Podcasts about Northern Ireland

In UK cinemas now is the third film from writer/director Michael Sarnoski, The Death Of Robin Hood. Headlined by Hugh Jackman and Jodie Comer, it's a hugely ambitious independent movie, with a very different spin on a well-known character. Sarnoski joined Simon Brew for a Film Stories special, chatting about the movie, about filming in Northern Ireland, about the weather, and about shooting on film. Plus, the pair talking about working with Nicolas Cage on Pig, an assortment of videogames, Sarnoski's upcoming Death Stranding movie, and the deadly nature of Split Fiction... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ireland and the Irish - we all have a story to tell, right? In this episode I get the insider stories from Ireland - both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland - from three brilliant guests who all agreed to answer questions about why they love living there, their favourite traditions, what surprises visitors and what we as travellers need to know before we go. What I loved most about speaking with these Ireland locals is the variety of their answers - I thought I knew a lot about this part of the world but there's so much more to learn. A huge thanks to Laura, Tony and Colin for being part of this special Chats with Locals episode. Links: Thanks to sponsor, Slowly - download Slowly to start building genuine friendships today -available for free on the App Store and Google Play - https://notaballerina.com/slowly Laura Pakenham on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/laurajpakenham/ Laura’s book "Irish: History and culture through language" - https://amzn.to/3ST7Z6b Colin Johnston’s website https://racingdaydreams.com/ And huge thanks to Tony O’Sullivan Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers Join our LinkedIn group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://notaballerina.com/linkedin Sign up for the Thoughtful Travellers newsletter at Substack - https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com Show notes: https://notaballerina.com/402 Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the UK experiences its worst ever outbreak of the livestock disease bluetongue, we find out how government vets and scientists are coping as they deal with thousands of cases. The trade union which represents them says morale is low and the workload is mountainous. They say more long term strategic planning is needed and better pay to address staff shortages.Scientists in Northern Ireland are using DNA methods to help identify the exact source of pollution in Lough Neagh. It's the fourth summer in a row that the lough has been blighted by blue green algae.As the Bayeux Tapestry goes on display at the British Museum in London, BBC Radio 4 has a range of programmes inspired by the Normans. We hear from food producers in Normandy whose apple harvest and cheese making have been affected by drought and climate change.Presenter = Caz Graham Producer = Rebecca Rooney

Talk of an election is cranked up on the eve of the Westminster Parliament returning to session. From Dame Priti Patel's shadow cabinet exit to Andy Burnham's constitutional landmines over border polls, Lesley Riddoch and Fraser Thompson dig into a week defined by grand promises, administrative centralisation, and missing strategies. Meanwhile, BBC Scotland faces plummeting ratings, local councils battle depopulation without visa powers, and the Nordic model offers a stark, practical contrast to Britain's spiralling prison crisis. In this episode, we discuss:Tory Reshuffle & Snap Election Rumours: Dame Priti Patel and Sir Mel Stride exit as Labour eyes a potential 2027 snap election to lock in their lead over Reform.SNP Draft Agenda Stagnation: Party HQ releases a muted draft conference agenda lacking core independence strategy, but where is the will to do anything about it from SNP members?Prisons Crisis & Nordic Solutions: Lessons from Norway's 1990s prison reform, which traded punitive overcrowding for a focus on rehabilitation and leading to massive drop in the reoffending rate.Holyrood's Food Price Cap: John Swinney's proposed basic price caps face heavy retail pushback and potential clashes with Westminster's Internal Market Act.Burnham's Border Poll Blunder: The Prime Minister dismisses a Northern Ireland border poll, triggering pushback from Sinn Féin over Good Friday Agreement legislation.Iceland Rejects EU Talks: Why 53% of Icelandic voters blocked restarting EU accession talks to protect fishing rights despite existing EFTA and Schengen ties.Pacific Quay's Audience Slump: Radio Scotland's morning slot suffers a 40% listener drop as critics compare the empty BBC headquarters to a redundant call centre.Scottish Visas & Realpolitik: Business leaders push for tailored migration schemes, while SNP Westminster leader Dave Doogan courts controversy over negotiating with any party.District Heating Progress: How Aberdeen is utilizing existing gas riser routes to connect homes directly to clean district heating networks.LinksWill Burnham rewrite UK constitution and try to handcuff in the Celts?https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/aug/02/devolution-programme-written-uk-constitution-andy-burnhamThe authorless Burnham Programme Websitehttps://theburnhamprogramme.co.ukBurnarism Consitutional Reformhttps://theburnhamprogramme.co.uk/burnham-written-constitution-devolution ★ Support this podcast ★

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History episodes.We learn why, in 2004, Uruguayans voted to enshrine water as a human right in their constitution - the first country in the world to do so. And environmental historian Ellen Arnold reveals how water has shaped human history.Also, we tell the story of the fatal hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73 in Pakistan, 40 years ago. And how the island of Antigua was devastated when Hurricane Luis hit the Caribbean in 1995. We find out more about the abandoned Nazi photo album revealing the chilling normality of life at the Auschwitz concentration camp. Plus, how a Northern Ireland peace movement was born from one family's tragedy.Finally, in Sporting Witness, why Ghana's sprinting superstar Alice Annum won the nickname ‘Baby Jet'.Contributors: Carmen Sosa - member of the water workers trade union. Ellen Arnold – environmental historian. Eli Fuller – Antigua resident. Madhvi Bahunga - Pan-American Airways flight attendant. Rebecca Erbelding – archivist and historian. Gerry Grehan - chairperson of the Peace People. Alice Annum - Ghanian sprinter.(Photo: A woman casts her ballot in Montevideo, 2004. Credit: Miguel Rojo/AFP via Getty Images)

Conflict is unavoidable in leadership. The question is whether you deal with it or let it grow. In this episode of the Deep Leadership podcast, I'm joined by Dr. Irvine Nugent, leadership and conflict management expert, keynote speaker, and co-founder of Conflict EQ. Growing up in Northern Ireland during the Troubles gave Irvin an early and deeply personal understanding of conflict, trust, and the consequences of unresolved tension. We discuss why leaders often avoid difficult conversations, how conflict can actually become a productive force, and why staying calm under pressure isn't necessarily the same as being effective. Irvin also shares practical ways leaders can recognize their triggers, stay connected during tense conversations, and address conflict before it becomes destructive. We discuss: • Why leaders avoid difficult conversations• The difference between constructive and destructive conflict• Why unresolved conflict gets worse over time• What happens to leaders emotionally under pressure• Why staying calm isn't enough• How to recognize your personal conflict triggers• How to prepare for difficult conversations• Why slowing down can prevent conflict from escalating• The importance of making people feel heard• Why leaders need to address conflict early Conflict is a normal part of leadership. Great leaders don't pretend it isn't there. They develop the capacity to work through it constructively and have the conversations that need to be had. If you're a leader who has ever delayed a difficult conversation, struggled with conflict on your team, or wondered how to stay effective when tensions rise, this episode is for you. Listen now and learn how to stop avoiding conflict and start having the conversation. Connect with Dr. Irvine Nugent: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/irvinenugent/ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.conflicteq.com/ Survey: https://conflicteq.scoreapp.com/ Subscribe to Deep Leadership: If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe and share it with someone who wants to become a better leader. Sponsors: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cadre of Men⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Farrow Skin Care⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Salty Sailor Coffee Company⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Leader Connect⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Qualified Leadership Series⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ____ Get all of Jon Rennie's bestselling leadership books for 15% off the regular price today! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Neoborn Caveman lets loose a marble-mouthed satirical ramble on who gets to rule whom. He starts on Operation Banner, the British army on the streets of Northern Ireland from 1969, and on a government that treats Magna Carta as expired. From there NC looks at Defense Secretary William Cohen's 1997 admission that the United States has the means to steer weather, earthquakes and volcanoes, at Hurricane Sandy's 2012 left turn into New Jersey, and at Kings Mountain, North Carolina — lithium in the ground, a Pentagon supply deal, then the floods. After that Neoborn turns to ENMOD, Project Popeye over the Ho Chi Minh Trail in 1967, HAARP, and the 1977 UN ban on hostile environmental modification that the United States and the Soviet Union both signed. Later he takes the flattering story every nation tells about the day it began to school its children. NC then investigates Horace Mann's Prussian model, Massachusetts compulsory school in 1852, and Rockefeller's General Education Board from 1902. He closes on the manufacture of obedience, and finally on the question he will not let go of: why don't we want to be free?Music guests: Big Sexy, DAV-EL, Carlyle, Reverend Genes00:00:00 On This Day Today - Operation Banner00:20:48 Big Sexy: This City Knows My Face00:24:36 William Cohen, Hurricane Sandy, and the Kings Mountain Floods00:28:54 DAV-EL: Lost In Your Love00:32:26 ENMOD, HAARP, and the UN Ban on Environmental Warfare00:48:43 Carlyle: Without the Weed00:52:33 The Manufacture of Obedience01:07:44 Reverend Genes: Everyday PeopleKey TakeawaysOperation Banner put British soldiers on the streets of Northern Ireland. Military at home is not police work.In 1997 Defense Secretary William Cohen said the United States already had the technology to control weather, including earthquakes and volcanoes.Kings Mountain, North Carolina sits on one of the largest identified lithium deposits in the country. The same ground took the floods.In 1977 the UN banned hostile environmental modification. The United States and the Soviet Union signed it.There was a time no American law required a child to go to school, and the country that skipped the requirement read better than most of the empires that enforced it.Horace Mann brought the Prussian model home. Massachusetts made attendance compulsory in 1852. By 1918 every state had followed.Rockefeller's General Education Board, founded 1902, funded a school meant to fit each student into a slot already cut for him.The child who reads to satisfy his own conscience answers inside himself. The child who memorizes for an examiner answers outside himself.Sound Bites“Am I a hack? Hopefully not. Well, I am more real and authentic than your government.”“Military, domestically, is not the solution. Ever.”“He who controls the weather will control the world.”“The evidence can be proved only by the same people who cause the problem.”“I have nothing to hide so I am not going to show you.”“Idiot in Greek means not taking part meaningfully in political and other decision making.”“It's my water, it's your water, dear listeners.”“Truth starts when you are ridiculed.”“The modern school was built to order a mind rather than open one.”“It's not benevolent, it's man-evolent what is happening to us.”“Why don't we want to be free?”The tea house is at patreon.com/theneoborncavemanshow. Sit down. Support the work. Stay real. Remember: you are worthy, you are amazing, you are one of a kind! Humanity centered satirical takes on the world & news + music - with a marble mouthed host.Free speech marinated in comedy.Supporting Purple Rabbits.Viva los Conejos Morados. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ellen Coyne and Jack Power join Pat Leahy to look back on the week in politics:· All 27 EU foreign ministers will gather in Druids Glen in Wicklow next week for a “Gymnich” meeting. What is that you ask, it is characterised as a more informal chat with no expectation of any hard decisions being made. The lull of August will now give way to a hectic calendar culminating in difficult choices around the next seven-year EU budget.· Andy Burnham made his first visit to Northern Ireland this week as UK prime minister. He raised eyebrows with his assertion that a Border poll is “off the table”. This won't please Sinn Féin given the money and energy they are putting into making a vote on a united Ireland a reality. · The Dáil sat briefly on Friday, where, among other topics of debate, it decided to vote against fuel price increases. The Government now further defers clawing back the cuts in excise taxes it announced earlier in the summer for two more months. Can it continue to shield the public from increasing fuel costs beyond November?Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:· The unifying power of the late Dolly Parton, Scouting Ireland's future, and CIA chief visits Moscow to urge a Ukraine war deal.Would you like to receive daily insights into world events delivered to your inbox? Sign up for Denis Staunton's Global Briefing newsletter here: irishtimes.com/newsletters/global-briefing/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Former veterans minister Al Carns joins James Heale to discuss the government's handling of Northern Ireland legacy cases – and why the issue helped drive him to resign.Writing in The Spectator this week, Al attacks the ‘two-track approach' to legacy cases, which he says could cost taxpayers billions, and warns against allowing the history of the Troubles to be ‘rewritten through the courts'. He argues that Labour failed to listen properly to veterans before changing the law and sets out what more should be done to protect those who served in Northern Ireland.What was it like fighting the issue from inside government? Did Keir Starmer understand the strength of feeling – and will Andy Burnham take a different approach?Produced by Oscar Edmondson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For a last episode of Word on the Street for a few months, Susanna brings you a brilliant chat with Irish athletics legend David Gillick, fresh back from Birmingham and the unforgettable week for Irish track and field.Gillick reflects on the sea of Irish fans, the moments that defined the championships, and why the real story goes deeper than medals — from top-10 finishes to the team culture driving the next generation.He also dives into Rhasidat Adeleke's future across 200m and 400m, the impact of injuries, and the parallels with his own tough spell in the States.Plus, a quick note from Susanna on what's next for Word on the Street! Thank you all for listening over the past year,Susanna, Rachel, Eve & Bronagh--Lidl Ireland & Northern Ireland is launching its new CRIVIT collection today with an exclusive media and influencer event at Saint Studios in Dublin. Bringing the brand's new ‘Find Your Move' campaign to life, the event showcases CRIVIT's latest sportswear, outdoor gear and fitness equipment, with a focus on making movement accessible to everyone, whatever their fitness level. One of CRIVIT's brand ambassadors, David Gillick, will be joining the day as an instructor, leading attendees through a programme of movement, wellness and recovery sessions.

It is 50 years since a peace movement began in Northern Ireland spawned by the killing of three children. There had been seven years of sectarian violence. On 10 August 1976, Anne Maguire was walking along Finaghy Road North in West Belfast with her children when an out-of-control car plunged into them. It was driven by a member of the Irish Republican Army paramilitary group who had been fatally wounded at the wheel by British Army soldiers chasing him. Six-week-old baby, Andrew, who was in his pram and eight-year-old Joanne, who was on her bicycle, were instantly killed. Their brother John, just two-and-a-half, died the following day in hospital. The children's uncle, Gerry Grehan, tells Josephine McDermott about the life-changing tragedy and how it resulted in the Peace People, founded by Mairead Corrigan (later known as Mairead Corrigan Maguire), Betty Williams and Ciaran McKeown.It was a peace movement which attracted support from across the religious divide. The sight of Protestants from the Shankill Road and Catholics from the Falls Road in Belfast walking side-by-side drew international attention. There were dozens of marches in other towns and cities including Ballymena, Londonderry, Enniskillen, Newry and London. Mairead Corrigan and Betty Williams were praised by world leaders and awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.Witness History is a short BBC World Service podcast about history that takes you inside big moments from the past through first-hand testimony and archive. Each weekday, in around nine minutes, we revisit one moment that helped shape the world and hear it through the voice of someone who was there. Scientists, artists, campaigners, soldiers, leaders and everyday people tell their true stories.When you subscribe to Witness History, you'll be taken inside turning points in world affairs from West Africa's fight back against Boko Haram in 2015 to the behind-closed-doors talks that led to the US-Cuba “thaw” and the surprise announcement of restored relations. You'll discover what it was like to experience disasters and how people recovered from them, including the Tabasco floods in Mexico, Portugal's worst train disaster, and the huge clean-up after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. You'll explore culture and ideas too: Sweden's Expedition Robinson, often credited as the first modern reality TV game show; the friendship between The Beatles' George Harrison and Indian sitarist Ravi Shankar; and the night a tiger attack brought Las Vegas superstars Siegfried and Roy's show to a sudden end. And if you're curious about inventions, we'll tell you how air fryers, BlackBerry, YouTube, Alexa, GPS, superglue, the shopping cart (shopping trolley) and bubble tea were created.If you're new to Witness History, the appeal is simple: real voices, one strong true story, and a fresh way to understand today through events from history – all in the time it takes to enjoy a cup of tea or a walk around the block. Join millions of BBC World Service podcast listeners around the globe and enjoy the insight, context and detail Witness History will bring you.(Picture: Betty Williams, (left), and Mairead Corrigan lead a rally displaying the telegrams of support they received from all over the world. Credit: Getty Images/Bettmann)

Former veterans minister Al Carns joins James Heale to discuss the government's handling of Northern Ireland legacy cases – and why the issue helped drive him to resign.Writing in The Spectator this week, Al attacks the ‘two-track approach' to legacy cases, which he says could cost taxpayers billions, and warns against allowing the history of the Troubles to be ‘rewritten through the courts'. He argues that Labour failed to listen properly to veterans before changing the law and sets out what more should be done to protect those who served in Northern Ireland.What was it like fighting the issue from inside government? Did Keir Starmer understand the strength of feeling – and will Andy Burnham take a different approach?Produced by Oscar Edmondson.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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Margaret Eastman Smith grew up inside Moral Re-Armament (MRA), the international movement that emerged from the Oxford Group and sought to transform society through personal moral and spiritual change.For Margaret, however, MRA wasn't simply a movement. It was family.In this episode of Stories from Real Life, Margaret joins host Melvin E. Edwards to discuss her memoir, A Spectacular Inheritance: A Memoir of Letting Go, and the extraordinary journey of discovering an identity outside the tightly connected world that shaped her childhood.Their conversation explores growing up in an international communal environment; the history and ideals of Moral Re-Armament; the difficult question of whether MRA constituted a cult; leaving a powerful ideological community; developmental trauma and attachment; history and memory; forgiveness; peacebuilding; and the complicated process of deciding what we keep from the people and institutions that formed us.Margaret Eastman Smith is a writer, historian and peacebuilding scholar whose academic work focuses on history and memory in divided societies and grassroots approaches to peacebuilding. She is also the author of Reckoning with the Past: Teaching History in Northern Ireland.A Spectacular Inheritance is ultimately about more than leaving a movement. It asks a question that belongs to all of us:How much of who we are is inherited—and how much do we get to choose?Learn more about Margaret Eastman Smith:www.margareteastmansmith.comAdditional articles:www.weareonehumanity.orgUp With PeopleABOUT STORIES FROM REAL LIFEStories from Real Life explores the experiences, decisions and defining moments that shape people's lives.Hosted by Melvin E. Edwards.MEDIA WELL DONE, LLCTurning meaningful stories into lasting legacies. Get full access to Melvin E. Edwards at storiesfromreallife.substack.com/subscribe

On EP159 we're talking about recent road trips, mot failures and changes to driving tests in Northern Ireland. Enjoy!

The Parades Commission acted wrongly in blocking Orangemen from seeking to march down a mainly nationalist road in Portadown, a court has ruled.Senior figures at Portadown District believe it now clears the way for Orangemen to walk back along the Garvaghy Road after almost 30 years, and intend to table a fresh application to march “in the near future”.But what are the origins of the dispute which almost brought Northern Ireland to the edge of anarchy?In this episode of The BelTel, originally published in July 2023, Ciarán Dunbar is joined by former BBC Journalist Mervyn Jess. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're recapping Joanna's points-powered mother-daughter road trip through Ireland and Northern Ireland! We break down how she snagged an Aer Lingus Business Class mistake fare for just 87,000 Amex points for two, used Hyatt, Hilton, Capital One points, and travel credits for lodging, and put Chase Sapphire Reserve benefits to work on the rental car. Then we hit the road for castles, the Giant's Causeway, Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, Neolithic sites, horseback riding, and an unforgettable sheepdog experience—plus why the unplanned, crowd-free stops became some of the trip's biggest highlights.02:10 Mistake fare and booking process10:59 Arrival lounge and Dublin airport17:35 Wilder Townhouse and Dublin22:16 Weather, crowds, and Dublin impressions23:10 Driving through the Irish countryside27:45 Tollymore Forest29:00 Airbnb and Fetch savings33:12 Northern Ireland day trip and scenic stopsMentioned in this Episode:Passport EpisodeBusiness Class Flight DealsChasingmemories.coDromara AirbnbRakuten- Mary Ellen (Get 5000 AMEX or Bilt POINTS)Rakuten- Joanna (Get 5000 AMEX or Bilt POINTS)Glenshane Country FarmIslandmagee Riding CenterIreland & Northern Ireland Blog PostFind Us On Online:Sign Up for the Y! Wonder Travel NewsletterMary Ellen | JoFacebook GroupAffiliate Links:Comfrt.com 15% OFFBEST deal on CardpointersOur Favorite Credit CardsWe may receive a small commission when you choose to use any of our links to purchase your products or apply for your cards

More cases of the livestock disease Bluetongue have prompted the Scottish Government to impose tighter movement restrictions. It's the first year the midge-borne disease has reached Scotland. There are fears it could disrupt the up-coming ram sales season which involves the movement of thousands of sheep. With the weather so unpredictable and extreme this year, we're taking a look this week at how we can grow food differently, or use different crops. We speak to a scientist at the National Institute for Agricultural Botony who says it's not just new varieties, but repurposing heritage crops. And we meet a sixteen year old in Northern Ireland who's come up with an app to help farmers manage their time better. Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Sally Challoner .

Russia launched a big attack on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv overnight, striking blocks of flats, a school and a children's hospital. Ukraine has appealed to its allies for more ballistic missile interceptors. The Ukrainian air force implied that none of the missiles was shot down. Also: captured Ukrainian-born soldiers tell the BBC why they fought for Russia. Disgraced property tycoon Hui Ka Yan - who was once Asia's richest man - is sentenced to life in prison in China and fined billions. We hear about the efforts to preserve Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland by removing coins that tourists wedged into the rocks, and why a crude, cheap animated Chinese film about a baby cow is a success at the box office. The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk Photo: A bombed apartment block in Kyiv. Credit: EPA

Their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, have been enrolled in a British school. Also: GCSE and BTec results day in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. And: 'Niu Lai', the low-budget homemade animated film which is sweeping the box office in China.

On the 13 October 1994, six weeks after the IRA announced a ‘complete cessation', the Loyalist paramilitary groups declared their ceasefires. The UVF's Gusty Spence announced loyalist violence was over, in a step that is seen as one of the vital steps towards a lasting peace in Northern Ireland. Ciarán Dunbar is joined by former PUP leader Billy Hutchinson, Historian Aaron Edwards, and journalists Allison Morris, Mark Simpson, and Vincent Kearney. This episode was originally published in October 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Dan and Lauren are joined by Dr. Trisha Teig, leadership educator at the Archer Center for Student Leadership Development at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and Dr. Joshua Taylor, director of the Hargis Leadership Institute at Oklahoma State University, co-editors of New Directions for Student Leadership Issue #189, Leadership Learning Through Study Abroad: Considerations, Best Practices, and Innovative Ideas. This marks the 21st episode in the TLE–NDSL partnership series. Both editors came to the work through practice: Teig built programs in Costa Rica, Ireland, and Northern Ireland through the Pioneer Leadership Program at the University of Denver, while Taylor has led roughly a dozen short-term programs across six continents, most recently a 47-student program in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand. The conversation returns repeatedly to access. Both editors are direct that study abroad cannot remain, as Teig puts it, for the rich and elite only, and the issue treats structural choices — third-party providers versus faculty-led courses, cost, program design — as the levers that determine who participates. Teig discusses applying Heifetz's adaptive leadership framework to sort anticipatable risk from the genuinely unforeseeable, while Taylor describes nightly campfire reflection as the structural backbone of a faculty- and staff-led program in rural Zimbabwe. Both land on the same point about emergent curriculum: the learning that matters often has to be facilitated in the moment. And both are emphatic that leading study abroad is immersive, always-on professional work — Taylor has now been in hospitals with students on six different continents — while still urging educators who haven't led one to find or create the opportunity. Resources mentioned in this episode: New Directions for Student Leadership, Issue #189: Leadership Learning Through Study Abroad — the issue at the center of this conversation, co-edited by Teig and Taylor Volpe White, J. M., Guthrie, K. L., & Torres, M. (2019). Thinking to Transform: Reflection in Leadership Learning. Information Age Publishing — the reflection scholarship Taylor connects to his program's nightly debriefs Hoffa, W. W. (2007). A History of U.S. Study Abroad: Beginnings to 1965. Forum on Education Abroad — a foundational source for Teig's historical research in the issue Heifetz, R. A., & Linsky, M. — the adaptive leadership framework Teig uses to categorize program risk Archer Center for Student Leadership Development, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute — Teig's center Hargis Leadership Institute, Oklahoma State University — Taylor's institute Service Learning in a Pandemic with Dr. Tara Coste — Coste's prior TLE appearance; she contributes to Issue #189 and collaborates with Dan on his Cape Town program

