Podcasts about Good Friday Agreement

Dr. Alice Donald, Professor of Human Rights Law at Middlesex University, is one of the author's of a report that was recently published this week from the Bonavero Institute at Oxford University on media coverage of the European Convention on Human Rights.We examine the findings of the report, the prevalence and impact of misreporting, the role of the convention in areas beyond immigration, the political debate surrounding potential withdrawal and the impact on the Good Friday Agreement, and the responsibilities of public service journalism in informing the public.The fact that his son liked British chicken nuggets had no bearing on the case, that it was nowhere near strong enough evidence to mean that the man shouldn't be deported. So, a) it wasn't the basis, and b) the decision was overturned anyway. But it continued to be reported.Listen to all our episodes here: https://podfollow.com/beebwatchTo support our journalism and receive a weekly blog sign up now for £1.99 per month www.patreon.com/BeebWatch/membership @BeebRogerInstagram: rogerboltonsbeebwatchLinkedIn: Roger Bolton's Beeb Watchemail: roger@rogerboltonsbeebwatch.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From the late 1960s to 1998, Northern Ireland was gripped by "The Troubles" - three decades of bloodshed, resulting from competing visions for its future. This week, we're releasing a two-part series that explores why this conflict erupted and how it played out. For this, Dan is joined by Dr Thomas Leahy, Lecturer in British and Irish Politics and Contemporary History at Cardiff University.In this second episode we chart the turbulent 20th century, from the Irish War of Independence to the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.We'd love to hear your feedback - you can take part in our podcast survey here: https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on.You can also email the podcast directly at ds.hh@historyhit.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on Galway Talks with John Morley 9am-10am Relief locally as Fine Gael councillors instructed to block nomination of independents   Good Friday Agreement could have reference to ECHR removed – according to Reform UK's Nigel Farage   We hear about how Galwegians can access healthcare in Northern Ireland  10am-11am Tributes paid as retired Galway Bay fm journalist Ken Kelly passes away after a short illness   Commercial Bus Operators Call for Full Inclusion in New Free Travel Scheme for Children Under 9   Galway Hospice to Host Palliative Care Conference  11am-12pm Galway Great - Jarlath McDonagh   Sports review 

 Say No To Farage. Probably more than any other politician in Britain Nigel Farage was responsible for winning the vote on Brexit in 2016. He exploited racism and anti-migrant sentiment winning new converts over to an English centred- jingoistic view of the world. The dangers of Farage's xenophobic beliefs are evident daily across the British news media. Every day attacks increase on refugees and migrants.Farage has also exploited the divisions within the British Conservative Party. Theresa May and Boris Johnson said they were for completely cutting Britain from all its legal and legislative connections and treaty obligations with Europe. One of these is the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The ECHR was incorporated into the law of the North as an integral part of the Good Friday Agreement. It was written into the Agreement as a way of protecting equality and human rights and preventing any return to the discriminatory and sectarian policies implemented under the Stormont Regime.Farage has now made the withdrawal of Britain from the ECHR a major plank of his political programme for the next British general election. As the right in Britain become ever more strident Farage has set his sights, very publicly, on renegotiating the Good Friday Agreement and clearing the way to extricate Britain from the ECHR. Padraic Fiacc – A Belfast PoetPadraic Fiacc (born Patrick Joseph O'Connor) died six years ago at the age of 94. Several weeks ago a Blue Plaque was unveiled on the wall of the Falls Road Library, close to his birthplace, in memory of this redoubtable Belfast poet.His writing is not as well-known as other poets but his poems stand out for their stark language and brutal rawness, especially when he writes about the conflict. Michael and Brid McKernon, brother and sister, have been campaigning for almost twenty-five years to have Padraic Fiacc, formally recognised and accepted as an outstanding poet of his time. They believe the recent unveiling of the Ulster History Circle Blue Plaque, is a significant step in that direction. Chieftain's Walk, Doire 14th of September. 

