The Explainer

By The Journal

Listen to a podcast, please open Podcast Republic app. Available on Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

Image by The Journal

Category: News

Open in Apple Podcasts


Open RSS feed


Open Website


Rate for this podcast

Subscribers: 412
Reviews: 2
Episodes: 298

CJB
 Sep 27, 2021
The topics are always interesting and it's always very insightful.

Ciarán Nestor
 May 13, 2019
Really insightful. Breaks difficult news stories down really coherantly.

Description

The Explainer is a weekly podcast from The Journal that takes a deeper look at one big news story you need to know about. What's the background? Why is this in the news? Get the facts behind the story from Ireland's biggest news website.

Episode Date
What does a major review tell us about trans healthcare?
Apr 20, 2024
By Noteworthy: Why are our peatlands still being exploited?
Apr 16, 2024
The State inquiry into the Bill Kenneally case - what have we learned so far?
Apr 12, 2024
Everything you need to know about how the EU works but were too afraid to ask
Apr 06, 2024
What happens when people need medical attention in Ukraine?
Mar 26, 2024
What next for Leo Varadkar, Fine Gael, and Ireland?
Mar 21, 2024
How is Ireland planning to legislate on assisted dying?
Mar 15, 2024
What challenges are Irish troops facing in an unstable Middle East?
Mar 06, 2024
Why was the FAI in front an Oireachtas committee again?
Feb 28, 2024
By Noteworthy: Why is our history falling into the sea?
Feb 26, 2024
Everything you need to know about the March referendums
Feb 22, 2024
Why is measles on the rise again?
Feb 14, 2024
What is life like in Turkey, one year after the earthquakes?
Feb 09, 2024
Power sharing returns to Stormont - how did we get here?
Feb 02, 2024
Is power sharing in Northern Ireland finished?
Jan 25, 2024
Why did the US and the UK start bombing Yemen - and who are the Houthis?
Jan 17, 2024
How exactly can you get some money back from Revenue?
Jan 09, 2024
Our favourite explanations of 2023
Jan 01, 2024
The ups and downs of Irish politics in 2023 - and what does 2024 hold?
Dec 27, 2023
Ireland at the Golden Globes - who is nominated, and what are their chances?
Dec 19, 2023
Has the COP28 deal really ended the reign of fossil fuels?
Dec 13, 2023
What are the big issues facing Joe Biden as he aims for re-election?
Dec 07, 2023
By Noteworthy: Are kids being locked out from jailed parents?
Nov 30, 2023
Out of control - how did an attack in Dublin lead to riots and looting?
Nov 28, 2023
How has David Cameron made a surprise return to British politics?
Nov 21, 2023
What caused dozens of overdoses in Dublin recently?
Nov 17, 2023
Israel and Gaza - what are the big questions that need to be answered?
Nov 11, 2023
How has Taylor Swift become (arguably) the world’s biggest music star?
Nov 04, 2023
What can be done to stop damaging flooding in Ireland?
Oct 28, 2023
What would an Israeli ground offensive look like?
Oct 17, 2023
Ireland’s love/hate relationship with the USC
Oct 12, 2023
What's really on the new SPHE curriculum?
Oct 07, 2023
Lough Neagh has been hit by an algal bloom disaster - what’s happening?
Sep 27, 2023
What is the American bully XL and do bans on certain dog breeds work?
Sep 23, 2023
By Noteworthy: Will home births ever be the norm in Ireland?
Sep 19, 2023
How will Ireland's new publicly funded IVF scheme work?
Sep 14, 2023
Luis Rubiales and the Spanish football scandal - what happens next?
Sep 08, 2023
Why is Ireland getting more TDs?
Aug 30, 2023
How has the Rose of Tralee festival survived for so long?
Aug 24, 2023
Why is there so much talk about a farmers' party in Ireland?