Georgia Hamblett found this podcast driving between park runs in Northern Ireland, working her way through all 36 of them as a personal challenge. She was in the middle of a placement year away from university, a deliberate change of scene at a time when she needed one, and the long drives gave her time to think about the kind of athlete she wanted to become. Georgia is a competitive age-group aquabike athlete and sports journalist writing for Aquabike.World. Her journey to the European Age Group Aquabike Championships in Spain, which she made alone, 12 hours of travel, bike box and all, has not been straightforward. She has navigated an eating disorder, RED-S, a labral hip tear, and the transition from triathlon to aquabike as a way of staying competitive while protecting her long-term health. This is a very honest conversation about subjects that don't get discussed enough in endurance sport. Georgia talks about them with clarity, humour and a refreshing absence of self-pity. Her story is still being written and it is well worth following. IN THIS EPISODE WE TALK ABOUT: How Georgia found the podcast driving between parkruns in Northern Ireland and why the timing changed how she heard it Her experience of disordered eating, why it started, and what finally shifted RED-S, the labral hip tear, and the cumulative impact of training before she was ready How working with coach Nat Lawrence helped her build a sustainable approach to training and fuelling The transition to aquabike, the European Championships in Spain, and what she is building through her writing at Aquabike.World   KILLER QUOTE "Even though it's been quite a wibbly wobbly journey, I absolutely love it. I wouldn't change it for the world now. Because I personally know how hard I found it to get through those things, it gives me a lot of self belief that I'll achieve some of my other goals too." CONNECT with Georgia Georgia Hamblett is an age-group aquabike athlete and sports journalist based in the UK. Instagram: @georgias_tris_and_tribulations , Aquabike.World Writing: Aquabike.World LinkedIn: Georgia Hamblett   Georgia's book recommendation: Unbroken by Katarina Johnson-Thompson  

Being a beginner as an adult is its own kind of awkward, and most of us just call it nerves. Irish traditional musician and award-winning podcast host Tara Connaghan says that is not it at all. The real problem is that nobody handed you the rules of the room. She takes Lesley through the four stages of learning, why the frustrating middle is where most people quit, and the rock bottom that gave her clarity. If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to LesleyLogan.co/podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/. If you have any comments or questions about the Be It pod shoot us a message at beit@lesleylogan.co mailto:beit@lesleylogan.co. And as always, if you're enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at LesleyLogan.co/subscribe https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/#follow-subscribe-free.In this episode you will learn about:Why five to ten minutes of practice a day beats one long session.The trouble with joining sessions built for high level musicians.What makes correcting an adult learner harder than correcting a child.Why boundaries make newcomers feel safe and know if they fit.How to pick a group that matches your current skill level.Episode References/Links:Session Etiquette Website – https://www.sessionetiquette.comSession Etiquette Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576848312798In Tune with Tradition Podcast - https://beitpod.com/taraconnaghanpodTara Connaghan Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/tarafiddleTara Connaghan Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/tara.connaghanTara Connaghan LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/taraconnaghanTara Connaghan YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5tQCcQU81_mewa2uMRbq7AEp 153 ft Tanya Dalton - https://beitpod.com/ep153Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert - https://a.co/d/010vNZRZEat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert - https://a.co/d/00rGaxuPSubmit your wins or questions - https://beitpod.com/questions If you enjoyed this episode, make sure and give us a five star rating and leave us a review on iTunes, Podcast Addict, Podchaser or Castbox. https://lovethepodcast.com/BITYSIDEALS! DEALS! DEALS! DEALS! https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentCheck out all our Preferred Vendors & Special Deals from Clair Sparrow, Sensate, Lyfefuel BeeKeeper's Naturals, Sauna Space, HigherDose, AG1 and ToeSox https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentBe in the know with all the workshops at OPC https://workshops.onlinepilatesclasses.com/lp-workshop-waitlistBe It Till You See It Podcast Survey https://pod.lesleylogan.co/be-it-podcasts-surveyBe a part of Lesley's Pilates Mentorship https://lesleylogan.co/elevate/FREE Ditching Busy Webinar https://ditchingbusy.com/Resources:Watch the Be It Till You See It podcast on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gLesley Logan website https://lesleylogan.co/Be It Till You See It Podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjogqXLnfyhS5VlU4rdzlnQProfitable Pilates https://profitablepilates.com/about/Follow Us on Social Media:Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lesley.logan/The Be It Till You See It Podcast YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gFacebook https://www.facebook.com/llogan.pilatesLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesley-logan/The OPC YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@OnlinePilatesClasses Episode Transcript:Tara Connaghan 0:00  It's too intimate to be putting pressure on it because I did lose it. So I put my hands on my heart because I feel like it's here. The music, when I play it, it's here. I suppose maybe because it is a fiddle as well, or a violin, but it's something so close, and I have lost it. I did lose it for a while, and if I lost it again, I don't know if I could survive that second loss. Lesley Logan 0:22  Welcome to the Be It Till You See It podcast, where we talk about taking messy action, knowing that perfect is boring. I'm Lesley Logan, Pilates instructor and fitness business coach. I've trained thousands of people around the world, and the number one thing I see stopping people from achieving anything is self-doubt. My friends, action brings clarity, and it's the antidote to fear. Each week, my guests will bring bold, executable, intrinsic, and targeted steps that you can use to put yourself first and be it till you see it. It's a practice, not a perfect. Let's get started. Lesley Logan 1:03  Okay, Be It babe. Here's the deal: we have a unique topic on the podcast, but actually, we go extremely applicable to your life, if anything. We're going to talk about learning. We're going to talk about rock bottoms. We're going to talk about etiquette with the types of people that you're wanting to be around, and I think it's just quite fun. Tara's my new Irish friend that I didn't know I needed. Her name's Tara Connaghan, and she actually is an award-winning podcast host, and she teaches people how to play Irish music and also be in Irish sessions and the etiquette for that. And you're, what? But all of it is, I think, really the conversation is so helpful because if you want to be it till you see it, and I want to be in a pickleball league, or I want to be teaching X thing, or I want to learn this new skill, some of the things we have to understand is the process of learning, and then the etiquette of how do we join these groups? What are those things? So it's really quite fun. I can't wait for you to hear her, and then you'll have to check out her award-winning podcast because that's so great. Here is Tara Connaghan. Lesley Logan 1:59  All right, Be It babes. This is going to be fun. This is going to be totally interesting. It's a topic I've definitely never had a guest on before, and that means we get to learn something new, but also learn things that we can use along our way to something unique. So, Tara Connaghan is our guest today. Tara, can you tell everyone who you are and what you rock at? Tara Connaghan 2:18  Hi, Lesley. I am an Irish traditional musician. I love playing Irish music. I love playing music in Irish music sessions, particularly. I'm from the northwest of Ireland, which is Donegal, which is kind of, it's not part of Northern Ireland, but it's more northerly than Northern Ireland. But it's geographically Northern Ireland, but not politically, if that makes sense. So we're in the Republic of Ireland. Very confusing. And I've lived all over Ireland. I've lived around the world a couple of bits, but mostly I'm always kind of living around Ireland. But I'm back in Donegal now for the last maybe 12 years, and I just love sessions. But I teach adults a lot, and they're always worried about joining into sessions because they're maybe newcomers to the sessions. So I always thought it was performance anxiety that was the problem, but actually, what's feeding the performance anxiety is that they don't know the etiquette to joining sessions. And so that was why I decided to start a podcast almost a year ago about etiquette, teaching people the etiquette of joining sessions, and I'm learning so much. Oh my God, it's amazing. Lesley Logan 3:21  Okay, there's so many things I want to talk about because, first of all, what are sessions, and then to know what the etiquette is, but also it just goes into a lot of us do label something performance anxiety or just blanket anxiety when really it's we don't know how to be a beginner, we don't know how to enter something new. We don't know how to... It's hard to join a group because when you're an adult, all the groups are already kind of filled, and you're, I've got to join in on something, and they already know everything, and I don't know, and we don't know how to be beginners. Is that kind of what's happening? Tara Connaghan 3:50  Totally, totally, yeah. Lesley Logan 3:52  Okay, so just so we have the definitions, what are sessions, and what is the etiquette? Tara Connaghan 3:56  A session can be lots of... There's lots of different types of sessions and different functions for sessions, but the main session is that it's a group of musicians who get together to play Irish music. Lesley Logan 4:09  Okay. Tara Connaghan 4:09  That's kind of the simplest term or the simplest way of explaining it. It's people who kind of know what Irish music is, and they want to play it with each other, and they want to kind of share their music together, and it's like a team. It's a team. Lesley Logan 4:22  Okay, like you're making a band, but you're not a band, like a group. Tara Connaghan 4:25  Yes, yeah. But there's no... Usually there's... Well, I say usually. A session is usually something without microphones, although sometimes it has microphones because it's maybe for tourists or maybe it's a noisy pub or something. So usually the ones that are in the corner with no microphones, they're just playing to each other. Lesley Logan 4:44  It's like jazz when they get together and they just play together. Okay, so there can be sessions of any kind, but sessions for this would be the Irish musicians getting together. And then is the etiquette different for the Irish music versus, I guess, any musician, or what does that look like? Tara Connaghan 5:00  I don't think it's particularly different. There may be slight differences. I think maybe one of the things is that you could be playing in a session with some of your heroes. They're quite accessible. Irish traditional musicians almost would be classed as... they're professionals but amateurs. Lesley Logan 5:17  Okay, okay. Tara Connaghan 5:18  Because they're not all making a living from it. Okay, so you could have some of the highest-quality Irish musicians playing in a session. You might have just come across, or maybe you've never heard Irish music before, and you walk in and you could be listening to some of the most amazing musicians. Lesley Logan 5:35  That's so cool. I love this. I love this. So this is... I am grateful for the definitions because you're an expert in this area, but this is the thing for a lot of things, right? You could be in a chess group or a mahjong or pickleball. I'm a Pilates instructor who travels to teach Pilates instructors, and I find that if I want to just be in the group, sometimes the nervousness from the other people who maybe watch my videos or things like that, they get nervous and they have this performance anxiety, and it's like we're just here to kind of hang out. So, I guess if we could take it in a broad sense, how did you get here? Because we don't wake up going, "I'm gonna teach this." You know what I mean? It's not like what you tell someone in kindergarten. "When I grow up, I'm gonna teach Irish music." So, can you go back to your journey? Tara Connaghan 6:23  I mentioned that I teach the adults mostly. I have a fortnightly fiddle class that I do, and I also teach at different summer schools or camps or things that we would teach music at throughout the year. And for the last... I've been playing music for nearly 40 years. Oh my god, I am playing music for 40 years. Oh god, that just dawned on me. Oh my god. Lesley Logan 6:45  That's amazing, though, but it's annoying because, wow, so much clout, and also, oh, I'm older than I thought. Tara Connaghan 6:53  Yes, yeah, yeah. So I've been teaching a long time. I do prefer to teach adults. I just have a natural sort of bond because an adult wants to be there. They're putting all their time and their energy, and they really want to be there. Whereas kids, the parents want them to be there. So I just want to be with people who want to do something, and then I can help them. If they don't want to be there, then I can't help them. So in every workshop, even though it's more about repertoire, when you're in the workshop we're like, we learn this tune and we learn this tune and we learn... So we might learn maybe three tunes a day or maybe one tune, depending on the levels of people. And always within one of those workshops or classes or camps, there will always be questions. Once one person asks, "Do I have enough tunes to start, to play in a session? Or can I sit there? Am I allowed to do this? Am I allowed to do that? Do you have to have this?" There's so many questions, and because there's so many unknowns, and they don't know the answers, they are terrified. And then when you're anxious and terrified, you probably do actions that you wouldn't normally do. Lesley Logan 8:02  You make mistakes because the nerves are taking away the ability to be present. Tara Connaghan 8:08  Yes, yeah, yeah. And then they start... Then things happen, and they're like, "Oh, and such-and-such gave out to me for doing something." And I think we've all been given out to. It's a natural sort of... If we go back to the animal kingdom, there's kind of a natural, "Look, you don't do that. You don't do that. Don't do this," and you're kind of almost like a cat would do to its kitten. Lesley Logan 8:31  Yeah. Tara Connaghan 8:33  It's not that you're trying to say you shouldn't be... There's no kind of "you shouldn't" or whatever. But it's just kind of a, "No, no, no. Wait this," or "Wait for your turn," or "Wait to this." So it's kind of the natural... You're teaching the natural language of your culture, whatever. But that's normally given to children. Lesley Logan 8:51  Right. Tara Connaghan 8:52  It's very hard to give that to an adult who is your peer in terms of age, but not your peer in terms of skill, and that's a really difficult thing to do. So Irish people are very, very bad at giving feedback. They don't want to offend anybody, so we just say nothing, and then things can blister away and fester. Lesley Logan 9:11  I wonder if anyone is good at giving feedback very often because we're not trained at that. You don't go to college and learn, "Okay, in your life, if you have to give feedback to someone, this is the way you give it." That's not anything anyone's trained in. So if your culture is more, "We're just not going to say anything at all," it's just going to fester and blister, and we'll just put you over there in the corner. Other people will just tell you what it is and honestly cramp someone's spirit. You could just step on a flower. So I think we all have to learn how to be better at feedback, but it's different when students are learning because when you're younger, yes, there are still personality types that are putting pressure on themselves to be perfect. No matter your age, there are different levels to learning. Correct? Because whether or not you are learning Irish music or anything, every learning has a level. Tara Connaghan 10:02  I mean, there's the four stages of learning. So there's when you're totally unconsciously aware. You're completely unaware. So when you were maybe two, your mother tied your shoelaces. You didn't tie your shoes. You didn't even know that shoelaces existed. They're just not in your conscious realm at all. And then maybe as you get... maybe four or five, you're like, "Oh, hold on a second. My mother's tying my shoes. I want to try that." You start getting, "I want to try it." Then there's that stage where you're conscious of it, but you realize how bad you are at it. So your competency level is pretty poor. You're incompetent, but you're consciously incompetent, so you know you're shit at it. Lesley Logan 10:45  That's so hard because it's so frustrating. Tara Connaghan 10:48  So frustrating. You're like, "I can't..." Sorry, I don't know if I can curse. Lesley Logan 10:52  You can curse on this show. Totally. Tara Connaghan 10:56  So you're so frustrated, as you say, and so many people give up at that stage because they're like, "I can't do this. No, I'm out." That sounds like me with surfing or certain things. I'm just like, "No, I can't do this. I'm out." Lesley Logan 11:10  I understand that. With ADHD, I can be okay being bad at something, but I have to get good at it quickly. Otherwise, I'm out. My attention span's not there. But it is interesting. We see that in people in all learning things, right? I teach people how to teach Pilates, and you can see even if they're already teaching Pilates, when they discover that there is stuff that they didn't know they didn't know, then there's a frustration that no one told them, "I didn't know this." But you can't be told, no one is expert at everything when they're new. You just start new. Okay, so then we're pissed off, we're frustrated, and if we don't quit, what happens next? Tara Connaghan 11:52  So if we don't quit and we keep going, then we start getting to a place where we're more competent. We've got a bit more competency. There's a big range within that. You're starting to get competent, and then you grow up to being much more competent, and you're consciously aware that you're competent. So it's maybe when you're six or seven and you're still tying the shoelaces. You can tie them, but it takes a bit of... You're still focusing on it. That takes a huge amount of energy, so it's a very exhausting stage where you're focusing on, "I have to tie the shoe. I have to do this loop and that loop." And your fingers are just faltering at it. The same with playing an instrument. You're kind of like, "I have to watch my left finger..." Lesley Logan 12:42  "...this thing, and then breathe, and then this one." You're still talking yourself through it. Yes.  Tara Connaghan 12:46  Or even driving. "I have to put my foot here, and I have to look at the clutch. I have to put on my seatbelt before all of that, and I have to look in the mirror." I have to do this. There's so many things. Your brain is still running through the process of how to do it. Then you get to the last stage, which is you're competent, but you're unconsciously competent. So it's totally, did you remember tying your shoelaces this morning? No. You just did it. It becomes ingrained so that you don't even know that you're doing it anymore, but you can do it. The same with playing the fiddle. I'm thinking of something else because it's unconscious. It's already in the muscle memory of my fingers. It's in the muscle memory of my brain, my elbows, my whole body. My body does it, and then I can focus on, not something else, but something like, the next level, which is, "How do I do it better? How do I do the intricacies?" You're listening and going, "Oh, such-and-such did that. I might do that." You're listening for something else. Lesley Logan 13:54  Yeah, you can take more in. My husband's a musician. That's not me, but I can attribute it to things in my world. I retook a workshop I've taken from this person before, and I thought I was just going to sit there and get reminded of a few quotes I liked from them. Then they said something, and I was like, "What? What is that?" And it was just like, "Oh, I didn't know the thing before that. It wasn't ingrained in me, so I couldn't even pick up on this if I wanted to." It was always there, but I didn't have the capacity to hear it or see it or understand it because I just had to get the muscle memory there so that nuance could even stand out. Tara Connaghan 14:35  And that takes years. We're in such a culture that everything is convenient. It's quick. Everything's fast. But I don't think there's anything that can replace just time of learning and putting the time in. Lesley Logan 14:52  Tara, how do you help people do that, though? Because obviously what you do is so unique. But however you help them, we all have to understand that it does take time, and it's hard for adults because there's so much unconscious competence happening because we're in our life. We can drive home without even realizing it. There's just things that we do. It scares the fuck out of me every time. I'm like, "How did I get here? Whoa." How do you remind adults to be patient to go through the different stages? Tara Connaghan 15:18  It's not easy. None of us like it for anything. I got a sewing machine. I am crap at sewing, because I never did it in school. I did woodwork instead. It just takes it. I just have to remind people it may only be five minutes per day, and then supplement it with a couple of maybe intense weekends or an intense week where you really focus on it, almost like 12-hour days. That really supplements it. But you need the five minutes per day, five to 10 minutes per day. I think, really helps people. Lesley Logan 15:53  Okay, let's dive into that because I think people think, "Oh, I'll just do this on my day off." But if you just do several hours on one day, it's almost... Do you think it's better if they were to do five to 10 minutes per day for six to seven days is better than one day for two hours? Tara Connaghan 16:10  Absolutely, 1,000%. Lesley Logan 16:12  And why? Do we know why? Tara Connaghan 16:15  There are actually studies that show that because you're building up the muscle memory. You don't build it up in one go. You build it up every day. You don't wash your teeth just once a week. Lesley Logan 16:27  Right. Right. Tara Connaghan 16:28  You wash them every day because ifLesley Logan 16:30  You washed your teeth for two hours once a week, it wouldn't even make up for it. Even though it's like three times the amount you should brush your teeth, it doesn't even make the difference. Tara Connaghan 16:38  No, it's not going to make the difference because the plaque is already there. It would be too hard to remove it. That's just what it is. And five to 10 minutes, that's nothing. Lesley Logan 16:47  Right. I think that's the hard part because people go, "That's nothing. So does it even matter?" Tara Connaghan 16:53  Yeah. So, tomorrow... I'm learning the concertina as well. I do play the fiddle. I've played the fiddle for almost 40 years, but I have a concertina, which is this little kind of hexagon-shaped instrument. I normally have it at my desk, but I'm not at my desk. I'm actually in New York. Lesley Logan 17:10  Cool. What's a concertina? I gotta look this up. I need a visual. Lesley Logan 17:14  Concertina. Lesley Logan 17:16  Concertina.  