Irish with Mollie

My guest this week, Caoimhín, is a talented musician, an Irish Language advocate, a creative storyteller and a gentle soul, as his name "Caoimhín" suggests. In this soothing episode, Caoimhín takes us from his childhood all the way into his adult life where the common denominator was, and still is, music. He is a gifted traditional musician and plays various instruments including the banjo, flute and fiddle. Caoimhín adores traditional Irish music and he claims he enjoyed it even when it wasn't as cool as it is today! Despite his love and respect for the music in its traditional form, he has been known to add a kick drum or a sub base to ancient Irish songs as seen in his latest single, Bímse féin ag iascaireacht. The complex layer of trance and dance which he adds to the music has allowed him to preserve Irish music while adding to it, which he believes is a beautiful way to modernise and have fun with traditional components of our music. Caoimhín is a Gaeilgeoir but highlights the importance of lifelong learning and even shares some innovative tips and tricks on how to practise and incorporate the language into everyday life. This episode is not to be missed - I thoroughly enjoyed my chat with Caoimhín. Be sure to follow Caoimhín on Instagram at @caoimhinceol to keep up to date with his latest projects. Go raibh míle maith agat, a chara - Thank you, friend. Ba mhór an pléisiúr é - It was a great pleasure!

#20 Ryan Dixon - Lakota Name: Taṡuƞka Wakiƞyaƞ Watogla (Wild Thunder Horse) is an inspiring Native American Educator and Indigenous Language Activist who has been teaching and coaching the Dakota Language since 2012. He has co-founded C̣aƞṡayapi Waḳaƞyeża Owayawa Oti- Lower Sioux Headstart and Early Headstart and drives the language movement forward with his community projects, leadership teams, competitions and innovative educational development. We talk about language loss, the revitalisation projects underway, the current status of Lakota and Dakota, colonisation, decolonisation, and hope for the future. Find Ryan on instagram @tasunka.wakinyan to learn more

Eimear is Chosen Chief of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids. She is a Storyteller and a Psychologist. She has a deep love of the ancient Irish tales and has a passion for storytelling. In this conversation we talk about the healing power of nature, Eimear's earth-based exploration, her growing community, thin places and thin times. Eimear loves to weave in song and the harp into her stories. She particularly enjoys showing people the sacred sites of Ireland and telling the ancient tales right where they happened. Eimear has private practice as a Counselling Psychologist and her interests in Druidry and psychology have led her to act as a Celebrant, helping people to design and enact meaningful rites of passage. She is licensed to perform legal weddings in the Republic of Ireland and can also offer non legal ceremonies. Eimear is also a Priestess dedicated to Danú in the Fellowship of Isis. She is an Arch Druidess in the Druid Clan of Dana and a member of the Noble Order of Tara. Enjoy! Bain taitneamh as :) Thanks a million, Eimear - Go raibh míle maith agat, a Eimear! www.kilkennydruidry.com www.druidry.org/ eimear_burke_druid on instagram

Kevin Whelan is one of Ireland's most widely published scholars, and a professor at the University of Notre Dame Dublin, having lectured at top universities all over the world and worked on over 20 books. Kevin was also the historical advisor to the Irish Government on the Famine and the 1798 Rebellion. His articulate and expansive reflections on the ecocidal agenda of the Irish Famine are illuminating and sobering. We discuss the project of imperalism and globalisation, and how Ireland was an early ethnocidal experiment, which has affected Ireland to such an extent we could have talked for days. "We live with a degree of post traumatic disorder. And what kind of country is it that some people think it's totally fine to denigrate the national langauge, or even think that being monolingual is superior to being bilingual!?" Go raibh míle maith agat, a chara - Thanks a million, friend. It was such an honour to talk to you and learn from you, Kevin.