A Tangled Web: Disinformation, Riots, and the Rise of Extremism in Ireland
Host Christopher Kissane is joined by Aoife Gallagher (Institute for Strategic Dialogue, author of Web of Lies) and journalist Una Mullally (The Irish Times) to unpack the rise of far-right extremism and online disinformation in Ireland. From viral conspiracy theories to foreign interference and the 2023 Dublin riots, they explore how social media is fueling hate—and what can be done about it. Recorded live at Ireland’s Edge in Dingle. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Parks and Recreation: How Do National Parks Fit Into the National Picture?
Can Ireland’s newest national park protect the sea and the people who depend on it — or is conservation becoming a top-down photo op?Last year, the Irish government established Páirc Náisiúnta na Mara, Ciarraí (Kerry Marine National Park), a vast national park that includes many of West Kerry's most iconic locations—Mount Brandon, the Conor Pass, and a large stretch of ocean off the Kerry coast.While Ireland has been shamefully slow to protect its marine ecosystems, the creation of this park has raised concerns among fishing communities about the impact on their livelihoods and the lack of consultation in the planning process. So how do we strike a balance between conservation and community—and ensure this new national park is more than just a box-ticking photo op?Today, Chris is joined by three expert voices:Ella McSweeney, award-winning journalist and presenter of RTÉ’s Ear to the Ground. Her reporting for The Irish Times, The Guardian, and others has helped shape national conversations on farming, fishing, and the environment.Aodh Ó Domhnaill, CEO of the Irish Fish Producers Organisation and a veteran advocate for Ireland’s fishing industry, originally from Donegal.Olive Heffernan, award-winning marine science journalist and author of The High Seas: Ambition, Power and Greed on the Unclaimed Ocean.This episode was recorded live at Ireland’s Edge in Dingle Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Paved Paradise? Rethinking Tourism and Housing in the West of Ireland
How can we create a socially sustainable future for tourism, and provide places for people to live in their own communities? Tourism has become vital for many places in the west of Ireland, providing customers and opportunities for everything from hotels and restaurants to arts and crafts. The annual influx of visitors has revitalised towns all along the ‘Wild Atlantic Way, sustaining many small businesses in areas once blighted by immigration and poverty. But the success of tourism has also brought social pressures, most notably through a housing crisis exacerbated by the proliferation of second homes and holiday lets. For young people in particular, finding somewhere to live in their own area has become impossible, leading to a youth exodus that endangers the social future of many communities, and the cultural future of Gaelic areas, with the Irish language speakers increasingly priced out by holidaymakers. At the same time, declines in tourist numbers caused by high prices and a lack of accommodation are also sounding alarm bells for many local businesses.Today, three people from very different backgrounds share their stories and ideas with me: Peadar Ó Fionnáin is a local doctor in Dingle, where he also co-directs the annual arts festival Féile Na Bealtaine and is the local organiser for the Green Party, for whom he campaigns on housing and sustainability issues. Lynn Dyer is an activist in Cornwall, where she is director of the community food project Growing Links in Penzance, where she also directs the town's Street Food Project. And Didi Ronan is co-founder of NATIVE, a regenerative hospitality project in Ballydehob in West Cork, offering both a guest house and sustainably built cabins. She previously worked as a policy analyst for the OECD. They joined our regular host Chris Kissane in front of a live audience at Ireland's Edge in Dingle. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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New (Dis)Order: How Can We Make Sense of Geopolitical Turmoil?
From genocide to corruption, it is increasingly hard to escape the feeling that in geopolitics today, anything goes. Recent months have seen an extraordinary breakdown in the norms of international affairs. The controversial return of Donald Trump to the White House has repositioned America and damaged the Western Democratic Alliance that has dominated transatlantic affairs for a century. The impunity of the Israeli government's actions in Gaza and Lebanon, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the civil wars in Yemen and Sudan continue to horrify and shock the world. On this episode we hear from three expert voices who share their perspectives on what is to come. Carole Cadwalladr is an Orwell Prize-winning journalist whose work on big data and secret money behind the Brexit and Trump campaigns brought her international attention and a campaign of legal harassment from wealthy Brexiteers. Hannah McCarthy won an Irish Journalism Award for her foreign coverage, which has included reporting from Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and the US election campaign. And Donnacha Ó Beacháin is a professor of politics at Dublin City University. At Ireland's Edge in Dingle, they joined John Naughton, Senior Research Fellow at Cambridge University, and longtime friend of Ireland's Edge. This conversation took place in December last year, before the return of Donald Trump to the US presidency. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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It's Not Easy Being Green - In conversation with Eamon Ryan
On the day of Ireland's general election in December 2024, the longtime leader of the Green Party Eamon Ryan sat down with Chris Kissane at Ireland’s Edge. Marking the end of his political tenure after 25 years, and with his party’s prospects looking bleak, Eamon and Chris discussed why it’s not easy being green.Junior partners in two major coalition governments over the last 15 years, the Greens brought issues of climate change and sustainability to the centre of Irish political debate and Eamon's various ministerial portfolios have ranged from transport to energy to communications. But there has been a major political backlash against green politics both home and abroad despite a global environmental crisis that only continues to worsen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Born out of the eponymous event series and presented by historian and writer Chris Kissane, Ireland’s Edge – The Podcast shares the absorbing discussions and interviews captured at Ireland's Edge in Dingle. This rich store of conversations, stories, and ideas underscore the need for open dialogue in an era of political upheaval and polarisation, exploring a wide range of critical topics.Coming up this season: Trump 2.0 and the Global Rise of Populism / The Weaponisation of A.I. and Data / The Modern Revival of the Irish Language and Ireland’s Cultural Renaissance / Cutting edge investigations into State and Corporate Violence / Climate Change and Ireland's Green Transition / Balancing Tourism and Social Sustainability /The Future of RTÉ and Role of Public Service Broadcasting, and more!Things look different from the edge. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ireland