Tara Connaghan 17:17  Yeah, so, hexagon-shaped. Lesley Logan 17:21  This is... Oh, that's cool. For everyone who's not Googling this while they're driving, please don't. First of all, they're not cheap. It's like an accordion, but a hexagon has six or seven sides. Tara Connaghan 17:40  Your fingers are working from both sides. Lesley Logan 17:43  Yes. Tara Connaghan 17:44  Yes. So it's very petite and dainty. It's a real kind of woman's... Lesley Logan 17:50  It's so beautiful. An accordion is not sexy. Nothing's sexy about an accordion. This is quite cute. This looks like the Victorian era. Tara Connaghan 17:56  Yes. It's very ornate, and designs in it. So I'm learning that now. I had it right beside my computer because you're, especially if you're doing something, and then you need kind of like coffee beans to refresh your brain. So I used to have that, and I'd play for five or 10 minutes. I didn't have access to my concertina for about 15 years because I had lent it to somebody else, and they forgot to give it back to me. Eventually I got it back recently, and I started playing for about five minutes whenever I got bored, well, not bored, but my brain is overworked and overwhelmed and I needed to deep-dive into it for five minutes. The first day I was like, "Oh my god, I can't even remember where the notes are." I was like one-finger typing. Lesley Logan 18:45  I understand. Yeah. Tara Connaghan 18:47  Until, after a couple of weeks, he came down to the office and said, "That actually sounded quite good." Lesley Logan 18:55  Because it came back to you because you just had it. I love what you said, that you had it right next to you. For anything we're wanting to do, my listeners know I was studying the tarot, and unfortunately it got away from me because I had the app, which is great because when I was traveling I couldn't have the cards, but I'm a physical kind of person. So when I was at home, having the cards and the book at my desk, while I'm waiting for the Zoom call to start, I could just read a page. Having those little doses of information actually allows you to take it in. Whereas it's a lot, especially when you're in the incompetence, it's a lot in the brain to do it and you don't retain as much. I'm studying the science of learning right now, I'm really interested in this, and there's a whole lot we have to do self-reflection and self-quizzing. That's actually the best when you're learning anything. You're not waiting for the test to come where you cram, or in music, I guess, the concert to come where you perform. You have to kind of test your skills on your own and then learn from what you don't know. Tara Connaghan 0:00  Yeah, and I think for joining a session as well, you have to learn to play with other people, and that can be a big learning curve as well, because it might be that you've just started an instrument, so this is totally new. You've got a new instrument. Oh my god. I'm still trying to figure out where the notes are. I'm still trying to figure all this out. You're still kind of incompetent. And you need to learn also how to play with other people if you want to join a session. Lesley Logan 20:26  Yeah. Tara Connaghan 20:27  I think those kinds of camps are a great place to do that. They can be big sessions, so you can kind of hide behind people for a while until you get a bit more competency in playing with others because it's a really different skill, being able to listen to yourself while listening to others.Lesley Logan 20:45  How do you, how do you get the... Because that's a bit of courage and bravery, to go from playing by yourself in your home to, okay, I'm going to take this. What advice do you have for people who... There's embarrassment, there's nervousness. How do you get over yourself enough to go? Because I'm someone who'd be a fly on the wall until I'm shoved off the cliff. That's kind of me. But how do you get yourself ready?Tara Connaghan 21:06  I think it's a good idea, if you're learning from a class situation where you've got classmates, then maybe your teacher might have a once-a-year or once-a-month or once-a-week session where they encourage you to come, if you want to join a session. It's a very gentle process where you're coming into it in a very gentle way. What I would definitely not recommend you do is go into a session where there are high-level musicians who need something totally different. So if you're a beginner musician, you want to be feeling kind of a belonging. You want to sense this sense of community. A high-level musician who's been playing for 40 years, they already have that. What they want is challenge, and you're not going to challenge them if you're a newcomer. So don't be afraid, or don't be... not afraid, but don't be putting yourself in that position. Don't take it personally, I think is what I'm trying to say.Lesley Logan 22:01  Well, this makes a lot of sense to me because in life, if you have a skill or there's something you're doing, it's really good to have people who are your equals, so your classmates, like you mentioned. And then there's the people who are below you, in a different level. Playing with people below you builds your confidence because, whoa, I'm not like that anymore, right?Tara Connaghan 22:19  Yes.Lesley Logan 22:20  Playing with people who are at the same level as you makes you feel comfortable and, okay, I've got my people. But typically, if you're going to play with people who are above you, you'd be paying to play with them. You're in their workshop or you're in their thing because they need people above them to challenge them and people like them who understand what they need. And if they're going to have people below them, it's because they're teaching them.Tara Connaghan 22:43  Exactly. And I think it's funny that you should pick that up so quickly because that seems to be something that we've... I suppose we're so close to it, you can't see the wood from the trees when you're so in the middle of it. And so it's only recently that I figured, from conversations actually, that's more of a teaching environment when we're in a session with people that are below us. And that's a very different thing. That's quite draining because you're giving a lot of energy, and you're not.Lesley Logan 23:10  Getting yourself filled up. There have to be sessions for the person who's more of the expert to be filled up. I get that totally. I teach a lot of students, and I have no problems doing that. But when I am in the workshop to learn, if people bother me to understand, I'm like, "Oh, I'm not in that brain. I'm here." So I find I'm very particular about the places I go to learn in or be challenged in because I want to stay in that frame. And if you are wanting me to teach you in that space, I'm a little bit... Okay, I've got to get my cup filled.Tara Connaghan 23:45  I suppose I would love to be able to say that certain things in certain situations... I think we are quite welcoming.Lesley Logan 23:54  Yeah, and that's the hard part because I don't want to stamp on anyone's flowers or anyone's willingness to learn. And I also think they don't understand what they don't... You know what I mean? They don't know that they're just asking a question. And you are an expert, and you are someone who usually teaches. But there has to be a space where you can go be yourself and be challenged.Tara Connaghan 24:13  Yeah, yeah. I think so. I have found that some people like to shame skilled musicians for having that, and I'm trying to call that out and go, "No, I'm not happy that that is something that should be definitely there."Lesley Logan 24:26  I think that's interesting, right? What an awareness we can have because it's fine to have the need to have the space to be in your creative space or to not be in teaching mode, to be in play mode or creativity mode. And also, how do we remind people of the rules of the space without hurting their feelings or pissing them off or making them feel like they're stupid? I don't know if you have those in Ireland, but people have these signs in their house, like, "In this house, we believe in science," and things like that. There, we believe in these... When you walk into the space, if these-level musicians are playing, you're free to watch, but please write down all questions and save them for your... You know what I mean? It's okay to be in their presence, of course, and be inspired. But this is when you're allowed to ask the questions. I guess it goes back to the etiquette. It's like having rules for... If you're a house that has no shoes on or shoes off, it's kind of like that.Tara Connaghan 25:25  Yeah. I suppose it's always being one of those environments that is very spontaneous. So I think when you have a spontaneous environment, the thought of rules makes it really kind of...Lesley Logan 25:38  I understand. Yeah. Well, Tanya Dalton, we had her on the show, and she talked about when there are boundaries, everyone can be more creative and have more fun.Tara Connaghan 25:50  Yes.Lesley Logan 25:51  She explained it, and you guys, I'll put the link in the show notes because I actually don't remember which episode number she is. But she said if there's a school playground and there's no fence, and the teachers tell the kids, "Hey, stay close to the school building to play," you're going to have some kids who literally don't leave the wall. They just play next to the wall. You're going to have some kids who play in the middle, and then you're going to have some kids who are going all the way to the edge because they want to see how far they can go. But if you put the fence up and you say you just have to stay in the fence, then all of a sudden everyone can play. So I guess it's interesting because some people don't want to have rules on things to affect the creativity, but they'll have more creativity if they just have some set rules.Tara Connaghan 26:35  Yeah, and I think everybody feels safer as well then if there are some sort of boundaries. Especially newcomers can feel safe because they know, "Right, well, this is maybe not the session for me," or "This one is the session for me."Lesley Logan 26:47  Yeah, because I'm the girl who'd be next to the wall because I don't understand. I don't want to fuck it up, and I don't want to embarrass myself, and I don't want to make someone mad. So I would be the person who doesn't even join any session, even the ones at my level, because I wouldn't... So I think that's where it's important. No matter what the thing is that we're joining or learning, we have to understand the etiquette, but also the people above us have to define that so that we can.Tara Connaghan 27:11  Yeah, yeah, I guess. Lesley Logan 27:12  Or at least the host of the place. Tara Connaghan 27:15  Yeah, yeah, yeah.Lesley Logan 27:17  So Tara, your enthusiasm and joy for what you do is so contagious. I really do love it. How did you get to keep your passion for this? Because I have to imagine that in the 40 years of playing music, Irish music hasn't been famous for all 40 years. How did you keep it going? What did you do? Then you're in this new space where you have this podcast. I guess people listening to this have been doing things for 20 or 30 years, and sometimes they wonder if they should keep doing that. Is it worth doing? How do they know when to stop? What advice do you have for that?Tara Connaghan 27:55  I did have a time in my early 30s, which is almost 20 years ago. god, sorry.Lesley Logan 28:03  It's all right. I just looked at pictures of myself at 25, and I was like, "Whoa, that was a long time ago."Tara Connaghan 28:09  When I arrived in New York a couple of days ago, I had a suitcase, and I was trying to walk up the stairs, carry it up the stairs. And this young fella, I think he was probably about 25 or something, said, "Do you want me to help?" And I was like, "No, no, I've got a friend coming. She's going to help me as well." And he said, "Oh, if this was my mother, I would hope somebody would help me." And I was like, "Oh my god!"Lesley Logan 28:27  He was being so sweet, and also...Tara Connaghan 28:32  The realization. But of course I could be his mother. But I don't even have kids.Lesley Logan 28:36  Tara, I understand. I have friends my age who have kids who are in high school, so I was like, "I could have a high schooler." Tara Connaghan 28:44  Yeah, I could totally have somebody who's gone through college, finished college. Anyway, let's not go there. So in my 30s, I did have a bit of a, wow, I thought I would be somewhere different. I thought things would feel different. There was that kind of realization: Is this it? There was always this kind of, I thought it was going to be different, and I thought it was going to be amazing. I went through maybe not a spiral downwards, but I was just lost for a while. And then, it was kind of a spiral to a couple of things. I had somebody who was really, really close to me pass away, and that person held my future dreams. So that totally took the carpet from underneath me. I was like, "Well, what do I do now?" It was totally the end now. And I think when you get to rock bottom, you go, "What are the things that are actually really important?" That's what I had to do. I just had to go food, water... I mean, we're talking basic. I think I had probably experienced a bit of PTSD at the time, post-traumatic stress disorder, because I couldn't plan ahead. All I could think of was the next hour and what are the basic needs that I need. So food, water, shelter, friendship. And I thought, "You know what? Music is what fills my cup." And so I had to figure out what was the thing that fills my cup? I have loads of interests. What was the one thing that I really wanted? And I think when you get to rock bottom, things become so clear. I'm not advocating for getting to rock bottom, but if you want clarity, you will find it down there.Lesley Logan 30:37  I think years ago I heard someone say you can't take someone's rock bottom away. You can give advice, but also, sometimes we don't learn what we need to until we are there. Some of us just need to clear everything away. I have to say, I am so grateful for the rock bottom I had because it was, "Okay, I've got nothing. So if I'm going to add to this nothing, it better be something I want." I don't want to add. It was the first time I had a clean slate. I don't want to add stuff I don't want. So I agree with you.Tara Connaghan 31:11  Declutter.Lesley Logan 31:12  Yeah.Tara Connaghan 31:13  It really declutters the mind, and it really focuses on just the important things. Music was the thing that, it's almost like the light at the end of the tunnel, but it was just something that I had that was present, that was just filling my cup, as you said. So I kept doing that. Not that I was doing it all the time, but when I needed that sort of, because I went home to my parents' house, and I slept for about six months. I didn't go outside the door. I remember having relations saying, "Oh, you can't do that." And I was like, "Please don't ever tell anybody that they can't take the time that they need to recover because I needed that time." It took a good few years, but I needed the six months of complete and utter sleep. Then it took another couple of years before I was able to get back to being a normal person again. I'd say I'm a huge amount stronger because of it, and just more clear. So.Lesley Logan 32:12  Yeah.Tara Connaghan 32:12  Music is just... yeah. And I think every time I'm in a session, the other thing is if I'm playing for money, it's a job.Lesley Logan 32:20  Yeah.Tara Connaghan 32:22  So I kind of removed that. Even though I still get paid, I removed the, "Oh, this one is a gig." It's, "I'm going to go and I'm going to play music. Fantastic. If somebody gives me money at the end, great." Sometimes I want to make sure that it's good money at the end, but I looked at it differently. It wasn't for the money. It was for the music, and then somebody gives me money as well, and that's great.Lesley Logan 32:46  I appreciate you sharing that journey because I think we all look at other people and go, "Oh my goodness, they must have loved this their whole life," and not realize that there are parts of their lives where they loved it, but they didn't get up for six months. Everyone is on an up-and-down journey that hopefully always ends up, but it's going to have its own nuances. And if we don't take the time we need to find what fills our cup, then I don't know that we get to enjoy it. I feel like life is worth enjoying. Yes, sometimes we get paid for things we love, but also we should do things because we love them.Tara Connaghan 33:26  Yeah, totally. So I think that was how I got out of that sort of, "I'm doing it for the money." I don't know if you've ever read Big Magic.Lesley Logan 33:37  Obsessed. Great book.Tara Connaghan 33:39  Fantastic.Lesley Logan 33:39  I'm not sure I agree with her in the more recent years of life, but I love that book. So, everyone must, required reading. So good. Required reading.Tara Connaghan 33:51  Yeah. It just gives so much freedom to your creativity as well. It's like, "Oh yeah, that's so cool." It's like it's a muse. You're the host of a creative idea, and you entertain it, or eventually it'll just go, "Look, I'm an idea, and I need to be created. So if you're not going to create me, somebody else will have to do it." Such a great idea.Lesley Logan 34:14  You guys, if you're wondering what is she saying, you have to go read the book. It's, ideas want to be born, it's Elizabeth Guilbert, I believe that's her name. She wrote Eat, Pray, Love, and she even shares that she still worked as a professor even after she wrote that book, even after it was a bestseller, even after it became a movie. It was years before she thought, "Okay, I can just be a writer for a living." I think that's a really important lesson for all of us who are doing something we're passionate about because the pressure you put on it changes the joy you get out of it, and also what you create.Tara Connaghan 34:50  Yeah. It's too intimate to be putting pressure on it because I did lose it. So I put my hands on my heart because I feel like it's here. The music, when I play it, it's here. I suppose maybe because it is a fiddle as well, or a violin, but it's here anyway. It's something so close, and I have lost it. I did lose it for a while, and if I lost it again, I don't know if I could survive that second loss.Lesley Logan 35:17  Yeah. Thanks for sharing that. I think that's really important. Tara, you're so fun. We're going to take a brief break and find out where people can find you, follow you, take sessions with you.Tara Connaghan 35:26  Yeah.Lesley Logan 35:28  All right, Tara. Where do you hang out? They can listen to your podcast. Can anyone play Irish music? Tell us everything.Tara Connaghan 35:36  They can listen to it on Spotify, Amazon, Apple, wherever. It's called In Tune with Tradition. There's also the subtitle, Perspectives on Session Etiquette and Irish Traditional Music. There is a website called Session Etiquette. I also have a tour kind of thing coming up, a private session experience in September 2026, at the end of September. We've got a couple of places left on it. It will be in Ireland. Brilliant. I can't wait.Lesley Logan 36:07  I feel like September in Ireland is probably good weather. Tara Connaghan 36:10  Sometimes. Actually, do you know when it's been really good weather? It's April. April for the last three or four years has been really good, really dry, sunny. Then the rest of summer's awful, and around September sometimes it can pick up again.Lesley Logan 36:23  Feels like Vegas weather, but probably different. April is so beautiful here. Don't take me away, but the summer? Get me out.Tara Connaghan 36:32  I'm in New York, and it was really, really hot for the last couple of days. Today is nice. It's just perfect.Lesley Logan 36:38  Yeah. That's an interesting place to be when it's too hot. Okay, we've talked a lot about learning and things like that. You've given us so much already, but what bold, executable, intrinsic, or targeted steps do you have for people to be it till they see it?Tara Connaghan 36:52  I think they should listen to my podcast, number one. The reason I'm in New York is because it's an award-winning podcast. It has just won some awards.Lesley Logan 37:01  Get out. Congratulations. That's amazing!Tara Connaghan 37:06  Yay! So, anyway, but more actionable steps: I think life is short. Just pick the thing that fills your cup and go for it.Lesley Logan 37:15  Yeah.Tara Connaghan 37:16  If that's Irish music, fantastic. If it's not, do the thing that makes you really, really just gives you so much joy and fills your cup because otherwise you'll always be trying to fill your cup with something that can't fill, can't do it.Lesley Logan 37:31  I agree. I think that's so true. Oh my gosh, congratulations on your podcast. That's incredible, you guys. That's not an easy thing to do, especially with a new podcast, so way to go, Tara. I agree. I was just watching a show, and it's clear there are people on the show who don't have anything else. They don't have something that fills their cup. My husband's listening to somebody, and they're... If you don't have something that's a hobby, something that's creative, friends and family, and work that gives you purpose, if you don't have those three things, f you take one of those away, you put too much pressure on the other things, and they're never going to give you the tripod. You're going to fall over. So I feel like that's really important for today. I think we all need that information. Lesley Logan 38:15  You guys, go listen to Tara's award-winning podcast. Go listen to it, and go figure out if it's... If you don't know what's filling your cup, maybe it's time to start trying new things and be consciously incompetent for a little bit. It'll get better. Share this with a friend who needs to hear it. And until next time, Be It Till You See It. Lesley Logan 38:33  That's all I got for this episode of the Be It Till You See It Podcast. One thing that would help both myself and future listeners is for you to rate the show and leave a review and follow or subscribe for free wherever you listen to your podcast. Also, make sure to introduce yourself over at the Be It Pod on Instagram. I would love to know more about you. Share this episode with whoever you think needs to hear it. Help us and others Be It Till You See It. Have an awesome day. Be It Till You See It is a production of The Bloom Podcast Network. If you want to leave us a message or a question that we might read on another episode, you can text us at +1-310-905-5534 or send a DM on Instagram @BeItPod.Brad Crowell 39:16  It's written, filmed, and recorded by your host, Lesley Logan, and me, Brad Crowell.Lesley Logan 39:21  It is transcribed, produced and edited by the epic team at Disenyo.co.Brad Crowell 39:25  Our theme music is by Ali at Apex Production Music and our branding by designer and artist, Gianfranco Cioffi.Lesley Logan 39:32  Special thanks to Melissa Solomon for creating our visuals.Brad Crowell 39:36  Also to Angelina Herico for adding all of our content to our website. And finally to Meridith Root for keeping us all on point and on time. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Paddy Mackin and Eamon MacMahon's bodies were found on the morning of the 13th of July, 1983. They both had been blasted with a shotgun as close range. The murders of the 34 year olds were first blamed on INLA leaders Dominic and Mary McGlinchey. But their families don't believe that – they believe “other republicans” were involved. They claim that an informer recruited by Captain Robert Nairac helped set up their loved ones. They say this man later fled Northern Ireland after Freddie Scappaticci tipped off MI5 that his identity had been compromised. The story was broken by our political editor, Suzanne Breen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Prince Andrew developed such a reputation for expensive official travel that he was nicknamed “Air Miles Andy,” with taxpayers frequently picking up the cost of flights, accommodation and other expenses connected to his public duties and his role as Britain's special representative for international trade and investment. One of the clearest examples came in 2019, when Andrew used a private jet to attend a golf tournament in Northern Ireland at a cost of roughly £16,000, or about $20,000 at the time, despite numerous scheduled commercial flights being available. Palace officials defended the charter as necessary to accommodate his schedule, but the trip reinforced long-running criticism that Andrew had become far too comfortable using public money to travel in luxury. His travel spending had been controversial for years, and internal records later showed that a review of his trade-envoy role helped secure increased government funding for his overseas activities even as questions were being raised about whether some official trips appeared to overlap with luxury destinations and golf.That scrutiny became even more significant when looking at Andrew's travel to New Mexico while he was serving as Britain's trade envoy. Andrew made an official trip to the state that included contact with then-Governor Bill Richardson, while evidence and later witness accounts placed him at Jeffrey Epstein's Zorro Ranch during visits to New Mexico. Investigators in New Mexico are now examining Andrew's reported stays at the ranch and questioning former employees about what he did there, how long he stayed and who was present. The unanswered question is whether Andrew's taxpayer-supported official travel effectively brought him into proximity with Epstein's private world and whether parts of trips presented as government business overlapped with personal visits to Epstein. That distinction matters because Andrew's trade position came with publicly funded travel and expenses, meaning any blending of official duties with private time at Epstein's ranch would raise serious questions about whether British taxpayers were indirectly subsidizing travel that benefited Andrew personally.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.com

