Date: April 2, 2026

‍Hosts: Keith Walsh, Oscar Virdee, and Al

With a bank holiday on the horizon, the MOTH News team gathers for a special Thursday broadcast to tackle a unsettling question: Is Ireland drifting toward a new kind of lockdown?

As fuel prices skyrocket and economic pressure mounts, we aren't being told to stay home by the government—but our bank accounts might be giving the order anyway. In this episode, we explore the "Energy Lockdown" and what it means for the country.

• The Noah Donohoe Inquest: A brief update on the week's legal proceedings, including the news that hearings will now extend into May.
• The Cost of Connection: Oscar Virdee shares a personal account of how rising fuel costs are already altering behavior, from choosing trains over cars to the difficult decision of skipping family visits due to travel expenses.
• Ireland’s Economic Pulse: A deep dive into the news round-up, covering fuel price volatility, hauliers under fire, and the ESRI’s warning that we are living in "non-normal times."
• Industry in Crisis: We analyze the stark warnings from James Geoghegan regarding potential shutdowns at Dublin Airport and Dublin Port, and the "worst-case scenarios" facing the construction and farming sectors.
• The Political Divide: We break down the friction between the Government’s targeted supports and Sinn Féin’s calls for more aggressive intervention, featuring analysis from Al on Micheál Martin’s position and our structural dependence on fossil fuels.
• Business Bites Back: Reaction to Michael O'Leary’s characteristically blunt assessment of a "do-nothing government."

The Big Question:At what point does an energy crisis stop being about the price at the pump and start becoming a functional economic shutdown?

Join Keith, Oscar, and Al as they break down the news that matters.

Inside This Episode: