Love and Courage

Rare and revealing interview with legendary Irish folk musician Christy Moore exploring his personal life, his music and his politics. Published on Ruairí McKiernan's Love and Courage podcast. ---------- I grew up listening to Christy Moore, as did many Irish people, and indeed people all over the world. He’s a folk singer and musician in the tradition of Woodie Guthrie and so many other grea...

Subscribe, share, rate, review and donate to support this podcast. Thanks to patrons who chip in at www.loveandcourage.org Host Ruairí McKiernan is a well-known social innovator, charity founder, campaigner, counsellor, consultant, and author. Find out more via:   Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn  and check out his book Hitching for Hope . He also has another podcast called Crea...

This was a live recording that took place at University College Dublin as part of the UCD Volunteers Overseas annual forum. The theme of the event was The Age of Activism – making space for intergenerational learning and it was sponsored by Concern Worldwide, Comhlamh and UCD international. This wide-ranging conversation featured 3 inspirational voices for change. CAOIMHE BUTTERLY Caoimhe Butterly...

Ruairí McKiernan interviews Johann Hari, a British writer and journalist whose books have been international bestsellers. Chasing the Scream explored the failure of the global war on drugs and the follow-up book Lost Connections looks at depression and the social links to our mental health and wellbeing. Johan’s TED talk Everything You Think You Know about Addiction is Wrong has been seen by milli...

Chuck is one of America’s leading economic equality campaigners, a Senior Scholar at the Institute of Policy Studies, a co-editor of Inequality.org, an author of several books including his autobiography Born on Third Base, and a longtime advisor to Senator Bernie Sanders. Chuck is also well known for his incredible story of growing up in a life of huge wealth and privilege and how he ended up giv...

Amanda Palmer is a punk rock and cabaret musical legend, a member of the Dresden Dolls, bestselling author of The Art of Asking, and force behind the popular TED talk of the same name. She has made numerous albums, toured the world several times, been a global trailblazer in the world of crowdfunding, and helped shine the light for D.I.Y music success in the modern age.  Amanda is married to well-...

Sr Teresa Forcades is a Catalonian medical doctor and Benedictine nun. She is an outspoken feminist, a fierce critic of capitalism, pro-choice on abortion, and an influential leader for Catalan independence from Spain. A BBC profile of Sr Forcades referred to her as 'Europe's most radical nun'.  ........... About the podcast The Love and Courage podcast features interviews with insp...

Luke Concannon is a fiercely passionate English singer-songwriter who, with his own record label, has sold millions of records across the world while keeping his feet firmly on the ground. Like so many English artists including Ed Sheeran, Oasis, Morrissey, Lennon and McCartney, Luke grew up in an English household rooted in Irish heritage and the traditions of family gatherings and sing-songs. Hi...

World renowned spiritual teacher, author and lecturer Marianne Williamson has for the past 35 years been a popular voice in American public life, featuring extensively on television shows such as Oprah, Larry King Live, Good Morning America and Bill Maher. Originally from Houston, Texas, she is the author of 12 books, four of which have been no. 1 bestsellers, including A Return To Love, a book wh...

My guest in this episode is Gara LaMarche who is one of the world’s leading voices on funding and philanthropy for social justice. Originally from Rhode island, Gara was the first in his family to go to college and he became the youngest person ever to serve on an ACLU policy committee. During his college years at Colombia he says he was a reluctant student and spent much of his time teaching at a...

Siobhán O’Donoghue is one of Ireland’s leading community change makers. For over twenty years she has been blazing a trail to help improve the lives of others. Originally from County Clare in the West of Ireland, Siobhán is a former nurse who eventually got involved in youth and community work and in advocating for Travellers rights. She is a founding director of the Migrant Rights Centre of Irela...

Robert is an acclaimed artist and draft resister who risked prison for his conscientious objection to the Vietnam War. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1946, Robert is best known for his portrait series “Americans Who Tell The Truth” which he began as a personal response to the U.S war against Iraq.   He has painted 100s of Americans who he sees as beacons for truth. People like Amy Goodman, Edward Sno...

Chaz Jewett, or Red Morning Star Woman, a native American woman from the Lakota tribe in central South Dakota. She has been active in the environmental movement since a young age and during her youth she had to overcome abuse and huge suffering in her community. Chas has been a leading light in the Standing Rock movement that inspired the world with its dignified native led resistance to the Dakot...

