First Thought

Welcome to the official Audio Guide to We Travel Together By Patricia Piccinini as part of Galway International Arts Festival. Patricia Piccinini is one of Australia's most acclaimed artists who has received worldwide attention for her startling sculptures, installations and digital environments. Born in Sierra Leone, Patricia uses her craft to create striking images of hyperrealistic hybrid animals, humans and creatures to question the way that contemporary technology and culture changes our understanding of evolution and what it means to be human. When leaving this exhibition the artist hopes the audience are inspired to ask questions about the changing relationship between us and the world around us and that hopefully, we can begin to imagine a new way forward, together with other creatures rather at their expense. The Festival Gallery is presented in association with The Dean Galway who also provided support for this audio guide. For more information about other shows in the festival visit www.giaf.ie.

Vinyl Hours is a series of talks with music aficionados in conversation with music maestro Tiernan Henry. On this episode Tiernan sits down with internationally renowned photographer, film maker, DJ, and chronicler of hip hop music and culture Brian Cross [AKA B+] to discuss the music, particularly music on vinyl records as you'll hear, that moves him. This episode was recorded live at GIAF 2023. Spend an hour on an aural journey of treasured musical memories with special guests, who reveal their go-to playlists, the soundtrack to their lives and explore what exactly it stirs within them; fun, heartbreak and revolution.

Welcome to First Thought Backstage with Galway International Arts Festival, a series where we sit down with theatre-makers from GIAF 2023 to discuss the making of their shows. Life & Times of Michael K, is a hugely ambitious theatrical staging of Nobel Prize-winning author J.M. Coetzee's novel which combines puppetry, performance, film and evocative music bringing together some of South Africa's most revered, multi-award-winning artists in this epic production adapted and directed by Lara Foot. Listen to Charlotte McIvor, lecturer in Drama and Theatre Studies at University of Galway, catch up with cast members in this post-show talk recorded live after their performance at Galway International Arts Festival 2023. First Thought Backstage is presented in association with University of Galway.

Welcome to First Thought Backstage with Galway International Arts Festival, a series where we sit down with theatre-makers from GIAF 2023 to discuss the making of their shows. The Pulse by Gravity & Other Myths is a hugely ambitious and monumental work of scale that unites audience, acrobat and choir into a single mesmerising organism. A shimmering mass of sixty acrobats and choir members unite and divide, becoming a spectacular being of muscle, bone and voice as a mountain of bodies crumbles into an ocean of sound. Listen to Charlotte McIvor, lecturer in Drama and Theatre Studies at University of Galway, catch up with cast members in this post-show talk recorded live after their performance at Galway International Arts Festival 2023. First Thought Backstage is presented in association with University of Galway.

Welcome to First Thought Backstage with Galway International Arts Festival, a series where we sit down with theatre-makers from GIAF 2023 to discuss the making of their shows. In this post-show talk Ian Walsh, lecturer at the University of Galway, sits down with Luke Murphy and Will Thompson to dive deeper into the (out of this) world of ideas that went into creating Volcano. Recorded live at Galway International Arts Festival 2023. Acclaimed director and choreographer Luke Murphy blurs the lines of experimental theatre, contemporary dances and a psychological sci-fi thriller in live performance made for the Netflix era. Taking audiences on a unique and voyeuristic journey Volcano explores the all too familiar struggles of power, time and trust, across four, forty-five minute episodes. First Thought Backstage is presented in association with University of Galway.

Vinyl Hours is a series of talks with music aficionados in conversation with music maestro Tiernan Henry. On this episode Tiernan sits down with Robert Forster. Robert Forster is one of Australia's most literate songwriters, with a solo repertoire drawn from a deep well of ideas and imagery, delivered in a conversational tone and impossible beautiful melodies. This episode was recorded live at GIAF 2023. Spend an hour on an aural journey of treasured musical memories with special guests, who reveal their go-to playlists, the soundtrack to their lives and explore what exactly it stirs within them; fun, heartbreak and revolution.