Join us at Bradgate Park in Leicester with Jules Acton, author, former podcast guest and Trust ambassador, while our regular host Adam enjoys a summer holiday. We meet senior park ranger Matt who gives us a tour as he explains his role in caring for the site and its amazing trees. We've come to the park to see one in particular: a magnificent 830-year-old oak. It's in the running for Tree of the Year 2025. This year's contest celebrates our cultural connections with trees, shining a light on those that are local landmarks, sources of passion, inspiration and creativity. Find out what makes Bradgate Park's oldest oak special and vote for your favourite by 19 September.   Don't forget to rate us and subscribe! Learn more about the Woodland Trust at woodlandtrust.org.uk Transcript You are listening to Woodland Walks, a podcast for the Woodland Trust. We protect and plant trees for people to enjoy, to fight climate change and to help wildlife thrive.  Jules: Good morning. I'm Jules Acton. I'm an ambassador for the Woodland Trust. I've been in this job for 10 years this month and it's been a fantastic 10 years. I've loved every day because I get to meet some amazing trees and woods and even more than that, I also get to meet lots of amazing people who love trees and woods and who are inspired by them. So Woodland Trust members, other supporters, staff and volunteers. And I think one of the reasons people love trees so much is not just for the fact they provide all the wonderful services they they store our carbon, they provide fresh air, they can help filter pollution. But they're also absolutely entwined in our culture. And that's been taking place over hundreds and thousands of years. So our, particularly our native tree species tree species are absolutely embedded in our culture, and every old tree has a story to tell. Now, the reason we're here today is that we're going to talk about Tree of the Year and the theme of the Tree of the Year is culture and the way trees are embedded in culture. Ten magnificent trees have been chosen by a panel of experts. Each has a wonderful story to tell, and members of the public can go and vote for their favourite tree on the Woodland Trust website.  We are here in Bradgate Park car park. It is a golden morning and we're surrounded by trees. I can see oak trees, hawthorns, birches, hazels. It's absolutely gorgeous with the dappled sunlight falling down on us through the leaves. We're here to meet a particularly special tree. It's Bradgate Park's oldest oak tree, and it's about 20 minutes walk from the car park. So I see my colleague Natasha. She's over there waiting at the edge of the car park, waiting for Matt. Hello Natasha.  Natasha: Hello. Ohh hi!  Jules: Can you tell us a bit about your role, Natasha and what you do at the Woodland Trust?  Natasha: Yeah, I'm a social media officer, so I just help create and schedule all social media content, jump on whenever there's an opportunity like today.  Jules: And today you're going to be helping with the recording.  Natasha: Yeah, getting a few clips behind the scenes of how we record the podcast so we can share that and a few bits for our website as well and YouTube.  Jules: Thanks Natasha. Now I think we have just seen somebody drive up who might well be Matt. He's he's appeared in a very groovy looking buggy. And here we go. I believe this is Matt. Hello.   Matt: Good morning, Jules.   Jules: Hello, Matt, hi, lovely to meet you.  Matt: Nice to meet you. Welcome to Bradgate Park.  Jules: Thank you. Can you tell us a little bit about your role, Matt?  Matt: So yeah so I've I've worked at Bradgate Park for just over 20 years now and main sort of roles on on the site are woodland management and caring for the ancient trees that we've got that that are of European importance. And I also get quite involved with the drystone walls and repairing them. I lead a a group of volunteers on a Thursday and as we go across the site, I'm sure I can show you some of the work that we've been doing.  Jules: Oh brilliant, and you're going to particularly show us a very special tree, I believe.  Matt: Yes, I believe we might be able to find that. Yeah, the tree is approximately 830 years old. It predates the Magna Carta and I'd certainly like to take you to the tree and tell you a bit more about it.  Jules: All right. We're just getting ready to go and all around us are people enjoying the park, there are some people walking up hills. There are lots of dogs. There's one very cute little brown dog that's having a little dip in, in a little stream, a little brook, really at the edge of the park and it's already quite a warm day, so I think it's having a nice little cool down.  We're back en route towards the special tree with the beautiful drystone wall to our right and across to the left are, well there's a tree, there's a plantation, and then there's also a sort of a bit of a wood pasture environment would you call it Matt, with some native trees dotted around in the landscape?  Matt: Yeah, very much so. So this is Hallgates Valley. We're looking across to Dale Spinney. The park itself is 830 acres, of which spinneys represent about 10% of the parkland area, so it's quite a large proportion. All the spinneys were planted on the, on the hilltops across the park, that's that's not just by chance. And they were created around about 1830s-40s by the 6th early of Stamford and and now we see the spinneys that we've got here today so you've got quite a mature, mature standard trees. Quite a lot are softwood, but then we've got a mixture of hardwoods in there. We certainly replant hardwoods in the spinneys.  Jules: How would you define a spinney as opposed to, you know, other kinds of woods?  Matt: Nice easy question *laughs*. I would I would say you've obviously got different names of woodlands and you know we're, we're, we're in Charnwood Forest, but a a forest isn't just trees, it's clearings. And I would say a copse is a small woodland. I would say the spinney is is probably like slightly larger than that and then you go up towards a wood. I could be totally wrong! *both laugh*  Jules: I like it though. So Matt you say, you've you've been here 20 years.   Matt: Yeah, 22.  Jules: 22. So you obviously love it. And what is it that keeps you here?  Matt: I was born in Leicester and came here as a young child playing and you know to end up working here as a job, it's certainly a nice place to be coming to and huge, beautiful surroundings, fresh air and and then I've I've just got a real passion for particularly the a lot of the heritage crafts that we keep alive on the estate. So yes, we go down and we manage the woodlands, but we're actually carrying out coppicing operations and that, they go back to the Stone Age and and then other work on the site for instance drystone walling, which we're approaching a gap now that we've been repairing and is obviously another heritage craft, and for me, I I just think it's really important that we're passing on these skills, heritage crafts on to the next sort of generation.  Jules: That that's brilliant. And do you do you train sort of volunteers or or is it staff members in in this kind of thing?  Matt: I've trained up to Level 2 in walling. That's something I I went up to Derbyshire to do. We've actually got another chap on site now, Leon. He's, he was in the armed forces and and and Leon is doing his levels in walling as well. I believe he's already got Level 1 and 2. He's working towards his 3, we might be able to pop and see him in a bit, but I guess the focus should be trees today *laughs*.  Jules: Yeah, well if we have time, that'd be great. See how we go.  Matt: This is certainly a large gap of wall that we've been doing on the estate. We've got 17 miles of drystone wall to maintain. The deer park itself goes back to 1241, but it's, the boundaries changed slightly over over the years and the largest extent of the deer park was probably around about 1550 and that would have, certain parts of the boundary are drystone wall and and that's obviously what what we're left with today and we need to maintain that. Not only does it keep the deer inside the park, which is obviously beneficial for a deer park, it's fantastic habitat for various, you know, sort of reptiles to live in and adders, grass snakes, things like that.  Jules: Fantastic, so we're looking at at one of the drystone walls and it's I'd say about shoulder height, would you say and it's a grey sort of almost sort of slaty looking stone actually, do you, can you tell us what kind of the stone it is?  Matt: Yeah so on on this side of the park, it's it's it's it's a little bit more slaty towards Newtown Linford, that's that's more of a granite, the walling that we do on the, that we we do on the park is is called random coursed walling. So yes, as we build the wall up, you start with the larger stones at the bottom and as the as the wall tapers up, it angles in, that's called the batter of the wall, you can see the frame we've got and that that we're working to, we've got the building lines in. So this one is 80 centimetres at the bottom, tapering up to 40 centimetres at the top. Originally this was actually a lime mortar wall and a lot of walls on the park are lime mortar, but it is possible to rebuild dry, but we do a mix a mixture of both on the estate.  Jules: That's great and it's just lovely to see these heritage practices being kept alive and you mentioned the coppicing as well, which is absolutely very much part of woodland culture going back centuries. I believe it goes back to the Vikings, maybe even earlier, I don't know if you know anything about the history of it, Matt?  Matt: Yeah, well, certainly the Stone Age coppicing going back, going back to the Stone Age, it's the process of cutting the tree down to ground level. Not all trees will coppice, certainly oak will. That's where Copt Oak gets the name from, coppiced oak. Hazel is the primary tree species that we are coppicing, certainly in Swithland Woods and we've got a management plan in place. We've we've just come to the end of a 10-year management plan that was supported by, there's a lady called Liz Sharkey who comes up with a great plan for us. We're just starting in, in November will be the next 10-year plan and the intention of that is to create the most diverse habitat that Swithland Woods is and it will create a mosaic of habitats, different age stands within the structure of the woodland and and part of that will be coppicing rotation and that will open up and the the the floor of the woodland, let light in and that will benefit bluebells and wood anemone and all the related bird species and invertebrates.  Jules: This is all music to our Woodland Trust ears. Thank you, Matt. Shall we continue on our little tour?  Matt: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I will turn this very loud... *banging*  Jules: *laughs* I'm not actually sure how to get out the car, but ohh, OK, yeah, yeah. Natasha's on it. Thanks Natasha. OK, so we are walking up to not the tree we're here to see, but we couldn't resist this one because it's really special and it's a gnarly oak tree, kind of growing out of what looks like a big craggy load of rocks. Yeah, Matt, could you tell us a bit more about this tree?  Matt: Yes, I can. So it's English oak and some of the, it's growing out of granite and some of the rocks on the park are actually some of the oldest rocks, certainly in Britain and and the world, 560-million-year-old rocks that we've got on the park and it's all part part of the designation, actually, of the park, it's a SSSI, geological interest in the park and also the veteran trees are also part of that designation and we have just become a National Nature Reserve as well, Bradgate Park.  Jules: Well, congratulations! Could you just explain the SSSI to us just so people understand what the abbreviation means?  Matt: It's a Site of Special Scientific Interest, so there's many layers to Bradgate Park, people might just want to come have a nice walk, enjoy the views, and people that might be more interested in the geology of the park, so we get a lot of people that are coming out and looking at the rocks and looking for fossils and they're able to from that age, the rocks on the park and then other designations that we've got are related to the ancient trees and and that all forms a a bigger picture that makes the park so important that it has to be protected.  Jules: Fantastic. And one of the things that I've just noticed on both this very old oak tree and also on the rocks are, there's a lot of lichens. They're gorgeous. So they're sort of just splattered with them, some of them just look like, like, little sort of paint splats, don't they? They are different colours, we've got white ones, green ones on the rocks, I'm looking at, sort of greyish ones. Some are crusty, some are very flat, which is I think the nature of lichens. Do you know much about the lichens?  Matt: I certainly know that we need to keep the lichens exposed to the sunlight, so we have to clear bracken so they're not getting shaded out. They take a long time to form and I certainly know that they need good clean air. So that is a good sign, if you're seeing lichens, you're in a good place as a human being.  Jules: Yeah, absolutely. And and one of the things about oak trees as well is because they, they're long-lived trees, they provide particularly important habitat for lichens, cause some, many lichens are really, really slow growing, so they need a very slow, you know, stable habitat, so whether it be the rocks or or the very old tree and you'll get different species associated with the different environments as well.  Matt: Yeah, exactly right. And and you can see as well as the being lichens on the rock, you look up into the oak tree and in to the, up the, into the crown of the tree and we are seeing lichens on on the oak tree.  Jules: Yeah. Aed one of the other things about lichens is that they are also embedded in our culture as well, so we use them to to make dyes, some people cook with them, so again, a bit like bit like the oak trees and and other native trees, they're really entwined in our cultural history. This isn't the tree we're here to see, but it's absolutely marvellous! So I, gosh, I hope this becomes, goes on the Tree of the Year shortlist at some point because it deserves it!  Matt: Well, it's nice to have more than one entry.   Jules: Yeah, that would be good, wouldn't it?  Matt: I guess it would in in increase the chances of winning, but seeing as it's the first time you've come to the park, Jules, I thought you may as well see this.  Jules: Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I love it. It looks quite elephantine from this, elephantine I should say, from this angle with this sort of like this great, long limb sticking out, it's almost like a trunk isn't it and up into the into the blue.  Matt: It certainly is, and I think that's certainly going to be the word of the day. I'm not, I'm not certainly going to try and trump that!   Jules: OK, yeah, let's, let's, let's try and use it again, in the next stop! *both laugh* OK. We're going back to the car now the the buggy, the T, TVA. No, the, what is it?  Matt: The ATV *both laugh* As we go back towards the ATV, we can see a absolutely stunning tower on a hill. It's gorgeous. It's kind of like, well it looks like it's in a fairytale to me. Could you tell us a bit about that?  Matt: So Old John Tower was, they started building it 1784 and and it is a folly and it was somewhere that the Greys, the owners, the Earls of Stamford could entertain guests and around the base of the tower, the rear is the remnants of an old racetrack, at the side of the tower, there's an old stable block and the Greys were certainly great horse fanciers and they entered racehorses into various events and along the the the old racetrack there's still remnants of old furlong markers and they were able to entertain the guests, stand up on the the roof of the of the tower and get an idea of of how good the how well the horses were performing.  Jules: Brilliant. And and the the Greys being the family of Lady Jane Grey, is that right?   Matt: Yes, that's right yeah.  Jules: OK. So it's it's absolutely stunning. It looks like the sort of, yeah, if you're drawing a scene in a fairytale, you'd be drawing a little turrety round tower on top of a hill, wouldn't you? And there'd be probably Rapunzel at the top, letting down her hair. On this occasion we've got a, on this occasion we've got a a very fit looking person who's just run a ring around the bottom of the tower and is now running towards us, obviously making use of this wonderful environment to to keep up their fantastic fitness. Right. OK. Now we are going back to the vehicle. And I think is next stop the the tree, our destination?  Matt: Yes it certainly is.  Jules: OK, OK, brilliant. I think I've actually worked out how to get in this time, which is ohh no, Matt's letting me in, thank you, what a gent, thank you. Right, we are now out of the vehicle and we are walking towards the special tree. And how long, how much of a walk is it from here?  Matt: So I can see it already and I'd say we're only about 200 yards away from it.  Jules: *laughs* Ohh, I still haven't seen it!  Matt: I'm I'm I'm deliberately walking in a way that it's going to appear.  Jules: Oh he's hiding it from us.   Matt: Yeah. There we go, fallow deer.  Jules: Ohh, there's ohh my goodness two fallow deer. The beautiful spotty backs, sort of trotting away. And then they've stopped and have given, they're looking at us. They're not too shy, actually are they?  Matt: No, no, they're not.  Jules: They look just like double Bambi. They're very beautiful.  Matt: You'll you'll you'll notice on all the trees, and there's about a dozen smaller oak trees that we planted, and these are about 30 years old now. Again, you can see how we've we've literally topped the smaller trees and and that's because we don't want to leave these trees just to get huge a. and maidens and straight and tall. So we want these to be stunted and more open grown. And so we've cut the tops off and and thinned them slightly. And then, again, we're hoping that that will make them longer lived.  Jules: Yeah, yeah. And of course, the oak trees love a lot of light, don't they? And these have got quite a lot of light and space around them.   Matt: Yes.   Jules: Ohh, I can see it now. Oh my goodness. What a beast. How fantastic. So it does, so it's the Bradgate Park's oldest oak, isn't it, so does it have a name, another name beyond that?  Matt: I think people people give it various names but it's just ‘the oldest tree in the park' *laughs*  Jules: Yeah, yeah.  Matt: Trying, I suppose for many years we've tried to keep it a bit bit sort of secret. That's probably for the benefit of the tree and certainly, the fact that it's within a spinney, people aren't walking up to it, and that's helped the tree. I feel that it's in a, it's obviously found some good growing conditions and despite the general habitat of the park being poor, upland soil, shallow, it's found some incredible growing conditions here it's been sheltered so that it's not being exposed to too much, too much wind force. And also it's it's nice and open so as the, as you know sort of from midday to right through into the evening, it's gonna get plenty of light as well. So there's I think there's been a number of factors that have certainly helped to prolong the life of the tree.  Jules: Yes, absolutely. Wow, it is a stunner. So just to try and describe this tree, it it's immensely tall. It's probably about the size of a, what about the height of a house would you say?   Matt: Yeah it's a good, good 45 feet.  Jules: Yeah. And it's got a very gnarly bole. I call it a bole rather than a trunk because it's really big, broad, and it's kind of split into two, kind of more than two. And it's got some dead branches coming out the middle. It's got one gorgeous, great, long, twisted limb reaching out. And it's that that's they're they're propped up, but it's kind of snaking, isn't it, ooh, it's elephantine that's what it is! Yeah, let's use our favourite word of the day.  Matt: I'd I'd say it's definitely elephantine *both laugh*  Jules: Yeah. And you can see kind of, it looks like there's faces everywhere, aren't there? It's like in that they've dead bit of branch there, you can see like a sort of twisted sort of face and a great long nose. And ohh it's, what a beautiful beast. So Matt, could you tell us a bit about its cultural connection to human beings?  Matt: Well, it certainly, it it was aged back in 2014 by a tree consultancy called Bosky and we we obtained a grant funding to tag and map many, many trees across the estate of this, being one of them, and it was it was aged at 818 back then, which puts us at around about the 830 mark now. In terms of relations to humans, it predates the Magna Carta and one of the most notable former residents of Bradgate Park obviously being Lady Jane, when she was a child living on the park, the tree would have already been quite a mighty oak of about 300 years.  Jules: Gosh, so, so Lady Jane Grey would have known this tree.   Matt: Yes, yeah.  Jules: She would probably sat underneath it.  Matt: Which is somewhat remarkable.  Jules: Yeah. Maybe had a little picnic under here. *Matt laughs* That's what I would have done. Fantastic. And it's wonderful that you're protecting it and actually, despite this sort of really craggy bole, it's it's looking in pretty good health, isn't it, it's got loads of leaves all around. Are you feeling sort of confident about its its future given given how it is?  Matt: Well, certainly, yeah you you've you've pointed out the props and these props have been in place supporting certainly this this limb. If we walk around the other side of the tree, you can you can get a bit more of an impression as to what the props are actually achieving for the tree and in due course, and I believe we'll we'll probably upgrade these props, which are basically telegraph posts with Land Rover tyres that have been cut, which is certainly an effective way of doing things, but we have evolved the propping techniques that are now, you can see the tree in the distance over there by the compound that's called the Pheasant Garden. And there's a there's an oak tree there that supported by a prop and that is manufactured using metal, sort of steel work and then there's a cup section that's manufactured and then that that's a more sympathetic way of actually supporting that bough.  Jules: Yeah, yes.  Matt: Regarding, you know the actual cover of the foliage, like you say, totally agree that it's it's still got reasonable foliage cover, certainly certain things that we do have to watch out for is shade. And that is partly why we've cut the tops off the trees around it. But also you can see where we've got a bit of interference here with this Scots pine at the back.  Jules: Oh yes, it's actually actually touching I think, almost touching.  Matt: So that is something that we would look to keep keep in check. So this Scots pine, as as lovely as it is, that Scots pine is more like 70 years old, and we wouldn't want that to be shading out so that's something we'll we'll probably climb up there and just cut that, cut the limb off off the Scots pine and stop that, because you can see if we just leave that doing what it's doing, it's going to start shading out and it's really important that we keep the living mass of this tree, so there's a balance there between the living mass and the dead mass of the tree, the static mass. And it's that balance as a ratio for the tree, you know, if you, if you look at a younger tree there, you can say that almost almost 100% of of the of the crown of that tree is alive. Whereas you look at this tree and you start thinking maybe 50%. So the closer that ratio between the living mass and the dead mass is, the closer that gets more like to a one to one, then the the tree will will then gradually just just just be going into decline. So you know, the tree will not live forever but I'm pretty confident it's going to outlive us guys *laughs*  Jules: Yes. It's an amazing thought, isn't it? And it's obviously very loved and and and I think the importance is is not just about the tree itself, is it? So really ancient oaks like this, they support enormous numbers of species, some of which only live on ancient oaks. So that's why we need to protect this tree as much as we possibly can and also bring on those veteran oaks of the future that you you, you're, you're that you're you're doing just that, aren't you, here in the park. Absolutely vital.   Matt: Yeah, very much so, very much so. As we've driven across the park, we've seen various planting that's been supported by the Tree Council. And like you say, that has, that certainly has been planting more oak trees, but then also other nectar bearing species, rowan, blackthorn, hawthorn, gorse. And these are all important, like you say for the deadwood insects that, that, that live within the ancient oak tree and and then as the tree gets older it then develops more veteran features and those crags, holes are very important roosting habitats for, certainly for owls and bats.  Jules: Yeah. And so oak trees in the UK collectively support more than 2,300 species, some of which are completely reliant on oak trees. They couldn't survive without oak trees, and one of the things we were talking about earlier as we drove up was the fact that there are, you know, some, some beetles, for example, some longhorn beetles, for example, they spend their lives as larvae living in deadwood. But then the adults, they need nectar when they grow up, so again, it's really important to have those nectar sources nearby isn't it?  Matt: Yeah. So very, very much is. Yeah. And that's what we're looking to do on the park we are we are planting those, those supporting plants.  Jules: Fantastic. Wonderful. This incredible tree that we're standing in front of is one of the ten contenders in this year's Tree of the Year competition and the theme of this year's competition is culture and the the the the history and culture associated with trees in our world. Ancient oaks are absolutely threaded in our culture. I'm particularly interested in them, I wrote a book about about oak trees called Oaklore, and one of the things that I talked about was the way that the oak tree intertwines with our lives with with lots of different species, but also with human lives and with our culture. There were so many stories associated with the oak tree. One of my favourites is the story of Charles II and the Boscobel Oak. So before Charles II was, became king he was fighting the parliamentarians and he took a terrible drubbing at a battle. And he needed to escape. And he escaped to Boscobel House. And he was with this soldier called Colonel Careless, and this soldier suggested that they hide in the oak tree overnight rather than the house. And they did. And even though the parliamentarian troops were were wandering nearby, they didn't find the king and his soldiers, and they escaped. And eventually they returned and that led to the restoration of the monarchy. The thing I like about this story is the cultural links then go on and on. Because at that point, a day of national celebration was declared throughout the land, and that was 29 May and that became Oak Apple Day and everybody would party and if the best people at the party, the coolest people at the party, they waved oak branches and wore oak leaves and and if you were super cool, you had lots of oak apples on your, so little galls on your oak branches. And if you didn't have little symbols of oaks, then others were apparently within their rights to take a bunch of nettles and and and attacked you with nettles, which wasn't so nice. So it was also called Nettle Day. It was also known as Pinch Bum Day and Maids Ruin Day. The story goes on, but the other sort of fun cultural connection to that is it also came, it also brought about lots of pubs called the Royal Oak, and the last time I looked there were about 400 oak trees, 400 sorry pubs called the Royal Oak throughout the land, so the cultural tales just go on and on. And that's just the oak tree. But all of our native trees have some fantastic stories associated with them in. In fact every old tree has a story to tell. It's like us, like every older person, we've all got a story, a history to tell. Yeah. OK.  Matt: So yeah, we're just walking back from the oldest tree now, and we're just sort of musing over just that connection that human, humans have got to trees. I think it's the fact that an oak tree can sort of live centuries and really, that puts our lifetimes somewhat in perspective. And the fact that an oak tree can just go from the tiniest of acorns to a huge mass of of timber and that is just really fantastic, how you could you could cut open a tree and see all those different tree rings, those years of growth and then just sort of put that in context, what was happening was, was it Dick Whittington that was the Lord Mayor of London for the last time, was it was it the Battle of Agincourt, was it the Magna Carta? And and it's for people like you that actually write books about it, Jules, that can say it a lot better than me *both laugh*  Jules: No that was brilliant and we're not gonna cut this one in half though are we, Matt?   Matt: No, we're certainly not. And the fact that it's hollow, we just can't see those rings anymore.  Jules: No. Thank you. Brilliant. Right. This is our final leg on our walk and we're now in a polytunnel and it's really warm because the sun's beating down outside and it smells gorgeous and and we are surrounded by lots of little trees. Matt, can you tell us a little bit about these?  Matt: So the polytunnel was funded by the Tree Council and it's just very important that we're growing on oaks for the future from acorns that have been collected on site. So they've got the genetic continuity of the long-lived oak trees and hopefully they'll grow and carry on into long into the future.  Jules: And are they, is it a a mix of acorns from all different trees in in here or is it, or is, are you, are you taking them from specific trees?  Matt: It's yeah, it's a bit of a mix. Sometimes, you know, where where we can and where they're viable, if we if we get to the acorns from a veteran tree before the deer, then that's certainly something that we we're looking to grow on. So generally that's what we're that's that's where we'll try and harvest them from that, we've put a frame down before with a bit of a grill, so we can collect the acorns, but then they don't get eaten and that's certainly quite a good technique. And and then we we we grow on from the old trees where we can, yes.  Jules: They're really lovely. So we've got really tiny little trees with, some of them have got like, you know, about 5 or 6 leaves. And then they go up to sort of above our just above our heads. And I think what always strikes me is the, the the diversity in in leaf shape and colour that you that you see all around you. So even the same place within within oak trees, it's incredible, the different shapes and sizes you get, isn't it?  Matt: Yeah, it really is. And you know, look, looking some of the some of the oaks have been collected from Swithland Woods as well. And and where you've got a stalked leaf, that is a sessile oak.   Jules: Ah yes.  Matt: And and where you've got a a leaf that's coming off that isn't stalked, that is an English oak, but but that will have a stalked acorn.  Jules: Yes. So that's the the key way to tell the difference isn't. Yeah, brilliant. Thank you. I love it. The Bradgate Park oak is one of ten iconic trees across the UK in the running for the Tree of the Year competition. Other examples include the Tree of Peace and Unity in County Antrim. That's an iconic lime tree, I say a lime tree, it's actually two lime trees which are fused together so that the trunk has become bound as one and it's, they've become inseparable and as such they've become a symbol of harmony and hope. So newly married couples sit beneath that tree for a blessing and it became a particular symbol of peace and reconciliation when Tony Blair, David Trimble and John Hume met here in 1998 at the signing of the Good Friday Agreement. Another example is the Argyle Street Ash in Glasgow. This tree is growing right next to some historic flats and it's seen as a symbol of local resilience. It has survived all kinds of things, including Victorian industry, the Clydeside Blitz, recent development and so far, ash dieback. One of its cultural connections is that it was featured in a 1935 book by James Cowan. The book was called From Glasgow's Treasure Chest and in it he describes the tree as ‘quite the most graceful ash I have seen'. Well, that's enough of me. Meanwhile, thank you so much to Matt and Natasha. It's been great fun talking trees with you.  Thank you for listening to the Woodland Trust Woodland Walks. Don't forget to subscribe to the series on iTunes or wherever you're listening to us and do give us a review and a rating. And why not send us a recording of your favourite woodland walk to be included in a future podcast? Keep it to a maximum of five minutes and please tell us what makes your woodland walk special or send us an e-mail with details of your favourite walk and what makes it special to you. Send any audio files to podcast@woodlandtrust.org.uk. We look forward to hearing from you. 