Today I had Philip on the R2Kast

Prince Andrew developed such a reputation for expensive official travel that he was nicknamed “Air Miles Andy,” with taxpayers frequently picking up the cost of flights, accommodation and other expenses connected to his public duties and his role as Britain's special representative for international trade and investment. One of the clearest examples came in 2019, when Andrew used a private jet to attend a golf tournament in Northern Ireland at a cost of roughly £16,000, or about $20,000 at the time, despite numerous scheduled commercial flights being available. Palace officials defended the charter as necessary to accommodate his schedule, but the trip reinforced long-running criticism that Andrew had become far too comfortable using public money to travel in luxury. His travel spending had been controversial for years, and internal records later showed that a review of his trade-envoy role helped secure increased government funding for his overseas activities even as questions were being raised about whether some official trips appeared to overlap with luxury destinations and golf.That scrutiny became even more significant when looking at Andrew's travel to New Mexico while he was serving as Britain's trade envoy. Andrew made an official trip to the state that included contact with then-Governor Bill Richardson, while evidence and later witness accounts placed him at Jeffrey Epstein's Zorro Ranch during visits to New Mexico. Investigators in New Mexico are now examining Andrew's reported stays at the ranch and questioning former employees about what he did there, how long he stayed and who was present. The unanswered question is whether Andrew's taxpayer-supported official travel effectively brought him into proximity with Epstein's private world and whether parts of trips presented as government business overlapped with personal visits to Epstein. That distinction matters because Andrew's trade position came with publicly funded travel and expenses, meaning any blending of official duties with private time at Epstein's ranch would raise serious questions about whether British taxpayers were indirectly subsidizing travel that benefited Andrew personally.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

Israel sends in more troops to try to break up an Israeli settler blockade of two families in a village in the occupied West Bank. Also: a train derails near Lewes in East Sussex. And there has been an increase in the proportion of A-levels awarded at the top grades in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Here's a game that breaks every mobile rule and prints money doing it: Idle Obelisk Miner looks like a DOS game from 1995, has no tutorial, no ads, and almost no marketing — and it's doing an estimated $100K a day on just 4-5K downloads. One developer, a fanatical community, and unit economics nobody else can touch.We break down Idle Obelisk Miner (by Checkbox Entertainment) — a one-man-hit-wonder in the same family as The Tower and Level Devil. They cover the deliberately old-school design (mono Sound Blaster music, pure text, "here's the game, figure it out, we don't care if you don't"), the deep idle systems (mining, crafting with crit chances, drones, prestige, the obelisk DPS-gate, event automation), why it plays like an "unfolding game" that keeps moving your engagement to new mechanics, and the extraordinary numbers: ~$100K/day IAP on ~4-5K downloads/day, pristine tier-one traffic, ~$13 revenue-per-download (versus ~$3 for Golden Goblins), and an ARPDAU multiples above The Tower — all built on a spend-depth the crew estimates at ~$40-50K. The story behind it: solo developer Alex William Olds in Northern Ireland, an "anti-mobile-game" philosophy (no ads, no pop-ups, purchases quarantined in a dedicated store), a 57K-member Discord and a 14K/40K-weekly Reddit, three years of flatlining before the feature set finally hit and retention went positive, and a steady migration of hardcore players from The Tower. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS00:00 A one-man-hit-wonder like The Tower — Idle Obelisk Miner02:30 "Here's the game, figure it out" — the no-tutorial design06:15 Mining, crafting, drones & the obelisk DPS gate14:30 The unfolding-game design and why prestige works here16:55 Why an idle game with no ads is the right call17:40 The numbers — $100K/day on 5K downloads24:00 Build it for yourself — the one-man-wonder thesis27:30 The community engine — 57K Discord, stealing Tower playersThis episode is brought to you by Kinoa — the AI operating system for mobile game operations: flows, live segments, in-app messages, push notifications, and A/B testing in one place, run by the operators who own the numbers. Carry1st saw +43% ARPDAU; PlayStudios saw +31% revenue on Tetris Block Party. Learn more at Kinoa.http://www.kinoa.ai?utm_source=MatejPodcast&utm_medium=Link&utm_campaign=Matej+Podcast&utm_id=100--------------------------------------PVX Partners offers non-dilutive funding for game developers.Go to: https://pvxpartners.com/They can help you access the most effective form of growth capital once you have the metrics to back it.- Scale fast- Keep your shares- Drawdown only as needed- Have PvX take downside risk alongside you+ Work with a team entirely made up of ex-gaming operators and investorsFor an ever-growing number of game developers, this means that now is the perfect time to invest in monetizing direct-to-consumer at scale.Our sponsor FastSpring:Has delivered D2C at scale for over 20 yearsThey power top mobile publishers around the worldLaunch a new webstore, replace an existing D2C vendor, or add a redundant D2C vendor at fastspring.gg.This is no BS gaming podcast 2.5 gamers session. Sharing actionable insights, dropping knowledge from our day-to-day User Acquisition, Game Design, and Ad monetization jobs. We are definitely not discussing the latest industry news, but having so much fun! Let's not forget this is a 4 a.m. conference discussion vibe, so let's not take it too seriously.Panelists: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jakub Remia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠r,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Felix Braberg, Matej Lancaric⁠Join our slack channel here: https://join.slack.com/t/two-and-half-gamers/shared_invite/zt-3bckldvr8-8PXvzciMWdheOzED9hq0SAPlease share the podcast with your industry friends, dogs & cats. Especially cats! They love it!Hit the Subscribe button on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple!Please share feedback and comments - matej@lancaric.me

Feelings are running high amongst farmers in Northern Ireland over a cull of 51 cattle. It was carried out in June by a humane slaughter team from the Department of Agriculture Environment and Rural Affairs in County Tyrone. The government said it was a final resort after a court ordered that the farmer who owned them should be ‘deprived of the ownership of all farmed animals' because of a previous animal welfare conviction. The cull has proved extremely controversial. It's claimed it was visible to members of the public and some question why the animals had to be killed at all. Hundreds of farmers protested outside Stormont, home of the Northern Ireland Assembly. The Daera minister has now ordered an investigation into how it was handled. Rain has been in short supply this summer with the driest July ever recorded in England and Wales. Some rivers are flowing at exceptionally low levels. Shallower rivers heat up more quickly and the water temperature in places is far higher than usual which can be disastrous for fish and other aquatic life. There've been reports of several incidents of fish deaths. We ask the Angling Trust how bad the situation is.All week we're looking into commercial salad production. We speak to a big producer in Worcestershire about how they manage water to irrigate their crops in huge glasshouses in the Vale of Evesham.Presenter = Caz Graham Producer = Rebecca Rooney

