Inside Politics with Hugh Linehan

4.7 (112)
POLITICS
UPDATED SEMIWEEKLY

The best analysis of the Irish political scene featuring Irish Times journalists, political thinkers and the occasional politician. Hosted by Hugh Linehan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

11H AGO

Byelections: campaign trail stories and final predictions

Cormac McQuinn and Harry McGee join Hugh for a final look at the Dublin Central and Galway West byelections before voting takes place on Friday. Would you like to receive daily insights into world events delivered to your inbox? Sign up for Denis Staunton's Global Briefing newsletter here: irishtimes.com/newsletters/global-briefing/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

41 min
2D AGO

What's wrong with Ireland? Sinead O'Sullivan has an answer

Economist and author Sinead O'Sullivan ruffled some feathers recently with her analysis of Ireland’s deficits in infrastructure and services. Her critiques of the State’s failure to deliver things that are taken for granted in other similarly wealthy countries sparked debate and drew pushback from figures including former taoiseach Leo Varadkar. On today’s Inside Politics podcast she talks to Hugh about how her professional background in designing complex systems made it “ impossible for me not to see” the flaws she identifies in the Irish model. She argues that Ireland lacks strong institutions capable of separating long-term delivery from electoral politics, resulting in costly, short-term fixes. Would you like to receive daily insights into world events delivered to your inbox? Sign up for Denis Staunton's Global Briefing newsletter here: irishtimes.com/newsletters/global-briefing/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

54 min
5D AGO

Keir Starmer finds himself in office without power

Jack Horgan-Jones and Mark Paul join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics: · The findings of the Irish Times and TG4 by Ipsos B&A poll throws up some interesting permutations for the Dublin Central byelection. Sinn Féin’s Janice Boylan leads the first preference vote at 21 per cent, Daniel Ennis of the Social Democrats is in second place on 18 per cent, but as Jack explains, ‘second preference intention’ could be vital for both. · It is now a question of when and not if for Keir Starmer after disastrous local and parliamentary election results prompted a slew of Labour MPs to call on the prime minister to resign. A defiant speech on Monday did little to inspire party members as Starmer vowed to fight any leadership challenge. Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has been given a route to challenge Starmer following Josh Simons’ decision to step down as MP for Makerfield. · And speaking to The Irish Times on Wednesday, former taoiseach Bertie Ahern addressed his recent comments on immigration, made while out on a canvass last week in Dublin Central. And while no apology was forthcoming, he did point out that he had “no problem with people from the Congo or Africa or anywhere else. I’ve good friends around Drumcondra, there’s a lot of the clergy in from Africa.” Could this controversy overshadow Fianna Fáil’s Ard Fheis taking place today and tomorrow as the party marks its 100th year in existence? Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week: · One Dublin mother’s 14-year wait for a bigger council house, the challenges for Ireland of a Reform-led UK government, and how difficult it has become for Irish diaspora to return home. Would you like to receive daily insights into world events delivered to your inbox? Sign up for Denis Staunton's Global Briefing newsletter here: irishtimes.com/newsletters/global-briefing/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

49 min
6D AGO

Two-way race for Sinn Féin and Soc Dems in Dublin Central byelection

The Irish Times and TG4 by Ipsos B&A poll shows Sinn Féin’s Janice Boylan leads the byelection race in Dublin Central with first preference votes at 21 per cent, Daniel Ennis of the Social Democrats is in second place on 18 per cent. But Ennis will be in line for a lot of transfers from the fragmented left-wing vote, with Labour, People Before Profit and the Green Party all having candidates in the race. Veteran criminal Gerry Hutch is running in third place on 14 per cent, growing his vote from 9 percent in the last general election. Could his transfers play an important role for Boylan’s path to victory? And Fianna Fáil’s John Stephens is way back in the field on 4 per cent. His cause won’t have been helped by Bertie Ahern’s comments on immigration, captured while the former taoiseach was out on a byelection canvass last week. The poll shows immigration trails cost-of-living and housing as an issue for voters ahead of election day on May 22nd. Produced by John Casey. Would you like to receive daily insights into world events delivered to your inbox? Sign up for Denis Staunton's Global Briefing newsletter here: irishtimes.com/newsletters/global-briefing/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

19 min
MAY 13

Who will win Dublin Central?

With just over a week until two by elections, host Hugh Linehan unpicks the race for Dublin Central in today’s Inside Politics. Political Correspondents Jack Horgan-Jones and Cormac McQuinn reflect on then race so far, and which candidates will benefit most from those critical transfers. Ahead of Irish Times polling for the consistence to be published on Thursday, where are the battlegrounds? And what are the issues on which they will be won and lost? Produced by Andrew McNair and Declan Conlon. Would you like to receive daily insights into world events delivered to your inbox? Sign up for Denis Staunton's Global Briefing newsletter here: irishtimes.com/newsletters/global-briefing/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

