Let’s go back to Ireland in July 1985, to the quiet village of Ballinspittle in County Cork, where reports of a roadside statue of the Virgin Mary swaying gently before the eyes of stunned onlookers sparked a national sensation. What began as a local curiosity quickly exploded into a nationwide phenomenon, as similar apparitions were reported throughout Ireland that summer, drawing tens of thousands of pilgrims and dominating headlines. The media descended, cameras rolled, and the country found itself gripped by a strange blend of spiritual awe, communal frenzy, and a deep hunger for meaning at a time of unemployment, emigration and conflict in Northern Ireland.

For today's podcast, Ciara Doherty is joined by veteran religious affairs correspondent Patsy McGarry to revisit that extraordinary summer and explore what it revealed about Ireland’s psyche in the 1980s. They reflect on the powerful religious climate of the time - marked by high Mass attendance and strong deference to Church authority - and the cautious, sometimes dismissive response of the Catholic hierarchy to the Ballinspittle sightings. They also consider the deeper shifts that have taken place in the decades since: the collapse in trust following clerical abuse scandals, the declining influence of Church leadership, and the emergence of a more secular, questioning Irish identity.

As they look back on Ballinspittle and forward to Ireland today, they ask: are we still a nation of faith, or have we truly become a secular country?

Patsy McGarry is the author of Well, Holy God: My Life as an Irish, Catholic, Agnostic Correspondent, a memoir tracing his decades-long career reporting on religion, doubt, and the changing soul of Ireland. It's published by Irish Academic Press.

📧 Email the show at [email protected]

Drones are delivering more than just convenience in Ireland — they're bringing controversy, criminal innovation, and complex legal questions with them. In this podcast, Ciara Doherty explores the sharp rise in drone usage across the country — from life-saving medical deliveries and construction site surveys to drug drops in prisons and cartel-led smuggling operations.

Ciara is joined by Elaine Burke, tech journalist and host of For Tech’s Sake, and Fergal McCarthy, chief pilot with Drone Services Ireland, to unpack Ireland’s evolving relationship with drone technology.

Together they discuss the incredible potential drones offer — like transporting blood and organs, surveying dangerous environments, or slashing road closure times during urban construction — alongside the growing public unease, especially in urban areas like Dublin where drone delivery trials have faced pushback.

This episode also breaks down Ireland’s current drone laws, where the regulatory gaps lie, how privacy issues are being handled (or not), and what smarter oversight might look like in the near future.

From tech utopia to legal grey zones, this is your all-access pass to the future of Ireland’s skies.

🔗 Follow the Guests
🎧 @ForTechsSakePod — Elaine Burke’s tech podcast on X
🛠️ droneservicesireland.ie — Fergal McCarthy’s drone consultancy and operations

✉️ Got a drone story to share?

Maybe a close encounter or a delivery experience? Ciara wants to hear it — drop her a line at [email protected].

The government says it will spend €200 billion over the next decade on major infrastructure — everything from rail and roads to water systems and the electricity grid.

It’s a huge number. But is it a real plan... or just another political promise?

Today on Newstalk Daily, Ciara Doherty takes a closer look at the updated National Development Plan — and asks whether this time will really be any different.

Because if Irish history teaches us anything, it’s that big ambitions tend to run into even bigger problems. Plans stall. Costs spiral. Economies wobble. And projects are quietly shelved, scaled back, or simply forgotten.

With Political Correspondent Sean Defoe, the podcast revisits some of the state's most high-profile infrastructure promises from the past two decades — from Transport 21 and the National Spatial Strategy, to decentralisation and the infamous ‘Bertie Bowl’ — to see what was promised, what actually got built, and what lessons we keep failing to learn.

And just as this new €200 billion plan is unveiled, a transatlantic threat looms: US President Donald Trump’s promise of a 30 per cent tariff on EU goods — a move that could hit the Irish economy hard and throw even the most carefully costed projects into doubt.

