The Party Line

Don't mourn, organise! It's part 2 of a Party Line special – The Ditch meets The Phoenix. Don't miss part 1, which is episode 33 in your Party Line feed. In this second panel, recorded earlier this month in the Whistleblower bookshop and café, Phoenix contributors Graeme Keyes, Ian Curran, Sean Mac Carthaigh and Party Line host Harry Browne recall what made the magazine so special, with its unique capacity to combine laughter and anger. With apologies to the live audience, whose excellent contributions had to be edited out for technical reasons. You can also watch here https://www.youtube.com/@wereontheditch Music by Fionn Dempsey Recording by Emmet White Email theditchpartyline at gmail ontheditch.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Goldhawk calling Phoenix fans! It's a Party Line special – The Ditch meets The Phoenix. Recorded earlier this month in a packed People's Hall in the Whistleblower bookshop and café: the long-time editors of the recently liquidated Phoenix magazine joined The Ditch for a wide-ranging conversation. Editor Paddy Prendiville and deputy editor Paul Farrell tell Paulie Doyle what sustained the publication for 43 years, and what finally finished it. And there are a few comments about the Irish Times along the way. Part 2, with a panel of Phoenix contributors, will be out as our next normally scheduled episode from The Party Line. You can also watch here https://www.youtube.com/@wereontheditch Music by Fionn Dempsey Recording by Emmet White Email theditchpartyline at gmail ontheditch.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While the Left organises around the world in solidarity with Palestine, the Right has mobilised by embracing the genocide. Writer, Jacobin journalist and podcaster Dan Finn reveals how racist reactionaries have ridden a wave of hostility to pro-Palestinian protest – while media and centrists facilitate their lies. The Party Line is a podcast from The Ditch, hosted by Harry Browne, with Paulie Doyle of The Ditch. You can also watch here https://www.youtube.com/@wereontheditch 'Jennifer Carroll MacNeill defends meeting Israeli spy' https://www.ontheditch.com/jennifer-carroll-macneill-defends-meeting-israeli-spy/ 'Sinéad Ryan: Irish parents must rediscover how to say ‘no’, or an entire generation risks failing to launch' https://tinyurl.com/yazfambm Music by Fionn Dempsey Recording by Emmet White Email theditchpartyline at gmail ontheditch.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Legendary journalist Chris Hedges has reported from all over the planet – including, in recent days, the Garvaghy Road. And he reckons we're heading in a terrible direction. The Party Line is a podcast from The Ditch, hosted by Harry Browne, with Eoghan McNeill of The Ditch. You can also watch here https://www.youtube.com/@wereontheditch Requiem for Gaza, by Chris Hedges and Joe Sacco https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/482474/requiem-for-gaza-by-hedges-joe-sacco-and-chris/9781787336780 'Comment: No going down that road' https://www.ontheditch.com/comment-no-going-down-that-road/ 'How Russia uses migrants as a weapon against Europe' https://tinyurl.com/3whuhn5r Music by Fionn Dempsey Recording by Emmet White Email theditchpartyline at gmail ontheditch.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ignore the haters – journalist Aaron Maté is a vital voice for peace and for Palestine, in the face of imperial projects to destroy them both. He joined Eoghan McNeill of The Ditch and Harry Browne in the People's Hall to talk about many things, including the USA, Ukraine, and his own relationship with an Irish whistleblower on a Syria story. The Party Line is a podcast from The Ditch, https://www.ontheditch.com . You can also watch here https://www.youtube.com/@wereontheditch Pre-order Aaron Maté's 'Their Blood, Our Bullets' https://orbooks.com/catalog/their-blood-our-bullets/ Mick Wallace & Clare Daly report on the OPCW https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Nh2bbo1wU--hShjknEZH_--KOq2ncZUg/view?usp=sharing Music by Fionn Dempsey Recording by Emmet White Even more thanks than usual to Art O'Connor of the Whistleblower Email theditchpartyline at gmail ontheditch.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Whether they play or not, the Irish men's soccer team fixtures with Israel have further expanded the space for fighting genocide and apartheid with boycotts. Campaigner, basketball player and researcher Rebecca O'Keeffe tallies up the score for the movement, and makes a final plea for the players to act when the institutions have failed. The Party Line is a podcast from The Ditch, hosted by Harry Browne, with Eoghan McNeill of The Ditch. You can also watch here: https://www.youtube.com/@wereontheditch 'League of Ireland partner has received more than $4 million in US Department of War contracts' https://www.ontheditch.com/league-of-ireland-partner/ 'FAI will remove all sponsor branding for upcoming Nations League matches' https://tinyurl.com/2xd5ncuv Music by Fionn Dempsey Email theditchpartyline at gmail ontheditch.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The media and political establishment acts like we're already at war – and seeing 'threats' everywhere is part of the fight. In a world where just talking can mark you as a hybrid warrior, Trinity College Dublin academic, writer and activist Rory Rowan joins us to discuss what it all means, and fails to mean. The Party Line is a podcast from The Ditch, hosted by Harry Browne, with Paulie Doyle of The Ditch. You can also watch here: https://www.youtube.com/@wereontheditch 'Social Democrats TD Eoin Hayes boasts about co-leading team that cut 200 tech jobs' https://www.ontheditch.com/social-democrats-td-eoin-hayes-boasts/ 'Reported drone sighting 'not in same league' as activity seen during Zelensky visit - expert' https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2026/0909/1590825-drone-irish-sea/ 'REPORT on Hybrid warfare and the protection of the EU’s territorial integrity and critical security and defence infrastructure' https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A-10-2026-0212_EN.html Music by Fionn Dempsey Recording by Emmet White Email theditchpartyline at gmail ontheditch.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gardaí extracted false confessions and protected their own. Politicians and developers rigged the planning system. And journalist Frank Connolly helped expose the corrupt players and the class interests they represented. We discuss why the stories in Connolly's new book, 'Exposed', are deeply relevant to today's Ireland. The Party Line is a podcast from The Ditch, hosted by Harry Browne, with Eoghan McNeill of The Ditch. You can also watch here: https://www.youtube.com/@wereontheditch 'Exposed: Scandals that Rocked the Irish State' by Frank Connolly https://www.irishacademicpress.ie/product/exposed/ 'Comment: A reflection on An Garda Síochána and whiny proceduralism' https://www.ontheditch.com/comment-a-reflection-on-an-garda-siochana/ 'Garda suspended following anti-corruption probe' https://tinyurl.com/yxpay94p Music by Fionn Dempsey Recording by Emmet White Email theditchpartyline at gmail ontheditch.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ireland was a crucible for colonial mass murder. The brilliant playwright and actor Donal O'Kelly has been reflecting on what his award-winning show 'Catalpa' left out of the history it depicts – including genocide, and the value of direct action to resist it. Plus: Kate Shanahan RIP, and The Ditch takes a victory lap three years after it was attacked over its Niall Collins reporting. The Party Line is a podcast from The Ditch, hosted by Harry Browne, with Eoghan McNeill of The Ditch. You can also watch here: https://www.youtube.com/@wereontheditch 'SIPO launches inquiry into Collins land deal' https://www.ontheditch.com/sipo-launches-inquiry-into-collins-land-deal/ 'Eoin O’Malley: Working in a university, I’ve seen how ideology has overtaken the pursuit of truth' https://tinyurl.com/43fp2xvr 'International academics call off Irish event in protest at Palestinian visa refusals' https://www.ontheditch.com/international-academics-call-off-irish-event/ 'It is wrong to boycott Israeli universities' https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/letters/2023/11/07/it-is-wrong-to-boycott-israeli-universities/ 'The Catalpalyst: The Reading List' https://www.afri.ie/category/the-catalpalyst-the-reading-list/ Music by Fionn Dempsey Recording by Emmet White Email theditchpartyline at gmail ontheditch.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Crime journalism is a massive and growing phenomenon in Irish media – much bigger, if you look at international comparisons, than Irish crime. Maynooth author and researcher Cian Ó Concubhair has been talking to reporters about whether and how they view such reporting as having a role in democracy. The Party Line is a podcast from The Ditch, hosted by Harry Browne, with Paulie Doyle of The Ditch. You can also watch here: https://www.youtube.com/@wereontheditch 'Enterprise Ireland: cocktail networking for the arms industry in the French embassy' https://www.ontheditch.com/enterprise-ireland-cocktail-networking-with-the-arms-industry-in-the-french-embassy/ 'Paul Williams: New generation of wannabe Generals or Monks are out-of-control thugs who simply don’t value life' https://tinyurl.com/yuecftz4 Lisa-Marie Berry, 'Naming and faming not naming and shaming' https://villagemagazine.ie/naming-and-faming-not-naming-and-shaming/ Cian Ó Concubhair and Glory Anumudu, 'The Role of Crime and Security Journalism in Irish Democracy' https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/sites/default/files/assets/document/The%20Role%20of%20Crime%20and%20Security%20Journalism%20in%20Irish%20Democracy.pdf Music by Fionn Dempsey Recording by Emmet White Email theditchpartyline at gmail ontheditch.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How relevant is the search for 'good Israelis' to the struggle for Palestinian liberation? As the world's attention turns to Israel's internal politics in advance of October elections, Gaza journalist Eman Mohammed brings powerful insights into what we can expect and what it ultimately means – and we also dig into the letter and spirit of the Boycott Divestment Sanctions movement. The Party Line is a podcast from The Ditch, hosted by Niamh Ní Bhriain and Harry Browne, with Paulie Doyle of The Ditch. You can also watch here: https://youtu.be/Y4VcW4WGArE 'Weapons manufacturer linked to Gaza genocide lobbied Department of Finance on "unintended impact" of economic sanctions' https://www.ontheditch.com/weapons-manufacturer-linked-to-gaza-genocide/ 'How Biden Enabled Israel’s Aggression Toward Gaza—and Iran' https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/07/27/how-biden-emboldened-israels-aggression-toward-gaza-and-iran Eman Mohammed on Substack: https://substack.com/@emanit The Stokely Carmichael quote that Eman refers to: "Dr King's policy was that nonviolence would achieve the gains for black people in the United States. His major assumption was that if you are nonviolent, if you suffer, your opponent will see your suffering and will be moved to change his heart. That's very good. He only made one fallacious assumption: In order for nonviolence to work, your opponent must have a conscience. The United States has none." Music by Fionn Dempsey Recording by Emmet White Email theditchpartyline at gmail ontheditch.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

FIFA and its boss Gianni Infantino are irredeemably corrupt – but is UEFA in any position to preach? Writer and researcher Andy Storey breaks down the football power play on The Party Line, a podcast from The Ditch – hosted by Harry Browne and Paulie Doyle of The Ditch. You can also watch here: https://youtu.be/uYiuF6V69gQ 'Official Ireland wants a diaspora of visitors and investors' https://www.ontheditch.com/comment-official-ireland-wants-a-diaspora-of-visitors-and-investors/ 'Soccer has given Europe a rare geopolitical victory' https://www.afr.com/world/europe/soccer-has-given-europe-a-rare-geopolitical-victory-20260804-p60lcl 'Gianni Infantino’s demise isn’t enough – Fifa must fundamentally change' https://www.the-independent.com/sport/football/gianni-infantino-fifa-exit-resign-sacked-replacement-b3025815.html Music by Fionn Dempsey Recording by Emmet White email theditchpartyline at gmail ontheditch.