What happens when a government decides that one of the greatest threats to its future isn't an armed force — but a cultural institution?On July 4th, America's 250th birthday, the White House Domestic Policy Council released a 162-page report accusing the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History of "ideological capture." Twenty days later, the President signed a second executive order directing federal agencies to force the museum to change how it tells the country's story. Host Bill Cleveland lays out the specifics: the named exhibits, the named staff, the quiet stall in confirming new members of the Smithsonian's governing board — and asks what it means when a nation stops trusting itself to hold a complicated history.Drawing on decades of work with artists in Serbia, Cambodia, Northern Ireland, and Watts, California, and revisiting labor leader Ken Grossinger's conversation about Bryan Stevenson's Legacy Sites in Montgomery Alabama, Cleveland makes the case that culture is never a side issue. Authoritarian movements go after artists first, not for their political power, but because artists shape imagination itself. This episode is about why museums, memorials, and community art aren't warehouses of old objects, but living civic spaces where democracy is practiced, one story at a time.In this episode we explore:How an government report, an executive order, and a quiet stall in board appointments aren't three separate stories, they're one strategy for defining and controlling America's history moving through official channels.Why authoritarian movements attack culture first because stories shape what people believe is possible, before governments can control people, they go for the imagination.Democracy isn't only a system to defend; it's a creative practice — rehearsed in murals, story circles, museums, and neighborhood theater as much as in legislatures.If this show sparks your curiosity we invite you to visit this ART IS CHANGE Collection: Art In Action: Stories of Artists Making a Difference in These Tumultuous TimesNotable Mentions People• Lonnie G. Bunch III — 14th Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution; responded to the White House report by defending the museum's commitment to "scholarship, accuracy" and telling the fullness of America's story.• Bryan Stevenson — Founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative; led the creation of the Legacy Museum, National Memorial for Peace and Justice, Freedom Monument Sculpture Park, and Montgomery Square in Montgomery, Alabama.• Ken Grossinger — Labor and social-justice strategist, author of Art Works: How Organizers and Artists Are Creating a Better World Together, and guest on a prior Art Is Change episode discussing the EJI Legacy Sites.• Alice Lovelace — Atlanta-based poet, performer, and cultural organizer; a recurring voice on the podcast, quoted here on how every generation believes it's living through unprecedented times. Organizations & Institutions• The Charles F. Kettering Foundation — The Charles F. Kettering Foundation, headquartered in Dayton, Ohio, is a nonpartisan, nonprofit, operating foundation with a mission to advance inclusive democracies worldwide by fostering citizen engagement, promoting government accountability, and countering authoritarianism.• Democracy and the Arts — The Kettering Foundation's focus area for integrating the power of the arts into democratic life locally, nationally, and globally.• Center for the Study of Art and Community — The producing organization behind Art Is Change, founded by Bill Cleveland in 1991 to build partnerships between artists and communities.• Smithsonian Institution / National Museum of American History — The federal museum complex, and specifically the history museum, at the center of the report and executive orders discussed in this episode.• Smithsonian Board of Regents — The 17-member body that governs the Smithsonian, including the Vice President and the Chief Justice; currently has unfilled seats amid an unusually slow confirmation process.• White House Domestic Policy Council — The office that produced the "Saving America's Story" report and is directed, under the July 24 order, to help enforce its recommendations.• Charles F. Kettering Foundation — Nonpartisan foundation whose Democracy and the Arts program partnered with Art Is Change to produce this Art in Action series.• Equal Justice Initiative — Montgomery, Alabama-based human rights organization founded by Bryan Stevenson; operates the Legacy Sites referenced in Part Two. Publications, Exhibits & Curricula• "Saving America's Story: How Ideological Capture at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History Erases Our Heritage" — The 162-page White House Domestic Policy Council report released July 4, 2026, that touched off the events discussed in this episode.• Executive Order 14253, "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History" — Signed March 27, 2025; ordered the review of the Smithsonian that produced the July 2026 report.• "Restoring Trust in the Smithsonian Institution" — The second executive order, signed July 24, 2026, directing federal agencies to act on the report's findings.• "Many Voices, One Nation" — Permanent NMAH exhibition exploring how many communities have shaped the nation; named in the White House report as an example of the museum's approach.• "Upending 1620: Where Do We Begin?" — NMAH exhibit examining early encounters between Wampanoag peoples and English colonists, also cited in the report.• "American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith" — NMAH exhibition on the evolving American experiment in self-government.• "Becoming US" — NMAH's national education curriculum teaching U.S. history through the lens of migration; criticized in the White House report.• "Block Bridge Build: Stories of Activist Artists and Cultural Organizers Making a Difference in These Tumultuous Times" — A collection of ART IS CHANGE episodes that explore how arts activism and cultural organizing function as pro-democracy infrastructure. Historical Events & Movements• The Milošević era in Serbia (1989–2000) — The period of authoritarian rule in Serbia during which Cleveland worked with Belgrade theater artists engaged in public, improvisational protest.•

Nolan speaks with guests about Stormont

Rosalind English talks to Amelia Walker of 1 Crown Office Row, frequently to be seen in the Court of Protection, about what the recent decision in response to the Northern Ireland's reference really means in practice, in particular in relation to care home residents and capacity assessments.Law Pod UK is published by 1 Crown Office Row. Supporting articles are published on the UK Human Rights Blog. Follow and interact with the podcast team on Twitter.

We interview Martin Mor, the Northern Irish powerhouse who transitioned from a successful career as a circus performer to take the unsuspecting comedy circuit by storm. With over 40 years of experience as a professional entertainer, Martin has established himself as one of the UK's most popular and in-demand comedians. Now back in Northern Ireland, he works as a leading comedy tutor, sharing his decades of stage wisdom with the next generation of comics. Here is an overview of what we discussed: [[00:00]] How I got started in stand-up comedy [[07:48]][[08:26]] The evolution of booking female comedians on the circuit [[11:38]][[17:05]] How to approach hosting a comedy night [[19:00]][[19:00]] The difference between a comedy closer and a headliner [[20:30]][[20:30]] Why social media comedians should transition to live stage shows [[22:46]][[22:46]] Writing for theatre shows vs preparing for different audiences [[24:29]][[24:29]] Knowing your value: Why I don't take fifty-pound gig spots [[26:10]][[26:10]] TV comedy acts, bill advertising, and the state of the modern circuit [[33:00]][[33:00]] How to get paid work as a comedian [[35:05]][[36:44]] Doing a favour for an act: Why comedy is a team game [[38:13]][[38:13]] What to do if you're bombing on stage & the 10-year rule to get good [[38:54]][[39:30]] Why five gigs a week isn't enough & rising to a closer in months [[41:11]][[42:00]] New acts vs how hard the top professional comedians actually work [[44:03]][[44:03]] The massive difference between good and bad crowd work [[46:22]][[47:50]] The ultimate key to mastering crowd work on stage [[51:40]][[01:00:00]] Treat every show as a big gig & dress for the job you want [[01:04:18]][[01:04:18]] What to do when your comedy set is going brilliantly [[01:05:21]][[01:05:21]] The critical mistakes to stop doing when you are doing well [[01:06:41]][[01:06:41]] Bad clowns vs bad stand-up & getting robbed by Croatian police [[01:09:00]][[01:09:00]] Performance vs writing: How many comics master both skills? [[01:15:00]][[01:15:00]] Building an audience that will actually pay to see you live [[01:16:02]][[01:16:02]] Joke theft: Does your material get stolen because you're not original? [[01:19:00]][[01:19:48]] The link between ADHD and stand-up comedy performance [[01:22:00]][[01:38:00]] The problem with École Philippe Gaulier students leaving clown school [[01:41:00]][[01:41:00]] The issue with Edinburgh Fringe shows from Gaulier clowns [[01:44:00]][[01:52:57]] Landing your big break in the entertainment industry [[01:55:15]][[01:55:15]] Debunking the biggest BS in comedy: The struggling artist myth [[01:58:00]][[01:58:00]] Creating alternative income streams and scaling your opportunities [[02:04:00]][[02:04:00]] How comedians lose their biggest career opportunities [[02:13:00]]#martinmor #standupcomedy #comedycircuit #comedymasterclass #comedyadvice #crowdwork #ukcomedy #stagecraft #thecomediansparadise #comedycoach If you would like to know more about Martin, you can go on his website at https://martinmor.com/. You can also follow this podcast on Youtube at https://bit.ly/41LWDAq, Spotify at https://spoti.fi/3oLrmyU,Apple podcasts at https://apple.co/3LEkr3E and you can support the pod on:https://www.patreon.com/thecomediansparadise.

Stakeknife, real name Freddie Scappaticci, continues to be officially denied as a British agent by the Government. This is part of their Neither Confirm Nor Deny policy. Indeed the IRA itself is in denial over Scappaticci's role, which was as a senior member of the provisionals' Internal Security Unit, responsible for rooting out IRA Volunteers who had been giving information to the RUC, Army or MI5. The methods employed by Scappaticci and fellow IRA members involved torture, and ended with shots to head, hence their nickname, the Nutting Squad. A recent inquiry, Operation Kenova, concluded with the Head of the PSNI saying Scappaticci cost more lives than he saved. But, in that same report states he provided a VAST amount of intelligence much of which was valuable. He seemed primarily to be providing his Army handlers, the Force Research Unit, with information on what the IRA was thinking strategically. So, if much of his intelligence was valuable, that presented a complex moral challenge, particularly when one remembers there were dealing with a highly advanced insurgency that killed nearly 2,000 people during the Troubles, around 650 of whom were civilians. But at the same time Scappaticci was, in some cases, torturing British agents himself. In addition, the same organisation, the FRU, ran another agent, Brian Nelson, within the loyalist UDA, and he was in the habit of providing addresses of suspected IRA members to his comrades, who would then pay them a visit and carry out murder and mayhem. He would obtain these details from the Army, and innocent civilians were killed, among them Patrick Finucane, a solicitor from West Belfast. Joining today is John Ware, BBC man, Panorama presenter, and the man who broke the Omagh bombing story. He's a highly respected journalist of the Troubles, interested in the moral compromises that had to be made during the conflict in Northern Ireland. He's written a new book, Neither Confirm Nor Deny. John Ware Links⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Neither Confirm Nor Deny ⁠Who Bombed Omagh? Panorama Documentary with John Ware ⁠History Book Club Book List⁠ Oliver Webb-Carter Links ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Who Cares Who Wins? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Paean to Patrick Leigh Fermor⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email me: owcpods@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Farmers are being 'strongly urged' to vaccinate sheep and cattle to protect them from the rapid spread of bluetongue. The UK's chief vet says vaccination is the only way to deal with the disease. There are now more than 200 farms with cases in the UK, more than double the number this time last week. The vast majority are in England, with most in the South West. In Wales there've been five. There are none in Scotland or Northern Ireland. The disease is spread by midges and this year's heatwave means the midges and the virus are replicating much more quickly. There is a vaccine but previously take up was low. We speak to the National Sheep Association and the UK's chief vet.Harvest 2026 has been the earliest in England for at least 20 years. Yields have suffered from the heat and a lack of water, leaving farmers counting the cost. All week we've been hearing harvest stories from around the UK and asking what impact all this will have on food, prices and the future for British farming. We visit Northamptonshire where they've been harvesting at the crack of dawn to ensure the wheat's not too dry, and hearing from a miller who says the quality of British milling wheat this year is very good. In Perthshire, Scottish farmers have been dodging the rain to bring in the barley. Growers in Berkshire, who're cultivating their dry dusty fields ready to plant oilseed rape, are wondering whether they'll be growing next season's crops at a loss.We also speak to a plant scientist who says the DNA of ancient varieties of wheat could hold the key to breeding future crops which are more resilient to climate change. Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Rebecca Rooney