As immigration is one of the biggest issues engulfing UK politics. The Reform UK Leader Nigel Farage is hellbent on stopping the small boats and illegal immigration entering the UK. We ask will this plan upset the Good Friday Agreement? All to discuss with Colum Eastwood, MP for Foyle and Former SDLP Leader.

The process of making peace is often imperfect, and can shape the future in both positive and destructive ways. In a five-part series called Inventing Peace, Nahlah Ayed asks panelists to reflect on one pivotal 20th century effort to make peace, and its relevance for our own time. In this first episode, the “constructive ambiguity” of Northern Ireland's Good Friday Agreement, signed in 1998.

Jack Horgan-Jones and Pat Leahy join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics: · It seems highly likely that former Dublin football manager Jim Gavin has the blessing of Taoiseach Micheál Martin to seek a nomination to contest the presidential election for Fianna Fáil. Cork MEP Billy Kelleher is also seeking support for a nomination through parliamentary party colleagues. Kelleher is a seasoned and formidable vote-getter, but how would Gavin perform should be find himself on the campaign trail? · Catherine Connolly is already well and truly on the campaign trail, with fundraising and volunteer recruitment ramping up. Connolly is very much the anti-establishment candidate, but will she be able to build a vote beyond that? · And Sinn Féin are the missing piece in this presidential race jigsaw – will they put forward their own candidate in the form of Mary Lou McDonald or Pearse Doherty? Or will they decide to throw their weight behind Catherine Connolly instead? Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:· Governor of California Gavin Newsom is trolling Donald Trump, Lara Marlowe is reporting from Ukraine, and what would Reform leader Nigel Farage do to the Good Friday Agreement? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donaldson walked away from the Good Friday Agreement talks but formerly secret files show that he was far from a staunch hardliner, Hours before the deal was signed, the then Lagan Valley MP famously left Castle Buildings in protest at what the UUP was about to sign up to. Jeffrey Donaldson was the political hardliner – at least in public. But newly declassified documents reveal that in private – Donaldson was a very different politician – a moderate, a man with ambitions to lead unionism. Sam McBride joins Ciarán Dunbar with the story. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up for the MatchOff on Sunday morning to Croke Park. Dark skies. Lots of grey clouds. Our journey was delayed by Féile An Phobail's 5km and 10km run. Diverted and distracted we eventually got out of West Belfast and on the road to Dublin. Enroute the dark skies lightened. The grey clouds gave way to blue heavens and gentle sunshine. We were off to watch Antrim's Lady Footballers in our own All Ireland against Louth. As we crossed the Border KneeCap kept our spirits high. Their ceol blasted out and the car rocked as we hip hopped to the Capital. A morning after the night before follow-on from Saturday evening's Falls Park Country frolicks.The match in Croker started off positively with Antrim taking an early lead but Louth soon asserted themselves and Antrim was chasing the game from then until the last ten minutes. Some of the players may have been overwhelmed by the big occasion.  If so who could blame them? To play in Croke is mighty and Antrim supporters were out in strength. Everyone, including us, as proud as could be.  Family members, club mates. The number of Northern Gaels was swelled by Tyrone supporters who later went on to win their championship against Laois. Dublin went on to best Meath in the Seniors. A great day of Gaelic football.Gaza – An Gorta Mór – The StarvationThe scenes of desperation as starving people in Gaza try to get basins or pots filled with soup, are shocking images. It is a famine we are told. Last week the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a United Nations panel which had long warned of the threat of famine, concluded that it was now a reality.The use of the word ‘famine' and the images of starving children are a reminder for many in Ireland of what life must have been like during An Gorta Mór in the 1840s. But it is important to note that in a famine there is no food. In Ireland there was plenty of food. During those years the quaysides of ports along our coast were lined each day with abundant produce - all bound for export. It was a starvation.The hunger in Gaza is an Israeli made starvation. Aid agencies and the UN have more than enough food and medical aid ready to enter Gaza. Israel prevents this. It is not a famine – it is a starvationOrangism in the New IrelandThe northern statelet was built for unionism. It was constructed and then managed in a way to ensure that nationalists would never have a say in running the place.We are less than three years off the 30th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. Most citizens, and many within the broad unionist section of our people, have grown accustomed to the stability and peace it has brought but there are others who still hanker after the old days of supremacy. The DUP shares the office of the First Minister with Sinn Féin but their strategy is focused on the next Assembly election in two years' time and their aim is to remove Michelle O'Neill as First Minister. That is why there is a battle a day over Irish language rights. That is why there has been no start on building the new Casement. That is why there is negative nonsense over bi-lingual signage in public places.

Planning for the FutureIt was Charles Stewart Parnell who said: “No man has the right to say to his country. Thus far shalt thou go and no further.” This was in the 19th century. He also declared; “Let no one set a boundary to the march of a nation.”Parnell was clearly setting out the right of the people of Ireland to self-determination. Interestingly he chose Cork to make this declaration.  That was the 21st January 1885. One of the current Cork TDs and the current Taoiseach Micheál Martin has a contrary view. Our right to self-determination is contained in the Good Friday Agreement so that right has been won. We now need to exercise it. There is an irony that An Taoiseach has set his face against this and that he refuses to plan for the certain day when the Good Friday Agreement referendums will be held.Planning for the FutureIt was Charles Stewart Parnell who said: “No man has the right to say to his country. Thus far shalt thou go and no further.” This was in the 19th century. He also declared; “Let no one set a boundary to the march of a nation.”Parnell was clearly setting out the right of the people of Ireland to self-determination. Interestingly he chose Cork to make this declaration.  That was the 21st January 1885. One of the current Cork TDs and the current Taoiseach Micheál Martin has a contrary view. Our right to self-determination is contained in the Good Friday Agreement so that right has been won. We now need to exercise it. There is an irony that An Taoiseach has set his face against this and that he refuses to plan for the certain day when the Good Friday Agreement referendums will be held.Our MartinLast week, in the Guildhall in Derry, several hundred friends, comrades and family of Martin McGuinness came together for the launch of Jim McVeigh's authoritative and compelling new book on Martin. Jim is a gifted writer.‘Our Martin' is a very personal, insightful account of Martin's life in Derry and his love for his wife Bernie, and she for him, and for their children, Fionnuala, Emmet, Fiachra and Grainne.Martin said: “What politicised me was the civil rights protest. It wasn't anything I heard in the house, or even in my grandmother's house in Donegal. There was no republicanism whatsoever in my background.”‘Our Martin' by James McVeigh will be launched in Belfast at 1pm on 2 August in St. Mary's University College Belfast, as part of Féile an Phobail. It is available from An Fhuiseog, 55 Falls Road and from www.beyondthepalebooks.com 

My guest this week is Irvine Welsh – who, three decades after his era-defining hit Trainspotting, returns with a direct sequel, Men In Love. Irvine tells me what Sick Boy, Renton, Spud and Begbie mean to him, why his new book hopes to encourage a new generation to discover Romantic verse and shagging, and why MDMA deserves more credit for the Good Friday Agreement than Tony Blair.

My guest this week is Irvine Welsh – who, three decades after his era-defining hit Trainspotting, returns with a direct sequel, Men In Love. Irvine tells me what Sick Boy, Renton, Spud and Begbie mean to him, why his new book hopes to encourage a new generation to discover Romantic verse and shagging, and why MDMA deserves more credit for the Good Friday Agreement than Tony Blair.Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts. Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk

The untold story of the murder of a gay police officer in Northern Ireland in 1997.Belfast 1997. But not just any part of Belfast, gay Belfast. A place you've probably never heard of before. Cigarette smoke, aftershave and expectation fill the air in the only gay bar in the country. Sat having a drink on a night out is Darren Bradshaw. He was just 24 years old when he was shot dead in front of hundreds of people. His brutal murder by terrorists sparked fears of a return to all out violence as the new Labour government under Tony Blair sought to bring peace to Northern Ireland - on the road to the Good Friday Agreement.This is the untold story of his life and murder. A story of both love and eventually betrayal.Presenter Jordan Dunbar grew up in the city, he was a comedian and drag performer on the Belfast scene and yet this murder and Darren's life was never talked about.Following Darren's story brings to life the struggle of being gay in The Troubles, how Belfast got its first Pride parade only in 1991 and its very first openly gay club in 1994 -The Parliament bar where Darren was tragically shot dead.It's a community surviving as well as thriving against a backdrop of violence and discrimination. He meets the original drag queens, DJs and club pioneers determined to claim back the city centre from the terrorists and create a safe place of their own.Determined to piece together for the first time how Darren was killed that night and why, Jordan uncovers stories of bigotry, bravery and betrayal.

Danny Boyle and Alex Garland tell Tom Sutcliffe about their new film, 28 Years Later; a whole new take on the story which stars Ralph Fiennes, Jodie Comer and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. It's the follow up to their post-apocalyptic fast-paced, gory zombie movies 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later. The Rage virus escaped a medical research laboratory and - nearly three decades later - one group of survivors has learned how to exist among the infected. Tom speaks with James Frey, once described as “America's Most Notorious Author”, about Next To Heaven – his new novel brimming with sex, murder and millionaires.Front Row is talking to all the finalists in this year's Art Fund Museum of the Year prize, and today we're off to Belfast to hear from the Golden Thread Gallery. Founded the year after the Good Friday Agreement, the gallery seeks to promote the work of contemporary Northern Irish artists – as well as leading creators from across the world.Radio 4 has announced today the names of 6 researchers who will be working with the network as part of scheme run with the Arts and Humanities Research Council called New Generation Thinkers … The aim is to put research on the radio. Several hundred academics across the UK applied and Drs Laura Minor and Sarah Smyth have been chosen to work with Front Row over the coming year.Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit andrewsullivan.substack.comChris is a TV broadcaster and author. During his political career, he was a speechwriter for Jimmy Carter and the chief of staff for House Speaker Tip O'Neill. In journalism, Chris was a columnist with the San Francisco Examiner and then the Chronicle, the host of “Hardball with Chris Matthews,” and the host of “The Chris Matthews Show,” where I was a frequent guest. He's also written nine books. He's currently a professor at Fulbright University Vietnam, and he recently revived “Hardball” on Substack — check it out.For two clips of our convo — memorable quips from world leaders, and debating the legacy of JFK — head to our YouTube page.Other topics: growing up a Catholic in Philly with four brothers; showing up late to Mass; the Good Friday Agreement; absorbing Burke as a teen and lauding Bill Buckley; doing Peace Corps in Africa; working for Sen. Frank Moss; a stint as a Capitol cop; running for Congress in Philly; working for Ed Muskie the liberal budget hawk; Rick Hertzberg; writing for Carter and smoking cigs on Air Force One; the Iranian hostage crisis; Tip O'Neill the liberal titan; the corrupt Mayor Curley; Reagan the cowboy and ideas man; his tax cuts; Peggy Noonan's epic speeches; Reagan's humor; taking the piss out of Corbyn; the seductive charm and shittiness of Bill Clinton; his undeserved impeachment; Gore's disastrous run; the collective trauma of 9/11; neocons and the Iraq War; Obama's political genius; the nuclear threat from Iran; debating the woke's role in electing Trump; Biden's leftward lurch and Ron Klain; Tim Walz; GOP lawmakers' fear of Trump; his slavish sycophants; the patriotism that liberal elites don't fully grok; and the beauty of naturalization ceremonies.Browse the Dishcast archive for an episode you might enjoy (the first 102 are free in their entirety — subscribe to get everything else). Coming up: Batya Ungar-Sargon on Trump 2.0, Walter Isaacson on Ben Franklin, Tara Zahra on the revolt against globalization after WWI, Paul Elie on crypto-religion in ‘80s pop culture, Thomas Mallon on the AIDS crisis, Arthur Brooks on the science of happiness, and Johann Hari coming back to turn the tables and interview me for the pod. Please send any guest recs, dissents, and other comments to dish@andrewsullivan.com.

