Author Archive: The Tortoise Shack

The Overseas Podcast: Afghanistan The Irishman who served there

In this Tortoise Shack podcast Beirut based journalist, Hannah McCarthy, speaks with Irish man, James, who served with the British army in Afghanistan. They discuss the initial invasion, the Taliban, the experience of battle, the geopolitics of the situation and why the people who really suffer are the civilians. A fascinating insight. Follow Hannah @Hannahmc_carthy Join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack https://media.blubrry.com/echochamberpodcast/content.blubrry.com/echochamberpodcast/Overseas_Podcast-Afghanistan-The_Irishman_who_served_there-August_2021.mp3Podcast […]

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137. Investor Fund Build-to-Rent Dystopia in Drumcondra: what is wrong with it & what you can do

This Reboot Republic podcast discusses the problems with the Build-to-Rent developments being proposed and developed in Ireland by global investment funds. This podcast is about the future of this city and country- it is about what type of homes are being built for Generation Rent and how global real estate investment funds are turning homes into profit maximising commodities. Rory […]

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136. Ireland’s Economic Policy: A New Direction with Prof Aidan Regan

In this Reboot Republic Rory and Martin from the Echo Chamber Podcast are joined by Professor Aidan Regan, Associate Professor at the School of Politics and International Relations at University College Dublin (UCD), and Director of the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence in the New Political Economy of Europe at UCD’s Dublin European Institute. We discuss the limitations of traditional […]

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135. Ireland & the Climate Crisis

This Reboot Republic talks to Orla Kelleher, who is a graduate of law and completing her PHD in the Sutherland School of Law UCD on climate change and legal approaches. Orla sets out the scale of the Climate Crisis and what Ireland needs to do to really reduce carbon emissions, to decarbonise, while ensuring a just transition. Orla explains about […]

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603. Bear’s Necessities with David Butler

We are joined on the Echo Chamber Pod by David Butler, who is dad to eight year old Bear, a child with profound disabilities. David describes the battle he’s had to go through just to get a vehicle capable of accommodating Bear and his wheelchair. Covid exacerbated all of David’s efforts until, in the end, after much soul searching and […]

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Ep.7 Blessing

This week we are joined by youth worker, chronic illness advocate and mental health advocate amongst the ethnic minority community, Blessing, to talk all things wellbeing, mental health, minority spaces and much more. Don’t miss it. Join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack

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134. Still Paying the Price of Austerity. Precarious Academia

This Reboot Republic talks to Dr Rory Flood, contract lecturer in Queens University Belfast, about the growing reality of precarious work in third level institutions in Ireland. There are over 11,000 staff of Irish Higher Education Institutions on temporary or part time contracts. Universities have increased precarious contracts during the austerity years. Dr Flood explains the personal impact of precarious […]

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571. Dublin, You’re Not Dead Yet

(This was recorded as patron only in June) Many of you will have read the terrific article by writer and PhD candidate in Folk Music History at Trinity College Dublin, Jack Sheehan, in the Tribune. Link HERE We decided to get Jack on to talk about the article, kowtowing to foreign capital, our hollowed out cities, the shrinking public sphere […]

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