Podcast
The Indo Daily
Hosted by Irish Independent · EN
Stay in the know, on the go. The Indo Daily brings you in-depth, 20 minute stories that fit into your day.
96episodes
Episodes
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Brawl at the White House: What drives Donald Trump’s UFC obsession?
Yesterday00:26:32Tap to summarizeDespite an endless number of problems at home and overseas, Donald Trump and his United States of America are in a celebratory mood. The occasion? Trump’s imminent 80th birthday, for one. There’s also the small matter of the 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence, or “Freedom 250”, if you’re so inclined. Though the actual anniversary isn’t until July 4, the White House – or more specifically, its south lawn – will play host to the Ultimate Fighting Championship on June 14 with a card that isn’t quite what Trump promised some time ago. Still, there will be plenty of morbid curiosity, if nothing else. The event is estimated to cost the UFC around $60m (€52m), and it’s not expected to turn a profit. No big deal, the organisation and its CEO Dana White already have plenty of riches, and though White swears he isn’t political, he enjoys both a long-running friendship and professionally beneficial relationship with the leader of the free world. But why is Trump so enamoured by the UFC, and the significantly more choreographed WWE, for that matter? And has he deliberately moulded himself in the image of an entertainment-focused modern-day gladiator? On this episode of The Indo Daily, host Fionnán Sheahan is joined by freelance combat sports journalist Philip O’Connor and by the Irish Independent’s Dave Hanratty, to look ahead to the big brawl at the White House. We want to earn your trust and are members of the Trust Project. See our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalismSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Grace Alice O’Shea solves your most intimate bedroom issues
2d ago00:37:41Tap to summarizeIf you’ve ever wondered whether your sex life is “normal”, this episode is for you. This episode of The Indo Daily is brought to you by our sister podcast Just Between Us with Jennifer Zamparelli. In this special listener Q&A episode, Jen is joined by sex educator and intimacy coach Grace Alice O’Shea to answer the questions people are often too embarrassed to ask out loud. From awkward body reactions to feeling undesired in a relationship, no topic is off limits. We want to earn your trust and are members of the Trust Project. See our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalism See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Revisited: Inside the Baader-Meinhof Gang - How ‘neighbourly 65-year-old woman’ evaded German police for 30 years
3d ago00:18:59Tap to summarizeDaniela Klette is one of three members of the “third generation” of the notorious urban guerrilla Red Army Faction (RAF) who had been in hiding since the 1990s. We look at the terror campaign by Germany's Baader-Meinhof gang, whose members killed more than 30 people in the 1970s and 80s and ask if the organisation is having a resurgence? Note: This podcast was originally published in March 2024. This week a German court sentenced Daniela Klette to 13 years in prison for her actions as part of the RAF. The podcast does not contain reference to this new update. Host: Fionnán Sheehan. Guest: James Jackson. We want to earn your trust and are members of the Trust Project. See our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalismSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Indo Politics: Sinn Féin’s identity crisis, the Soc Dem surge and the growing battle over OTB Indo Politics: Sinn Féin’s identity crisis, the Soc Dem surge and the growing battle over OTB
4d ago00:20:56Tap to summarizeThe Occupied Territories Bill is finally heading to the Oireachtas, but the government's decision to exclude services has sparked fierce criticism from opposition parties. Meanwhile, the Social Democrats are celebrating major by-election victories, raising fresh questions about Sinn Féin's position on the left and Holly Cairns' growing appeal. You can listen to Indo Politics a day early by searching Indo Politics wherever you get your podcasts. Host; Mary Regan, Guest; Maeve McTaggart We want to earn your trust and are members of The Trust Project. You can see our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalism See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Iran war: How ‘Little’ Marco Rubio embraced Trump’s inner circle and why he may dethrone him
5d ago00:24:43Tap to summarizeIt’s been well over a month since April 8, when Donald Trump announced a ceasefire in Iran, but now that truce appears to be under real strain. This week, tensions between the US and the Middle Eastern country have escalated, with both sides exchanging strikes just as a possible breakthrough in peace talks seemed imminent. So, how realistic is the prospect of a peace deal at this point? And, as the situation deteriorates, how has one political figure edged ever closer to the centre of power? US secretary of state Marco Rubio has increasingly rowed in behind his president’s foreign-policy agenda, but who exactly is the political hawk turned Trump cheerleader? And how did he climb the Mar-a-Lago ladder to join Trump’s inner circle? On today’s The Indo Daily, host Tessa Fleming is joined by Scott Lucas, professor of international politics at the Clinton Institute in UCD, to discuss the latest on Iran and the rise of Marco Rubio. We want to earn your trust and are members of The Trust Project. You can see our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalismSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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“I will contest it”: Daughter of slain Mr Moonlight vows to block killer’s bid for freedom
