with the Irish Independent, and by senior journalist at the Irish Independent, Sean Pollock to discuss the trial and the fallout that now awaits one of Ireland’s most successful families.

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The murder of firebrand politician Ann Widdecombe has sent shockwaves through the British establishment, prompting fresh debate around the safety of public figures.  

An unapologetic straight-talking stateswoman, Widdecombe served as an MP for 23 years, and was famed for controversial outspoken views on abortion, gay rights and women’s issues.  

Despite her divisive nature, Widdecombe managed to win fans away from the political arena thanks to a memorable run on Strictly Come Dancing and other unlikely forays into reality TV. 

Now, as the investigation into her murder evolves into a terrorism probe, serious questions are being asked of the authorities in Britain, not least by Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who called attention to the need for more money to be spent on security for public figures just days before Widdecombe’s death.  

On Tuesday evening, counter-terrorism police in the UK stated that the murder of Ann Widdecombe is officially recognised as a “targeted attack” while noting that it has “not been declared as a terrorist incident”. 

On this episode of The Indo Daily, host Fionnán Sheahan is joined by TRT World presenter Enda Brady to discuss the latest on the investigation, and to look at the sometimes contradictory life of Ann Widdecombe and an increasingly threatening climate for politicians. 

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The boyfriend of murdered American mother-of-one Jamey Carney has been detained in Jordan, the Irish Independent understands.

Ahmad al-Saqar is a person of interest to the garda investigation into the murder of Ms Carney.

The dramatic development came as gardai have made rapid progress in their murder probe with significant forensic, CCTV and witness evidence obtained.

Sources indicated that the 28 year old man has been detained in Jordan over the past 48 hours.

Ireland does not have an extradition treaty with Jordan and no Irish arrest warrant has been issued in respect of the Killarney murder as yet.

The detention was made by Jordan’s Public Security Directorate. The whereabouts of Ahmad Al-Samar, had been unknown.

He is “a person of interest” for gardaí as he spent time with Ms Carney between July 4-6.

Gardai now believe the Jordanian was with Ms Carney on Monday evening, the night she was fatally assaulted.

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RTÉ look to be further floundering in their finances.

Director General Kevin Bakhurst appeared before the Public Accounts Committee last week looking for extra funding from Government.

The reason? “Volatility” in TV licence-fee revenue.

Over one in five households now do not own a TV, which means the broadcaster needs an extra €54.79m this year from the exchequer, up from €41.3m last year.

But as the number of households without a television continues to grow, is the licence fee becoming a relic of a bygone era?

And in a world of streaming services, social media and endless digital content, can RTÉ survive today's media landscape?

On today’s The Indo Daily, Tessa Fleming is joined by Irish Independent Technology Editor, Adrian Weckler, Entertainment correspondent for the Irish Independent, Melanie Finn and political reporter at the Irish Independent, Aisling Moloney to examine the future of the TV licence, and whether the broadcaster is facing yet another financial reckoning.

We want to earn your trust and are members of the Trust Project. See our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalism correspondent for the Irish Independent, Melanie Finn and political reporter at the Irish Independent, Aisling Moloney to examine the future of the TV licence, and whether the broadcaster is facing yet another financial reckoning.

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Electric scooters were once seen as the future of urban transport, but growing safety concerns are changing the conversation.

Todays episode of The Indo Daily is brought to you by our sister podcast The Big Tech Show, as Adrian Weckler is joined by former Fine Gael TD Noel Rock to discuss whether electric scooters have become too dangerous for Irish roads. They examine rising injury numbers, gaps in enforcement, why existing rules are failing, and whether tighter regulation is enough or if Ireland should consider banning them altogether.

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It’s fight week, and Conor McGregor has come out swinging.

‘The Notorious’ finally steps back into a UFC octagon this weekend for a main event match-up, and while some are questioning his physical prowess, his microphone game remains as brash as ever.

