It’s easy to blame Church and State for all the ills that have blighted Irish society. Warehousing the poor in workhouses; separating children from their parents in industrial schools for the crime of poverty; enslaving women in Magdalene laundries for the crime of pregnancy. But those whose ancestors incarcerated women with the temerity to bear children [...]
The storm has passed. Sadly, three families have lost loved ones, but those of us who have survived unscathed can breathe a sigh of relief that we did. While relieved, though, many people are furious at the recklessness shown by employers towards the lives - the lives, not the wellbeing - of their staff. On Sunday [...]
I've recently done something that I never thought I'd get to do. I've moved to live beside the sea, overlooking beautiful Cork harbour. https://www.instagram.com/p/BV3y0GKhVX3/?taken-by=deshocks Cork harbour is - depending on who you believe - the largest or second largest natural harbour in the world. It's home to thousands of people, incredible bird life, seals and [...]
Our Table was one of the best events I've ever attended anywhere, and both the idea - that of Jack Crotty of Rocketman - and execution in 2015 was a great example of the kind of thing that can happen when imagination meets cooperation. https://www.instagram.com/p/37J6qrRhUB/?taken-by=deshocks Sadly, after just one year, it all seems to have [...]
Have you seen Brooklyn? Saoirse Ronan's just been nominated for an Oscar for it, and if you haven't seen it, you should go NOW. It's also been nominated for Best Picture.. You'll need tissues, because this girl's face is so expressive that you'll be bawling before she even says a word. I really hope she wins [...]
I interviewed theatre maker Pat Kinevane this week for the Cork's 96fm and C103 Arts House. He's got a very strong social conscience, something that's constantly at play in his work - but I wonder - do people go to the theatre these days as a distraction from the news, or to make them think? I [...]
I interviewed Gay Byrne for this morning's Arts House on Cork's 96fm&C103. Not at all daunting, obviously! We had a good chat about his views on gay marriage, life and whether he prefers Ryan or Ray... Listen back here: https://soundcloud.com/deshocks/gay-byrne-on-corks-96fm-c103-arts-house
https://soundcloud.com/opinionline96/saved-from-suicide-daniels-story[/embed We take a lot of unusual calls on the Opinion Line; everything from runaway swans to the most intense personal stories of love and loss. One particularly heartrending call we received, last thing on a Friday a few months ago, was from Daniel. He called because he wanted to thank a local Garda who [...]
Dan rang the Opinion Line today, to complain about women taking up men's space on golf courses at weekends. There's not a whole lot else to say about this, you should just listen back, really. I did my best to restrain myself. Fair and balanced broadcasting, and that. https://soundcloud.com/opinionline96/dan-the-golfer
This week we've had some interesting food stories on the show. Yesterday, we revealed that Lidl products are being sold at a mark-up in the famous English Market. The reaction from listeners has been interesting - from 'who cares' to shock, horror. You can listen to the item here. The story was followed up in today's [...]
