Newstalk Daily

A young woman… a burnt-out mobile home… and a disappearance that still doesn’t add up, more than two decades on 

This week, Gardaí have renewed their appeal for information into the killing of Emer O’Loughlin... A case that continues to haunt the family in the small Clare community of Ennistymon.

Ciara is joined by Páraic McMahon, Head of News and Sport with The Clare Echo

He built a system that keeps him winning... became a poster boy for MAGA Republicans...and forged close ties with Vladimir Putin.

But with voters heading to the polls this weekend, Viktor Orbán’s grip on Hungary is under real pressure.

And critics say what’s at stake isn’t just an election… but democracy itself.

Ciara is joined by Ábel Bede, a freelance journalist based in Hungary

Fuel protests have brought parts of Ireland to a standstill, with tractors and heavy vehicles blocking major roads across the country.

Now, in a significant escalation, Jim O’Callaghan has said the Defence Forces will be deployed to help remove vehicles obstructing critical infrastructure.

With disruption affecting emergency services, transport, and access to essential goods, the Government says the situation has gone “beyond the pale”, while protesters argue they are being pushed to the brink by soaring fuel costs.

So what does calling in the army actually mean in practice? And Is this an unprecedented move, or part of standard “aid to the civil power?"

Ciara Doherty is joined by Security and Defence Anayst, and former member of the Defence Forces, Declan Power to unpack the latest developments.

From war in the Middle East to rising fuel prices at home, Ireland’s energy security is back in sharp focus. 

 And now, a question that’s been off the table for decades is quietly creeping back in — should Ireland go nuclear? 

Ciara is joined by Dr Paul Deane, Senior Lecturer in Clean Energy Futures at University College Cork and Brian Mahon, Political Correspondent with the Irish Daily Mail.

Kanye West — now known as Ye — looked to be staging a major comeback, with a new album climbing the charts and a headline slot at London’s Wireless Festival. But within days, the narrative flipped. Mounting backlash over his history of alleged antisemitic comments turned a high-profile booking into a political problem.  

Sponsors pulled back. Community leaders spoke out. And the controversy quickly reached the highest levels of British politics. Then came the decisive move: the UK government revoked his permission to travel. The festival was cancelled. 

On today’s Newstalk Daily, Ciara Doherty is joined by Vincent McAviney in London and DJ Stevie G from Cork’s Red FM to examine how it all unfolded, why the British government took such a firm line, and whether an artist’s work can ever be separated from their words. 

Because in 2026, Kanye West remains one of the most influential — and divisive — figures in global culture. 

From “glow-up" injections to anti-ageing shortcuts, peptides are suddenly everywhere. They’re pushed by influencers, sold through murky online stores, and even creep into mainstream wellness culture. 

But while some peptides are well established in medicine — from insulin to drugs like Ozempic — a growing number of injectable products being promoted online are completely unregulated and not approved for human use. So, what exactly are people buying… and injecting? 

Ciara Doherty looks at the rapid rise of the peptide boom, the social media hype driving it, and the very real risks behind the trend. With younger audiences increasingly exposed to “looksmaxxing” culture and quick-fix beauty promises, are people turning themselves into test subjects for products with little to no clinical backing? Skin expert Eavanna Breen and Future Beauty CEO Nikki Dwyer join the podcast to separate fact from fiction, explain the science behind peptides, and ask whether regulation is falling dangerously behind a fast-moving trend. 

📩 Email your thoughts to [email protected] or find Ciara on Instagram @officialciarad 

🌐 Learn more from Eavanna Breen 
Explore expert skin advice and treatments at: https://www.eavannabreen.ie/ 

🎙️ Check out Nikki Dwyer’s podcast, Fess Up 
Honest chats on beauty, business and more: https://www.goloudnow.com/podcasts/fess-up-1048 

From global stages to bitter legal fights, dance legend Michael Flatley is now as familiar with courtrooms as he is with standing ovations. The Lord of the Dance creator has been entangled in a series of high-stakes disputes — from a dramatic battle over control of his iconic show, to multimillion-euro rows over his Cork mansion, Castlehyde, and ongoing clashes with former advisers, insurers, and solicitors. 

After a cancer diagnosis three years ago, Flatley stepped back and claims he trusted others to manage his affairs. What followed became a complex web of claims, counterclaims, and courtroom showdowns, involving tens of millions of euro and serious allegations on all sides. 

So how did one of Ireland’s most successful performers end up fighting on so many fronts at once? And what are the financial and personal stakes as these cases continue to unfold? Ciara Doherty is joined by Francesca Comyn, legal editor with The Currency, to guide us through the twists, the claims, and what could come next. 

A TV star’s allegations that she was targeted with AI-generated pornographic images have triggered a national reckoning in Germany. Collien Fernandes claims her ex-husband, Christian Ulmen, created and shared explicit deepfake content in her name over a number of years — allegations he strongly denies. The case has sparked protests, reignited debate about online abuse, and put pressure on the German government to strengthen laws around digital violence. 

With legislation now being drafted and wider questions emerging about the risks of artificial intelligence, this story goes far beyond one relationship — and into the heart of how technology, power and consent intersect in modern life. 

Ciara Doherty is joined by The Guardian’s Berlin correspondent Kate Connolly to explain how this scandal unfolded, why it struck such a chord, and what happens next. 

Irish households have more than €170 billion sitting in savings accounts, much of it losing value day by day. Finance Minister Simon Harris is pushing a new plan to make investing simpler and more accessible. But the question is whether Irish savers are ready to change, or still wary of taking risks with their hard-earned cash. 

On today’s podcast, Ciara Doherty explores why we’re so reluctant to invest — from the legacy of the financial crash to the confusing world of tax rules, ETFs and “deemed disposal”. She’s joined by personal finance expert Sinead Ryan to break down how the proposed scheme might work, what we can learn from past efforts like the SSIAs, and whether trust in investing can take root in Ireland. 

If your money is sitting in the bank, this conversation might make you think twice. 

🎧 Listen to Sineád on The Home Show every Saturday evening on Newstalk or via the GoLoud Player: 
https://www.newstalk.com/shows/home-show-sinead-ryan-834260 

As Apple marks its 50th anniversary, Ciara Doherty takes a step back from the products and the hype to look at the bigger picture. How did a company that started in a California garage become one of the most powerful and influential businesses on the planet? 

Joined by tech expert and former Apple employee Andy O'Donoghue, the podcast traces the key moments that defined Apple’s journey — from the vision of Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, through early breakthroughs like the Macintosh, to the near-collapse of the 1990s and the remarkable comeback that followed. From the iPod to the iPhone, Apple didn’t just compete — it reshaped entire industries.