Sat in front of the media once more, McGregor espoused his divine beliefs, proclaimed his innocence and once again weighed in on Ireland’s immigration debate.

This weekend’s event will have plenty of eyes on it, but should Conor McGregor be allowed fight at all? Or granted a platform of this size to spread his views, for that matter?

And why are American fans and fixtures so happy to assist in his rehabilitation tour?

On this episode of The Indo Daily, host Dave Hanratty is joined by sports and entertainment journalist Andy McCarroll to look at a much-criticised return to the octagon.

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The chief suspect in the murder of American mother-of-one Jamey Carney (43) flew from Ireland to Turkey within hours of her death.

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It has now emerged that the 28-year-old man got a bus from Killarney to Dublin within three hours of the death of the New York native.

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He then booked a last-minute flight from Dublin Airport to Istanbul in Turkey on Tuesday morning - and is now believed to be working with contacts to cross from Turkey to either Syria or Jordan. The man is understood to have extensive contacts in the region.

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Today on this Indo Daily Extra,Tessa Fleming is joined by Irish Independent southern correspondent Ralph Riegel, to hear the latest developments.

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We want to earn your trust and are members of the Trust Project. See our ethics policies atindependent.ie/ourjournalism.

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The Jeffrey Donaldson scandal has taken another turn, with the former DUP leader now set to face a fresh investigation.

New allegations have emerged of a sexual assault involving a woman at the party's Westminster offices.

More details have also come to light about Donaldson's conduct throughout his years in politics as former colleagues speak out about his inappropriate behaviour.

Is it open season on Jeffrey Donaldson where every rumour is fair game? And why has it taken until now for people to break their silence?

On this episode of The Indo Daily, host Kevin Doyle is joined by Sam McBride, Northern Ireland editor of the Belfast Telegraph, to discuss a seemingly ever-expanding list of accusations.

The Indo Daily is part of the Trust Project. See our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalism

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Reeling from an investigation into his finances, Nigel Farage has gone on the offensive.

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In a public address on Tuesday afternoon, the Reform UK leader announced his intention to resign as an MP in order to trigger a by-election that he intends to contest.

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“This will be a people versus the establishment by-election,” Farage said.

“It's a chance to stick two fingers up to the entire establishment, to frankly tell them where to go,” he added, noting that he will “fight to win” and “continue the political revolution that Reform has started” in the UK.

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The move has been heavily criticised by opponents, with outgoing prime minister Keir Starmer labelling it a “desperate stunt” and stating that Farage is “up to his neck in sleaze”.

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So, can Farage managed to turn the accusations against him into a conspiracy and turn the raging tide to his advantage?

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And who is ‘Posh George’, the man whose association with Farage has caused such media scrutiny and public pressure?

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On this episode of The Indo Daily, host Kevin Doyle is joined by TRT World presenter Enda Brady to ask if Farage is redefining the idea of politics being a risky business.

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The Indo Daily is part of the Trust Project.  You can view our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalism

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They flaunted Ferraris, private jets and a billionaire lifestyle.

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The Cartu brothers are accused of running one of the world's largest alleged investment frauds while projecting a glamorous lifestyle online.

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But the story doesn't end in the US.

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Katie Byrne and Eamon Dillon trace the companies, assets and investigations that connect Ireland to the case.

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For more than 30 years, the name George Gibney has haunted Irish swimming.

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The former national swimming coach left Ireland in the 1990s after a prosecution against him was halted, leaving many of those who said they were abused by him without the day in court they had waited for.

Today, after decades of investigations, legal battles, failed hopes and unanswered questions, Gibney has been convicted of sexually abusing young girls more than 50 years ago.

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This afternoon, a Central Criminal Court jury found the 77-year-old guilty of multiple counts of indecent assault and one count of attempted rape. He had already pleaded guilty to five further counts of indecent assault at the outset of the trial. He will be sentenced later this month.

