Zak Moradi #KurdishIrish Ep.194

Born in Iraq to Iranian parents, who had fled war only to have to flee again, but this time to Carrick-on-Shannon, our guest in the tortoise shack is a hurler with Tallaght’s Thomas Davis & Leitrim and very proud Kurdish-Irish man, Zak Moradi. Zak talks to us about his incredible journey, the current situation between Turkey, Syria and the Kurdish […]

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Lenny Abrahamson #NoSpoilers Ep.183

Our guest in The Tortoise Shack is writer, director, filmmaker and proud dog owner, Lenny Abrahamson. No spoilers except to say that this is a little bit special. Enjoy. Join us: patreon.com/tortoiseshack

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The Irish Council of Civil Liberties #No2PSC Ep.184

The Government’s decision to “fight” the Data Protection Commissioners ruling that the Public Services Card is illegal could have severe consequence for our privacy, pockets and international reputation. Joining us in The Tortoise Shack from the Irish Council of Civil Liberties is Executive Director, Liam Herrick and Lawyer and digital rights expert, Elizabeth Farries. We discuss the PSC debacle, the […]

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Dawn Foster #StopTheCoup Ep.181

Depending on who you listen to, Boris Johnson’s proroguing of the UK Parliament is either a brilliant tactical move or an anti-democratic coup. So I was delighted to be joined in The Tortoise Shack, via Skype, by writer, broadcaster and friend of the pod, Dawn Foster, to discuss what I describe a “Clown Car Sh1t-Show, wrapped inside a bad Carry […]

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Dr Mark Murphy #OurHealthcare Ep.179

When Dr Donal de Buitléir was asked which parts of the Independent Review Group’s plan (Slaintecare and the need to remove Private practice from Public Hospitals) did he think would be implemented he replied “You’re talking to a pathological optimist… but I’m also a pathological realist.” Our guest in The Tortoise Shack is GP and Lecturer in General Practice, RCSI, […]

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David Gibney #TheUnion Ep 178

We are joined in The Tortoise Shack by Communications Officer with Mandate Trade Union, Mr. David Gibney. We discuss the origins of organised labour, the deportation of trade union activists and how the exiles built the trade union movement in Australia. We also discuss the legacy of the Partnership for Prosperity and Fairness and the decline of union membership which […]

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Eoin Ó Brion #Home Ep.177

The only way to provide housing in Ireland seems to be the private market. But as our guest in the tortoise shack, Sinn Féin TD and Housing Spokesperson, Eoin Ó Brion, outlines in his new book – Home: Why Public Housing is the Answer – that was not always the case. We sat down with Eoin to discuss how we […]

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Neasa Hourigan #ThePhoenixPark Ep.176

The Phoenix Park is one of the oldest and largest public parks in Europe. Our guest in The Tortoise Shack, carer and newly elected Green Party Councillor, Neasa Hourigan, tells us about plans to potentially “commercialise” the park and how instead of rewilding we might be heading down the slippery slope of some UK parks “pay to play” model. Neasa […]

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