Love and Courage

Ann Marie Flanagan - Disability Rights Champion

Ann Marie Flanagan is a disabled human rights activist from County Clare in the west of Ireland. Growing up in a tight-knit, supportive community, she says attitudes towards her physical impairment were generally inclusive. However, that changed when Ann Marie hit the age of 12 and entered secondary school. She says the environment was hostile and exclusionary.  Despite the challenges, she went on to flourish, completing an IT degree and getting involved in student activism. She has also co...

John Seed - Legendary 78 year old Australian environmental activist

John Seed is a 78-year-old world-renowned Australian environmental educator, author, activist, artist and filmmaker. A recipient of the Australian government’s Order of Australia medal, John is the founder and director of the Rainforest Information Centre and, since 1979, has been involved in 100s of campaigns and education initiatives that have protected remaining rainforests and helped humanity rethink our relationship with nature.  John and his family first came to Australia as Jewish re...

Rev Tim Costello - Renowned Australian Humanitarian

Tim Costello is one of Australia's most well-known and respected community leaders. In recent times he was voted one of Australia’s 100 national living treasures. A recipient of Victorian of the Year and Victoria's Australian of the Year accolades, as well as an Officer of the Order of Australia, he is an influential leader on a range of social issues, including the huge harm caused by the scourge of gambling in Australia. Tim is a previous longtime CEO of World Vision Australia and has hel...

Don O'Leary - Director of Cork Life Centre

This episode features a conversation with Cork man Don O'Leary. Don is the Director of the Cork Life Centre, which is a voluntary organization established over 20 years ago to offer an alternative learning environment to young people aged 12-18 who have not thrived or coped in a mainstream educational setting.  I have visited the centre as a guest speaker in the past and witnessed first-hand the loving and creative environment in which young people can flourish. The centre has struggled to ...

Wallis Bird - Musician and Songwriter

Wallis Bird is one of my favourite artists and perhaps my favourite all-time performer. Originally from Wexford Ireland, Wallis has been based in Berlin Germany for over a decade. She has 7 albums to her name including her latest called Hands, which is in many ways is a celebration of uniqueness and difference. The origin story goes back to when Wallis was 18 months old 5 of her fingers were severed in a lawnmower accident. 4 were sown back on meaning she ended up losing one and from then on...

Michael Barron - Human Rights Activist, Founding Director of BelongTo (LGBTI+ org)

My guest in this episode I Michael Barron. Michael is a well-known Irish human rights activist originally from rural Co Kilkenny where he grew up as a young gay man dancing to Madonna while many of the other boys focused on hurling and sports. He shares some fascinating stories and insights from that time in his life and his coming of age in Dublin and New York. Michael is currently working as the Executive Director of the Rowan Trust, which is an important independent foundation that fund...

Eugene O'Brien - Playwright, Screenwriter, Former Actor

Eugene O'Brien is a  playwright, screenwriter, and former actor originally from County Offaly in the Irish midlands. He has written for the stage, screen and radio. His work includes the critically acclaimed TV drama Pure Mule, winner of five IFTA Awards, and which, according to the Irish Times, ‘spectacularly raised the bar for Irish TV drama’. The show was inspired by his play Eden, which debuted at the Abbey Theatre and has since played the West End and Off-Broadway. At the time of record...

Grace Dyas - Artist, Activist, Director, & Performer

My friend Grace Dyas is still relatively young but she’s already something of an Irish legend. Grace is an artist, activist, writer, director, producer, and performer. Originally from south inner-city Dublin, she now lives on the Inis Oirr, one of the beautiful Aran Islands off the coast of County Galway. Grace has an incredible portfolio of work and award-winning achievements to her name. She has created films, plays, live performances and large-scale projects with people who had never do...

John Connell (returns) - writer, producer, farmer

I’m delighted to welcome John Connell back to the podcast. This is his second time on the podcast and it was great to catch-up with him. John is a multi award winning bestselling author, journalist, producer and farmer. He writes a weekly column for the Irish Independent newspaper and lives and works in Longford in the Irish midlands. His newest book is called the Stream of Everything and it’s a bestseller, as were his previous 2 books – The Running Book and the Cow Book. John is a deep thin...

