Rebel Matters Podcast

Ed Horgan is a founding member of the Shannon Watch campaign and has been monitoring the use of Shannon Airport and Irish airspace by the US military over the course of the last 25 years. Ed is a former Commandant and former UN Peacekeeper and has consistently highlighted the illegality and breaches of Irish and international law as the US continue to use Shannon airport for the transport of troops, munitions, and equipment.  In this episode we discuss Irish complicity in the genocide in Palestine on account of the Irish governments refusal to search or stop Shannon being used for the purposes of the US military. We also touch on Irish neutrality and the shift towards becoming a NATO country, as well the current situation in Lebanon with regards to the UNIFL and the steady escalation of hostilities of Israeli forces towards the presence of the UN Peacekeeping force. Rebel Matters is available on many of the usual podcast platforms and our website www.rebelmatters.ie. The show is supported in full by our followers over on Patreon. Link in bio to see our various tiers of support and find out how you can become a Patron.    

This is a special episode, and one that was a long time in the making. Síomha Brock and I sat down by the fireside and recoded this conversation while a storm raged outside. During this episode we talk through the process of the creation of Síomha's maiden album 'Infinite Space'. The chat navigates through the unique process in which the album was made, a discussion on the merits of community funded projects, lowering the environmental impact of creation, Síomha's time in Palestine, and her upcoming plans in the post release phase of the album.  Thank you very much to Síomha for coming on the show, and all the patrons of the show who have kept the Rebel Matters Podcast on the road through thick and thin. If you would like to back the show and help us to keep creating content like this episode you can visit our Patreon page to see teh various tiers of support.  www.patreon.com/rebelmatters   

This weeks episode is a solo run discussing strategies and routines to handle periods of high workload. I discuss the idea of checking in with ones-self when the going gets tough, actions that create maximal results in relation to the effort it takes to carry out the actions, the transience of stressful periods, and the importance of reminding ourselves that our self worth is more valuable than our work.   

We are back on the road! This is the first episode in a while after my 3 month spell living and working in the Aida refugee camp on @aclaipalestine Today's guest on the show is Echlas Al-Azza, a Palestinian refugee with muscular atrophy living in the Alazza camp. Echlas is also my Arabic teacher whom I visited twice per week to start my Arabic learning journey. The Alazza camp is less than a 10 minute walk from the Aida camp, and Echlas has an amazing story to tell. As with many of the personal stories of Paletinina's living under occupation, you might not even believe they are true unless you heard them straight from the source. In this episode Echlas talked about living with her disability, being intentionally hit by a settler in a car in 1995, her experience in hospital in the '48 lands, learning English and German, becoming a teacher, her volunteer program. Echlas takes volunteers at her home in the Alazza camp to help her around the house, and also provides a kind of cultural exchange for volunteers who are staying with her learning about the political situation in Palestine, food, culture, language, and meeting with other organisations groups and individuals around the west bank. if you are interested in finding out more about Echlas's volunteer program you can send her a message on Facebook (Echlas Al-Azza) drop her an email to echlas2010@yahoo.com  Massive thank you to the supports and Patrons of the show for your patience during this break from episodes. You are a bunch of legends. We have some great episodes planned for the coming weeks and months and cant wait to share them with you. As usual this episode and all the rest of them are available to listen to for free on our website www.rebelmatters.ie and all usual podcast platforms.

Today we have an International Women's Day special with Caoimhe Butterly. I first met Caoimhe when we hosted a delegation of Zapatistas at ACLAÍ in 2021, and was really happy to get a chance to chat to her at length for this episode.  Caoimhe is a human rights campaigner, educator, film-maker and therapist who has spent over twenty years working in humanitarian and social justice contexts in Haiti, Guatemala, Mexico, Palestine, Iraq, Lebanon and with refugee communities in Europe. In this episode we talk about some of Caoimhe's work past and present, working within marganilsed and migrating communities, and touch on the role of self-care and compassion when undertaking work in what can often be a traumatising environment.  This chat flowed very naturally, and while the subject matter was at times heavy I really enjoyed talking to Caoimhe. This epsidoe was edited by Emma Ní Chearúil. 

