Sally Rooney, Palestine Action and a row over the freedom to protest
The arrest of more than 500 people at a Palestine Action rally in London on August 9th did more than raise the profile of the little-known anti-war action group: it raised questions about the fundamental right of British people to engage in peaceful protest, and exactly what constitutes a terrorist organisation in the eyes of the government.The arrests were on foot of a ban in July under UK terrorism legislation which put the group in the same proscribed category as Islamic State, al-Qaeda, the IRA, the UVF and a long list of banned terror groups.In an essay in the Irish Times last weekend, novelist Sally Rooney made her position clear.In the piece which she says she could not legally publish in a British publication, she writes that she supports Palestine Action – including financially – and “If this makes me a ‘supporter of terror’ under UK law, so be it“.The images that emerged of the arrests at the rally included those of elderly men and women with home-made “Stop the Genocide” signs and of people wearing Palestine Action T-shirts and carrying banners.Since then, civil liberties groups have been vocal in what they say is the dangerous route the British government is following, appearing to conflate peaceful protest with terrorism.So what is Palestine Action? Irish Times London correspondent Mark Paul explains.And he describes the scenes inside and outside the court in London on Wednesday when Belfast rapper Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh was in court facing charges of supporting a proscribed organisation by allegedly displaying a flag in support of Hizbullah at a Kneecap gig in London gig last year.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Tattle Life: How a gossip website ended up in court
This episode was originally published in June 2025. Tattle Life is a gossip site that many will have never heard of until a landmark defamation trial in Belfast in June 2025.Donna and Neil Sands bought a defamation case against the site – and won. They were each awarded £150,000 (€176,000) in damages, with the court saying their costs should also be covered.The married couple who live in Northern Ireland said that cruel, untrue and hateful anonymous postings over several years on the site left them fearing for their safety, their businesses and their relationships and impacted on their mental health.Award-winning journalist Aoife Moore knows exactly how the Sands feel. She too has been the victim of an onslaught of online abuse on Tattle Life, with entirely untrue gossip spread about her personal and professional life.She tells In the News how that impacted on her and what the defamation case means for her. And while this is the first successful defamation case against the gossip site, she says it will not be the last.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Three Irish emigrants on the highs and lows of returning home to Ireland
In the 12 months leading up to April 2024, 30,000 Irish citizens who had been living abroad returned to Ireland. A similar number of Irish emigrants returned to Irish shores the previous year, in the 12 months leading up to April 2023.Who are these people, why are they coming home and what do they think of the Ireland they've returned to? Today, on the In the News podcast, we speak to three Irish people who recently returned to Ireland after years of building a life overseas. Are Irish infrastructure and healthcare as bad as we believe when compared with other systems abroad? What is it that pulls people back? And are they back for the long haul, or is reintegration back into Irish society too difficult after a long stint overseas?Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Is The Rose of Tralee 'uncancellable'?
The Rose of Tralee is one of the biggest events in Ireland’s cultural calendar.It pumps millions of euro into the local economy and pulls in well over half a million viewers; no mean feat in an age of dwindling linear TV viewership.Almost 30 years of being lampooned as a ‘Lovely Girls’ competition thanks to that Father Ted episode has seen its popularity undimmed.Albeit only relatively recently, it has evolved to permit married and transgender women enter the contest.However 29 is still the cut-off age, meaning you are officially too old for Rose of Tralee at the age of 30.The title is bestowed upon a young woman whom the judges think would be a good ‘cultural ambassador’ for Ireland for the following year.While the spirit of diversity has been embraced, with women of colour among those to don the sash, is the competition still overly focused on a narrow version of femininity?Last year, the documentary ‘Housewife of the Year’ highlighted the eponymous competition which ran from 1969 to 1995.In what seems utterly baffling now, married women were judged on their ability to “budget effectively and prepare a simple meal.”Eventually the competition was scrapped quietly; collapsing under the weight of public opinion which was rebelling against societal norms of the quiet homemaker.But the Rose of Tralee doesn’t appear to be in any such jeopardy, and is arguably as popular as ever.Reporter Niamh Browne joins the podcast from Tralee to ponder the question: Is the Rose of Tralee uncancellable?Presented by Aideen Finnegan. Produced by Declan Conlon and Andrew McNair. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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An Irish doctor speaks out about his time working in Qatar
In 2021, GP Paddy Davern returned to Ireland after eight years working as a doctor in Qatar. Four years on, the Tipperary man is still struggling to come to terms with the time he spent working with the Special Operations Service (SOS), a specialist medical team treating the country’s royals and other VIPs.In today’s episode, Irish Times health correspondent Shauna Bowers shares Dr Davern's traumatic experience in Qatar and explains why he is now speaking out about the working conditions and ethical dilemmas he faced during his time there. Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Suzanne Brennan and Andrew McNair. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In The News is a daily podcast from The Irish Times that takes a close look at the stories that matter, in Ireland and around the world. Presented by Bernice Harrison and Sorcha Pollak. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ireland