233 episodes
- Who was Glen Hansard away from the stage?
Following Glen Hansard's funeral at St Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin, this episode captures the thoughts and memories of friends, collaborators and fellow musicians on the day they gathered to say goodbye.
Created as both a tribute and a historical record, these conversations preserve first-hand reflections while they were still fresh. Together, they form a mosaic of Glen Hansard's life - revealing not only the celebrated musician, but the generous, humble and deeply human person remembered by those who knew him best.
Contributors include:
• Victoria Mary Clarke
• BP Fallon
• Barry Donovan
• Mick Cronin
• George Morphy
• and others.
Interviewer: Fender Jackson
Recorded: Tuesday 4 August 2026
Locations: St Patrick's Cathedral & The Lord Edward, Dublin
Thumbnail photograph: Conor Masterson. Used with permission.
With sincere condolences to Glen's family, friends and everyone whose lives he touched.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. - On Monday 3 August 2026, hundreds of people gathered at the Baroque Chapel, Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA), Royal Hospital Kilmainham, to pay their final respects to Glen Hansard.
Rather than recounting Glen's remarkable career, this episode documents something more immediate: the memories of the people who came to say goodbye.
Friends, fellow musicians and admirers reflect on the man they knew, his generosity, his humility, his artistry and the lasting impact he had on their lives. Together, their stories paint a deeply personal portrait of one of Ireland's most beloved musicians.
Interviewees include Michael Fayne, Vojta Cimpl, Athos Chambers, Loren, Barry Donovan, Lloyd Chambers, Ravinol (Ravi) Chambers and Conor Masterson, whose shot the cover photograph.
Recorded at 3:41pm on Monday 3 August 2026, this episode preserves a unique moment in Irish cultural history as people gathered to honour Glen Hansard's life and legacy.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. - Why has Ireland become one of the world's strongest supporters of Palestine?
In this episode, Zoe Lawlor, Chairperson of the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC), discusses why so many Irish people identify with the Palestinian cause, Ireland's policy of military neutrality, accusations of antisemitism, Zionism, the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, and whether peace between Israelis and Palestinians remains possible.
The Ireland Podcast has no political or religious agenda. Its purpose is to provide a platform for respectful, long-form conversations that help listeners better understand different perspectives on Ireland and the issues that shape it.
Topics include:
• Why Ireland has become one of Palestine's strongest international supporters
• The origins and aims of the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign
• Israel, Gaza and the humanitarian crisis
• Hamas and the attacks of 7 October 2023
• Zionism and anti-Zionism
• Antisemitism and anti-racism
• Ireland's policy of military neutrality
• The BDS movement
• The prospects for a two-state solution
• Whether lasting peace is still achievable
The Ireland Podcast is a long-form interview series exploring Ireland through conversations with politicians, academics, journalists, artists and public figures. Guests are invited to explain their own views in depth, with the aim of recording the island's stories, ideas and debates.
Relevant Links
https://www.ipsc.ie/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. - Ten years after the Brexit referendum, what has actually changed?
In this final episode of our three-part series, Professor Katy Hayward looks beyond the politics of 2016 to examine Brexit's long-term consequences for Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom and Ireland.
We discuss:
• Has Brexit been an economic success or failure for Northern Ireland?
• Has Brexit made a united Ireland more likely?
• Who, if anyone, has benefited?
• Has Brexit strengthened or weakened the Union?
• How has it changed relations between Britain, Ireland and the European Union?
• Why does the Windsor Framework continue to matter?
• What happens if a border poll is eventually called?
• How will historians judge Brexit in fifty years' time?
Along the way, Prof. Hayward offers one of the most memorable explanations of the Windsor Framework you'll ever hear - describing it as a mythical creature: "a pony dressed up with a little glitter in its mane, an ice cream cone on its head... it shouldn't really exist."
Whether you supported Leave or Remain, this conversation aims to explain rather than persuade.
This is Part 3 of a special three-part series on Brexit.
Relevant Links
https://www.qub.ac.uk/sites/post-brexit-governance-ni/
https://www.niassembly.gov.uk/assembly-business/brexit-and-beyond/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. - Jeffrey Donaldson was once regarded as one of the most influential and respected figures in unionism. A former leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, Privy Counsellor, and key negotiator during some of the most significant moments in post-Brexit politics, his conviction has sent shockwaves through Northern Ireland.
In this episode, Irish News Political Correspondent John Manley traces Donaldson's political journey, from his early years in the Ulster Unionist Party and move to the DUP, through the Good Friday Agreement, St Andrews Agreement, Brexit, and the Northern Ireland Protocol, before examining the political fallout following his conviction.
The conversation also explores:
• The origins and evolution of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP)
• Ian Paisley, Peter Robinson, Arlene Foster and Gavin Robinson
• Why Jeffrey Donaldson became leader
• The internal struggles within unionism
• The impact of Brexit and the Northern Ireland Protocol
• The future of the DUP
• The rise of the TUV and changing unionist politics
• The political response from Sinn Féin and other parties
• Whether the Donaldson scandal could reshape unionism for years to come
This episode is intended as an exploration of the political context surrounding one of the most significant developments in modern Northern Irish politics.
The Ireland Podcast celebrates the people, places, culture and ideas that shape Ireland through long-form conversations.
Hosted by Fender Jackson.
Relevant Links
https://www.irishnews.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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About The Ireland Podcast
About the PodcastThe Ireland Podcast is a long-form interview series creating space for unhurried conversation about life on the island of Ireland and beyond.The ConversationsHosted by Fender Jackson and produced by Salthill Media, the podcast centres on listening rather than argument. Each episode features a single guest and allows time for reflection, context, and experience to emerge naturally. Guests include artists, musicians, writers, athletes, broadcasters, historians, and cultural figures whose work or perspective offers insight into place, memory, and lived experience.There is no political or religious agenda. The podcast does not seek to persuade, promote, or argue a position. Instead, it exists as a space for careful dialogue, where complexity is allowed and difference is approached with curiosity rather than confrontation.The HostFender Jackson grew up in Ulster and later lived in England and China before returning to Ireland and settling in Galway, where most episodes are now recorded. These experiences inform a listening-led, exploratory approach shaped by distance as well as proximity, and by an awareness of how place, movement, and memory intersect.ApproachThe Ireland Podcast approaches the island as a shared, lived place - shaped by multiple histories, traditions, communities, and viewpoints. In a post-conflict society, conversation itself has value. The podcast recognises the role that respectful dialogue, storytelling, and careful questioning can play in fostering empathy and understanding.Over time, it becomes an informal record of conversations about the island and its many expressions, offered quietly and without prescription. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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