Kindred Motes - Social Justice Advocate and Entrepreneur from Alabama

Kindred Motes is an award-winning social impact entrepreneur and an inspirational voice for change from working-class, rural Alabama in the southern United States. After approximately a decade working with some of the world’s leading social justice organizations, Kindred recently established the Washington DC based KM Strategies Group to support organizations working for social impact and positive change.   I first encountered Kindred when he was working with Wallace Global Fund and I was ...

Noeline Blackwell - Human Rights Lawyer and CEO of Dublin Rape Crisis Centre

Noeline Blackwell is the CEO of Dublin Rape Crisis Centre. Noeline has worked for several decades as a solicitor and previously as Director General of FLAC, the Free Legal Advice Centres, She’s a powerful voice for change in so many areas of society, not least sexual violence.   Website E-newsletter |  Twitter Instagram Facebook LinkedIn Book Patron Love and Courage Podcast Creative Souls of Clare Podcast | My No.1 bestselling book available direct or from main retailers. Info ...

Tara Flynn - Actor and Writer

My guest is this episode is someone I’m been keen to talk to for white a white. Tara Flynn is much loved Irish actor and writer and is well known for her leadership in the campaign to repeal the 8th amendment in Ireland, as well as her various books, articles and creative productions. Tara is the co-host of a popular BBC podcast called Now You’re Asking with Marian Keyes and Tara Flynn, something to add to your podcast radar if you haven’t come across it yet. 

Johann Hari - Bestselling Author of Stolen Focus, Lost Connections, Chasing the Scream

Johann Hari is well known as the author of international bestsellers Chasing the Scream about the failure of the so-called war on drugs and Lost Connections, which explores depression, anxiety and the importance of social connection in our lives. Lost Connections was described by the British Journal of General Practice as “one of the most important texts of recent years”, and shortlisted for an award by the British Medical Association. Johann’s latest book Stolen Focus ‘why you can’t pay a...

Keith Walsh - Writer and Broadcaster

Keith Walsh is a popular writer and broadcaster. Keith is also the host of the popular Keith Walsh podcast and at the time of recording he had just completed a tour of his debut play, titled Pure Mental, which you’ll hear about shortly.  We also get talking Keith’s 20-year career in radio, his thoughts on success, therapy, relationships, parenting, alcohol, masculinity, and lots lots more. A huge thanks as always to all you wonderful patrons and supporters who chip in to support the podcas...

Sarah Clancy - Poet and Activist

Sarah Clancy is a well-known poet, activist and commentator who works in community development in County Clare where she now lives. Sarah grew up in Galway immersed in the world of ponies and horses which led her to working all over Ireland and later in Australia and New Zealand. Although she dabbled in poetry in her youth, it wasn’t until her 30s that she really found her poetic voice. And when she did, things really took off. It wasn’t long before she was winning awards, performing on ma...

Anne Rynne - Singer, Songwriter, Community Stalwart

Anne is a singer, songwriter and community stalwart living in Miltown Malbay not too far away from me here in County Clare on the wild west coast of Ireland. Anne took up the guitar in her 60s and since then has created and released 2 albums. It might be no surprise that music was calling Anne given her family background. She grew up in Co Kildare in the same household as two famous Irish folk musicians, Luka Bloom and Christy Moore. Anne is hugely respected in her community as a real force ...

Declan O'Rourke - Singer-songwriter and author

Declan O’Rourke is one of Ireland’s finest singer-songwriters and musicians and is respected and loved by music lovers around the world. He has received praise from the likes of John Prine, Paul Weller and other luminaries. Declan has created 7 excellent albums, including the latest Arrivals, which I have to say is one of my favourite albums of recent years. A truly stunning piece of art for your ears. Do check that out. Declan is also wise and informed voice when it comes to history and soc...

Declan O'Rourke - Singer-songwriter and author

Declan O’Rourke is one of Ireland’s finest singer-songwriters and musicians and is respected and loved by music lovers around the world. He has received praise from the likes of John Prine, Paul Weller and other luminaries. Declan has created 7 excellent albums, including the latest Arrivals, which I have to say is one of my favourite albums of recent years. A truly stunning piece of art for your ears. Do check that out. Declan is also wise and informed voice when it comes to history and soc...

Colm O'Gorman - Author, Activist, Amnesty Director, Charity founder

Colm O’Gorman is an author, activist, cook, charity founder, and lots more. Colm is one of Ireland’s best known activists. Colm O’Gorman was born in Wexford, Ireland in 1966. He’s from a farming background and spent the first eleven years of his life in the village of Adamstown before moving with his family to Wexford town in 1977. He left Wexford in 1984, living in Dublin for a few years before moving to London in 1986. He has had an impressive list of jobs and careers to date. He previ...

Razan Ibraheem - Irish-Syrian journalist and activist

Razan Ibraheem is an Irish-Syrian journalist and activist. She first came to Ireland to do her MA at the University of Limerick and ending up unable to return home after the war started in her native Syria. Razan worked for several years with the Storyful news agency and recently joined Kinzen as a senior editorial analyst researching misinformation on social media. Part of her past work has included contributing additional research to The New York Times visual investigations team that won a...

Joe Murray - Veteran Human Rights Champion

Joe Murray is the coordinator with Afri – Action from Ireland, which is a small but significant national and independent Irish organisation working for human rights, global justice and environmental action since 1975. Afri’s patron is none other than Nobel peace laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Originally from Ballyglasson, Carrickboy in County Longford, Joe has been with Afri for over 40 years. Not one for the limelight, Joe is highly regarded a humble leader, often quietly working behin...

Colm Mac Con Iomaire - Violinist and Composer

Colm Mac Con Iomaire is an acclaimed Irish violinist and composer. He was a founding member of renowned folk fusion band Kila and, at the age of 19 became a founding member of legendary indie rock band The Frames, which led him to tour the world for up on 30 years. He was also a member of The Swell Season. In recent times Colm has been focused on his solo career and has released three albums to great acclaim. Colm has also performed on albums by numerous other artists including on the White ...

Noelle Brown - Actor, Playwright, Campaigner on Mother and Baby Homes

Noelle Brown is a well-known Irish actor, playwright, and activist. Noelle was born in the Bessborough Mother and Baby Home in Cork and much of our conversation centres around her campaign work to advance the rights and voices of Mother and Baby home survivors. Mother and Baby Homes were institutions mostly run by the Catholic church where pregnant women who were unmarried were sent to have their babies. These institutions were established in 1922, the same time as the foundation of the st...

Tony Griffin - Writer, Charity founder, Former Sports Star

Tony Griffin is a writer, speaker, co-founder of the Soar Foundation which does amazing youth empowerment work throughout Ireland, and he’s a former sports star who played hurling for his native County Clare and he is the recipient of a prestigious all-star award. I talk to Tony on the day his new book The Teenagers Book of Life is released into the world and we explore his own childhood, his days playing for Clare, his charity cycle across Canada, his views on what it means to live a good l...

Syrian refugee campaign and life during lockdown - My interview on the United Ireland podcast

This is a crosspost of an interview I did on Una Mullally and Andrea Horan's United Ireland podcast. In it, I talk about a campaign I lead concerning Syrian refugees in Longford and other topics such as life during lockdown.

Michael McCaughan - Writer

Michael McCaughan is a former Irish Times Latin America correspondent and has spent three decades working and writing in places like Mexico, Cuba and Colombia. He’s the author of several books and his most recent book Coming Home explores his journey to reconnect with the Irish language.

Michael McCaughan - Writer

Michael McCaughan is a former Irish Times Latin America correspondent and has spent three decades working and writing in places like Mexico, Cuba and Colombia. He’s the author of several books and his most recent book Coming Home explores his journey to reconnect with the Irish language.

Fr Peter McVerry - renowned homelessness campaigner

My guest in this epsisode is Fr Peter McVerry, a Belfast born Jesuit priest who grew up in Newry, County Down before moving to Dublin. After his ordination in 1975 he  lived and worked in summerhill in North Dublin and came face to face with homelessness, poverty and deprivation. He went on to set up a trust to help struggling young people, including those facing addiction. This work started life in a 3 bedroom apartment in Ballymun and later became the Peter McVerry Trust which grew to incl...