Aug 17, 2023
A forgotten crisis - what is happening to the Rohingya minority fleeing Myanmar?
Aug 13, 2023
Who is Robert F Kennedy Jr and could he be the next US president?
Aug 11, 2023
What next for Ireland's women's football team?
Aug 03, 2023
Do Barbie and Oppenheimer mark the return of the summer blockbuster?
Jul 26, 2023
What is the Nature Restoration Law and how will it work in Ireland?
Jul 22, 2023
How do Oireachtas committees work, and how did Tubridy end up in front of one?
Jul 13, 2023
What does Ireland’s ‘unprecedented’ marine heatwave tell us about our climate?
Jul 06, 2023
What does the Ryan Tubridy payments scandal mean for the future of RTÉ?
Jun 30, 2023
What is hydrogen power, and could it replace coal, oil, and gas?
Jun 19, 2023
Hard cash and soft power - what is going on in the world of golf?
Jun 11, 2023
What is it like to sit the Leaving Cert in 2023?
Jun 06, 2023
16 years on, what is happening with the Madeleine McCann case?
Jun 01, 2023
What's behind Ireland's love affair with the Late Late?
May 26, 2023
Interview: HSE doctor speaks about her evacuation from war-torn Sudan
May 17, 2023
Why are supermarkets suddenly cutting the prices of milk, butter and bread?
May 13, 2023
How does Ireland and the EU fight wildfires?
May 10, 2023
By Noteworthy: Is GSOC fit for purpose?
May 04, 2023
How is Revolut changing and what does it mean for its customers?
May 02, 2023
What is happening in Sudan?
Apr 27, 2023
Everything you need to know about the trial of Gerry Hutch
Apr 18, 2023
What's the story with Ireland's neutrality?
Apr 15, 2023
What does Trump being indicted mean for him and 2024 election?
Apr 05, 2023
Why is there concern over how TikTok is using your data?
Mar 28, 2023
What's behind the recent wave of bank failures?
Mar 22, 2023
By Noteworthy: Why is it so tough to access autism services?
Mar 20, 2023
What is shrinkflation?
Mar 18, 2023
What is it like to be a humanitarian on the ground in Ukraine right now?
Mar 15, 2023
Why does Matt Hancock keep making headlines?
Mar 09, 2023
By Noteworthy: What is the environmental cost of hydropower?
Mar 07, 2023
What are 15-minute cities and why do some people think they’re controversial?
Mar 02, 2023
Why is extreme morning sickness drug Cariban still difficult to access?
Feb 21, 2023
Why is Bertie back?
Feb 15, 2023
How could the war in Ukraine end?
Feb 09, 2023
How does Ireland's immigration system work?
Feb 02, 2023
By Noteworthy: Is The State Ignoring Island Depopulation?
Jan 29, 2023
By Noteworthy: How is the Irish public health system coping?
Jan 26, 2023
How did Ireland get so many Oscar nominations?
Jan 24, 2023
Who is Andrew Tate?
Jan 21, 2023
By Noteworthy: Are Irish pensions invested in fossil fuels?
Jan 16, 2023
How can you make your money go further in 2023?
Jan 12, 2023
Our favourite explanations of 2022
Jan 04, 2023
What did 2022 hold for US politics - and what can we expect in 2023?
Dec 29, 2022
By Noteworthy: What happens to your soft plastic recycling?
Dec 27, 2022
What is being done for survivors of Ireland's mother and baby homes?
Dec 21, 2022
By Noteworthy: Are data centres ramping up Ireland’s emissions?
Dec 19, 2022
What do we know about an alleged coup plot in Germany?
Dec 13, 2022
What is happening with inflation and how is it affecting our pockets?
Dec 08, 2022
By Noteworthy: Are migrant fishers exploited in Ireland?
Dec 05, 2022
What is RSV and why are so many children sick with it?
Nov 30, 2022
What’s Ceta, and will Ireland hold a referendum on it?
Nov 22, 2022
What’s happening with the 2022 FIFA World Cup?
Nov 16, 2022
By Noteworthy: What are the problems with lobbying in Ireland?