Vinyl Hours is a series of talks with music aficionados in conversation with music maestro Tiernan Henry. On this episode Tiernan sits down with Irish Electronic powerhouse Elaine Mai. Elaine Mai has captivated fans and critics alike with her mesmerising performances and unique blend of emotive dance music and in this episode she shares the music that moves her. This episode was recorded live at GIAF 2023. Spend an hour on an aural journey of treasured musical memories with special guests, who reveal their go-to playlists, the soundtrack to their lives and explore what exactly it stirs within them; fun, heartbreak and revolution.

Vinyl Hours is a series of talks with music aficionados in conversation with music maestro Tiernan Henry. On this episode Tiernan sits down with New Zealander DJ Fitchie, AKA Mu, of Fat Freddy Drops ahead of his performance at the Heineken Big Top. Recorded live at Galway International Arts Festival 2023. Spend an hour on an aural journey of treasured musical memories with special guests, who reveal their go-to playlists, the soundtrack to their lives and explore what exactly it stirs within them; fun, heartbreak and revolution. 

An official companion to David Mach's The Oligarch's Nightmare at the festival gallery. The Festival Gallery is presented in association with The Dean, Galway, who also provided support for this podcast.   This podcast was produced by Andy Gaffney, The Shift Podcast Network.

Welcome to First Thought Backstage with Galway International Arts Festival, a series where we sit down with theatremakers from GIAF 2022 to discuss the making of their shows. Geoff Sobelle's Home throws open the doors and invites you to a must see moving meditation of the relentless passage of time, and a breath-taking spectacle of illusion, choreography, music and storytelling. Listen to Dr El Putnam, Lecturer in Digital Media at NUI Galway catch up with cast members Home in this post-show talk. Hear the ensemble members' thoughts on the characters they play and explore the everyday drama of what makes a house a home. First Thought Backstage is presented in association with University of Galway.

Vinyl Hours is Galway International Arts Festival's music discussion series which takes place live at the festival and here on the First Thought podcast. Join us on an aural journey of musical memories with Galwegian singer-songwriter Anna Mullarkey and host Tiernan Henry. Listen as they delve into Anna's eclectic soundtrack that features the artists that inspire her and her work. Anna Mullarkey's Vinyl Hours playlist is available to enjoy on Galway International Arts Festival's Spotify page. First Thought is a series of live and recorded talks and podcasts produced in association with University of Galway.

Welcome to First Thought Backstage with Galway International Arts Festival, a series where we sit down with theatremakers from GIAF 2022 to discuss the making of their shows. Writer and director Enda Walsh ‘s The First Child invites you to an opera like no other – an experience that takes opera to new realms, where a cast of singers is joined by an actor, a dancer and children in a multi-media extravaganza that is at times intimate, explosive and trilling. Listen to Dr Barry Houlihan, Archivist at University of Galway catch up with cast members The First Child in this post-show talk. Hear the cast members' thoughts on the characters they play as they take you on this powerful rollercoaster ride. First Thought Backstage is presented in association with University of Galway.

Welcome to First Thought Backstage at Galway International Arts Festival. In this series we get to sit down with theatremakers at GIAF 2022 to discuss the making of their shows. First Thought is presented in association with University of Galway. One of the world's most celebrated theatre ensembles, Chicago's Steppenwolf make their much-anticipated return to Galway for the first time in 15 years with Sam Shepard's True West. Listen to University of Galway Professor of Drama and Theatre Studies, Patrick Lonergan catch up with cast members Randall Arney and Ora Jones in this post-show talk. Hear the ensemble members' thoughts on the characters they play, the history of the ensemble and new resonances in the revived American classic.

