The Deirdre O'Shaughnessy Podcast

Irish Examiner
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  • Updated Semiweekly

Looking for a deeper understanding of the stories that matter? The Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast takes you inside the best Irish Examiner reporting — from Cork courts to global affairs and powerful personal stories.  With award‑winning journalists and exclusive voices you won’t hear anywhere else. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 1d ago

    Making the hot school meals programme work, with Jolene Cox and Michelle Darmody

    The €300m universal Hot School Meals Programme has been running nationally for a full year and a review of the scheme brought to Cabinet this week highlights serious issues with nutritional value and food waste. Critics have been highlighting these problems along with issues like trucks of pre-cooked food being sent across the country and the use of 100 million disposable packaging items per year. The Government has responded to the review by committing to provide a cold lunch option each day and by expanding the range of portion sizes – however, experts say the scheme needs to be re-examined from the ground up. On today's episode of The Deirdre O'Shaughnessy Podcast, Irish Examiner food writer and food policy expert Dr Michelle Darmody and children's cookbook author Jolene Cox discuss the scheme's teething problems and look at best practice in other countries. The scheme was originally implemented in order to provide a hot meal with no stigma for children living in poverty, but according to Cox, it often does not reach those children. "Just because a child is hungry doesn't mean they're going to eat just anything," says Jolene Cox, "and it's very condescending of us to say that it's those children that are eating the meals, you know, that they're so hungry. "Like, what is such a disservice to the hungry child is that they're actually refusing it and they're going home. There's a meal put down there - the standard is that bad that they're actually not eating it." Dr Michelle Darmody has conducted extensive research into how other countries operate school meal schemes – she has visited schools where food is sourced locally and cooked onsite. "In the report yesterday, when you kind of take a deeper dive into it, only 7% of the meals meet the five basic nutrition standards that they have set themselves," she explains. "14% of the meals meet the standard of serving of two veg or fruit, while 50% of the meals contain no vegetables at all. And 15% of the meals were still said to contain high salt, fat and sugar, even though the minister had announced in April 2025 these were banned," she adds. Community initiatives like the Duhallow Community Food Hub provide a working model that other areas of the country could emulate, says Darmody. Listen to The Deirdre O'Shaughnessy Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Revamp of free school meals programme to include cold lunch option 'Our children need to be fed right': This North Cork organisation cooks 3,000 meals every day Our school meals programme must use community hubs and on-site kitchens cooking local produce Jolene Cox: Hot school meals are a great idea — but we can do it better Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  2. 5d ago

    The fake vape shops selling drugs in plain sight in Cork

    Across Cork city, homes, businesses and vacant properties have been falsely listed on Google Maps as vape shops. But these aren't genuine retailers. Many direct users to encrypted messaging apps where drugs including THC vapes, ecstasy, LSD and psychoactive mushrooms are openly advertised for sale. Irish Examiner reporter Alex Cunningham spent weeks investigating the issue, speaking to residents whose addresses had been falsely used, contacting those behind the accounts, and uncovering how drug sellers are using online platforms to reach customers. Alex joins the Deirdre O'Shaughnessy Podcast to discuss Cork's fake vape shops problem https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/spotlight/arid-41909575.html Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  3. 5d ago

    Killeagh's Finbarr Fogarty on his teenage drug addiction, the guilt of surviving a fatal car crash and finding peace

    Killeagh man Finbarr Fogarty hit the headlines in 2001 when he was involved in a horrific car crash in which two of his friends, Cian O'Mahony from Killeagh and Wayne Martin from Hollyhill, died. He survived serious injuries, including a broken neck and had to learn to walk again. Like a lot of young men, he had gone off the rails in his teens, using drugs and alcohol to find confidence and fit in. Adults in the community and in his school were aware of his drug usage, he says, but never intervened beyond a threat to expel him from school, something he now finds hard to understand. Like many teenage boys who become involved in risky behaviour, he believed he was invincible. "...I was invincible as a teenager... there was a few times where we were doing 100 miles an hour and we just, you know, thought, there's nothing going to happen. It's grand. "But when it happens, that switch has not gone off in our head just yet. This idea, you know, we could die. It's just, you know, we're not going to die." Even the crash did not break the power of his addiction – he was arrested a few months later after a local guard found him on the street in a drunken state. "I was arrested, and I remember the bangarda who picked me up, she looked at me and said – are you the guy who was in the accident? The guards have a very tough job." Now, 25 years later, Finbarr lives in Australia where he runs a successful business and volunteers to help other people in recovery. He spoke to Deirdre for today's episode about breaking the cycle of addiction in his family; how recovery works; and how he and his friends were let down by adults who knew they were in freefall. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  4. Sep 11

