Episodes

Dr. Mahmoud Altarabin is an Associate Professor of Translation and Linguistics and Deputy Head of the Department of English at the Islamic University of Gaza. He is an author and scholar known for his textbooks and research on Arabic-English translation, media, legal, and technical translation. He joins us from his displacement tent in Khan Younis to discuss how he has maintained and diversified his teaching over the past three years; the need to support students' education and well-being; and h...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack "Race hate crime is a year-long problem." In this episode, Tony speaks with journalist Luke Butterly of The Detail about recent developments in Northern Ireland, including the Drumcree court cases, cross-community tensions, and the challenges of addressing racial and political issues. They explore the impact of government policies, community responses, and the ongoing crisis of political inaction. Luke’s reporting has revealed some very uncomfortable f...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack "If we don't acknowledge that change can be an improvement, change will be forced on us." In this Tortoise Shack episode, Tony and thegist.ie writer, solicitor and Mr Data Protection, Simon McGarr, explore the troubling phenomenon of politicians listening to faceless bots on social media instead of the genuine voices of the electorate. They look at the influence that social media is having on government decision-making, eve as it erodes societal trust....

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack "Removing the triple lock means Ireland is no longer neutral" In this Tortoise Shack episode, Tony and Senator Tom Clonan delve into Ireland's military neutrality, ongoing government moves to abolish the triple lock, and the implications for Ireland's foreign policy and defense. They explore the systemic issues and risks associated with ending Ireland's historic peacekeeping role, in contrast with a potential future of a non-neutral role of peace enfor...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack "Build accessibility into everything from the ground up." In this Tortoise Shack episode, Tony is joined by activist, campaigner and Co-Founder of Equality Not Care, Ann Marie Flanagan and Senior Accessibility Lead and Daddy, Brian Dalton, to explore the recent budget's impact on disabled people, the true costs of disability, and the urgent need for systemic change to ensure equality and accessibility for all. We talk about the urgent need for the Gove...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Dr. Belal Adnan Abuiyada is a physician working in paediatrics in Gaza. Alongside his medical work, he writes on Instagram about life in Gaza, displacement, grief, memory, and the small moments of tenderness that endure. His writing offers a personal view of a place and a people too often described only through headlines. He joins us to talk about his patients, his experiences and his hopes for the future. The Ignored vs the adored with Simon McGarr:ht...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack "Andy Burnham is a neoliberal to his very core. Let's be blunt about this." In this Tortoise Shack episode, listener favourite, Prof Richard Murphy, returns to talk about how he's packing it all in because Andy Burnham has fixed everything without even putting together a budget. But while he's here, we might as well discuss the failures of neoliberalism, the urgent need for big, bold shifts, and the power of protest (see France and Spain) to shape a be...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Will Pedro Sanchez win, but still lose? "Vox hates brown people" This Tortoise Shack episode jumps into a tumultuous few weeks in Spanish politics. It explores the complex political landscape, focusing on the runners, riders and far right nutters, who are all headed towards an election in less than two months. Is it a housing referendum? Is it an immigration election? Madrid-based guests, journalist Eoghan Gilmartin and Professor Joe Haslam, discuss th...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Malak Abu Krayem is a Palestinian Computer Scientist, App Developer, and children's book writer. She joins us from Gaza to talk about how she lost the career that was planned out after October 7th. She explains how she is carving a new path through the genocide and, working within Gaza and remotely with people abroad, is creating Apps and Art that open doors for herself and her friends struggling in Gaza. Colour Palestine: https://www.amazon.fr/-/en/gp...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack "Unwinding neoliberalism is the key challenge in housing politics" In this Tortoise Shack episode, Tony sits down with Mick Byrne, an Associate Professor of Social Policy at UCD, to discuss his excellent piece on the historic Spanish housing proposals and what it means for a housing system trying to unravel decades of neoliberal policies. Spain has ignited significant public unrest, leading to protests that have captured not only national attention but...

