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The inquest into the death of Belfast schoolboy Noah Donohoe continued this week, more than five years after he disappeared. Noah was 14 years old when he went missing in June 2020, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. He left home on his bicycle on a Sunday afternoon. In his backpack was a laptop and a copy of Jordan Peterson’s book, 12 Rules for Life. He never returned.   Six days later, his body was found in a storm drain. A post-mortem examination concluded that Noah had drowned. A police investigation was launched, but no criminal charges have ever followed.  In recent weeks, a long-delayed inquest has heard evidence into the circumstances surrounding Noah’s disappearance and death. Jurors have listened to the original 999 call made by Noah’s mother, Fiona. Friends have discussed his intelligent, quirky personality; witnesses have given evidence about their recollections of that day; and police officers involved in the original investigation have begun outlining their actions and decisions.  Ciara Doherty is joined by Declan Harvey, who has been covering the inquest for BBC Northern Ireland and through a dedicated daily podcast, to explain what the jury has heard so far and what evidence is still to come.  📺 Follow the inquest: BBC ‘State of Us’ series  Declan Harvey reportS for BBC Northern Ireland as part of the State of Us series, with regular updates from the inquest.  👉 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL38qrXdJ0lkN8zTvJ2p4IR-Ykv3bYgwgP 

Peter Mandelson has weathered scandal before — but this time the reaction has been visceral. His resignation from the House of Lords follows intense public anger over revelations about his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender whose crimes continue to reverberate through global politics.  Allegations that Mandelson shared sensitive information, lobbied on Epstein’s behalf, and accepted financial support connected to Epstein have triggered fierce scrutiny. UK prime minister Keir Starmer has referred elements of the case to British police, while honours and privileges linked to Mandelson are being withdrawn, amid growing pressure that this is not just about judgment but accountability.  With Epstein’s victims never far from the public mind, questions of power, access and moral blind spots are unavoidable. Guardian policy editor Kiran Stacey joins Ciara Doherty to examine why this scandal has cut deeper than the rest — and whether the ultimate survivor of British politics has finally run out of road. 

The future of Ireland’s Triple Lock is moving from political argument to legislative reality. Following a Cabinet decision last week, the Government is preparing to bring the Defence Amendment Bill before the Oireachtas — setting up one of the most consequential debates about Irish neutrality in decades.  The Triple Lock currently requires Government approval, a Dáil vote, and a UN mandate before Irish troops can be deployed overseas. Ministers argue the UN Security Council is increasingly paralysed, making the system unworkable in a world of rising global tensions. Critics say removing the UN element would quietly weaken neutrality and lower the threshold for overseas military involvement.  On today’s Newstalk Daily, Ciara Doherty is joined by John O’Brennan, Professor of European Politics at Maynooth University, and Niamh Ní Bhriain from the Transnational Institute. They debate whether this is a technical reform or a fundamental shift in Ireland’s foreign and defence policy.  Have your say by emailing [email protected]. 

It’s one of Ireland’s most baffling missing persons cases. And it’s in the news again with Gardai confirming that they now believe the couple in question never left the country despite numerous reported sightings abroad. So what really happened to Conor and Sheila Dwyer? And what, if anything, has a renewed investigation uncovered? Ciara is joined by Southern correspondent with the Irish Independent, Ralph Riegel

Yesterday was, of course, St. Brigid’s day. But your ancestors would have known it as Imbolc. And in celtic countries like Ireland and Scotland there are some who still celebrate it as such.  So what is Imbolc and what has it got to do with St. Brigid? Ciara is joined by Kelly Fitzgerald from the School of Irish, Celtic Studies and Folklore in UCD

50 years ago this year a new genre of music was created.    Suddenly there was this strange and raw sound. Angry looking young people were screaming about their dissatisfaction as to the state of their lot in life and the stale and seemingly hopeless future they had been handed by the establishment.   There were leather jackets, mohawks, safety pins and a whole lot more.    Punk had been born.   But a half a century on, what is its legacy?  Tara Duggan is joined by “Professor of Punk”, Cultural Sociologist, Creative Writer and Experimental Musician at University Limerick, Eoin Devereux 

At what point do politicians decide X is no longer fit for purpose?  Dublin City Council saw the writing on the wall and removed their account.  Will others see the logic in their thinking?  Are politicians staying on X because they need it, or because they were told to use it?   And if X is no longer fit for democratic discourse, what — if anything — should replace it?  Tara Duggan is joined by Clare O’Donoghue Velikić, Director of ODV Digital, and Fine Gael TD Neale Richmond,  

“TAX THE RICH” — it’s a slogan we’ve heard shouted on streets and trending online   But it’s not a new idea.    Ireland tried a wealth tax before — and — promptly — dropped it.   But times have changed, so the question returns: could a wealth tax work this time? And would it actually change anything?  Eamonn Torsney is joined by Jim Clarken, CEO of Oxfam Ireland and Dr. Emmett Oliver, from Trinity Business school

A new survey shows Holocaust denial among young people in Ireland is rising — and it’s happening at a moment of extreme political tension globally.     For many Jewish people, including those here in Ireland, there’s a growing fear of being forced into this binary: that remembering the Holocaust somehow means endorsing the actions of the Israeli state — or that criticising Israel erases Jewish trauma.   On Holocaust Commemoration Day, remembering history has become harder and more emotionally charged. But how has it come to this?  To talk about that complexity, Tara Duggan is joined by Ria Czerniak-LeBov — a Jewish woman living in Ireland, the granddaughter of a Holocaust escapee, and a vocal critic of Israel’s actions in Gaza

It’s the dawn of the Age of Aquarius, and Gen Z are letting their voices be heard   From Bulgaria, to Bangladesh, From Nepal to Ecuador — mass political upheaval is happening across almost every continent since 2022  So, could the west be in some very early stages, and should the power brokers start getting worried?  To help us unpack why Gen Z has become the generation of protest, Tara Duggan is joined by Examiner Columnist Jane Cowan, who’s been following these movements closely. 

