The Group Chat

This week on The Group Chat, the tensions flare in the Dáil over the debate around asylum seekers and immigration.

And, new battle lines are drawn as New York elects a socialist mayor.

Plus, the race for the Áras and the fallout over media training.

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This week on The Group Chat, we cover a massive breakthrough in Gaza, with the world looking on as a landmark, Donald Trump-brokered peace deal was signed. Among those affected are people who fled here to escape the war.

A fragile ceasefire is holding in Gaza, but with many potential pitfalls ahead, we explore the feelings of those who fled here and still have loved ones back home.

Polling day moves closer in the Presidential Election, with Catherine Connolly the clear frontrunner. What does Heather Humphreys need to do to close the big gap in the final week of campaigning?

And we’ll also be reflecting on MTV, which provided the pictures and the sounds for our youth, as we mourn the planned closure of a number of its channels at the end of the year.

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The world watches closely after a major breakthrough in Gaza — but will it hold?

Back home, Micheál Martin faces unrest within Fianna Fáil over the Jim Gavin controversy, while government TDs return to their constituencies to sell Budget 2026.

Plus, Rolling Stone releases its list of the 250 best songs of the last 25 years - do you agree with their picks?

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This week, Ireland has been gripped by outrage following the interception of an international aid flotilla by Israeli forces, with at least fifteen Irish citizens detained as the boats approached Gaza. We hear directly from the daughter of one of those on board, as the Taoiseach warns the operation could breach international law.

We also look at the presidential election, which has drawn huge public interest after the first TV debate of the campaign, and ask if the upcoming budget risks being overlooked as the election dominates the agenda.

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This week on The Group Chat:

Donald Trump once again dominated global headlines with a fiery address to the UN General Assembly in New York, taking aim at climate change, immigration, and even the UN itself – before sparking a medical storm by pushing an unproven link between paracetamol use in pregnancy and autism.

Back home, Ireland’s presidential election campaign is officially underway. With Maria Steen falling just short in her bid for a place on the ballot, and only three candidates confirmed, the smallest field in decades, can the race ignite or is it already fizzling out?

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Sinn Féin is about to make a “gamechanger” move on the presidential election this weekend, keeping the race for the Áras buzzing. Will Gareth Sheridan make it onto the ballot through the council route? Could other independents join him? Conor McGregor has already pulled out, and Simon Harris says good riddance.

In Donabate, a four-year search has ended in heartbreak, with gardai believing they’ve found the remains of Daniel Aruebose.

On the international stage, a damning UN report, mounting EU pressure, and cultural and sporting isolation put Israel’s actions in Gaza under a microscope.

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This week on The Group Chat, we look at the rise of political violence at home and abroad.

In the US, the shooting dead of Charlie Kirk has sent shockwaves through politics, while here, the Tánaiste has revealed threats made against him. We ask what this climate means for democracy and public life.

Plus, with Ireland’s World Cup dreams in tatters once again, are fans destined to watch from the sidelines rather than the stands?

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