From Micheál Martin's resilience to Sinn Féin's missed opportunities and the biggest political blunders of the year, Mary Regan and Maeve McTaggart look back on a dramatic first half of 2026, and ahead to the budget battles and leadership questions still to come.

<p>From Micheál Martin's resilience to Sinn Féin's missed opportunities and the biggest political blunders of the year, Mary Regan and Maeve McTaggart look back on a dramatic first half of 2026, and ahead to the budget battles and leadership questions still to come.</p>

Every week the Irish Independent's political team will bring you the biggest stories, the latest analysis and the gossip from the corridors of Leinster House. New episodes every Friday. 