The Rose of Tralee can mean many things to many people – proud symbol of Irish culture, outdated "lovely girls" competition, or a bit of craic to throw on the TV once a year. For others, it can hold incredibly strong sentimental attachment. Such was the case for US businessman Dick Henggeler, who significantly invested in Kerry following the death of his daughter Dorothy, who competed in the 2011 festival. Henggeler would later find himself involved in a bitter legal battle that has now left a sour taste. Host: Fionnán Sheahan Guest: Shane Phelan

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Deepfake pornography is emerging as one of the most urgent challenges in the ever-evolving environment of artificial intelligence.

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Now, the European Union’s landmark AI Act aims to tackle harmful AI-generated content.

But, as ever, there are wider tensions around regulating the tech industry. Can this new initiative possibly stem the tide of highly problematic X-rated content?

Host: Adrian Weckler

Guest: Aoife White

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This episode is brought to you by our sister podcast The Big Tech Show

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We want to earn your trust and are members of the Trust Project. See our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalism

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It has been strongly indicated that fuel supports will be a major factor in this year’s Budget, while we’ve recently learnt that Ireland’s electricity costs are way above the European average. Elsewhere, by-election buzz is building as polls mark the way, and Gerry Hutch stands accused of evoking Donald Trump as he finally outlines his policies.

Host: Fionnán Sheahan

Guest: Conál Thomas

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The murder of 14‑year‑old Ana Kriegel remains one of the most disturbing crimes in Irish history. In May 2018, Ana was lured from her home by a local boy. Three days later, her body was found in a derelict house – naked and violently assaulted. Two boys, just 13 years old at the time of the killing, were the youngest in the State to be tried, and convicted, of murder. Eight years on, Irish Independent court reporter Eimear Cotter reflects on the horrific murder of Ana Kriegel and the public outrage that followed.

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When Katie Simpson died in 2020 at the age of 21, her death was initially treated as suicide. Showjumping trainer Jonathan Creswell was later charged with her murder, though he took his own life in 2024 as his trial got underway. Now, a review into how Ms Simpson’s death was handled by the Police Service of Northern Ireland has found numerous investigative faults and has detailed “institutional misogyny” within the PSNI. Belfast Telegraph crime correspondent Allison Morris takes us through “page after page after page of failings”. Host: Ciarán Dunbar Guest: Allison Morris This episode is brought to you by our sister podcast, The BelTel

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It has been 35 days since luxury cruise liner MV Hondius set sail from Argentina, taking passengers on a once-in-a-lifetime expedition. For those on board, there’s no end in sight to quarantine conditions following a hantavirus outbreak. But what is hantavirus, what are the public health concerns, and what happens when a cruise liner has fatalities at sea?

Host: Fionnán Sheahan | Guests: Laura Lynott and Dr Brian Higgins

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To begin to understand the machinations and methods of the Hennessy organised crime outfit, you turn to a grim and unforgettable image: that of Barry Moore, who was lured to a house, brutally tortured, and branded with the word ‘rat’. That incident was the result of a series of violent events that created an atmosphere of intense paranoia within the Hennessy gang. With key members now in prison, do their surprisingly light sentences mean a temporary solution to an alarming long-term problem? Host: Dave Hanratty Guest: Nicola Tallant For more on this story, listeners can check out Blood Brothers, a new five-part podcast series hosted by Nicola Tallant and Niall Donald, exclusively for subscribers and available now at CrimeWorld.com

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Proud sons of Tipperary Johnny B and Johnny Smacks are a bona fide comedy phenomenon, boasting 750,000 listeners a week – not to mention numerous other strings to their lucrative bow. Speaking of, the pair are going private, putting their considerable finances behind closed doors. So, how did they climb to the top of the mountain? Host: Katie Byrne Guest: Darragh Nolan

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A purposely audacious speed-read, The Shortest History of Ireland attempts to condense the story of this country into just 250 pages. Not only that, author James Hawes has set out to challenge the recorded history of Ireland and debunk some popular myths along the way. Was there more to the murderous Oliver Cromwell than we think? Did Éamon de Valera really sign a book of condolences for Adolf Hitler? And why was Catholic Maynooth loyal to Protestant London? Host: Dave Hanratty Guest: James Hawes

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A Tyrone-born woman who reinvented herself with dozens of identities to con victims out of huge sums of money. From small-town beginnings to a life of deception in Texas, her web of scams spanned continents. Todays Indo Daily is brought to you by our sister podcast The BelTel, as Ciaran Dunbae explores the mysterious life,and death, of Julia Holmes.

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Confusion at cabinet, delays to short-term letting rules, and mounting pressure from fuel protests are exposing cracks in government strategy. With key by-elections looming, are political tensions rising.

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