This week's epsiode is with my long term friend Conor Hammersley, and in this episode we discusses the isssues of male violence towards women and men's health.  Conor has extensive experience in the area of men's health at a research, policy and advocacy level. He is a PhD Scholar with Teagasc and the National Center for Men's Health and his work looks at the socio-cultural context that shapes gendered behaviour among rural men in Ireland.  His research interests include gender and health, mental health and suicide prevention in men, and health promotion targeted at ‘hard to reach' populations of men.  He has a number of peer-reviewed publications and has presented at national and international conferences on rural men's health and is a board member of the Ending Sexual Violence, Prevention and Support Committee (ESP) in the Institute of Technology Carlow and the National Farmer Health Alliance in Ireland and a member of the American Public Health Association.  This epsiode was edite by Emma Ní Chearúil. 

Fidelma O'Kane from the Save Our Sperrins anti-gold mining campaign is our guest on episode 106. This chat was a massive eye opener for me. What I thought was a big gold-mining company picking on a small rural community was way off. The success of the Save Our Sperrins campaign is critical to close the door on gold mining prospects popping up all over the country. If the gold mine goes ahead in the Sperrins goes ahead it will be an ecological and environmental train wreck, and will jeopardise the lives of the people who live there now and the lives of future generations.  Follow Save Our Sperrins on facebook and listen to the horrendous plans that Dalradian Gold have in store for the people of the Sperrins. They plan to have 2 explosions in the area every day for 20 years and the plans include cyanid pits, mountains of waste rock and destruction of an area of outstanding natural beauty.  Notably minister for the environment in the 26 counties Eamonn Ryan signed the petition to stop the Sperrins goldmine, and is the minister in charge of granting current gold mining prospect license of which there are 2 planned for Cork and Kerry. Further, Dalraian used 2 Belfast based PR companies to further their plans and public image in the Sperrins; MCE and AV Brown. Interestingly one of the Directors of MCE Ben Mallon is a former DUP councillor and another Lindsay Millar is a former UUP Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council.  Episode available on all usual platforms. Thank you to Fidelma for being a guest on the show and thanks to the supporters of the show who are subscribed via patreon.com/rebelmatters.  Map of gold mining prospecting licences in the north: https://www.economy-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/economy/mineral-prospecting-licence-map-council-boundaries.pdf Map showing prospecting licences in the south: http://spatial.dcenr.gov.ie/EMD_DOWNLOAD/Nov2021/PL_Map_Nov2021_A0.pdf      

Tomás Mulligan is our guest for episode 105 of Rebel Matters. We discussed the supposed ‘development' that was planned for the Cobblestone Bar last year, an institution of traditional music and a cultural hub in Dublin city. Tomás shares his family long standing and deep connection with the Cobblestone, talks about how they found out about the proposed plan, and how the protests took hold that ultimately saved the Cobblestones from being the latest casualty what seems to be a sustained attack on cultural spaces in Dublin city. An important listen for anyone interested in organising collective action to protect cultural and communal spaces, and for anyone who is interested in preserving the spaces that that allow our music, art, and culture to flourish. 

In this episode Ainle chats to screenwriter, radio presenter, and at time of writing president of Radio Skidrow in Sydney Australia. The chat ranged from the importance of acknowledging the original people and place names of land that is now. most commonly known as Australia, Huna's work at Radio Skidrow, the challenges faced by the station during the pandemic, and the power of community radio. 

This is our first proper episode back after the bit of. Break over the last few months. I recorded this chat with Timmy and James from the Two Norries Podcast about 4 months ago in the social space at ACLAÍ.  This is such a special episode for me as I got to spend more time with Timmy and James who I first met when I was a guest on the 2 Norrries a while back. We chatted about some of the socio-economic divides that exist in Cork city and the lads share some of their own stories in a very personal and honest way. I can't thank the lads enough for being guests on the show, and I think this episode will be of help to someone out there as well as being a great listen and insight into Timmy and James's journeys so far. 

It has been 15 weeks since the last episode and this one is a short catchup with Ainle to get the ball rolling again. The chat veers towards ACLAÍ, one year anniversaries, music, and the plan for RMP in the upcoming weeks. There is a howling wind to be heard during this episode and a bit of whinging from Neansaí, the latest addition to the Rebel Matters household!

When I was in Belfast recently I put this special edition together featuring tracks from my mum's rather extensive and broad ranging CD collection. A nice way to spend an evening and something different than the regular Rebel Matters format! 

