# End of term: what was the biggest moment of the political season?

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Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/irish-times-inside-politics-170288/end-of-term-what-was-the-biggest-moment-of-the-political-season.md
Podcast: [Irish Times Inside Politics](https://stenobird.com/podcast/irish-times-inside-politics-170288)
Published: 2026-07-15T17:27:53+00:00
Episode link: https://shows.acast.com/inside-politics-2/episodes/end-of-term-what-was-the-biggest-moment-of-the-political-sea
Audio file: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/6155db9059a3fa00137f30a9/e/6a57c3196f1292268655a02e/media.mp3
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Duration seconds: 2437

## Resource

As the Dáil shuts down for the summer it's time for Hugh, Pat and Jack to take stock of the term gone by. But the biggest political event of the year didn't happen in Leinster House. The April fuel protests left their mark on Irish politics as few other events of recent years have. In part two: How have the various parties navigated the term? Has Mary Lou McDonald steadied the SF ship, and could a forthcoming book by a former party insider cause renewed problems? Can the Social Democrats maintain their recent momentum? Has Simon Harris dialled down his high-energy approach to politics? And when Harris rotates back into the taoiseach's office next year, will Micheal Martin still be the man he’ll take over from?  Finally: Martin has repeatedly said this Government will be about results, delivery and substance. But will there be enough of that to satisfy voters? On the cost of living issue in particular, the challenge is steep - even with the next election a long way off. Would you like to receive daily insights into world events delivered to your inbox? Sign up for Denis Staunton's Global Briefing newsletter here: irishtimes.com/newsletters/global-briefing/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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## Transcript

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