Best Irish Politics Podcasts (2024)

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1303. Beyond Electric Picnic and Other Stories 18:14

12m ago18:14

18:14

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshackIn this peek-behind-the-paywall Echo Chamber special, Martin and Tony talk the news of the week and things get a bit heated. Which is a good thing. We cover Trump, RTE, transphobic journalists, Coolock Says No to Ireland and the awful behaviour of legacy media in both race-baiting and our politics.CW: cont…

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Classic Irish Passport: The Gaelic Games 54:52

1h ago54:52

54:52

We're on holiday! So please enjoy this classic episode of the podcast first recorded back in 2018. We'll be back soon with all new episodes and Halfpint extra content. ==The most popular sports in Ireland are the Gaelic games: uniquely Irish sports with an ancient history and a dramatic political backstory that are finding increasing international …

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26. Gaza: A Crucial Week To Come 45:43

24m ago45:43

45:43

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshackDr. Hani Albassous is an Associate Professor in Security and Strategic Studies, he taught in Gaza, Qatar and Oman. He joins PalCast to talk about recent developments in Gaza and Israel, his view of the ongoing negotiations, the possible regional war breaking out between and Iran and Hezbollah on one hand a…

1
Charlie versus Garret, part two: Scandal and strife in 1980s Ireland 47:09

1h ago47:09

47:09

Pat Leahy continues the story of the rivalry between Fine Gael's Garret FitzGerald and Fianna Fáil's Charles Haughey, the defining politicians of their era. This episode traces their dominance within their parties and the electoral battles they fought as they drove Ireland's politics from the late 1970s into the early 1980s. The story weaves togeth…

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1300. Labour’s Unnecessary Austerity 40:26

4h ago40:26

40:26

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshackWhen is austerity not austerity? When it’s done as part of “grownup” politics or so we’re told.Rejoining us is the wonderful Prof Richard Murphy and he paints a picture of the economic future that is unwelcome (and in our opinion one of the drivers of far right hate) in the new era of the new NEW Labour Pa…

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Gaza, Hamas and Israel Expanding the War

5d ago

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Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshackHana Salah is a Palestinian journalist from Gaza who endured and reported on the genocide until she was able to leave to Egypt then to Qatar in March 2024. Her two sisters were injured after an Israeli airstrike hit the building that she and her family took as a shelter. She was displaced a couple of times…

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Here’s How 174 – The Price of Everything 55:08

5d ago55:08

55:08

Cormac Lucey is an economics columnist at Sunday Times (Ireland), and lecturer in finance, at the Irish Management Institute, Chartered Accountants Ireland and Trinity College Dublin. *** And we’re back! Sorry about the unannounced little hiatus for the podcast. I’ll tell you a bit more about it, but first just to say I’m lining up […]…

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Charlie versus Garret, part one: Origins of a rivalry 55:39

6d ago55:39

55:39

Throughout the 1980s, two men dominated the Irish political landscape. Charles Haughey and Garret FitzGerald embodied and articulated very different visions of Ireland and its future. Born a year apart, one a Northsider, one a Southsider, both sons of Civil War veterans, divided by social class, personality and beliefs, they came to epitomise their…

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1294. The Housing Crisis with Killian Woods 40:16

7d ago40:16

40:16

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshackIt was, as always, a pleasure to be joined by Senior Reporter with the Business Post and the journalist who in our opinion does the most to keep the housing crisis in the news, Killian Woods.We talk about the scathing Housing Commission Report, the "minority" report that followed and the fudged commencemen…

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1298. The Far Right – A Warning From Recent History

11d ago

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Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshackToday's guest, journalist, podcaster and Our Man in Stockholm, Philip O'Connor tweeted earlier "on this day in 2011, far-right terrorist Anders Behring Breivik murdered 77 people in Norway. Instead of being rejected after that horror, his views have since become mainstream - in our parliaments, our media &…

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Chris Curtis, Lord Daniel Moylan, Zoe Strimpel & Rachel Cunliffe 53:30

13d ago53:30

53:30

Simon Marks sits in and is joined on Cross Question by Labour MP Chris Curtis, Conservative peer Lord Moylan, Sunday Telegraph columnist Zoe Strimpel and the New Statesman's Rachel Cunliffe.By LBC

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24. Gaza – The World Doesn’t Care Enough 39:18

13d ago39:18

39:18

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshackAhmad Al-Naouq is the co-founder of We Are Not Numbers. He lost his family due to Israeli bombing on his family home in Gaza in October 2023. Since then, he has been appearing on different media outlets to defend and put forward the Palestinian narrative. He joins PalCast co-hosts Yousef and Helena to talk…

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Sinn Féin's reset, Fine Gael's exodus 48:23