📧 Email the podcast at [email protected] 

Today on Newstalk Daily, Ciara Doherty speaks to Ross Cullen, Paris Bureau Chief for Feature Story News, about one of the more bizarre and disturbing examples of online misinformation—an unfounded conspiracy theory claiming that France’s First Lady, Brigitte Macron, was born male.

Ciara and Ross unpack how this fake news took root online, the legal fallout it’s triggered, and how a recent appeals court ruling has once again brought the story into the headlines. They explore how the theory has been amplified by the American alt-right, including figures like Candace Owens and Tucker Carlson, and examine the wider implications when digital disinformation crosses into real-world consequences.

They also delve into the media’s fascination with Brigitte and Emmanuel Macron’s relationship—from the conspiracy theories to the constant scrutiny of their body language and the age-gap romance that first caught the world’s attention.

This podcast is a case study in how falsehoods spread, stick, and spiral—and what happens when personal lives become public battlegrounds in the era of viral misinformation.

What begins as an online lie can shape real reputations, fuel political narratives, and lead all the way to the courtroom.

📧 Email the show at [email protected]

It’s All-Ireland Hurling Final weekend — one of the biggest in the Irish sporting calendar. 

In today’s episode of Newstalk Daily, Ciara Doherty is joined by Sinéad O’Carroll, camogie veteran and editor of thejournal.ie and Paul Rouse, professor of history at UCD and former Offaly football manager, to talk all things GAA.

They dive into the ticket frenzy, the deep-rooted county rivalries, the origin stories of our Gaelic games, and why Croke Park on All-Ireland Sunday is more than just a stadium.

But this conversation isn’t just for the GAA faithful. Paul and Sinéad reflect on their own experiences of playing sport, and on the deep connection between Irish identity and place — the role of the local club, the parish, and community in shaping who we are.

The panel also debates one of the great Irish sporting questions — which is better: hurling or football? And looking ahead to next weekend's All-Ireland football final, they discuss some of the standout personalities on and off the pitch — especially Donegal manager Jim McGuinness and Kerry’s David Clifford.

Whether you're shouting for Tipperary or Cork in the hurling, or backing Donegal or Kerry in the football, or just curious about why these games matter so much — this episode has something for you.

Want more from Paul and Sinéad? They'll be appearing at the Galway International Arts Festival tomorrow afternoon for a public talk entitled “Double-Edged Sword,” alongside Ciarán Murphy — a discussion on the GAA’s future in a rapidly changing Ireland. More details at giaf.ie

📧 Email the podcast at [email protected]

There is a battle-royal underway at the High Court in Dublin. Two of Ireland’s wealthiest men are going head-to-head over a historic estate—and the outcome could reshape the Munster land market. 

On Newstalk Daily, Ciara Doherty is joined by Niall Sargent, current affairs correspondent with The Currency, to unpack the background to the legal showdown between racing tycoon John Magnier and multi-millionaire developer Maurice Regan. 

In this podcast, we explore the rise to fame and wealth of Magnier and Regan, the vast land, bloodstock and business empires they’ve built, and the disputed €22.5 million sale of the Barne Estate in Clonmel, county Tipperary. The interview also looks at how handshake deals, offshore trusts and court injunctions are shaping the case—and examines the growing pressure on local communities as deep-pocketed buyers drive up land prices. 

A story of power, legacy, rural Ireland —and a rising tide of land consolidation. 

📰 You can read more of Niall Sargent’s reporting on thecurrency.news 

 📩 Got thoughts on this story? Email us at [email protected] 

Content Warning: This episode contains references to mental health and the loss of life. Listener discretion is advised. 

On today’s episode of Newstalk Daily, Ciara Doherty explores how the death of one young boy who took his own life was recorded, and why Sinn Féin is calling for a change to the Coroner’s Act of 1962. 

Stephanie McGill-Lynch lost her 14-year-old son Jake to suicide in 2013. His inquest concluded with an open verdict, leaving his family without the full recognition they believe was needed. Now, Stephanie is campaigning for Jake’s Amendment — a proposed legal change that would allow coroners to cite iatrogenic factors (relating to medical treatment) as a cause of death where appropriate. 