In this final episode of our 6th season, Political Science and Irish Studies Professor Cera Murtagh has a conversation with Emma DeSouza, a journalist, award-winning campaigner, and peace activist who changed UK law in a landmark human rights case relating to the Good Friday Agreement. They discuss the role of women, youth and community-based movements in effecting social change in the North. Emma DeSouza is the Founder and Co-facilitator of deliberative democracy platform The Civic Initiative, Director of the Northern Ireland Emerging Leaders Program at the National Committee on American Foreign Policy in NewYork, and a transatlantic adviser on peace processes and civic innovation.

The Good Friday Agreements of 1998 marked a turning point in Irish history, bringing an end to three decades known as The Troubles and laying a course for a better future for the people of Ireland. In this historian Mark Doyle and Friends of Sinn Féin Executive Director Greg O'Loughlin join us for a conversation about Irish history, the status of Irish unification, and how peace is possible even in the hardest of times.   Dr. Mark Doyle is Professor of History at Middle Tennessee State University where he specializes in the history of Ireland and Great Britain. He previously joined us to discuss his books on The Kinks (Episode 169) and John Cale's Paris 1919 (episode 333).   Greg O'Loughlin is Executive Director of The Friends of Sinn Féin and is currently spearheading a listening tour across the United States to learn about Irish-Americans' views on Irish independence. Dates and more information are available at friendsofsinnfein.com.   This episode was edited by Ben Sawyer.

On the afternoon of 6 March 1988 in Gibraltar on the southern tip of the Iberian peninsular, Mairead Farrell and two other Provisional IRA volunteers of were shot dead by members of the Special Air Service. The three were on an operation to target one of the last outposts of the British Empire, but their movements were known to the security services. Farrell was one of a small number of female IRA members in an organisation dominated by men. How were mothers, wives, daughters and sisters impacted by the violence over 30 years of conflict in Northern Ireland? And how do they deal with the trauma 25 years after the Good Friday Agreement? Joining today is the acclaimed journalist and writer Martin Dillon, author of The Dirty War, The Shankill Butchers and Stone Cold, as well as his most recent, The Sorrow and the Loss: The Tragic Shadow Cast by the Troubles on the Lives of Women. Martin Dillon Links The Sorrow and the Loss: The Tragic Shadow Cast by the Troubles on the Lives of Women The Dirty War The Shankill Butchers: A Case Study of Mass Murder Stone Cold Martin Dillon Aspects of History Links Latest Issue out - Annual Subscription to Aspects of History Magazine only $9.99/£9.99 Ollie on X Aspects of History on Instagram Get in touch: history@aspectsofhistory.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode of the Irish Stew Podcast  features a discussion with documentary filmmaker Alan Gilsenan  and journalist John Walsh about their film 'The Irish Question.' The film delves into the recent history of Ireland, the partition between North and South, and contemplates the concept of a United Ireland in the post-Brexit era. The conversation highlights the impact of Brexit, economic and cultural complexities, and the fragile peace established by the Good Friday Agreement. The episode also touches on the importance of Truth and Reconciliation as a foundational step towards any potential unification. Recorded at the Capital Irish Film Festival in association with Solas Nua, this discussion pays homage to diverse Irish identities and urges a deeper conversation on Ireland's future.LinksThe Irish Question (Trailer)Alan Gilsenan - DirectorWebsite: Yellow AsylumWikipediaTwitter / XJohn Walsh - WriterLinkedInBlueSkySolas NuaWebsiteEpisode Details: Season 7, Episode 16; Total Episode Count: 119

The Commission was established in 1999 following the Good Friday Agreement to locate & recover the remains of those abducted, murdered and secretly buried during the Troubles, known as the Disappeared. Mr. Hill has been with the Commission since 2006, but is now stepping down as lead investigator, he spoke with Cormac.

Today, we're going to look back at the impact after the signing of the Good Friday Agreement.It was the deal that brought an end to 30 years of conflict in Northern Ireland, known as the Troubles - and cost the lives of more than 3,500. Adam is joined by Nick Watt, Newsnight's political editor and Annita McVeigh, BBC News chief presenter, who closely followed events at the time. You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers.You can join our Newscast online community here: https://discord.gg/m3YPUGv9New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bit.ly/3ENLcS1Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. It was presented by Adam Fleming. It was made by Jack MacLaren with Miranda Slade. The technical producer was Dafydd Evans. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The editor is Sam Bonham.

Today, we're going back to April 10 1998, the day the Good Friday Agreement was signed in Belfast. It was the deal that brought an end to 30 years of conflict in Northern Ireland, known as the Troubles - and cost the lives of more than 3,500. Adam is joined by Nick Watt, Newsnight's political editor and Annita McVeigh, BBC News chief presenter, who closely followed events at the time. You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers.You can join our Newscast online community here: https://discord.gg/m3YPUGv9New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bit.ly/3ENLcS1Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. It was presented by Adam Fleming. It was made by Jack MacLaren with Miranda Slade. The technical producer was Dafydd Evans. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The editor is Sam Bonham.

Talking about Bobby Sands, the Troubles, the Irish Republican Army, and the Good Friday Agreement with John M. Burney and Andrew J. Auge.

What ended The Troubles? Why was 1998 the right moment for a peace treaty? Which issues caused the most heated debate? What was the food like in the negotiating room? Exactly 27 years on since the Good Friday Agreement was signed, what does its future look like? Listen as William and Anita are joined by Alastair Campbell, the lead strategist for Tony Blair's New Labour government at the time, to discuss what it was really like to negotiate peace in Northern Ireland in 1998.  _____________ Empire UK Live Tour: The podcast is going on a UK tour! William and Anita will be live on stage in Glasgow, Birmingham, York and Bristol, discussing how the British Empire continues to shape our everyday lives. Tickets are on sale NOW, to buy yours head to empirepoduk.com. Empire Club: Become a member of the Empire Club to receive early access to miniseries, ad-free listening, early access to live show tickets, bonus episodes, book discounts, and a weekly newsletter! Head to empirepoduk.com to sign up. Email: empire@goalhanger.com Instagram: @empirepoduk  Blue Sky: @empirepoduk  X: @empirepoduk goalhanger.com Assistant Producer: Becki Hills Producer: Anouska Lewis Senior Producer: Callum Hill Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Who was responsible for the murder of Jean McConville? Which IRA secrets were revealed in the Belfast Project tapes? How did Gerry Adams move into politics and become a key figure in the signing of the Good Friday Agreement? Listen as Anita and William are joined for the final time by Patrick Radden Keefe, author of Say Nothing, to discuss how the families of the Disappeared searched for their loved ones after the ceasefire in the 1990s, and Patrick's discovery of who killed Jean McConville in 1972.  _____________ Empire UK Live Tour: The podcast is going on a UK tour! William and Anita will be live on stage in Glasgow, Birmingham, York and Bristol, discussing how the British Empire continues to shape our everyday lives. Tickets are on sale NOW, to buy yours head to empirepoduk.com. Empire Club: Become a member of the Empire Club to receive early access to miniseries, ad-free listening, early access to live show tickets, bonus episodes, book discounts, and a weekly newsletter! Head to empirepoduk.com to sign up. Email: empire@goalhanger.com Instagram: @empirepoduk  Blue Sky: @empirepoduk  X: @empirepoduk goalhanger.com Assistant Producer: Becki Hills Producer: Anouska Lewis Senior Producer: Callum Hill Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Stephen Sexton is an Irish poet and a lecturer at the Seamus Heaney Centre for Poetry at Queen's University Belfast. While on campus in March 2025 he sat down with the Center for Irish Studies Director Joseph Lennon to discuss howpoetry can help us navigate the world. He reads poems from his two books ___________________Stephen Sexton the author of two books of poems – If All the World and Love Were Young, published in 2019 and Cheryl's Destinies, published in 2021.  He is a recipient of multipleawards, which include winning the National Poetry Competition in 2016, the Eric Gregory Award in 2018, the Forward Prize for Best First Collection and the Shine / Strong Award for Best First Collection in 2019, the E. M. Forster Awardfrom the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature in 2020.   Sexton has been teaching creative writing at the ⁠Seamus Heaney Centre⁠ for Poetry at Queen's University Belfast for six years.  Sexton was ten years old when the Good Friday Agreement in 1998 brought a formal end to the Troubles in the North of Ireland, which later in life made him realize that he was growing up in a time that he did not understand, and he became aware of a profound generational divide between him and his parents.  Sexton explains that in a sense, there is a “kind of ghostly history that is all around you, but you can't access it in the same way that other people can, so as a consequence, it doesn't necessarily show up in my writing.”  In his book, If All the World and Love Were Young, which happens to be set in 1998, there is one moment that addresses the Omagh bombing – a single deadliest attack in thirty years of violence that he remembers hearing about on the radio and then seeingon television.  But beyond that, the book is a blend of childhood memories that uses the analogy of a nineties Nintendo videogame, Mario Brothers, that digs into Sexton's more personal recollections about the house that he grew up in and memories of his mother.   Sexton's more recent book of poems, Cheryl's Destinies, was written during the COVID lockdown, where he explored a desire to bring together the improbable and the sensitive, hence the section of poems that imagines a collaboration between Billy Corgan lead singer of the Smashing Pumpkins and Irish poet W.B Yeats. The book's general theme of being obsessed with and anxious about the future came through the conversations between two strangers separated by a century, where they discuss the difficulty of making art. Sexton's book questions the role of a poet and its connection to the role of a medium, as they both perform a similar function -- look at the world and interpret it.

Jonathan Powell, the UK's National Security Adviser, is used to operating behind the scenes: he's spent decades working as a diplomat, negotiator and mediator. Recent events in the US and Ukraine have thrust him into the spotlight. After the fiery Oval Office meeting between President Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky, Powell has been credited with advising Ukraine and ensuring that lines of communication were kept open. He travelled to Kyiv to meet Zelensky and played a key role in fashioning a plan for a ceasefire and the steps that might follow.Powell began his career in the foreign office before becoming Tony Blair's chief of staff. He was crucial to the negotiations that led to the Good Friday Agreement which helped bring peace to Northern Ireland. Since then, he's worked on resolving conflicts and crises all over the world in places like Colombia, Mozambique and Libya.Mark Coles talks to his friends, family and former colleagues to find out how this veteran negotiator became one of the most important figures shaping British foreign policy. Presenter: Mark Coles Producers: Viv Jones, Hugh Sheehan, Clare Williamson, Mantej Deol Editor: Bridget Harney Sound: James Beard Production Co-ordinators: Maria Ogundele, Sabine Schereck

In this episode we interview D. Óg, an Irish Republican and Irish language activist who works with Iskra Books, and their Irish language imprint Bradán Feasa. In this discussion we talk about the Iskra Books publication The Dark: Selected Writings of Brendan Hughes.  Hughes, was a former Irish Republican Army volunteer, political prisoner, and Hunger Striker. And while he is a very well known figure within Irish Republican circles and among those who have studied the provisional IRA, some folks may also have become introduced to him through the book and the Fx/Hulu series Say Nothing. In this episode I talk to D a bit about several of The Dark's writings, about the politics of Brendan Hughes, his internationalism, his solidarity with Palestinians, and his lifelong commitment to a 32 county socialist Irish Republic. Along the way we talk about Hughes' response to the so-called Good Friday Agreement, or has Hughes called it “Got F*ck All,” his critiques of the political trajectory of Sinn Féin, and more.  We highly recommend you check out this book from the comrades at Iskra Books. As with all their work there is a free pdf version you can download from there website, so do that to check it out, but also I really recommend ordering yourself a physical copy to support their work and to add this beautiful book to your collection.  I also just want to mention that if you're interested in conversations about counterinsurgency, Orisanmi Burton and I have released part one of a two part conversation on Frank Kitson and his book Low Intensity Operations, for a brief period Kitson was in charge of the counterrevolutionary campaign against the IRA, as well as counterrevolutionary wars in Kenya against the Mau Mau, and in Malaya. We will link that in the show notes along with some other discussions we've had about Ireland and Irish revolutionary politics over the years. And part two of my conversation with Orisanmi Burton about Kitson's Low Intensity Operations will be this coming Friday at 10 AM Eastern Time (US) on our YouTube channel. A link to that will be in the show notes as well.  In addition, we also have a conversation with Mark Neocleous tomorrow Tuesday the 18th at 12:30 PM ET on his new book Pacification: Social War and the Power of Police, and one on Thursday with James Kilgore the new zine he's put together with Vic Liu on Lessons in Global Solidarity.  As always if you appreciate the work we do with this podcast, the best way to support our work is to become a patron of the show. It's also the best way to follow all of our work, you'll receive an email with every episode whether it's a YouTube episode or an audio episode and you'll be notified when we're starting up any of our study groups which you always have access to as a patron. You can become one for as little as $1 per month at patreon.com/millennialsarekillingcapitalism The Book: The Dark: Selected Writings of Brendan Hughes Upcoming livestreams: Pacification: Social War and the Power of Police James Kilgore on International Solidarity  Orisanmi Burton on Frank Kitson's Low Intensity Operations (part 2) / Part 1 is out now! Other episodes on Irish history: “Bobby Sands Got More Votes Than Margaret Thatcher Ever Did” C. Crowle on Attack International's Spirit of Freedom: Anticolonial War & Uneasy Peace in Ireland Ireland, Colonialism, and the Unfinished Revolution with Robbie McVeigh and Bill Rolston The Lost & Early Writings of James Connolly with Conor McCabe Irish Women's Prison Writings: Mother Ireland's Rebels with Red Washburn Some other items referenced in discussion: Legion of the Rearguard: Dissident Irish Republicanism by Martyn Frampton Unfinished business: The politics of 'dissident' Irish republicanism by Marisa McGlinchey The Pensive Quill 

