Brian Ervine is a playwright, songwriter and teacher living in Belfast. In October 2010 he succeeded Dawn Purvis as the leader of the Progressive Unionist Party. Brian's s wife Linda serves as the Irish Language Officer at Turas, an Irish-language programme notable for its location in east Belfast.
Ben Collins comes from a pro-British and Unionist background and has lived and worked across the UK. In this book Ben explains how he has come to favour Irish Unity. He uses his twenty years of experience working in political communications to give his insight on the current situation regarding the building momentum for Irish Unity, the importance of the Good Friday Agreement and Brexit.
Former Alliance party member Michael McDonald talks to Shared Ireland at his disappointment at having to resign from the party over what he believes is down to his Pro-Unity viewsm
Emma DeSouza is an Irish writer, political commentator,[1] journalist and campaigner. Emma took the first human rights case[10] of the Good Friday Agreement when she and her US husband sued the British Home Secretary over her right to be accepted as Irish under the terms of the Agreement. Emma's other campaign work includes voting rights for Irish Citizens Abroad and campaigning for full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. She is also running as an independent candidate in Fermanagh and...
Linda Dillion is a member of Sinn Féin. Originally from Armagh, she has been an MLA for Mid Ulster since 2016.
Freelance Chef who was worked for the NI soccer team and lobbyist in charge of ExcludedNI Brian Donaldson outlines his visions and hopes for the future, discussing his PUL background, the constitutional question and in particular - the need for a plan for Unity
First elected to Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council in 2019, Sorcha was also Alliance candidate for the Westminster election later that year, achieving Alliance’s best-ever result in the constituency. A lifelong resident of Lagan Valley, she has worked with many people and organisations across the constituency on a range of issues, including mental health, education, jobs and climate change. Sorcha is a champion for young and vulnerable people, having worked hard on improving youth employment,...
Stephen Donnan-Dalzell is a freelance writer, commentator and LGBTQ activist. Working in mental health & addictions. They/Them
Belfast native and National Chairperson of Ógra Shinn Féin Caoimhín McCann speaks to us about the importance of community activism, the role of youth in politics and building momentum in the discussions around Irish Unity
Two young men from a PUL background discuss differing perspectives on the constitutional question
Delighted to welcome east Belfast native - Phil Kelly to the Shared Ireland podcast series - "A Conversation With...". An interesting mix of international politics - Cuba, Palestine, America. We also discuss Human Rights and activism as well as Phil's vision for a new Ireland
East Belfast native, Sarah Creighton is a lawyer, writer and political commentator from a protestant/unionist background. Sarah talks to Shared Ireland on topics such as the Protocol, the future of Unionism, prospects for Irish unity and more.
Prof Colin Harvey from the School of Law, Queens University, Belfast and Glenn Bradly share their thoughts on where now after Brexit, the Tory Govt, NI Protocol and their visions for the future here
Nigel Watson and Frazer McCammond join Shared Ireland just over 2 years from their first podcast with us. From a Protestant/Unionist background both men discuss the present state of affairs in N.Ireland, the important issue if there were to be a united Ireland and the present state of Unionism.
Belfast-native and member of the PUL community Joel Keys outlines his thoughts and views on his hopes for the future. Joel discusses the potential for Irish unification and how he would approach this should this come to pass.
Rev Karen Sethuraman is the first female Baptist Minister in Ireland and is currently a Pastor of SoulSpace, a Peace and Reconciliation hub, based in Belfast. Her passion is peace and reconciliation/social justice and she is a champion of gender equality. The Rev Karen is also one of the founders of Spectrum - a space set up in Belfast for LGBT+ people of faith. Karen feels particularly called to minister outside the Church walls, journeying with people who feel they ‘don’t fit’ in Church. She h...
Peter Canavan "Peter The Great" - former Gaelic footballer, manager and pundit. Peter played inter-county football for Tyrone, and is one of the most decorated players in the game's history. He represented Ireland in the International Rules Series on several occasions from 1998 until 2000. He was named in the Sunday Tribune's list of the 125 Most Influential People in GAA History.
