The Indo Daily

It's been seven turbulent months since it was confirmed that the Republic of Ireland would face Israel in the Uefa Nations League. What began as a football fixture has since become one of the most divisive and politically charged moments in Irish sporting history. Since the draw was announced in February, protests, campaigns and fierce public debate have intensified, with pressure mounting on all sides. Just days ago, Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson sparked anger in Israel after saying his team would not be playing "with genocide, but against genocide" when the sides meet in Hungary on Sunday. The controversy has also reached the players themselves as protesters gathered outside the squad's training base in Castleknock this week, urging the team not to fulfil the fixture. Despite the growing scrutiny, the match is set to go ahead, albeit with a significantly scaled-back television broadcast. So, have the Ireland players been placed in an impossible position? And what can supporters expect when the teams finally take to the pitch? We want to earn your trust and are members of the Trust Project. See our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalism. ­See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cash, water, food, batteries and a wind-up radio - would you know what to do if a major emergency hit Ireland?  The Government is sending its Be Emergency Ready booklet to two-million households as Russia intensifies its hybrid war against Europe. Are countries across the continent preparing their citizens for the worst?  Today on the Indo Daily Kevin Doyle is joined by Donnacha Ó Beacháin, professor of politics at the School of Law and Government at DCU, and Conal Thomas, political correspondent with the Irish Independent, to ask whether Ireland is prepared for what could come next, while Donald Trump brings his own brand of unpredictability to the United Nations.  We want to earn your trust and are members of the Trust Project. See our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalism.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you watched Louis Theroux’s documentary on the manosphere earlier this year, you should be familiar with a man by the name of Harrison Sullivan, or ‘HSTikkyTokky’ as he’s better known to his hundreds of thousands of online followers.   Sullivan found himself in Dublin recently, hastily rescheduling a boxing event after his original choice of venue – the grounds of Dublin football club Bluebell United FC – abruptly cancelled the booking.   Bluebell United has a long history, but recent events have placed it under a stark spotlight. In the past two years, the club has found itself linked to figures involved in drug dealing, debt judgements, an ownership switch and indeed – however briefly – the ever-controversial manosphere.     On this episode of The Indo Daily, host Fionnán Sheahan is joined by Crime World journalists Alan Sherry and Neil Fetherstonhaugh to look at the curious case of Bluebell United.    The Indo Daily is part of the Trust Project. You can see our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalism  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 “We’ll forget her soon enough.” That is the extraordinary comment Charles Spencer, Princess Diana's brother, claims King Charles made in the days following her death. Now, Spencer’s new book has reignited old tensions and prompted a rare response from Buckingham Palace. Daily Mail features writer Fred Kelly joins Kevin Doyle on the Indo Daily to ask why Spencer is speaking out now, whether his claims stack up and what this latest royal row means for Diana’s enduring legacy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two years after winning her civil case against Conor McGregor, Nikita Hand is telling her story in her own words. In her memoir Not the Perfect Victim, she writes about the assault, her battle for justice and the personal cost of becoming one of the most recognisable women in Ireland. Irish Independent writer Tanya Sweeney joins Fionnán Sheahan on the Indo Daily to share what she learnt from meeting Nikita Hand, and how she is trying to build a new life after the verdict. We want to earn your trust and are members of the Trust Project. See our ethics policies at independent.ie/ourjournalism.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.