In this episode of Crime Time, Inc., we delve into the gripping events of the Balcombe Street siege in December 1975 and its broader implications on London's history during a period of immense fear caused by the IRA's bombing campaign. We provide an overview of the IRA's strategies and objectives, emphasizing their calculated attacks designed to leverage media attention and public opinion. We recount the devastating bombings, such as the Guildford pub bombings, which intensified the atmosphere of fear in London. The narrative then shifts to the dramatic six-day standoff at Balcombe Street, where four IRA operatives took a couple hostage. Through the lens of this siege, the episode explores the high-stakes cat-and-mouse game between the IRA and the Metropolitan Police's Operation Combo, highlighting the intense negotiations led by Detective Superintendent Peter Imbert. We delve into the police's psychological tactics and the eventual peaceful surrender of the gunmen. The episode also covers the subsequent trial, where the Balcombe Street Four were held accountable for their crimes, and how their imprisonment became a pivotal issue in the Northern Ireland peace process, leading to their release under the Good Friday Agreement. This story illustrates the complexities of balancing justice, peace, and the human cost of political conflict. Join us as we unravel the layers of historical and political forces that shaped this tense chapter in London's history.00:00 Introduction to the 1970s London IRA Bombing Campaign00:21 Understanding the IRA's Goals and Tactics01:18 The Devastating Impact of the Bombings02:22 Significant Attacks and Escalation03:39 Operation Combo and the Balcombe Street Siege04:58 The Siege: A Tense Standoff06:16 Negotiation Tactics and Resolution09:10 The Aftermath and Legal Proceedings11:01 The Political Implications and Peace Process12:24 Conclusion and Reflections Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ted Smyth, Chair of the Clinton Institute for American Studies in UCD and a member of the Ad Hoc Committee to Protect the Good Friday Agreement, and Sinn Féin Senator Conor Murphy

Hello Interactors,The land on which we stand can demand where we politically stand. But what happens when that land shifts, shakes, burns or blows away? Recent Southern U.S. floods displaced thousands. Disasters don't just destroy — they can redraw political lines. With second round of Trumpster fires deepening divides, geography and ideology matter more than ever. As climate crises, economic upheaval, and political struggles intensify, the question isn't just where people live — but what they'll fight for. History shows that when the ground shifts, so does power.SHIFTING LANDS AND LOYALTIESFrom fertile fields to frenzied financial hubs, geography molds the mindset of the masses. Where people live shapes what they fear, fight for, and find familiar. Farmers in the Great Plains worry about wheat yields and water rights, while coastal city dwellers debate rent control and rising tides.But political geography isn't just about climate and crops — it's about power, privilege, and the collective making of place. No space is neutral; as evidenced by the abrupt renaming of an entire gulf. History and the present are filled with examples of territories being carved and controlled, gerrymandered, and gentrified.The recent floods in the South serve as a stark reminder of how geography has historically upended political identity. Especially during Black History Month. The Mississippi River Flood of 1927 was a devastating deluge that displaced thousands of Black sharecroppers, washing away not only homes but also old political loyalties. The Republican-controlled federal government, led by President Calvin Coolidge, took a hands-off approach, refusing to allocate federal aid and instead relying on Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover to coordinate relief efforts through the Red Cross.However, aid distribution was dominated by white Southern landowners, who withheld resources from Black communities. They forced many into quasi-forced labor camps under the guise of relief. Hoover, later touting his role in disaster response to win the 1928 presidency, was ultimately seen by many Black voters as complicit in their mistreatment. This failure accelerated Black voters' gradual shift away from the Republican Party, a realignment that would deepen under FDR's New Deal in the 1930s. The flood was not just a natural disaster — it was a political reckoning. Who received help and who was abandoned shaped party loyalties for generations to come.Yet, history proves that political realignments are rarely one-sided or uniform. While Black voters were shifting toward the Democratic Party, another Southern political identity crisis was brewing. Southern white conservatives — longtime Democrats due to the party's historical ties to segregation — began their own political migration in the mid-to-late 20th century.The Civil Rights Movement and desegregation led many white Southerners to feel alienated from the Democratic Party, pushing them toward what was once unthinkable — the Republican Party. This shift cemented a racialized realignment, with Black voters backing Democrats and Southern white conservatives reshaping the GOP into today's right-wing stronghold.Both political shifts were responses to crisis — one to environmental disaster and racial exclusion, the other to social change and perceived status loss. The fact that geography remained constant but political identities flipped highlights a crucial truth: where people live matters, but how they respond to change depends on identity, history, and power.The political path of any place isn't just shaped by its space — it's who claims the land, who crafts the law, and who casts a crisis as chaos or cause.SORTED, SEPARATED, AND STUCKGeography shapes political identity but doesn't dictate it. Human agency, economics, and psychology influence where people live and how they vote. Over time, self-sorting creates ideological enclaves, deepening polarization instead of fostering realignment.Psychologists Henri Tajfel and John Turner's Social Identity Theory explains why people align with in-groups and see out-groups as threats, as identity shapes self-esteem and belonging. This leads to in-group favoritism, out-group bias, and polarization, especially when power or resources feel like a zero-sum game.But Optimal Distinctiveness Theory (ODT) adds another layer to this understanding. Developed by Marilynn Brewer, building on Social Identity Theory, ODT proposes that people need to feel a sense of belonging to a group while also maintaining individuality within it. This balancing act between assimilation and uniqueness explains why political identities are not just about partisanship — they encompass culture, lifestyle, and even geography. Individuals self-sort both by community and distinction within their chosen political and social environments.Modern political sorting has made partisanship an all-encompassing identity. It aligns with race, religion, and even consumer habits. This process has been amplified by geography, as people increasingly move to communities where they feel they “fit in” while also distinguishing themselves within their political faction. ODT helps explain why urban progressives might distinguish themselves through niche ideological positions (e.g., Socialists in Brooklyn vs. Tech libertarians in San Francisco), while rural conservatives in swing states may lean into Christian nationalism or libertarianism (e.g. Christian nationalists in rural Pennsylvania vs. Tea Party libertarians in rural Wisconsin).American political power is unevenly distributed. The Senate majority can be won with just 17% of the population, and the Electoral College inflates rural influence. The 10 smallest states hold 3% of the population but 20% of Senate seats and 6% of electoral votes. This imbalance amplifies rural conservative power, giving certain regions outsized political sway.ODT also helps explain why political polarization has deepened over time rather than softened with economic shifts. Historically, political realignments occurred when crisis moments forced cross-cutting alliances — like when poor white and Black farmers joined forces during the Populist Movement of the 1890s to challenge banking and railroad monopolies.However, these coalitions often fell apart due to racial and regional pressures. The Populist Party was ultimately absorbed into the Democratic Party's white Southern wing, leaving Black farmers politically stranded. They still are. Around 1890 Black farmers made up an estimated 14% of farmers in America, now it's fewer than 2% due to racist lending practices, discriminatory federal policies, land dispossession, and systemic barriers to credit and resources.Today, realignments are rare because identity-based partisanship satisfies both belonging and distinctiveness (ODT). Rural conservatives see themselves not just as Republicans but as defenders of a distinct way of life, reinforcing identity through regional pride, gun rights, and religion. Urban liberals, meanwhile, develop sub-identities — progressives, moderates, democratic socialists — within the broader Democratic Party. This illusion of uniformity masks deep internal ideological divides.This sorting shapes where people live, what they watch, and which policies they support. The false consensus effect deepens political silos, as rural conservatives and urban progressives assume their views are widely shared. When elections defy expectations, the result is shock, anger, and further retreat into ideological camps.This explains why U.S. political alignments resist economic and geographic shifts that once drove realignments. Where hardship once built coalitions, modern partisanship acts as a psychological refuge. The question is whether climate change, automation, or mass migration will disrupt these patterns — or cement them. Will today's anxieties redraw party lines, or will political sorting persist, turning geography into a fortress for the familiar, deepening division and partisan pride?FROM REALITY TV TO ALTERNATE REALITYIf geography and identity sketch borders of polarization, then media is the Sharpie darkening the divide. The digital age hardens these political divides, where confirmation bias runs rampant and algorithms push people to one side of the ideological line or the other.In a recent interview, political psychologist and polarization expert Liliana Hall Mason, known for her research on identity-based partisanship and rising affective polarization, recalled a 2012 TiVO study that analyzed TV viewing habits of Democrats and Republicans. The study found that among the top 10 most-watched TV shows for each party, there was zero overlap — Democrats and Republicans were consuming completely separate entertainment. Cultural, and presumably geographical, divergence was already well underway in the 2010s.Republicans favored shows like Duck Dynasty while Democrats gravitated toward satirical cartoons like Family Guy​. While it predates TiVO, I was more of a King of Hill fan, myself. I thought Hank Hill humanized conservative rural life without glorifying extremism while critiquing aspects of modernity without being elitist. Hulu has announced its return sometime this year. But Republicans and Democrats today don't even consume the same reality — they don't watch the same news, follow the same influencers, trust the same institutions, or even shop at the same grocery stores. Will both tune into watch Hank Hill walk the tight rope of a pluralistic suburban American existence?This media-driven fragmentation fuels geographic sorting, as political preferences influence where people choose to live. A person might leave a liberal city for a conservative suburb, or vice versa, based on what media tells them about their “kind of people.” Over time, partisan enclaves harden, reducing exposure to opposing viewpoints and making political shifts less likely.When political identities are so deeply entrenched that losing an election feels like an existential crisis, the risk of political violence rises. Mason's research on rising authoritarian attitudes and partisan animosity shows that political opponents aren't just seen as rivals anymore — they're seen as enemies.January 6th, 2021, wasn't an anomaly — it was the inevitable explosion of years of identity-based sorting and status-threat rhetoric. The rioters who stormed the Capitol weren't just protesting an election loss; they saw themselves as defenders of a nation slipping from their grasp, fueled by a deep-seated fear of demographic change, progressive policies, and shifting cultural power.Studies show that people who feel their group is losing influence are more likely to justify violence, particularly when they perceive existential threats to their way of life. Right-wing media reinforced these fears, political leaders legitimized them, and geographic and social sorting further entrenched them. In an era where partisan identity feels like destiny, and grievance is turned into a rallying cry, the potential for future political violence remains dangerously real.History teaches us that political geography isn't destiny — alignments shift when necessity forces cooperation. As the world faces climate crises, economic instability, and mass migration, new political realignments will emerge. The question is whether they will lead to solidarity or further strife.At the end of the Mason interview, she mentions the role anger and enthusiasm play in political motivations. This concept is part of the Norwegian philosopher and social theorist, Jon Elster, who is best known for his work on rational choice theory, emotions in politics, and historical institutionalism. He has written extensively on how emotions like anger, enthusiasm, resentment, and hope shape political behavior and social movements, especially in historical contexts like the French Revolution and modern populist movements.Anger mobilizes movements, making people willing to fight for change or push back against it. The Populist farmers of the 1890s, the labor activists of apartheid South Africa, and the displaced communities of Partition-era India all channeled rage into resistance. At the same time, enthusiasm — a belief in the possibility of transformation — is what sustains coalitions beyond crisis moments. The formation of the EU, the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland, and Brazil's leftist labor movement all survived because hope outlasted grievance.Political movements often begin with anger, but only survive through enthusiasm. This is why some burn out quickly (Occupy Wall Street, the Tea Party) while others reshape history (the Civil Rights Movement, Brexit, Trump's populism). Looking ahead, the political geography of the future will be shaped by whichever emotion proves stronger. Will fear and resentment deepen polarization, or will shared enthusiasm for economic justice, environmental sustainability, and democratic resilience create new cross-cutting alliances? The past suggests both are possible. But if history has one lesson, it's that the lines on the map are never as fixed as they seem — and neither are the people who live within them.Bibliography This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit interplace.io

Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern joined Pat this morning to discuss how it impacted the Good Friday Agreement and peace in Ireland.

Come hear us discuss a movie that almost rescinded The Good Friday Agreement. Where to find us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - Two episodes a month now. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On The Path Socials⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lucy's Socials⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Our shop is here!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - Show us a pic of your merch/order and we will do a review of ANY* movie/show of your choosing.

Journalist Shane Harrison and campaigner Michael Gallagher chart the long legal struggle for a public inquiry into the 1998 atrocity, which begins by hearing from survivors and bereaved families. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

Plus ex-BBC NI stalwart set for Kilimanjaro climb 7 years after devastating diagnosis.

