What is it like learning to drive in your 50s? In today’s episode, we hear from journalist June Shannon who passed her driving test at the age of 54. For years, Shannon avoided driving due to anxiety, having failed a driving test in her late 20s. Living in Dublin and close to public transport, also meant she didn’t need to use a car. However, a move to Limerick a few years ago - where a car became essential - pushed Shannon to get lessons and try again. This time, she learned on an automatic car, which made the experience a lot less stressful. In today’s episode, she tells Róisín Ingle why it’s never too late to learn and that if she can do it, “anyone can”.

But first, Irish Times podcast producer Suzanne Brennan is here to discuss some of the biggest stories of the week including the arrest of Martina and Ammi Burke and the musical comeback we’ve all been waiting for: Celine Dion.

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In 2024, the mass‑rape trial of Dominique Pelicot - who was tried alongside 50 other French men - shocked the world. The father of three was found guilty of drugging and raping his wife, Gisèle, over a ten‑year period, and of inviting other men he met online to rape and abuse her as well. After a 16‑week trial, Pelicot was sentenced to 20 years in prison. It was a case so shocking that one would be forgiven for assuming this type of sexual abuse is rare. However, a new investigation by CNN journalists Saskya Vandoorne and Niamh Kennedy has found that Pelicot is not alone.

The pair spent several months undercover, investigating an underground network of men who exchange information and advice on how to drug and rape their wives and partners and who then share the images and videos they create with one another. In today’s episode, Kennedy and Vandoorne join Róisín Ingle to discuss what they uncovered inside a secret Telegram group, how their investigation brought them to Poland, and what they heard from some of the women who have been victims of this type of crime.

You can watch their investigation on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zE_kzRs1wTE

And you can read more here: https://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2026/03/world/expose-rape-assault-online-vis-intl/index.html

But first, Irish Times opinion editor Jennifer O’Connell is here to discuss some of the biggest stories of the week including the guilty verdict that came this week in the Natalie McNally murder trial and what can be done about Northern Ireland’s alarming femicide rate.

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For journalists Tanya Sweeney and Jen Bray, 2026 has been a very exciting year so far. In January, Sweeney published her debut novel, Esther is Now Following You, while Bray published her debut crime thriller, The Lies Between Us in February. Since then it’s been a whirlwind of publicity for the pair, who are still working as busy journalists in two separate Irish newspapers..

In today’s episode, the two ambitious women join Roisin Ingle to talk about their move from reporting on facts to writing fiction. They talk about the road to publication, what inspired their two very different stories and what they’ve learned about themselves along the way. We also hear about three of Bray's novels that never saw the light of day and how Sweeney found the time to write between multiple house moves and becoming a mother.

But first podcast host Róisín Ingle brings us some stories of the week including Jessie Buckley's historic Oscar win and concerning news about the rise of "creepshots" being taken of women on nights out.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.