
The Echo Chamber from Tortoise Shack
Ireland’s original independent left leaning news, politics, and culture podcast that doesn’t take itself too seriously and still punches well above its weight. Join critically acclaimed & derided hosts, Martin McMahon and Tony Groves as they delve into the news of the day, pull apart the spin and challenge you to be an activist. This is the non-corporate, ad free, non-plastic-podcast reality that the medium is made for. There will be shenanigans!
Latest episodes

Apr 17, 2025 • 47min
1445. An Austerity of Ambition
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In this Echo Chamber Podcast we are rejoined by economist with NERI, Ciarán Nugent to discuss the Trump Tariffs, our Pharma vulnerability, the potential impacts on the tax haven and killing false economic narratives like "austerity saved the economy."
Senator Eileen Flynn podcast is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-126781341
Donate to Dignity for Palestine:https://www.patreon.com/posts/dignity-for-to-126186702

Apr 15, 2025 • 20min
1447. From Sympathy to Solidarity with Dr Ciarán O’Carroll
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In this Echo Chamber Podcast we have something very rare for you all. Apparently it’s called “good news.” We won’t spoil it. We’ll let Technological University Dublin (TUD) lecturer Dr Ciarán O’Carroll do that.
Kidding COC, thank you for all you have done!
The Austerity Agenda podcast with economist Ciarán Nugent is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-126205978
Donate to Dignity for Palestine:https://www.patreon.com/posts/dignity-for-to-126186702

Apr 13, 2025 • 42min
1441. RTE vs the Law – Is the Gig (Economy) Up?
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Matt McGranaghan joins Martin on this Echo Chamber podcast to discuss ongoing bogus self employment cases they are representing in the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) and the implications for RTE workers and pretty much all of us as taxpayers. Martin and Matt lay bare the corruption, the criminality and the gargantuan cost of decades of bogus self employment in RTE and how the process that is effectively illegal state aid has been allowed by Revenue and the Department of Social Protection.
The latest on An Post's battle to misclassify Postmasters is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-126277711
Donate to Dignity for Palestine here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/shoutout-to-mr-126186702

Apr 12, 2025 • 53min
58. My Students Kept Me Going
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In this very special PalCast we are joined by Abeer Barakat, who is a lecturer in the University of Applied Sciences, Gaza and a PhD candidate of English at the University Putra Malaysia.
She joins us from Gaza to talk about displacement, the difficult decision to send two of her children outside Gaza to continue their education and the day to day difficultly of living 550+ days under the Israeli war on her home.
Abeer is a remarkable educator and while she shares her personal story of loss, she also shares uplifting stories of working with her students and her friendship with Dr Reefat Alareer.
The Trade War and New Austerity Agenda Podcast is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-126205978
Donate to Dignity for Palestine:https://www.patreon.com/posts/shoutout-to-mr-126186702

Apr 11, 2025 • 52min
1444. Still Not Heard, Still Not Safe
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Ed Note: In this very special Echo Chamber Podcast we pay tribute to our late tortoise shack colleague, Dr Vicky Conway in both the coverage of the new report Still Not Heard, Still Not Safe and in knowing that her work was instrumental in its foundations.
Joining us is the founder of Black and Irish, Leon Diop and Director with the Irish Network Against Racism, Shane O'Curry. We go into some of the findings of the report, the need for Garda to take onboard the recommendations and the lived experience of policing in Ireland as a person of colour.
Thanks to Leon and Shane for coming over for this important conversation and Dr Lucy Michael for her work on this important report.
The report is available here:https://inar.ie/pabi-project/
Donate to Dignity for Palestine here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/shoutout-to-mr-126186702

Apr 9, 2025 • 33min
1436. Extermination Camps in Mexico
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In this podcast we are rejoined by Mexico-based Colombian journalist with El Pais, Nicholas Dale Leal, to discuss the impact the new Trump administration is having on the region, the shocking discovery of what is being called an extermination camp in Mexico and the people “disappearing” from the US into Super Max prisons in El Salvador.
The Grace Blakeley Pod is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-125909419
Support Dignity for Palestine here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/126186702

Apr 6, 2025 • 38min
RTE Receiving Illegal State Aid
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Martin had a long chat with his co-conspirator, Matt McGranaghan, in relation to the two cases they are currently working on with RTE staff in the workplace Relations Commission. This also a good insight into where the political landscape is when it comes to protecting workers in the face of systemic corruption.
The Grace Blakeley podcast on Trump 2.0 is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-125909419
Support Dignity for Palestine here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/dignity-for-your-124980167

Apr 4, 2025 • 30min
57. We Are Not Doing Enough!
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In this PalCast, Yousef and Tony discuss the latest news out of Gaza, the rapidly spreading famine and the way in which the international community has largely disgraced itself in standing by as the genocide restarted. We also talk the Garda treatment of the Mothers Against Genoicide activists, the new Irish governments burying of the Occupied Territories Bill and much more.
Donate to Dignity for Palestine:https://www.patreon.com/posts/dignity-for-your-124980167

Apr 1, 2025 • 39min
1437. A Bad State of Affairs with Simon McGarr
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In this echo chamber pod we are rejoined by data protection expert, solicitor and one of our favourite troublemakers, solicitor, Simon McGarr, to talk about ChatControl, digital surveillance, State silos and the terrifying problem of paper clip maximisation.
Read more here:https://www.thegist.ie/the-gist-a-bad-state-of-affairs/

Mar 30, 2025 • 34min
56. When my Aunt died I stopped living – Maram’s Story
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Content Warning: This podcast contains topics that some people may find upsetting.
Maram Mohammed Hammo is a 4th year medical student in Gaza. In high school, she was one of the top students nationally, with a GPA of 99.6%. Her aunt, who was her biggest supporter, was killed along with 17 members of her family and her medical studies were understandably interrupted. She still dreams of finishing her medical school and becoming a doctor. Please help her realise this dream and reach out to us here on the tortoise shack if you want to help.
The latest RTE Workers Podcast is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-125501173
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