Please see patreon.com/tortoiseshack 'The AI Boom is starting to look a lot like the Dot Com Bubble.' In this Tortoise Shack podcast, U.S.-based Professor of Economics, Constantine Gurdgiev and Tony explore the intersections of economics, AI, equity and bond markets, and how Ireland's future is tethered to the growing/peaking bubble. We discuss how current trends threaten global stability and dinner table prosperity. The lessons of the near past are often forgotten too quickly, and today's econo...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack In this Tortoise Shack episode, Madrid-based Journalist, and host of the excellent Sobremsa podcast, Eoghan Gilmartin, rejoins us to discuss his fantastic investigative journalism piece that reveals the influence of conflicts of interest in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the role of Saudi Arabia in climate diplomacy, and the political implications of Spanish border policies. The conversation highlights the complexities of climate...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack "They’ve included the working family payment as part of your income that’s assessed. These are primarily lone parents, primarily single mothers, and this is where the increase is now up to 53%." In this Tortoise Shack episode, PBP Councillor with SDCC, Jess Spear, discusses the ongoing fight against rent hikes in local authority housing in South Dublin, which will impact the most vulnerable and those at greatest risk of poverty in the area. They discus...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Dr. Ahmed Alqady and Dr. Abdullah Almobayed are Palestinian physicians from Gaza. They established a small medical point/clinic inside a simple tent following the destruction of most medical facilities in the area. They joined us from Gaza to talk about how difficult it is to administer medical services in an area that has at least 100,000 displaced people, many of whom have had extremely limited access to essential healthcare and basic medical service...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack In this pre-budget tortoise shack episode, we explore Ireland's complex issues around poverty measurement, the links between the housing crisis and inequality, and all the budget goodies promised so far. We also ask why there's such reluctance to implement a living wage in the country with the worst market income inequality in the EU. Economist at NERI, Ciarán Nugent and Tony discuss the flaws in current metrics, the impact of housing costs, and potent...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Listeners will be aware of the story of the late Harvey Sherratt, who passed away at only nine and a half years old. Many of you would also know of the dedicated activism and campaigning done by his parents, Gillian and Stephen; two remarkable people, doing incredible advocacy under the most heart-breaking of circumstances. They both joined me in the Tortoise Shack for an evening where we discussed activism, their campaign, State failures, Simon Harris...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack "You spent the last four years telling these people you don’t want them. And then you wonder why they don’t vote for you." — Philip O'Connor Lock-in, this is a long one. The recent Swedish elections have left many asking who won? Philip O'Connor returns to the Echo Chamber Podcast to discuss the results and the implications of a government that appears to be neither here. Turns out you can be just a little too racist. Then we dive into the Trump nonsen...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Hala Hanina is an academic, a writer, a student of colonialism and host of the podcast, Falasteeniya. She left Gaza to complete her PhD a few days before October 7th. Now in London, she lives a life in many realms, pursuing academia, constantly checking in on her family in Gaza, and helping to platform the voices that might otherwise go unheard. She shares the story of her own wedding day and talks about how the Gaza of then, and many of the people who...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack "Society saw this coming a long way, and we let them walk right into that crack." In this episode, listener favourite, writer, community activist, and commentator, Elaine Crory rejoins (the James Corden of podcasting) Tony to discuss pressing social issues in Northern Ireland, including youth services, inequality, political tensions, and the ongoing impact of Brexit. They explore how resource allocation, austerity, underfunding, Punch and Judy nonsense...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Hassan Herzallah is an English Literature Graduate, a writer and translator from Rafah, Gaza, Palestine. He joins us to talk about his experiences of the ongoing genocide, the near-fatal trips to get aid from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) death-traps, losing his home and sense of self, and why he committed himself to speaking up, writing the reality on the ground and completing his university degree. Elaine Crory on Stormont Pay Rise vs Public...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack In this Reboot Republic episode, Rory and Tony are rejoined by Senior Lecturer of Applied Psychology at University College Cork and President-elect of the Psychology Society of Ireland, Dr Sharon Lambert, who explores and outlines the stark realities of child poverty, social inequality, and policy choices in Ireland. They discuss how societal and political decisions impact mental health, social cohesion, class solidarity and long-term well-being, empha...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack In this tortoise shack episode, Philip O'Connor talks about the tragic school attack in Fagersta, Sweden, a place close to him and his family. He explains the influence of social media and online "true crime" communities on violence, and the urgent need for regulation and action to protect young people. We also discuss the role played by the companies based in Dublin, who have less than zero interest in tackling the toxic content spread on their networ...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack In this tortoise shack episode, writer, political commentator and campaigner, Emma DeSouza and Tony explore (post-Trump-Burnham statements) the evolving landscape of Irish unification, the current political dynamics, and the varying community and media engagement across the island of Ireland, and in the UK. They discuss the recent political statements from all sides, delve into the importance of inclusive dialogue, and why there should be a focus on th...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Nour Alali is a trainee lawyer who has graduated with her law degree, but has been unable to start her career because of the ongoing genocide in Gaza. She joins us from her home, which she has returned to after being displaced for over two years. She shares her story of living through bombardments, attacks, hunger and cruel weather. She also shares her belief that justice and law can be upheld if people find the courage to fight for it. Latest from Gaz...