Hi! John here. I just wanted to drop in with a recommendation.

If you find it difficult nodding off after the show, or just want to relax to the ambient sounds of some of Ireland's most scenic spots, we want to introduce you to GoLoud's latest original stream - GoLoud Sleep Sounds.

This specialized series is a calming collection of immersive 10-hour soundscapes, with each episode carefully tailored for anyone looking for a calmer bedtime routine. The long-form, entirely uninterrupted audio is designed specifically to create a soothing, protected environment that can be played through the night or as a calming backdrop during moments of rest and relaxation.

Within this stream, there is no talking, no suspenseful stories, and absolutely no commercial interruptions to startle you awake. Instead, Sleep Sounds atmosphericially transports your senses to landscapes across Ireland, from the cadence of the waves at Curracloe Beach in spring and Howth Harbour at sunset, to the isolated Midlands on a stormy night, the wind through the Wicklow Mountains in winter, or the deep shadows of Dublin after dark.

This soothing ambience flows continuously through the night, allowing you to completely switch off the outside world.

GoLoud Sleep Sounds is available now on the GoLoud app or wherever you get your podcasts.

Simply press play, put the phone down, and let it do the rest.

Have a listen here:

https://open.spotify.com/show/033wsfw3b3SrnBby4xyZhf?si=c78b9fe42b4949fd

In this episode of Lines of Enquiry: Case Notes, John is joined by Geoff Knupfer, former lead investigator with the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims’ Remains.

For almost two decades, Geoff led searches for some of the Disappeared, those abducted, murdered and secretly buried during the Troubles, helping to return loved ones to families who had spent years waiting for answers.

Geoff reflects on the unique challenge of turning the commission from a reactive process into a proactive investigative operation, and the importance of approaching the work as a humanitarian mission rather than a criminal investigation. He discusses the care and persistence required to build trust, recover remains, support families and work within strict legal limits.

Before his work with the commission, Geoff spent 30 years with Greater Manchester Police, where he was involved in major investigations and cold case reviews, including the continued search for victims of the Moors murders. He reflects on how that experience shaped his understanding of unresolved loss, forensic recovery and the long search for truth.

If you have information for the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims’ Remains, you can email secretary@iclvr.ie or leave a confidential voice message on +353 1 602 8655.

Are you a fan of Lines of Enquiry and narrative podcasts?

Would you have the skills or the experience to become part of the team?

We’re looking for a Narrative Podcast Producer at GoLoud to help create and shape the stories behind one of Ireland’s leading podcasts.

You’ll research, script and produce full episodes, turning complex source material into compelling, narrative driven audio. From building story arcs to crafting scripts for spoken word, you’ll play a key role in bringing each episode to life.

You’ll also help develop new ideas, from deep dive investigations to long form series and true crime projects, working across GoLoud to create premium content that connects with audiences.

This is a hands on production role, from story sourcing right through to final delivery, working alongside teams across editorial, marketing and production, all while maintaining the highest editorial, legal and creative standards.

If you’ve got a background in journalism, podcasting or documentary production, strong storytelling instincts, and a passion for narrative audio. We want to hear from you. Apply now and be part of the next chapter of Lines of Enquiry.

Apply here: Narrative Producer, GoLoud

In the early hours of Thursday, the 13th of February, 1997, 17-year-old Ciara Breen disappeared from her home on Bachelor’s Walk in Dundalk. Her bed was empty. The front window had been left open. There was no packed bag, no money missing, and nothing to suggest she had planned to stay away.

At first, it looked like Ciara had slipped out quietly into the night, leaving herself a way back in. But what began as a missing person investigation would become something far more complex. Over the years that followed, Gardaí would follow rumours, witness accounts, public appeals and searches through difficult ground, as one question continued to haunt Ciara’s family and the town she vanished from. What happened after Ciara left that house?

Presented by John Sweetman

Created by Darren Cleary

Episode Written by Darren Cleary

Script Edited by Eoin Brennan

Produced by Siobhan Walsh

Produced by Siobhán Maguire

Executive Produced by Eoin Brennan

Executive Produced by Ruth Fitzsimons

Sound Design and Editing by Neil Kavanagh

Audio Editing Support by Ed Smith

Marketing Support by Laura Bracken and Róisín Reilly

Social Support by Mark Hayes and Robyn Ree

Artwork and Graphics by Eric Rowntree

When Gerry McGinley was arrested for minor drug possession charges on the 6th of June 2000, he insisted upon his innocence. He said the drugs had been planted on him, and he was convinced someone was trying to get rid of him. By that time, McGinley had already received threatening phone calls at his home along with warnings from the IRA that he should leave town. He was a man with a lot of enemies. Then, just two months later, he went missing.

In this episode of Lines of Enquiry, John Sweetman takes us through the extensive police investigation to find Gerry McGinley. What was uncovered revealed a twisted tale of blackmail, illicit loves affairs, sex tapes, and the IRA.

Presented by John Sweetman

Created by Darren Cleary

Episode Written by Siobhan Walsh

Script Edited by Siobhan Walsh and Eoin Brennan

Produced by Siobhan Walsh

Produced by Siobhán Maguire

Executive Produced by Eoin Brennan

Executive Produced by Ruth Fitzsimons

Sound Design and Editing by Neil Kavanagh

Audio Editing Support by Ed Smith

Marketing Support by Laura Bracken and Róisín Reilly

Social Support by Mark Hayes and Robyn Ree

Artwork and Graphics by Eric Rowntree

In December 2008, a man calls 999 for assistance.

His name was Eamonn Lillis, and his wife Celine Cawley had been attacked by an intruder at their Howth home in Dublin. Celine was rushed to hospital, and an alert went out to find the man who had attacked the business mogul.

Gathering evidence, gardaí started to piece together what had happened at her home that cold December day, leaning on CCTV footage, around 100 witness statements, and one explosive anonymous phone call. Their findings very soon exposed a carefully concocted effort by her 'attacker' to mask the truth of what happened.

In this episode of Lines of Enquiry, John Sweetman takes us back to that dark day in 2008 and how a trail of lies, misleading information, and a hidden love affair revealed the truth.

Presented by John Sweetman

Created by Darren Cleary

Episode Written by Siobhán Maguire

Script Edited by Eoin Brennan

Produced by Siobhan Walsh

Produced by Siobhán Maguire

Executive Produced by Eoin Brennan

Executive Produced by Ruth Fitzsimons

Sound Design and Editing by Neil Kavanagh

Audio Editing Support by Ed Smith

Marketing Support by Laura Bracken and Róisín Reilly

Social Support by Mark Hayes and Robyn Ree

Artwork and Graphics by Eric Rowntree

On the 24th of March in 2017, Richard Satchwell walked into a Cork Garda station to report that his wife, Tina, was missing. He told gardaí their relationship had deteriorated, and Tina had been gone for four days having taken €26,000 euros in cash from their savings. It seemed that Tina had made a concerted effort to disappear.

For six years, Richard and Tina’s family pleaded for the Fermoy native to come home. Why, they wondered, would a loving wife and sister simply leave her home in Youghal, and the animals she adored, and never return.

An extensive search by gardaí checked airports and ferry terminals for any clues as to where the Fermoy native may have gone. Some 100 statements were gathered as they searched for the missing woman. And then a breakthrough happened, with a discovery that would shock the nation.

In this episode of Lines of Enquiry, John Sweetman takes us back over the tireless search to discover what had happened to Tina.

Presented by John Sweetman

Created by Darren Cleary

Episode Written by Anna Priestland

Script Edited by Eoin Brennan

Produced by Siobhan Walsh

Produced by Siobhán Maguire

Executive Produced by Eoin Brennan

Executive Produced by Ruth Fitzsimons

Sound Design and Editing by Neil Kavanagh

Audio Editing Support by Ed Smith

Marketing Support by Laura Bracken and Róisín Reilly

Social Support by Mark Hayes and Robyn Ree

Artwork and Graphics by Eric Rowntree

In June 2017, a family out for a picnic discovered a human torso discarded in a ditch in the Wicklow mountains. Gardaí and army personnel came together to comb the area for any clues. The search recovered fifteen more body parts dumped in nine different locations across a 30km range.

Initially, it was believed the body was that of a young man, after the recovered bones were measured. But this theory was about to turn on its head when one month later, a man walked into a garda station in Rathfarnham, in south Dublin, with a confession. He knew about the body parts, and he knew what had happened.

In this episode of Lines of Enquiry, John Sweetman explores the murder of Patricia O’Connor, a retired woman living in a house full of tension and how it led to a case that quickly became one of the most disturbing ever faced by gardaí.

Presented by John Sweetman

Created by Darren Cleary

Episode Written by Frank Greaney

Script Edited by Siobhan Walsh

Produced by Siobhan Walsh

Produced by Siobhán Maguire

Executive Produced by Eoin Brennan

Executive Produced by Ruth Fitzsimons

Sound Design and Editing by Neil Kavanagh

Audio Editing Support by Ed Smith

Marketing Support by Laura Bracken and Róisín Reilly

Social Support by Mark Hayes and Robyn Ree

Artwork and Graphics by Eric Rowntree