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are borders sites of 'sovereignty' – or is it more relevant to understand them as, inevitably, sites of terrible, seemingly arbitrary violence and harm? From Ceuta to Donegal, we talk about the borders that divide us. Postdoc researcher Niamh Keady-Tabbal of Maynooth University joins The Party Line, hosted by Niamh Ní Bhriain and Harry Browne, with Paulie Doyle of The Ditch. You can also watch here: https://youtube.com/@wereontheditch?si=xFeNbqep9F3SqwXm 'TG4: RTÉ is a monopoly and government is breaching EU media freedom law https://www.ontheditch.com/tg4-rte-is-a-monopoly-and-government-is-breaching-eu-media-freedom-law/ 'Chaos of border crossing gives way to limbo for Moroccans on Ceuta’s streets' https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/02/ceuta-border-crossing-spain-morocco Music by Fionn Demspey Recording by Emmet White Email theditchpartyline at gmail ontheditch.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Highlights from the first 20 episodes of The Party Line, a podcast from The Ditch – hosted by Harry Browne and Niamh Ní Bhriain, with the team of Ditch journalists: Eoghan McNeill, Paulie Doyle and Roman Shortall. Big thanks to Art O'Connor at the Whistleblower, and to Emmet White, for helping The Party Line improve and grow. 02.10 Eman Muhammed on The Ditch (ep03) 02.43 Eoghan on being arse-dialled (ep08) 03.36 Paulie on serious guys (ep13) 05.03 Roman on Taoiseach lying (ep04) 06.27 Paulie on Taoiseach (ep02) 06.58 Paulie on election candidate lying (ep06) 08.00 Eoghan on liberal indifference (ep17) 09.34 Roman on direct action in Ulm (ep11) 11.40 Eoghan on compradors (ep19) 14.04 Paulie on Boy George (ep10) 14.41 Eoghan on Pascal Donohoe (ep19) 16.36 Andy Storey on Pascal Donohoe (ep06) 17.22 Eoghan and Clare Daly on Helen McEntee (ep12) 19.33 Paddy Bresnihan and Pat Brodie on FDI nationalism (ep07) 21.00 Betty Purcell on Brendan O'Connor (ep20) 22.00 Nausicaa Renner on who reads DropSite (ep08) 22.54 Harry and Jodi Dean on the AI debate (ep19) 25.18 William Wall on liberals and fascists (ep14) 27.02 Paul Holden on Labour Together and antisemitism (ep2 and ep10) 28.51 Matt Kennard on US military Nazis and gangs (ep15) 30.40 Richard Drayton on the new arms gap (ep13) 31.55 Khem Rogaly on who profits from military spending (ep16) 33.07 Eman on evacuating Gaza under Obama (ep03) 34.49 Zena Tahhan and Leila Warah on the Occuplied Territories Bill (ep17) 37.11 John Reynolds on book burning (ep18) 39.15 Rebecca O'Keeffe on FIFA hypocrisy (ep04) 41.07 Tadhg Hickey on Israeli escalation (ep09) 42.09 Niamh on pigeon-holing the fuel protest (ep09) 43.40 Eoghan and Niamh on unaffordable homes (ep17) 44.45 Niamh on French AI weapons for Ireland (ep05) 45.54 Niamh on the Cuba blockade (ep04) 47.37 Niamh and panel on the EU presidency and Tayto (ep18) ontheditch.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

RTÉ, Ireland's national broadcaster, is hammered by scandal – and hampered by a combination of deference to government and devotion to commercial imperatives. Betty Purcell, former radio and TV producer in RTÉ – who also sat as the elected staff representative on the RTÉ Authority – joins The Party Line, hosted by Harry Browne and Niamh Ní Bhriain, with Eoghan McNeill of The Ditch. 'The Ditch investigation into Dublin investment firm Elkstone's Epstein deal subject of bogus complaint, deleted from Google' https://www.ontheditch.com/dublin-investment-firm-elkstones-epstein-deal/ 'Report card: How RTÉ has performed on TV and radio during challenging times' https://tinyurl.com/sp7d3pcv Music by Fionn Dempsey Recording by Justin Young Email theditchpartyline at gmail ontheditch.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The tech lords' vision of the power and inevitability of AI is directly opposed to any vision for socialism. The powerful American political thinker Jodi Dean joins The Party Line, a podcast from The Ditch – hosted by Harry Browne and Niamh Ní Bhriain, with Eoghan McNeill of The Ditch. 'Mason Hayes & Curran chairperson, Meta's lawyer was going to attend cancelled Peter Thiel event' https://www.ontheditch.com/mason-hayes-curran-chairperson-metas-lawyer-was-going-to-attend-cancelled-peter-thiel-event/ 'Did We Make the Wrong Bet on Big A.I.? https://tinyurl.com/3rev883h Jodi Dean's Substack: https://jodi7768.substack.com/ Music by Fionn Dempsey Recording by Emmet White email theditchpartyline at gmail ontheditch.