Welcome to First Thought Backstage at Galway International Arts Festival. In this series we get to sit down with theatremakers at GIAF 2022 to discuss the making of their shows. This is a post show talk of 'From a Low and Quiet Sea ' at Galway International Arts Festival 2022. University of Galway Drama and Theatre Studies Lecturer, Dr Charlotte McIvor, speaks with the cast and director of From a Low and Quiet Sea, an adaption of Donal Ryan's Booker Prize-nominated novel. In this world premiere by Decadent Theatre and Galway Arts Centre, McIvor is joined by director Andrew Flynn and cast members Aosaf Afzal, Darragh O'Toole, Maeve Fitzgerald and Lorcan Cranitch. Listen closely to hear a guest appearance from the acclaimed author, Donal Ryan! First Thought Backstage is presented in collaboration with University of Galway. You can listen back to all episodes via GIAF.ie or find First Thought Backstage on any podcast platform.

Welcome to the official podcast of The Galway International Festival 2022. On the show we'll have interviews  with guests, take a look behind the scenes of this year's festival and give all the recommendations and  information you need to enjoy the best of the arts in Galway. Hosted by Andy Gaffney and Orla Higgins.  Episode three is all about spectacle and some other great events you can look forward to at this year's  festival.   Lifeline by Galway Community Circus on July 16th will be Europe's largest high wire spectacle over the River  Corrib and Claddagh Basin. Andy popped down to the guys to chat all things funambulism.  The Brazilian born sculptor Ana Maria Pacheco brings her new show Remember to the festival gallery from  the 11th of July. Ana Maria joined Andy and Orla to talk about how this will be her final large scale project, the  themes of power and memory and how the eyes can be the key to telling a story.   Also in this episode  We take a look back at some festival memories with James Harold and a chat with artistic director of The  Galway International Arts festival Paul Fahy.  Information for all shows can be found at www.giaf.ie.   This podcast was produced by Andy Gaffney and Orla Higgins.  Special thanks to Flirt FM at NUI Galway. 

Welcome to the official podcast of The Galway International Festival 2022. On the show we'll have interviews  with guests, take a look behind the scenes of this year's festival and give all the recommendations and  information you need to enjoy the best of the arts in Galway. Hosted by Andy Gaffney and Orla Higgins.  Episode two is all about theatre -   Founder of Landmark Productions Anne Clarke joins Orla to talk about their new production at this year's  festival The First Child. The First Child is a stunning new opera from Enda Walsh and Donnacha Dennehy  which runs from the 18th to the 24th of July.   Orla is also joined by Sonya Kelly who brings her new show The Last Return to the Druid Theatre from the 8th to the 23rd of July. Sonya chats about bringing her own unique style of writing to an audience as well as  her own beginnings in stand up comedy.  Also in this episode -   We take a look back at some festival memories with Judy Murphy and Andy joins some GIAF volunteers for  a bit of speed interviewing.   Information for all shows can be found at www.giaf.ie.   This podcast was produced by Andy Gaffney and Orla Higgins.  Special thanks to Flirt FM at NUI Galway.

Welcome to the official podcast of The Galway International Festival 2022. On the show we'll have interviews  with guests, take a look behind the scenes of this year's festival and give all the recommendations and  information you need to enjoy the best of the arts in Galway. Hosted by Andy Gaffney and Orla Higgins.   Episode one is all about music -   Galway musician and composer Anna Mullarkey joins us to talk about playing in this year's festival,  launching her debut album Falling and taking inspiration while in the Himalayas. Anna also plays her new  single Falling Apart.  The Grammy-nominated DJ Jon Hopkins chats to Andy about his much anticipated show at this year's Big  Top. Jon also talks about how he first fell in love with electronic music and cave diving to make his last  album. Jon brings his mix of electronic, ambient and classical music to the Big Top on July 16th.   Also in this episode -   We take a look back at some festival memories with Tiernan Henry and a look behind the curtain with music  programmer Gugai McNamara.   Information for all shows can be found at www.giaf.ie.   This podcast was produced by Andy Gaffney and Orla Higgins.  Special thanks to Flirt FM at NUI Galway.

