The Echo Chamber from Tortoise Shack

In this Reboot Republic Rory talks to Clodagh Daly, Manager of the Centre for Environmental Justice, and Mary Heavey, Housing Solicitor, Community Law & Mediation, an independent community law centre based in Coolock in Dublin and Limerick. We discuss issues of rising energy poverty, how the housing crisis, energy poverty and cost of living are combining leading to people facing the choice between heating or eating, environmental justice, the need to nationalise energy companies as a sensible approach for energy provision and tackling energy poverty. We also discuss the right to housing, and why the Housing Commission should reccommend a referendum on the right to housing to be held.

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack

It was a pleasure to be joined by economist, author and writer, Grace Blakeley. We talked about the cost of living crisis and it has led to the Enough is Enough campaign that is gaining real momentum in the UK.

Grace talks about why she works to make economic jargon accessible and why lifting the fog of academic speak helps people understand how economic and political policies impact on their lives.

Join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack

Paul Wilson is the son of the late SDLP politician Senator Paddy Wilson. Senator Wilson and his Protestant friend Irene Andrews were brutally murdered by the UFF in June 1973. In this episode Paul talks about growing up as the son of a politician as the Troubles exploded, his experiences of sectarianism, the profound dangers of toxic political rhetoric both in the past and present and his hopes for dialogue and reconciliation in a society yet to come to terms with its past.

Join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack

When news broke in the Irish Examiner that the promised independent review of testimony given by mother and baby home survivors had been ditched by the Government, our hearts sank.

Long-time listeners would know our guest, actor, writer and Mother and Baby Home survivor, Noelle Brown. She rejoined us to talk about this latest betrayal and the series of lies and wrongs told and carried out by this Government since their initial attempt to seal the records.

She also calls for the public to not allow this revisionism and injustice continue. Please do show solidarity with the survivors and act now.

See more at:http://clannproject.org/

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack

This packed Tortoise Shack Live Show featured a fantastic panel of Dublin Inquirer journalist, Shamim Malekmian, Shrapnel co-host, Sam Mcilwaine, Dr Arsalan Shahid and Threshold's legal officer, Gavin Elliot.

We talked about the end of the Robert Troy saga, the report into St John's Ambulance by Geoffrey Shannon and how the Traveller budget story fell swiftly out of the headlines.

Then the Doc tells us about the appalling flooding in Pakistan and how you can help. Shamim walks us through another story of inequality in our immigration system, Gav tells us about the Right to Housing campaign and getting that referendum done right and Sam chats NI, drugs in working class communities and the cost of living crisis. Martin also has a special message for RTE staff.

There is lots more and thanks to everyone who hung on at the end for the chat around Ireland's far right.

Link for Pakistan Flood Relief:https://www.gofundme.com/f/donate-to-save-people-from-flood-in-pakistan?utm_campaign=m_pd+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_source=customer

To come to this events join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack

It was a treat to be joined by the comedic duo and online sketch wizards behind @Expolding_Heads, Anthony Richardson and Mark Davison.

They discuss how after 10yrs of grafting they are an overnight success. How working for the likes of ESPN and Virgin Media Sports honed their skills and how the pandemic made them improvise for an online audience.

We also discuss the not so subtle political and societal digs in their sketches and the need to create characters who can be belligerent and still lovable. Two comedians who are making "world class" comedy. But can they do it on a wet evening in Dallymount?

Join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack

This week the Built Different girls are down a host while Benita lives her best life in Zimbabwe. Joella and Deborah are back taking a deep dive into how summer has been so far and how quickly it’s ending. They talk relationships & dating, alpha males/leader of the group and finally pay tribute to the amazing Dr. Vicky Conway.

Follow us @BuiltPod

Join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack

It may be episode 2, but it's the first guest!

Hosts Sam McIlwaine and Gareth Mulvenna are joined by the Deputy Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, and MLA, Robbie Butler.

Robbie discusses his working class roots, growing up in Loyalist housing estates and his uncomfortable personal relationship in owning the label 'loyalist'.

He chats about the NI Protocol and the mental health crisis that Northern Ireland is struggling with whilst having no real functioning devolved government.

(Note: We open with a chat on the latest news around NI and the interview with Robbie starts at about 10 mins)

Please support this podcast by joining us at ptreon.com/tortoiseshack

Joining us to discuss the recent climatecampireland.ie and their message of Frack Off to LNG are Founder and Director of frackaction.com, Julia Walsh, Educator and Former Gas Worker, Ray Kemble and Freelance Journalist and campaigner with Climate Camp Ireland, William Hederman.

Julia outlines the folly of using LNG in the teeth of a worsening climate crisis and why fracking is destructive from extraction to burning. Ray shares his lived experience of how fracking destroyed his home and poisoned his water and indeed his hometown. William busts the myth that we need this LNG plant to "keep the lights on."

Do listen and share.

Join us for lots of plea free podcasts at patreon.com/tortoiseshack

This was a jam packed live Sunday Special. Joining us and an audience of our members were Irish Examiner journalist, Cianan Brennan, the duo behind The Ditch, Roman Shortall and Eoghan McNeill and UCC Head of Religious Studies and Nasc Director, Amanullah DeSondy.

Cianan talks about the ongoing An Bord Pleanala controversy, Roman and Eoghan drop the latest Robert Troy news, then we get into the Cabinet fauxt-rage over electricity shortages, how Afghanistan is been let down again, the changes in the Ukrainian war tactics and how the housing crisis is only getting worse. Finally in a riveting contribution, Amanullah, discusses the "gay, Irish and Muslim" debate. Do not miss it.

Thanks for coming. Even you, Minisiter ;)

To come along next week and get access to all our podcasts join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack