Behind the Story
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...
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On the show
- Brian O'Donovan2 eps
- Pádraic Fogarty1 ep
- Dr Lorraine D'arcy1 ep
Also: Tanya Fowles, Shona Murray, Massimo Faggioli, Brian Caulfield, Lorcan Staines, Evelyn O'Rourke, Adam Maguire, Mark Mellet, Kate Varley, Jon Tonge, Kathryn Thomas, Gavin Cooney, Paul Murphy, Priscilla Lynch, Vincent McAviney, Rob Harris, Niall Stanage
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Total monthly reach
Based on 1 signal.
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By chart position
- 🇮🇪Ireland · NewsHOME#271.7K to 9.1K
- 🇷🇴RO · News#14928 to 149
- Per-Episode Audience
Est. listeners per new episode within ~30 days
1.7K to 9.2K🎙 Daily cadence·216 episodes·Last published 3d ago - Monthly Reach
Unique listeners across all episodes (30 days)
5.8K to 31K🇮🇪98%🇷🇴2% - Active Followers
Loyal subscribers who consistently listen
3.2K to 17K
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* Data sourced directly from platform APIs and aggregated hourly across all major podcast directories.
| Date | Episode | Topics | Guests | Brands | Places | Keywords | Sponsor | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10/19/26 |  France on the brink | 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 deteriorating situation. Senior lecturer in European Politics at UCC, Emmanuelle Schon Quinlivan joins Paul to explain the background to the crisis. Later, Adam Maguire discusses the popularity of Chinese EVs and why the EU has security concerns around the increasing level of tech available in the cars. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | 32m 13s | ||||||
| 10/16/26 |  Sally Rooney's stand | 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 legislation is having a far reaching impact on protest and culture. Later, Arts and Media correspondent Evelyn O'Rourke goes behind the scenes of NBC's Today show and looks at the success of Tourism Ireland's strategy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | 32m 07s | ||||||
| 10/14/26 |  What's happening at the AI Summit? | Big Tech, Big Business and lots of politicians are attending the International AI Summit at the RDS. Fran and Paul are joined by Bloomberg's Tom MacKenzie to discuss AI in Europe. Later, Liz Carolan of The Briefing.ie and Charlie Taylor of the Business Post chat about the ups and downs of AI, dress codes and bad merch! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | 42m 54s | ||||||
| 10/12/26 |  How Robert Pether got out of Iraq | After five and a half years of illegal detention in Iraq, Robert Pether landed in Dublin airport on Monday morning. He was greeted by family and friends and spoke of his time in a Baghdad prison and subsequent struggle to survive before he was allowed leave the country. His lawyer, Irish man Peter Griffin, took up his case, pro-bono in 2021 having heard about Robert's case in his son's school newsletter. Peter speaks to host Karen Creed about the legal fight to secure Robert's release. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | 29m 19s | ||||||
| 10/9/26 |  Execution by firing squad and live streamed | The decision by the US Defence Department to live stream the execution of a man convicted of murdering thirteen unarmed soldiers at a military post in Texas in 2009 has sparked global headlines. The Pentagon announced earlier this week it would execute Nidal Hasan in December in the first military execution for more than 60 years. On this episode of Behind The Story we talk to death row lawyer Clive Stafford-Smith who has represented hundreds of people sentenced to death over the past four decades.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | 26m 25s | ||||||
| 10/7/26 |  IVF costs and concern over 'add-on' fertility treatments | IVF services have expanded dramatically over the last few decades. Infertility treatments are widely promoted but concerns are mounting over how effective and/or safe some of these 'add-ons' are. RTÉ Investigates Deputy Editor Aoife Hegarty joins Paul to discuss 'Fertility Uncovered' documentary that includes stories of couples trying to have a baby and also looks at public funding for IVF. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | 25m 36s | ||||||
