Author Archive: The Tortoise Shack

The Last Times I Didn’t Know Were The Last, with Tarak Al-Farra

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Tarak AlFarra is a Palestinian Digital Storyteller, Social Media Creator and Humanitarian Activist from Gaza, who was evacuated and is now in Italy. His work focuses on humanitarian storytelling, visual documentation, social media advocacy, and short-form creation related to war, displacement, identity, and resilience. Through photography, interviews, public speaking, and digital media, he’s documented the […]

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Lula’s Miraculous Comeback – Lessons for the Left?

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack “It always looks hopeless, until it’s not.” In this Tortoise Shack podcast, Tony speaks with journalist Nicholas Leal of El País about Lula da Silva’s narrow and historic presidential-election victory in Brazil. (Isn’t it great to have some good news for a change?) Nicholas outlines the grassroots mobilisation that overcame a first-round deficit, turned out […]

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The Roots of Discontent – The Broken Social Contract Across Europe

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack “Protests are rooted in a broken social contract. The deal with youth is off, and they know it. Europe must shift from GDP to well-being for all.” This episode explores the recent wave of protests across Europe, the underlying social and economic issues, and the implications for Ireland. Rory, Tony and guest Dr Ciaran O’Carroll […]

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Sinn Féin’s New Residency Proposals – Tony debates Matt Carthy

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack In this Tortoise Shack Podcast, Tony challenges Matt Carthy, Sinn Féin’s spokesperson on Justice, Home Affairs, and Migration, on his Party’s new proposals on long-term residency and citizenship. They discuss the evolving (devolving?) conversation around immigration in Ireland, and the changing public perceptions of our current system. The conversation delves into the nuances of immigration […]

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Educating for the Future in Gaza

Dr. Mahmoud Altarabin is an Associate Professor of Translation and Linguistics and Deputy Head of the Department of English at the Islamic University of Gaza. He is an author and scholar known for his textbooks and research on Arabic-English translation, media, legal, and technical translation. He joins us from his displacement tent in Khan Younis to discuss how he has […]

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Locals Only or it Burns

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack “Race hate crime is a year-long problem.” In this episode, Tony speaks with journalist Luke Butterly of The Detail about recent developments in Northern Ireland, including the Drumcree court cases, cross-community tensions, and the challenges of addressing racial and political issues. They explore the impact of government policies, community responses, and the ongoing crisis of […]

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The Political-Media Echo Chamber – Shop Mannequins and the Politics of the Out of Touch

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack “If we don’t acknowledge that change can be an improvement, change will be forced on us.” In this Tortoise Shack episode, Tony and thegist.ie writer, solicitor and Mr Data Protection, Simon McGarr, explore the troubling phenomenon of politicians listening to faceless bots on social media instead of the genuine voices of the electorate. They look […]

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A Government that Spends, But Doesn’t Invest in People

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack “Politics should be about supporting the people, not gamesmanship” Was Budget 2027 really a “workers’ budget” Rory and Tony unpack the promises, pre-budget kites and political marketing behind it all. They examine the gap between the minimum wage and the living wage, the risks behind the new investment scheme for the so-called squeezed middle, and […]

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