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A lot of pro-Palestine activism rests on legal concepts and language – genocide, apartheid, and the illegality of the Israeli occupation. But in Gaza, they're burning international-law books for fuel. Are we wasting time and energy by seeking justice through the courts? Critical legal scholar John Reynolds of Maynooth University joins the pod to argue out the contradictions. The Party Line is a podcast from The Ditch, hosted by Harry Browne and Niamh Ní Bhriain, with Paulie Doyle of The Ditch. 'Irish energy regulator was going to attend Thiel event in Powerscourt Hotel' https://www.ontheditch.com/energy-regulator/ 'EU presidency ceremony almost went down without a hitch, but Zelenskiy dig was copped by all' https://tinyurl.com/5dxsvkfj John Reynolds' fortcoming book with Noura Erakat: https://www.haymarketbooks.org/books/2851-confronting-zionism Music by Fionn Dempsey Recording by Emmet White Email theditchpartyline at gmail ontheditch.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Palestinian journalists Leila Warah and Zena Tahhan explain why Ireland disappoints them, and how they continue to cover an increasingly brutal and catastrophic Israeli occupation. And host Niamh Ni Bhriain joins Eoghan McNeill of The Ditch to consider the cruelties of 'affordable' housing, and what liberal discourse about Anglo-Irish relations always manages to leave out. The Party Line is a podcast from The Ditch, with co-host Harry Browne. 'Council executive: rents will rise no matter what councillors vote' https://www.ontheditch.com/council-executive-rents-will-rise/ Fintan O'Toole, 'The aftershocks of Brexit’s failure could be gaining strength – a fearful prospect for Ireland' https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jun/22/aftershocks-brexit-failure-fearful-prospect-ireland Leila Warah https://www.instagram.com/leila.shw/?hl=en Zena Tahhan https://www.instagram.com/zenatahhan/?hl=en Music by Fionn Dempsey Recording and editing by Emmet White Email theditchpartyline at gmail ontheditch.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Under pressure from backbenchers, Micheál Martin postponed the legislation to scrap what he once said was "the core of Irish neutrality" – the Triple Lock. The Party Line is a podcast from The Ditch – with Niamh Ní Bhriain and Paulie Doyle. 'Taoiseach's Triple Lock plan facing backbench pushback' https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2026/0620/1579454-triple-lock/ 'Disgraced property developer "110 percent confident" of councillor votes' https://www.ontheditch.com/disgraced-property-developer-110-percent-confident/ Interviewed: Clare Daly, Khem Rogaly, Jenny Stephens, Brid Brennan ( https://www.tni.org/en/profile/brid-brennan ), John Maguire, Karen Devine Music by Fionn Dempsey Recording in studio: Emmet White Recording at People's Forum in Tailors' Hall, Dublin: Harry Browne (still photos courtesy People's Forum) Email theditchpartyline at gmail ontheditch.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The empire is a dangerous, fascistic mess. Investigative journalist Matt Kennard reflects on how the state of the US military has contributed to a wider social and political crisis – and why standing with Palestinians is more important than ever. The Party Line is a podcast from The Ditch, hosted by Harry Browne and Niamh Ní Bhriain, with Paulie Doyle of The Ditch. 'Jack Chambers urged Irish sporting bodies to boycott Russia and Belarus' https://www.ontheditch.com/jack-chambers-urged/ 'Comment: The public forced the state to act on South Africa – it can do so again' https://www.ontheditch.com/comment-the-public-forced-the-state/ 'Hacked: Peter Thiel hosting secret event in Wicklow hotel' https://www.ontheditch.com/hacked-peter-thiel/ 'Powerscourt Hotel first hosted Peter Thiel event in 2018' https://www.ontheditch.com/powerscourt-hotel-first-hosted-peter-thiel/ 'How IRINI is becoming the face of Europe’s new maritime assertiveness' https://decode39.com/15182/how-irini-is-becoming-the-face-of-europes-new-maritime-assertiveness/ Irregular Army: https://orbooks.com/irregular-army/ Palestine Deep Dive: https://www.palestinedeepdive.com/ Music by Fionn Dempsey Recording by Emmet White email theditchpartyline at gmail ontheditch.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.