Podcasts by Una and Andreas United Ireland
32 Episodes. 32 Counties. 32 Questions. Every week United Ireland looks at how issues in small places have a much bigger context, and discusses the issues important to you. Let's go!
Further podcasts by Una & Andrea's United Ireland
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EPISODE 133: Build Your Own Gaff from 2022-02-16T17:00:22
Does the self-build movement offer some solutions to the housing crisis and the rent trap? Would you like to learn how to build your own gaff? This week, we're speaking to Fionn Kidney of Common Kn...
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EPISODE 132: WE ?? DUBLIN from 2022-02-11T15:15:58
It's been a tough time for our fair city recently and the levels of frustration being felt by people who want to continue living here but can't because of the housing crisis, the eradication of spa...
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EPISODE 131: The Big Housing Debate Analysis from 2022-02-04T14:13:12
It's the housing showdown everyone was waiting for! O'Brien V O'Broin.
On this week's podcast we're analysing the debate that had everyone talking, until it didn't, what it says about the...
EPISODE 130: Wear and Tear of Pandemic Decompression from 2022-01-28T17:58:31
This week, Una and Andrea are doing something different. With Andrea feeling worn out by the news cycle's barrage of negativity, and the frayed feeling that you have to fight for everything in this...
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BYLINE: Isabel Hayes from 2022-01-25T18:20:36
BYLINE: Isabel Hayes by Una & Andrea's United Ireland
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EPISODE 129: Busting the NIMBY Myths from 2022-01-19T15:47:47
In the midst of a housing crisis, all building is seen as “good” when it comes to tackling supply, but how much attention is being paid to developments that don’t just provide “units”, but communit...
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EPISODE 128: British Democracy Is Under Attack from 2022-01-13T16:47:38
As Boris Johnson struggles for his political life thanks to a load of lockdown parties, what about the bigger picture of British political chaos? On this episode, we're joined by the editor-in-chie...
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EPISODE 127: An Outbreak Of Self Love from 2022-01-07T13:45:22
New Year, Same us.
We're not buying into the January narrative round these parts and instead have enlisted the warmth and wisdom of author, journalist, coach and most importantly for this ...
EPISODE 126: The 2021 United Ireland Awards from 2021-12-31T17:50:08
Strap yourselves in for an episode of unwarranted judgements, chaos, joy, nitpicking, and other ridiculous yet somehow tremendously insightful assessments of the year that was. From Best Minister t...
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EPISODE 125: The United Ireland Stocking Filler from 2021-12-23T08:57:49
La la La - Tis the season.
We're putting our fingers in our ears and blocking out anything that isn't joyful for the next week (or so). So this episode is just a bumper filled episode of fave ...
EPISODE 124: The National Broadband Plan gets murky from 2021-12-16T18:30:37
Recent revelations about the National Broadband Plan say a lot about public-private partnerships, transparency, and what the State does with large amounts of money for big projects. Joining us to e...
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EPISODE 123: Is there a licensing revolution on the way? from 2021-12-09T13:28:05
Reform of Ireland's licensing laws has long been advocated for, but the desire for more flexible and expansive licensing was ignored. Now, the government is getting to it. Even as clubs are closed,...
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EPISODE 122: Tis the Season! 10 Reasons to be Cheerful! from 2021-12-02T13:45:16
We know things are a bit grim & frustrating right now, but there are reasons for be cheerful.
It's Mariah season! Let's go!
In this episode, we give a rundown of things that are...
EVERYONE UNITED: Utopia at the National Concert Hall from 2021-11-25T18:00:46
This week's episode is a recording of our recent live podcast event at the National Concert Hall with ourselves and Conner Habib of Against Everyone With Conner Habib. You should definitely support...
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EPISODE 120: The Government's lost the (badly ventilated) room from 2021-11-19T14:37:04
Shit got real again this week as the COVID surge escalated, and HSE chief Paul Reid issued a crisis management directive. So the government obviously stood up to the task of introducing mitigation...
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EPISODE 119: Gold Diggin' in Leitrim from 2021-11-10T12:59:14
Just as the Leitrim community was able to relax after winning it's fight against onshore fracking, another threat to the county strikes - the hunt for gold.
A few weeks ago, a group called...
EPISODE 118: Solving Dereliction in Waterford from 2021-11-02T14:43:30
Waterford's approach to dereliction has dramatically decreased the number of families living in emergency accommodation, and homelessness more generally. By utilising a rarely talked about scheme, ...
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EPISODE 117: Ready For The Floor? Going out-out nerves as Ireland opens up. from 2021-10-29T12:02:51
Have you waited for clubs and gigs for so long, you're feeling weird about not rushing out to them? How can we cope with anxiety and overwhelm as places open back up? Our favourite psychotherapist ...
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EPISODE 116: UP THE STUDENTS from 2021-10-13T18:20:15
'water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink'
This famous line from Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem seems perfectly apt when we're (still) talking about student accommodation. Followin...
EPISODE 115: Ireland's Corporate Tax Rate Conundrum from 2021-10-07T16:53:22
EPISODE 115: Ireland's Corporate Tax Rate Conundrum by Una & Andrea's United Ireland
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EPISODE 114: Empty Student Gaffs & Maternity Restrictions Rage On from 2021-10-01T15:39:20
Why does it feel we have to keep protesting for the things that should be a given in a society?
1: Somewhere To Live
Killian Woods predicted a rent strike in a recent Byline episode b...
BYLINE: Stephen Carroll from 2021-09-21T16:47:53
Stephen Carroll is the Business Editor of France24. In this episode of Byline, we talk about his career in broadcast news, from starting out as a radio reporter in Dublin, to presenting young peopl...
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EPISODE 113: Big Tech's data dream from 2021-09-14T10:45:19
As Ireland continues to be home for many Big Tech HQ's, the responsibility for enforcing privacy laws lies with us too.
This week, the Irish Council for Civil Liberties released a report...