| 10/6/26 |  BONUS - Budget special - will there be any more money in your pocket? | Ministers Harris and Chambers unveiled Budget 27 in the Dáil this afternoon. Income tax changes, welfare increases, carbon tax paused, just some of the headline announcements but will there be any more money in your pocket when inflation is taken into account? Chief Economist with Deloitte Ireland, Kate English joins Fran and Paul on a whistlestop tour of the key points of the budget. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | 28m 55s | ||||||
| 10/5/26 |  New charges on parcels and Andrew takes legal action | From next month, another new charge will come into effect on goods bought outside the EU. The €2 'union handling fee' will be implemented on Nov 1st, this is in addition to the €3 customs charge that had applied since July. Consumer Affairs correspondent Aengus Cox joins Fiona Mitchell to explain the new fees and how customers may not be aware of the new charges. Later, Chief Royal Correspondent with Newsweek, Jack Royston discuss ex Prince Andrew's decision to take legal action against the police over the search warrants used during his arrest in February this year. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | 27m 14s | ||||||
| 10/2/26 |  Proteinmaxxing: just how much protein do you really need? | Protein water? protein cereal or how about protein infused vodka? Protein products are everywhere but earlier this week the Bank of America issued a warning to the food industry that the protein craze could have peaked. Dietician Sarah Keogh and RTE business desk reporter Adam Maguire join Fran to discuss the products, proteinmaxxing, who's making money and how much protein does a person really need. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | 23m 23s | ||||||
| 9/30/26 |  Strikes on the horizon? and foul play at Man City! | Thousands of public sector workers began a work to rule in protest at the government's reluctance to talk pay! Teachers, nurses and other sectors are threatening further strike action in the coming weeks. Work and Technology correspondent Brian O'Donovan joins Paul to explain what's going on. Later, hacking, leaking and dishonesty at the heart of one of the Premier League's biggest clubs. Football finance expert, Associate Professor Kieran Maguire discusses the allegations of dodging dealings at Manchester City.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | 28m 16s | ||||||
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| 9/28/26 |  Garvaghy Road stand-off and online house bidding | The stand-off between protestors and the Orange Order continues on the Garvaghy Road in Portadown. Sinn Fein and the DUP clash over the proposed parade with the row threatening to collapse the power sharing executive at Stormont. Host Karen Creed is joined by Prof Deirdre Heenan to analyse the situaton. Later, Political Editor with the Examiner, Elaine Loughlin discusses the online bidding process for buying a house and how concerns are rising around the 'gamification' of bidding and instant alerts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | 28m 47s | ||||||
| 9/25/26 |  Politics on the pitch - Ireland v Israel | The Republic of Ireland are due to play Israel on Sunday in the Nations League tournament in Hungary but pressure continues to mount on the players and the FAI to pull out of the fixture. Fran and Eamon discuss the increasingly tense situation as more protests are planned this weekend against the games. Later, UCD Lecturer in Politics Graham Finlay discuss the speeches made at the United Nations this week and whether the UN is fit for purpose as conflicts continue acround the world. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | 38m 33s | ||||||
| 9/23/26 |  The financial shock of cancer | A cancer diagnosis can cost far more than many patients expect. Cancer survivor Aoife Murphy and Irish Cancer Society CEO Nikki Gallagher join Paul Cunningham to reveal how falling incomes and mounting medical and travel expenses can leave families facing a financial crisis alongside treatment.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | 23m 00s | ||||||
