David Quinn and leading EU critic, former diplomat, Ray Bassett, discuss the 50th anniversary of Irish membership of the EU, plus the chasm between Pope Benedict’s harsh image in the media and the humble, courteous, gentle person he really was. Gary Kavanagh of Gript Media stands in for John McGuirk this week.

As Christmas approaches, John and David run, or in John's case rant, through the final stories of the year, from the climate bill, to the twitter files, and the hangover to end them all in Rathkeale.

In Episode Nine, John and David look at how twitter's practice of "de amplifying" some news is replicated wholesale in the Irish media - from Brussels corruption scandals, to Leo Varadkar, to the East Wall protests.

Peadar Toíbín joins John and David to discuss post covid excess deaths, immigration, hate speech, the anniversary of the free state, and the "animal hard" job of leading a new party.

Jason O'Mahony joins John and David to discuss Ireland's love affair with all things EU, and what it might take for a new party to break Irish politics wide open.

What's broken in Irish politics? In the aftermath of the East Wall dispute, former PD advisor CORMAC LUCEY joins John and David to discuss immigration, economics, and the growing gap between establishment and people

Senator Sharon Keoghan talks to John McGuirk and David Quinn about the worsening atmosphere in Leinster House towards those with non-consensus views. They also discuss the latest coverage of clerical abuse, and a call to suppress all the religious orders.

The Republicans wrestle with Abortion; Micheál Martin tries to save the world at COP 27; and McGuirk goes on a rant about the lunatic asylum called Mastodon.

In Episode 3 of The Week that Really was: Father Sheehy versus the world; Why "Reeling in the Years" isn't so much beloved TV show as dangerous misinformation, and David Quinn's shocking 1983 secret. Available now where you get your podcasts.

In episode 2 of "The week that really was", John McGuirk and David Quinn discuss hate speech laws, and an opinion poll that shows more than half the country holds the "far right" view that we should limit the number of Ukrainian refugees