For the 100th episode I sat down with long term pal and guest from episode #6 Darragh Graham and he interviewed me rather than the standard format of me asking the questions. This is an informal chat covering quite a bit of ground, and something a little different for the 100th episode. We talked about the backdrop of the Rebel Matters Podcast, how the show has developed over the last four years, the practice of interviewing the guests and how it had changed over 100 episodes. We also discussed the value of sharing food, community, the grieving process, identity and self-expression. Massive thank you to Darragh for taking part in this episode and to everyone who has contributed to the Rebel Matters Journey over the last 100 episodes! x

This weeks guest is builder Harrison Gardner, who I first got to know while attending his How To Build Everything Out Of Anything course in the summer of 2020. In this episode we chat about how Harrison got into the building game in the first place, his path to running his educational course at his home outside of Ennistymon County Clare where he lives with his wife Erin and their daughter Inari. We discuss the ideas and philosophies behind Harrison's approach, and our primal connection to creating homes.  Harrison's Website: https://www.harrisongardner.net Harrison's Instagram @_harrisongardner Recent article on Harrison and the TV show he is currently working on: https://www.independent.ie/life/dream-ofbuilding-your-own-home-eco-builder-harrison-gardnerwants-to-show-you-how-for-a-new-rte-series-40334313.html

This weeks guest is Professor Mazin Qumsiyeh, a founder of the Palestine Museum of Natural History and the Palestine Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability (PIBS) at the Bethlehem University.  Professor Qumsiyeh teaches and does research at Bethlehem and Birzeit Universities. He previously served on the faculties of the University of Tennessee, Duke, and Yale Universities. He and his wife returned to Palestine in 2008 starting a number of institutions and projects such as a clinical genetics laboratory that serves cancer and other patients. Qumsiyeh has published over 140 scientific papers on topics ranging from cultural heritage to biodiversity to cancer. His many published books include “Bats of Egypt”, "Mammals of the Holy Land", "Sharing the Land of Canaan: Human rights and the Israeli/Palestinian Struggle" and "Popular Resistance in Palestine: A History of Hope and Empowerment". Mazin's website is http://qumsiyeh.org

This week's guest is Richard Howard, author of Space for Peace: Fragments of the Irish Troubles in the Science Fiction of Bob Shaw and James White. We discuss the Irish science fiction movement and the lives of Shaw and White. We take a look at the social and political climate in which they lived, worked and wrote, and its inextricable influence on their creative output. 

This week is half solo-run and half conversation in memory of our dear friend and comrade Salah Ajarma who passed away suddenly at his home in the Aida refugee on the 14th of April 2020.   The solo-run section contains some reflections on trips to Palestine and time with Salah as well as a bit of a chat about the parallels between the political history here in Ireland and the current situation in Palestine. The interview section is a chat I recorded with Salah on the 4th of December 2019 while he was on a visit to ACLAÍ in Cork. He discusses his work at the Lajee centre and gives an insight into life in Palestine and in particular for Palestinian refugees.   Below are a few useful links mentioned in the episode: Recent Newstalk interview with Joe Brolly: https://www.newstalk.com/podcasts/the-thursday-interview-on-the-hard-shoulder/joe-brolly-on-the-thursday-interview New York Times feature on Salah after the 2002 siege https://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/10/international/middleeast/a-bittersweet-homecoming.html Footage from inside the siege of Church of Nativity Footage | Siege of the Church of the Nativity (2002) Link to Lajee Centre Website https://www.lajee.ps

Between the 9th and 11th of August 1971, the 1st Battalion of the British Army's Parachute Regiment murdered 11 innocent civilians on the streets of Ballymurphy, West Belfast. One of the victims was Briege's mother, 44 year old Joan Connolly. Briege talks about the events of the time, the recently concluded inquest into the massacre, and the decades-long battle that relatives have fought for justice, transparency about how and why the massacre happened, and to clear the innocent names of the 11 victims of British state murder.

The Useless Project was started by Geraldine Carton and Taz Kelleher in November 2018. Powered by energy, enthusiasm and positivity, the pair highlight the positive, accessible and pragmatic side to living a more sustainable lifestyle. Starting-off largely events-based, The Useless Project has expanded beyond the realms of swap shops and flea markets, merging into education, advocacy and online content generation. Touching on the “useless” feeling so many people experience in the face of the current climate crisis, Geraldine and Taz show that one surefire way to ensure positive change is to just start small; connect more; and just use less. Through this mantra The Useless Project encourage their huge online community to make whatever incremental positive changes wherever they can, and they cover everything from food waste and biodiversity, to ethical clothing production, greenwashing and human rights activism. The pair have a brilliant ability to break down big issues like sustainability, consumerism and climate action, and they put a huge amount of work into making these important issues easy to understand. They have a lot of self-awareness about what it is they're doing, and why it matters. In this podcast, I spoke with Taz and Geraldine about their motivations behind the Useless Project. Rather than focusing purely on the outward aspect of the project itself, it's also a chat about the behind the scenes of the project. We have a lot of common ground in terms of production process, online fatigue, and working as a duo. 

