A quick podcast with some of the people Martin spoke with at the #Dec1st Homes For All March. It was a terrific day and we were delighted to see so many people from across all walks of society come together and say clearly to this government that Housing Is A Human Right. You’ll hear from […]

The Leo-bot gives good diversion. Our guest in the tortoise shack, Consultant Gastroenterologist, Labour member and VERY PROUD Cork man, Anthony O’Connor gives us his reaction to the Taoiseach’s attempt to deflect from the fact that the government have failed to put forward a Winter Plan and instead blame Doctor’s and Nurse’s for wanting to […]

This week in the tortoise shack we sat down with actor, playwright, Tallaghtfornian and ‘you know yer man, that fella, you saw him in the thing, Stephen Jones for a walk along the unconventional route he’s taken into acting and creating his own plays. Whether it’s on stage or on the big screen Stephen loves […]

#Threshold marks 40 years in existence this year and when you consider that they help keep 14 tenancies in place per week they are, sadly, needed more now than ever. We are joined in the #TortoiseShack by Andy and Lar, who work at the coalface; not only advocating to help tenants stay in there homes, […]

There are lots of ways of looking after yourself. But our guest in the tortoise shack,(via Skype) British based Irish woman, scientist and ultramarathon runner, Jo Kilkenny takes her self care to extremes, one hundred mile plus extremes. She shares with us her story and explains how 10 years ago a bad relationship led her […]

Here in the tortoise shack we have a tendency to get a bit too caught up in the numbers. That’s why what our guest, writer, former (yeah right) musical comedian and totally cracked dad Aidan Comerford, does is so impressive. His twitter threads are things of beauty, telling simple stories that can help readers understand […]

Change takes persistence, determination and an unwavering belief in what you are trying to achieve. Our guest in the tortoise shack is scholar, independent Senator and long-time civil rights activist, David Norris. David has turned his ire towards the government policy of inviting in vulture funds and allowing them “pick the carcass” of mortgagees. Working […]

NAMA is right now looking for an institutional(vulture?)investor to pay €36m for a site with full planning permission for 460 apartments which the state will then rent back via Housing Assistance Payment, RAS etc… This is the economic ineptitude that is still continuing under the self-appointed fiscally responsible Fine Gael. Our guests in the tortoise […]

While Ireland is suffering the worst crises in the history of our State in housing, homelessness and widening income inequality, we are, sadly, far from unique. Our guest in the tortoise shack, staff writer with Jacobin Magazine, columnist with the Guardian and Author of Lean Out and the forthcoming book Where Will We Live, Dawn […]

The media has come in for a lot of criticism in the wake of the Presidential election results. While some of the criticism is undoubtedly fair, some of it is a knee-jerk reaction to what can only be described as a few uncomfortable home truths. Our guest in the tortoise shack is recent nominee for […]