The Ireland Podcast

Includes: introductions; the list of great players Tommy has played with including Jacqueline McCarthy, Pádraic Keane, Siobhán Keane and Maisie-Kate Keane; getting the recording gig for Rum, Sodomy & The Lash; Phil Chevron; Elvis Costello; Red Roses For Me vs Rum, Sodomy & The Lash vs If I Should Fall From Grace From God; the arrangement of Dirty Old Town; Old Grey Whistle Test perfor...

Episode 28 is a ramble in the economic forests with Patrick Collins: Ireland being the richest member state of the Europe Union; tax avoidance; dodgy metrics; gross domestic product vs gross national product; Apple vs. Italy; Davos vs. Oxfam; neoliberal economics; Francois Holland; Adam Smith; Thatcherism; market dominance and moligopolies; the environment; the breakdown in trust for key instituti...

Episode 27 opens with Mollie teaching us how to say "Happy Valentine's Day" in Gaelic. Then the conversation moves to Whitefriar Street Church where Fender Jackson chats with Fr. Séan Mac Giollarnath about: Whitefriar Street Church location and history; Fr. John Spratt; how the relics ended up in Ireland; Pope Gregory XVI’s solidarity with Irish Catholics; St. Valentine’s life and martyrdom; Ash W...

Episode 26 is a rather contrasting conversation with the mouth clown Danny O'Brien. All with music! Conversation includes: mouth clowning; Glendalough; Celtic Tiger; taking the career path to being a standup; gigging in Australia; Karl Spain; divorce; Annie’s Song; writing comedy; prison gigs; Slash; alcoholism; heroin; 100 days of sobriety; Al Pacino; going on stage sober; gambling; masking...

Episode 25 is a conversation with Ruairí McKiernan who has job titles being listed as a counsellor, campaigner, charity founder, keynote speaker, author, former member of the Council Of State, CEO and a best selling author. Conversation includes: Ruairí’s current juncture at where he is in his life; his best selling book “Hitching For Hope”; catching the early wave of Covid; Seán Óg McKiernan; the...

Episode 24 has the most important guests yet who give their expertise on China. Included in the conversation: how to say Happy New Year in Chinese; the different Chinese tones; how to write them and how to say them; Chinese New Year customs and celebrations; the surprises you can find in Chinese dumplings; the differences in China and Ireland; the adjustments needed to make when relocating from Ch...

Episode 23. A zen-like conversation between Liam Ó Maonlaí and Fender Jackson which provides no beginning nor end. Bookended with live piano performances Liam shares his performing and recording insights as well as his inspiration when it comes to performing.  Other topics include cheap and free pianos, tuning pianos, identity, the gun makers of the world, reforging a world identity, Tuatha D...

Episode 22 brings you a conversation wit Bríd Rodgers which was recorded on 1st February 2024: the 1500th anniversary of Saint Brigid. Brid Rodgers is a retired politician of John Hume’s Social Democratic and Labour Party and was the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development Brid was one of those key players back in the day of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960's. She helped deliver the Go...

Episode 21 is the third in a series celebrating the 1500th anniversary of St. Brigid. Firstly we have Mollie (from ‘IrishWithMollie’) teaching us how to say Happy Saint Brigid’s Day in Gaelic followed by a conversation with photographer Deirdre Brennan. Deirdre has photographed 60 women named Brigid around the island of Ireland and these images will be projected at Barnardo Square in Dublin from 1...

This is the second episode in a series celebrating Saint Brigid of Kildare - one of our three patron Saints, with the other two being Patrick and Colmcille. This week is all about the 1500th anniversary of Saint Brigid and we thought it would be a good idea to chat with someone who has a good grasp of the facts of what the lady, Brigid of Kildare was all about. In the previous episode Fender was t...

Episode 19 marks the first of a series celebrating the 1500th Anniversary of Ireland's female patron Saint, Brigid of Kildare. We are taking you around the island to each of the four provinces to offer a glimpse of some of the events that are occurring which are marking this monumentous celebration. Special thanks to all the interviewees in this episode. Relevant Links MUNSTER 02:10 https://recove...

Episode 18 features freelance animator Patrick Maguire who is the artist behind various hilarious (semi?)viral videos online. Patrick also plays banjo, creates music and is an installation artist, as well as other things. On the internet he is mostly RareWitch but he is also Petal Reaction. Patrick talks us through his inspiration and his work processes. Making the ordinary extraordinary Patrick d...

Episode 17. This week’s guest is one of the world’s most famous bodhran players Mr Gino Lupari.  Gino plays with a fantastic group called Four Men & A Dog who he affectionately refers to in this interview as The Dogs . Gino has recorded with Sinead O’Connor, Shane McGowan, Rick Danko, Levon Helm (The Band) and Garth Hudson to name but a few. He’s appeared on almost 50 albums, to...