How do you stage a large-scale artwork during a global pandemic? Galway International Arts Festival, in association with its education partner NUI Galway, lifts the lid on the making and staging of John Gerrard's stunning large-scale artwork Mirror Pavilion, Corn Work and Leaf Work, during the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic in this new podcast documentary. Mirror Pavilion, by Irish artist John Gerrard, is a beautiful and striking large-scale structure (7m x 7m), with three sides and the roof clad in a highly reflective mirror and the fourth wall a high–resolution LED wall, which hosts the artworks Corn Work and Leaf Work. The artwork, which is powered by sustainable energy sources, is a response to the escalating climate crisis.  

Vinyl Hours host Tiernan Henry is joined by award–winning and critically acclaimed musician and composer Philip King for a special live recording of Vinyl Hours, which took place during Galway International Arts Festival 2021. In the episode, Philip shares the songs that have stuck with him throughout his remarkable music and entertainment journey! (available to enjoy on Galway International Arts Festival's Spotify page). Vinyl Hours is Galway International Arts Festival's music discussion series which takes place live at the festival and here on the First Thought podcast. 

Vinyl Hours host Tiernan Henry is joined by Galway singer-songwriter Niamh Regan for a special live recording of Vinyl Hours, which took place during Galway International Arts Festival 2021. In the episode, Niamh shares the "soundtrack of her life" (available to enjoy on Galway International Arts Festival's Spotify page). Vinyl Hours is Galway International Arts Festival's music discussion series which takes place live at the festival and here on the First Thought podcast. 

On this episode, former Republic of Ireland football manager Brian Kerr sits down with Tiernan Henry for a Vinyl Hours session. Listen to Brian's playlist on Galway International Arts Festival's Spotify page.

Diversity advocate, writer, and fashion influencer Sinéad Burke joins host Tiernan Henry to share the soundtrack of her life, from Spice Girls to Pet Shop Boys, George Michael, Diana Ross, The Cranberries, Denise Chaila and more. Listen to Sinéad's playlist on Galway International Arts Festival's Spotify page.

Vinyl Hours host Tiernan Henry is joined by our August guest, Artistic Director of the Abbey Theatre Caitríona McLaughlin. In the episode, Caitríona shares the "soundtrack of his life" (available to enjoy on Galway International Arts Festival's Spotify page). Vinyl Hours is Galway International Arts Festival's music discussion series which takes place live at the festival and here on the First Thought podcast. 

Vinyl Hours host Tiernan Henry is joined by our July guest, Stephen Murtagh of the Academic. In the episode, Stephen shares the "soundtrack of his life" (available to enjoy on Galway International Arts Festival's Spotify page): We Used to Wait by Arcade Fire Penny Lane by The Beatles I Say a Little Prayer by Dionne Warwick This Must Be the Place by Talking Heads Stacy's Mom by Fountains of Wayne Hounds of Love by Kate Bush Falling by Julee Cruise    Vinyl Hours is Galway International Arts Festival's music discussion series which takes place live at the festival and here on the First Thought podcast. 

Our summer Vinyl Hours podcast series continues with an interview with Maureen Kennelly, director of the Arts Council Ireland. Maureen joins host Tiernan Henry to talk about the music that shaped her, the concerts she'll never forget, and the new generation of Irish artists inspiring her today. Maureen Kennelly's full Vinyl Hours playlist is available to enjoy on Galway International Arts Festival's Spotify page. Join us Wednesday 28 July for the next edition of Vinyl Hours. 