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Host: Kevin Doyle, Guest: Chalkie White

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We want to earn your trust and are members of the Trust Project. See our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalism

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Creative and hard-working, Charles Self moved to Ireland in the late 1970s when he was poached from the BBC for an enviable role at RTÉ.

As the lead set designer on the then-thriving Late Late Show, Self was able to mould the flagship programme to his creative vision.

Popular with his colleagues and in line for a pay rise, Self was flying high, until his life was tragically cut short in 1982 following a violent and frenzied attack that had major implications for Ireland’s gay community.

On this episode of The Indo Daily, host Katie Byrne is joined by Sunday Independent journalist Liam Collins to look back at the brutal, still unsolved murder of Charles Self.

The Indo Daily is part of the Trust Project. You can view our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalism

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Who is Mark Zuckerberg really? Is he the awkward, robotic tech billionaire seen in public, or something very different behind closed doors?

Todays Indo Daily is brought to you by The Big Tech Show, as Sheera Frenkel, Pulitzer Prize winning New York Times journalist and co-author of the bestselling An Ugly Truth: Inside Facebook's Battle for Domination, joins Adrian to examine the Meta chief's personality, upbringing and leadership style.

From his privileged childhood and early coding obsession to Facebook's move fast culture, Zuckerberg's rise is a story of relentless ambition, fierce control and extraordinary resilience.

Why you can trust the Irish Independent:learn about our editorial guidelines and AI use

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As Jeffrey Donaldson was found guilty last week of 18 child sex offences including rape, the carefully constructed image of a clean-living, evangelical Presbyterian was finally fully shattered after two years of horrifying revelations.

As he awaits sentencing, Donaldson’s double life has been further exposed, with fresh damaging allegations and testimonies emerging at pace.

Meanwhile, serious questions are being asked – what did people know, and why are some only now breaking their silence?

On this episode of The Indo Daily, host Tessa Fleming is joined by Belfast Telegraph crime correspondent Allison Morris to discuss Jeffrey Donaldson’s life of deception and contradiction.

The Indo Daily is part of the Trust Project. You can view our ethics policies atindependent.ie/ourjournalism

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Riad Bouchaker has been found guilty of all eight counts against him, including the attempted murder of three children on Parnell Square East in 2023. The attacks sparked riots across Dublin city and left one girl with a devastating, life-long brain injury. The jury spent about five hours over two days considering their verdicts, which were unanimous in relation to each count. Bouchaker, of no fixed address, had denied the attempted murder of two girls and one boy, and assault causing serious harm to creche worker Leanne Flynn, at Parnell Square East in Dublin City on November 23rd, 2023.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, 38-year-old convicted rapist Nicholas Rossi died in a Utah hospital while under police custody.

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Rossi (born Nicholas Alahverdian) operated under several aliases, including Arthur Knight, purportedly an orphan from Ireland.

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He was first reported dead six years ago, with a Boston Globe obituary among the write-ups. But he wasn’t actually deceased. He was alive and very much aware that he was on the FBI’s radar.

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Having fled to Scotland, Rossi became the subject of an Interpol Red Notice and increased media attention, with interviews and identities colliding as his web of lies was exposed.

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“Nicholas Rossi was clever, but then he was very stupid in other ways,” says investigative journalist and podcaster Jane MacSorley, who has worked on the story since the beginning of 2022.

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On this episode of The Indo Daily, host Fionnán Sheahan is joined by MacSorley, who details her own encounter with Nicholas Rossi and explores the numerous complications and contradictions of his life.

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The Indo Daily is part of the Trust Project. You can see our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalism

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Putin's war. Drones in Irish skies. The threat of cyber-attacks.

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As Ireland takes the helm of the EU, Micheál Martin faces six months of added pressure.

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Is this moment a golden opportunity, or a poisoned chalice?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What do you get when you gather tech billionaires, political insiders and some of the world's most powerful people behind closed doors?

