We’re a nation obsessed with knowing. From the parish newsletter to the daily death notices, we like to keep tabs on the comings and goings of life around us. And when it comes to celebrities, especially where fame and romance collide, we just can't look away. Take this week, for example, when TV power couple Patrick Kielty and Cat Deeley announced their separation. But just how difficult is it to navigate a relationship under the unforgiving glare of the celebrity spotlight? And why are we, the public, so captivated by the rise and fall of celebrity couples? Host: Tessa Fleming Guest: Melanie Finn

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Conor McGregor has lost his challenge against a High Court jury's finding that he raped Nikita Hand in a Dublin penthouse. Ms Hand sued the former MMA fighter for damages for raping her at the Beacon Hotel on December 9, 2018. Last November, a jury of eight women and four men found that McGregor (37) civilly liable for the assault and awarded her almost €250,000 in damages. Speaking outside the High Court, Ms Hand thanked her legal team, the rape crisis centre, and three judges of the appeal court.  

 

‘I’m deeply grateful for everyone who supported me, believed in me and stood by my side during this long and painful journey. “This appeal has retraumatised me over and over again. “Being forced to relive it, what has happened has had a huge impact on me.” 

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Shocking imagery from Gaza of extreme hunger has caused a visible shift in media coverage and political perspective. In recent days, Donald Trump, Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron have voiced significant opposition towards Israel and its war on Gaza. Nearly two years on from the events of October 7, 2023, is the tide finally turning on Benjamin Netanyahu?    

Host: Kevin Doyle Guests: Gregg Carlstrom and Enda Brady  

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Almost eight years on, no one has been held accountable for the violent death of 21-year-old Joe Deacy who was found unconscious outside a home in Swinford, Co Mayo before dying the next day. A garda murder investigation has repeatedly failed to charge anybody. But the case has taken a sinister turn, as a man has admitted sending “vile” letters, signed from “Joe”, to the couple living in the house where Mr Deacy was found unresponsive.

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In the summer of 2005, a typical Friday night in the local pub changed the life of Dolores McNamara forever when she learned that the EuroMillions ticket she bought on a whim led to her becoming €115 million richer. But what became of Ireland’s first ever EuroMillions winner?  

Host: Tabitha Monahan Guest: Ralph Riegel 

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Following months of speculation and negotiations, the European Union has finally struck a trade agreement with the US which will see both sides settle for a 15pc baseline tariff rate on EU imports to the US. Although an out-and-out trade war appears to have been averted, the agreement is being described in certain quarters as a “capitulation” by the world’s largest trading bloc. 

 

Today on The Indo Daily, Fionnán Sheahan is joined by Dónal O’Donovan, Group Business Editor with the Irish Independent – to break down the finer details of the deal, and to find out what implications it will have for Ireland’s economy. 

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In 1960s Ireland, while the Catholic Church still held sway, a new cultural force was rising — the showband scene. Ballrooms filled up night after night across the country, and at its heart was The Miami Showband, who were so beloved they were dubbed ‘The Irish Beatles’. But on July 31, 1975, everything changed. After a gig in Banbridge, Co Down, five members were stopped at what seemed a routine army checkpoint. What followed left the showband world shattered and survivors forever scarred by an act of unimaginable violence.

Host: Tessa Fleming Guests: Liam Collins and Des Lee

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William McKee is a former governor of the Maze Prison. He was the senior governor in charge of the prison on the 27th December 1997. That was the day that LVF Godfather Billy Wright was murdered inside the prison wall. The INLA assumed responsibility for the killing shortly after. William McKee joins Ciarán Dunbar to talk about what working on the day of Billy Wright’s murder was like, his relationships with paramilitary prisoners inside the prison, and the attempts on his life as a result of his career. Todays Indo Daily comes from our sister podcast The BelTel.

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This week, Ireland’s long-promised safety crackdown on social media platforms came into effect, which aims to shield children from harmful online content. However, despite a nine-month lead-in for the likes of Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and X, it seems there are still major issues to be worked out. Is it possible to create a safe space for children on the Internet? Host: Kevin Doyle Guests: Adrian Weckler and Sophie Peachey

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Three members of a family have been murdered in Maguiresbridge. The mother and her two children were shot in their family home – with two of them dying at the scene – another in hospital. Another person – a man – was seriously injured and is currently in hospital in Belfast. The PSNI say a so-called ‘murder-suicide’ is one line of inquiry and that it is “not anticipated at this stage that any further arrests will be made”.

Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Belfast Telegraph reporter – Abdullah Sabri.

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