I Felt the Rains Down in Ireland: Floods, IPAS and State Failure

Ireland is drowning long before COP30 can save it. In this episode, we start in North Kerry, where a homeowner watched floodwater surround her home while hedge-cutting debris piled up in a stream like a “beaver dam.” We use a Futurama clip to explain why climate summits still matter, break down what COP30 actually delivered in Belém, and look at why Ireland keeps ending up in court over its climate plans. Al joins the discussion to talk systems failure, tech parallels, and why Ireland struggles with implementation. Then environmental specialist John Doherty from the Inishowen Rivers Trust explains how farmers in Wales reduced flooding with simple, grant-funded measures — the exact kind of practical solution Ireland constantly talks about but rarely does. A grounded, solutions-focused look at the messy gap between climate policy and the lived reality in Irish communities already underwater.