Ep 93: #SpyCops - the Undercover Policing scandal, with Tom Fowler Back in January, we got in touch with a member of the Cardiff Anarchist Network named Tom Fowler, who was spied upon by an undercover police officer back in the early 2000s. For decades, individuals across the UK have been targeted by secret police due to their involvement in political activism and community organising. Citizens have been spied on, manipulated, and abused in order to undermine democratic participation in politics. Sustained pressure from activists networks campaigning on these issues led to the calling of a public inquiry into Undercover Policing. Police Spies Out Of Lives is a support group for women affected by relationships with undercover cops. Here is what they have to say about #SpyCops: “We now know that officers adopted the identities of dead children and lied their way into the heart of protest groups. They spied on anyone and everyone who was involved in political dissent or who posed a threat to the reputation of the police; they spied on the families of those people; they formed intimate, sexual relationships and lived with women for years, even proposing marriage or fathering children before disappearing; they provided intelligence in secret that led to hundreds of people being wrongfully convicted; and they worked with private companies to create illegal blacklists, ensuring political activists could not find work.” Tom speaks to us about the history of #SpyCops in the UK, the recent #SpyCops Enquiry, and the controversial ‘#SpyCops Bill’. We talk about the policing of protest, overt and covert policing, and the criminalisation of dissent. We’re glad to be able to put some small focus on this heinous abuse of police power. Please note that this episode discusses sexual coercion and makes for heavy listening at times.

Today’s episode, the 92nd in the series, coincides with International Women’s Day. To mark the occasion we are joined by life-long civil rights activist Bernadette McAliskey and her daughter Deirdre McAliskey. Bernadette discussed the work she is currently undertaking with the South Tyrone Empowerment Program (STEP), her tour of America in 1969, the new generation in Ireland, and the local and lesser-known women who put their bodies on the line during the war, yet given little space in official accounts of the struggle. Deirdre discussed seeing the events of the time through a child's eyes, the experience of visiting South Africa alongside her mother in 2011, and her current work at the National Children's Bureau. This is a unique conversation with Bernadette and Deirdre about community organising, béaloideas, women's work, solidarity, childhood experiences & childrearing. It is an episode about family, home, and learning to dig where you stand. We hope you enjoy it.

We’re so pleased to get to speak with the relentlessly prolific underground Irish hip-hop artist and producer Craic Boi Mental. As well as being one half of Whip Mental (his project with his wife, Whip Girl), Craic Boi has released countless tapes, tracks and music videos under a multitude of distinctive hip-hop aliases such as Oscar Benso, Yung Gowl, Dudewithswag, Mili$, and King Flora. Humour, hooks and vibes abound! Craic Boi also pioneered the $quick movement, a supportive community platform for underground and uncategorisable rural-based artists in Ireland.  Craic Boi Mental talks to Rebel Matters about being diagnosed with autism in his late teens, his personal creative process, and how to deal with the haters. Dismissed and rejected for years by national mainstream music circles for being too outside the box, even the Gardaí couldn’t hold Craic Boi Mental back. Despite existing on the fringes of Irish hip-hop for years, Craic Boi has always had a devoted international online cult following. Now he is thriving and surviving in deep West Cork, trying to find a balance in life as an autistic activist, a hit-maker, a G, and a champion for neurodiverse people everywhere. Ferociously DIY and never afraid to call out ableism and misogyny in the scene, Craic Boi’s constant musical evolution stretches back from those early diss track days, to a personal hip-hop that is far more conscious, critical and vulnerable. It’s high time we caught up with this enigma, to see what he might do next!

