This week's podcast covers all the fallout to the great spoiled vote of 2025: Simon Harris's migration u-turn, Micheál Martin's jeopardy, the Galway West by-election, and the state of Ireland's right wing politics.

Click here to watch a video of this episode.
https://youtu.be/BIFEpzGDBiE

00:00 Introduction and Personal Reflections

02:00 Post-Election Fallout in Ireland

07:01 The Impact of Spoiled Votes

15:50 Leadership Challenges in Fianna Fáil

19:23 Government Performance and Legislative Initiatives

28:20 Emerging Voices in Fianna Fáil

30:39 Immigration Discourse and Political Responsibility

36:39 Media Dynamics and Political Debate

42:06 The Challenge of Left-Wing Politics

46:33 Reflections on Political Engagement and Voter Sentiment

John and Sarah break down the two biggest stories of the week, discussing all aspects of the Citywest sexual assault and subsequent riots, and then examining the myriad ways that Fine Gael managed to blow the Presidential Election.

00:00 Introduction to Current Events in Ireland

03:25 The Disturbing Incident in Citywest

12:08 Failures of TUSLA and Child Protection

18:02 Cultural Context of Immigration and Crime

26:16 Political Reactions and Media Coverage

35:38 The Presidential Election Dynamics

58:21 Predictions and Final Thoughts on the Election

John and Sarah ask: Is Judge Martin Nolan unfairly maligned or justly criticised? Also, Independent Ireland backs Simon Harris; The Deposit Return Scheme humiliates voters; and Fine Gael flounders towards humiliation.

00:00 Overview of Current Events in Politics
02:42 The Motion of Confidence in Simon Harris
11:15 The Deposit Return Scheme Controversy
20:14 Discussion on the Gender Recognition Act
29:22 Donald Trump's Recent Peace Deal
30:52 Judicial Sentencing and Child Abuse Cases
41:35 Presidential Election Predictions

John and Sarah discuss Joe Brolly's latest descent into awfulness, debate Catherine Connolly's eventful week, and discuss a budget that was described as "prudent" yet ended up as anything but.

John and Sarah react to the Jim Gavin news: His scandal, Fianna Fáil's incompetence, what it does to Micheál Martin, and why the civil service will be laughing.

00:00 The Fallout of Jim Gavin's Withdrawal
02:54 Political Implications for Fianna Fáil
05:32 The State of the Presidential Race
08:28 Voter Sentiment and Political Cynicism
10:57 The Role of Media and Public Perception
13:58 Consequences for Micheál Martin
16:36 Financial Mismanagement and Political Accountability
19:22 The Future of Irish Politics
22:18 Final Thoughts and Reflections

This week John & Sarah turn their attention to the most popular topic with Irish pols and media and ask: What's with the Gaza obsession? Also, reflections on Barbie Kardashian and ten years of Gender Recognition. And the latest from the boring boring election:

John and Sarah bring you the inside account of the last days of the Steen campaign, and chew the fat about what the three-candidate race says about Irish democracy. Also: Some thoughts on saying whatever the F**k you want on RTE.

In an action-packed episode, John and Sarah recap the case of Daniel Aruebose, discuss John and Eoin Hayes' blackface scandals, analyse the Joe Brolly wars and attempts to murder David Quinn, and dissect the Maria Steen nomination fight.