BONUS EP: Defects: Living with the Legacy of the Celtic Tiger from 2021-09-09T13:53:14
Last night Eoin O'Broin launched his new book, Defects: Living with the Legacy of the Celtic Tiger. Today, bus loads of mica redress campaigners have arrived at the Fianna Fáil think-in in Cavan.<...
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EPISODE 112: DERELICTE from 2021-09-08T16:43:31
Housing For All launched last week and there were some easy wins for the government that were kicked down the road, like tackling the vacancy and dereliction problem that is currently rampaging thr...
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EPISODE 111: Reopening, The Dance from 2021-09-02T13:25:32
Everything is a dance at the moment.
Government are dancing between vaccine rollout, reopening plans and warnings from immunologists that it's too early, the events and entertainment indus...
BYLINE: Sarah Schulman from 2021-08-25T09:40:29
Sarah Schulman is one of the most influential and important queer writers and thinkers in the world. Writing and creating across multiple forms, from novels to non-fiction books, plays to screenwri...
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EPISODE 110: Pedestrianisation Wars from 2021-08-24T12:41:25
It ended with a tweet.
Last night, DCC announced the end of pedestrianisation on Capel Street and Parliament Street, by way of a tweet outlining how successful it had been. There was no c...
EPISODE 109: POCKET FORESTS from 2021-08-19T18:11:52
Ok. Ok.
We always try our best to provide solutions and things you can do about the subjects we're covering but understand that it can sometimes not feel like enough or all a bit overwhelm...
BYLINE: Killian Woods from 2021-08-12T08:09:13
Killian Woods is a senior business reporter with the Business Post. His reporting on housing has provided readers with a detailed, complex, and global picture of the forces at work that contribute...
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EPISODE 108: Climate Revolution NOW from 2021-08-11T12:13:47
It's clear from the IPCC report that shit has hit the fan.
But it's also true that we can still do something about it.
Which is why we're especially pleased to be joined by Dr. Pa...
EPISODE 107: The People's Vaccine from 2021-08-04T10:48:31
Half of the world is starting to consider the pandemic coming to an end. The other half, the poorer half, can't afford access to the vaccine and won't start vaccinating till 2023.
The phr...
EPISODE 106: The Art of the Temporary from 2021-07-29T15:59:50
This week we're talking to Niall Davidson from Allta Summer House and architect & artist Rae Moore about how the pandemic has led them towards creating temporary restaurants and cultural venues. D...
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EPISODE 105: The Data Centre Takeover from 2021-07-22T09:50:10
With the greater Dublin area becoming the largest hub for data centres in Europe, this massive boom in huge industrial sites went unnoticed for a while, but is increasingly heating up. Literally. W...
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DBS Spesh #4: The Aftermath from 2021-07-12T15:36:56
As the dust settles across Dublin Bay South, we wander through the day after the weekend like disorientated England football fans, and discuss Fianna Fáil's road to nowhere, Fine Gael's self-awaren...
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DBS BONUS: Maser talks election posters from 2021-07-08T12:03:14
It's voting day in Dublin Bay South.
We might have mentioned it once or twice!
With so much riding on this election, everything has been thrown at getting the candidates noticed...
32 Questions: Brigid Purcell from 2021-07-05T18:27:34
On our final candidate interview on 32 Questions, we talk to first-time candidate Brigid Purcell of People Before Profit, about how we can reinvigorate the docklands, her interactions with Lynn Boy...
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32 Questions: Claire Byrne from 2021-06-30T17:21:08
Next up in our series of 32 Questions for candidates in the Dublin Bay South by-election is Green Party candidate, Claire Byrne.
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DBS Spesh #3: Neck & Neck from 2021-06-29T16:11:17
It's the penultimate week before the big By-Election and things are heating up ???
We're delving into the results from the Irish Times Ipsos MRBI poll that see James G taking the lead, but...
32 Questions: Ivana Bacik from 2021-06-25T12:58:22
The sage and wise Ivana Bacik & Labour candidate for DBS is in the 32Q's hotseat today talking about the art of compromise, clubbing in Powderbubble and dealing with Portobello Harbour.
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DBS Spesh #2: The Tarot from 2021-06-23T11:50:33
Behold, a new era of election predictions. What does the tarot say about the Dublin Bay South by-election? Our very special guest this week is Sarah Maria Griffin who, armed with a lifetime of taro...
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BYLINE: Susan McKay from 2021-06-22T09:11:26
On this episode of BYLINE, it's the brilliant Susan McKay. We talk about her fascinating new book Northern Protestants: On Shifting Ground, which you can (and should!) buy here. We discuss her time...
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32 Questions: Sarah Durcan from 2021-06-21T14:38:06
Our LEGENDARY '32 Questions' with the main DBS candidates series continues, and in this ep we get to know Social Democrat Sarah Durcan and where she sees the opportunities and problems for DBS.
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32 Questions: Lynn Boylan from 2021-06-18T11:09:23
In this special series of 32 Questions, we're focussing on the candidates in the Dublin Bay South by-election. First up, Sinn Féin's Lynn Boylan on seafood, CMAT, and fake pollsters.
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Dublin Bay South special #1: The Battleground from 2021-06-17T16:51:09
Dublin Bay South special #1: The Battleground by Una & Andrea's United Ireland
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BONUS: The First Gig Back from 2021-06-11T12:17:44
Una heads to the Iveagh Gardens in Dublin for Sorcha Richardson and James Vincent McMorrow performing live in front of an audience of 500 people as part of the Irish government's pilot series trial...
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EPISODE 100: The New-New Existentialism from 2021-06-09T10:49:20
Philosophy Queen Laura Kennedy joins us to discuss how existentialism is the mood of the moment, the force behind people making dramatic changes in their lives, and how it can guide us through the ...
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EPISODE 99: Dublin City Council v The City from 2021-06-02T15:01:11
With South William Street securing centre-of-the-universe status over the past week, we talk to Lord Mayor Hazel Chu about the lack of preparation for an outdoor summer, and how - if possible - a c...
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EPISODE 98: "piracy in the skies" Belarus explainer from 2021-05-27T17:07:18
With Belarusian leadership going for a "piracy in the skies" plot even Olivia Pope couldn't make up, what is actually going on in Belarus? How has a generational shift cracked Europe's last dictato...
