The MOTH NEWS Podcast

Six years after 14-year-old Noah Donohoe disappeared in Belfast, the inquest into his death has concluded.The jury found Noah drowned in a storm culvert and identified serious failings in the subsequent investigation which affected its ability to reach conclusions on aspects relevant to his death.Afterwards, Noah's mother Fiona said:“I came to this inquest seeking answers, and I leave it with one clear answer. Noah was failed.”This week on MOTH News Live, we examine what the jury actually found, what remains unanswered, and what happens now.PLUS:🔎 THE EPSTEIN FILES: Johnny Vedmore continues digging through the documents, looking at the Irish names, businesses and institutions that appear, why they're there, what the evidence actually shows and what questions it raises.🤖 AI: WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO BELIEVE?Some of the people building advanced AI are warning that it could threaten humanity. But critics say there are enormous financial interests behind the warnings, while others argue that fears about a future AI apocalypse distract us from how the technology is already being used.🇮🇪 AND WHAT DOES ALL OF THIS MEAN FOR IRELAND?Data centres already consume more than a fifth of Ireland's electricity. Are we building an Irish technology economy, or providing the infrastructure for somebody else's?

This week on MOTH News Live, we hear extraordinary audio from Seán Quinn's new podcast The Quinn Files.
Quinn recounts a private conversation he says he had with then Taoiseach Brian Cowen during the crisis surrounding his business empire — including claims about what the Government knew about the financial position of his companies.
We play the audio and ask: if Quinn's recollection is accurate, what does it tell us — and what questions still need answering?
Also this week:
Johnny Vedmore continues his investigation into Alan Merriman, founder of Elkstone, examining his appearance in correspondence released through the Epstein files, his business history and the relationship between Elkstone, Enterprise Ireland and Irish start-ups.
We discuss the cases of Simon O'Donovan and Isobella Perrie Sullivan, both charged with explosives offences and both granted bail.
Al asks whether we'd actually allow Tesla's Optimus humanoid robot into our homes as Elon Musk predicts public sales by the end of 2027.
And then the darker side of AI: researchers working at the forefront of the technology are warning that superintelligence could pose an existential risk to humanity. How seriously should we take them?

Is Ireland really a weak link in Europe's defences, and should Irish journalists be campaigning for increased military spending? This week on MOTH News Live, Johnny Vedmore looks at recent commentary from Irish Independent journalist Fionnan Sheahan about the threat posed by Russia, Ireland's military vulnerability and the case for significantly increasing defence spending. We examine the argument itself — but also ask a different question: when a prominent political journalist starts advocating for a major change in government policy, where does journalism end and political advocacy begin? Also this week, the tables are turned on Keith Walsh. Johnny and Al interview Keith about his High Court proceedings against RTÉ, his years presenting Breakfast Republic while classified as a freelancer, the subsequent Department of Social Protection decision on his employment status and why he has now taken his former employer to court. Plus, we look at Enterprise Ireland's participation in the €3 million Full Health Medical investment led by Elkstone and the questions MOTH News has put to Enterprise Ireland and Full Health Medical about due diligence.

This week on MOTH News Live, Johnny Vedmore investigates Ireland's elite schools. Which schools have educated some of the country's most powerful figures — and do the friendships and networks formed there continue to matter in politics, business and public life?Keith Walsh shares part of his new interview with journalist and media critic Mic Wright, author of Breaking: How the Media Works, When It Doesn't, And Why It Matters. Using one of Irish broadcasting's most notorious editorial failures as a starting point, we ask what the mistakes of the media's past should teach us about trusting and questioning the news today.The full Mic Wright interview is available now on the MOTH YouTube channel.Al then looks at an extraordinary admission from lawyers representing Andrew and Tristan Tate: some of the luxury cars and imagery used to project their “uberwealthy” online lifestyle were rented or promotional. What does that tell us about the influencer economy — and the lifestyles being sold to young men online?And finally: PFAS and our food. Following testing of Tesco own-brand products, we examine what was detected, what the science actually tells us and what consumers need to know.MOTH NEWS LIVE — Friday 28 August | 11am

Keith Walsh sits down with journalist, author and media critic Mic Wright to talk about who really decides which stories become news, and which ones don't.
Mic is the author of Breaking: How the Media Works, When It Doesn't, And Why It Matters, now out in paperback, and writes the media criticism newsletter Conquest of the Useless.
The conversation begins with a surprising Irish connection: Alfred Harmsworth, the Dublin-born founder of the Daily Mail, and the man who helped transform popular journalism more than a century ago.
From there, Keith and Mic explore how newspapers learned to capture mass attention, the political power of media owners, the relationship between journalists and politicians, bias and groupthink inside newsrooms — and what happens when the media simply gets a story wrong.
And in an age when newspapers are competing with X, TikTok, YouTube and Facebook, have we really escaped the power of the old press barons, or have we simply replaced newspaper editors with algorithms?
Keith Walsh in conversation with Mic Wright , author of Breaking: How the Media Works, When It Doesn't, And Why It Matters.