We are very proud to be part of #DouglassWeek, the weeklong, wide-ranging celebration of the great abolitionist Frederick Douglass’s visit to Ireland over 175 years ago. For this episode, we speak with historian Laurence Fenton, the author of Frederick Douglass in Ireland: 'The Black O'Connell' and 'I Was Transformed' Frederick Douglass: An American Slave in Victorian Britain.  #DouglassWeek runs between 8-14 February, 2021 and is an all-island, collaborative event series that celebrates the arrival of Frederick Douglass in Ireland between 1845-1846. Douglass had been born into slavery but escaped bondage on a plantation in Maryland by fleeing to the North, where he became a prominent anti-slavery activist. Douglass lectured to large and enthusiastic audiences in Dublin, Wexford, Waterford, Cork, Limerick and Belfast, met with Daniel O’Connell, and reflected upon the devastating effects of the famine then beginning to sweep the nation. Laurence talks us through Douglass' life, and that memorable Irish visit. For full #DouglassWeek programme information and resources, see www.douglassincork.com

This week's episode is with artist, actor, peace activist, playwright and pirate radio queen, Margaretta D'Arcy. Margaretta has campaigned for decades on issues related to global peace and civil liberties. In 2014, Margaretta, then aged 80, served two prison sentences resulting from her opposition to the use of Shannon Airport by the US military.  Over the years, her activism has taken many forms. She was a member of Bertrand Russell's Committee of 100 group. She participated in anti-nuclear demonstrations at Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp, and took part in the H-Block women's protests in Armagh. Broadcasting from her kitchen in Galway, she operated a long-running women's pirate radio station, which served to give a platform to lesser-heard and marginalised voices in the community. She wrote and devised a large body of 'Loose' theatre, often working in collaboration with her late-partner, the radical playwright John Arden. Together, they created the much-celebrated The Non-Stop Connolly Show, the story of James Connolly told in six parts over 24 hours. In this episode of the podcast, Margaretta talks to us about how she was arrested during a peaceful demonstration in Belfast on International Women's Day 1979, which lead to her taking part in the no-wash protests in Armagh Gaol. She describes the brutality and humiliation of invasive strip searches by male prison guards on women prisoners, and asks questions of whether women are given their proper dues when it comes to acknowledging the place of profound feminist resistance within our complex history of revolutionary struggle.  We look at artistic censorship, political complacency, our complicity in war, and our inability to empathise with strangers in other lands. Is imagination enough to fight back against neoliberal Ireland? And just how is Margaretta D'Arcy still finding ways to resist during these lockdown times? 

Investigate this hideous din.  We welcome Ian Lynch as our first Rebel Matters guest of 2021! Many listeners will know Ian from the acclaimed folk group Lankum, and more recently from his podcast Fire Draw Near, a monthly show which investigates Irish traditional music and song in all of its myriad forms.  Try on the boots. Ian opens up about an unseen aspect of being in a regularly gigging band, giving us a sense of the havoc that a heavy touring schedule can wreak on the body and mind. Just what has he been doing with all this free time, now that gigging is off the cards for the foreseeable future? Check the wall for secret passages. We went down a pretty unconventional path with this episode, discussing the fantastical world of Fighting Fantasy role-playing gamebooks that Ian has been a fan of since he was eight years old. We even played a bit of one of them during the episode! We talk about the role that mythologies play in helping people make sense of the world and their place in it. Listen in to hear more about the sub-underground genre of music that Ian has recently been exploring in a solo guise!  Check the tools more carefully. Ian also speaks about the stark difference for artists between music streaming platforms such as Spotify and Bandcamp, and we share our experiences of making connections with others through Patreon. You’ll need stamina, luck and skill to make it through this episode. Good luck!

This weeks show is a solo run episode with Ainle taking a news year's look at health. A kind of crossover episode encompassing Ainle's professional experience of over 15 years in the strength and conditioning field, personal thoughts on the health and fitness industry and how it often serves to exaggerate our insecurities for the benefit of selling us more rubbish, and some practical suggestions on wholesome exercise, nutrition, and self-care.

In this episode, I talk to Kate McGrew (also known as Lady Grew) about sex work in Ireland and SWAI, the Sex Workers Alliance Ireland. SWAI is an organisation that works with sex workers for better access to rights, health and justice in Ireland. SWAI believes sex workers themselves should be at the centre of the development of policy which directly impacts upon their lives. We spoke about Kate's own background as a performer, how she went from working as a Greenpeace 'chugger' to working in a house of domination in New York, before eventually settling here in Ireland and getting involved in SWAI. Kate talks about the laws that surround sex work here in Ireland, and explains how this year has drastically affected sex workers in Ireland - from the complete lack of support from the state with regards to emergency payment, to the realities of workers who were forced to risk their health by going back to work during the pandemic. (SWAI crowdfunded during this emergency, to help workers with small payments to help flatten the curve and to cushion the financial blow of lockdown for sex workers.) As I mention in the intro to this episode, I went into this conversation a little bit blind, not knowing a whole lot about the sex work industry in Ireland or how the current laws and behaviour of the Gardaí leave workers vulnerable and put them in real danger. Talking with Kate was a real eye-opener, and she left me with a lot to think about.  Find out more about SWAI here: https://sexworkersallianceireland.org

