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Behind the Story

RTÉ News
Ireland
Donald Trump
Gaza
European Union
Ukraine
RTÉ
Jim Gavin
Russia
Artificial Intelligence
United States
Israel
Venezuela
Dublin
Fianna Fáil
Keir Starmer
Climate Change
Cocaine
Hamas
Iran
FIFA

Tune in for insightful and informed conversation as Fran McNulty, Paul Cunningham and some of RTÉ's top journalists digest the news stories of the day. Expect deep dives, analysis, interesting guests, and maybe even some laughs along the way.

Email: behindthestory@rte.ie

New episodes every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

PublishesDailyEpisodes238Founded2 years ago
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News

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Artwork for Behind the Story

Latest Episodes

Israel's general election takes place next week, the first since the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attacks on Israel. Our Deputy Foreign Editor Heaphy talks to us from Tel Aviv, on what many see as the most pivotal elections in Israel's history, with glob... more

Iarnród Eireann's scrapped IT project is back in the headlines, when it was revealed today that Indra, the company contracted to do the work, is seeking €30m as part of final accounts. Public Policy correspondent with the Irish Times, Martin Wall, jo... more

Violent protests and looting spread across several cities in France over the weekend, as over a half a million people took to the streets on a wide variety of issues. The authorities plan to implement localised curfews in some areas to deal with the ... more

Award winning author Sally Rooney's books will no longer be available for sale in the UK due to her support for Palestine Action. Human rights lawyer, Caoilfhoinn Gallagher joins Fran to discuss the situation and why sweeping anti-terrorism legislati... more

Key Facts

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Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Keelan Gallagher
International human rights lawyer
Independent
Episode: Sally Rooney's stand
Evelyn O'Rourke
Arts and media correspondent
RTÉ
Episode: Sally Rooney's stand
Tom MacKenzie
Co-anchor of Opening Trade on Bloomberg TV and host of Bloomberg Tech Europe
Bloomberg
Episode: What's happening at the AI Summit?
Liz Carolan
Publisher of The Briefing.ie, tech and democracy newsletter
The Briefing.ie
Episode: What's happening at the AI Summit?
Charlie Taylor
Technology and innovation editor, Sunday Business Post
Sunday Business Post
Episode: What's happening at the AI Summit?
Susan Moss
Head of public policy, TikTok
TikTok
Episode: What's happening at the AI Summit?
Breen Madden
Head of Marketing, AMD
AMD
Episode: What's happening at the AI Summit?
George Witcherley
Salesforce representative on AI capabilities
Salesforce
Episode: What's happening at the AI Summit?
Jail Sunderland
Data protection commissioner (EU supervisory authority)
EU Data Protection Oversight
Episode: What's happening at the AI Summit?

Hosts

Fran McNulty
RTÉ journalist
Paul Cunningham
RTÉ journalist

Reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars from 63 ratings
  • A look at Irish politics and global news with incredibly light politically vacant analysis.

    Podchaser
    3
    Seán
    a year ago
  • Fergus Finlay

    Your podcast is great. Love the banter between you…a must for every great podcast. Second Captains is another favourite for the same reason. Particularly enjoyed your chat with Fergus Finlay. Always keen to hear his inside track on politics. He’s informed, honest and fun. Like your podcast!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Caroline Heffo
    Irelanda year ago
  • Are drones changing the Russia-Ukraine war?

    Patrick Brury always great to listen to- good to hear an episode on this hugely consequential war

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    avavshsoksavsm agsvsbsa
    Irelanda year ago
  • 👍 great podcast

    Really like the podcast, concise, topical and entertaining. The 3 hosts work so well together and the fact it’s 20-30mins long is ideal.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    seanregankk
    Irelanda year ago
  • Fabulous topical podcast

    Really love this podcast. Very topical, great banter between the journalists. Really helps explain the current stories in the news.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Markmah47
    Irelanda year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners appreciate concise episodes that get to the heart of a subject quickly.
The coverage is praised for being topical and helping explain important current stories.
Listeners value the presenters' banter and find the conversations engaging and entertaining.
Reviews highlight informed, candid guests and the value of specialist perspectives.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#133
Ireland/Top Podcasts
Apple Podcasts
#28
Ireland/News

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

How Robert Pether got out of Iraq
Q: How did the arbitration claim against the Central Bank of Iraq influence the release process?
The arbitration judgment created leverage because Iraq reportedly insisted on dropping the $13 million claim against Robert's employer as a condition for release, effectively using the payment dispute as a bargaining chip.
Sally Rooney's stand
Q: Could a political or legal decision in the Supreme Court reverse the prescription?
Yes, a political decision or a legal concession could end the case, and both Amnesty International and Liberty are signaling support for the founder of Palestine Action while the case proceeds.
Sally Rooney's stand
Q: What do you think the answer to that is? Why has the approach been so different?
The approach appears to be unclear and potentially driven by political considerations, with overreach highlighted as disproportionate and a risk to civil liberties, leading to debates about why normal criminal law isn't used in similar protests.
Execution by firing squad and live streamed
Q: Is there any appetite in the United States to rethink or curb the death penalty, given these high-profile cases?
Clive notes shifting public opinion, with governors considering clemency and a decline in support for executions, though legal and political hurdles remain.
Execution by firing squad and live streamed
Q: What is it like to meet someone facing the death penalty for the first time?
Clive explains that you have to understand the person beyond the crime, asking about their dreams to humanize them and determine who you are representing.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Behind the Story

What is Behind the Story about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A concise, weekday current-affairs briefing that explains the stories shaping Ireland and their wider international context. Fran McNulty and Paul Cunningham are recurring presenters, joined by RTÉ journalists and a changing mix of legal experts, economists, academics, business leaders, health professionals, policymakers and people directly affected by the news. Conversations move between politics, public policy, business, technology, health, culture and sport, with guests supplying specialist knowledge and reporters adding on-the-ground or newsroom perspective. The format pairs clear analysis with practical questions about how events affect households, workers, consumers and communities. Its distinctive appeal is the combination of informe... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Behind the Story?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Behind the Story:

1. The Indo Daily
2. In The News
3. Today with David McCullagh
4. Path to Power
5. Brendan O'Connor

How many episodes of Behind the Story are there?

Behind the Story launched 2 years ago and published 238 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Behind the Story?

Recent guests on Behind the Story include:

1. Keelan Gallagher
2. Evelyn O'Rourke
3. Tom MacKenzie
4. Liz Carolan
5. Charlie Taylor
6. Susan Moss
7. Breen Madden
8. George Witcherley

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