In this episode of Crime Time, Inc., we delve into the harrowing events of the 1984 Brighton Hotel bombing. The episode begins by setting the political backdrop of The Troubles in Northern Ireland, detailing the complex conflict between unionists and republicans. The narrative then focuses on the bombing itself, aimed at the British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who narrowly escaped. The meticulous planning carried out by IRA operative Patrick McGee is examined, along with the devastating impact of the blast, which killed five people and injured thirty-four others. The episode also highlights the subsequent investigation that led to McGee's capture and conviction. Moving beyond the immediate aftermath, the discussion explores the heightened security measures implemented in Britain and the ongoing debates about the balance between security and civil liberties. A poignant segment of the episode narrates the remarkable story of reconciliation between Joe Barry, daughter of one of the victims, and Patrick McGee, symbolizing the potential for forgiveness and understanding in the quest for peace. Through in-depth analysis and emotional storytelling, this episode provides valuable insights into the complexities of political violence, the human cost of conflict, and the enduring hope for a future free from violence.00:00 Introduction to the Brighton Hotel Bombing00:15 Understanding The Troubles01:03 The IRA and the Attack on Margaret Thatcher02:36 Details of the Brighton Hotel Bombing04:00 The Human Cost and Immediate Aftermath05:24 Investigation and Arrest of Patrick McGee06:14 Trial and Sentencing of Patrick McGee06:39 Impact on British Society and Security07:22 The Good Friday Agreement and McGee's Release08:12 Joe Barry's Remarkable Journey Towards Forgiveness13:14 Final Reflections and Security Changes14:55 Conclusion and Upcoming Episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nollag Shona Daoibhse.I enjoy Christmas time. It a time for family and friends and for relaxation. For children and Dadaí na Nollaig and presents. For visiting family. For good food – often too much good food - good craic and sitting at home watching a movie, listening to music and reading a good book. It's a time for remembering those who are no longer with us or for visiting those sick or in hospital.60 Years A Growing. As this year draws to a close it strikes me that I first became an activist sixty years ago. It was in September 1964. I was a student in St. Mary's Grammar School in Barrack Street at the bottom of Divis Street.  On my way to school I noticed that a shop front in Divis Street was plastered with election posters for the upcoming British General Election.  Liam McMillan, a local republican had his election office there. He displayed the Irish national flag in the shop window. The flag was illegal and the RUC, at the behest of Ian Paisley, an up and coming demagogue, using crowbars and pickaxes smashed their way into the election office and seized the flag. The republicans replaced it and there were a few days of street disturbances. The Divis Street Riots.  2024 – A defining year for UnityLast February the North's political institutions were re-established. This was an important development but more crucially Michelle O'Neill was elected as First Minister of the Executive. This was a historic moment in the constitutional transformation that commenced with the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. 

Michael Cooper, strategic director of the new Peacemakers Museum in Derry, Northern Ireland, talks with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report about Ireland's transition from conflict to peace. The museum provides insights the Free Derry period, Bloody Sunday and the Good Friday Agreement, while showcasing artifacts and installations that illustrate life during the Troubles. Cooper explains how international involvement, particularly from U.S. President Bill Clinton, played a crucial role in fostering peace and envisioning Irish reunification through democratic means. For more information, visit www.PeaceMakersMuseumDerry.com. All our Insider Travel Report video interviews are archived and available on our Youtube channel  (youtube.com/insidertravelreport), and as podcasts with the same title on: Spotify, Pandora, Stitcher, PlayerFM, Listen Notes, Podchaser, TuneIn + Alexa, Podbean,  iHeartRadio,  Google, Amazon Music/Audible, Deezer, Podcast Addict, and iTunes Apple Podcasts, which supports Overcast, Pocket Cast, Castro and Castbox.  

Welcome to One CA Podcast.  As we go into the holidays, the One CA brings on the show's founder, John McElligott, to talk with Brian Hancock and Jack Gaines about the show's beginnings, current updates and goals for the future. So, stay tuned.  --- One CA is a product of the civil affairs association  and brings in people who are current or former military, diplomats, development officers, and field agents to discuss their experiences on the ground with a partner nation's people and leadership. We aim to inspire anyone interested in working in the "last three feet" of U.S. foreign relations.  To contact the show, email us at CApodcasting@gmail.com  or look us up on the Civil Affairs Association website at https://www.civilaffairsassoc.org/podcast --- Episode list: Past Episodes: 202 Andrew Gonzalez on Marine Civil Affairs in the Pacific (Part II)  201 Andrew Gonzalez on Marine Civil Affairs in the Pacific (Part I)  200 Jörg Grössl on the NATO Civil-Military Cooperation Centre of Excellence  199 Jeffrey Fiddler and the U.S. Gaza Relief Mission  198 David Luna, State-sponsored criminality in strategic competition  197 Scott Mann "Nobody is Coming to Save You"  196 Jeffrey Fiddler on the DOD response to COVID 19  195 Cleo Paskal on PRC operations in Guam  194 Doug Stevens on faith-based diplomacy  193 Patrick Alley on Global Influence (Part II)  192 Patrick Alley on Global Influence (Part I)  191 Drew Biemer on Energy Sector Civil Affairs  190 Pavlo Kuktha on Ukraine Reconstruction  189 Phillip Smith in discussion with Brian Hancock  188 Part II, Mickey Bergman on Diplomacy in the Shadows  187 Part I, Mickey Bergman on Diplomacy in the Shadows  186 Major Gustavo Ferreira testifies at the U.S. China Economic and Security Review Commission.  185 Scott Mann, Life After Afghanistan  184 Megan O'Keefe-Schlesinger on Information Operations. Part II.  183 Megan O'Keefe-Schlesinger. Leading Information Operations and Influence. Part I  182 Natacha Ciezki, from Zaire to America  181 Proxy Wars, by Pawel Bernat, Juneyt Gurer, and Cyprian Kozera  180 Sandor Fabian: Europe is Learning the wrong lessons from the conflict in Ukraine  179 Civil Affairs Innovation with Colonel Brad Hughes, part II  178 Civil Affairs Innovation with Colonel Brad Hughes, part I  177 Patrick Passewitz on the Sicilian Model  176 Part II, interview with J. David Thompson  175 Part I interview with J. David Thompson  174 Direct Commissions with Heater Cotter  173 Achieving post conflict stabilization with Prof. Beatrice Heuser (Pt.2)  172 Achieving post conflict stabilization with Prof. Beatrice Heuser (Pt.1)  171 Civil Military What?  170 Combat First Aid in Ukraine by Michael Baker  169 Part II, Bas Wouters on Influence and Persuasion  168 Part I, Bas Wouters on Influence and Persuasion  167 Electronic Warfare with Michael Gudmundson  166 On Alexei Navalny and Political Dissent  165 Part II of the Courtney Mulhern and Dan Joseph interview  164 Part I, Courtney Mulhern and Dan Joseph on the book "Backpack to Rucksack"  163 Sam Cooper on China political and Economic Warfare  162 Rob Boudreau and Joel Searls  161 Curtis Fox, Part II on Russian Hybrid Warfare  160 Curtis Fox: Part I, Russian Hybrid Warfare  159 Albert Augustine and V Corps CA  158 Introducing the 1st CAG Human Dimension Podcast  157 Part II Robert Curris on Psychological Operations integration with CA and SOF  156 Part I, Robert Curris on Psychological Operations integration with CA and SOF  155 Gen (R) David Petraeus at Carnegie  154 Angie Smith, Environmental Science and Foreign Policy  153 One CA Classic. John visits AUSA  152 Dan Blumenthal and Fred Kagan  151 Dan Blumenthal and Fred Kagan  150 The WestPoint Center for the Study of Civil-Military Operations  149 Part II. Tony Vacha on Civil Affairs in Europe and Africa  148 Part I.Tony Vacha on Civil Affairs in Europe and Africa  147 Jack's first year hosting the One CA Podcast  146 Jess Langerud talks on medical diplomacy in Poland  145 Courtney Mulhern. Three tools to improve local public outreach  144 Garric Banfield on the 95th Civil Affairs Brigade  143 Richard Messick. Advising partner nations on Rule of Law and anti-corruption  142 Scott DeJesse and the new Monuments Men and Women  141 Paul Hutchinson on the film ”Sound of Freedom” and human trafficking  140 Brian Hancock interview Col. Rachael Sherrer discuss Army Europe and Africa  139 John Cassara on China's Criminal Economy  138 Part II. Joseph Long on relational leadership and military diplomacy  137 Part I. Joseph Long on relational leadership and military diplomacy  136 Joe Pastorek and the 95th CA Advanced Skills Detachment  135 Jack Gaines interview with Global Integrity  134 Calvin Chrustie on conflict and hostage negotiation  133 Part II: Afghan resettlement in the U.S.  132 Part I: Afghan resettlement in the U.S.  131 Climate and Security  130 Chris Hyslop on human rights and diplomacy  129 Special Episode: Digital Civil Reconnaissance with Carrick Longley and Stephen Hunnewell  128 128 Josh Bedingfield on Shadow Governments Part II  127 Josh Bedingfield on Shadow Governments, Part I  126 Juan Quiroz on CA leading in Competition  125 Chris Hyslop: The Peace Corps  124 Special episode. Jordan Harbinger interviews H.R. McMaster on his book ”Battlegrounds”  123 Part II 38G: Agriculture and foreign policy  122 Part I 38G: Agriculture and foreign policy  121 Korea Reunification by David Maxwell  120 Special episode. IWP: The Columbia Plan  119 Discussing the USMC, 31st MEU CA Marines  118 Part II. Integrating Civil Affairs, field operations and diplomacy, by former Under-Secretary, Michael Patrick Mulroy  117 Part I. former DASD, Michael Patrick Mulroy on Integrating Civil Affairs, field operations and diplomacy  116 Assad Raza talk-back on the Frank Sobchak interview  115 Frank Sobchak on advising and training partner nation forces  114 Special Episode from the IW Podcast: Slow Burn: How Security Cooperation shapes operational environments  113 Jodi Harman and the HillVets Foundation  112 David Maxwell on grand strategy  111 Civil Affairs and Security Cooperation with Chris Stockel  110 CSM Riccio Christmas Day Concert  109 John Hutcheson on Hiring our Heroes  108 Advertisement for the CSM Riccio holiday concert  107 Operation Joint Endeavor  106 Special episode: John McElligott passes the mic  105 Major John Burns on Ghost Team at NTC  104 Stanislava Mladenova on Civ-Mil Relationships in Low-Intensity Conflict and State Fragility  103 Benjamin Ordiway and Anthony Pfaff  102 Nick Krohley and Lt Col Stefan Muehlich on Doctrinal Comparison, Part 2  101 Nick Krohley and Lt Col Stefan Muehlich on Doctrinal Comparison, Part 1  100 Episode 100 of the One CA Podcast  99 Theater Information Advantage Element 98 Brig Gen Chris Dziubek of the 351st CACOM  97 Mark Delaney on Civil Affairs Skills for Post Military Life  96 Colonel Marco Bongioanni on Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officers  95 Maj Gen Jeff Coggin of USACAPOC(A)  94 Operation Allies Refuge: Lessons on Interagency and Multinational Collaboration  93 Vish Odedra on COVID-19 Vaccinations in the UK  92 LTC Greg Banner on Training for Unconventional Warfare  91 Chris Bryant on Social Media for CA  90 CA Issue Papers 2021 - Part 3  89 CA Issue Papers 2021 - Part 2  88 CA Issue Papers 2021 - Part 1  87 USACAPOC(A) Command Strategic Initiatives  86 Civil Affairs Interagency Panel - Part 2  85 Civil Affairs Interagency Panel - Part 1  84 Zach Hyleman and Kevin Chapla on FAO and CA  83 Civil Affairs in Regional Competition for Influence - Part 2  82 Civil Affairs in Regional Competition for Influence - Part 1  81 SFC Josh Spiers on San Pedro Sula, Honduras  80 Major Lauren Holl on San Pedro Sula, Honduras  79 Josh Bedingfield on Human Network Analysis  78 Lieutenant General Eric Wesley on Civil Competition - Part 2  77 Lieutenant General Eric Wesley on Civil Competition - Part 1  76 Maj Gen Hugh Van Roosen on a Career in SF, CA, and PSYOP  75 Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Coggin of USACAPOC(A)  74 Colonel Mattia Zuzzi of the Multinational CIMIC Group  73 Jonathan Papoulidis on Country Coordination Platforms  72 Colonel Frank van Boxmeer of NATO CCOE  71 LTC Matthias Wasinger of the Austrian Armed Forces  70 Request for Capabilities Brief Guests and Show Hosts  69 Lt Col Jahn Olson and Lt Col Korvin Kraics on III Marine Expeditionary Force  68 LTC Albert Augustine on CA Missions in Africa  67 Justin Constantine  66 John Steed of Tesla Government on GIS  65 65 Digital Civil Reconnaissance with Carrick Longley and Stephen Hunnewell  64 Joe Pastorek on the 95th Civil Affairs Brigade's Advanced Skills Detachment  63 Lauren Ladenson, Lieutenant Colonel Matt Holmes, and Lieutenant Colonel Kyle Kouri on Defense Support to Stabilization (DSS)  62 CPT Al Oh and SGM Chris Melendez discuss Civil Reconnaissance  61 Dr. E. Casey Wardynski, ASA (M&RA) on Talent Management  60 LTC Scott Dickerson on the Army CA Force Modernization Assessment  59 MAJ Ashley Holzmann on the History of US Propaganda and Psychological Operations  58 Doowan Lee on Innovating Influence Intelligence  57 LTC Marco Bongioanni on the International Visitor Leadership Program  56 Paul Giannone on CA in Vietnam and his Career in Public Health  55 LTC Jeff Uherka and COL Steve Barry of Joint Task Force - Bravo  54 John Barsa, Acting Administrator of USAID  53 Dr. Ajit Maan - Narrative Warfare  52 Karen Walsh and Bron Morrison of Dexis Consulting  51 Intergrating Civil Affairs, with MAJ Brian Hancock and Dr. Timothy Darr  50 COL Steve Battle on CA Support for the COVID-19 Outbreak in Korea  49 LTC Rachel Sullivan and MAJ Mike Karlson on CA during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Korea  48 Dr. Lynn Copeland on the Future of Civil Information Management  47 Letting the CAT out of the Bag Part 2  46 Letting the CAT out of the Bag, Part 1  45 MAJ Ian Duke on the need for a Civil Knowledge Battalion  44 MAJ James Ontiveros discusses Civil Affairs and Megacities  43 Captains Chapla, Micciche, and Staron on Storyboards as the TPS Reports of the Army  42 LTC Sue Gannon on Leading the 450th CA Battalion  41 Sean McFate on the New Rules of War, Part 2  40 Sean McFate on the New Rules of War, Part 1  39 Abubakr Elnoor on Darfur and Terrorist Recruitment  38 Devin Conley on the National Training Center  37 General Anthony Zinni on a Unified, Interagency Command  36 Garric Banfield on the 95th Civil Affairs Brigade  35 Justin Richmond on the Impl. Project  34 Alexandra Lamarche on Internally Displaced People in Cameroon  33 Jamie Schwandt on Swarm Intelligence, Swarm Learning, and Red Teams  32 Jay Liddick and Scott Dickerson on the CA Force Modernization Assessment  31 Narayan Khadka on Nepal, castes, and community trauma  30 Jay Liddick and Scott Dickerson on CA in Large Scale Combat Operations  29 Giancarlo Newsome and Jesse Elmore on Military Government Specialists  28 Nicholas Krohley on Human Terrain and CA Integration  27 Dale Yeager with Travel Safety Tips  26 Cori Wegener on Cultural Heritage Preservation  25 Major General Darrell Guthrie of USACAPOC(A)  24 Kwadjo Owusu-Sarfo on Ghana and Boko Haram  23 Manya Dotson on Life in the NGO Community  22 Wyatt Hughes Trains the Central Readiness Force of Japan  21 Bonus episode with Ryan McCannell of USAID  20 Ryan McCannell of USAID on the Evolution of CA in Sub-Saharan African  19 Arnel David on Strategy in the 21st Century  18 Michael Coates and Mark Grimes, Startup Radio Network  17 Max Steiner and Mazi Markel, CA Issue Paper  16 Diana Parzik, USAID Office of Civilian-Military Cooperation  15 Will Ibrahim, S-9 of 2/1 CAV  14 What is Civil Affairs - AUSA Answers  13 Scott Fisher and Information Operations  12 Aleks Nesic and James Patrick Christian of Valka-Mir  11 Norm Cotton of the Institute for Defense Analyses  10 Kevin Melton, USAID Office of Transition Initiatives  9 Dr. Larry Hufford discusses the 20th Anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland  8 Valor Breez and Jarrett Redman on "Beyond Hearts and Minds"  7 John Stefula and PKSOI  6 Michael Schwille, Iraq and Djibouti and RAND  5 Gonul Tol, Middle East Institute, on Turkey  4 Roberto Carmack, PhD, on Russian actions  3 Sean Acosta, Instructor, USAJFKSWCS  2 Valerie Jackson, 4th CA Group, USMC  1 Jon May: Artificial Intelligence for HA/DR Operations - LORELEI  --- Special thanks to Cool Jazz Hot Bassa for sampling music in their  album, Energy Jazz Playlist. Retrieved at: https://youtu.be/bdWUj2NYDYQ?si=00ylFfJ6DhGCwPsO

