The fastest podcast to reach this milestone in the Bauer Media Audio Ireland group.
Thursday 19th February: GoLoud, the home of Irish podcasting, has announced original true-crime podcast ‘Lines of Enquiry’ hosted by former Garda Detective John Sweetman has exceeded 1 million listens.
Withhost John Sweetman at the helm, ‘Lines of Enquiry’ focuses on Ireland’s most high-profile cases. Each episode delves beyond the headlines, exploring the investigations, pivotal decisions and key evidence that revealed the truth. He follows the evidence step by step, revealing how chance, persistence and detail can bring justice to light.
A former expert crime scene investigator with the Garda Technical Bureau, Sweetman spent over 25 years examining evidence and crime exhibits, for the purpose of presenting expert identification testimony in Irish Courts. Grounded in professional forensic expertise and informed insight, ‘Lines of Enquiry’ delivers meticulous and evidence-driven storytelling, guiding the listener through the facts and history of each case.
Since its launch in November 2025, ‘Lines of Enquiry’ quickly gained widespread interest and significant listener engagement. It has consistently trended and sustained high rankings at the top of Spotify’s podcast charts, and Apple’s true-crime podcast charts. In addition, the podcast was also selected for Spotify’s ‘Best True Crime Podcasts of 2025 UK & IE’. The podcast, now in its second season, has more than three thousand 5-star reviews and has covered over 13 compelling cases that affected communities nationwide.
Reflecting on reaching 1 million listens, John Sweetman, Host of ‘Lines of Enquiry’ said: ‘’I am delighted and humbled at the success of Lines of Enquiry since the first episode went out in November 2025. The team set out to produce accurate and interesting episodes on a wide variety of criminal investigations, both well-known and less familiar to listeners, with particular attention being given to ensure that each episode remains sensitive and respectful of the victims involved and their families. I am overwhelmed by the positive response we’ve gotten so far and am extremely excited and eager to record yet more interesting episodes in the coming months. The incredible success of Lines of Enquiry speaks volumes to the dedication and commitment of the entire team at GoLoud and Bauer Media.’’
Sharing his thoughts on the podcast milestone, Darren Cleary, Creator of ‘Lines of Enquiry’ and Head of Digital Audio at Bauer Media Audio Ireland said: “To become the fastest podcast in the Bauer Media Audio Ireland group to reach one million listens is a testament to the work of the team here. The podcast grew steadily through recommendation and repeat listening, which tells us Irish audiences will engage deeply with thoughtful long-form storytelling when it is handled responsibly and sets a benchmark for what original podcasting here can be. We are very grateful to our listeners for the incredible support so far. John brings clarity to cases people thought they understood, and our audience value hearing the evidence explained with care rather than sensationalism.”
Ruth Fitzsimons, Director of Digital at Bauer Media Audio Ireland adds: ‘’Lines of Enquiry’s growth illustrates GoLoud team’s success in developing talent and formats that appeal to podcast audiences, both in Ireland and internationally. We look forward to working with our Bauer colleagues internationally to promote the podcast in UK and other markets. Bauer Media’s commitment and investment in content development has enabled the GoLoud team to experiment with creative content, and it is a delight to see audiences respond so positively to the podcast.’’
New episodes of ‘Lines of Enquiry’ are released every Tuesday on the GoLoud player, GoLoud app or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow the podcast on Instagram HERE.
About John Sweetman
For over 25 years, John Sweetman worked as a Detective Garda attached to the Garda Technical Bureau in Garda Headquarters, Phoenix Park. John grew up on a family farm in north county Dublin, and studied fine art, animation and graphic design at the Fitzwilliam Institute when he finished school. At the age of 18, he worked in animation with Murakami Wolf, the animation studio in Dublin, who produced the global hit cartoon ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turles’. Following layoffs in Murakami, John’s parents spotted an ad for Garda recruitment. He joined the Gardaí in 1993, initially stationed in Howth Garda station, before making the move to the Technical Bureau. John then qualified as a Fingerprint Expert, later as a Security Document and Handwriting Expert. He spent the bulk of his career examining crime scenes and scenes of crime exhibits, for the purposes of presenting expert identification testimony in Irish Courts. As a dedicated member of the Technical Bureau, John was involved in numerous serious crime investigations over the years, up until retiring from An Garda Síochána in 2023. John has hosted ‘Lines of Enquiry’ since its debut episode in November 2025.