6d ago00:27:23Tap to summarizeEvery time June 3 comes around, Michelle Ryan marks the anniversary of her father’s death in her own private way. She stays away from his grave. For Michelle, her dad simply isn’t there. On that summer morning in 2011, 52-year-old Bobby Ryan, a quarry worker and part-time DJ known by the stage name ‘Mr Moonlight’, vanished from rural Tipperary without a trace. Almost two years later, his body was discovered in an underground run-off tank near the farmhouse where he was last seen. The trial that followed was one of the longest in the history of the Irish State. By its conclusion, a love rivalry would be publicly exposed, a man would be jailed, and another man long buried. In May 2019, Patrick Quirke (then 50) was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. He continues to deny any involvement in Mr Ryan’s death. On this episode of The Indo Daily, host Tessa Fleming is joined by Irish Independent special correspondent Catherine Fegan to review the case, and by Michelle Ryan, daughter of Bobby Ryan, who speaks about the experience of losing her father and her vow to contest any potential release of his killer. We want to earn your trust and are members of The Trust Project. You can see our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalismSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Extra – Jeffrey Donaldson trial: Jury hears complainant wrote to defendants over “secret”
6d ago00:08:12Tap to summarizeFormer DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson apologised to one of his alleged victims at a church retreat in the mid-1990s, a court heard today. Jurors were also told second complainant wrote letter to two defendants about the secret ‘she had to keep’ The prosecution delivered its opening address in the Donaldson trial on Wednesday. The former DUP leader is on trial at Newry Crown Court for alleged historical sexual offences. The 63 year-old has pleaded not guilty to 18 alleged offences. This Indo Daily Extra is brought to you by our sister podcast The BelTel where Allison Morris was in court and speaks to Ciaran Dunbar. We want to earn your trust and are members of the Trust Project. See our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalismSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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The very public break-up of Tommy Fleming and Tina Mitchell
1w ago00:25:12Tap to summarizeTommy Fleming has for decades been a star of international acclaim. The Sligo singer has played to sold out crowds, toured with Phil Coulter, and enjoyed much of his success with his wife Tina by his side. Tommy called Tina the “most decent and loving” person he knew, while Tina said her relationship with him was “special and fulfilling”. But last year, the cracks in their life together started to show. Details of their separation, of Tommy’s affairs and drug use, of his “living a lie”, have been aired in a leaked phone call recording and explosive interviews from both Tommy and Tina. Today on The Indo Daily, Fionnán Sheahan is joined by Darragh Nolan, multimedia reporter with the Irish Independent, to look at the full story of Tommy Fleming. We want to earn your trust and are members of the Trust Project. See our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalismSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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The many masks of serial con artist Samantha Cookes
1w ago00:21:16Tap to summarizeCarrie Jade Williams. Sadie Harris. Lucy Fitzwilliams. Jade Cookes. Samantha Black. Rebecca Fitzgerald. These are just some of the fabricated identities used by serial con artist Samantha Cookes. In 2024, her Walter Mitty-style life finally collapsed as online communities, journalists and a WhatsApp group of victims cross-referenced the inconsistencies in her story, joining the dots that authorities had missed. In March 2025, Samantha Cookes was jailed for three years for deception and theft. Yet her story keeps getting fresh chapters. On this episode of The Indo Daily, host Katie Byrne is joined by Alan Bradley, documentary filmmaker and author of new book Unmasking Samantha Cookes: The Many Lives of a Serial Fraudster, to discuss the breadth and the impact of an incredible deception. We want to earn your trust and are members of the Trust Project. See our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalismSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Extra: Woman known to Kyran Durnin arrested as gardaí search home in Co Louth
1w ago00:07:06Tap to summarizeA woman in her 50s, who has been arrested by gardaí investigating the disappearance and murder of Kyran Durnin, was known to the young boy and has had multiple previous interactions with gardaí about his disappearance. Gardaí said in a statement that the woman was arrested on Monday morning and a new search was underway at a house in Drogheda. She is the third suspect to be arrested in the case of the young boy who would have celebrated his 10th birthday earlier this month. Today on this Indo Daily Extra, Kevin Doyle is joined by Irish Independent News and Security Correspondent Robin Schiller for the latest. We want to earn your trust and are members of the Trust Project. See our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalism.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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