729. At the Demarcation Line with Ukrainian Govt MP. Maria Mezentseva

(I was a bit under the weather when we recorded this, so apologies if my voice is a bit scratchy) Ukrainian Govt MP and Head of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Maria Mezentseva, joined me to discuss the latest in the continuing conflict between Ukraine and Russia. We discuss the 2014 annexation, the Donbas region, Russian speakers […]

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732. Senator Lynn Ruane on the ‘War on Drugs’

Senator Lynn Ruane has 25 years of experience of drugs, from use to support services to advocacy. Suffice to say she understands the topic in great detail. So with a government seeming to drag it heels the last few weeks and months have been difficult. Lynn explains how every day we delay real action like the citizens assembly on drugs […]

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A Bad Plan Poorly Executed

This is the recording of our most recent Live Sunday Special with Fianna Fáil’s Minister for European Affairs, Thomas Byrne, Socialist – Loyalist, Sam Mcilwaine and Writer, Chair of the Women’s Forum and Sunday regular, Emma DeSouza. We went on a deep dive on the political events across this Island and into a serious conversation on the upcoming NI election […]

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724. Ambushed by a Cake with Matt Green

It was a great pleasure to be joined on the tortoise shack by comedian, online sketch creator and satirist, Matt Green. (If you don’t know him you’re in for a treat: @mattgreencomedy) Matt talks about how his standup comedy is very different to his social media sketches and how finding his audience online has helped him creatively in both mediums. […]

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731. Family Reunification with Dr Arsalan Shahid

It was a great pleasure to be joined in the tortoise shack by Dr Arsalan Shahid. We discuss how he came from Pakistan to Ireland in 2016, had to give up his ambition to become a surgeon because of our non-training of immigrant doctors, was married in early 2020 and how now, after an earlier miscarriage, he and his lovely […]

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719. Sub Judice with Michael O’Toole

It was a pleasure to be joined in the tortoise shack by Crime Correspondent with the Irish Daily Star, Michael O’Toole and I convinced him to do most of it while we were recording. Mick explains how growing up in North Belfast the impact that the Bloody Sunday atrocity had on him and the community he comes from. We then […]

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723. Ukraine with Lesia Vasylenko

There is a lot of politicians, including members of our own government, making statements about the situation along the Ukrainian border with Russia. Rather than indulge that hot air we decided to talk with members of both the Ukrainian govt and the opposition. This podcast is with founder of the NGO Legal 100, current President of the Interparliamentary Union, Voice […]

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718. Don’t Look Up with Jon Schwarz

It is always great to chat with writer with theintercept.com Jon Schwarz. We talk all things American politics, fears about inflation in the economy and why it’s not the worry it’s made out to be and the current Covid situation. Then we get into what Martin and Jon really want to talk about, the film Don’t Look Up. If you […]

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