It is almost 50 years since major protests took place in Dublin against plans by the City Council to build new civic offices on a Viking settlement discovered on Wood Quay. It was big news at the time but in the end the campaign of opposition was ultimately unsuccessful and the project was completed in 1994. Now, after just over four decades using the site as its headquarters, DCC have made an announcement that threatens to ignite some of these old tensions.  So why was the site such a bone of contention to begin with and why does it threaten to be so again? Tara Duggan is joined by Dr. Pat Wallace who was the Director of the archaeological excavations at Wood Quay and later of the National Museum of Ireland.

It's been 10 years since the peak of the migration crisis in Europe.  January 2016 set a grim record for the number of migrants dying while attempting to cross the Mediterranean after more than 1.2 million people came to Europe seeking protection in the previous 12 months. As recently as December European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen was claiming a measure of success on this issue when she said that Europe is now “managing migration responsibly”.  But what does a responsible migration policy look like and what impact do the events of 2015 and 2016 have on the Europe of today? Tara Duggan is joined by journalist Valerie Cox who volunteered on the Greek islands at the height of the crisis, Host of the “Fortress Europe” Podcast Andrew Connolly & Spokesperson for Frontex, Chris Borowski

It’s the family feud everyone is talking about — Brooklyn Peltz Beckham and the very public breakdown within the Beckham dynasty.  But is this simply a family dispute, amplified by the glare of celebrity?  Or does it point to something more familiar — the kind of toxicity often associated with fame, power, and image?  Away from the celebrity of this story, we want to focus on the impact on the people involved.  Brooklyn Peltz Beckham took to Instagram this week to air his grievances about his upbringing — going as far as to say he does not want to reconcile with his parents.  What stands out isn’t the fame, but the language he uses: control, anxiety, and a sense of relief after stepping away  It’s language that suggests reflection and self-examination — and possibly some therapy speak — not simply a public rebellion  He describes growing up in an environment where image mattered and where boundaries were blurred, if not obscured   He also talks about the freedom he feels since he distanced himself from his parents.  Beyond the headlines what happens to a person who grows up without privacy, and with expectations placed on them before they’ve fully formed an identity?  And more broadly, when someone walks away from their family to protect their mental health, how should we understand that decision?  To explore that, Tara is joined by Professor of Psychiatry at Trinity College Dublin, Brendan Kelly

To say it’s been a tumultuous few weeks in American politics might be the understatement of the year.  The kidnapping of the leader of another sovereign nation, threats to annex the territory of a fellow Nato member, an outspoken defence of the killing of a US citizen by a federal agent and that’s just this month.  These sorts of actions have been labelled “unprecedented” by many but is the Trump Presidency something new or indicative of a side of America that we in Europe have failed to notice but which has always been there? Broadcaster Edward Stourton is the author of a new book called Made in America: the Dark History that Led to Donald Trump, in which he puts forward the argument that far from being a modern anomaly, much of the policy of the current administration is just a continuation of broad historical patterns in American history.

Psychotherapy has moved from the margins to the mainstream in Ireland. More people are turning to therapy to deal with anxiety, grief, trauma, relationship problems, and the everyday pressures of modern life. But as demand grows, so do the questions — especially around who is qualified to practice, how therapists are trained, and how the profession is regulated.  On today’s podcast, Shane Beatty takes a close look at psychotherapy in Ireland: what it actually involves, how people become psychotherapists, and why new standards proposed by the health and social care regulator, Corú, have sparked concern across the profession.  Corú says its proposed framework is designed to protect the public, setting minimum education and training requirements, and introducing statutory regulation for the first time. But leading professional bodies warn that key safeguards are being weakened — including clinical training hours and the long-standing requirement for trainee therapists to undergo personal therapy themselves.  To explore what’s at stake, Shane is joined by psychotherapists Belinda Moller, chair of the Irish Council for Psychotherapy, and Mary Cullen. They explain how psychotherapy works, what clients should look for when choosing a therapist, and why many practitioners believe the proposed standards could have unintended consequences.  You’ll also hear from Corú’s Claire O’Cleary, responding to those concerns and outlining the regulator’s thinking behind the new proposals. And as the debate intensifies, we ask: who ultimately decides how psychotherapy is regulated in Ireland — and does the Minister for Health need to step in?  You can hear Claire O’Leary’s full interview on Alive and Kicking here:  🔗 https://www.goloudplayer.com/episodes/coru-on-regulating-the-psychothe-ZGQ4N2ViYmI2NmE1ZmFhMDgxNTdiYzA0MDYxZTA1ODM=