Co.Armagh native and founder of Youth Voice Dermot Hamill shares his thoughts and ideas on Integrated Education, the missing youth voice in Politics, his hopes for the future and what it would take to create a new, shared Ireland
A voice from the PUL community "North Witch shares her outlook on life, growing up in a loyalist estate and her hopes for the future
Derry-native Susan McKay is a journalism, documentary filmmaker and author of the critically acclaimed book "Northern Protestants: An Unsettled People". In 2021 she followed up this book with "Northern Protestants: On Shifting Ground". From 2009 to 2012, Susan was CEO of the National Women's Council of Ireland
Kevin Meagher is associate editor of the political blog Labour Uncut and a former special adviser to Shaun Woodward, the most recent Labour Northern Ireland Secretary. He works as a political and communications consultant and has written for a range of publications including the New Statesman and The Independent. Most recently he has penned two books: "A united Ireland: why unification is inevitable and how it will come about" and "What A Bloody Awful Country: Northern Ireland's Century of Divis...
A stellar line up of Pro-Union voices outline the benefits of staying in the Union. Panel guests: Prof Peter Shirlow, Ian Acheson, Julie Ann Corr-Johnston, Sarah Creighton and Rev David Latimer
Michelle O'Neill is Joint First Minister of Northern Ireland since 2020. She has served as Vice President of Sinn Féin since 2018 and has been a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Mid Ulster since 2007. In the northern Executive, she previously served under deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness as Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development from 2011 to 2016 and Minister of Health from 2016 to 2017
Emma DeSouza, Prof Colin Harvey, Emma Rainey, Niall Murphy representing Ireland's Future, Sean Nash representing Think32 and regular contributor to the Shared Ireland Blog Kieran Harrahill join Shared Ireland to outline their vision on the constitutional question , giving their opinions and arguments for Pro-Unity
Jim O'Callaghan is a Fianna Fáil politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin Bay South constituency since the 2016 general election. He has a BCL degree from University College Dublin, a master's degree in law and an M.Phil. in criminology from Sidney Sussex College, at Cambridge University, and a barrister-at-law degree from the King's Inns. In addition, he played rugby at a senior level, representing UCD, Cambridge University, London Irish, Wanderers, Leinster and Connacht. He w...
Antrim native, Ian has served as the Member of Parliament for North Antrim since the 2010 general election. Previously he was a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for North Antrim from 1998 to 2010. Paisley is a member of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and is the son of the DUP's founder Ian Paisley.
Cork native Tadhg Hickey is a comedian, actor, writer, director and musician. He is creative director of critically acclaimed Irish sketch comedy troupe, CCCahoots. He wrote, directed and starred in the RTE sitcom, The School, and has written and starred in numerous prize winning short films including Uisce Beatha (Filmmakers’ Prize, DC Shorts festival, Washington). His first solo show, In One Eye, out the Other, was the most nominated production at Dublin Fringe Awards 2019
Declan McLaughlin is a folk singer songwriter from Derry, Ireland. Having risen to notoriety in former outfits 'The Screaming Bin Lids' and 'The Whole Tribe Sings', Declan has had an incredible career to date including extensive touring across North America, Europe and Australia with artists such as The Frames, Damien Dempsey, Christy Moore and Gary Óg.
Kieran Harrahill is a 3rd year PhD researcher with University College Dublin and Teagasc, the Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority. He is 24 years old and is from Co. Tipperary. Kieran has a BA in Geography and Politics and International Relations and an MSc in Environmental Policy from UCD. His research on Just Transition in the coal industry has featured in a television interview on ABC Television in Australia and has been cited in a report by the Stockholm Environment Institute. T...
Rights Campaigner, Vice-Chair & NI spokesperson for VotingRights.ie & Co.Derry native Emma DeSouza joins Shared Ireland to talk about her successful 3 year with the UK Govt regarding her right to be recognized solely as Irish under the Good Friday Agreement.