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The answer is Dialog,  an invitation-only network so secretive that, if you've never heard of it, that's probably by design. Co-founded by billionaire investor Peter Thiel, the man behind PayPal and the controversial data company Palantir, Dialog is bringing its annual gathering to a plush Wicklow resort in August. The agenda includes preparing for World War III, building a cult, and a session simply titled, "How's Your Sex Life?" So what exactly is Dialog, who is Peter Thiel, and why has this event caused so much controversy?

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Host: Fionnán Sheahan, Guests: Darragh Nolan and Kim Bielenberg

We want to earn your trust and are members of the Trust Project. See our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalism

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Jeffrey Donaldson has begun his new life in Maghaberry Prison. Donaldson and his wife, Eleanor, are set to be stripped of their honours. The former MP and DUP leader, Jeffrey Donaldson was found guilty of 18 child sex offences on Monday - including one count of rape. The 63-year-old had pleaded not guilty, but the jury of seven men and five considered its verdicts for ten hours over three days, believing his victims. His wife Eleanor Donaldson was found to have committed the acts relating to offences of aiding and abetting following a trial of the facts. This episode of The Indo Daily is brought to you by our sister podcast The BelTel, as Allison Morris joined Ciarán Dunbar to talk about what she couldn’t report while the trial was ongoing.

This podcast was originally published on Tuesday July 23rd 2026.

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In episode 3 of Veronica, we follow the journalists' final moments, as John Gilligans plan to murder her, swings into action on Dublin’s Naas road. Her murder, 30 years ago today, left a nation shocked, and in no doubts just how dangerous Ireland’s gangland had now become. Kevin Doyle speaks to Jimmy Guerin, Paul Williams and Mary Wilson, about the trials that took place, and Veronica’s lasting legacy.

We want to earn your trust and are members of the Trust Project. See our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalism

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In Episode 2 of Veronica, John Gilligan's empire is booming and Ireland's criminal underworld is growing richer by the day. As the State struggles to respond, Veronica Guerin follows the money, exposing the wealth and power behind gangland's biggest figures, and putting herself on a collision course with dangerous enemies.

We want to earn your trust and are members of the Trust Project. See our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalism

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30 years ago, Veronica Guerin was shot dead on the outskirts of Dublin. Only days later, she was due to speak at a conference entitled Dying to tell a Story: Journalists at Risk.

Her murder still remains one of the defining moments in modern Irish history.

Over the next 3 days on The Indo Daily, we present: Veronica – Murdered in search of the truth. Host Kevin Doyle speaks to her family and former colleagues to examine the life she lived, the reporting that made her a target, and the criminal world she exposed.

In episode 1, as Veronica Guerin makes her name at the Sunday Independent, a new breed of organised crime is taking hold in Ireland. The rise of ‘Factory’ John Gilligan sets the stage for a story that will end in tragedy.

We want to earn your trust and are members of the Trust Project. See our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalism

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Thirty years after the murder of Veronica Guerin, Kevin Doyle retraces her final years, speaking to those who knew her best and examining the criminal underworld that made her a target. Episode 1, out Wednesday June 24th.

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It started with what looked like a routine query from a politician to a council office.

In 2019, staff at Wexford County Council believed they were dealing with a standard request made by then councillor Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin on behalf of a constituent, and so they responded as normal.

But alarm bells went off four years later when a woman contacted the council asking why her confidential records had been released without her knowledge or consent.

The man who received the files is a Sinn Féin activist and the brother of a Provisional IRA bomber.

After conducting an investigation, the council admitted there was a breach of personal data and formally apologised to the woman in question.

Ó Súilleabháin, now a Sinn Féin TD, is now facing a legal battle following the data breach, with party leader Mary Lou McDonald appearing to stand by him.

On this episode of The Indo Daily, host Katie Byrne is joined by Irish Independent Ireland Editor Fionnán Sheahan who details his exclusive investigation.

The Indo Daily is part of the Trust Project. You can see our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalism

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Former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson has been found guilty of 18 historical sex offences against two women when they were children.

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A jury at Newry Crown Court convicted him of one count of rape, 13 counts of indecent assault and four counts of gross indecency. His wife Eleanor Donaldson has been found to have committed the acts relating to offences of aiding and abetting following a trial of the facts. Jeffrey Donaldson (63) had pleaded not guilty to the alleged offences, which spanned a period between 1985 and 2008.

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Complainants A and B both gave evidence at the trial, alleging they were abused as children.

This episode of The Indo Daily is brought to you by our sister podcast The BelTel, as Ciaran Dunbar is joined by, Allison Morris, Sam McBride and Suzanne Breen.

The Indo Daily is part of the Trust Project. You can see our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalism

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Another British Prime Minister is heading for the exit. Just days after insisting he would stay and fight, Keir Starmer has announced his resignation, bringing a sorry end to a premiership that lasted just two years. With his only serious rival out of the running, Andy Burnham now appears to have a clear path to Downing Street. Enda Brady joins Fionnan Sheahan to discuss how Burnham could approach the Irish relationship, handling Trump and defeating Nigel Farrage's reform?

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Graham Norton is best known for conjuring up a warm and convivial vibe as he welcomes a parade of A-list talent to his BBC chat show.

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Lately, however, the acclaimed entertainer has confessed to feelings of “very significant alarm, distress and anxiety”.

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The source of his anguish? A social media account seemingly dedicated to spreading false information about him, one that Norton is currently seeking to uncover.

Following a recent victory against Meta in a Californian court, Norton can now proceed with his investigation, though it’s unlikely to be an easy task.

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His is not the only well-known face being used as an avatar for disinformation, especially as artificial intelligence continues to evolve by the second. 

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Just last week, Taoiseach Micheál Martin issued a warning to the public about an AI-generated video of him purporting to promote a financial scam.

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So, can we trust what we see online anymore? Or is the ‘fake news’ genie out of the bottle?

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On this episode, host Fionnán Sheahan is joined by Irish Independent technology editor Adrian Weckler, and by Irish Independentsenior business journalist John Mulligan, to look at Graham Norton’s case and an increasingly deceptive digital landscape.

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The Indo Daily is part of the Trust Project. You can see our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalism

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This week one of the states most notorious sex offenders Bill Kenneally died in prison. Back in March 2024, The Indo Daily published an episode speaking to Colin Power, a survivor of Kenneally’s abuse. He described to Fionnán Sheahan how one of Ireland’s most infamous paedophiles refused to accept he ruined the lives of his victims. The following podcast does not reference Kenneally's death this week.

*A warning, today's episode contains details of child sexual abuse which listeners may find upsetting*

We want to earn your trust and are members of the Trust Project. See our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalism

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Activist Ali Hewson is among several Killiney residents objecting to plans for a new luxury apartment complex near her home.

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The wife of U2’s Bono says the development “goes against the natural character” of the affluent south Dublin suburb.

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But Hewson is far from the first high-profile figure to weigh in on what gets built nearby.

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From celebrities to senior politicians, planning objections can quickly become contentious.

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So where do we draw the line between legitimate local concerns and the urgent need for housing?

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On today’s The Indo Daily, Tessa Fleming is joined by Irish Independent multimedia reporter Darragh Nolan to examine the planning battles that made headlines and who gets a say in what is built.

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As Kinahan cartel lieutenant Sean McGovern was led away from the Special Criminal Court last week to begin a 24-year prison sentence, he took the time to wink in the direction of his watching relatives.

An act of defiance in the face of a crushing defeat, or a simple personal gesture?

In any event, the drugs empire that McGovern worked for is falling down, one foundation at a time.

At the top of this decaying tower sitsDaniel Kinahan, currently in police custody in Dubai. The clock has been ticking for quite some time, but finally it seems like a day of reckoning is now dawning.