Welcome to One CA Podcast.  As we go into the holidays, the One CA brings on the show's founder, John McElligott, to talk with Brian Hancock and Jack Gaines about the show's beginnings, current updates and goals for the future. So, stay tuned.  --- One CA is a product of the civil affairs association  and brings in people who are current or former military, diplomats, development officers, and field agents to discuss their experiences on the ground with a partner nation's people and leadership. We aim to inspire anyone interested in working in the "last three feet" of U.S. foreign relations.  To contact the show, email us at CApodcasting@gmail.com  or look us up on the Civil Affairs Association website at www civilaffairsassoc.org   --- Past Episodes: 202 Andrew Gonzalez on Marine Civil Affairs in the Pacific (Part II)  201 Andrew Gonzalez on Marine Civil Affairs in the Pacific (Part I)  200 Jörg Grössl on the NATO Civil-Military Cooperation Centre of Excellence  199 Jeffrey Fiddler and the U.S. Gaza Relief Mission  198 David Luna, State-sponsored criminality in strategic competition  197 Scott Mann "Nobody is Coming to Save You"  196 Jeffrey Fiddler on the DOD response to COVID 19  195 Cleo Paskal on PRC operations in Guam  194 Doug Stevens on faith-based diplomacy  193 Patrick Alley on Global Influence (Part II)  192 Patrick Alley on Global Influence (Part I)  191 Drew Biemer on Energy Sector Civil Affairs  190 Pavlo Kuktha on Ukraine Reconstruction  189 Phillip Smith in discussion with Brian Hancock  188 Part II, Mickey Bergman on Diplomacy in the Shadows  187 Part I, Mickey Bergman on Diplomacy in the Shadows  186 Major Gustavo Ferreira testifies at the U.S. China Economic and Security Review Commission.  185 Scott Mann, Life After Afghanistan  184 Megan O'Keefe-Schlesinger on Information Operations. Part II.  183 Megan O'Keefe-Schlesinger. Leading Information Operations and Influence. Part I  182 Natacha Ciezki, from Zaire to America  181 Proxy Wars, by Pawel Bernat, Juneyt Gurer, and Cyprian Kozera  180 Sandor Fabian: Europe is Learning the wrong lessons from the conflict in Ukraine  179 Civil Affairs Innovation with Colonel Brad Hughes, part II  178 Civil Affairs Innovation with Colonel Brad Hughes, part I  177 Patrick Passewitz on the Sicilian Model  176 Part II, interview with J. David Thompson  175 Part I interview with J. David Thompson  174 Direct Commissions with Heater Cotter  173 Achieving post conflict stabilization with Prof. Beatrice Heuser (Pt.2)  172 Achieving post conflict stabilization with Prof. Beatrice Heuser (Pt.1)  171 Civil Military What?  170 Combat First Aid in Ukraine by Michael Baker  169 Part II, Bas Wouters on Influence and Persuasion  168 Part I, Bas Wouters on Influence and Persuasion  167 Electronic Warfare with Michael Gudmundson  166 On Alexei Navalny and Political Dissent  165 Part II of the Courtney Mulhern and Dan Joseph interview  164 Part I, Courtney Mulhern and Dan Joseph on the book "Backpack to Rucksack"  163 Sam Cooper on China political and Economic Warfare  162 Rob Boudreau and Joel Searls  161 Curtis Fox, Part II on Russian Hybrid Warfare  160 Curtis Fox: Part I, Russian Hybrid Warfare  159 Albert Augustine and V Corps CA  158 Introducing the 1st CAG Human Dimension Podcast  157 Part II Robert Curris on Psychological Operations integration with CA and SOF  156 Part I, Robert Curris on Psychological Operations integration with CA and SOF  155 Gen (R) David Petraeus at Carnegie  154 Angie Smith, Environmental Science and Foreign Policy  153 One CA Classic. John visits AUSA  152 Dan Blumenthal and Fred Kagan  151 Dan Blumenthal and Fred Kagan  150 The WestPoint Center for the Study of Civil-Military Operations  149 Part II. Tony Vacha on Civil Affairs in Europe and Africa  148 Part I.Tony Vacha on Civil Affairs in Europe and Africa  147 Jack's first year hosting the One CA Podcast  146 Jess Langerud talks on medical diplomacy in Poland  145 Courtney Mulhern. Three tools to improve local public outreach  144 Garric Banfield on the 95th Civil Affairs Brigade  143 Richard Messick. Advising partner nations on Rule of Law and anti-corruption  142 Scott DeJesse and the new Monuments Men and Women  141 Paul Hutchinson on the film ”Sound of Freedom” and human trafficking  140 Brian Hancock interview Col. Rachael Sherrer discuss Army Europe and Africa  139 John Cassara on China's Criminal Economy  138 Part II. Joseph Long on relational leadership and military diplomacy  137 Part I. Joseph Long on relational leadership and military diplomacy  136 Joe Pastorek and the 95th CA Advanced Skills Detachment  135 Jack Gaines interview with Global Integrity  134 Calvin Chrustie on conflict and hostage negotiation  133 Part II: Afghan resettlement in the U.S.  132 Part I: Afghan resettlement in the U.S.  131 Climate and Security  130 Chris Hyslop on human rights and diplomacy  129 Special Episode: Digital Civil Reconnaissance with Carrick Longley and Stephen Hunnewell  128 128 Josh Bedingfield on Shadow Governments Part II  127 Josh Bedingfield on Shadow Governments, Part I  126 Juan Quiroz on CA leading in Competition  125 Chris Hyslop: The Peace Corps  124 Special episode. Jordan Harbinger interviews H.R. McMaster on his book ”Battlegrounds”  123 Part II 38G: Agriculture and foreign policy  122 Part I 38G: Agriculture and foreign policy  121 Korea Reunification by David Maxwell  120 Special episode. IWP: The Columbia Plan  119 Discussing the USMC, 31st MEU CA Marines  118 Part II. Integrating Civil Affairs, field operations and diplomacy, by former Under-Secretary, Michael Patrick Mulroy  117 Part I. former DASD, Michael Patrick Mulroy on Integrating Civil Affairs, field operations and diplomacy  116 Assad Raza talk-back on the Frank Sobchak interview  115 Frank Sobchak on advising and training partner nation forces  114 Special Episode from the IW Podcast: Slow Burn: How Security Cooperation shapes operational environments  113 Jodi Harman and the HillVets Foundation  112 David Maxwell on grand strategy  111 Civil Affairs and Security Cooperation with Chris Stockel  110 CSM Riccio Christmas Day Concert  109 John Hutcheson on Hiring our Heroes  108 Advertisement for the CSM Riccio holiday concert  107 Operation Joint Endeavor  106 Special episode: John McElligott passes the mic  105 Major John Burns on Ghost Team at NTC  104 Stanislava Mladenova on Civ-Mil Relationships in Low-Intensity Conflict and State Fragility  103 Benjamin Ordiway and Anthony Pfaff  102 Nick Krohley and Lt Col Stefan Muehlich on Doctrinal Comparison, Part 2  101 Nick Krohley and Lt Col Stefan Muehlich on Doctrinal Comparison, Part 1  100 Episode 100 of the One CA Podcast  99 Theater Information Advantage Element 98 Brig Gen Chris Dziubek of the 351st CACOM  97 Mark Delaney on Civil Affairs Skills for Post Military Life  96 Colonel Marco Bongioanni on Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officers  95 Maj Gen Jeff Coggin of USACAPOC(A)  94 Operation Allies Refuge: Lessons on Interagency and Multinational Collaboration  93 Vish Odedra on COVID-19 Vaccinations in the UK  92 LTC Greg Banner on Training for Unconventional Warfare  91 Chris Bryant on Social Media for CA  90 CA Issue Papers 2021 - Part 3  89 CA Issue Papers 2021 - Part 2  88 CA Issue Papers 2021 - Part 1  87 USACAPOC(A) Command Strategic Initiatives  86 Civil Affairs Interagency Panel - Part 2  85 Civil Affairs Interagency Panel - Part 1  84 Zach Hyleman and Kevin Chapla on FAO and CA  83 Civil Affairs in Regional Competition for Influence - Part 2  82 Civil Affairs in Regional Competition for Influence - Part 1  81 SFC Josh Spiers on San Pedro Sula, Honduras  80 Major Lauren Holl on San Pedro Sula, Honduras  79 Josh Bedingfield on Human Network Analysis  78 Lieutenant General Eric Wesley on Civil Competition - Part 2  77 Lieutenant General Eric Wesley on Civil Competition - Part 1  76 Maj Gen Hugh Van Roosen on a Career in SF, CA, and PSYOP  75 Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Coggin of USACAPOC(A)  74 Colonel Mattia Zuzzi of the Multinational CIMIC Group  73 Jonathan Papoulidis on Country Coordination Platforms  72 Colonel Frank van Boxmeer of NATO CCOE  71 LTC Matthias Wasinger of the Austrian Armed Forces  70 Request for Capabilities Brief Guests and Show Hosts  69 Lt Col Jahn Olson and Lt Col Korvin Kraics on III Marine Expeditionary Force  68 LTC Albert Augustine on CA Missions in Africa  67 Justin Constantine  66 John Steed of Tesla Government on GIS  65 65 Digital Civil Reconnaissance with Carrick Longley and Stephen Hunnewell  64 Joe Pastorek on the 95th Civil Affairs Brigade's Advanced Skills Detachment  63 Lauren Ladenson, Lieutenant Colonel Matt Holmes, and Lieutenant Colonel Kyle Kouri on Defense Support to Stabilization (DSS)  62 CPT Al Oh and SGM Chris Melendez discuss Civil Reconnaissance  61 Dr. E. Casey Wardynski, ASA (M&RA) on Talent Management  60 LTC Scott Dickerson on the Army CA Force Modernization Assessment  59 MAJ Ashley Holzmann on the History of US Propaganda and Psychological Operations  58 Doowan Lee on Innovating Influence Intelligence  57 LTC Marco Bongioanni on the International Visitor Leadership Program  56 Paul Giannone on CA in Vietnam and his Career in Public Health  55 LTC Jeff Uherka and COL Steve Barry of Joint Task Force - Bravo  54 John Barsa, Acting Administrator of USAID  53 Dr. Ajit Maan - Narrative Warfare  52 Karen Walsh and Bron Morrison of Dexis Consulting  51 Intergrating Civil Affairs, with MAJ Brian Hancock and Dr. Timothy Darr  50 COL Steve Battle on CA Support for the COVID-19 Outbreak in Korea  49 LTC Rachel Sullivan and MAJ Mike Karlson on CA during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Korea  48 Dr. Lynn Copeland on the Future of Civil Information Management  47 Letting the CAT out of the Bag Part 2  46 Letting the CAT out of the Bag, Part 1  45 MAJ Ian Duke on the need for a Civil Knowledge Battalion  44 MAJ James Ontiveros discusses Civil Affairs and Megacities  43 Captains Chapla, Micciche, and Staron on Storyboards as the TPS Reports of the Army  42 LTC Sue Gannon on Leading the 450th CA Battalion  41 Sean McFate on the New Rules of War, Part 2  40 Sean McFate on the New Rules of War, Part 1  39 Abubakr Elnoor on Darfur and Terrorist Recruitment  38 Devin Conley on the National Training Center  37 General Anthony Zinni on a Unified, Interagency Command  36 Garric Banfield on the 95th Civil Affairs Brigade  35 Justin Richmond on the Impl. Project  34 Alexandra Lamarche on Internally Displaced People in Cameroon  33 Jamie Schwandt on Swarm Intelligence, Swarm Learning, and Red Teams  32 Jay Liddick and Scott Dickerson on the CA Force Modernization Assessment  31 Narayan Khadka on Nepal, castes, and community trauma  30 Jay Liddick and Scott Dickerson on CA in Large Scale Combat Operations  29 Giancarlo Newsome and Jesse Elmore on Military Government Specialists  28 Nicholas Krohley on Human Terrain and CA Integration  27 Dale Yeager with Travel Safety Tips  26 Cori Wegener on Cultural Heritage Preservation  25 Major General Darrell Guthrie of USACAPOC(A)  24 Kwadjo Owusu-Sarfo on Ghana and Boko Haram  23 Manya Dotson on Life in the NGO Community  22 Wyatt Hughes Trains the Central Readiness Force of Japan  21 Bonus episode with Ryan McCannell of USAID  20 Ryan McCannell of USAID on the Evolution of CA in Sub-Saharan African  19 Arnel David on Strategy in the 21st Century  18 Michael Coates and Mark Grimes, Startup Radio Network  17 Max Steiner and Mazi Markel, CA Issue Paper  16 Diana Parzik, USAID Office of Civilian-Military Cooperation  15 Will Ibrahim, S-9 of 2/1 CAV  14 What is Civil Affairs - AUSA Answers  13 Scott Fisher and Information Operations  12 Aleks Nesic and James Patrick Christian of Valka-Mir  11 Norm Cotton of the Institute for Defense Analyses  10 Kevin Melton, USAID Office of Transition Initiatives  9 Dr. Larry Hufford discusses the 20th Anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland  8 Valor Breez and Jarrett Redman on "Beyond Hearts and Minds"  7 John Stefula and PKSOI  6 Michael Schwille, Iraq and Djibouti and RAND  5 Gonul Tol, Middle East Institute, on Turkey  4 Roberto Carmack, PhD, on Russian actions  3 Sean Acosta, Instructor, USAJFKSWCS  2 Valerie Jackson, 4th CA Group, USMC  1 Jon May: Artificial Intelligence for HA/DR Operations - LORELEI  --- Special thanks to Cool Jazz Hot Bassa for sampling music in their  album, Energy Jazz Playlist. Retrieved at: https://youtu.be/bdWUj2NYDYQ?si=00ylFfJ6DhGCwPsO