Episode 16 is a celebration of the life of Mike Moloney with Hugh Brown and Paul McEneaney joining Fender Jackson where they discuss studying Performing Arts, Donal McKendry, Belfast Community Circus School, working in Maghaberry Prison, staging a performance in prison, Jim Webster, Streetwise Community Circus, Death Of A Salesman, Samuel Beckett, Michelle Wiggins, Stephen McNally, Magilligan Pris...

Episode 15. The first episode of 2024 brings you Nicole Schwabacher, a teacher turned author at the start of her literary career where she discusses her first novel: Inyo's Ring. As it is described on her website: "A young sailor’s quest for survival turns into an epic battle for love, freedom, and justice in this gripping reimagined legend of the Tudor Era. The coast of Ireland, 1588: Aboard a lo...

Episode 14. The word "legend" has been bandied about so much it has almost lost its meaning. However it is with great consideration and without any doubt that we can announce the guest of this Christmas Special of The Ireland Podcast as Derry, Ireland and indeed Europe's own living legend, Mr. Phil Coulter. Not only has Phil been the first Eurovision composer to have penned two winning songs for t...

Episode 13. Dr JP McMahon discusses his early life, his education, Marina Carr, Tom Murphy Brian Friel, the three Lady Gregory plays, Brendan Kennelly poet, Samuel Beckett, Dadaism, Hugo Ball, bringing art into the restaurant, choosing music to match the restaurant, using photography in the restaurant, Food On The Edge, staging a performance with food, Hugo Ball, his Cava and Aniar restaurants, th...

As a fan of Shane MacGowan and The Pogues since 1985 this episode is made with the most respectful of intentions. It is a collection of thoughts, conversations and music from Shane's funeral in Nenagh, County Tipperary on 8 December 2023 - a day that would have been Sinéad O’Connor’s 57th birthday. In the interests of time two notable omissions have been made: the speech from an Uachtaráin Michael...

Kevin takes us deep into his early years when he trained as a fiddle player as well as a violin player. He discusses moving to American in 1980, Alan’s Irish Fiddler Book, Sligo Fiddle Player Paddy Killoran, Kevin’s way of playing, BB King, adapting the way one talks in certain scenarios, the music being on display vs. the musician, the semantics of music, Jackie Daly the great accordion player, p...

Episode 10. Comedian behind Ireland's Smallest Comedy club which takes place upstairs in Dew Drop Inn, Galway ever Thursday at 9pm. Johnny discusses his early influences, sketches of the priest and Christy Moore, Jasper Carrott, Benny Hill, things you can and can’t say, Ritchie Kavanagh, comedy being the poor relation of the entertainment business - you don’t qualify for Arts Council grants e...

Second of a series of episodes tracing the connection between John Prine and Ireland. A conversation with Grammy-winning producer Jim Rooney and his good friend from Kinvara, the musician Paul Mulligan. 0:03:20 Introductions 0:05:06 Jim's first encounter with John 0:06:50 John starts Oh Boy Records 0:07:50 The first release on Oh Boy Records 0:10:44 John loved Christmas 0:14:50 John, his jukebox a...

First of a series of episodes tracing the connection between John Prine and Ireland. Here's some highlights from his wikipedia entry: Prine won four Grammy Awards out of 13 nominations, as well as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1971, Prine was playing regularly at the Earl of Old Town. Steve Goodman, who was performing with Kris Kristofferson at another Chicago cl...

Second half of a conversation recorded on the afternoon of Saturday 21st October 2023. 03:10 Sunningdale 04:48 Sinn Fein and the IRA's opposition to Sunningdale 05:47 The Loyalist strikes 10:06 Paisley's Third Force 12:30 Getting used to the Troubles 17:10 Getting protection 19:31 Good Friday Agreement: Hume's "solo runs" 21:32 Bríd's annoyance at the Hume/Adams talks 22:13 The relationship betwee...

First half of a conversation recorded on the afternoon of Saturday 21st October 2023. 01:18 Intro and first awareness of discrimination 08:01 Fianna Fáil vs Fine Gael 08:43 University 09:31 Voting for the first time 14:00 Getting involved in Civil Rights and first communications with John Hume 17:15 Joining and ascending the SDLP 20:30 Why did Bríd get involved in politics? 22:53 Labour, The Repub...

A wide ranging interview with Ollie Walsh who is the co-founder and CEO of Pipit Global, a FinTech start up based in Galway. Ollie also consults for and mentors FinTech/Tech/Social Impact founders and companies globally. Ollie discusses starting up a FinTech company, how he got into this type of work, his competition and the difference in his company, the amount of money required to get peopl...