Irish Left Archive Podcast
Exploring Left politics in Ireland past and present
A podcast looking at Left politics in Ireland from the Irish Left Archive.
We talk to activists, writers, historians, politicians and others involved in Left organisations and movements about their experiences of participating in Left parties and campaigns; Left publications and political documents they’ve been involved in; and the history and development of progressive politics in Ireland. We also look at the role of the Irish Left Archive and similar informal projects.
The podcast is hosted by Ciarán Swan and Aonghus Storey.
#39: Break Time - More to Come!
- Mon, 04 Apr 2022
- 23 mins
This episode is a quick round up of the current podcast series and future plans for the Irish Left Archive. Thanks to all of our guests so far, and to everyone who has listened, contributed material to our document collection, and got in touch with information and feedback.
Episode 39
#38: Ruairí Ó Brádaigh: The Life and Politics of an Irish Revolutionary, with Charles Tuba
- Mon, 21 Mar 2022
- 1 hr 42 mins
In this episode we’re joined by Charles Tuba to discuss the book Ruairí Ó Brádaigh: The Life and Politics of an Irish Revolutionary, by Robert White (Indiana University Press, 2006). The discussion looks at Ó Brádaigh’s strand of Republicanism, and in particular the policies of abstentionism and the Éire Nua policy outlining a federal Irish state.
Episode 38
#37: Mags O'Brien: Divorce Action Group, Gaza Freedom Flotilla, Women and Trade Unionism
- Thu, 03 Mar 2022
- 1 hr 15 mins
In this episode we talk to Mags O’Brien about her political background; the divorce referendum campaigns of 1986 and 1995; her experience with the Freedom Flotilla to Gaza in 2011 - which was captured at sea and the crew held in an Israeli jail - and subsequent Palestine solidarity work with Gaza Action Ireland; her work as a tutor with the SIPTU College and combining her activism and trade unionism; and Left Lives in 20th Century Ireland Vol. 4 – Women, which was published last year and is edited by Mags.
Episode 37
#36: Jason Brannigan: Organise!, Just Books, and Anarcho-Syndicalism
- Thu, 17 Feb 2022
- 1 hr 05 mins
In this episode we talk to Jason Brannigan. Jason is an anarchist activist in Belfast and member of the anarcho-syndicalist group Organise!, as well as being involved in Just Books, which encompasses a library of radical material, meeting space and education project.
Episode 36
#35: Bloody Sunday: Reactions in the Republic of Ireland, with Brian Hanley
- Sun, 30 Jan 2022
- 1 hr 33 mins
In this episode, to mark the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, we’re joined by historian Dr. Brian Hanley to discuss the reaction in the Republic of Ireland to the events in Derry on 30th January 1972, when British soldiers opened fire on civil rights marchers, killing 14 and injuring several others. The reaction in the South saw walkouts and strikes, a national day of mourning, the burning of the British embassy in Dublin, and mass protests around the country.
Episode 35
#34: Mark Fitzpatrick: Anarcho-punk, Hunt Sabotage, and Animal Rights
- Mon, 17 Jan 2022
- 1 hr 19 mins
In this episode we talk to Mark Fitzpatrick. Mark is an animal rights and vegan activist originally from Cork and now based in New Zealand, where he is on the board of the Vegan Society of Aotearoa.
Episode 34
#33: Tony Novosel: Northern Ireland's Lost Opportunity - The Frustrated Promise of Political Loyalism
- Mon, 13 Dec 2021
- 1 hr 14 mins
Our guest in this episode is Tony Novosel. Tony is a historian at the University of Pittsburgh and the author of Northern Ireland’s Lost Opportunity: The Frustrated Promise of Political Loyalism (Pluto Press, 2013).
Episode 33
#32: Jess Spear: RISE
- Mon, 29 Nov 2021
- 1 hr 13 mins
Our guest in this episode is Jess Spear. Jess is an eco-socialist and socialist feminist activist based in Dublin. She is National Organiser of RISE, a revolutionary Marxist network of People Before Profit (PBP). She is the editor of the eco-socialist quarterly magazine, Rupture, and co-authored the pamphlet What is eco-socialism?. She was a research scientist at the US Geological Survey and Burke Museum of Natural History before moving to Dublin in 2017.
Episode 32
#31: Aileen O'Carroll: Workers Solidarity Movement
- Mon, 15 Nov 2021
- 1 hr 18 mins
In this episode, we talk to Aileen O’Carroll of the Workers Solidarity Movement (WSM). Aileen first became politically active via Student Union and pro-choice politics, and joined the anarchist WSM in the early 1990s and remains a member, having been involved in several prominent campaigns. She is a trade union activist, and chaired the Maynooth branch of IFUT for three years and remains on the branch committee.
Episode 31
#30: Jack McGinley: Umiskin Press
- Mon, 01 Nov 2021
- 1 hr 13 mins
In this episode we talk to Dr. Jack McGinley. Jack is the Principal of Umiskin Press - a not-for-profit publishing house focused particularly on labour and trade union history. He has been active in the Trade Union movement since joining the Workers’ Union of Ireland in the 1970s, which later formed part of SIPTU. Among other roles, he was on the National Executive Council of SIPTU for several years, and is active in the SIPTU Cuba Solidarity Campaign.
Episode 30
#29: Adrienne Wallace: People Before Profit
- Mon, 18 Oct 2021
- 1 hr 01 min
In this episode we talk to Adrienne Wallace. Adrienne is an activist and local councillor for People Before Profit (PBP). She has been active with PBP since the early 2010s and is the party organiser for the South East. She was elected to Carlow County Council in 2019. She also stood as a Dáil candidate in the 2015 Carlow/Kilkenny by-election and subsequent general elections, and in the South constituency for the 2019 European Parliament election.
Episode 29
#28: Roger Cole: Peace and Neutrality Alliance
- Mon, 04 Oct 2021
- 1 hr 26 mins
In this episode we talk to Roger Cole. Roger has been involved in politics in Ireland since joining Labour as a student in the late 1960s. He was involved in the Liaison Committee of the Labour Left, and subsequently became General Secretary of the Socialist Labour Party (SLP). After the SLP, he re-joined Labour and remained a member until leaving in recent years in response to their lack of support for neutrality when in government. He is currently a member of Sinn Féin.
Episode 28
#27: New Episodes Coming!
- Tue, 28 Sep 2021
- 13 mins
A quick update on the podcast and forthcoming episodes. We’ll be back with new episodes every fortnight from next Monday, and we have several activists lined up from across the Irish Left to talk to us about their experience of organising and campaigning.
Episode 27