Nov 13, 2022
What do the layoffs at Meta and Twitter mean for the tech industry?
Nov 10, 2022
What will the COP27 climate summit focus on?
Nov 03, 2022
By Noteworthy: Why are Travellers so overrepresented in prison?
Nov 01, 2022
Who is Mahsa Amini, and why has her death led to protests in Iran?
Oct 26, 2022
What’s the story with the women’s football World Cup?
Oct 21, 2022
What will Putin's next steps be in his invasion of Ukraine?
Oct 13, 2022
What’s happening in Brazil’s closely fought presidential election?
Oct 07, 2022
What type of tax system does Ireland have?
Sep 28, 2022
What do recent arrests mean for the Kinahan gang?
Sep 23, 2022
By Noteworthy: How much weedkiller are councils using?
Sep 20, 2022
What challenges will Britain's new king face?
Sep 15, 2022
Why is Ireland so obsessed with Garth Brooks?
Sep 08, 2022
By Noteworthy: Why are Irish unweaned calves being exported?
Sep 07, 2022
How have abortion laws changed in the US since Roe v Wade was overturned?
Sep 01, 2022
By Noteworthy: Are religious property proceeds going to redress?
Aug 30, 2022
Why has polio reappeared in some major cities?
Aug 26, 2022
Is Ireland facing the threat of winter power blackouts?
Aug 19, 2022
How is the global monkeypox outbreak being managed?
Aug 11, 2022
What makes Love Island so successful?
Aug 03, 2022
Is Ireland heading towards another recession?
Jul 28, 2022
What do the recent extreme temperatures tell us about future Irish summers?
Jul 21, 2022
Will Dublin's metro actually be built this time around?
Jul 14, 2022
By Noteworthy: Is Ireland a dumping ground for poultry manure?
Jul 09, 2022
Why are energy prices still going up?
Jul 07, 2022
Why was Roe v Wade overturned and what does it mean for US laws?
Jun 30, 2022
What's the future of EU defence - and how does Ireland play a role?
Jun 21, 2022
Why is homelessness in Ireland on the rise again?
Jun 16, 2022
Why is it so hard to take action on mass shootings in the US?
Jun 08, 2022
What’s causing the chaos at Dublin Airport?
Jun 01, 2022
What is Sláintecare and how does it aim to reform Ireland’s health system?
May 27, 2022
Why isn't Ireland winning Eurovision?
May 19, 2022
What does the election result mean for the future of Northern Ireland?
May 12, 2022
In the age of disinformation and misinformation, how does factchecking work?
May 05, 2022
What is the situation like for people fleeing Ukraine?
Apr 28, 2022
Why is cutting turf so bad for the environment?
Apr 22, 2022
How are war crimes investigated and prosecuted?
Apr 14, 2022
Is there a revival of the Irish language underway?
Apr 07, 2022
What is the census used for?
Mar 30, 2022
How secure is Ireland’s food supply?
Mar 24, 2022
Is the internet bad for our brains?
Mar 16, 2022
What is NATO and what's Ireland's involvement in it?
Mar 08, 2022
What is life like for people in Ukraine, and for those who have left?
Mar 02, 2022
By Noteworthy: How is inadequate care impacting people with eating disorders?
Mar 01, 2022
Why did Vladimir Putin invade Ukraine?
Feb 24, 2022
By Noteworthy: Are public works on our rivers damaging biodiversity?
Feb 21, 2022
How did a truckers’ protest in Canada spread to other countries?
Feb 18, 2022
By Noteworthy: What can be done to improve Irish childcare?
Feb 15, 2022
What is driving Ireland's rising cost of living?
Feb 11, 2022
What can Ireland do to become a safer place for women?
Feb 03, 2022
Why is Ireland reopening now - and how do people feel about it?
Jan 27, 2022
In Depth: A GP, paramedic, ICU doctor and emergency medicine expert on working amid the Omicron wave
Jan 20, 2022
What led to violent unrest in Kazakhstan?
