Episodes
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Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshackIn this episode we welcome back friend of the pod, researcher and writer Iain Turner. Iain chatted to the lads about progress on his book which is an authoritative history of the UVF; we talked about the Dublin & Monaghan bombings 50 years on; the difficulty of obtaining records for research; the NIO public history project; loyalist paramilitaries and truth recovery and a whole lot more.The latest Shrapnel Fragments Special Episode is out now here:
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The lads did their second live show as part of the Imagine! Festival of Ideas and Politics at Belfast's Crescent Arts Centre.
We were joined by a panel of three previous guests representing alternative voices from within the broad spectrum of loyalism.
Beano Niblock is a former loyalist prisoner and the writer of the acclaimed play The Man Who Swallowed A Dictionary (2023) about the life of his former comrade David Ervine. Niblock is a vocal advocate for loyalist storytelling and the power of arts as means of communicating historical experience.
Emma Shaw is the founder and CEO of the Phoenix Education Centre, a profit for purpose community interest company in East Belfast that nurtures community self-help and promotes strategies to tackle low educational attainment and barriers to the workforce.
David Adams is a former spokesperson and councillor for the UDA-linked Ulster Democratic Party who was heavily involved in negotiations that led to the Good Friday Agreement. Having experienced what he described as a ‘messy divorce’ from loyalism in the mid-00s, he has spoken openly about the need to have informed conversations about reconciliation as a priority in any debates over the constitution.
The Shamim Malekmian immigration reporting interview is out now here: -
Episodes manquant?
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The lads did their second live show as part of the Imagine! Festival of Ideas and Politics at Belfast's Crescent Arts Centre.
We were joined by a panel of three previous guests representing alternative voices from within the broad spectrum of loyalism.
Beano Niblock is a former loyalist prisoner and the writer of the acclaimed play The Man Who Swallowed A Dictionary (2023) about the life of his former comrade David Ervine. Niblock is a vocal advocate for loyalist storytelling and the power of arts as means of communicating historical experience.
Emma Shaw is the founder and CEO of the Phoenix Education Centre, a profit for purpose community interest company in East Belfast that nurtures community self-help and promotes strategies to tackle low educational attainment and barriers to the workforce.
David Adams is a former spokesperson and councillor for the UDA-linked Ulster Democratic Party who was heavily involved in negotiations that led to the Good Friday Agreement. Having experienced what he described as a ‘messy divorce’ from loyalism in the mid-00s, he has spoken openly about the need to have informed conversations about reconciliation as a priority in any debates over the constitution.
The latest Fresh Batch is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-101021413 -
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We were delighted to be joined by author and academic Paul Burgess for our inaugural live show.
Paul discussed his new book Wild Colonial Boys (Manchester University Press) - a revealing and no holds barred autobiography charting his early life growing up in loyalist north and west Belfast, his passion for class politics and music and his ascent to fame with Ruefrex.
The Working Class Activism in Academia Podcast is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-98820246 -
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Welcome to our end of 2023 special. In this episode the lads chatted to two former guests: one from series 1 and another from series 2. Eddie Kinner is a former UVF prisoner, who became an important figure in negotiating the Good Friday Agreement on behalf of the PUP. Davy Adams is a former UDA member, who as a contemporary of Kinner's in the 1990s was heavily involved in negotiating the Agreement on behalf of the UDP. Eddie and Davy chatted with the lads about 2023, the challenges facing unionism and loyalism and the need for proper reconciliation to be embedded in NI.
There's also a few other voices at the start. Happy New Year!
The Climate Wrap of 2023 podcast is out now:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-94993349
Note: We had some bad weather during recording and it did impact the connection. -
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Tony Novosel is the author of 'Northern Ireland's Lost Opportunity: The Frustrated Promise of Political Loyalism' and has been a frequent visitor to NI since 1974. Over the years he has been recognised for his cross-community peace building work. In this episode he talks to the lads about the challenges facing progressive loyalism.
How better public services is the antidote to the far right podcast with Prof Catherine De Vries is out now here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-94992075 -
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Ed Moloney is one of Ireland's most famous journalists and the author of a number of books about the conflict in Northern Ireland. In this episode he talks to the lads about legacy and reconciliation, oral history, notable characters that he has met over the years, what it was like reporting on subjects such as Kincora and how he avoided assassination by the UDA after a dirty tricks campaign against him in the early 1980's.
The Ditch wrap of 2023 podcast is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-94831589 -
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Since 1996, David Blevins has been the senior Ireland correspondent for Sky News, covering news stories north and south of the border. When the news happened, we heard it from him.
In this episode he talks to Gareth and Sam about reporting some of the traumatic and momentous events in recent history in NI, why the golden age of journalism may not be over and how we need more time to hear stories, rather than sound bytes in the news. -
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In the second episode of Fragments Sam and Gareth answered some interesting questions from listeners. Topics addressed included youth subcultures in 2023 Belfast, remembering , forgetting and historical research, "peace" walls and Scottish independence.