But what of those left behind in the sunshine of Dubai and the shadow of Daniel Kinahan – particularly the wives and girlfriends?

And what kind of conditions should Kinahan expect to experience should he wind up serving a lengthy prison sentence in Ireland?

On this episode of The Indo Daily, Tessa Fleming is joined by Sunday Independent senior journalist Maeve Sheehan, Financial Times investigative reporter Miles Johnson and former prison officer David McDonald as they look to the future of a notorious outfit that may soon be consigned to the past.

The Indo Daily is part of the Trust Project. You can see our ethics polices at independent.ie/ourjournalism

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Katie Simpson was a talented showjumper whose short adult life centred around the equine industry she'd grown up in. So, when first responders collected her, unconscious and not breathing, from the care of Jonathan Creswell, who would eventually be charged with her murder, police initially believed his claim that he'd found her hanging at home.

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Creswell died by suicide in the early days of his trial. Since then, Ms Simpson’s story has been covered at length in documentaries, podcasts, a Police Ombudsman’s report, an independent case review, and a book by Nicola Tallant.

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Although a tragic death among the showjumping set is far from her regular Crime Worldbeat, Tallant believes Simpson’s is a dark story with more yet to be told.

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This episode contains material that may be distressing. Please take care while listening.

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Host: Fionnán Sheehan | Guest: Nicola Tallant (author of Groomed: Coercion, Control and a Cold-blooded Murder, and investigations editor at the Sunday World)

The Indo Daily is part of the Trust Project. You can see our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalism

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Last weekend was a busy one for the US. On the sporting side alone, you had the kick-off of the 2026 Fifa World Cup, the decades-ending wait for a New York Knicks championship victory, and the small matter of MMA fighters bruising up the White House lawn.

On the geopolitical front, there was the much-welcomed agreement of a peace deal between the US and Iran, three-and-a-half months after that conflict began.

At the centre of it all, in one way or another, stood president Donald J Trump.

Trump had his own personal milestone to celebrate on Sunday as he turned 80 years old.

Performing any high-pressure job at the age of 80 is challenging enough, but Trump is the leader of the free world.

Recent on-camera sightings might suggest that Trump is visibly withering, despite fiery pushback from his spokespeople and glowing medical reports from his medical team.

We’re only midway through Trump 2.0, but is he still up to the job?

And for those looking to travel to the US for short- or long-term stays, are Irish visitors still as welcome as Trump’s travel tsar so enthusiastically insists we are?

The Indo Daily is part of the Trust Project. You can see our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalism

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After months of conflict, threats of escalation and fears of a wider war, there is now a breakthrough in the Middle East. The US and Iran say they've agreed a peace deal, but what's actually on the table, what happens next - and will it bring some relief for Irish consumers hit by ever-rising prices?

Today on this Indo Daily Extra, Kevin Doyle is joined by The Economist's Middle East correspondent Gregg Carlstrom, to discuss who has won the war and can the peace last?

The Indo Daily is part of the Trust Project. You can view our ethics policies atindependent.ie/ourjournalism

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In 2014, it looked like a picture-perfect dynasty.  

Hotelier and multimillionaire Noel O’Callaghan stood beside his sons, Paul and Charles, at Royal Ascot. They were dressed in top hats and morning suits, celebrating a major win for their filly Anthem Alexander. 

It was a moment that seemed to capture everything: wealth, success and a powerful family empire decades in the making. 

But 12 years later, that image has been replaced by High Court filings, allegations of betrayal and a bitter row over control of a family fortune. 

Noel O’Callaghan says he handed over an empire worth more than €400m to his sons out of love and trust. Now, he claims he has been frozen out of the business he created, claims strongly disputed by his sons. 

On today’s Indo Daily, Tessa Fleming is joined by Irish Independent legal affairs editor Shane Phelan to look at how a family succession plan became one of Ireland’s most bitter corporate feuds. 

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We make financial decisions day in, day out. The items we buy, the money we save, the goals we set...