Our summer series of Vinyl Hours music interviews kicks off with an interview with Steve Wall, the renowned actor and singer-songwriter who delighted audiences in The Stunning and wrote songs that defined, and are part of the DNA of, a whole generation of Irish people. Join us Wednesday 30 June for the next edition of Vinyl Hours.  Vinyl Hours is hosted by Tiernan Henry. Galway International Arts Festival 2021 will take place 28 August-18 September. The Stunning play the Heineken Big Top Sunday 17 July 2022 (tickets on giaf.ie)

In this episode, recorded in September 2020 at the Galway International Arts Festival Gallery, acclaimed painter Hughie O'Donoghue and GIAF Artistic Director Paul Fahy discuss Hughie's long association with Galway International Arts Festival, including his latest exhibition, Night Cargo. 

In this episode, Pulitizer Prize nominee Dael Orlandersmith, writer, performer and theatre maker, discusses the experiences and ideas which inform much–praised works like Forever, Beauty's Daughter and Yellowman. She is interviewed by Professor Patrick Lonergan, Professor of Drama and Theatre Studies, NUI Galway. Dael Orlandersmith's First Thought Talk was recorded in front of a live audience during the 2019 Galway International Arts Festival.

In this episode, Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and now head of the Mary Robinson Foundation for Climate Justice, will talk about possibly the single most important issue facing humanity.  This episode was recorded in front of a live audience in July 2019 at NUI Galway. 

In this week's Vinyl Hours episode, host Tiernan Henry talks to Liz Nugent, the bestselling author of Unravelling Oliver, Lying In Wait, Skin Deep, and Our Little Cruelties. Please note that song excerpts have been edited out of the podcast for copyright reasons. You can listen to Liz's full Vinyl Hours playlist on Galway International Arts Festival's Spotify page: http://spoti.fi/2OwJhHz This episode was recorded in September 2020 in front of a socially distanced audience at the King's Head, Galway. 

In this 15-minute interview, playwright Enda Walsh and Galway International Arts Festival Artistic Director Paul Fahy discuss their ongoing collaboration on the Rooms series of immersive theatre installations.  ​ Changing Room, which premiered as part of GIAF's Autumn Edition, is the latest in the series and follows on from Room 303, A Girl's Bedroom, Kitchen, Bathroom, Office 33A and Waiting Room, collectively known as Rooms. The series has toured to Washington and New York, and most recently the entire series was presented at the Barbican, London in 2019. Find out more: https://www.giaf.ie/tours/rooms

Welcome to Part 2 of our Vinyl Hours conversation with Ireland's renowned concert orchestra conductor and choirmaster David Brophy, hosted by Tiernan Henry. To listen to David Brophy's full playlist, visit GIAF's Spotify page here http://bit.ly/DavidBrophyPlaylist. This episode was recorded as part of Galway International Arts Festival's September 2020 Autumn Edition, in front of a socially distanced live audience at Galway's Róisín Dubh. Subscribe to First Thought for new episodes every Wednesday. 

For the first time, Galway International Arts Festival's popular Vinyl Hours music discussion series is available as a podcast. In this episode, Vinyl Hours host Tiernan Henry chats to Ireland's world renowned concert orchestra conductor and choirmaster David Brophy about the music he loves. Please note that song excerpts have been edited out of the conversation for copyright reasons. To listen to David Brophy's full playlist, visit GIAF's Spotify page here http://bit.ly/DavidBrophyPlaylist. Tune in next Wednesday for Part 2 of Tiernan's conversation with David!  This episode was recorded in September 2020 in front of a socially distanced live audience at Galway's Róisín Dubh.

The global pandemic has distracted everyone from another problem facing the planet, for which there is no vaccine: climate change and its predictable disastrous effects on our lives. In 2019, First Thought Talks hosted a fascinating and inspiring talk with four of the young people involved in the schools' protests for action on climate change, in conversation with Green Party leader, Eamon Ryan. In this episode, Tara O'Neill and Mai Sheehan, two young Galway climate activists, are joined again by Eamon Ryan, now Minister for Climate Action, Communications Networks and Transport. Dr. Rory Monaghan, Lecturer of Energy Systems Engineering at NUI Galway, moderates the event. This First Thought Talk was recorded in front of a live audience in September 2020 as part of Galway International Arts Festival's Autumn Edition. 