Tickets for Shrapnel Live:https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/shrapnel-live-in-conversation-with-paul-burgess-tickets-770601910057?aff=erelexpmlt
The Disability Gree Paper Podcast is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-93824982 -
.wpedon-container .wpedon-select, .wpedon-container .wpedon-input { width: 170px; min-width: 170px; max-width: 170px; } Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshackThis week we were joined by Alana Cahoon who is the PR Officer from the Ulster Young Unionists, and ‘One Young World’ delegate. She is also an Ambassador of TBUC (Together:Building a United Community). We discussed Unionism from the upcoming generations viewpoint, not conforming to lazy stereotypes and why some leave Northern Ireland and do not return. We also talked about transgenerational trauma and how our past still touches lives.The Latest Shrapnel Fragments Q&A Special is out now here:
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David Adams is a former loyalist politician who as a leading member of the Ulster Democratic Party was hugely influential in negotiating the Good Friday Agreement of 1998. In this episode David chats to the lads about his journey from young loyalist activist in the 1970s, through his political journey in the 1990s and his subsequent work with GOAL in humanitarian crises in Syria, Uganda, South Sudan, Iraq and Sierra Leone.
The latest Shrapnel with Alana Cahoon is out now:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-92855166 -
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Martin Doyle is the books editor of The Irish Times and author of Dirty Linen: The Troubles In My Home Place (Merrion, 2023) In this episode Martin talks to the lads about researching and writing the book which is a deeply personal and intimate excavation of the toll that the conflict took on the parish of Tullylish, part of the notorious Murder Triangle in the north of Ireland
The Latest Shrapnel with David Adams is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-92988091 -
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Billy Hutchinson is the former leader of the Progressive Unionist Party and was a key figure in the negotiation of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. In this episode Billy talks to the lads about the current state of unionism and loyalism, class frictions within the pro-union body politic in NI and the importance of grassroots voices.
The Dirty Linen podcast with Martin Doyle is out now: -
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Jordan Dunbar is a Northern Ireland born and London based BBC journalist, presenter and documentary maker. His recent documentary for BBC Sounds 'Blood On The Dancefloor' looked at the life and murder of gay RUC officer Darren Bradshaw. The lads spoke to Jordan about how he came to tell this story, storytelling and memory with Belfast's queer community and some of his investigations into criminal gangs in Brazil and Italy.
Blood On The Dancefloor is available here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0fdqs8p -
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Emma Shaw is a loyalist community activist from East Belfast. She is the founder and CEO of the Phoenix Education Centre, a community interest company working to tackle educational underachievement in her community. In this episode of the podcast Emma talks to the lads about the importance of education and peer empowerment, loyalist identity and actively challenging stereotypes about loyalism.
The Blood on the Dancefloor Podcast with Jordan Dunbar is out now:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-91689805 -
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Shrapnel presents Fragments - a new series of intermittent one-off episodes where Sam and Gareth answer questions about the past, present and future in Northern Ireland posed by you, our members, listeners and followers. It'll be available in the regular Shrapnel podcast feed on all streaming platforms.
Get your questions in for the next episode at [email protected]
Please go back and listen to our previous episode with author of the Ghost Limb, Claire Mitchell
UK economist, commentator and author, Grace Blakeley interview is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-91199255 -
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Claire Mitchell is a writer and researcher from Belfast. Her recent book The Ghost Limb was published in 2022 to critical acclaim. In this episode Claire chats to the lads about the book, the spirit of 1798 and the United Irishmen, her work with Billy Mitchell and progressive loyalism in the early 00s and the journey of self-discovery she embarked on which led her to discover the ghost limb of alternative Protestants rooted in the era of the United Irishmen.
Emma Shaw: Empowering through Education podcast is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-91269012 -
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Moore Holmes is a loyalist activist, community advocate and commentator. As a teacher he is passionate about educating the next generation through the think tank and advocacy group, Lets Talk Loyalism about appropriate political steps and articulating a coherent argument for the Union from a loyalist perspective.
In this episode we talk to Moore about the Union and community political advocacy at the grassroots in loyalist communities.
The Ghost Limb podcast is out here: -
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Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Colin Harvey is Professor of Human Rights Law in the School of Law, Director of the Human Rights Centre, a Fellow of the Senator George J Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice, and an Associate Fellow of the Institute of Irish Studies. He is also a Commissioner on the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, a campaigner for a new Ireland and member of Ireland's Future.
In this episode we talk to Prof. Harvey about the constitution and what a rights based society might look like.
The Ghost Limb podcast is out now:https://www.patreon.com/posts/90361039 -
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Stephen R. Millar is Lecturer in Anthropology and Ethnomusicology. His research and teaching focuses on music, conflict, and cultures of resistance, with an emphasis on Britain and Ireland.
Stephen's first book Sounding Dissent: Rebel Songs, Resistance, and Irish Republicanism (University of Michigan Press 2020) explores how Irish republicans have used rebel songs to resist against the hegemonic power of the British state.
Stephen's current book project, under contract with Oxford University Press, examines the interconnection between Ulster loyalist songs and political violence in Northern Ireland from the Troubles to the present.
In this episode we talked to Stephen about the importance of preserving political music as part of our historical understanding of communities in conflict.
The Moore Holmes - Colin Harvey 2 Parter is available now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-89959808 - Montre plus
