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PODCAST

Inside Politics with Hugh Linehan

The Irish Times

The best analysis of the Irish political scene featuring Irish Times journalists, political thinkers and the occasional politician. Hosted by Hugh Linehan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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All Episodes

24:50

Election Daily: Can the 'Vicar Street Alliance' hold...

Inside Politics with Hugh Linehan ·

2025/10/21

Harry McGee and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh to talk about today's news from the presidential campaign trail:A concert in support of Catherine Connolly's campaign brought top musical artists and thousands of young people together in Dublin's Vicar Street on Monday night. The event also brought together Sinn Féin’sMary Lou McDonald, the Social Democrats’Holly Cairns,Paul Murphyof People Before Profit-Solidarity and Labour’sIvana Bacik, who were photographed hand-in-hand on stage. Could the left's

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29:24

Election Daily: Has Fine Gael's 'new low' attack...

Inside Politics with Hugh Linehan ·

2025/10/20

Ellen Coyne and Pat Leahy join Hugh to talk about the all the latest from the presidential election campaign. There is one topic dominating the campaign today, or two related topics: Catherine Connolly's record as a barrister who worked on behalf of financial institutions in the aftermath of the property crash, and Fine Gael's negative campaigning around that record. A video posted by Fine Gael to social media and an interview Humphreys gave to a Sunday newspaper drew attention to the issue but also

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24:33

Election Daily: Is it all over bar the shouting for...

Inside Politics with Hugh Linehan ·

2025/10/17

With Catherine Connolly showing an unprecedented lead for a presidential candidate one week out from polling day, could her campaign only be derailed by something extraordinary at this stage? Cormac McQuinn and Harry McGee join Hugh Linehan to discuss Connolly’s seemingly unassailable lead, the repetitive nature of recent debates, and with posters for Connolly and even Jim Gavin outnumbering Humphreys in some Dublin Fine Gael strongholds, could the party be accused of adopting a low energy approach

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21:15

POLL: Catherine Connolly opens huge lead in...

Inside Politics with Hugh Linehan ·

2025/10/16

Catherine Connolly holds a commanding lead in the presidential election with just over a week to go before votes are cast, according to the latest Irish Times/Ipsos B&A opinion poll.The poll finds that Connolly, on 38 per cent, has almost double the support of her nearest rival, Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys, on 20 per cent. Support for the Fianna Fáil candidate, Jim Gavin, who stopped his presidential campaign last week, but is still on the ballot paper, is at just 5 per cent.Pat Leahy joins

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24:37

Election Daily: Is Humphreys playing it too safe?

Inside Politics with Hugh Linehan ·

2025/10/15

As independent candidateCatherine ConnollyandFine GaelcandidateHeather Humphreysenter the final nine days of the campaign, Jack Horgan Jones and Ellen Coyne join Hugh Linehan to launch our daily podcast coverage.A motion of no confidence in Simon Harris over controversies in Children’s Health Ireland and waiting times for scoliosis surgery was itself a presidential election event.Meanwhile Heather Humphreys has been on the campaign trail in Monaghan, with Ellen following her. It’s safe ground for

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59:02

Head-to-head: Presidential election gets confrontational

Inside Politics with Hugh Linehan ·

2025/10/10

Ellen Coyne and Harry McGee join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:·With Jim Gavin gone, the presidential election is now a two-horse race between Catherine Connolly and Heather Humphreys, and a more combative one at that as the third live debate on Thursday on RTÉ Radio’s Drivetime will attest. Is Heather Humphreys trying to appeal to voters on the left who haven’t made their mind up about Connolly yet?·As the timetable of who knew what and when becomes apparent in the Jim Gavin

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48:02

'Cooking the books': Is Budget 2026 a 'cynical wheeze'?

Inside Politics with Hugh Linehan ·

2025/10/08

Yesterday’s budget spelled out the Government’s tax and spending plans for next year. But what happens after that?Barra Roantee of Trinity College Dublin’s Department of Economics says it is “shocking” that there is no plan beyond 2026.“Last year we had five-year-ahead forecasting. The year before was four-year. We’re meant to be submitting a medium term plan to the European Commission.This is part of our obligations, and we were told that was going to happen over the summer. Then, it’ll happen near

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47:44

Lea Ypi investigates a family mystery and hidden history

Inside Politics with Hugh Linehan ·

2025/09/29

Hugh interviews Albanian academic and author Lea Ypi about her new book Indignity: A Life Reimagined. The book is an exploration of political, historical and philosophical themes through the story of Ypi's grandmother, Leman Ypi, who experienced Albania’s tumultuous 20th century, from the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, through fascism, Nazism, communism and its fall.Lea talks about how literature helps us hear silenced histories - particularly those of women. She also discusses nation formation,

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51:15

Charlie Kirk shooting another example of escalating...

Inside Politics with Hugh Linehan ·

2025/09/12

Harry McGee and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:·The assassination of the conservative activist and influencerCharlie Kirk on stage at a college campus in Utah on Wednesday is the latest chapter in America’s increasingly toxic political climate. A Donald Trump loyalist, Kirk was instrumental in mobilising younger voters during last year’s US presidential race. Unfortunately, the threat of violence is present in Irish politics too, with Tánaiste Simon Harris

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43:07

Kelleher's rousing speech isn't enough to overcome...

Inside Politics with Hugh Linehan ·

2025/09/10

The run-in to October’s presidential election continues to pick up pace this week with the selection of Jim Gavin as Fianna Fáil’s nominee. Jack Horgan-Jones brings us behind the scenes at Fianna Fáil’s special meeting where members had to choose between newcomer Gavin and party stalwart Billy Kelleher.Could the manoeuvring that took place around this vote foreshadow leadership contests to come? Jack, Pat Leahy and Hugh Linehan also discuss Sinn Féin's stance in the presidential race now that Mary

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39:42

Starmer's Labour in disarray as the UK's divisions...

