Some budgets deliver stability — others end in political disaster. Ireland’s history is full of both. With Budget 2026 about to be unveiled, Ciara Doherty and Daniel McConnell, editor of the Business Post and co-author (with John Lee) of Hell at the Gates: The Inside Story of Ireland’s Financial Downfall, reflect on moments when budgets went awry.

From Ray “Mac the Knife” McSharry’s brutal cuts in the 1980s, to Charlie McCreevy’s boom-era generosity — and his short-lived attempt at tax individualisation that sparked a backlash from families — right through to Brian Lenihan’s crisis budgets during the financial crash, the podcast explores how misjudged measures can haunt governments for years.

Ciara and Danny also dig into why “budget kites” are floated in the media, what’s really happening in the lobbying frenzy at Merrion Street, and how secrecy around the speech itself can make or break public reaction. With over €2.2 billion in temporary cost-of-living supports on the line this year, can Paschal Donohoe and Jack Chambers avoid repeating the mistakes of their predecessors when they reveal their plans later today?

Stay with Newstalk for full coverage of Budget 2026 across the day, on air, online at newstalk.com, on Instagram @newstalkradio, and on the GoLoud app.

The space race didn’t end with Apollo. It just changed rivals. This Space Week, the podcast dives into the new contest playing out far above our heads — between the United States and China.

Billions are being poured into rockets, satellites and lunar missions, but behind the dazzling science is a darker reality: allegations of spying, stolen technology and military ambitions that could decide who controls the future of space. NASA has barred Chinese nationals from its facilities citing security fears, while Beijing accuses “foreign agents” of targeting its scientists. At the same time, both sides are racing for the Moon, not just to plant a flag, but to secure resources and set the rules for decades to come.

Is this really about exploration, or are we witnessing the early moves in a new Cold War in orbit? And what role does Europe play as NASA’s partner but also as an ambitious space power in its own right?

Ciara Doherty is joined by Dr Mark Hilborne, Senior Lecturer in the School of Security Studies at King’s College London and a lecturer on the Irish Defence Forces’ Advanced Command Staff Course, to discuss espionage fears, Moon ambitions, and the risks of turning space into the next battlefield.

Want to feed back on the episode or suggest future topics? Email us at newstalkdaily@newstalk.com.

Ask anyone in Ireland about the Freemasons and you’ll probably hear the same three words: secrecy, symbols and myth. The so-called “secret society” has long been blamed for everything from pulling political strings to controlling world banks. But how much of that is reality – and how much is conspiracy theory?

On today’s podcast, Ciara Doherty is joined by David J. Butler, Provincial Grand Librarian and Archivist with the Provincial Grand Lodge of Munster Freemasons, to separate the fact from the fiction. Where did Freemasonry begin, and what does it take to join? What happens inside a Masonic lodge – and do those famous handshakes and rituals exist?

From the medieval guild roots of the Masons to modern-day charity work, from Elizabethan traditions to Irish paper trails that go back centuries, this conversation explores how a fraternity of stonemasons grew into one of the most mythologised organisations in the world. Along the way, Ciara asks about the most common misconceptions, the famous square and compass symbol, and why the UK’s Metropolitan Police is now debating whether officers should publicly declare Masonic links.

So, are the Freemasons truly puppet-masters behind the scenes, or simply a fraternity that enjoys old customs and community spirit? This is your chance to hear directly from one Irish Mason.

Got thoughts or questions about this episode? Email us at newstalkdaily@newstalk.com.