Does Culture Drive Human Evolution? Gaia Vince thinks it does. She claims that four evolutionary drivers – Fire, Language, Beauty and Time – are further transforming our species into a superorganism, a hyper–cooperative mass of humanity that she calls Homo omnis, or 'Homni'. Drawing on cutting–edge advances in population genetics, archaeology, palaeontology and neuroscience, her book Transcendence compels us to reimagine ourselves, showing us to be on the brink of something grander – and potentially more destructive. In this fascinating episode, recorded in September 2020 as part of Galway International Arts Festival's Autumn Edition, we hear from Gaia Vince and Maureen Kennelly, Director of the Arts Council of Ireland.

The COVID–19 pandemic has exposed deep fractures in many countries in how we organise our societies, in our capacity to care for our most vulnerable citizens and in the systems that govern our lives. Some of us hope for change in these systems when we finally escape COVID's clutches. Will the dreadful death toll, the economic devastation and the obvious deficiencies in our public services encourage or force us to explore other options? How will Ireland react to the potential lessons to be learned from what we have been through? In this episode of First Thought, Fintan O'Toole, who has written for a long time about fractured structures and potential change, is joined in conversation with Catriona Crowe, Curator of First Thought Talks. This episode was recorded in September 2020 as part of Galway Internatioinal Arts Festival's Autumn Edition. 

Our nearest neighbour seems to be in an ongoing state of division and uncertainty for the last number of years, a situation which has been further exacerbated by the COVID–19 pandemic. With the arrival of Brexit, where to next for an increasingly disunited kingdom? John Lanchester, novelist and journalist, known for explaining the 2007 financial crisis to us all and Fintan O'Toole, one of Ireland's best–known journalists, known for explaining Brexit and its roots to us all, are joined in conversation by Martina Fitzgerald, author of Madame Politician, a study of Irish female politicians. This First Thought Talk was recorded in September 2020 as part of Galway International Arts Festival's Autumn Edition. First Thought Talks are presented in association with Festival Education Partner NUI Galway. 

What happened in Ireland during the Spanish Flu pandemic just over 100 years ago? Who died, how, and what did the authorities do to manage the disease? Did we learn from that experience? Will we learn from this one? Dr. Ida Milne, historian and author of Stacking the Coffins: Influenza, War and Revolution in Ireland, and Fergal Bowers, RTÉ Health Correspondent, are joined in conversation with Dr. Caitriona Clear of NUI Galway, a pioneering social historian of ordinary Irish people. This First Thought Talk was recorded in September 2020 as part of Galway International Arts Festival's Autumn Edition. First Thought Talks are presented in association with Festival Education Partner NUI Galway. 

Ireland's participation in the soccer World Cup in Italy in 1990, 30 years ago, was a defining time for the country, leading to community bonding, national pride and general elation. Jack Charlton, alas no longer with us, became an object of national veneration for getting us so far in the competition before Italy put a stop to our gallop. The Irish fans distinguished themselves as fans and revellers; even when we lost, we won. Colm Tóibín and Eamon Dunphy were there as journalists, and they had an interesting time! In this episode, Colm and Eamon are interviewed via video by Mark Duncan, Director of Century Ireland and co–curator of the forthcoming exhibition on Italia 90 at the Little Museum of Dublin.  This First Thought Talk was presented in September 2020 as part of Galway International Arts Festival's once-off Autumn Edition. 