Bronagh Gallagher - Renowned actress, singer, songwriter

Bronagh Gallagher is one of Ireland’s best-known actors and musicians. Originally from Derry city, she famously starred in the classic Irish movie the Commitments and has had roles in films such as Pulp Fiction, Star Wars and Sherlock Holmes, in numerous TV shows including Holby City and Moone Boy, and in stage in productions such as War Horse. A prolific singer, songwriter and musician, she has several albums to her name and has collaborated with the likes of Brian Eno. Thanks to all Love a...

John Connell - author, journalist, playwright, film producer

John Connell is an award-winning Irish author, playwright, journalist, and film producer. A native of County Longford in the midlands, John is from a rural farming background, something that has greatly influenced his work and thinking, as you'll hear in this conversation. John spent several years living and working in Australia where he was a university lecturer, the founder of a media production company, and an investigative journalist. His last book, the Cow Book (called the Farmers Son...

Easkey Britton - surfer, scientist, author & film-maker

Easkey Britton is a scientist, surfer, writer, artist and film-maker with a PhD in Environment and Society. Her work explores the relationship between people and nature, especially the sea. A life-long surfer, her parents taught her to surf when she was four years old and she channels her passion for surfing and the sea into social change. Her work is deeply influenced by the ocean and the lessons learned pioneering women’s big-wave surfing in Ireland and introducing the sport of surfing t...

Ibrahim Halawa - Finding hope after 4 years in an Egyptian Prison

Ibrahim Halawa is a 25-year-old law student from Tallaght in Dublin, Ireland. Between the ages of 17 and 21 he was wrongfully imprisoned in an Egyptian prison after being arrested during a visit to Cairo in 2013. The trip coincided with pro-democracy protests which had swept the country and led to hundreds of civilians being killed by the forces of the military-led government of General el-Sisi. I was involved in campaigning to free Ibrahim from prison and it was great to finally get the c...

Mary Reynolds - Environmentalist, Author, Activist

Mary Reynolds is an Irish author, former landscape designer and nature activist, known for being the youngest contestant to win a gold medal at the world-famous Chelsea Flower Show. She became highly sought after in the world of garden design but later gave it up to explore new ways of looking at life and work in relation to ecology. A film inspired by her story was released in 2015 and in 2016 her book The Garden Awakening was published. Her work has attracted praise by Jane Goodall and oth...

'Make life beautiful' - an interview with Ruairí

Ruairí McKiernan interview with Dave Fanning on RTÉ 2fm 

'Make life beautiful' - an interview with Ruairí

Ruairí McKiernan interview with Dave Fanning on RTÉ 2fm 

Andrew Boyd - trailblazing author, humorist & campaigner

Andrew Boyd is an American author, humorist and veteran of creative campaigns for social change. He led the decade-long satirical media campaign Billionaires for Bush. He co-founded Agit-Pop Communications, an award-winning “subvertising” agency, as well as the netroots social justice movement The Other 98%. He's the author of four books: Beautiful Trouble, Daily Afflictions, Life’s Little Deconstruction Book and the Activist Cookbook, and the forthcoming I Want a Better Catastrophe: Hope, H...

Hope and healing in troubled times

A short interviewed with podcast host Ruairí McKiernan recorded on the Today FM Last Word show with Matt Cooper. Discussing community, connection, resilience and hope in the context of the release of Ruairí's book Hitching for Hope - a Journey into the Heart and Soul of Ireland. www.hitchingforhope.com 

Joe Farrell - from Irish mother & baby home to New York playwright

Joe Farrell on the Love and Courage podcast. Joe Farrell was born in an Irish mother and baby home in Ireland in 1960 where he lived with his mother who had been sent there as an unmarried mother. He lived there for the first 2 years of his life before being adopted by an Irish American family and brought to the United States. This is the remarkable story of his life and his quest for identity, understanding, and peace. Joe is a writer who supports his work by working in the New York city ...

Tom Prendergast - artist, DJ, ex record label owner

Limerick man Tom Prendergast is an artist, a DJ, a former record store owner, former successful record label co-founder, a passionate community volunteer and so much more.