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BONUS: Caelainn Hogan on Breaking the Silence from 2021-05-26T14:24:52
Ahead of an event she is curating at the National Concert Hall with the International Literature Festival Dublin on Saturday May 29th called Breaking the Silence, we catch up with Republic of Shame...
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BONUS: How to run a festival in a pandemic with Naoise Nunn of Brightening Air from 2021-05-14T09:32:02
BONUS: How to run a festival in a pandemic with Naoise Nunn of Brightening Air by Una & Andrea's United Ireland
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32 Questions: Fintan Warfield from 2021-05-13T15:39:03
On this month's 32 Questions, we hear from the Sinn Féin senator Fintan Warfield. What clubs is he dying to return to? Who is his favourite non-Sinn Féin TD? Why don't Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael und...
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EPISODE 97: Left Behind, Ireland's Millennials in Crisis from 2021-05-12T16:21:06
Rising rents, falling wages, collapsing home ownership, increasing unemployment: hard data is finally backing up the experience of intergenerational inequality that is leaving millennials in Irelan...
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EPISODE 96: Ireland's Housing Crisis Boiling Point from 2021-05-08T15:13:34
This week, Soc Dems TD Cian O'Callaghan joins us to discuss the boiling point that peaked this week regarding Ireland's housing crisis. This is a fascinating conversation with a TD who breaks down ...
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EPISODE 95: Why are the hills on fire? from 2021-04-29T17:49:43
Half of Killarney National Park was burnt by devastating fires this week due to 'countryside burning', something that has become an annual ritual. The Mourne Mountains suffered a similar fate. An...
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32 Questions: Alan Kelly from 2021-04-26T23:26:08
We ask one politician 32 questions. This ep, we're talking to Labour Leader Alan Kelly.
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EPISODE 94: The Big Soothe from 2021-04-23T00:09:26
The word on everybody's lips this week has been languishing.
There's a collective feeling of stagnation, even though we are progressing. We'd been having conversations about our feelings of be...
BONUS: The art of football from 2021-04-19T16:51:10
No, this isn't a podcast about the crazy new European Super League.
But it is about something super. (Badum Tish)
Bohemians FC has just announced Mark O'Meara as it's Club Artis...
EPISODE 93: The Outdoor Emergency from 2021-04-14T16:21:59
We bring you behind the scenes of Dublin City Council’s outdoor plans for the summer, how Cork is steaming ahead of the capital, why city recovery taskforce was revamped four days after launching, ...
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BYLINE: Suzanne Lynch from 2021-04-12T15:49:07
Suzanne Lynch is the Washington Correspondent for the Irish Times, and has gone from the chaos of the Trump era to the slightly more zen vibes of flying on Air Force 2 with Kamala Harris. Suzanne's...
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EPISODE 92: How can we make Ireland the best bee-friendly country in the world? from 2021-04-01T17:27:44
Paul Handrick and Clare-Louise Donelan are from the Bee Sanctuary of Ireland and have started the ambitious 'National Meadowland Project'. We're talking to them about side stepping the old style o...
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EPISODE 91: Behavioural Science Holds The Answers from 2021-03-25T17:44:59
With tempers fraying amongst a despondent public, and case numbers plateauing, we talk to Pete Lunn, the head of the ESRI Behavioural Research Unit about current public health messaging, what he ha...
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EPISODE 90: Don't be a Co-Op Out from 2021-03-16T17:16:34
This week we're wondering how communities can buy their local pub by asking Isla McCulloch from Co-Operatives UK to give us the DL on Britain's long-standing co-op culture.
The Tories just...
EPISODE 89: MYANMAR from 2021-03-11T18:38:35
With protestors being shot dead on the streets, and a sense that history is repeating itself in Myanmar as the military once again takes over in a coup on February 1st, people from Myanmar living i...
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EPISODE 88: GDP, yeah you know me from 2021-03-03T07:53:12
When we saw Samuel Brazys, an Associate Professor at UCD tweeting that 1,257 companies with a combined turnover of 68 billion (= to 17.5% of Irish GDP) work from one office block on North Wall Quay...
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BONUS EP: A violent Dublin protest and the conspiracies that formed it from 2021-03-02T15:37:49
We are talking to friend of the pod Aoife Gallagher from the Institute of Strategic Dialogue about the end of February protest in Dublin that turned violent.
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BONUS: When friends ran for election, the 2011 Dylan Haskins campaign from 2021-02-26T23:39:42
Ten years ago this week, Una and her two flatmates were in Dublin, depressed about the recession, and decided one of them should run for election. A decade later, Una and Dylan reflect on that time.
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BONUS EP: Clubbing is Culture from 2021-02-23T12:33:37
In our ongoing quest to dance, we're looking at the importance of Clubbing being considered as culture.
On the back of the Dept of Justice announcing intentions to extend our archaic lic...
EPISODE 88: Why are Gardaí raiding CBD stores? from 2021-02-17T17:22:41
Little Collins is a CBD shop in Kilkenny and Galway that's been raided by Gardaí a number of times over the past few weeks. We're joined by owner Ide O'Brien to try and get to the bottom of why t...
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32 Questions: Holly Cairns from 2021-02-12T13:47:12
We ask one politician 32 questions. This ep, we're talking to Social Democrat TD Holly Cairns.
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EPISODE 86: Is it still a sin? from 2021-02-10T16:41:01
We've been taking your feedback very seriously from our survey and as a result we'll be having a culture focused ep once a month. Not a culture review or listings type convo, more a look at what's...
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EP 85: LONGFORD: Why does it take a campaigning reaction to fix basic accommodation for refugees? from 2021-02-03T12:20:59
It's the final county.
Longford, this is your moment.
We're talking to Ruairí McKiernan, a wonderful man full or hope and promise. Whilst we're talking about the problems that do...
32 Questions: Richard Boyd Barrett from 2021-01-27T14:42:24
32 Questions is back! We ask one politician 32 questions, with this episode featuring People Before Profit TD, Richard Boyd Barrett.
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EPISODE 83: OFFALY: Why aren't briquettes so hot rn? from 2021-01-20T19:13:54
OMG. A county. On the day we bid adieu to Trump. And JLo shines in white.
WHAT A CULTURAL RESET.
We're talking all things Offaly with county facts making a return, comedian Ed...
EPISODE 82: Planning & The City from 2021-01-14T17:38:41
I couldn't help but wonder, what if... Samantha was replaced by a city planner?
We spend a lot of time talking about our capital city on this pod, how it's shaped, how it develops and all ...
BYLINE: Elizabeth Paton from 2021-01-07T13:27:47
This month on BYLINE we talk to Elizabeth Paton of the New York Times. Paton covers the fashion industry and luxury sectors in Europe for the NYT, and in this episode offers a fascinating insight i...
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EPISODE 81: ENDURANCE from 2021-01-06T15:11:15
Everything feels like one giant dumpster fire atm. But instead of fanning the proverbial flames and giving out about all the mistakes that were made, we're focusing instead on bringing the calm an...
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And that was.... 2020 from 2020-12-31T09:28:03
A year in review and the inaugural United Ireland Awards for your listening pleasure.
All the love for 2021 and thanks for listening during this most challenging year.
In the word...
SOLSTICE SOOTHE from 2020-12-20T11:00:10
Celebrating Solstice, we're making our weekly Sunday Soothe ep available to everyone.
It you enjoy the Sunday Soothe, there's one every week available especially for our supporters on Patr...
EPISODE 79: Frozen (pitches): a women’s sporting scandal from 2020-12-16T18:20:13
After a week of bonuses and Bylines, we're back with a standard ep. But no county - the last few are in the post, we swear!
This week we’re talking about an incident in women’s gaelic foo...
BYLINE: Lise Hand from 2020-12-11T18:05:47
Our guest this month is Lise Hand, a self-described rowdy journalist-at-large. Lise’s career crosses the Sunday Tribune, the Sunday Independent, the Irish Independent and the Journal. She began her...
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BONUS EP: Sister, Mother, Goddess with Natalie B Coleman from 2020-12-10T14:25:54
This week, we've consciously stepped away from the tit-for-tat shenanigans taking place in politics and instead focused on uplifting our souls with music and art.
In this episode, we're ta...
BONUS: How Other Voices produced a festival in a pandemic from 2020-12-08T10:05:06
This bonus episode comes to you from Dingle on what is usually a massively busy weekend for music fans in Ireland.
In 2020, Other Voices - an entity that lives and breathes live music - m...
EPISODE 78: CULTURE CLUB 2020 from 2020-12-03T18:40:27
That's right!
It's December, we're ready to get the joyous vibes flowing and wonder at all the culture we got to enjoy in 2020, even in the midst of a pandemic.
Here's our contr...
EPISODE 77: Giving Thanks on Thanksgiving from 2020-11-26T17:41:07
Yes. It's true.
We have now become that annoying friend with too much energy, constantly urging you to be hashtag thankful.
This week we're taking a moment to reflect on all the ...
BYLINE: Fintan O'Toole from 2020-11-25T17:48:58
Fintan O’Toole is a columnist with the Irish Times, and widely and correctly viewed as the most essential voice in Irish journalism. He is a visiting lecturer at Princeton University, has written 2...
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EPISODE 76: Why can’t we build gaffs like the old days? from 2020-11-20T00:00:41
As some ppl try to turn the narrative from councillors this week voting not to trade half the Oscar Traynor site for private development and for the council to become the lead housing developer, to...
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BONUS: The grim reality of Facebook moderation from 2020-11-18T09:30:35
*WARNING* Please be aware that this episode contains descriptions of extreme violence, child abuse and cruelty, animal abuse and cruelty, acts of murder, sexual violence, and other descriptions tha...
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EPISODE 75: FERMANAGH: What the frack is going on with… fracking in Ireland? from 2020-11-12T08:54:57
It's not always bad news you know!
This week we're talking about the recent wins against fracking in Fermanagh and the end of a long, 12-year legal battle on Monday that quashed planning p...
BONUS EP: Can we stop art getting the boot from Temple Bar? from 2020-11-11T16:09:10
We're talking to artist and co-founder of the Icon Factory and Icon Walk, Aga Szot about their new landlord seeking to turn their cultural space in Temple Bar into a restaurant.
Has art an...
Things Are Looking Up... from 2020-11-05T19:49:15
It's not just the results that are coming in from the election that are making us feel a bit more hopeful all of a sudden, even though we're sure that energy is definitely having an impact on this ...
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EPISODE 73: Kilkenny - the shebeen is back from 2020-10-29T06:00:24
Off we pop to the county home of the oldest brewery in Ireland up until recently, and we delve into the resurgence in shebeens around Ireland. (SIRI, what's a tenuous link?) Chief writer of the Ir...
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BONUS EP: ? Nobody shocked as student accommodation pivots to tourists from 2020-10-28T12:08:02
It felt inevitable.
And now disappointing decisions from Planning at DCC see purpose built student accommodation (PBSA) being granted permission to 'pivot' to accomodation for tourists ...
EPISODE 72: Lockdown 2.0 from 2020-10-22T09:57:24
“Now more than any other time in history, you really ought to please yourself because in mysterious winds a cave inside your soul might be the only place to go.” - Eileen Myles
There's a b...
EPISODE 71: Tipperary - why are so many car dealerships being raided? from 2020-10-15T16:45:48
We’re on a trip to Tipp this week with crime journo extraordinaire Nicola Tallant, who is delving into the world of car dealership raids by CAB in Tipperary. How are criminals laundering their mone...
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BONUS: Marion Bergin on her short film putting Dublin's horse culture in focus from 2020-10-12T13:14:57
Our recent HORSE POWER episode looked at horse culture in Dublin's Liberties, and now the filmmaker Marion Bergin has a new short film called Saoirse, premiering now on Nowness.com - watch it here!...
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EPISODE 70: WICKLOW: What happened to the people who lived in the trees? from 2020-10-09T09:34:34
Normal can only be what you decide it is - so we're going back to our normal and breaking the counties back out again and boy, does it feel good!
This week's county is Wicklow and this wee...
BONUS EP: Facebook V QAnon from 2020-10-08T13:34:39
As Facebook finally takes action to combat the QAnon conspiracy theory on its platform, Institute for Strategic Dialogue analyst and friend of the pod, Aoife Gallagher, joins us to discuss if the h...
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EPISODE 69: The US Presidential Campaign with Katherine Zappone from 2020-10-01T10:52:47
EPISODE 69: The US Presidential Campaign with Katherine Zappone by Una & Andrea's United Ireland
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BYLINE: Patrick Freyne from 2020-09-28T08:47:31
The Irish Times features writer is known for his hilarious, absurd takes on TV and pop culture, along with a reporting style that is loaded with humanity and kindness. His new collection of persona...
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EPISODE 68: Horse Power - Dublin's Horse Culture is Under Threat from 2020-09-24T12:15:19
Horses have been part of Dublin's culture for generations, but in the inner city, that culture is being sidelined and in some cases erased by development. At Molyneux Yard in the Liberties, horse y...
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EPISODE 67: HOPE from 2020-09-17T14:48:46
Yes we know things are crap, we know people are stressed and on edge and beginning to crack. We know Dublin at least is on the verge of more restrictions. We know the government and its comms strat...
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EPISODE 66: 32 words for majouvih (and fields) from 2020-09-11T14:10:15
Manchán Magan's book 32 Words for Field, Lost Words of the Irish Landscape has sold out in most places. When you read the blurb accompanying his book, you can see why.
"The richness of ...
EPISODE 65: Does Dun Laoghaire Rathdown have the pandemic urban design answers? from 2020-09-03T06:53:28
Robert Burns is a council director who oversaw pandemic-era design and infrastructure changes that are transforming public space in coastal villages in south Dublin. In this episode we talk to him ...
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BYLINE: Aoife Grace Moore from 2020-08-31T18:11:30
On this episode of BYLINE, we’re speaking with Aoife Grace Moore about her career, and of course the story she and Paul Hosford broke at the Irish Examiner, now known as Golfgate. It's a story that...
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32 Questions for Kate O'Connell from 2020-08-27T10:40:48
32 Questions is back. In this episode, we speak to former Fine Gael TD Kate O'Connell. Kate is a rare Fine Gael voice on our podcast, but much like Fine Gael itself, United Ireland is a broad churc...
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EPISODE 64: New restrictions lose the logic battle from 2020-08-19T13:13:01
Paradox: A seeming contradiction. A FF led press conference?
Look, we know decisions are being made in the best interests of public health but how the hell did they end up being so confu...
EPISODE 63: Demystifying the Planning Process from 2020-08-13T15:05:13
In recent years, urban development in Ireland has seen a massive increase in hotels being built, purpose built student accommodation, and so called “co-living” developments. But what’s behind this ...
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EPISODE 62: Pandemic Limbo from 2020-08-06T18:08:55
WIth the announcement that we wouldn't be proceeding to Phase 4 this week, a can of worms was opened filled with frustration, fatigue and an overwhelming feeling that an element of sense was missin...
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BYLINE: Peter Geoghegan from 2020-08-06T08:12:39
On our third episode of byline, we speak with journalist Peter Geoghegan, author of the new book Democracy for Sale: Dark Money and Dirty Politics, tracking the money that flows through British pol...
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EPISODE 61 - Is a Cashless Society a Good Thing? from 2020-07-30T14:26:33
This week, we're talking to Brett Scott about the future of cash. The pandemic has accelerated the idea of a "cashless society", but is that a good thing, or even the right term we should be using?...
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EPISODE 60: Get the Party (re)Started from 2020-07-25T11:29:49
Many of us bought the Tiocfaidh Ár Sesh jumpers filled with hope and optimism during lockdown and this week, the first hint of the (official) night time industry peeped its head out as a club was r...
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BONUS EP: How to build an ethical coffee company from 2020-07-21T09:03:33
In this bonus episode, we talk to Gary Grant of the Irish company Imbibe, which sells high-end coffee, yet also returns 3% of its turnover to Women’s Aid, its own staff, and projects in countries w...
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EPISODE 59: How to escape a cult from 2020-07-18T11:32:44
One of the recurring conversations we have off mic over the past couple of years is around how the internet radicalises people, how people become indoctrinated by their own particular echo chambers...
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EPISODE 58: The 8th Film Spesh from 2020-07-09T15:39:05
This week, we've not only given up our counties format but we're eschewing many of our regular features for a very special 'The 8th' film special.
The 8th opened this year's Galway Film Fl...
EPISODE 57: The very weird world of QAnon from 2020-07-02T13:29:17
This week, we delve into the world of QAnon. Una and Andrea discuss the genesis of a conspiracy turned community turned cult-like structure that has seen an increased real-life impact, from its fol...
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EPISODE 56: Streets are for seats from 2020-06-26T15:37:45
The overspill of people on to the streets as a result of our socialising being restricted to public space because cafes, pubs and restaurants are closed has really highlighted the lack of amenities...
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BYLINE 2: SARAH KENDZIOR from 2020-06-18T17:21
This month on BYLINE, we're joined by one of the most vital voices in American journalism today, Sarah Kendzior.
Kendzior is the author of the New York Times bestsellers The View from Fly...
EPISODE 55: We read the Programme for Government so you don't have to from 2020-06-16T17:32:13
It's the Notorious PfG. What does it mean? What's in there? What's not?
Una has her reading glasses on as she runs through the Programme for Government agreed by Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil...
EPISODE 54: Beauty passes like a breath.. from 2020-06-12T14:04:28
One of the biggest talking points during this pandemic has been about the reopening of hairdressers and the greater beauty industry. Beauty is important to Irish people. But what is beauty? As ...
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EPISODE 53: Ireland is racist: deal with it from 2020-06-05T14:15:06
This week’s episode is about how Ireland is racist, how and why it’s up to white people to sort that out, and how constantly asking black people and people of colour to hand-hold, educate, and “hel...
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BONUS EP: IN A NEW YORK MINUTE WITH JONNY BEAUCHAMP from 2020-06-04T06:30:11
Una initially planned to speak with the actor Jonny Beauchamp (Penny Dreadful, Katy Keane) about the impact of lockdown on the film and television industry. A Puerto Rican New Yorker, Jonny is a ri...
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Episode 52: Curtain twitching and surveillance capitalism from 2020-05-28T17:25:02
Curtain twitchers, lockdown Stasi, narcs and snitches; the lockdown has caused many people to internalise surveillance, compete for social capital through rule abidance, and assert themselves by sh...
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EPISODE 51: 32 questions for Mary Lou McDonald from 2020-05-21T16:11:52
EPISODE 51: 32 questions for Mary Lou McDonald by Una & Andrea's United Ireland
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Bonus: BYLINE EP 1: Jack Power on the sexual abuse scandals that rocked the scouts from 2020-05-21T10:28:27
Byline is a new bonus series from United Ireland, where we speak to journalists working on important stories. We take a deep dive into those stories, and the journalists’ working processes, and tac...
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EPISODE 50: The Bewleys Effect from 2020-05-13T14:42:19
With the iconic Grafton Street cafe unable to afford its rent and closing, what does this say about how businesses and retail are coping with rent, landlords, and survival in the pandemic? We’re jo...
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BONUS EP: What’s Going On In Sweden? from 2020-05-12T17:49:13
You’ve probably heard a lot about how Sweden approached the covid-19 pandemic differently, and it’s an approach that is providing media and amateur covid-commentators with a rake of hot takes and o...
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EPISODE 49: Lockdown Learnings from 2020-05-08T14:30:56
This week, Una and Andrea assess how the lockdown has impacted how they think about the world and are sharing some lockdown learnings. Are you seeing the world differently? What has lockdown brough...
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BONUS EP: Bad Hair Day: The impact of lockdown on men’s hair from 2020-05-05T11:33:01
Sean Byran aka Seany B of Cut & Sew joins us to discuss the drama of blokes having to forgo haircuts in lockdown, as well as assessing the impact on the barber industry as a whole. If you’ve ever t...
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BONUS EP: Christopher John Rogers from 2020-05-02T08:23:13
As a glorious bonus accompaniment to this week's fashion episode, Andrea is talking to the king of bold colour and luxuriously voluminous silhouettes, Christopher John Rogers.
After recent...
EPISODE 48: Corona, but make it fashion from 2020-04-30T11:57:33
With the fashion industry in flux, this week’s episode is inspired by Saint Laurent’s announcement that the brand is bowing out of fashion weeks, taking back control of its own schedule, and focuss...
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EPISODE 47: Can the live music industry recover post-pandemic? from 2020-04-24T15:39:58
We are facing into a musically barren summer as festivals are cancelled across the land and around the world. With the live music industry hugely impacted by the pandemic, we check in with someone ...
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BONUS EP: Imagining a Dublin Utopia from 2020-04-23T15:57:27
With lots of time to think in lockdown, Una has been wondering what the future holds for Dublin. Time to imagine a Dublin utopia.
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EPISODE 46: The Government that No One Asked For from 2020-04-17T15:35:21
We’re back in the government formation limbo this week. Una and Andrea are joined by top buzzer and artist Emmet Kirwan to discuss the FF-FG pre-nup, and the consequences of the pandemic on governm...
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BONUS EP: Escaping the Economy of More from 2020-04-13T19:58:58
Right now, we are going through an awful pandemic. But one of the things it has given us is the chance to see what would happen if the world simply stopped. And when we start it all up again we’l...
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EPISODE 45: CORONA Adapt-o-Gen from 2020-04-09T17:48:43
What does normal even mean any more?
There’s no way we can go back, we don’t know where we’re going, yet somehow we all seem to be adapting to this weird stasis. We talk to Finian Murph...
BONUS EP: HELP! My Granny Won't Stay At Home! from 2020-04-03T16:47:38
Struggling with convincing older family members or friends to cocoon? Una chats with psychotherapist Sarah Gilligan about tactics for having compassionate, effective chats with people over 70 who m...
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EPISODE 44: CORONA: LOCKDOWN AND CIVIL LIBERTIES from 2020-04-02T16:33:24
As a huge portion of the world's population is existing under lockdown conditions, many personal freedoms have been sacrificed for public health. But there is increasing concern in various countrie...
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Coping with Coronavirus as a small business owner from 2020-03-29T20:33:07
Andrea talks about the journey she's been on as a small business owner trying to cope since Coronavirus struck.
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EPISODE 43: CORONA: BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCE IN A PANDEMIC from 2020-03-26T18:20
Una and Andrea are back together (remotely) to talk about about behaving ourselves! Not really, but we are interested in the massive role behavioural science plays in containing the pandemic and ke...
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Some savvy salve for collective coping from 2020-03-19T17:39:39
coping
noun
The top, typically curved or sloping, course of a brick or stone wall.
How novel that the first definition of coping we came across is talking about a curve. ...
EPISODE 41: LIMERICK Fear and Contagion: HIV’s lessons from 2020-03-12T00:00:10
Two of the main themes to come out of the recent Coronavirus outbreak are fear and contagion, things that have been front and centre in the queer community for so long.
So we reached out t...
Episode 40: Westmeath Q: Why is Westmeath flooding, and what are we going to do about it? from 2020-03-05T00:00
The middle of Ireland currently resembles Waterworld due to flooding which has been causing chaos for homeowners, businesses and farmers. In this episode we wanted to get to the bottom of why this...
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EPISODE 39: REITs: Everything you always wanted to know about REITs but were too afraid to ask from 2020-02-26T00:00:10
Remember that ad for Tracker Mortgages? "I don't know what a tracker mortgage is. I don't know how to save money on my car insurance." Well that's how we feel about REITs. And given our current...
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EPISODE 38: KERRY: Will a UN investigation mean justice for Magdalene Laundry survivors? from 2020-02-19T00:00:10
We're back on our county buzz. The Kingdom of Kerry is our county this week, and we're examining the case of Elizabeth Coppin, as the UN Committee on Torture permits her case against Ireland to be ...
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BONUS EP: The #GE2020 aftermath: Can hope and history rhyme? from 2020-02-16T20:09:30
This is an audio version of Una's longread on the narratives and reasons for the #GE2020 vote. The written version is on our Patreon page. Please subscribe to United Ireland on Patreon to support o...
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EP 37: Election Decompression. Take a breath, everyone. from 2020-02-12T17:00:30
After a wild weekend, a historical election, and a period of heightened discourse, it's time to take a breath and figure out what all of this means. In this episode, we step away from the intense c...
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BONUS GE2020 EP: How Does My Vote Work? from 2020-02-07T00:00:10
Should you vote all the way down the ballot? Should you give a candidate a preference even if they're in bits? What's a quota? How does a surplus get distributed? How did we end up with this voting...
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BONUS #GE2020 EP: Can Rural Ireland go Green? with Saoirse McHugh from 2020-02-06T00:00:10
It was presumed this election would be overshadowed by the Green Wave. This hasn't been the case. And where it has, it has been supported by quite an urban demographic and green policies have rea...
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BONUS #GE2020 EP with Vincent Browne from 2020-02-05T00:00:10
As we examine how voter sentiment may potentially alter the landscape of Irish politics this weekend, what that sentiment boils down to is not just change, but radical change, and change that is di...
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EP 36: GE2020 Spesh pt 4: We Built This City from 2020-02-04T22:30
What would it take to make the cities of Ireland into urban utopias? We're joined by Labour candidate Rebecca Moynihan to imagine the possibilities and realities of what could be for our main muni...
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BONUS EP: Reigning in the online wild west of #GE2020 from 2020-01-31T00:00:30
Ireland currently has a gaping hole when it comes to regulating online campaigning.
We talk to Liz Carolan who is behind the Fair Play Pledge about online campaigning, why we need an Elec...
EP 35: GE2020 Spesh 3: Why is Culture always left behind? from 2020-01-30T00:00:10
“tone of colour in a room or a morning sky, a particular perfume that you had once loved and that brings subtle memories with it, a line from a forgotten poem that you had come across again, a cade...
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BONUS EP: Sinn Fein - so hot right now from 2020-01-24T00:00:10
More and more young women we speak to appear to be voting for Sinn Féin. Is this a sentiment the broader political and media establishment has overlooked? What explains the Sinn Féin surge? In this...
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EP 34: GE2020 Spesh 2: Crime and Punishment from 2020-01-22T00:00:10
As the general election campaign took off, the horrific murder of a teenager brought organised crime into sharp focus as an election issue. In this episode, we discuss crime and punishment, and how...
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EP: 33: General Election Spesh Part 1: What's the Big Idea? from 2020-01-16T00:00:10
It's election campaign time, which means for the next month Una and Andrea will be covering the general election, but a little differently to everyone else. No doses, no debates, no clickbait. We w...
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Total Mayor from 2020-01-10T00:00:26
If you were the mayor (with decision making power) of your town, what is the one thing you'd implement? As we kick off 2020, we ask some of our faves to answer this very question. Back to county ...
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Top 10 Get In The Seas of 2019 from 2019-12-29T14:46:58
Before we look forward to positive pastures new, we have to look back on the in bits past to make sure we don't make the same mistakes in 2020. So whilst we're all pondering who the new us will be...
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MERRY CHRISTMAS from 2019-12-25T15:46:19
Just in case you missed our dulcet tones this holiday season, here's a lil injection.
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EPISODE: 30: Tyrone: What do the UK elections mean for the North’s largest county? from 2019-12-19T00:00:13
What do we really know about Tyrone? It’s a county that keeps a low profile, but we’re ready to lift the lid. Andrea reveals all in her county facts, and Dominic McGrath from the Journal (and also ...
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EPISODE 29: WATERWORLD: White Water Rafting, or White Water Shafting? from 2019-12-12T00:00:13
How has an idea for a white water rafting project that’ll cost 22m and cost 50 euro per person to use managed to make its way to the sign off stage when the city is facing daily crises from literal...
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EPISODE 28: ROSCOMMON: Who are our sex work laws really protecting? from 2019-12-05T00:00:03
There's been a recent spate of targeted violent attacks on sex workers across Ireland with the primary aim of theft. Charges have been brought against 3 men in Roscommon as part of Operation Quest....
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EPISODE 27: O’DEVANEY GARDENS: Why is the O’Devaney Gardens development such a mess? from 2019-11-20T13:19:43
This week, we’re heading to the micro-county of Dublin 7 to take a deep dive into the housing development saga at O’Devaney Gardens in Stoneybatter. For well over a decade, this development has had...
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EPISODE 26: WEXFORD: Is sustainable fashion an oxymoron? from 2019-11-13T22:56:44
Come through our fashionistas. This week, we’re looking at the trend of sustainable fashion and wondering if it’s actually possible for the industry of excess and newness to actually be sustainable...
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EPISODE 25: KILDARE: Boiling mad: What’s wrong with our water? from 2019-11-07T12:56:56
Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink (unless it’s boiled). How do we, a small island with such a rainy disposition, have more issues than Vogue when it comes to water? As we face into a...
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EPISODE 24: MONAGHAN: Plastic Fantastic: Does individual behaviour make a difference? from 2019-10-30T23:02:05
We're off to Monaghan, home to Ireland's only reverse vending machine. But, does individual consumer behaviour make a difference when it comes to recycling, or are paper straws and reusable bottles...
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EPISODE 23: What do we really know about Brexit, dark money, and the DUP? from 2019-10-23T15:58
Every hour brings new twists and turns to Brexit, but it’s important to remember that a very murky referendum got us to this point. In this, ‘Brexit, dark money and the DUP’ episode, we press pause...
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EPISODE 22: ARMAGH: Is there anybody out there? A United Ireland aliens special. from 2019-10-16T06:14:56
Trying to figure out the 'what can you do?' section of this week's podcast was interesting given that we were talking to trailblazing astrophysicist; scientist; one of TIME Magazine's 100 most infl...
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EPISODE 21: MEATH: Is everything we know about Newgrange wrong? from 2019-10-09T14:54:57
We're feeling very witchy this week with the onset of Samhain, and so we are journeying to the heart of Ireland's mythical history, the great county of MEATH. Last year, an incredible discovery was...
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EPISODE 20: CAVAN: Abductions, torture, the Quinn group and Cavan: what’s going on? from 2019-10-03T11:50:45
Power, violence, threats, abductions, torture, and jobs. Sean Quinn was Ireland’s richest man a decade ago, but now his company’s name is embroiled in a shocking series of events in Fermanagh and C...
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EPISODE 19: TALLAGHT: Why did the Council destroy a unique wetland habitat? from 2019-09-26T07:06:30
We all gasped when pics of the Wetlands in Tallaght were shared, recently covered over by dredged silt from the nearby lake. How could this have happened? Why would someone do this? How could an of...
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EPISODE 18: LOUTH: Do we need to get more bogged down? from 2019-09-19T14:44:02
Ireland recently declared a climate emergency. The bogs of Ireland are our equivalent to the rain forest in terms of their role as a carbon sink, but for some bizarre reason, a bypass for Ardee tha...
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EPISODE 17: SLIGO: Can improved access to art make a better society? from 2019-09-12T16:28:13
In a week that brought us the news that the Shaw was closing to make way for, you guessed it, a hotel, we start to look at what can be done to encourage more value to be placed on art and culture ...
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EPISODE 16: LAOIS, Live from Electric Picnic from 2019-09-04T18:22:23
We're coming live from Electric Picnic this week with our LAOIS episode, asking the question : are festivals the perfect societies? Joining us to discuss utopias and future societies are Mango, Sao...
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EPISODE 15: CARLOW: Are we ready to get serious about the night? ?time economy? from 2019-08-28T18:18:47
It's very easy to moan and groan about the influx of hotels and the homogenisation of the landscape in cities and towns around the country, but it's worth remembering that it’s not the job of hotel...
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EPISODE 14: Privacy, the Public Service Card, and big problems... from 2019-08-22T06:59:43
If there’s anything we’ve learned since the Cambridge Analytica exposé, it’s that data is both very precious to those who own it and extremely dangerous if it’s accessed by power hungry maniacs. He...
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EPISODE 13: DONEGAL: Should Donegal have Universal Basic Income? from 2019-08-14T21:37:39
We're all about radical solutions to big issues here at United Ireland, and this week we journey to Donegal, to see whether what's often called the forgotten county could benefit from new thinking....
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EPISODE 12: United Ireland: Lethal Dialect from 2019-08-08T19:09:07
We're mixing things up this week, for a special episode on Lethal Dialect, otherwise known as Paul Alwright. Back to the counties next week! With these bonus interviews, we're trying to find out wh...
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EPISODE 11: WATERFORD: Are there too many festivals and somehow not enough tickets? from 2019-08-01T06:47:12
We’re popping down to the Sunny South East this week at the same time as all of the music revelers™ making their way to All Together Now, praying for blue skies and some of that famous sun. As anot...
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EPISODE 10: LEITRIM: Why is Ireland planting the wrong trees? from 2019-07-25T06:57:46
This week we're off to Ireland's smallest county to talk about trees. Listen up, this is an important story that isn't getting the coverage it deserves. We speak to Save Leitrim about why they're c...
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EPISODE 9: DERRY: Lyra McKee was murdered in Derry. What happened next? from 2019-07-17T15:03:20
On April 18th, 2019, journalist Lyra McKee was shot dead during rioting in the Creggan area of Derry. On this episode about what happened next, Lyra’s partner, Sara Canning, talks about the night L...
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EPISODE 8: Has the World Cup changed women’s sport forever? from 2019-07-10T16:10:54
This week, it’s a special episode of United Ireland.
We take a deep dive with some football experts about the seismic impact the women’s World Cup has had. Is this the most important wome...
EPISODE 7: CORK: Show us the money! How can we make Big Tech pay tax? from 2019-07-03T15:43:27
We’re off to the Rebel County to talk tax. Show us the money!
How can we make Big Tech pay tax? Down in Cork, Apple reigns supreme as a huge employer, but they’re also at the centre of wh...
EPISODE 6: PRIDE: What does the queer community lose when Pride goes mainstream? from 2019-06-26T15:04:06
Happy Pride!
What does Pride mean to you?
In a tale as old as time, the question of corporate involvement and mainstreaming of Pride continues to rear it’s head. Have we moved fo...
EPISODE 5: GALWAY: What happens to people who die in Direct Provision? from 2019-06-20T11:02:43
This episode was not easy to record. And it won’t be easy to listen to, but it is essential listening.
Direct Provision will be the stain on our generation’s existence. It feels like we ...
EPISODE 4: CLARE: Q: Should we forgive Doonbeg Trumpism? from 2019-06-12T18:08:38
The streets of Doonbeg in Clare were lined with locals this week to welcome in the Trump family to their hotel and golf course that employs many of the townspeople. Apart from the fact that Trump ...
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EPISODE 3: MAYO: THE PLANET IS ON FIRE - can the green wave extinguish the flames? from 2019-06-05T18:24:16
????? This week we're scratching our heads and wondering what the point will be of riches and economic success if we're all actually killed off and we're not the only ones. The Local and European ...
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EPISODE 2: DUBLIN: Is the pace of change in Dublin destroying the city’s character? from 2019-05-29T11:40:30
This week we’re tackling a question that dominates chats in the capital: the gentrification of Dublin, the pace of change, and what that’s all doing to the city’s character. What’s the balance betw...
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EPISODE 1: ANTRIM: Has Alabama put the spotlight on abortion in Northern Ireland? from 2019-05-22T19:37:01
One year after Repeal, Northern Ireland is still without legal abortion. As attempts to roll back reproductive rights are well underway in America, how can the North win this battle? We talk to the...
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