Back in 1980s Britain, a group was formed which called itself ‘Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners’, which was… well, a group of Lesbians and Gays who supported the miners. Rashers Tierney spoke to Reggie blennerhassett, an Irish emigrant who ended up in the thick of it. Can you give us a little bit of background about yourself and how you ended up in Britain in the mid 1980’s? I … Read More
Fighting Talk.
You’ve probably seen the ads for the fights or at least heard of Conor McGregor yeah? Mixed Martial Arts is on the rise, with gyms providing an egalitarian and positive environment – It’s less about the sonic boom and more about the positive male role model as Eoin Hallissey finds out. McGregor is the de-facto face of the UFC in Ireland. His profile grows daily, from his ubiquitous social … Read More
The Art Of War.
Stephen Bourke visited The Gazing from Gaza exhibition in Dublin 8’s Back Loft gallery and found a Democratic world of dozens of palestinian artists channeling life, death and hope during wartime. When Mohammed Lubbad looks north out of the Gaza strip from his home in Beit Lahiya, he can see gasometers in the distance at the Dorad and Rotenberg power stations. Just beyond is Askalon, his family’s ancestral home. It’s … Read More
You’ll Never Be Irish To Some People.
Joesph Loughnane was walking to the offie with a few mates one day when they were stopped by two young lads in their mid to late teens. They were looking for a cigarette so they kindly obliged. What happened next might surprise you. One of them looked like he’d had a few cans already; cocky as hell, not a bother on him. A mate started chatting to them while I … Read More
Stats A Lot Of Racism.
Ireland experienced its first major phase of immigration in the mid to late nineties. Racist abuse and assault on the streets of our towns and cities, but also at the hands of the state and the media, is nothing new here. David Fleming tots up the figures and looks at the facts. Statistics released by the Immigrant Council of Ireland show a disturbing 85% increase in reports of racist … Read More
Put Em Under Pressure: Fighting The Frackers.
Familiar with fracking? That super-safe (and fun!) method of producing magic energy by pumping tasty drinks into the ground? Ok, fair enough, we’re only messing! Thankfully there are many in Ireland who aren’t messing when it comes to resisting the faceless frackers. Jamie Goldrick investigates. Sligo, Donegal, Leitrim, Roscommon, Fermanagh, Cavan, Clare and Kerry County Councils have all passed motions calling for county wide bans on fracking, following … Read More
The More Things Change…
My Name is Saoirse is set in 1980s Limerick and is a dark comedy about shifting, peanuts and abortion. Director Hildegard Ryan and writer/performer Eva O’Connor chatted to Rashers Tierney about how the religious orders still need to loosen their vampiric grip on our schools and of course their play, which was our hands down favorite at this year’s Dublin Fringe Festival. Can you tell me something about … Read More
All the Marys: Women Speak About Using The Abortion Pill.
Together and full of grace. These are excerpts from a few different women’s stories. Were calling them the Marys because yis don’t need to know their real names, nor do the authorities. They all chose abortion. They all agreed to share their stories to help other people find the words to voice their experiences. One went to the UK, some ordered pills online, one miscarried though it was their intent … Read More
So What’s The Story With Abortion By Post?
While Ireland continually grapples over the morality of other peoples choices the rest of world has been developing technologies and medicines for safer, quicker more efficient pregnancy terminations and has being doing so for decades now. Sheila Lafferty takes a look at the abortion pill. Every year 42 million women worldwide choose to have an abortion. This aspect of reality just doesn’t get discussed in Ireland. Many people residing here … Read More
Strivers and Skivers.
The idea that everyone ought to be entitled to a minimum basic income as a fundamental right certainly sounds way left field, yet it has piqued the interests of everyone from politicians and CEOs to economists and anti-capitalists, and it’s appeared in all corners of the media, from the Financial Times to Jacobin. Ian Maleny gives us the lowdown. We’re living in a world where damn near everything has a … Read More