What is it like to negotiate with terrorists? Will peace ever be possible in the Middle East? How did the Good Friday Agreement come to pass? On today's episode of Leading, Rory and Alastair are joined by American politician, diplomat and lawyer George Mitchell, to discuss all this and more. TRIP Plus: Become a member of The Rest Is Politics Plus to support the podcast, receive our exclusive newsletter, enjoy ad-free listening to both TRIP and Leading, benefit from discount book prices on titles mentioned on the pod, join our Discord chatroom, and receive early access to live show tickets and Question Time episodes. Just head to therestispolitics.com to sign up, or start a free trial today on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/therestispolitics. Instagram:@restispolitics Twitter: @RestIsPolitics Email: restispolitics@gmail.com Assistant Producer: India Dunkley + Becki Hill Video Editor: Teo Ayodeji-Ansell Social Producer: Jess Kidson Producer: Nicole Maslen Senior Producer: Dom Johnson Head of Content: Tom Whiter Exec Producers: Tony Pastor + Jack Davenport Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this special episode, we're taking you behind the scenes of a conversation between the London Standard's Editor in Chief, Dylan Jones, and former UK Prime Minister, Sir Tony Blair.He discusses themes in his book, On Leadership: Lessons for the 21st Century (which is published by Penguin), and the lessons that can be learned from executive action in government.The book looks at the importance of assembling the right team, effective implementation of policy, and what works and what doesn't.So, how was negotiation key to securing the Good Friday Agreement, devolution and London mayoralty, and what would the former prime minister have done differently?You'll also hear discussion on digital ID, the Middle East crisis and if Sir Tony would offer Sir Keir Starmer any advice. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

WIN. This year's Sinn Féin Ard Fheis last weekend was full of enthusiasm and passion with great speeches covering every issue imaginable and the delegates voting through policy motions that will help shape Sinn Féin politics in the time ahead. The speeches, particularly from Michelle O'Neill and other national leaders demonstrated the strength and relevance of the party across our island. South Africa Supports Irish Unity.Irish Republicans have had a long and enduring relationship with the African National Congress. In 1995 I travelled to South Africa to meet its senior team of negotiators who successfully achieved an end to apartheid and the election of Nelson Mandela as President. In the midst of the negotiations around the Good Friday Agreement some of those senior figures travelled to Ireland to hold public meetings and go into the prisons to talk about their experience of negotiations. That relationship has remained strong over the years thanks in part to the hard work of Declan Kearney, Sinn Fein Party Chairperson.Irish government must take a stand against IsraelLast week most of the governments of the world turned their back on Israel as Benjamin Netanyahu took to the rostrum at the 79th United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York. Netanyahu claimed that “no army has done what Israel is doing to minimise civilian casualties” and as he described the United Nations as an “anti-semitic swamp” and an “anti-Israel Flat Earth Society,” scores of UN delegates got up and walked out. Regrettably, the Irish government representatives stayed.

Labour slumping disastrously in polls just 11 weeks after its General Election victory. The Tory leadership election becoming a who can move far enough to the Right to defeat Reform contest. Have all the SNP's Christmases come at once or should they beware a do nothing, fingers crossed, complacency?Lesley appeared on Debate Night from Dundee where Kenny Farquharson pushed the need for a settled agreement between the UK and Scottish governments on a mechanism to allow a second independence referendum.We examine the proposals contained in Glasgow University's "Scotland and the Constitution.Agreeing a Way Forward" report for just such a mechanism based on the Good Friday Agreement and a Northern Irish border poll.Scotland's minimum price of alcohol went up on September 30  by 15p, from 50p to 65p. Just how successful has  Minimum Unit Pricing  been in combating alcohol related deaths?We ask, "Who is Russell Findlay?" in the aftermath of his election as leader of the Scottish Conservatives.To find out more about and book tickets for Owning Our Futures-Autonomy Movements in Europe click below.https://independenceconvention.scot/europes-independence-movements-come-to-scotland#:~:text=Conference%20and%20Ceilidh%20Tickets%20Major%20InternationalTo listen to the marvelous "Hermless" by Michael Marra https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5F44WfZoIN4As a proud "Arab" Pat couldn't resist adding this one-Hamish the Goaliehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqoGqoFCi2AIf these have whetted your appetite the Michael Marra A Can Of Mind And A Tin Of Think So Book Boxed Set 2024 linkhttps://assai.co.uk/products/michael-marra-a-can-of-mind-and-a-tin-of-think-so-book-boxed-set-2024?_pos=1&_sid=5d7c312fb&_ss=r ★ Support this podcast ★

In the city of New York from the 1930s to the 1990s, Irish attorney Paul O'Dwyer was a fierce and enduring presence in courtrooms, on picket lines, and in contests for elected office. He was forever the advocate of the downtrodden and marginalized, fighting not only for Irish Catholics in Northern Ireland but for workers, radicals, Jews, and African Americans and against the Vietnam War. With his shock of white hair and bushy eyebrows, O'Dwyer was widely recognized in politics and in the media. His work as a reform Democrat transformed the Democratic Party and his advocacy for peace and justice in Northern Ireland bore fruit in the Good Friday Agreement of 1998 that ended decades of conflict. Until now, however, there has been no biography of this happy warrior for social justice. Fortunately, that problem has been remedied with a new book by Robert Polner and Michael Tubridy, An Irish Passion for Justice: The Life of Rebel New York Attorney Paul O'Dwyer (Cornell UP, 2024). Host Robert W. Snyder is Manhattan Borough Historian and professor emeritus of journalism, and American Studies at Rutgers University. His latest book, When the City Stopped: Stories from New York's Essential Workers, is due out in March 2025 from Cornell University Press. Email: rwsnyder@rutgers.edu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In the city of New York from the 1930s to the 1990s, Irish attorney Paul O'Dwyer was a fierce and enduring presence in courtrooms, on picket lines, and in contests for elected office. He was forever the advocate of the downtrodden and marginalized, fighting not only for Irish Catholics in Northern Ireland but for workers, radicals, Jews, and African Americans and against the Vietnam War. With his shock of white hair and bushy eyebrows, O'Dwyer was widely recognized in politics and in the media. His work as a reform Democrat transformed the Democratic Party and his advocacy for peace and justice in Northern Ireland bore fruit in the Good Friday Agreement of 1998 that ended decades of conflict. Until now, however, there has been no biography of this happy warrior for social justice. Fortunately, that problem has been remedied with a new book by Robert Polner and Michael Tubridy, An Irish Passion for Justice: The Life of Rebel New York Attorney Paul O'Dwyer (Cornell UP, 2024). Host Robert W. Snyder is Manhattan Borough Historian and professor emeritus of journalism, and American Studies at Rutgers University. His latest book, When the City Stopped: Stories from New York's Essential Workers, is due out in March 2025 from Cornell University Press. Email: rwsnyder@rutgers.edu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

In the city of New York from the 1930s to the 1990s, Irish attorney Paul O'Dwyer was a fierce and enduring presence in courtrooms, on picket lines, and in contests for elected office. He was forever the advocate of the downtrodden and marginalized, fighting not only for Irish Catholics in Northern Ireland but for workers, radicals, Jews, and African Americans and against the Vietnam War. With his shock of white hair and bushy eyebrows, O'Dwyer was widely recognized in politics and in the media. His work as a reform Democrat transformed the Democratic Party and his advocacy for peace and justice in Northern Ireland bore fruit in the Good Friday Agreement of 1998 that ended decades of conflict. Until now, however, there has been no biography of this happy warrior for social justice. Fortunately, that problem has been remedied with a new book by Robert Polner and Michael Tubridy, An Irish Passion for Justice: The Life of Rebel New York Attorney Paul O'Dwyer (Cornell UP, 2024). Host Robert W. Snyder is Manhattan Borough Historian and professor emeritus of journalism, and American Studies at Rutgers University. His latest book, When the City Stopped: Stories from New York's Essential Workers, is due out in March 2025 from Cornell University Press. Email: rwsnyder@rutgers.edu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/biography

Conchúr Ó Muadaigh, Advocacy Manager of Conradh na Gaeilge calls for 'immediate action' on an Irish language strategy for Northern Ireland.

Summary Henry Hemming (X, Website) joins Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss the case of Frank Hegarty, a British spy operating within the IRA. Henry is a bestselling espionage author.  What You'll Learn Intelligence Espionage and the role of MI5 within the Troubles The story of Frank Hegarty, a British spy working in Derry Freddie Scappaticci, or Stakeknife, and Operation Kenova The moral implications of spying Reflections Sacrifice, risk, and trust The nuances of conflict  And much, much more … Quotes of the Week “This is where it becomes, morally, much more complex. What's difficult … is that most of the handlers who were faced with these decisions didn't have adequate training. They didn't know what the law said. They didn't know exactly what the limits were to what they could and could not do … And suddenly, as we're beginning to find out, mistakes were made.” – Henry Hemming.   Resources  SURFACE SKIM *SpyCasts* Irish Garda Intelligence Chief with Assistant Commissioner Michael McElgunn (2023)  Espionage and the Two Queens with Kent Tiernan (2023) The IRA, The Troubles & Intelligence with Eleanor Williams and Thomas Leahy (2022) *Beginner Resources* Why is Ireland Divided? History Matters, YouTube (2022) [3 min. video] What You Need to Know About The Troubles, Imperial War Museum (n.d.) [Short article]  A Brief History of Ireland, T. Lambert, Local Histories (n.d.) [Short article]  DEEPER DIVE Books Stakeknife's Dirty War: The Inside Story of Scappaticci, the IRA's Nutting Squad, and the British Spooks who Ran the War, R. O'Rawe (Merrion Press, 2023) The Intelligence War against the IRA, T. Leahy (Cambridge University Press, 2020) Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland, P. Radden Keefe (Anchor, 2020) Primary Sources  Operation Kenova Interim Report (2024) Report of the Bloody Sunday Inquiry (2010) The Good Friday Agreement (1998) The Anglo-Irish Agreement (1985) IRA Green Book (1977)  Guerrilla Warfare Handbook for IRA Volunteers (1956) *Wildcard Resource* Much of the events mentioned in this week's episode take place in Derry, or Londonderry, Northern Ireland.  Check out one of Erin's favorite TV shows, Derry Girls – It tells the story of a young group of friends growing up in Derry during the Troubles. The town loved the show so much, they erected a mural to immortalize the five fictional friends that represented so many of their own upbringings in Derry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices