The Echo Chamber from Tortoise Shack

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Fresh from her dalliance with another podcast that I try not to listen to, but sometimes do, is returning champion, UCD's Orla Hegarty. She gives us a great breakdown of where the newest housing plan breaks down, talks cheese sandwiches and procurement, true affordability and even a little Charles Stewart Parnell. Enjoy. The Bernadette Devlin podcast is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-143788781 Support Dignity for Palestine:https://www.patreon.com/posts/call-to-stand-143037542

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Maryam Elwaheidy is a translator with a strong foundation in English, Arabic. She holds a B.A. in English Language and Translation from Al-Azhar University in Gaza. She joins us from Gaza city to update us on the latest situation on the ground with the heavy fall of rain which flooded the tents of displaced Palestinians. We also discuss how the world is pretending that the so-called ceasefire means we can all forget about Gaza and what Israel has done over the last two plus years. Tune in for the full story. Note: this was recorded in Leinster House and Richard Boyd-Barrett makes an impromptu appearance at the end. Richard Boyd-Barrett is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-143926042 Support Dignity for Palestine here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/call-to-stand-143037542

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Our guest, Andrew Stroehlein, has over 20 years of experience in Human Rights Advocacy, including several years as the European Director of Human Rights Watch. He recently started his own newsletter, International Affairs for Normal People and I was delighted that he agreed to rejoin us on the tortoise shack to talk about his latest piece, "No One Cares About Sudan." Read:https://www.internationalaffairsfornormalpeople.eu/no-one-cares-about-sudan/ Bernadette Devlin McAliskey's podcast here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-143788781 Support Dignity for Palestine here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/call-to-stand-143037542

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Campaigning journalist, John Gibbons, is no stranger to talking Climate Breakdown on the tortoise shack, but this chat is a little bit different. His new book, The Lie of the Land, is part memoir, part climate action quick reference guide and part John starting fights with groups who have vested interests in slowing our response to the accelerating climate emergency. We talk about it all. Do get the book. The Orla Hegarty Podcast is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-143584769 Support Dignity for Palestine here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/call-to-stand-143037542

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Ayat Abuhelal is a poet, writer, translator, and student of English literature, born and raised in Gaza. She was recently evacuated to Ireland to continue her academic studies. While finishing her BA studies online, she is preparing to start her MA studies in Dublin. She shares a story of struggle between two worlds. This story is of displacement, hope and family that she left behind. When Ayat left Gaza, she also left behind part of her in a city now in rubble. As her new classmates speak of 2026 to come, she at times feel frozen in October 2023. Tune in for the full story. The Philip O'Connor Victory Parade Podcast is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-143333372 Support Dignity for Palestine here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/call-to-stand-143037542

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Cian Prendiville was Head of Digital Organising on the Connolly for President Campaign, and late last week he joined me to talk about those history making months, the highs, lows and the learnings he wants us to take forward into a new keepleft.ie movement. Great insights, great enthusiasm and great strategic planning; even this old cynic was impressed. Cian's piece is out now here:https://jacobin.com/2025/11/connolly-ireland-presidential-election-left/ The Sudan podcast is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-143324871 The Ivan Yates story/non-story podcast is out here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-143255108 Support Dignity for Palestine here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/call-to-stand-143037542

Prof Constantin Gurdgiev, an economics expert, dives deep into the complexities of our current geopolitical landscape and economic trends. He discusses the troubling political manipulation of U.S. economic data and the implications of AI investment bubbles. Gurdgiev critiques the obsession with tech infrastructure that ignores pressing social issues, highlighting the erosion of the social contract and rising inequality. He also reflects on the war in Ukraine and warns about the growing power of financial influences over state capacities.

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Sojood Bakroon is a graduate of Literature at Al-Aqsa University in Gaza. She is a writer and a poet, who hopes to amplify the Palestinian voice and let the world know about Palestine and Gaza. She is now in Ireland doing English and Communication at UCD. In this PalCast episode, she shares her experience of loss, displacement and fonding hope and sadness after leaving Gaza. “The world is a hotel and Gaza my home,” she says. She hopes to return back to Gaza one day to help rebuild. The John Gibbons Climate Action - the lie of the land - podcast is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-142412733 Support Dignity for Palestine details here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/call-to-stand-143037542

Sabrina Joyce-Kemper is a planning and environmental expert with firsthand experience in public participation and judicial review, particularly in the Greater Dublin Drainage Project. Fred Logue is a solicitor specializing in planning and public law, offering insights into judicial review and legal claims. They discuss the backlash against judicial review, highlighting how media narratives misrepresent public participation's role in delays. Sabrina emphasizes the urgent need for enforceable remedies in access to justice, while Fred calls for broader coalitions to uphold the rule of law and improve planning quality.

In this episode, MEP Lynn Boylan, a champion for trade justice, dives into the renewed threats posed by the Mercosur trade deal. She warns how 'simplification' often masks deregulation that harms worker and environmental protections. Lynn highlights major concerns, including deforestation, food safety, and human rights violations related to the deal. She also emphasizes the need for public scrutiny and solidarity among civil society to resist rollbacks in regulations, underscoring the urgent call for fairness in trade practices.