Conversations with Ger Sweeney

Mantillas and Head Scarves is the title of a piece writte by George Lee. The piece brought memories flooding back to a simplier time and in this piece I chat with George to tease those memories out.

As the Religious Affairs Correspondent of The Irish Times from 1997, Patsy McGarry reported on some of the most troubling scandals to have rocked both Catholic and Protestant Churches in the last few decades. In Well, Holy God, he looks back not only on his time in journalism, recalling some of the most distressing stories he has had to cover, but also his own history with Catholicism and of a faith lost when the stark realities of being part of that Church became apparent to him.

David uncovers the clandestine activities of Patrick Crinnion, a Garda intelligence officer who secretly served MI6 during the early years of the Troubles. Burke reveals MI6’s shady dealings, from attempts to smear Irish politicians to plans for using criminals as assassins and the secret surveillance of a key IRA member.

Tim is the author of a book called The Atlas of Endangered Alphabets. If something is important, we write it down. Yet 85% of the world's writing systems are on the verge of vanishing - not granted official status, not taught in schools, discouraged and dismissed. When a culture is forced to abandon its traditional script, everything it has written for hundreds of years - sacred texts, poems, personal correspondence, legal documents, the collective experience, wisdom and identity of a people - is lost.

John joined an Garda Síochána but struggled to fell comfortable in his role. His life and career was changed in an instant one day as he visited HQ in the Phoenix Park. That visit started him on a very fulfilling and productive career within the force. The details are covered in his book "Identity".

Dan Lawton has written a book about the harassment by the British security forces in Northern Ireland, the wrongful arrest, the escape, re-capture and ulimate exoneration of Belfast man Keving Barry Artt. A truly unbelieveable story.

There is something special that connects Kylie, Calvin Harris, Noah Khan, Kodaline and the members of the Timahoe Male Choir. To find out what that is and to hear some of the members' stories have a listen.

Bridie Wren was born in Tarbert, Co. Kerry and went on to become the first female elected Member of Parliament in Pakistan. Patrick Lynch from the Tarbert Historical & Heritage Society tells Ger who Bridie was and a little about her time in Tarbert.

Tuamgraney native Edna O'Brien passed away on 27th July 2024. Tributes have poured in from across the artistic, political and literary world. Former Clare FM Founding CEO, Caimin Jones, grew up in Scarrif in East Clare, the Jones and O'Brien families knew each other and as a Clare FM broadcaster he got to capture her words on tape. Caimin tells Ger about some of his memories of Edna O'Brien

The O'Connell Tower in Glasnevin Cemetery, built to commemorate Irish leader Daniel O'Connell, has been relaunched following enhancement works. The structure is Ireland's tallest round tower standing at 55 metres tall and was built in 1855. Ultan Moran is Heritage Officer at Glasnvin Cemetry and he tells Ger about the historic tower.