This week we meet two of the new board members for the Irish Chamber of Commerce In Sweden (one of whom you know already!), and the hugely talented Grace O'Malley drops by the studio to talk about her involvement in amateur drama group Spuds & Sill and their upcoming production of Brian Friel's "Dancing At Lughnasa" in Stockholm.
What do sign language and the Irish language have in common? For Gearóidín McEvoy, an Irish academic in Finland, the answer is a lot more than we thought - minority languages are all around us and are keys to understanding each other and expressing our identities. She joins me to talk about legal recognition of languages, teaching Irish in Montana and using podcasting to bring them to a wider audience.
As we leave our national day in the rear-view mirror, we look forward to a summer of travel with passport tips and a chat with Emer MacDiarmada form Tourism Ireland about the ins and outs of how the country is marketed as a destination in the Nordic region!
This week we have two magnificent interviews as Clare Cunningham realises her dream of playing the Grand Old Opry in Nashville and Ronan Sheehan embarks on his dream of getting a team of Cambodian Gaelic footballers to Derry, and we kick off with some St. Patrick's Day greetings from the Irish around the world thanks to the Limor social audio app! The GoFundMe for the Cairde Khmer GAA can be found here - please donate if you can: www.gofundme.com/f/help-get-caird…ambodia-to-derry...
We pay our annual visit to the St. Patrick's Day parade in Stockholm and talk to some of the well-known voices in the community such as the Ambassador, the chair of the Swedish-Irish Society and the business owners providing food and drink on a rainy Stockholm Saturday!
This week we have a St. Patrick's Day message from President Michael D. Higgins and we hear the fascinating story of Tadhg Leader, an Irish rugby player who tried his luck in American football and is now preparing a new generation of Irish kickers to do the same.
This week we hear from the Swedish Irish Society ahead of the St. Patrick's Day festivities, and I paid a visit to a rehearsal in Malmö for Quilty's 30th-anniversary tour with Andy Irvine. Get your tickets at quiltymusic.com If you're looking for a music playlist to get your Paddy's Day off to a flying start, look no further! https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0Zbniw11CBEVl3c22BIg6e?si=0a9928b3d140424d
In the week of St. Patrick's Day, we celebrate with a chat about one of Ireland's greatest writers Brendan Behan, together with the creators of a new show about him. Written by John Merrigan with songs and music by Danielle Morgan, "Brendan - Son Of Dublin" is a fresh look at his life and work, and not least those around him who helped catapult his undoubted talent to global fame and renown.
What better way to celebrate International Women's Day than a conversation with Ireland international Amber Barrett, the woman who scored the decisive goal against Scotland to send Ireland to the Women's World Cup Finals for the first time. We talk growing up in Donegal, Gaelic football, and how the best touch of her career set her up for a goal and a celebration that delivered a seminal moment in Irish life.
This week I'm joined by Anton Foley, the Swedish-Irish man suing the Swedish government over their inaction on climate change. He talks to me about the climate crisis, big legal bills and why it's not too late to save the planet - but the clock is ticking ... There's also news of a new trip to Malmö for more interviews, parades for St. Patrick's Day and all the usual community goings-on - don't forget to share if you can!
This week I'm joined from the Cayman Islands by Fanclub founder Dec Magennis, an old school friend and lifelong music fan who has built a new platform to help artists share exclusive video content and monetise their talent. Dec talks about his formative years as a young man in the thick of London's burgeoning '90s scene, and what led him to develop his own platform to help bring more great music to the world.
The first weekend in March marks 25 years of Fagans Pub in Malmö, a vital centre for the Irish community in the Öresund region that will be celebrated over a long weekend with pints, music and craic. I paid them a visit to talk to regulars Conor and Michael, former bar manager Peter Miller and the current owner Mikael about what the pub means to them and the Irish community down south.
On this week's podcast I'm joined by film director Luke McManus to talk about his documentary "North Circular", which is being shown at film festivals around the world. We talk about how he made a movie that is an homage to Dublin's inner city during the pandemic, and how and why Irish movies are taking Hollywood by storm at the moment. You can find out more about "North Circular" and which festivals it is being shown at on the film's website: https://www.northcircularfilm.com/
It's still early in the year and many of us are still thinking about what we can do to get fitter and healthier - and for Colm O'Callaghan in Stockholm, running has always been a big part of that. He joins me to talk about the joys of running outdoors, the difference between feeling the pain and distancing yourself from it on long distances, and what it's like to cross the line way up the field in a big-city marathon!
Irish music is lucky to have many great evangelists around the world, and this week we speak to Stina Rosén of The Irish Music Session In Gothenburg (TIMSIG) and Dag Westling of Quilty. Stina's group organises regular music sessions in Gothenburg, while Dag's band are celebrating 30 years on the road by teaming up with Irish music legend Andy Irvine for a celebratory tour.
This week's discussion centres on democracy and Ireland's restrictive approach to allowing its diaspora to vote. Legal scholar Larry Donnelly, who is involved in VotingRights.ie, a campaign to extend the franchise to the Irish abroad, joins me to go through the pros and cons of giving the franchise to the Irish abroad.