Recorded live at Capital Crime Book Festival, this episode kicks off Philippa's August Friday series — shorter interviews with brilliant authors you should know more about. First up: Brian McGilloway, talking holidays, control, and his standalone thriller The One You Least Suspect.But first, three books perfect for anyone who hasn't read in years and wants to fall back in love with reading on holiday:Three Books for the Reluctant ReaderLove, Mom – Iliana XanderA bestselling thriller author dies in a so-called accident — and the letters that follow reveal a family secret worth killing for. Gripping from the first page.Deception – Jack JordanA couple desperate to fund their son's life-saving surgery accepts an offer from a mysterious syndicate — but every task is a crime, and the stakes only rise. Widely considered Jack Jordan's best yet.Strange Houses – Uketsu, translated by Jim RionA creepy, atmospheric Japanese horror told partly through unsettling floor plans. Short, immersive, and impossible to put down — Philippa's favourite holiday read of last year.Brian McGilloway on The One You Least SuspectA barmaid in Derry wakes up after an ill-advised one-night stand to find herself pressured into becoming a police informant by two detectives who've been watching her for months. Caught between the law and the men she works for, Katie has to find her own way through — and her own voice.Brian and Philippa discuss:Why he avoids flying wherever possible — buses, trains, and ferries are all preferableHis dream holiday: a cruise that wakes you up somewhere new every morning, or family time at Lake GardaWhy he still prefers physical books to e-readers (the percentage counter just doesn't cut it)The real story behind Northern Ireland's history of police informants, and why he wanted an "unlikely" central character everyone underestimatesThe original, much darker title that didn't survive — and why The Informant almost stuckWhich of his 13 books he'd recommend to a first-time readerHis celiac-friendly answer to the usual biscuit question: ice cream, raspberry sauce, and a sprinkle of chocolateGet in touchQuick Book Reviews Facebook Group | Instagram | quickbookreviews@outlook.comQuick Book Reviews: author interviews and book reviews with no spoilers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Just days before Christmas in 2022, Natalie McNally was found murdered in her home in Lurgan, Northern Ireland. Fifteen weeks pregnant with her first child, her death devastated her family and stunned investigators. At first, Natalie's boyfriend, Stephen McCullagh, appeared to have an unbreakable alibi. While the murder was believed to have taken place, he seemed to be livestreaming a video game to thousands of viewers online. But as detectives dug deeper, digital forensic evidence revealed that the livestream had been carefully staged. In this episode of True Crime Recaps, we break down the investigation, the digital evidence that unraveled the deception, and how a meticulously planned alibi ultimately collapsed in court. Follow True Crime Recaps for new episodes covering the world's most compelling true crime cases. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Farmers are being 'strongly urged' to vaccinate sheep and cattle to protect them from the rapid spread of bluetongue. The UK's chief vet says vaccination is the only way to deal with the disease. There are now 130 cases, more than double the number this time last week. The vast majority are in England, with most in the South West. Wales has four cases, there are none in Scotland or Northern Ireland, and here cases means farms affected rather than individual animals with the disease. Bluetongue can make sheep and cattle lethargic and lame, it can cause birth defects or spontaneous abortions and it can be fatal. The disease is spread by midges, originally they were blown over from Europe but now they, and the virus, survive the winter here. This year's heatwave means the virus and midges are replicating much more quickly. It doesn't affect human or food safety. There is a vaccine but take up has been low. We ask the National Sheep Association why that is, and speak to the Chief Veterinary Officer who says scientists expect the virus to peak in September. Across much of England and Wales the heatwave and drought has meant an early harvest and poor yields, in much of Scotland things are different. There's been hot and dry weather earlier in the summer but now it's rain that's making things difficult.Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Rebecca Rooney

Siobhán McGuigan, Head of Events with Tourism Northern Ireland, discusses the positive impact on Belfast and the wider region of hosting Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann for the first time.

Today we're talking about self-discovery through oracle cards with our guest Toni Savory — better known as The Card Geek — the creator of World Divination and one of the leading voices in traditional cartomancy. Toni has spent years studying Lenormand, Kipper, and Gypsy Cards across England, France, and Germany, including 15 years living near Munich, the birthplace of the original Kipper deck. Now based in Northern Ireland, she's dedicated the last decade to researching these systems and teaching students around the world. She's the author of The Card Geek's Guide to Kipper, Rainbow Kipper, Lustrous Lenormand, and Mastering the Tarot Tableau, and she's known for helping readers reconnect with the roots of divination and unlock bold, predictive readings. Through World Divination, Toni guides people to read their own futures, navigate life's crossroads, and step confidently into their path. Today, we're diving into her latest creation, The Four Selves Oracle Deck, and exploring how it helps readers understand the deeper layers of the self and transform their lives through intuitive insight. For more information about Tori and her offerings, please visit: The Card Geek And for more information about cartomancy and world divination, please visit: World Divination Association

Roger Bowdler and Brent Elliott's The British Cemetery: Architecture, Landscape, Sculpture, published by Historic England (2026), traces the history of the cemetery from the 17th century to the present day. The cemetery emerged as a new landscape form in the 19th century in Britain but had deep roots in earlier churchyard practices and in fashionable garden landscape design. Cemeteries very quickly became a locus for the monumental expression of loss, family identity and social standing. The book offers a clear chronological narrative, with alternate chapters attending to landscape and monuments. The authors present unfamiliar primary data and introduce some welcome new themes including reference to the monumental mason industry and cemetery infrastructure. The authors draw examples from England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and in doing so underline the very particular nature of Scottish funerary heritage. The book's principal strength is its collection of illustrations that include historic and contemporary photographs, landscape design maps and postcards. The text brings the narrative completely up to date, with reference to the natural burial movement and landscapes designed to meet Muslim burial need. This text is now very probably the best introduction to the material culture of the British cemetery, written by experts with over 70 years' experience in cemetery research and conservation. This interview, conducted by Julie Rugg of the University of York's Cemetery Research Group, is a meeting of enthusiasts for a landscape form that is moving and thought-provoking in equal measure. 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

Northern Ireland, 2022: Emergency services have just been called to a home in Lurgan, where, inside, they found the dead body of Natalie McNally. Natalie had a life most people would envy: a brilliant job, a loving family, great friends, a partner… and a baby on the way. Who would want her dead?Everyone had an alibi, including her boyfriend Stephen McCullagh, who had been livestreaming on YouTube for six hours the night she was murdered. At first, it seemed her killer slipped through the cracks. But police soon discovered hiding behind their prime suspect's alibi was one enormous lie… NEXUS NI: https://nexusni.org/LINKTREE: https://linktr.ee/eleanornealeresourcesFollow Outlore Podcast here:YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@EleanorNealeInsta - @outlorepodcast https://www.instagram.com/outlorepodcast/?__d=16d TikTok - @outlorepodcast https://www.tiktok.com/@outlorepodcast Get to know me on my Personal Channel YouTube - @ellieneale1 https://www.youtube.com/@ellieneale1 Insta - @eleanorneale https://www.instagram.com/eleanorneal...Tiktok - @eleanorneale https://www.tiktok.com/@eleanorneale?...TIMESTAMPS:00:00 Case Overview03:08 Introducing Natalie McNally09:06 The YouTuber Boyfriend16:40 Natalie's Final Day19:46 A Chilling Discovery28:43 Christmas Without Natalie33:43 6 Weeks Later37:05 The Not-So-Perfect Alibi52:26 But Why?1:02:28 In The Courthouse1:11:06 Nexus NI

Jan Carson has become one of the most imaginative voices in contemporary Irish fiction, blending folklore, magical realism, and the emotional complexities of everyday life. The Belfast-based writer is the award-winning author of 'The Fire Starters,' winner of the European Union Prize for Literature, as well as 'The Raptures' and several acclaimed short story collections. Her new novel, 'Few and Far Between,' imagines an alternate Northern Ireland where the draining of Lough Neagh creates a mysterious archipelago that becomes a refuge from the Troubles. As environmental disaster threatens this isolated community decades later, Carson explores memory, family, belonging, and the enduring scars of history with wit, compassion, and startling originality.

What happens when a master craftsman, television personality, and content creator all come together in one career?In Episode 256, I sit down with Darren Keefe, best known for HGTV's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and to millions on Instagram as The Dancing Carpenter.Born in Northern Ireland and raised in a family of craftsmen, Darren shares his journey from woodworking and custom furniture to national television, founding Drumcree Designs, and building a loyal online community through design, humor, and authenticity.We talk about craftsmanship, interior design, social media, content creation, entrepreneurship, and why showing your personality can be one of the most valuable tools for growing a creative business.Whether you're a designer, builder, content creator, or entrepreneur, this conversation offers practical insight into blending creativity, storytelling, and craftsmanship to build a career that stands out.

Fintan Drury joins This Is Hell! to talk about his new book “Genocide: Sponsoring the Destruction of Palestine”, published by the Irish Academic Press. Fintan will be speaking with us live from Dublin. m(https://www.irishacademicpress.ie/product/genocide-sponsoring-the-destruction-of-palestine/) Fintan was a journalist with RTÉ in the 1980s. Before co-anchoring Morning Ireland for its first three years, he was a correspondent in Northern Ireland and reported from Britain, Europe, Africa, and the United States. In 1985, he volunteered in the then largest refugee camp in the world, in Darfur, with GOAL, an international humanitarian organization that delivers emergency life-saving aid. A longtime activist on migration, he's written extensively on the subject. In 2016 he volunteered in a refugee camp in Athens, which led to a fifteen-part series in The Irish Times on the diary of a Syrian refugee. His 2025 book, “Catastrophe: Nakba II," was released to critical acclaim and was shortlisted for Best Non-Fiction Book of the Year at the An Post Irish Book Awards. Fintan is also chair SARI (Sport Against Racism in Ireland), which "harnesses the power of sport to embrace difference, celebrate diversity and promote social inclusion across Ireland."

Find Fintan on X at @DruryFintan and on Instagram @fintan.drury We will have a new installment of Jeff Dorchen's Moment Of Truth. We will also be sharing your answers to this week's Question from Hell! from Facebook, Welcome To The Hellhole, and Discord. Help keep This Is Hell! completely listener supported and access bonus episodes by subscribing to our Patreon: www.patreon.com/thisishell

Send us Fan MailA plan to drain a lake sounds like a punchline until you remember it was real. In this episode, I'm joined by Belfast novelist Jan Carson to talk about Few And Far Between, her brilliant alternative history that asks what might have happened if a Northern Irish politician had actually tried to reshape Loch Neagh and “solve” unemployment and conflict with one giant engineering fantasy. From that single archival spark, Jan builds an archipelago, a would-be utopia, and a home that's about to disappear again. We get into why Loch Neagh functions like a character and a warning. Jan connects the story's blue-green algae crisis to the real environmental disaster unfolding on the loch today, and we discuss the messy triangle of farmers, politicians, and environmental campaigners, plus the uncomfortable question of who is expected to pay for cleanup. The conversation also moves into the novel's deeper currents: toxic masculinity, generational trauma, and what Northern Ireland tries to submerge when moving on feels easier than facing what happened. Jan talks about writing parables without turning fiction into a lecture, grounding magical realism so it feels emotionally true, and structuring a book with multiple timelines plus a textbook thread packed with footnotes. She shares what 29 rewrites taught her about editing and what it was like recording the audiobook when footnotes refuse to behave. If you love literary fiction, climate fiction, Irish literature, and authors discussing the highs and lows of their writing process, this one is for you. Subscribe, share the episode with a fellow reader, and leave a review wherever you listen.Support the showThe Bookshop PodcastMandy Jackson-BeverlySocial Media Links

This week's guest is John Ware. John is an award-winning investigative journalist with over four decades experience reporting on security, intelligence, and public accountability. He's a former BBC Panorama correspondent who has led major investigations into policing, national security, and state power, including extensive reporting on Northern Ireland. He's here to share the story of two of the most significant informants working for British intelligence during The Troubles in Northern Ireland Connect with John: Check out the book, Neither Confirm Nor Deny, here. https://a.co/d/03hklpTn Connect with Spycraft 101: Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here. spycraft101.com IG: @spycraft101 Shop: shop.spycraft101.com Substack: spycraft101.substack.com Patreon: Spycraft 101 Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here. Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here. Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here. Kruschiki The best surplus military goods delivered right to your door. Use code SPYCRAFT101 for 10% off! https://kruschiki.com/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Nothing exciting is happening in Average Boy’s life . . . except for a failed attempt to start a bring-your-own-boat water ski school. As Bob bemoans being bored, he remembers back to his first mission trip. From airport misadventures with “Mr. Security Guard” to building a playground in downtown Chicago, Bob shares the story of how a small act of kindness made a big difference for one little girl. Episode 129 wraps up with a listener from Northern Ireland delivering a joke that’s equal parts confusing and hilarious.

When Nidhi and Vik moved to Northern Ireland, they came up with an unusual way to make new friends - hosting dinner parties made up of strangers. Now the couple, originally from India, have connected with 60 people and counting. Vik says he wants to make the whole world his friends.Plus, the Iranian father helping his blind son experience the football World Cup. He uses a makeshift football pitch to mimic what's going on. Also, a listener tells us about their chance encounter with a teacher they hadn't seen for 12 years. We go to a picnic where the only thing on the menu is unlimited cake, and the payphone in Washington DC that tells jokes. Our weekly collection of inspiring, uplifting and happy news from around the world.Presenter: Holly Gibbs. Music composed by Iona Hampson(Photo: Nidhi and Vik preparing for their Masala Talkies. Credit: Your Pal Moments.)