Jan 13, 2022
What can we learn from South Africa's Omicron wave?
Jan 07, 2022
The Explainer x Noteworthy: Why are people still paying thousands for fertility treatment?
Jan 04, 2022
Our favourite explanations of 2021
Dec 30, 2021
Interview: RTÉ's Brian O'Donovan looks back on Biden's first year as US President
Dec 22, 2021
Is Euroscepticism stronger or weaker after Brexit?
Dec 16, 2021
Why hasn't anyone won the Lotto jackpot yet?
Dec 09, 2021
Does global vaccine inequality put us at risk of new Covid variants?
Dec 02, 2021
Why do we need another dose of a Covid vaccine?
Nov 25, 2021
What is the standoff on the Belarus-Poland border about?
Nov 18, 2021
Why is there so much talk about Ireland's cows?
Nov 11, 2021
By Noteworthy: Why are the school days of Traveller children being reduced?
Nov 09, 2021
Will Sinn Féin lead the next government?
Nov 04, 2021
How do you get a book published in Ireland?
Oct 28, 2021
Why are Covid cases rising despite Ireland's high vaccination rate?
Oct 21, 2021
Who is Stephen Kenny and why does he divide opinion in Irish football?
Oct 14, 2021
By Noteworthy: What is the issue with farm subsidies and nature?
Oct 12, 2021
How is post-Brexit Britain handling migration?
Oct 09, 2021
What does 'missing white woman syndrome' tell us about media coverage of missing people?
Oct 01, 2021
Why are there fears about Ireland facing power shortages this winter?
Sep 23, 2021
Should we be ordering our Christmas presents now?
Sep 16, 2021
Where does Ireland fit into the space race?
Sep 10, 2021
By Noteworthy: What can be done to halt the decline of our biodiversity?
Sep 03, 2021
How is Australia battling its biggest Covid outbreak to date?
Aug 30, 2021
What's the future for women in Afghanistan?
Aug 26, 2021
Is Ireland doing enough to fight climate change?
Aug 19, 2021
What happened to Ireland’s rail network - and what's its future?
Aug 13, 2021
From the Olympics to Ryanair flights, why is Belarus making international headlines?
Aug 05, 2021
What sparked rare protests in Cuba?
Jul 29, 2021
Why does the British government want to stop Troubles prosecutions?
Jul 21, 2021
What could your holidays look like for the rest of the year?
Jul 15, 2021
What is the mica scandal and how has it affected homeowners?
Jul 07, 2021
What is going on with the National Maternity Hospital?
Jul 02, 2021
How much do we know right now about the Delta variant?
Jun 24, 2021
What's all this about a Brexit sausage war?
Jun 17, 2021
What's next for the Mother and Baby Home commission?
Jun 11, 2021
Who are the Uighurs and what is going on in China?
Jun 04, 2021
Why are you hearing so much about cryptocurrency?
May 27, 2021
What is the impact of the HSE cyberattack?
May 23, 2021
What's the story with rapid Covid tests?
May 13, 2021
How has Covid changed the way we work?
May 07, 2021
Why did Arlene Foster make the shock decision to step down as DUP leader?
Apr 30, 2021
Why did everyone hit the roof over plans for a football Super League?
Apr 21, 2021
From influencers to QAnon - how misinformation changed in Ireland over the past year
Apr 15, 2021
Has the pandemic had an effect on housing prices?
Apr 10, 2021
How likely is a united Ireland in the next 10 years?
Apr 01, 2021
Why is there talk of an EU-UK 'vaccine war'?
Mar 24, 2021
How do you get nominated for an Oscar?
Mar 19, 2021
Banks, brokers, and bonds are back in the news - should we be worried (again)?
Mar 11, 2021
What is the government's radical new plan for Direct Provision?
Mar 04, 2021
Why is the government changing the Living With Covid plan again?
Feb 24, 2021
What's the latest with Ireland's vaccine rollout?
Feb 18, 2021
What is Article 16, and why has it been causing hassle?
Feb 11, 2021
Delivery woes, efficacy questions, and Brexit - what's going on with AstraZeneca?
Feb 03, 2021
What happens next with Trump's impeachment - and what does it mean for his future?
Jan 28, 2021
What are the issues with the mother and baby home report?
Jan 21, 2021
In Depth: A GP, nurse, ICU consultant and contact tracer on working during the third wave
Jan 13, 2021
The third wave - what happened, and what restrictions are in place?
Jan 06, 2021
Our favourite explanations of 2020
Dec 29, 2020
Interview: RTÉ's Brian O'Donovan on reporting in Trump's America - and what 2021 holds for Biden
Dec 22, 2020
How Ireland plans to roll-out Covid-19 vaccines
Dec 16, 2020
Virologist Dr Cillian de Gascun on how Covid-19 vaccines work
Dec 11, 2020
Why has the Irish media been barred from reporting the names of children who have been murdered?
Dec 05, 2020
Why is the 27th Amendment back in the news?
Nov 26, 2020
Professor Philip Nolan on what the numbers are telling us about Covid-19 right now
Nov 19, 2020
Did the polls get it right in the US election?
Nov 12, 2020
In Depth: What exactly happened with the mother and baby home legislation?
Nov 05, 2020
The Explainer LIVE: What could Trump's legacy be?
Oct 30, 2020
What led to Ireland moving to Level 5 restrictions?
Oct 21, 2020
Is assisted dying going to become legal in Ireland soon?
Oct 15, 2020
How did Covid-19 get so bad in Northern Ireland?
Oct 09, 2020
What is the Stay and Spend scheme and how does it work?
Oct 02, 2020
Interview: The story of Unquiet Graves
Sep 25, 2020
What you need to know about the new Covid-19 levels and restrictions
Sep 15, 2020
Why is Brexit back in the news?
Sep 08, 2020
Leaving Cert results are out on Monday - here's how it'll work
Sep 03, 2020
How could Golfgate impact Irish people’s behaviour?
Aug 27, 2020
What led to the new Covid-19 restrictions?
Aug 19, 2020
What the Covid-19 clusters tell us about the meat industry in Ireland
Aug 14, 2020
Why is Ireland delaying the reopening of pubs again?
Aug 05, 2020
What's Ireland's plan for reopening schools - and how does it compare to other countries?
Jul 28, 2020
How close is a Covid-19 vaccine?
Jul 21, 2020
Why are tourists able to visit Ireland right now?
Jul 16, 2020
How Covid-19 brought misinformation to Ireland
Jul 08, 2020
How do you handover a government?
Jul 02, 2020
How likely are you to catch Covid-19 in Ireland right now?
Jun 25, 2020
Here's what Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, and the Greens plan to do if they form a government
Jun 16, 2020
What does defunding the police mean?
Jun 11, 2020
What does the George Floyd killing mean for America?
Jun 05, 2020
Why is Daniel Kinahan back in the news again?
May 29, 2020
100 days after the election, what's happening with government formation?
May 21, 2020
What is the mysterious syndrome linked to Covid-19 that's affecting children?
May 14, 2020
Will it be possible for pubs to open before 10 August?
May 06, 2020
Where are we at with testing for Covid-19 in Ireland right now?
May 01, 2020
How well is the State informing the public about the coronavirus crisis?
Apr 24, 2020
What is the current thinking - in Ireland and abroad - about wearing masks?
Apr 16, 2020
What does the data tell us about Ireland's fight against coronavirus?
Apr 10, 2020
How are other countries dealing with Covid-19 compared with Ireland?
Apr 03, 2020
What are the British doing to battle Covid-19?
Mar 26, 2020
How did misinformation about the coronavirus spread on Whatsapp in Ireland?
Mar 19, 2020
How can Ireland stop an Italy-style spread of coronavirus?