Last week brought the sad and shocking news of the passing of Kevin Higgins at the age of 48 - a Gael, a father, a footballer and an endless source of joy to everyone who met him, this week's podcast pays tribute to a man who will be sorely missed. I am joined by his friends and Gothenburg GAA team-mates Billy Finn, Adrian Kelly, Paul Curley and Mal Keena to remember a man that affected us all profoundly, each in different ways. Rest in peace, Kevin - your loss is immeasurable, and w...
Boxer Wayne "The Pocket Rocket" McCullough went from growing up on Belfast's Shankhill Road to carrying the tricolour for Ireland at the 1988 Olympics, and winning a silver medal four years. Widely acknowledged as being one of Ireland's most skilful and durable fighters, he moved to Las Vegas almost 30 years ago and has been there ever since, first becoming a world champ in the pro ranks before going on to forge a successful career as a boxing trainer. He joins me to talk about boxing, ide...
On the birthday of one of Ireland's finest and most famous writers, I talked to Irish academic John Francis McCourt. about James Joyce, the joy of studying humanities, artificial intelligence and why we all need a little bit of time to think.
From the highlands of Ethiopia to the Stockholm Archipelago, Swedes are finally getting a taste of what real coffee tastes like thanks to an Irishman. Out on the island of Rindö, Jack Ryan tells the story of how he and his dog Muttley are roasting coffee beans in an old military building as part of a business that is expanding and growing all the time, and he even treats us to a cup of the best coffee you'll ever taste. You can find out more about them at https://muttleyandjack.com/...
For two decades Allen Gogarty rocked the bars of New York, mixing his own compositions with covers as he built a sold career as one of the most sought-after Irish entertainers in the tri-state area. Then a heart attack in early December forced him into a break from performing, and friends are now organising a benefit gig for the popular Meathman as he plots his return to the stage. He joined me from Queens to tell me how it all went down, and how he plans to be back and gigging by St. Patrick's ...
A defender as clever as he was tough - and boy, was he tough - Pontus Kåmark helped cement Leicester's status as a Premier League team in his three-and-a-half seasons there, which were crowned by winning the League Cup in 1997. Kåmark played a pivotal role in that final; after a 1-1 draw at Wembley, Kåmark man-marked Middlesboro's Brazilian playmaker Juninho out of the game, setting the stage for Steve Claridge to score the winner for the Foxes in extra time. Kåmark's stint in the Premier ...
Two of Ireland's greatest gold-medal triumphs at the Olympics have come via the gloved hands of Katie Taylor and Kellie Harrington, but few know the story of the Swedish woman who blazed a pioneering trail for women's boxing in Ireland. Anja Norman joined this week's podcast to tell us the story behind some of Ireland's greatest sporting moments.
When Russia invaded Ukraine almost a year ago it affected Irishman Alan Moore more than most - all of a sudden he had more than 2000 university students, several of them from Ireland and Ukraine, to take care of in a deeply uncertain situation. As the world watches on the war has progressed, with both sides making claims and counter-claims about how well it is going - but what is life like for the Irish in Moscow and in Russia in general, who have families and jobs and situations that they...
The Irish language has been enjoying a strong revival in recent years, but how do you go about learning it or returning to it as an adult? Jane Ní Luasa is an Irish teacher and TikToker offering tips, tricks and lessons to willing learners all over the globe, and she joined me for a special bonus episode highlighting our language. You can find out more about her on her website: https://gaeilgelejane.teachable.com/ Here's a playlist of some of her favourite Irish-language songs ...
The World Handball Championships are taking place in Sweden, but it's not the kind of handball that many Irish people will be familiar with - but one man is. Chris O'Neill is a former semi-professional player now living in Gothenburg and he will be commentating on the whole shebang, so he joined me to talk about his love of the sport, what to watch out for and how he came to Sweden not for love, nor Ericsson, nor Volvo, but for "big balls and no walls", as he puts it. There's also some informati...
Nothing binds Irish communities abroad together like Gaelic games, and Dubliner Tony Bass has been one of the most important and influential figures in their rapid growth in Europe. On this week's podcast he talks about leaving Ireland and setting up a club in Maastricht, years of battling for recognition and resources, and the lessons learned along the way. Absolutely essential listening for any lover of the GAA.
First out of the blocks this year is Tom Chamney, a former professional athlete in one of the most punishing track and field distances there is, who found love and a new career as a restaurant owner on Sweden's west coast!
With many listeners staying off the booze in January, I'm joined by Irish actor and comic Joe O'Neill, who quit alcohol almost a year ago for at least 12 months, to talk about the difference it has made to his life and health. Joe is one of the driving forces behind the Irish Creative Collective in London, which runs events and networking opportunities for writers, artists and musicians.
This week I paid a visit to Irish Michelin-starred chef and hotel manager Liam Ginnane at the splendid surroundings of Vår Gård in Saltsjöbaden to talk hospitality, kitchen work and the joys of Christmas cooking for family and customers alike. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from the Irish in Sweden podcast!