| 9/21/26 |  New research on energy drinks and a large fine for Google! | New research by Safefood shows that 12% of 15-24 years old consume an energy drink once a day. Support is also growing for age restrictions on the sugar and caffeine rich drinks. Dietician Sarah Keogh joins Maggie Doyle to discuss the findings and explains why caffeine is linked to sport performance. Later, Work and Technology correspondent Brian O'Donovan outlines why tech giant Google has been fined over €400 million over the processing of location data. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | 25m 50s | ||||||
| 9/18/26 |  Award winning actor Chris Addison on dark comedy and politics today | Emmy award winning actor, producer and comedian Chris Addison joins Paul and Evelyn to discuss his new comedy drama, Tall Tales and Murder. Chris, who is also known for playing 'Ollie Reeder' in the cult TV show, The Thick of it, chats political satire in a Trump dominated world, Nigel Farage and why audiences like a bit of dark comedy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | 31m 44s | ||||||
| 9/16/26 |  Irish acts quit Ed Sheeran tour over 'Free Palestine' row | On Monday, US rapper Macklemore was removed from Ed Sheeran's support acts following comments he made in early September in support of Palestine. Irish artists, Aaron Rowe and Beoga quit the tour in support of Macklemore on Tuesday. Arts and Media correspondent Evelyn O'Rourke joins Paul to explain how this is the biggest controversy facing singer-songwriter ED Sheeran. Later, Suzanne Lynch of Bloomberg analyses EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's State of the Union speech See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | 25m 14s | ||||||
| 9/14/26 |  All hail Lowry, whiskey tariffs no more! | Golf diplomacy came to the fore this weekend, when President Trump announced he would drop tariffs on Irish whiskey as he presented the Irish Open trophy to Shane Lowry. The dropping of the tariff came as a welcome surprise to the sector. Agriculture and Consumer Affairs correspondent Aengus Cox joins Maggie Doyle to discuss the tariff and what's expected dominate the agenda at the Ploughing Championships. Later Euronews reporter Shona Murray explains why Canadian Prime Minister is visiting Europe this week in the hope of deepening the relationship with the EU. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | 27m 18s | ||||||
| 9/11/26 |  Award winning author Colum McCann on 9/11 and Trump's America | 'A damp white loaf' that's how Colum McCann describes US President Donald Trump who arrives in Ireland this weekend. Colum joins Fran to discuss the anniversay of 9/11 and how America has changed since 2001. Colum, who lives in New York with his family shares his thoughts on Mayor Zohran Mamdani, JD Vance and why he remains positive when he thinks about the future of American politics. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | 34m 22s | ||||||
| 9/9/26 | GAAwomen in sports+4 | Sinead O'Carroll | GAAThe Journal | — | GAADr Mary McAleese+6 | — | 26m 44s | ||
| 9/7/26 | price increaseconsumer journalism+3 | Caitríona RedmondDavid Murphy | take-away chipscans of tomatoes+3 | — | price increasebudget+5 | — | 30m 03s | ||
| 9/4/26 | drama seriesmurder case+3 | Barry Cummins | RTÉUnsolved | — | murderdrama+5 | — | 42m 36s | ||
| 9/2/26 | EU Foreign PolicyRussia Relations+3 | Eddy WaxKeir Giles | EuractivGermany | LeipzigEU+1 | EURussia+7 | — | 27m 20s | ||
| 8/31/26 | investment schemestate-backed investment+3 | Eoin McGee | RTÉ News | — | state-backed investmentpersonal investment account+3 | — | 28m 15s | ||
| 8/28/26 | US-Canada relationstrade tariffs+4 | Justin Ling | Toronto Star | CanadaUnited States+1 | Lake OntarioUS President+7 | — | 32m 42s | ||
| 8/26/26 | Dolly Partonmusic career+3 | Rhiannon GiddensAmy Seigenthaler | RTÉ News | — | Dolly PartonRhiannon Giddens+3 | — | 32m 59s | ||
| 8/24/26 | EU rulesappliance repair+3 | Brian O'DonovanMichael Breen | EUUS+1 | Iran | EU rulesappliance repair+4 | — | 24m 46s | ||
| 8/21/26 | Harry and MeghanUK relocation+3 | Prof Kate WilliamsRuth Gleeson | £12 strawberry jamCore | UK | HarryMeghan+5 | — | 31m 53s | ||
| 8/19/26 | synthetic drugsvapes+5 | Prof Matthew SadlierJerry Kennelly | HSE | Ireland | synthetic drugsvapes+5 | — | 32m 00s | ||
| 7/20/26 | politicsE scooters+3 | Fiona Mitchell | RTÉ | BritainIreland | Andy BurnhamE scooters+3 | — | 30m 47s | ||
| 7/17/26 | digital walletCroke Park+3 | Adrian Weckler | Irish Independent | Croke ParkIreland | digital walletdriving license+4 | — | 38m 26s | ||
| 7/15/26 | assault casecourt sentencing+3 | Sandra QuinnMícheál Lehane | Limerick LeaderDáil | — | Chawke siblingsassault+6 | — | 28m 00s | ||
| 7/13/26 | Intel investmentchip manufacturing+4 | Brian O'DonovanBrian Lloyd | Intel | IrelandKildare+1 | Intelinvestment+6 | — | 31m 05s | ||
| 7/10/26 | wildfiresheatwaves+3 | Shiv Yucel | RTÉOxford University | SpainMoygashel | wildfiresheatwaves+3 | — | 29m 23s | ||
| 7/8/26 | legal aidself-representation+3 | Dyane ConnorTania Reut | RTÉ News | DublinIreland+1 | Dublin District Courtlegal aid+4 | — | 30m 52s | ||
| 7/6/26 | mysteryinvestigation+4 | Alan Bradley | The Girl in the Water | Horseshow BridgeMonaghan | Kelly Marie LynchHorseshow Bridge+6 | — | 19m 37s | ||
| 7/3/26 | Independence DayTaylor Swift+4 | Jackie FoxCormac Ó hEadhra | RTÉ News | United StatesMadison Square Garden | July 4thTaylor Swift+5 | — | 32m 54s | ||
| 7/1/26 | EU PresidencyDublin Castle+4 | Tony ConnellyJack Power | RTÉ News | IrelandDublin Castle | EU PresidencyDublin Castle+6 | — | 31m 24s | ||
| 6/29/26 | excise cutsretirement age+3 | Michéal LehaneDeirdre Malone | EY Law Ireland | — | excise cutsretirement age+5 | — | 25m 52s | ||
| 6/12/26 | Ireland Israel matchfootball+4 | Gavin Cooney | Irish Times | Republic of IrelandDublin | IrelandIsrael+5 | — | 31m 04s | ||
| 6/10/26 | racist violenceNorthern Ireland+5 | — | — | Northern IrelandDublin+1 | racismviolence+6 | — | 29m 53s | ||
| 6/8/26 | Kinahan Organised Crime Groupmurder+4 | Paul Murphy | Kinahan Organised Crime GroupRTÉ Prime Time+1 | — | Sean McGovernKinahan+6 | — | 30m 14s | ||
| 6/5/26 | healthcarepublic funding+3 | Priscilla Lynch | Rotunda Hospital | Croke Park | healthcare disputepublic consultants+5 | — | 29m 37s | ||
| 6/3/26 | scrappage schemeelectric cars+3 | Vincent McAviney | — | IrelandSouthampton | scrappage schemeelectric cars+6 | — | 26m 51s | ||
| 6/1/26 | World Cupsports+3 | Rob Harris | Sky Sports | IranMexico | World Cuptickets+3 | — | 21m 38s | ||
| 5/29/26 | Trump's birthdayUFC fight+3 | Niall Stanage | The Hill | White House | Trumpbirthday plans+4 | — | 29m 18s | ||
| 5/27/26 | embezzlementpolitics+5 | Brian Taylor | Scottish National PartyUS-Iran+1 | Saudi ArabiaTurkey | Peter MurrellNicola Sturgeon+7 | — | 29m 16s | ||
| 5/25/26 | Kyran Durnin murder casechatbots+3 | Paul ReynoldsLiz Carolan+1 | The Briefing.ie | Dublin CentralGalway West | Kyran Durninmurder case+6 | — | 37m 24s | ||
| 5/22/26 | Gaza flotillaIrish citizens+4 | Nick O'Hare | Global Sumud FlotillaIsrael+1 | Las Vegas | Gaza flotillaIrish citizens+5 | — | 30m 28s | ||
| 5/8/26 | parkingpublic transport+3 | Dr Lorraine D'arcy | TU Dublin | — | parkingpublic transport+3 | — | 29m 47s | ||
| 5/6/26 | murder investigationinstitutional misogyny+3 | Tanya Fowles | PSNIRTÉ News | — | Katie SimpsonJonathan Creswell+5 | — | 32m 20s | ||
| 5/4/26 | environmentecology+4 | Pádraic Fogarty | RTÉ News | Ireland | Irelandhiking+5 | — | 31m 51s | ||
| 5/1/26 | US troopsEuropean politics+3 | Shona MurrayMassimo Faggioli | EuronewsTCD | — | US troopsGermany+6 | — | 37m 12s | ||
| 4/29/26 | fuel supportselectric buses+3 | Brian Caulfield | electric busesEV car grants+1 | Irelandurban+1 | fuel supportselectric buses+5 | — | 32m 52s | ||
| 4/27/26 | character referencescourt cases+3 | Lorcan Staines | RTÉ News | — | character referencescourt+5 | — | 25m 33s | ||
| 4/24/26 | RTÉ Radio 1music controversy+4 | Evelyn O'Rourke | RTÉ Radio 1Trump | ItalyIran | RTÉ Radio 1music change+5 | — | 27m 05s | ||
| 4/22/26 | economic surplusgovernment spending+4 | Adam MaguireMark Mellet | Irish Navy | IrelandEU | economic statementsurplus+4 | — | 35m 10s | ||
| 4/20/26 | politicssecurity vetting+3 | Kate VarleyJon Tonge | Foreign OfficeHouse of Commons+1 | — | Keir StarmerPeter Mandelson+5 | — | 32m 48s | ||
| 4/17/26 | anti-ageinglongevity+4 | Kathryn Thomas | Young Forever | — | anti-ageinglongevity+5 | — | 32m 25s | ||
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Chart history for Behind the Story
Peaked at #27 in Ireland, currently #27 in Ireland.
| Market | Genre | Peak | Current | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | — | #27 | #27 | — |
| RO | — | #149 | #149 | — |
Chart Positions
2 placements across 2 markets.
Chart Positions
2 placements across 2 markets.