Mar 11, 2020
Super Tuesday - what is it, how did it go and what will it mean for Trump?
Mar 04, 2020
What you need to know about Covid-19
Feb 27, 2020
Why don't we have a government yet?
Feb 21, 2020
What’s happened so far in the general election count?
Feb 10, 2020
LIVE: How does Ireland get the politicians it has?
Feb 06, 2020
How worried should we be about the coronavirus in Ireland?
Jan 31, 2020
How did the Drogheda feud reach north Dublin?
Jan 24, 2020
What is going on between Harry, Meghan and the British Royal Family?
Jan 18, 2020
Why #blackandtans was trending in 2020 - and what's next for State commemorations?
Jan 11, 2020
How does Met Éireann decide on weather warnings?
Jan 03, 2020
Our favorite explanations of the year
Dec 27, 2019
Is it possible to have a green Christmas?
Dec 18, 2019
What just happened in the UK general election?
Dec 13, 2019
What is happening with the white-water rafting plan for Dublin's city centre?
Dec 06, 2019
How much trouble has Prince Andrew caused for the royal family?
Nov 29, 2019
What is antibiotic resistance and why should we be concerned about it?
Nov 22, 2019
What's the story with RTÉ's finances at the moment?
Nov 15, 2019
How did the judge decide the sentences in the Ana Kriegel case?
Nov 08, 2019
Why are people risking their lives to get to Europe?
Nov 01, 2019
WTF is happening with Brexit right now?
Oct 24, 2019
What are Northern Ireland’s abortion laws and how might they be changing?
Oct 19, 2019
So what's actually in this new Brexit deal?
Oct 18, 2019
What is this carbon tax you have to pay - and how does it work?
Oct 11, 2019
How does a US president get impeached?
Oct 03, 2019
Why was a Quinn Industrial Holdings director abducted?
Sep 26, 2019
Why is chemsex in the news in Ireland and the UK?
Sep 20, 2019
Why is there so much controversy over the Public Services Card?
Sep 13, 2019
Who is Dominic Cummings?
Sep 06, 2019
Why are we being told to eat less meat?
Aug 30, 2019
How does Ireland deal with sex offenders after prison?
Aug 23, 2019
How are we still making discoveries at Newgrange?
Aug 16, 2019
What is the Irish backstop?
Aug 08, 2019
What is Fortnite and how can people make money from it?
Aug 02, 2019
Can people applying for citizenship spend a day outside Ireland?
Jul 26, 2019
Why was there such controversy over Lizzo’s ticket sales?
Jul 19, 2019
Why are your insurance premiums increasing by so much?
Jul 14, 2019
What's behind the Drogheda feud?
Jul 05, 2019
How Patrick Nevin was found guilty in the 'Tinder rape case'
Jun 27, 2019
The Explainer: The story of the Ana Kriegel trial
Jun 21, 2019
How did a woman who died in Direct Provision come to be buried without ceremony?
Jun 16, 2019
Why was there controversy over Katie Taylor's recent win?
Jun 07, 2019
How have the Healy Raes never lost an election?
May 31, 2019
What's the story with an EU army?
May 24, 2019
Why are so many US states tightening abortion laws right now?
May 16, 2019
How did Patrick Quirke get convicted of the murder of Bobby Ryan?
May 13, 2019
Can Ireland grow its own medicinal cannabis?
May 07, 2019
How will the UK’s new porn blocking law work?
Apr 29, 2019
Why haven't any supervised drug injection centres opened in Ireland?
Apr 23, 2019
What exactly happened with Brexit on Wednesday night?
Apr 11, 2019
Why is John Delaney in the news so much right now?
Apr 07, 2019
Is Ireland getting rid of Daylight Savings Time?
Mar 31, 2019
What can the Irish government do about returning Islamic State members?
Mar 24, 2019
Why has there been a 208% rise in measles cases in Ireland?
Mar 17, 2019
How will Brexit affect the food that you buy?
Mar 10, 2019