Inside Politics with Hugh Linehan ·

2025/09/08

Keir Starmer's Labour government seems to be in big trouble, with opinion polls suggesting the possibility of a dramatic reshaping of British electoral politics in favour of Nigel Farage's Reform UK. The resignation of deputy prime minister Angela Rayner last week has shown yet more Labour weakness for Farage to eagerly exploit. It's all happening against a backdrop of deepening divisions over subjects including immigration, taxation, the economy, Gaza and freedom of speech. London correspondent

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52:23

It’s all systems go for this presidential election

Inside Politics with Hugh Linehan ·

2025/09/05

Ellen Coyne and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:·With polling day expected to be October 24th, nominations are now open for the office of president and to close on September 24th. Another date to keep in mind is next Tuesday September 9th which will see a vote among Fianna Fáil’s 71-strong parliamentary party to select its presidential candidate from former Dublin football manager Jim Gavin and MEP Billy Kelleher. ·And with nominations closing on September 24th,

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41:38

The broken UN, and Ireland's role: 'There's cynicism...

Inside Politics with Hugh Linehan ·

2025/09/03

The absence of a coherent international response to the crises in Gaza and Ukraine has raised questions about what used to be called the international rules-based order. Does it still exist at all, or has the reality of raw military and economic power trumped every other consideration?Against that backdrop, what role, if any, does the United Nations have to play? And what is Ireland's role within the UN?On today's podcast Niall McCann, who recently left the United Nations Development Programme after

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35:20

Does the Presidency matter? Live at Electric Picnic

Inside Politics with Hugh Linehan ·

2025/09/01

Today we bring you a recording of a live episode that took place yesterday in the Mindfield area of Electric Picnic. Hugh talked to Ellen Coyne, Jack Horgan-Jones and Pat Leahy about the meaning of the presidency, the prospects of all the potential candidates and the political calculations being made by the big parties as the race begins. Thanks to everyone who attended and to Electric Picnic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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43:20

Does Jim Gavin have what it takes for a presidential...

Inside Politics with Hugh Linehan ·

2025/08/29

Jack Horgan-Jones and Pat Leahy join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:·It seems highly likely that former Dublin football manager Jim Gavin has the blessing of Taoiseach Micheál Martin to seek a nomination to contest the presidential election for Fianna Fáil. Cork MEP Billy Kelleher is also seeking support for a nomination through parliamentary party colleagues. Kelleher is a seasoned and formidable vote-getter, but how would Gavin perform should be find himself on the campaign

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46:26

Are we still living in De Valera's Ireland?

Inside Politics with Hugh Linehan ·

2025/08/27

Éamon De Valera died on August 29th, 1975. Fifty years on, the Ireland of today would hardly be recognisable to the revolutionary leader, taoiseach and president who famously extolled the simple virtues, comely maidens and frugal comforts of the traditional Ireland he wished to see. But in many ways, argues Irish Times reporter and historian Ronan McGreevy, we are still living in De Valera's Ireland. He talks to Pat Leahy about Dev's unexpected legacy in Irish politics, society, diplomacy and

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36:56

Heather Humphreys is the likely Fine Gael candidate,...

Inside Politics with Hugh Linehan ·

2025/08/22

Harry McGee and Ellen Coyne look back on the week in politics:·The presidential race is the only show in town with Fine Gael recovering remarkably well from the news last week that Mairead McGuinness was dropping out for health reasons. Within days of that bombshell, Heather Humphreys and Seán Kelly emerged as rivals for the party candidacy, but Humphreys’ momentum and popularity across party lines makes her a strong favourite to win the race for the nomination.·And while Fine Gael can count three

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44:24

Ukraine: Possibility and peril as Trump pushes for...

Inside Politics with Hugh Linehan ·

2025/08/19

Ukrainian presidentVolodymyr Zelenskiywelcomed Monday’s summit at the White House with US president Donald Trump as a “major step forward” towards ending Europe’s deadliest conflict in 80 years and towards setting up a trilateral meeting with Russia’s president Vladimir Putin and Trump in the coming weeks.The meeting, attended by European leaders as well as Zelenskiy and Trump, resulted in one potentially major win for Ukraine: Trump's suggestion the US could play a role in providing security

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42:18

Crash, part three: Ireland hits rock bottom and...

Inside Politics with Hugh Linehan ·

2025/08/18

Pat Leahy and Hugh Linehan bring the story of Brian Cowen’s ill-fated 2008-2011 government to its conclusion.Following Cowen’s embarrassing appearance on Morning Ireland in late 2010, many in the country and within his own party gave up on him. For Cowen and Fianna Fáil, the writing was on the wall.But first, the country’s worsening fiscal situation would lead to one of the lowest moments in Ireland’s modern history. The events of November 2010 and the subsequent general election in 2011 would

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36:20

Will the Government's big projects survive the next...

Inside Politics with Hugh Linehan ·

2025/07/23

The Government’s updated National Development Plan (NDP) proposes to spend a vast sum of money on capital infrastructure. But beyond three ‘mega projects’ there is little detail and the vagueness of the document has led to some skepticism. In part one of today's podcast Pat Leahy joins Hugh Linehan to discuss the NDP and whether the Government's promise to prioritise infrastructure could survive a major economic shock - the kind created by heavy US tariffs, for example, They then look at the Summer

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