A story and a song

A few words of reflection followed by a special song. Find links to the song and video by Susan Quirke, newsletter links, donation info etc. via this link: http://linktr.ee/ruairi

Dearbhla Glynn - Documentary Filmmaker, Photojournalist, Yoga Teacher

Love and Courage podcast with Ruairí McKiernan. Originally from County Cork, Dearbhla Glynn is a multi-award winning documentary filmmaker, photo-journalist, artist, writer and yoga teacher. Her films explore themes of culture, human rights and conflict and have seen her travel to conflict zones around the world including Palestine, DR Congo, Iraq, and Haiti and she has also made films based around the Burning Man festival in Nevada and the Festival in the Desert in Malai. In recent times ...

Mari Kennedy - Meditation, Yoga, & Wisdom Teacher

Originally from Sligo in the north-west of Ireland, Mari is an organisational wellbeing and leadership consultant, an integral facilitator, a mindfulness and meditation teacher, a social entrepreneur, a yoga teacher, and I might add she’s quite a stunning singer too. Mari has worked with former President of Ireland Mary McAleese, with leading companies such as Microsoft and Ernst And Young, and more recently she launched the Celtic Wheel – Radical Wisdom for Contemporary Women, a year-long o...

Luka Bloom - folk singer

Luka Bloom is one of Ireland’s best known and most respected contemporary folk artists. Originally from County Kildare, Luka Bloom has been singing and performing since the age of 14. He released his debut album Treaty Stone in 1978 and soon after moved to the Netherlands, where he remains hugely popular. He also previously lived in Washington DC and in New York, where he was signed by Reprise records, the iconic label that signed Tom Petty, Neil Young, Fleetwood Mac and so many other greats...

Peggy Seeger - legendary folk singer & activist

At the time of this interview, the 84-year-old folk singer is still songwriting, touring, entertaining, informing, educating and inspiring as part of the great folk tradition that she embodies so well. Born in 1935 to a folklorist and musicologist father and a mother who was an accomplished composer and music scholar, Peggy has lived her life surrounded by music and the great folk tradition. She learned to transcribe music at just 11 years old and the likes of Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly w...

Hugh O'Brien - Legendary Cootehill historian, author, activist & actor

Live public interview with the legendary Hugh O’Brien, or ‘Hugh Barney’ as he’s often known. It was recorded in the Darly School Hall as part of a full house at the Cootehill Arts Festival in my hometown of Cootehill Co. Cavan. Hugh Barney is a 79-year-old historian, educator, actor and community activist. He taught me history and English at secondary school and left a lasting impression on me, as he did so many others.   Topics Hugh discusses in this conversation include his childhood a...

Vicky Phelan - cervical cancer campaigner

Originally from County Kilkenny in the South East of Ireland, Vicky is a Limerick based married mother of two who has been at the forefront of exposing the Cervical Check screening scandal in Ireland after being told that she had been given incorrect smear test results. In early 2019 she settled a high profile case with no admission of liability on the part of the laboratory or the health services involved but refused to sign a non-disclosure agreement that sought to silence her. The scand...

Vicky Phelan - cervical cancer campaigner

Originally from County Kilkenny in the South East of Ireland, Vicky is a Limerick based married mother of two who has been at the forefront of exposing the Cervical Check screening scandal in Ireland after being told that she had been given incorrect smear test results. In early 2019 she settled a high profile case with no admission of liability on the part of the laboratory or the health services involved but refused to sign a non-disclosure agreement that sought to silence her. The scand...

David Jan Jurasek - former child refugee, author, therapist, martial arts instructor

David Jan Jurasek is a former child refugee from the former Czechoslovakia. His family escaped the regime there and eventually ended up in Canada where he grew up struggling to make sense of loss and trauma. He eventually turned to creative expression and martial arts to help him channel his emotions before later training as a child and family therapist. He has since become a husband, a father, and co-author of a series of children’s books, and he has helped developed a therapeutic martial a...

Christy Moore

Rare and revealing interview with legendary Irish folk musician Christy Moore exploring his personal life, his music and his politics. Published on Ruairí McKiernan's Love and Courage podcast. ---------- I grew up listening to Christy Moore, as did many Irish people, and indeed people all over the world. He’s a folk singer and musician in the tradition of Woodie Guthrie and so many other greats who write, collect and interpret songs that capture and communicate the struggles and emotions...

A short interview with Ruairí