38 min
MAY 11

How Fianna Fáil was formed - with Ronan McGreevy

In the week of Fianna Fail’s centenary Hugh and Pat are joined by reporter and historian Ronan McGreevy to trace the party’s origins and assess its legacy. Ronan explains how in 1926, with frustration growing at Sinn Féin’s ineffectiveness, Éamon de Valera and allies such as Seán Lemass formed Fianna Fáil, rapidly building hundreds of cumainn. He looks at how the party first entered the Dáil, helped create a two-party system and ultimately won power. The discussion also covers the party’s catch-all pragmatism, recent history of compromise with Fine Gael, and its mixed legacy of ties to corruption along with a commitment to democracy and state institutions. Would you like to receive daily insights into world events delivered to your inbox? Sign up for Denis Staunton's Global Briefing newsletter here: irishtimes.com/newsletters/global-briefing/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

49 min
MAY 7

Polls suggest three-way shootout in Galway West byelection

Pat Leahy and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics: · The findings of the Irish Times/TG4 opinion poll on first preference votes, carried out by Ipsos B&A, suggests three leading candidates in the Galway West byelection. It shows Seán Kyne (Fine Gael) at 17 per cent followed by Noel Thomas (Independent Ireland Party) on 16 per cent and Helen Ogbu (Labour) on 12 per cent. · In Dublin Central, candidate and veteran criminal Gerry Hutch rejected claims that recent comments he made about immigrants were racist. In a social media post on Sunday Hutch said, “illegal immigrants”, including Somalis, who were “mooching” their way into the country, should be interned in the Curragh. · And Minister for Education Hildegarde Naughton’s recent confirmation that her department is facing a deficit of more than €500 million this year was dwarfed by the HSE’s decision to pause recruitment in non-frontline roles across significant parts of the country due to a projected €1 billion overspend this year. Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week: · Mark Paul on nationalist-led administrations running Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, Finn McRedmond is not a fan of ‘grotty’ Stephen's Green Shopping Centre, and Donald Trump’s boundless appetite for self‑memorialisation. Would you like to receive daily insights into world events delivered to your inbox? Sign up for Denis Staunton's Global Briefing newsletter here: irishtimes.com/newsletters/global-briefing/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

43 min
MAY 6

Inside Politics Live in Galway: Who can win the Galway West byelection?

Hugh Linehan hosts a live Inside Politics show in Galway’s Róisín Dubh with Pat Leahy, Ellen Coyne and Galway native Harry McGee ahead of the May 22nd Galway West byelection. Harry, fresh from his day of shadowing candidates on the canvass, profiles the constituency and what influences are at play in this huge electoral area, which spans urban, rural and Gaeltacht districts. The Irish Times politics team outlines why byelections are hard to predict, who the key candidates are, and what dynamics might shape the race; from Independent Ireland’s Noel Thomas and the lingering impact of the fuel protests to the “vote left, transfer left” pact and Catherine Connolly’s influence. They also consider whether government candidates can break the usual byelection pattern, the Social Democrats’ momentum, and what the result could signal about longer-term shifts in Irish politics. Hugh also fields questions from our live audience, some of whom have travelled from as far away as Dundee in Scotland. Would you like to receive daily insights into world events delivered to your inbox? Sign up for Denis Staunton's Global Briefing newsletter here: irishtimes.com/newsletters/global-briefing/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

57 min

See All (1K)

Hugh Linehan

Host
Sinead O’Sullivan

Guest
Jack Horgan-Jones

Guest
Mark Paul

Guest
Cormac McQuinn

Guest
Ronan Mc Greevy

Guest
Pat Leahy

Guest
Ellen Coyne

Guest
Pat Leahy

Guest
Harry Hand McGee

Guest

4.7

out of 5

112 Ratings

Terry Prone

12/03/2025

Johnny in the Mass Hills

Hugh’s conversation with Terry Prone is a classic. I hope you invite her back!
Surprisingly Funny

10/20/2023

c_o_shea

The most recent episode was the funniest podcast I’ve listened to in quite a while (nod to Pat’s impressions. More please. Spinout pod perhaps?) As a recent emigrant, Inside Politics keeps me feeling engaged and connected with Ireland.
Disappointing

02/12/2025

Eve D.K.

I subscribed to this as an emigrant looking to keep up with the news from home. The unexamined centrist/centre-right perspectives are sometimes exasperating but roughly what you’d expect from the IT. Despite this, there was enough useful information to keep me listening. Two things of late pushed me into unsubscribing. The first is the hosts’ repeated snickering about how the prospects of political/governmental instability in Ireland will at least make good copy for them—have they learned nothing from the example of their peers in the U.S. media? The second is the decision to platform far-right anti-choice homophobes who push reactionary social agendas. The hosts seem unfamiliar with the concept of the Overton Window.
Conspiracy?

07/25/2024

Tim 1159

Conspiracy? Really Hugh? That word has a criminal meaning. Are you suggesting a crime? I’m an American, a Democrat, and a Biden fan but for the last 2 years I’ve told everyone I talked to about politics that Biden was being a selfish jerk for running again. Why…because he is 81! Did you guys in the media not know he was 81? Is his behavior not consistent with some people at that age? Sounds like you guys are just trying to cover your butt now because the public is saying why didn’t the press tell us. Trump called you guys the enemy of the people, which of course it’s dangerous. But I was glad when Biden won so I could go back to hating the press. Your behavior in the case is pathetic. You Hugh are pathetic.

The best analysis of the Irish political scene featuring Irish Times journalists, political thinkers and the occasional politician. Hosted by Hugh Linehan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.