    The lasting impact of 9/11 on the people of New York, with Paul Hosford

    25 years after the era-defining day that two hijacked planes hit the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001, the impact is still being felt worldwide by countless people. In New York itself, people are still picking up the pieces of their lives, with many of those who helped on that day left to fight for justice. The death toll on the day was 2,996 people, but the death toll in the years since from cancers and other conditions caused by the toxic dust and the cleanup effort is far higher. Irish Examiner Deputy Political Editor Paul Hosford has been in New York meeting firefighters, construction workers, ambulance staff, residents, politicians and journalists who shared their memories of the day and its impact on their lives. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  5. Sep 8

    Jim O’Callaghan’s immigration crackdown, with Louise Burne

    On Monday at the Fianna Fáil think-in the Government announced what they called the “biggest reform of Ireland’s citizenship rules in a generation”. Tomorrow, Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan will bring to Cabinet a new bill setting out onerous new rules for migrants who want to become Irish citizens. The rules, which will affect people who already live and work here, include an eight year waiting time before applying, a block on people who have received certain social welfare payments becoming citizens, an English (or Irish) language proficiency test, and conditions around habitual residency. They will also impact spouses of Irish citizens. Political correspondent Louise Burne joins Deirdre for a rundown of the new rules, a discussion of the political context behind them and the reaction from politics and civil society groups. Citizenship rules to tighten by end of this year New citizenship rules would require eight years’ residence, language test and civics exam Number of people immigrating to Ireland fell by 12% this year, new figures show Ukrainians being moved out of Citywest: ‘We need a place to survive, that’s it’ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  6. Sep 4

    Criminal courts in turmoil over solicitors’ strike, with Gráinne Ní Aodha

    The criminal courts have been in turmoil over the past few months as a dispute between Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan and criminal defence solicitors who work for legal aid clients has spilled over into courtrooms.   Those accused of a crime are appearing in court with nobody to advise them, cases are being put on the long finger and judges and rights organisations are beginning to speak up about the lack of justice for vulnerable people. Irish Examiner News Reporter Grainne Ni Aodha has been covering this story and is today’s guest on the Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast.     Solicitors' walkout raises fears of 'covid-level backlog' in court cases as legal aid strike continues 'Things need to be moved on': Warning of legal challenges over solicitors' pay dispute Ongoing legal aid dispute poses 'grave public risk', solicitors warn ‘It’s a siege mentality’: Minister accused of downplaying disruption caused by solicitors' strike Withdrawal of services by solicitors not justified, says Taoiseach Sarah Harte: Jim O'Callaghan should look closer to home to solve legal delays   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  7. Sep 1

    Trish Bourke on leaving the Jehovah’s Witnesses, being groomed by an older man and finding her place in the world

    Growing up a Jehovah’s Witness in rural Co Tipperary was not your typical Irish childhood. Weekends spend proselytising, no Christmas or birthdays and very little interaction with the world beyond the community meant Trish Bourke was a very sheltered teenager when she was groomed by an older man. In her book UnWitnessed, Trish writes movingly about her steps away from the faith that shaped her, the predatory relationship she fell into and a termination she went through as a result, and her eventual discovery of her place in the world. From being called a murderer by her devout family, and a loving but sexless marriage to teaching computer literacy to Martin Sheen, her story is full of twists, turns and contradictions. Trish Bourke is today’s guest on The Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast. Her book, UnWitnessed, is published by Menma Books and available at unwitnessed.net.     Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  8. Aug 28

    Is Cork University Hospital unsafe for patients?

    Management, clinicians and staff at Cork University Hospital are in a mounting disagreement with the HSE and Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill over staff and resources at the South-West region’s biggest hospital. Trolleys are mounting up at the hospital’s Emergency Department and as the health service faces into the winter season, staff and management fear a tragic incident if resourcing is not urgently addressed. Last week CUH boss Jennifer Kearney wrote to Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill to say the hospital was unsafe for patients and staff. “My responsibility as chief executive is not simply to comply with a process," she wrote. "It is to speak clearly when I believe that process is creating a foreseeable risk to patients and staff. "I would rather raise that concern now, when there is still an opportunity to act, than remain silent and explain afterwards why we did not.” The Minister hit back in an interview on RTE radio, saying there was “no evidence” the hospital was unsafe - but medical staff at the hospital have since rowed in on the CEO’s side. So, is the hospital safe or not? Irish Examiner Health Correspondent Niamh Griffin gets into the detail of the dispute at CUH on today’s episode. Health minister says no evidence of increased patient safety concerns at CUH Hiqa seeks clarity over Cork University Hospital safety fears   CUH boss says hospital 'unsafe' for patients amid shortfall of over 1,000 staff Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Looking for a deeper understanding of the stories that matter? The Deirdre O’Shaughnessy Podcast takes you inside the best Irish Examiner reporting — from Cork courts to global affairs and powerful personal stories.  With award‑winning journalists and exclusive voices you won’t hear anywhere else. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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