How Charlie Haughey Built a Network of PowerThis week on MOTH News Live, Johnny Vedmore looks back at the Ireland of Charles Haughey and asks how political access, business and influence became intertwined.We begin with the Taoiseach's constitutional power to nominate 11 senators and Haughey's 1987 decision to give one of those seats to a rising figure in the Irish bloodstock industry: John Magnier. Who else did Haughey bring into his circle, why did he choose them, and what does it tell us about how power operated in Ireland?Keith then looks at the horrific M9 crash that killed five teenagers, following another wrong-way motorway collision involving eight teenagers just seven days earlier. We'll hear Dr Niamh Lynch's argument that while responsibility ultimately rests with those involved, we also need to examine the circles around them: parents, Gardaí, youth justice, social media and society itself. How do children get this far into serious criminality before somebody manages to stop them?Finally, Al examines the restructuring of Diageo, where the workforce has fallen by almost 2,000 while the company continues to invest heavily in Guinness. If Guinness is booming, why are jobs disappearing?

Daniel Kinahan is back in Ireland, in custody, and apparently determined to tell his side of the story.Following his extradition from Dubai, we examine the extraordinary circumstances surrounding his return, his claims about corruption within Irish systems, and his decision to publicly state that he is "not suicidal".What exactly is Kinahan alleging? Why is he speaking now? And if he makes specific allegations about powerful people or institutions, should journalists investigate them — regardless of who is making the claims?Johnny Vedmore also takes us into a very different corner of Irish history, tracing the Hewson family — ancestors of U2 frontman Bono — and examining how members of the wider Hewson family became influential landowners in Ireland.Finally, following the latest arrest of Andrew and Tristan Tate, we examine the growing debate around the so-called manosphere.The Irish Government wants to counter its influence on young people. But why are teenage boys listening to figures like Andrew Tate in the first place? Are young men looking online for something they're not finding in mainstream culture? And can Ireland tackle misogyny without making ordinary boys feel that masculinity itself is the problem?Join Keith Walsh, Johnny Vedmore and Al for MOTH News Live.

This week on MOTH News Live, we examine a series of stories raising difficult questions about the future of Ireland—North and South.
Following the discovery of military-grade Semtex near the border, the arrest of a trainee solicitor, and the political row over a decision to grant bail, Johnny Vedmore asks whether these are isolated events—or signs of deeper tensions that deserve closer attention.
Keith Walsh then explores whether Ireland's political landscape is changing. Could recent events reshape relationships between the major parties? How are politics evolving on both sides of the border?
We'll also bring you the latest developments in the Dundrum House Hotel/IPAS controversy and discuss what a new planning decision could mean for government accountability and the rule of law.
Join Keith Walsh, Johnny Vedmore and Al as they look beyond the headlines and ask the questions others aren't asking.

This week on MOTH News Live, we ask whether Britain and Ireland are quietly accepting a new housing reality. A century ago, Dublin's infamous tenements became a symbol of poverty, overcrowding and social inequality.

Today, as Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) continue to grow across Britain and shared accommodation becomes increasingly common in Ireland, are there uncomfortable parallels with the past?We'll explore what HMOs are, why they've become so popular with landlords and investors, and ask whether today's housing crisis is creating a generation of working people who can no longer afford a home of their own.Also on this week's programme:

💬 Cloudchatters & The Hidden Workforce Behind the Internet Millions of online conversations are happening every day,but who are people really talking to?

We investigate the rise of companies like Cloudchatters, the growth of digital labour, and what it means for consumers and workers in an increasingly online world.

💶 Google's €10 Billion Question

Google says it contributed €10 billion to the Irish economy last year. Johnny Vedmore examines where that figure comes from, what "economic contribution" actually means, and whether these headline numbers tell the full story.

💼 Does This Budget Really Deliver for Working People?

Simon Harris says this year's Budget must deliver for working people. We ask what that promise means in practice and whether government policy is making a meaningful difference to the lives of ordinary workers.Join Keith Walsh, Johnny Vedmore and Al as they look beyond the headlines and ask the questions others aren't asking.

10 Reasons Ireland Is Asking Questions📺 STOP PAYING YOUR TV LICENCE?10 Reasons Ireland Is Asking QuestionsThis week on MOTH News Live, we tackle one of the biggest questions facing Irish media.RTÉ says public service broadcasting needs sustainable funding—but after years of controversy, governance failures and declining licence fee income, has public confidence been lost?Keith Walsh presents 10 reasons why more people are questioning the future of the TV licence, while also asking the other side of the debate: if not the licence, how should Ireland fund public service broadcasting?Johnny Vedmore joins the discussion to compare Ireland's debate with the ongoing arguments surrounding the BBC licence fee in the UK.Also on this week's programme:🔎 Jeffrey Epstein's Forgotten Irish VisitJohnny Vedmore examines Epstein's little-known visit to Dublin and Waterford in 1996 with Johnson & Johnson heiress Elizabeth Johnson. What do we actually know about the trip, and why has it received so little attention compared with later visits to Ireland? We'll separate established facts from unanswered questions.🥊 Conor McGregor: One Last Fight?Following another injury and defeat inside the Octagon, Al asks whether Ireland's most famous MMA fighter should attempt one final comeback—or whether it's time to step away from the sport for good. We'll discuss McGregor's legacy, his recent controversies and whether fans still believe he can compete at the highest level.As always, we'll be looking beyond the headlines and asking the bigger questions.