Stevie G is a DJ, radio presenter, a producer, a promoter and a youth worker who, for the past number of years, has been helping to nurture and amplify the creative expressions of Cork’s young migrant communities.  Many people will be familiar with Stevie from his long-running show on Cork's RedFM and from spinning records in clubs all over. He started out DJing back in the early 90's at many legendary club nights and is a generous and respected figure in the Cork arts community, using his wide platform to help, encourage and open doors for the next generation.  We talked about the legendary Sir Henry's nightclub in Cork and why it’s important not to wallow in nostalgia, we learn how Stevie got deep into music in the first place (did you know that Stevie G was originally a punk?) and we talk about the various projects Stevie is involved in, including the dynamic and important Cork Migrant Centre Youth project. As often happens during Rebel Matters chats, we delved into some of the current issues facing our society and the wider community today, and Stevie outlines why there needs to be a necessary shake-up of festival programming here in Ireland, in a post-pandemic future.

This week's guest is Virginia O' Gara who co-founded the vegan food company My Goodness in Cork in 2014. We chatted about the Food Not Bombs movement, how Virginia learned Spanish from guerrilla fighters in Guatemala, the intersection of business and revolutionary politics, and the Cork Urban Soil Project. It was recorded in the social space of ACLAÍ in Cork while sipping on some lovely My Goodness kombucha. 

This weeks episode is a solo run with Ainle and is the first show in 5 weeks on account of a family bereavement. Ainle chats about a few aspects of his experience over the last month or so including thoughts about acceptance, meditation, and the importance of community. 

This week's guest is Dublin songwriter and producer Gemma Dunleavy whose recent EP 'Up De Flats' is a direct response to the ongoing developments in the Sheriff Street/Dublin 1 area. We chatted with her about the importance of community, how working class areas are often stigmatised & discriminated against, and about the danger posed to the area that she grew up in by ongoing commercial developments without regard for the community that have lived there for generations. Hear Gemma talk about systematic oppression, old souls, self-worth and how important poetry was to her growing up.

This week I am in conversation with author, screenwriter, playwright and former Provisional IRA volunteer and prisoner of war Laurence McKeown. Laurence spent 70 days on hunger strike as part of the 1981 hunger strike in the H-Blocks gaol that resulted in 10 republican POWs giving their lives for political status, and that changed the course of Irish history and the struggle for freedom from British rule.  Laurence has written two books about Irish republican prisoners in the H-Blocks; Nor Meekly Serve My Time: The H-Block Struggle 1976–1981 (co-written with Brian Campbell and Felim O'Hagan) was published in 1994, and Out Of Time: Irish Republican Prisoners, Long Kesh, 1972–2000 was published in 2001, as well as writing plays and films relating to his life experience.  I have created a Spotify playlist called '10' to go with this episode, which can be found on my own public playlist list.    

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 strike, the demands of the workers, the personal toll that the strike is taking and some of the sacrifices being made to keep the strike going. They are planning to come out of the stort tomorrow at 1pm and there will be a rally of support outside the Patrick Street store when they come out. Get down and support them if you can. 

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 on Spotify to accompany the episode, and had a good dig at the evil ways of hyper-captialism the dangers of constant competition, as you do! 

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 episode last night I realised that I talked to myself for over an hour and considered that it might be a sign that I am losing my mind, but I will leave that up to you. 

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 George Floyd on Monday the 25th of May, and helping protesters who are being arrested and detained by police. This is a very important episode if you want to understand more about the political environment that has resulted in the murder of many people of colour while in police custody in America, learn more about what is happening on the ground as we speak with regards the anti-racist rising and protests, and find out how you can show your solidarity and support to the movement that is gathering momentum with every day in a way that will contribute positively. Tai has also compiled a mutual aid spreadsheet  of organisations that you can donate to should you wish to show your support in that way, and you can access from the link in her instagram bio (@taikittyy). Thank you to Tai for taking the time to record this episode, and solidarity and love to our brothers and sisters who are standing up for justice, equality, and ultimately freedom from oppression. 

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 of The Last Of The Name can be found at the end of this episode. 

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!