Ciara is joined by Stephanie and Sinn Féin TD Mark Ward, who explains the party’s legislative proposal and its potential impact on families and future inquests. Together, they discuss the challenges families face following the death of a loved one to suicide, the limitations of the current legal framework, and why Stephanie believes that acknowledging iatrogenic loss is a vital part of justice and healing. 

If you’ve been affected by anything discussed in this episode, help is available: 

Call the HSE Mental Health Information Line free, 24/7, on 1800 111 888, or text HELLO to 50808 to speak anonymously with a trained volunteer at any time. 

Christian Horner is out.

Last week, the Red Bull Racing team principal, reality TV personality, and Formula 1 power broker was sensationally sacked after two decades at the top of the sport. But why now? And what does this shock move reveal about the power struggles, internal politics and off-track pressure at the heart of modern Formula 1?

In this episode of Newstalk Daily, Ciara Doherty takes a deep dive into the world of F1 alongside two leading motorsport journalists. The podcast explore Horner’s dramatic fall from power, tensions within the Red Bull camp, what this means for the team, the personal dimension of his exit — including his high-profile marriage to Spice Girl Geri Halliwell — Horner’s next career move, and why this story goes far beyond the pit lane.

Formula One has never just been about the racing.

Ciara’s guests are:

🚥 Luke Smith, Senior F1 Writer for The Athletic and author of On The Grid: The Inside Track on Formula 1, and
🏁 Thomas Maher, Irish F1 journalist with PlanetF1.com.

📘 Luke’s latest book, On The Grid: The Inside Track on Formula 1, is published by Simon and Schuster.

📧 Got thoughts on the show? Email us at [email protected] — we’d love to hear from you.

Conor McGregor is back in the news — and back in the courts.

Last week, the High Court heard that a civil action against McGregor by former friend and sparring partner Artem Lobov will likely be heard this autumn. ‘The Russian Hammer’ alleges he was cut out of the €500 million Proper No. Twelve whiskey deal.

On what happens to be the birthday of the MMA fighter and would-be presidential candidate, Newstalk Daily takes a closer look at the legal legacy of one of Ireland’s most controversial public figures.

Ciara Doherty is joined by courts correspondent and crime podcaster Frank Greaney to chart the growing list of civil suits, criminal incidents, and political controversies that continue to define McGregor’s life — well beyond the UFC Octagon.

The episode covers the civil jury ruling in favour of Nikita Hand, who sued McGregor for rape in a Dublin hotel — and the subsequent appeal. It looks at the UFC Brooklyn bus attack in 2018, the Marble Arch pub assault, and various driving offences. Ciara and Frank also examine McGregor’s social media activity during the Dublin riots, which led to an incitement to hatred investigation, and his increasingly vocal support among far-right circles.

🎧 Guest: Frank Greaney
🎙️ Listen to Frank’s podcast Inside the Crime: newstalk.com/podcasts/inside-the-crime
📩 Got thoughts on the episode? Email us: [email protected]

This week, Erin Patterson was found guilty of murder and attempted murder after an 11-week trial in Morwell, a small town in Victoria, Australia. 

The jury concluded that Patterson killed her former parents-in-law, Don and Gail Patterson, as well as Gail’s sister, Heather. Heather's husband, Ian Wilkinson, was the sole survivor. The victims had been served a beef Wellington laced with lethal death-cap mushrooms. 

At the close of the trial, Ciara Doherty reflects on why this case gripped her—and so many others. Why did Erin Patterson commit such a horrifying crime? What made her take the stand in her own defence, despite overwhelming circumstantial evidence and her own admissions of lying? 

On today’s Newstalk Daily, Ciara is joined by Amber Johnston, a courts correspondent with 9 News in Melbourne. Amber has covered the case extensively from the very beginning, and met Erin Patterson, offering firsthand insight into one of Australia’s most disturbing criminal trials. 

Guest: Amber Johnston, Courts Correspondent, 9 News Melbourne 

📱 Follow Amber’s reporting and courtroom updates on Instagram: @amberelizabethjohnston 

📧 Got a question or comment? Email us anytime at [email protected]