13d ago48:23

48:23

Jack Horgan-Jones and Jennifer Bray join Hugh to tie up political loose ends as the summer finally arrives. With a General Election around the corner, Sinn Féin and Fine Gael have tricky tasks. Mary Lou McDonald must reset the party's message after disappointing results in June, while Fine Gael must select candidates to replace the 15 TDs who will …

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Jeevun Sandher, Greg Smith, Anna Mikhailova & Aggie Chambre 50:40

14d ago50:40

50:40

Simon Marks sits in and is joined on Cross Question by Labour MP Jeevun Sandher, Tory MP Greg Smith, Anna Mikhailova from the Mail on Sunday and LBC political correspondent Aggie Chambre.By LBC

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Lord Eric Pickles, Linda Yueh, Torcuil Crichton & Cat Neilan 52:11

15d ago52:11

52:11

Ali Miraj sits in and is joined on Cross Question by Conservative peer Lord Pickles, economist Linda Yueh, Labour MP Torcuil Crichton and Tortoise political editor Cat Neilan.By LBC

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1292. Hana Salah – I Survived

16d ago

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Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshackIn this very special podcast our friend and contributor of many years, Hana Salah, returns to talk about her life since we last spoke on air almost 3 years ago. Hana talks about life before October 7th, how her world was utterly changed in the months afterwards, her volunteering work (with your help, liste…

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1291. Bolivian Coups, Venezuela Votes and Panama Says No

18d ago

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Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshackAs England prepare to lose to Spain and Colombia prepare to defeat Argentina, we speak with Colombian-English and Mexico-based journalist with El Pais, Nicholas Dale Leal. Don’t worry, football barely gets a mention. We discuss the failed coup in Bolivia, the upcoming (rigged?) elections in Venezuela and t…

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Christina McAnea, Andrew Rosindell, Dr Ellie Chowns & Geri Scott 54:19

20d ago54:19

54:19

Joining Iain Dale for Cross Question are the Unison General Secretary Christina McAnea, the Conservative MP Andrew Rosindell, the newly-elected Green MP Dr Ellie Chowns, and The Times' senior political correspondent Geri Scott.By LBC

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Can Kamala win? - with Fintan O'Toole and Suzanne Lynch 54:42

20d ago54:42

54:42

Can Kamala Harris win against Donald Trump? Former Irish Times Washington correspondent Suzanne Lynch covered Harris's unsuccessful 2020 primary and the early part of her vice-presidency. She joins Hugh Linehan and Irish Times columnist Fintan O'Toole to look at who Harris is and how her White House experience has changed her, and at the shape of t…

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23. Gaza, the Beijing Agreement and US Political Pantomime 36:23

20d ago36:23

36:23

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshackAs if US politics couldn’t get any more chaotic, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has arrived for an official visit. Add in the ICJ’s opinion on the Israeli illegal settlements and the ongoing daily horrors in Gaza and there is a lot to discuss.On this PalCast, Yousef, Helena and Tony are joined b…

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Kirsty Blackman, Lisa Smart, George Parker & Sophia Gaston 54:12

21d ago54:12

54:12

Joining Iain Dale on Cross Question this evening are SNP chief whip Kirsty Blackman, newly-elected Lib Dem MP Lisa Smart, FT political editor George Parker and Sophia Gaston from the Policy Exchange think tank.By LBC

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Dr Kieran Mullan, Josh Simons, Jo Phillips & Danny Sriskandarajah 53:26

25d ago53:26

53:26

Joining Iain Dale on Cross Question this evening are Conservative shadow transport minister Dr Kieran Mullan, Labour MP Josh Simons, political commentator Jo Phillips and Danny Sriskandarajah, chief executive of the New Economics Foundation think tank.By LBC

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1296. Biden’s Gone: The Optimists Guide to Pessimism 47:13

22d ago47:13

47:13

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshackListener-favourite, writer, essayist and self-proclaimed humanity optimist, Jon Schwarz rejoins us to talk all things America, MAGA, Biden standing aside/getting pushed out and why, despite the incompetence of the current ruling class, he thinks that there are better days ahead.Long live the proletariat et…

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1289. Is the EU Going Right? Results are Mixed 33:40

24d ago33:40

33:40

Please Join Us At patreon.com/tortoiseshackA lot has happened since we last spoke to Vice-Deputy Leader of the Portuguese Socialist Party, Joao Pina. From a case of political corruption that never was, to losing their governing majority and on to winning big in the EU elections. So we had a lot to talk about. The news isn't all good, but the fight …

1
1293. Sinn Féin’s Review and Trump Shot 28:00

26d ago28:00

28:00

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshackWe do regular member-only podcasts for our tortoise shack community. They urged us to put this one out on public release. So against my better judgement here is our discussion on Sinn Féin’s review into their electoral failures and their new "listening" economic-unit strategy.Then we discuss the attempted …

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New MPs Special: Satvir Kaur, Lincoln Jopp, Bobby Dean & Robin Swann 54:40