Irish-Australian peace activist Ciaron O'Reilly was once described by Martin Sheen as his personal hero. Ciaron grew up in Australia and has spent his life in the Christian anarchist pacifist Catholic Worker movement. Ciaron was mentored by the renowned anti-war priests Frs. Daniel and Philip Berrigan and for over 40 years now he has focused on supporting homeless communities and campaigning...

A few words of reflection from podcast host Ruairí McKiernan. http://www.loveandcourage.org ........... About the podcast The Love and Courage podcast features interviews with inspirational people who are making a real difference in the world today. Guests are typically people passionate about social justice, and who have demonstrated courage and conviction in their lives. Host Ruairí­ McKiernan i...

Kathy Kelly is a renowned U.S peace activist, author, a founder member of Voices in the Wilderness and now Coordinator for Voices for Creative Non Violence. Kathy is a long-time resident Chicago where she is heavily involved in community organizing. She has travelled to Iraq over twenty five times, including during the early days of the Iraq war and she has spent time in war torn Afghanistan and P...

Eamon Stack is a former priest who has a background in peace and justice work, including during the northern Ireland conflict. In 2006 he co-founded a charity and social enterprise called Enclude and as chief executive he has led it become the largest IT charity consultancy in Europe and they have now started working in Venezuela and elsewhere. ........... About the podcast The Love and Courage po...

Ellen Dorsey is the Executive Director of the Wallace Global Fund, a private foundation focused on progressive social change in the fields of environment, democracy, human rights and corporate accountability. It was set up by Henry A. Wallace, a former visionary vice President of the United States who championed what he called the ‘common man’ in the struggle to prevent financial elites attempts t...

My guests in this episode are Senator Lynne Ruane and Joe Caslin, recorded at the Body&Soul music and arts festival in front of a live audience. Senator Lynn Ruane From Tallaght in Dublin, Lynn is a senator and campaigner for drug reform and other social justice issues, as well as being a powerful voice for many of those unrepresented in our political system. An early school leaver and single...

Hyeonseo Lee was born in 1980 in North Korea, a country she thought was the best on the planet’ until she witnessed great suffering and starvation. At the age of 17, she left her family behind and escaped alone to China. Hiding her identity for ten years, her life in China was far from easy and she eventually decided to flee for South Korea. There she faced further challenges when the authorities...

Alastair McIntosh is a well-known Scottish author, Quaker, environmental activist and visiting professor at the University of Glasgow. Born and raised on the isle of Lewis of the west coast of Scotland, the birth place of Donald Trump’s mother, Alastair is a passionate voice for change on land reform, cultural renewal, climate change and global peace and justice. ........... About the podcast The...

Dil Wickremasingheis a broadcaster, comedian, journalist and social entrepreneur who grew up in Italy and Sri Lanka before moving to Ireland 16 years ago. Dil’s incredible journey has involved struggles with her Jehovah’s Witness parents who disowned her in her youth because of her sexuality. Dil is a courageous survivor of childhood abuse and has overcome depression and thoughts of suicide to tra...

John Lillis is a DJ, producer and teacher, based in the West of Ireland.  He is one third of the Rusangano Family, a high powered hip hop act who in 2017 won the Choice Music Prize, Ireland’s biggest music award.  Growing up in rural County Clare, John immersed himself in music culture - collecting records and entering radio competitions daily.  His approach has always been a D.I.Y one and he has...

Frances Black is a well known Irish singer, campaigner, politician, addiction counsellor, and social entrepreneur. She achieved fame early in her life as part of Irish folk super group Arcady and then later with her family in the band the Black Family.  She featured on the renowned Woman’s Heart album which became the biggest selling Irish album of all time. Frances has recorded a total of 10 solo...

77 year old New Yorker Ray McGovern is a veteran CIA officer turned peace activist. He was a CIA analyst from 1963 to 1990, including during the administrations of John F Kennedy, Ronald Reagan and George Bush senior. Ray’s duties included chairing National Intelligence Estimates and preparing the President’s Daily Brief. He received the Intelligence Commendation Medal on his retirement, returning...