Episode 866: How drug lord Michael McDonagh caught unwanted attention from CAB with his flashy jeep
A dad of-seven caught the attention of Gardaí by driving around in a ‘stand-out’ truck - despite being on the dole for all of his adult life.Michael McDonagh attracted the attention of investigators after spending €44k on the Toyota Hi-Lux truck in his hometown of Ennis, Co Clare.Niall speaks to the Sunday World’s Eamon Dillon about how Gardaí believe McDonagh made a small fortune from the drugs trade. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
3 Feb 15min
Episode 865: The truth behind Allison Morris' interview with IRA bomber Dolours Price
Hit Disney drama Say Nothing tells the story of radical republican sisters, Marian and Dolours Price, who bombed the Old Bailey and spent years in prison where they were force-fed yet doggedly determined to stand up for their cause. Towards the end of her life, when Dolours had turned her back on the IRA and its leader Gerry Adams, she picked up the phone and left a message for journalist Allison Morris saying she wanted to talk to her about the Disappeared and her life within the Provos. Nicola speaks to Allison about her depiction in the drama and about the real-life events that led to her coming face to face with Price in the most memorable interview of her career. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
3 Feb 41min
Episode 864: Sons of Fat Freddie Thompson and Jason Hennessy Snr sentenced for separate offences
This week saw the sons of high-profile criminals, Fat Freddie Thompson and Jason Hennessy Snr, sentenced for their roles in two separate crimes. Brad Dempsey was handed down 8 years behind bars for a shooting in 2022, while Brandon Hennessy received a suspended sentence for a 2021 drug offence. Clodagh Meaney speaks to Eimear Rabbitt about growing up around criminality, how the justice system treats youth offending and the two young men who followed their fathers into crime. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
1 Feb 26min
Episode 863: The bizarre unravelling of a Grandmother’s 28-year-long pension fraud
A 73-year-old grandmother who was jailed for theft and larceny has walked free after just six weeks behind bars.Margaret Bergin claimed over €270,000 from social welfare in the name of her deceased father in law who died in 1993.She was discovered in 2022 when welfare officers came to her home and found her husband in bed, pretending to be the frail 110-year-old.Clodagh Meaney speaks to Eimear Rabbitt about fraudsters and the lengths people go to for cash. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
31 Jan 25min
Episode 862: Inside John Gilligan's Breaking Bad-style pink cocaine lab
Criminal John Gilligan’s troubles in Spain intensified today after police there released details on his recent arrest - saying he was caught with an enormous €8 million worth of pink cocaine and components for crystal meth in a home he had turned into a Breaking Bad lab.Nicola speaks with Niall Donald about 72-year-old Gilligan and the lengthy prison term he is likely to now face. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
30 Jan 15min
Episode 861: Nathan Kinsella released from prison
Dissident extortionist Nathan Kinsella is out of jail and driving around in a €30,000 Audi after telling a court that his flash lifestyle is thanks to gifts from a mystery millionaire friend.Nicola speaks with Eamon Dillon about Kinsella’s release from a short prison term for failing to pay taxes on hundreds of thousand of euros that were lodged into three accounts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
30 Jan 22min
Episode 860: John George's funeral set for this weekend as murder probe continues
Murder victim John George is to be laid to rest in Belfast this weekend, more than a month after he disappeared, having gone on holidays to Spain. Nicola speaks with journalist Allison Morris about the murder case, about a funeral, and about the ongoing hunt for a suspect. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
29 Jan 11min
Episode 859: Could the IRA wing in Portlaoise Prison finally close?
2025 looks likely to be the year that the IRA wing in Portlaoise high-security prison is closed for good marking the end of an era and leaving a handful of dissident prisoners with no more privileges or empty cells to call their own.Nicola speaks with Niall Donald about Portlaoise, the army withdrawal, and the 70 empty beds that have made E wing a place of ghosts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
29 Jan 21min
