The Echo Chamber from Tortoise Shack

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Fatboy of Bricknasty and The Fresh Batch have an honest chat about darkness and light and the dynamic musical journey of life. He creatively seduces us with a slow reveal about the art of growing up in Ballymun.

Find out what happened when Tony did and then didn't do RTE's Upfront here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-101412091

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This twitter thread twitter thread on Ireland as a political laboratory by our guest and regular contributor, Economic Prof Constantin Gurdgiev, went viral. The funny thing was that it was in response to this podcast.

Enjoy another belter of an hour inside the brain of the US-based Russian-Irish economist and his views on why the current economic models do very little for our quality of life.

The Rafah Appeal is here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/99005710

The Fresh Batch with Fatboy / Bricknasty is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-101279078

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Please help #BringZakBack by clicking https://gofund.me/292c52c4

Alexandria Saleem is a first-generation Palestinian American from Gaza, whose family was displaced in 1948 and 1967. She joins PalCast co-hosts Yousef Aljamal, Helena Cobban and Tony Groves to talk about Gaza and how the genocide in Gaza resulted in the killing of many of her cousins, but also helped her forge ties with family that enabled her to better organize and advocate on their behalf in the US.

Alexandria highlights the importance of working with allies and not compromising on discourse and the need for an immediate, effective and permanent ceasefire in Gaza. She calls for more engagement with Palestinians inside and outside Palestine at this critical juncture in Palestinian history in order for Palestinians to reclaim their voice and tell their personal stories.

The brilliant Shamim Malekmian joined us to talk about the "tent city" in Dublin. It's out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-101051238

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The government’s new planning bill has been called anti-democratic, regressive and dystopian. And that was by its supporters. We now know, following the work of the Ditch, that there are real worries about who is driving this policy.

Joining us to discuss the many flaws is solicitor Fred Logue. He’s worried that in seeking to fix a problem that doesn’t exist this Bill will cause more litigation, longer planning delays and slow down housing delivery. Doomed before it begins?

The Constantin Gurdgiev podcast is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-100344192

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We sat down for a chat about the week gone by with the best poll analyst around Mr irishelectionprojections.com Harry McEvansoneya

We talk the standing of both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael following the resignation of Leo Varadkar, the differences of election strategies that are emerging from the coalition and the cult of civility rallying around a Taoiseach who never lived up to the hype.

We also talk the horrible scenes in Moscow and some of the worst views-papers takes we've ever seen.

The full (in-depth) episode is available now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-100960621

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Is a bad deal better than no deal? Should we settle for fix it as we go? Would a shift further right in the European Parliament (EP) wreck any hope we have for meaningful climate and biodiversity action?

Lifelong environmentalist, author and ecologist, Padraic Fogarty and MEP Luke Ming Flanagan, agree on a lot. But not on the Nature Restoration Laws that passed narrowly in the EP. They joined us to discuss there differences of opinion and where they'd both like to see the conversation and implementation move towards. The clock is ticking and we need these debates now in order to move forward together. Thanks, lads.

The Leo Varadkar Legacy podcast is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-100737544

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Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has announced that he's leaving. The tributes are pouring out across the airwaves and opinion pages. This podcast will not be among them. We look at how he has tried (and succeeded?) to normalise homelessness, his anti-people-in-poverty campaigns and a tenure that always put style above substance. We also talk about the need for a general election and the likely next leader of Fine Gael. Strong language throughout.

Full episode is available now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-100737544

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This is a belter of a podcast with Colombian, but Mexico-based El Pais journalist, Nicholas Dale Leal, on all things Latin and South America. We talk Argentina and the plunge into poverty that has created a budget surplus; we dig into Bukele as a celebrity of the aspiring autocrat and there's a lot to be said in advance of the Mexican general election.

Nicholas, as always, breaks it down for us in ways that even Martin can understand. I'm not sorry!

The Constantin Gurdgiev podcast is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-100344192

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In this Echo Chamber podcast special you'll here from survivor of child sexual abuse at the hands of a senior member of St John Ambulance, Mick Finnegan, Sinn Féin's spokesperson for Sport, TD Chris Andrews, Green Party TD and Chair of the Children's Committee, Patrick Costello and Irish Times journalist, Jack Power.

They each give their perspectives and views on what has happened since the publication of the Shannon Report into child sex abuse within SJA, the current controversy over funding of a Child Safe Guarding Officer and what, if any, lessons have been learned.

Mick also shares details of his last 12 months and how he lost everything and ended up sleeping rough since last August.

Special thanks to Ciaran Moran for the use of his song 'It's Okay' as part of this episode.

Insta:ciaranmoranmusic

The full interview with Mick is available here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-100283429

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In this very special episode of The Fresh Batch, Dean and Sparky chat with their longtime friend; singer-songwriter, Damien Dempsey. Hearts open, vulnerable and full of love. This is a conversation about Aboriginal wisdom, spiritual healing, the power of singing and friendship and why we're all dancing with our own madness. "If I'm going to find some healing..."

Recorded by Ger Kellet

The next Fresh Batch with Criminologist, Trina O'Connor, is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/100308377