The Mick Clifford Podcast

The recent by-elections in Dublin
and Galway took the temperature in politics right now and delivered victories to the Social Democrats and Fine Gael. But what did the elections say about the political pecking order right now and will there by any implications for Sinn Fein and Fianna Fail, who both performed badly? Also where now for the Occupied Territories Bill. This week’s guest on the podcast is Irish Examiner political editor Elaine Loughlin.
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The Belfast rap trio Kneecap bring second record Fenian and their incendiary mix of Irish-language hip-hop and politics to Cork with two 'intimate' album launch shows at the Savoy Theatre ahead of a show Live at the Marquee on July 6. In this episode, we take a deep dive into the group’s journey - from their early days in Belfast to becoming one of the most talked-about acts in Irish music. Along the way, we explore how Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí have used the Irish language as both a creative tool and a cultural statement, while also courting controversy through their lyrics, performances, and legal battles. On this episode, Irish Examiner assistant news editor Eoghan O'Sullivan is joined by music journalist Dean Van Nguyen, who reviewed Fenian for Pitchfork. He is also the author of Words for My Comrades: A Political History of Tupac Shakur (Penguin Random House, 2025). Together, we look at the band’s rise, their impact, the tension between art and provocation - and what Cork audiences can expect from their live shows this summer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Two constituencies go to the polls next Friday in byelections created by the resignations from the Dail of Pascal Donohue and Catherine Connolly, who both went on to greater things. Dublin Central and Galway West will vote for their replacements in the first by-elections since the current government assumed office after the 2024 general election.
So who’s up and who’s down, what matters what won’t. How will the results impact on party leaders? Irish Examiner Political Correspondent Louise Burne takes the temperature for this electoral event.
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Fianna Fail is a century old this year and the party is celebrating the occasion this weekend with its Ard Fheis. But where stands a party that was in the twentieth century one of the most successful vote getters in the developed world. Has the new Ireland bypassed a party whose name translates as the Soldiers of Destiny? Or does it have the capacity to change and thrive with the times. Professor Gary Murphy of DCU is this week’s guest on the podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Irish Examiner’s Louise Burne has memories of spending time in Temple Street hospital in Dublin as a child to treat a condition with which she was born. The staff were great, the environment and facilities far less so. Recently, she wrote about the children of tomorrow who will have a brand new hospital to cater for their needs. But, at the rate of progress in building the national children’s hospital, we might well ask, will tomorrow come? Louise and Irish Examiner Health Correspondent Niamh Griffin fill us in on the story so far and whether an end is in sight.
NOTE: In response to the story relayed by Niamh on this podcast, a spokesperson for CHI said, “all staff concerns are being addressed as they come up in real time in regular sessions across hospital sites.”
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