The grotesque murder of George Floyd, filmed by a brave 17–year–old girl, shocked the world into a fresh realisation of racism and its consequences in the United States. We also need to look nearer to home and to articulate and hear what people of colour have experienced here in Ireland. In this episode, Tobi Lawal, Felicia Olusanya and Amanda Adewole discuss how they have experienced racism in Ireland. The panel is joined in conversation by Róisín Ingle, Irish Times journalist and founder and producer of the brilliant Women's Podcast. Find out more about Doras and MASI by visiting doras.org and masi.ie.  This conversation was recorded in front of a live audience in September 2020 as part of Galway International Arts Festival's Autumn Edition. Find out more: https://www.giaf.ie/festival/event/black-lives-matter-experiences-of-racism-in-ireland

The majority in Northern Ireland voted to remain in the EU but has failed to insist on a course which is, arguably, very much in its best interests. What are the divisions within Northern society that have led to the current situation, and how will Brexit play out for the different communities there? In this episode, we'll hear from Glenn Paterson, novelist and author of Backstop Land and Claire Hanna, SDLP MP for Belfast South. Dave O'Connell, Editor of the Connacht Tribune, moderates the discussion. Claire Hanna participated in the event via video.  This First Thought Talk took place in front of a live audience in September 2020 as part of Galway International Arts Festival's Autumn Edition. See more: https://www.giaf.ie/festival/event/brexit-and-the-north

How has Ireland managed the novel coronavirus COVID–19? Were we ready for it? Did the government make the right choices? What isthe science now on the virus? In this episode, hear from Luke O'Neill, Professor of Biochemistry at Trinity College Dublin, Dr. Catherine Motherway, intensive care specialist at University Hospital, Limerick, Paul Moynagh, Professor of Biology at Maynooth University, and Dr. Mary Favier, President of the Irish College of General Practitioners, in conversation with David McCullagh, historian and RTÉ presenter. This talk was recorded in front of a live audience in September 2020 as part of Galway International Arts Festival's Autumn Edition. More: https://www.giaf.ie/festival/event/pandemic-reflections-2-covid-19

100 years ago this 21 November, over 30 people were killed in three separate events: the assassination of British intelligence agents by Michael Collins' Squad in the morning, the shooting in reprisal of civilians at a match in Croke Park in the afternoon, and the torture and killing of Dick McKee, Peadar Clancy and Conor Clune at Dublin Castle that night. History is turning its gaze on violence and its effects during this turbulent period. In this episode, two eminent historians enlighten us about new perspectives on what happened that day. Paul Rouse, Professor at the School of History at University College Dublin and Anne Dolan, Associate Professor of Modern History at Trinity College Dublin are joined in conversation with Diarmaid Ferriter, Professor of Modern Irish History at University College Dublin. This talk was recorded in front of a live audience in September 2020 as part of Galway International Arts Festival's Autumn Edition. More: https://www.giaf.ie/festival/event/bloody-sunday-1920

How do we think about the domestic situation in the United States, and America's role in the world, as the November 2020 presidential election approaches? Samantha Power, Pulitzer Prize–winning author, Harvard professor, and US Ambassador to the United Nations under President Barack Obama from 2013-2017, will discuss the current state of America and her recent fascinating memoir, The Education of an Idealist, with Áine Lawlor, broadcaster and journalist. Samantha Power and Áine Lawlor participated in this event via video. This talk was recorded in front of a live audience in September 2020 as part of Galway International Arts Festival's Autumn Edition. More: https://www.giaf.ie/festival/event/the-state-of-the-us

The US election in November of this year will be one of the most consequential in many years. Can Trump be beaten by Joe Biden? If he is, will he accept the result? If not, what then? In this episode, hear from Marion McKeone of the Business Post, one of the leading reporters on the US political situation, in conversation with Larry Donnelly, lecturer in law at NUI Galway and frequent media commentator on US affairs. This talk was recorded in front of a live audience in September 2020 as part of Galway International Arts Festival's Autumn Edition. Presented in association with Festival Education Partner NUI Galway. See more:  https://www.giaf.ie/festival/event/will-trump-win-again

