Rebel Matters Podcast

We just posted an emergency episode in support of the current sit-in that is being staged by the former Debenhams workers on Patrick Street Cork on the 153rd day of their strike action for a fair redundancy package and for workers rights. I spoke to Carol Bridgeman who is one of 8 workers in the Patrick Street store having gained access to the building yesterday. We discussed the lead up to the st...

This weeks episode is a solo run on the back of a week or so of feeling slightly off and somewhat stressed without being able to put my finger on exactly what was causing my feelings of worry and anxiety. I ended up having a good chat with myself and giving myself some solid advice via my notebook late one night, and share some of that self-advice in this episode. I also made a chill-out playlist...

This week I chat with actor Timmy Creed who has a one man show called Spliced that examines his relationship with our national game of hurling, showcases some of the wonders of the game, and confronts some difficult questions about the culture with GAA and team sports. 

This weeks episode was recorded under the Milky Way at Mahon Falls in the Comeragh Mountains of County Waterford. On account of the events of the night, the conversation veered towards the roots of anti-social behaviour and specifically, who it was actively encouraged by British security forces in the north of Ireland during the political conflict. 

This weeks episode is the first in a few weeks, and is one of the rare episodes where it's me doing a solo run talking about the lockdown life, the hustle and bustle of every day life, the challenges of going back to work, and some things that I found useful to ease myself out of procrastination funks, and that help to let the creative and productivity energies flow freely. After i finished this e...

This weeks episode is a chat with historian and Three Castles Burning host Donal Fallon. We talked about the role commemorations have in the telling of history, the origins of the Blueshirts, how music plays an important part in the telling of history, and looked at some examples of how cities have come through tough times in the past. 

I just released a special episode of the show with Tai Carpenter who is on the board of Don't Shoot Portland, which is a nonprofit organisation based in Portland Oregon dedicated to civic participation, community engagement and bridging social justice with art programming. They are playing an important role in helping to organise the current protests in America sparked by the brutal murder of Geor...

Comhrá leathan le mo shean-chara Aodh Ó Corcráin a bhfuil aithne air mar Bhéal Feirsteach agus mar chócaire., agus a chaith blianta thall i dTír na mBascasch ag cur faobhar ar a cheird.  

This week's episodes is a quarantine chat on the importance of the arts in Ireland with actor and spoken word artist Roxanna Nic Liam There is a spoken word treat from Roxanna at the end of the chat, and as usual, a bit of story time after the outro music.

On this episode I discussed climate change on a global , national, local, and individual level with Áine O Gorman, who works for Friends of The Earth, is involved in Stop Climate Chaos, and also is a part of a group called Model Activists that work to promote sustainability in the fashion industry. 

This week's guest on the show is a friend who gives walking tours in the old city of Hebron in Palestine, one of the most politically charged areas of the West Bank. This episode has an accompanying blog post on rebelmatters.ie with links to documentaries, films and further reading. 

This week I chatted with Mary Hickson who runs the Sounds From A Safe Harbour festival in Cork every two years, the pioneering collaborative festival People in the Funkhaus Berlin, and the philosophy behind her work and approach. A timely chat as we start to consider what festivals and parties will look like as we start to come out of our prolonged Covid-19 lockdown. 

Mark Graham from King Kong Company, and the Irish Music Industry podcast joined me this week for a chat on the show. We chatted about King Kong Company, the challenges facing Irish artists during the Covid-19 pandemic, and what the musical landscape might look like in the near future. Mark also discussed how King Kong Company ended up with their very own brand of Buckfast infused beer. Chapter 2 o...

The main section is an interview I did from Palestine with Somhailre Mag uidhie from Raidió Fáilte and is in Irish. There is an extended intro in English, as well as a shorter interview in English i did with the Off The Ball crew for Newstalk Radio, which comes after the main section with Somhairle, and also a new book at the very end as we have finished Roald Dahl's one last week! 

To make Easter Sunday 2020 I recorded myself reading Bobby Sands' One Day in My Life. "Written on toilet paper, with a biro refill, and hidden inside Bobby Sands' own body, this is a book about bravery and endurance' - Excerpt from the back cover of the book. 

This chat was recorded as part of the Quiet Lights festival in Cork in late 2019, and covers a lot of ground around the background and work that goes into alternative and socially conscious arts events and festivals. 

This weeks episode is with brothers Ahmad and Hoba and we discussed growing up in Nablus under Israeli occupation, being an artists in Palestine, and their careers as performers in circus, dance, juggling, and acrobatics. 

This weeks episode was recorded around the kitchen table in the home of Siobhán De Paor and Diarmuid Lyng who together run Wild Irish Retreats. I have added a short blog post on rebelmatters.ie with some additional links for anyone who would like to fins out more about these two legends but don't have the Gaeilge to follow along with the episode. 

This episode was recorded in a café in Ramallah while I was there setting up the ACLAÍ Palestine community gym in the Aida refugee camp. Thank you to Maysa who took the time to meet Alex and I to record this! 

This week is the first instalment of the next batch of episodes, and is a sit-down with my good friend Lewis Kenny. 

A chat with Jenny about her involvement in the Gaza Women's Yoga and Circus Hub recorded as part of the very first Cork Podcast Festival. This episode was recorded in the Spailpín Fánach pub in Cork city. 

This week I chat with storyteller, drama therapist, and Cork Yarn-Spinner Maria Gillen. We discussed strength from softness, the impact of technology on our social skills, and the passing down of wisdom from one generation to the next. 

A conversation recorded in South Armagh with storyteller Steve Lally. We discussed how Steve became a storyteller, the writing of his latest book, 'Irish Gothic Fairy Stories', and the importance of folklore and storytelling in modern society. 

This week is a solo run on making December a 'healing month' to finish the year on a positive note, which I started thinking about on the way back from a recent trip to Berlin. Every year has its challenges and highlights, and December seems to be as good a time as any to practice some self-love, looking after yourself going into the festive season, and doing the work up front to have a positive s...

A solo run on the merits and negatives of black Friday. Is it a good time to big a bargain, or a marketing campaign of manufactured desire and scarcity to make us part with our hard earned bills and fall over each other to accumulate more useless stuff?