It can be easy to forget, however, that some of the biggest life-changing money decisions might be hiding in plain sight. But what are they? And how do you make clear-eyed choices while listening to your head and your heart?

This episode of The Indo Daily is brought to you by our sister podcast Money Talks, as Kel Galavan joins host Katie Byrne to unpack all this and more. Host: Katie Byrne | Guest: Kel Galavan (Author and expert)

The content of this podcast is for information purposes and does not constitute investment advice or a recommendation of any investment product.

We want to earn your trust and are members of the Trust Project. See our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalism

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Once a merciless target for the MAGA movement, Hunter Biden has decided to put himself in the spotlight once again.

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Now aged 56 and celebrating seven years of sobriety, Biden has recently become a social media sensation, taking to X with a renewed sense of purpose.

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While some are speculating that he’s lining up a political run of his own, others are preaching caution that he may look to cynically monetise his newfound audience.

The controversial son of former US president Joe Biden has spent most of the last few weeks conversing with those who wish him well and those who continue to hurl abuse his way. He even popped up on conservative commentator Candace Owens’ podcast, stunning people on both sides of America’s political divide by burying the hatchet.

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Biden says he simply wants to start a conversation – but to what end?

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On this episode of The Indo Daily, host Fionnán Sheahan is joined by Matt Viser, staff writer with The Atlantic, to dive into a most unlikely comeback and to ask whether Hunter Biden really is “the MAGA whisperer”.

The Indo Daily is part of the Trust Project. You can view our ethics policies atindependent.ie/ourjournalism

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On the afternoon of November 23, 2023, in Dublin’s Parnell Square, three children were seriously injured following a stabbing attack in broad daylight. Riad Bouchaker (52) was arrested and charged in connection with the incident, and now, two-and-a-half years on, his trial is under way at the Central Criminal Court. Day one of proceedings saw the prosecution lay out its case against Mr Bouchaker, as well as hearing testimony from the mother of one of the children who was injured. She told the jury that her child is now in a wheelchair, is non-verbal and only able to answer yes or no questions by blinking.

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On this Extra episode of The Indo Daily, host Tessa Fleming is joined by Irish Independent special correspondent Catherine Fegan, who takes listeners inside the courtroom.

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The Indo Daily is part of the Trust Project. You can view our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalism

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Northern Ireland has seen serious race riots for the third year in a row. Masked men staged violent protests in number of areas, but the trouble was concentrated in the greater Belfast area, with homes set alight off the Crumlin Road and in east Belfast.  A Glider bus was set alight on the Newtownards Road and a police car was burned in Portadown.

The disorder followed an attempted murder involving a knife in north Belfast on Monday night.

A 30-year-old Sudanese man has been charged.

Today's episode of The Indo Daily is brought to you by our sister podcast The BelTel. Ciaran Dunbar is joined by The Belfast Telegraph’s Visuals Editor Kevin Scott who was on the ground and Liam Tunney who was in court.

We want to earn your trust and are members of the Trust Project. See our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalism

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Lee McDonnell began what would become a prolific and fearsome career in crime when he was just a teenager. McDonnell’s violent and reckless actions characterised him as a different breed of Irish criminal – one that stood sharply apart from his peers. He was fond of boosting his own notoriety and didn’t seem to fear any reprisal, going so far as to publicly mock the prison system during his many stints behind bars. He even managed a high-profile escape that resulted in a nationwide manhunt. In total, McDonnell built up over 140 convictions and was suspected of numerous other crimes, including two unsolved murders and a recent high-profile stabbing. Last weekend, his lust for chaos came to an end when he died suddenly at the age of 34 after being found unresponsive in a Garda holding cell. On this episode of The Indo Daily, host Fionnán Sheahan is joined by Irish Independent news and security correspondent Robin Schiller to profile the life and crimes of the late Lee McDonnell. The Indo Daily is part of the Trust Project. You can view our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalism

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