RTÉ Radio 1 launches Drivetime In-Depth, a new series and podcast with Sarah McInerney and Cormac Ó hEadhra

Drivetime In-Depth: War in Gaza podcast will chronicle the year’s events from the Hamas attack to the ongoing war in Gaza.

Drivetime In-Depth, a new multi-part series and podcast presented by hosts Sarah McInerney and Cormac Ó hEadhra will begin on Monday 23rd September on RTÉ Radio 1. The series will be an integral part of Drivetime, and each 30-minute episode will delve into some of the biggest news stories domestically and globally.

The first four episodes will track the War in Gaza on the run up to the first anniversary of the October 7th attack by Hamas and will follow the conflict in chronological order, to the present day. Episode one will focus on the first three months of the conflict – the Hamas attack, the kidnapping of Israeli hostages taken into Gaza, followed by the scale of the Israeli bombardment, air and ground war and the unprecedented humanitarian crisis. Palestinian and Israeli voices, people who were trapped in Gaza and the medical staff who battled to deal with the casualties will all share their stories.

Episode two will focus on the fourth to sixth months of the conflict. The death toll in Gaza reaches 30,000 and the conflict spreads outside Gaza. Along with Israeli and Palestinian voices, this episode will feature interviews with members of American and Irish governments.

Episode three will cover the seventh to the ninth months of the war, with strikes threatened on Rafah and the widespread displacement of Palestinians as ceasefire talks prove fruitless, and the international criminal court deliberates over the conduct of Israel in Gaza. Cormac and Sarah talk to people in Gaza, to Israelis and Palestinians, along with humanitarian agencies helping Gaza’s beleaguered population.

The final episode will cover the war from the ninth month to the present day, with ceasefire talks proving fruitless and the conflict threatening to spread from Gaza to the West Bank and Lebanon.

RTÉ Radio 1 Drivetime host Sarah McInerney: “Since the Hamas attack on October 7th last year, we have covered the ensuing conflict almost every day on Drivetime. We’ve spoken to Palestinians in Gaza trying to survive, Israelis whose family members have been taken hostage and doctors on the ground trying to treat the catastrophic wounds of children without basic medical supplies. Over the last year, we’ve heard testimonies from people on all sides affected by this conflict and we’ve charted how the response of the international community has changed, both in its support for Israel, and in its tolerance for the death and destruction in Gaza. Drivetime in Depth will make for powerful listening for anyone looking for a complete overview of the last 12 months.”

RTÉ Radio 1 Drivetime host Cormac Ó hEadhra: “The war in Gaza is a conflict that I think has engaged the public like no other, and this new series and podcast aims to track the arc of that conflict – the terror, the suffering, the rising death toll, the personal stories of loss, the heroic efforts of doctors and agencies to help. The series will include powerful interviews on the war in Gaza, with doctors who tried desperately to save children’s lives in war-torn hospitals, with Israeli spokespeople who defy claims of genocide, and with people who were trapped inside Gaza and couldn’t get out, fearing death daily. These interviews are some of the most impactful that I have ever done. Drivetime in Depth is a new resource, and a must for anyone who cares about this conflict and wants to know more.”

Drivetime In-Depth: War in Gaza is produced by Drivetime series producer Will Hanafin and presented by Sarah McInerney and Cormac Ó hEadhra and will air on Monday 23th, Tuesday 24th, Thursday 26th and Friday 27th September, from 6.30 – 7pm on RTÉ Radio 1. You can also listen back on the RTÉ Radio Player app, rte.ie/podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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RTÉ Press Office: Éadaoin Nic Giolla Chomhaill