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.
#52: Des Dalton: Republican Sinn Féin and Independent Republicanism
- Wed, 27 Sep 2023
- 1 hr 12 mins
In this episode we talk to Des Dalton. Des is a long-term Republican activist who joined Republican Sinn Féin in the late 1980s and has served on the party’s Ard Comhairle and as party President from 2009 to 2018. Since leaving the party in 2021, Des has been an independent Republican activist.
Episode 52
#51: Dirty War in Dublin, with Brian Hanley
- Fri, 11 Aug 2023
- 1 hr 08 mins
In this episode we talk to historian Brian Hanley about the new five-part documentary podcast, Dirty War in Dublin, written by Brian and produced by Kevin Brannigan. We discuss how the podcast came about and was developed, and look at the history of the Irish Civil War it covers and its wider context.
Episode 51
#50: Emma Campbell: Art and Activism, Alliance for Choice, Array Collective and the Turner Prize
- Mon, 03 Jul 2023
- 1 hr 24 mins
In this episode we talk to Emma Campbell. Emma is an artist, activist and researcher based in Belfast. She is a co-convenor of Alliance for Choice and has particularly focused both her activism and solo art work on abortion rights, with projects including When they put their hands out like scales, which included ‘Journeys’ – photographing people’s journeys to abortion clinics in England – and ‘Women on Waves’ – collages drawing on historical images and archive photos from the Women on Waves campaign. Emma is also part of the Array Collective, which won the Turner Prize in 2021 for The Druthaib’s Ball. Emma’s PhD research addresses photography as an activist tool for abortion rights, and she is a Research Associate in Social Studies at the University of Ulster.
Episode 50
#49: Dublin Anarchist Bookfair, with Gregor Kerr
- Thu, 11 May 2023
- 56 mins
In this episode we talk to anarchist activist Gregor Kerr about the Dublin Anarchist Bookfair.
Episode 49
#48: Mary Muldowney: Left History
- Sat, 29 Apr 2023
- 1 hr 08 mins
In this episode we talk to Dublin City Council historian-in-residence Mary Muldowney about left approaches to history. Mary discusses her research and public dissemination of history; her advocacy of oral history and its particular utility in bringing out working class histories and history ‘from below’; attitudes to history in Irish academia and how they have changed; and some of the events of the left and trade union movements that merit greater analysis and recognition.
Episode 48
#47: Irish Anarchist Network
- Thu, 16 Mar 2023
- 1 hr 31 mins
In this episode we speak to two members of the Irish Anarchist Network, Nestor and Saornil. The Irish Anarchist Network was formed in 2022 by a number of independent anarchists.
Episode 47
#46: Mickey Moran: Éirígí
- Thu, 09 Feb 2023
- 1 hr 39 mins
In this episode we talk to Mickey Moran. Mickey is a member of Éirígí and is the party’s representative for the midlands. He has been politically involved since his late teens, initially in activism in Limerick and Cork with animal rights, anti-war, anti-fascist and anti-globalisation campaigns. Moving to London in 2008, he was involved with the anti-fascist movement and then joined the Revolutionary Communist Group (RCG). He subsequently joined Éirígí and returned to Ireland where he has been active with the party since.
Episode 46
#45: One Small Step, by Michael Flavin
- Thu, 19 Jan 2023
- 52 mins
In this episode we talk to academic and author Michael Flavin about his novel, One Small Step. Published by Vulpine Press, the novel tells the story of a young boy from a Northern Irish catholic background growing up in Birmingham in the 1970s and the impact of the 1974 Birmingham bombings. We discuss Michael’s own background, coming from an Irish family in Birmingham, which he drew on for the novel, and his research into the Troubles, which also led to publishing the academic article, “Four Typologies of Leadership Applied to a Survey of the Provisional IRA and Sinn Féin in the Troubles”.
Episode 45
#44: Vincent Doherty: Offical Sinn Féin, International Marxist Group, Troops Out, People's Democracy, H-Block Committee, Sinn Féin
- Mon, 02 Jan 2023
- 1 hr 26 mins
In this episode we talk to Vincent Doherty. Vincent has been politically active since the early 1970s, having grown up in Derry during the Civil Rights marches and outbreak of the Troubles. He joined the Official Republican movement in 1972 and was involved in Derry until moving to England in 1973. There he was briefly involved in the Socialist Labour League (SLL) before joining the International Marxist Group (IMG), and was centrally involved in the Troops Out Movement.
Episode 44
#43: Diary of An Activist, by Orla Egan and Megan Luddy O'Leary
- Mon, 12 Dec 2022
- 1 hr 03 mins
In this episode we talk to Orla Egan and Megan Luddy O’Leary about their recently published book, Diary of an Activist, an illustrated memoir of social activism in the 1980s and 90s. The book draws on Orla’s experiences “journeying through vegetarianism, anti-nuclear and CND protests, feminist and queer activism, lesbian parties, coming out and becoming a parent”, and aims to bring to light and make accessible the history of activism in Ireland in that period. It is published by Cork City Library, and is available from DiaryOfAnActivist.com.
Episode 43
#42: Snapshots of Political Action: Documenting Protest
- Thu, 01 Dec 2022
- 52 mins
This episode introduces a new project from Irish Election Literature and the Irish Left Archive. Snapshots of Political Action aims to bring together material distributed at individual demonstrations, marches, rallies and protests in Ireland, providing a view of the different political strands and groups that come together in campaigns. We’re joined by Alan Kinsella of Irish Election Literature — whose collection has provided all the material included so far — to discuss public demonstrations in Ireland, the issues and groups involved, and the insight into politically activity we can get from protest materials.
Episode 42
#41: Pádraig Mannion: Official Sinn Féin and The Workers' Party
- Fri, 11 Nov 2022
- 1 hr 32 mins
In this episode we speak to Pádraig Mannion. Pádraig has been a member of Official Sinn Féin and then The Workers’ Party since joining as a student in Galway in 1974, and has had several roles within the party, including on the Ard Comhairle / Central Executive Committee. He is also Secretary of the Peace and Neutrality Alliance (PANA).
Episode 41
#40: Podcast Update
- Thu, 03 Nov 2022
- 18 mins
A quick update on the Irish Left Archive project and the podcast as we start back after a break with more interviews with activists on the left.
Episode 40