28d ago54:40

54:40

Iain Dale hosts a special edition of Cross Question, with a panel made up entirely of newly-elected MPs: Labour's Satvir Kaur, the Conservatives' Lincoln Jopp, the Liberal Democrats' Bobby Dean and the Ulster Unionists' Robin Swann.By LBC

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“Celebratory spirit” at the Republican Convention / Vote on von Der Leyen’s future 40:06

27d ago40:06

40:06

The Republican National Convention is taking place this week in Milwaukee, just days after the assassination attempt on Donald Trump. Irish Times Washington Correspondent Keith Duggan is attending the four-day event and talks to Hugh Linehan about the “celebratory spirit” among Republicans who believe “the election is over in many ways”. The pair a…

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22. ‘I Woke Crying Knowing That I Had To Leave’ 38:59

27d ago38:59

38:59

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshackShahd Safi is an Arabic/English translator and teacher, freelance journalist, social media coordinator, and human rights advocate. She is from Gaza and is now in Cairo. She joins Yousef Aljamal, Helena Cobban and Tony Groves to talk about her journey out of Gaza and her experience of surviving Israel’s air…

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Lord David Willetts, Camilla Turner, Claire Hanna & Oliver Kamm 53:35

28d ago53:35

53:35

Joining Iain Dale for Cross Question are the Conservative peer and former Universities Minister Lord David Willetts, the Sunday Telegraph's political editor Camilla Turner, the SDLP MP Claire Hanna and the The Times writer Oliver Kamm.By LBC

1
Danny Kruger, Lizzie Dearden, Jake Richards & Emma Revell 53:55

29d ago53:55

53:55

Joining Iain Dale for Cross Question are the Conservative MP Danny Kruger, freelance home affairs journalist Lizzie Dearden, newly-elected Labour MP Jake Richards and Emma Revell from the Centre for Policy Studies think-tank.By LBC

1
1290. The Locals 36:17

29d ago36:17

36:17

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshackFilmmaker and newly appointed Centrist Dad*, Luke McManus, rejoins us to discuss his latest doc, The Locals, which goes out on RTE 1 this Monday at 9:35pm and then on the RTE Player.Luke follows the candidates for the Local Elections in Dublin's North Inner City in what was a campaign featuring a vast spec…

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Conquest: The Ulster Plantation 1:17:11

29d ago1:17:11

1:17:11

In the fourth episode of our Conquest miniseries, we take on of the most defining moments in the history of Ireland: the mass-plantation of Ulster. We'll see how the arrival of thousands of colonial settlers in this erstwhile Gaelic stronghold transformed the geopolitical dynamics of Ireland, Scotland, and England alike. We'll look at how the Ulste…

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Concerns about the new Defence Forces Bill 14:35

1M ago14:35

14:35

Barry Crushell, Employment Lawyer and former Army Officer; Neale Richmond, Minister of State with responsibility for Business, Employment & Retail; Matt Carthy, Sinn Féin TD for Cavan-Monaghan; Bríd Smith, People Before Profit TD for Dublin South CentralBy RTÉ Radio 1

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Will von der Leyen get the backing of MEPs for a 2nd term? 22:36

1M ago22:36

22:36

Issa Amro, Citizen of Hebron in the West Bank in Palestine; Neale Richmond, Minister of State with responsibility for Business, Employment & Retail; Matt Carthy, Sinn Féin TD for Cavan-Monaghan; Bríd Smith, People Before Profit TD for Dublin South CentralBy RTÉ Radio 1

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The power to strip naturalised citizens of their Irish citizenship 12:41

1M ago12:41

12:41

Liam Herrick, Executive Director of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties; Neale Richmond, Minister of State with responsibility for Business, Employment & Retail; Matt Carthy, Sinn Féin TD for Cavan-Monaghan; Bríd Smith, People Before Profit TD for Dublin South CentralBy RTÉ Radio 1

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1278. The Whistelblowers: The One Billion Euro Blackhole 58:02

1M ago58:02

58:02

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshackFor 10 years the Public Accounts Committee, and various Oireachtas Committees, have failed to serve their purpose: holding the powerful to account. A cautious legal approach, backed up by OPLA, has led to a situation where whistleblowers were told that the Committee could “not adjudicate” on the wrongs the…

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Roderic O'Gorman on pacts, focus groups and nastiness 37:40

1M ago37:40

37:40

Hugh Linehan is joined by Harry McGee and Cormac McQuinn to look back on the week in politics. They discuss the end of the Dáil term, the timing of the next general election (of course) and the Government's outstanding legislative agenda. In part two we hear some of Harry's conversation with newly-elected leader of the Green party Roderic O'Gorman.…

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The financial version of, 'Mum, is my skirt too short?' 26:41

1M ago26:41

26:41

Warnings to avoid a Budget bonanza are being batted away by the Government. 'Impeccable manners and a steely edge'...Simon Coveney is to depart the political stage. And can Roderic O'Gorman can wash away the Green Party's toxic reputation in rural Ireland?By RTÉ News

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21. Gaza – Lancet Report of 186,000 Dead 32:38

1M ago32:38

32:38

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshackDr. Abdalhadi Alijla is a Palestinian social and political scientist, and a native of Shujayia in Gaza city. In this episode of PalCast, he joins Yousef Aljamal and Helena Cobban to talk about his memories there and what has happened to his family. Dr. Alijla discusses Israel’s plans behind evacuation orde…

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1287. The UK Election Special 45:57

1M ago45:57

45:57

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshackThe overwhelming response to the end of 14 years of Tory Party rule seems to be relief. But that's far from the whole picture. To discuss all of this we are rejoined by writer, activist and commentator, Emma DeSouza and Shrapnel cohost Sam Mcilwaine. We look at the implications for the island of Ireland an…

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Alex Salmond, Andrew Griffith, John McTernan & Jennifer Ewing 53:48

1M ago53:48

53:48

Joining Iain Dale for Cross Question are the Alba Party leader and former Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond, the Conservatives' Shadow Science Secretary Andrew Griffith, former Labour political strategist John McTernan and Republicans Overseas UK spokesperson Jennifer Ewing.By LBC

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A candid look at politics in Dublin's north inner city 39:01

1M ago39:01

39:01

After depicting the musical culture of Dublin's northside in his acclaimed documentary North Circular, director Luke McManus is now looking at the area's politics. His new documentary The Locals follows a range of candidates in the run-up to the June 2024 local elections, painting a picture of a diverse area and an equally diverse group of politici…

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Paul Nowak, Justine Greening, Rachael Maskell & Baroness Pauline Neville-Jones 54:46

1M ago54:46

54:46

Joining Iain Dale for Cross Question are the Trades Union Congress' General Secretary Paul Nowak, the former Conservative Education Secretary Justine Greening, Labour MP Rachael Maskell and Conservative peer and former Security Minister Baroness Pauline Neville-Jones.By LBC

1
Fraser Nelson, Christine Jardine, George Freeman & Paul Mason 54:38

1M ago54:38

54:38

Joining Iain Dale for Cross Question are the editor of The Spectator Fraser Nelson, Liberal Democrat MP and frontbencher Christine Jardine, Conservative MP and former minister George Freeman and the journalist and broadcaster Paul Mason.By LBC

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Will we be heading to the polls before Christmas? 9:33

1M ago9:33

9:33

Lisa Chambers, Fianna Fáil Senator; Cian O'Callaghan, Social Democrats TD for Dublin Bay North; Lynn Boylan, Sinn Féin MEP for DublinBy RTÉ Radio 1

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Changes for the DUP and the rise of Keir Starmer's Labour 33:04

1M ago33:04

33:04

Mark Simpson, BBC News Correspondent; Ben Lowry, Editor of The Belfast Newsletter; Rory Montgomery, former Deputy Head of the Dept of Foreign Affairs; Lisa Chambers, Fianna Fáil Senator; Cian O'Callaghan, Social Democrats TD for Dublin Bay North; Lynn Boylan, Sinn Féin MEP for DublinBy RTÉ Radio 1

1
Biden says only 'Lord Almighty' could oust him from race 4:32

1M ago4:32

4:32

Larry Donnelly, Law Lecturer in University of Galway; Lisa Chambers, Fianna Fáil Senator; Cian O'Callaghan, Social Democrats TD for Dublin Bay North; Lynn Boylan, Sinn Féin MEP for DublinBy RTÉ Radio 1

1
Election results special: New political maps for Britain and Northern Ireland 49:37

1M ago49:37

49:37

Labour has won the 2024 UK general election with a massive landslide. Beyond that, huge shifts have taken place across the political map of Britain and Northern Ireland. To take a look at what has happened and what comes next, Hugh talks to London correspondent Mark Paul, Northern editor Freya McClements and Denis Staunton. Hosted on Acast. See aca…

1
D-Day for UK: Labour can taste power 21:43

1M ago21:43

21:43

Sir Keir's all set for No. 10. Pundits are speculating on the size of Labour's majority, and who will (be left to) lead the Opposition. Might a change in Whitehall deliver an opportunity to reset relations with our nearest neighbour? More importantly, when we will go to the polls here? The team have a few potential dates.…

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Sir Bob Neill, Andrew Fisher, Alys Denby & Joe Twyman 55:43

1M ago55:43

55:43

Joining Iain Dale on Cross Question this evening are former Conservative MP Sir Bob Neill, former Labour policy adviser Andrew Fisher, City AM's Alys Denby and pollster Joe Twyman.By LBC

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