One of the last remaining Holocaust survivors living in Ireland, Tomi Reichental did not speak about his experiences for many years after immigrating. Decades later, he went on to take part in a documentary about his attempts to meet one of his jailers. In this episode, recorded at Galway International Arts Festival in July 2018, Reichental speaks with human rights lawyer Saul Woolfson about his experiences in Bergen-Belsen concentration camp and what he thinks about 21st century politics.   Please note that this subject matter may be upsetting to some listeners. Listener discretion is advised.  To watch the Q&A with Tomi Reichental, and for more First Thought Talks, visit the Galway International Arts Festival website on giaf.ie https://www.giaf.ie/talks/first-thought-talk-with-tomi-reichental

First established in the year 2000 to house asylum seekers entering the Irish state in search of international protection, Direct Provision was intended as an interim accommodation system for a six-month period. That was not how it worked out. The average length of stay in Direct Provision was 23 months at the end of 2017, with some staying for as long as five years in conditions which have been criticised by human rights organisations. In this episode, we'll hear from Donna Vuma, Bulelani Mfaco and Evgeny Shtorn in conversation about their experiences in Ireland's Direct Provision system.    This First Thought Talk was recorded at Galway International Arts Festival in July 2019 in front of a live audience. Anne Mulhall, activist in the Movement for Asylum Seekers in Ireland, moderates the discussion.    

In this episode, celebrated food writer Bee Wilson joins Catherine Cleary, journalist and food writer with The Irish Times, to discuss our evolving relationship with food and the way we live (and eat) now. Bee Wilson is a journalist and historian and the author of five books on food-related subjects, the most recent being The Way We Eat Now: Strategies for Eating in a World of Change (2019). She has been described by Jane Kramer of the New Yorker as having “the kind of narrative charm that could carry large chunks of scholarship; weave them together; sprinkle them with asides, experiences, suppositions, and strong opinions; and entertain you.”   Bee Wilson is chair of the Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery.   This First Thought Talk was recorded in front of a live audience at NUI Galway as part of Galway International Arts Festival's Autumn 2019 First Thought Talks programme https://www.giaf.ie/talks/food-the-vital-frontier

Perhaps Ireland's best known journalist, Fintan O'Toole is well known for piercing political commentary and in this episode he ruthlessly dissects the psychology and politics of Brexit. His First Thought Talk Listen, recorded in 2018, is both pointed and prescient. Listen to learn how trivial journalistic lies became far-from-trivial national obsessions; how the pose of camp indifference to truth and historical fact has come to define the style of an entire political elite; the redefinition of a country that once had colonies as an oppressed nation requiring liberation; the strange gastronomic and political significance of prawn-flavoured crisps, and their role in the rise of Boris Johnson. This episode was recorded in front of a live audience at NUI Galway at the Winter 2018 First Thought Talks programme presented by Galway International Arts Festival. To watch the Q&A which followed the talk, visit the talks section on Galway International Arts Festival's website on giaf.ie: https://www.giaf.ie/talks/first-thought-talk-with-fintan-otoole

Kate Mulgrew is an actor and author best known for starring roles in Star Trek (Captain Janeway) and Orange is the New Black (Red). In this episode, Kate discusses her memoir How to Forget, which chronicles the time she spent caring for her parents at the end of their lives. Her moving, funny talk explores the universal themes of life, death, and family as well as the riotous stories and career highlights that could only come from Kate herself. Kate is joined in conversation by Eithne Verling, Director of the Galway City Museum. Kate Mulgrew's First Thought Talk took place on the NUI Galway campus and was recorded in front of a live audience as part of Galway International Arts Festival in July 2019. You can watch the video from this event here (Star Trek fans especially will want to tune into the audience Q&A at the end): https://www.giaf.ie/talks/first-thought-talk-with-kate-mulgrew

A meditation on the theme of ‘Home' exploring what it means to share a community, a future, and a planet, presented by President of Ireland Michael D Higgins at Galway International Arts Festival in July 2018.  You can also watch the video from this event here https://www.giaf.ie/talks/first-thought-talk-with-president-michael-d-higgins