It’s been a rough week for UK prime minister Keir Starmer. First, he offered a direct apology to the victims of Jeffrey Epstein’s sex-trafficking network while declaring that “none of us knew the depth and darkness” of the relationship between Epstein and former British ambassador to the US, Peter Mandelson. Then came the resignations of Morgan McSweeney and Tim Allan. Can Mr Starmer hold onto his job? Meanwhile, the latest tranche of Epstein files contained references of a distinctly Irish nature – what are they, and what conclusions can we draw from them?

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Host: Tabitha Monahan

Guests: Enda Brady and Kim Bielenberg

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Ireland’s high street – or main street if you prefer – has seen quite the evolution over the past hundred-odd years. Today, it is an arena of mixed fortunes. On one hand, the recent liquidation announcement of EuroGiant has thrown a popular discount chain’s future into question. On the other, Dunnes Stores is just edging out Tesco as Ireland’s most popular shopping store. Who gets the credit for such success? And what does it all mean for you, the valued consumer?

Host: Fionnán Sheahan. Guests: Donal O’Donovan and John Meagher

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How did weight-loss drugs move from medical niche to global phenomenon Aimee Donnellan, Reuters columnist and author of Off the Scales: The Inside Story of Ozempic and the Race to Cure Obesity, joins Karl Henry on this week’s episode of The Real Health podcast. This episode of The Indo Daily is brought to you by our sister podcast, Real Health with Karl Henry

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Whilst heavy rain and winds battered parts of the East coast this week, temperatures rose inside Leinster House. As Bord Bia chairman Larry Murrin appeared before the Oireachtas Agriculture Committee. The government continued to push through regulations on the ban on scramblers, and we now have a date for the upcoming by-elections in Galway West and Dublin Central. So how is the field shaping up? Mary Regan joins Tabitha Monahan to discuss the runners and riders in the upcoming by-elections. Host: Tabitha Monahan Guest: Mary Regan

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The 30th anniversary of Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance spectacle threatens to be overshadowed by turmoil behind the scenes.  Those with tickets for the show in Dublin’s 3Arena have likely had just one question on their minds this week - is this thing going ahead?  Flatley has been locked in a spiky legal battle with Switzer, the events company contracted to run the multi-million-pound stage show.  The drama peaked earlier this week when Switzer issued a statement cancelling the show with immediate effect – a move Flatley succeeded in overturning within hours.  So, how did we get here? And is the show actually going ahead?  

Host: Tessa Fleming. Guests: Shane Phelan and Melanie Finn

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Ten years ago today, a gun attack at the Regency Hotel sent shockwaves through Ireland and marked a turning point in modern gangland history. In broad daylight, heavily armed men disguised as gardaí stormed a boxing weigh-in, killing David Byrne and triggering a violent feud that would leave Dublin gripped by fear for years to come.

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Former senior garda Michael O’Sullivan looks back on the day that reshaped Irish organised crime, and its lasting consequences.

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Claire Byrne kicked off her new mid-morning broadcast gig this week, signalling a new chapter in Ireland’s radio wars as Newstalk and RTÉ square up. In the space of just a few months, big names have switched sides and fresh schedules have been dreamed up. What’s driving these moves? Who has the upper hand? And will audiences get a better product in the end?  Host: Fionnán Sheahan Guests: Declan Lynch and John Meagher

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Amazon stumped up $75m for a Melania Trump documentary that opened to dismal reviews and even worse box-office returns. So, why invest in such a precarious project? Who is the previously exiled director at the helm? And, in a bid to answer the “is it any good?” question, we went along to a sparse opening-day screening to deliver our review.

Host: Fionnán Sheahan Guest: Dave Hanratty

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Anne O’Brien saw her son leave for a holiday on a Greek island, only to return home in a coffin. For more than four years, the family of Niall O’Brien (21) have sought justice. Joseph Patrick Connolly (24), from Rostrevor, Co Down, was found guilty of fatal bodily harm when he punched Niall in the early hours of August 30, 2021. Connolly was found guilty after a court hearing in Ermoupoli, on the island of Syros. He received a six-year sentence, but was released on bail pending an appeal. “My son went to Ios to have the holiday of a lifetime and he came home to me in a coffin,” Mrs O’Brien told the court. Host; Ciaran Dunbar, Guest; Mark Tighe

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We Irish have always talked about the weather. It’s our great shared obsession - the small talk, the punchline and the meme that does the rounds when the rain refuses to stop.  However, as increasingly violent storms batter our shores and flood our towns, for many across the country, what was once a national pastime has become a source of real anxiety.  So, what does climate change actually look like on the ground in Irish communities?  And can we keep up with a crisis that’s moving faster than ever?

Host: Tessa Fleming Guest: Alan Caulfield, assistant news editor with the Irish Independent

This podcast was produced with funding from Coimisiún na Meán’s Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.

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