The Ireland Podcast

Since setting out from the Shetland Islands on 1 January 2026, Jonathan has been walking around 4,200km through Britain and Ireland to raise awareness and funds for four mental health charities.

In this second chapter of The Ireland Podcast's ongoing record of his journey, Fender Jackson catches up with Jonathan in Dublin.

We join him as he meets the Lord Mayor of Dublin, walk with him through the city to Aware's headquarters, hear about the physical and mental challenges of the journey, and join an Aware gathering marking this extraordinary undertaking.

Jonathan is now heading towards Galway for the final stage of the walk.

Sunday 18 October 2026 - Galway
Join Jonathan for the final steps into Galway.

Monday 19 October - Special Event
The Ardilaun Hotel, Galway
An evening with Jonathan Kemp - stories, reflections and what comes next.

Jonathan is raising awareness and funds for SAMH, Mind, AWARE NI and Aware Ireland.

Support Jonathan:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/Jonathansupporting4mentalhealthcharities

Aware is the national organisation providing support, therapy, education and information to those affected by depression, bipolar disorder and anxiety. For more information, visit Aware or call the Aware Support Line on 1800 80 48 48.

AWARE-NI is the depression charity for Northern Ireland. Tel: 028 9035 7820 Email: info@aware-ni.org
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Keire Murphy is a policy researcher, migration expert and public commentator. After spending four years conducting migration research at the Economic and Social Research Institute, she recently began working independently as a researcher, writer and podcaster.

In this long-form conversation, we examine Ireland’s changing population, the relationship between immigration and housing, labour shortages, citizenship, family reunification, integration and what it means to be Irish in an increasingly diverse country.

We also discuss:

• Why Ireland’s migrant population has changed
• Highly skilled immigration and the housing market
• Ireland’s two-tier economy
• The benefits and pressures created by population growth
• Assimilation versus multiculturalism
• Women’s rights and cultural differences
• Why parts of the left have avoided difficult immigration questions
• The Government’s changing approach to citizenship
• How Ireland might build a more cohesive national identity

Recorded on 10 September 2026.

CLARIFICATION: At the time of recording, the Department of Foreign Affairs passport guidance stated that guardian consent was not required if a child was married. Irish law does not permit marriage under the age of 18. That wording has since been removed from the Department’s webpage.

Sources and further information:

Keire's Podcast:
- Acast link: https://shows.acast.com/get-shit-done
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4vP7onscXRsYFy3uBgqHXw?si=b1d8fa22c79d4990
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GetShtDonePod

https://www.esri.ie/system/files/publications/RS184_0.pdf

CSO — Population and Migration Estimates, April 2026:
https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-pme/populationandmigrationestimatesapril2026/keyfindings/

Government citizenship proposals:
https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-justice-home-affairs-and-migration/press-releases/government-approval-secured-for-the-priority-drafting-of-the-irish-nationality-and-citizenship-amendment-bill-2026/

Family-reunification policy changes:
https://www.irishimmigration.ie/amendments-to-policy-on-non-eea-family-reunification/
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Fender Jackson travelled to Doonbeg on Saturday, 12 September 2026, as President Trump arrived in Ireland for the Irish Open.

Rather than trying to answer the question from a studio, The Ireland Podcast took to the streets to speak to the people who were there: locals, protesters, visitors, businesspeople and others drawn to the village by an extraordinary weekend.

The responses range from fierce opposition to strong support - while others separate their views of Trump the politician from the impact his golf resort has had on employment, tourism and life in Doonbeg.

This episode is also a snapshot of the village itself: the people, the golf, the protests and the atmosphere surrounding a presidential visit to West Clare.

The Ireland Podcast has no political or religious agenda. The aim is to record the island and give different voices room to be heard.

Special thanks to everyone who contributed.

Recorded: Doonbeg, County Clare
12 September 2026

Subscribe to The Ireland Podcast for long-form conversations and stories from across Ireland.

Relevant Links
https://www.mohergolf.com/
https://doonbeg.info/
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Why is Ireland an outlier when it comes to public attitudes towards Israel and Palestine?

Fender Jackson speaks with political scientists Dr Liam Kneafsey of Trinity College Dublin and Dr Miceal Canavan of Queen’s University Belfast about their new research examining why Irish public opinion differs so markedly from that of many other Western countries.

Based on a nationally representative survey of 1,547 people in the Republic of Ireland, their research explores the role of Ireland’s history, memories of colonialism and oppression, support for Irish unity, political ideology, media consumption and attitudes towards Jewish and Muslim people.

The conversation also asks a deeper question: is it history itself that shapes our attitudes - or the stories we tell ourselves about our history?
The Ireland Podcast has no political or religious agenda. The purpose of this conversation is to examine the research, its findings and possible alternative explanations.

Dr Miceal Canavan is a Lecturer in Politics and International Studies at Queens University Belfast. His research examines political attitudes and behaviour, including how history and identity shape the way people understand contemporary political conflicts. Alongside Liam Kneafsey, he is co-author of the 2026 study The Long Shadow of the Past: How Irish History Shapes Attitudes Towards the Israel–Palestine Conflict, based on a representative survey of 1,547 people in the Republic of Ireland.

Dr Liam Kneafsey is Assistant Professor in Political Science at Trinity College Dublin. His research interests include Irish politics, political behaviour, political psychology, political communication, conflict and peace. He is the co-author, with Miceal Canavan, of The Long Shadow of the Past, which investigates why Irish public opinion on Israel and Palestine differs so markedly from that found elsewhere in Western Europe.

Relevant Links
https://www.tcd.ie/research/profiles/?profile=lkneafse
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How do we raise children in a world increasingly dominated by smartphones and social media? And what happens to family relationships when parents separate, siblings fall out, or boys struggle to understand what masculinity means?

Dr Richard Hogan is a family psychotherapist, author, Irish Examiner columnist and media contributor.

In this conversation with Fender Jackson, Richard discusses parenting teenagers in the smartphone age, setting boundaries around technology, keeping phones out of bedrooms, sleep, boys and masculinity, positive male role models, single parenting, divorce and co-parenting, and the complicated relationships we have with our siblings.
Richard also reflects on growing up with dyslexia and separated parents, while a shared fascination with John Lennon leads to a discussion about childhood, creativity and the experiences that shape us.
Among the questions explored:

What does a healthy relationship with smartphones look like for teenagers?
Should children be allowed phones in their bedrooms?
How can parents reclaim boundaries once they've been lost?
Are the ways we talk about masculinity helping or alienating boys?
What do children actually need when their parents separate?
Does divorce necessarily have to be traumatic?
Why can sibling relationships be so difficult — and can they be repaired?

Richard is the author of Parenting the Screenager and has a new book, Friends, Enemies and Lovers, due in January.

The Ireland Podcast - Recording the island.

If you know someone who might value this conversation, please feel free to pass it on.

Relevant Links
https://www.instagram.com/officialrichardhogan/
https://www.theirelandpodcast.com/support
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