Episode 173 Chelsea Hoy and Mark Howard from Trinity Irish Dance Company chat with Fender Jackson from Chicago, USA on Monday 9th June 2025.

Conversation includes: introductions; formation of Trinity Irish Dance Company; Trinity breaking all of the world championship records for Irish Dance beginning the World Irish Dance Championships in 1987; appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson; Riverdance; appearing in New York City’s Joyce Theater, Chicago’s Auditorium Theatre and Tokyo’s Orchard Hall; appearing in Jacob’s Pillow for the first time; being a repertoire company; Brenoshea; ‘The Sash’; Stephanie Martinez; composer Kevin Sharkey from Derry; The Undertones; Paul Marshall; ‘Brokeback Mountain’; Eva Birthistle; empowering women; building bridges to the future; Michelle Dorrance; the creative process of choreography; balancing the spectacle with high art; feeling blessed to have lived an art-driven life, and other topics.

TIDC's six performances from 10 - 13th July 2025 will mark the first time Jacob’s Pillow, a National Historic Landmark and recipient of the National Medal of Arts, has presented a full program of Irish dance on the Ted Shawn Theatre stage. You can find out more information and buy tickets in the links below.

Relevant Links

https://trinityirishdancecompany.com/

https://www.jacobspillow.org/events/trinity-irish-dance-company/

Additional Links

https://www.instagram.com/trinityirishdancecompany/

https://www.facebook.com/trinityirishdancecompany/

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Episode 172 Galway Tour Guide, Artist, Writer and Joycean scholar Jim Ward chats with Fender Jackson in Galway on 7th June 2025. They discuss James Joyce and his particular connection with Galway.

Conversation includes: (re)introductions; Joyce’s background; Joyce and Galway; ‘Dubliners’ and ‘The Dead’; ‘Ulysses’; ‘Finnegan’s Wake’; Aedín Moloney and her solo performance of ‘YES! Reflections Of Molly Bloom’; President Michael D. Higgins unveiling a plaque to Michael ‘Sonny’ Bodkin in Rahoon Cemetery, Galway in 2024; a recital of Joyce’s poem ‘She Weeps Over Rahoon’; the Nora Barnacle Museum; Joyce’s travels in Europe; ‘Bicycle Duty’; Ernest Hemingway; Paul Léon Furniture; Josh Newman, Darina Gallagher and James Joyce Centre; Buffalo University; Joyce’s death; Harriet Shaw Weaver; President Eamon de Valera and Dr. Vogt the eye surgeon; ‘The Eyes Have it’; 2025 Ireland; Giambattista Vico the Italian Philosopher; Joyce the contrarian and mimic; the first Bloomsday; corner boys; Declan Varney from Galway Advertiser; advice to new readers to Joyce; reading groups; Samuel Beckett; Flann O’Brien/Myles na gCopaleen; Jim’s novel ‘No Ordinary Bread’ and other topics.

Relevant Links

https://jamesjoyce.ie/

https://www.galwaytourism.ie/nora-barnacle-house/

https://charliebyrne.ie/product/joyce-county-galway-and-james-joyce/

Additional Links

https://www.theirelandpodcast.com/latest-podcast/episode/98ca552a/72-james-joyce-centre-a-tour-with-dr-josh-q-newman

https://www.theirelandpodcast.com/latest-podcast/episode/55a1bd63/74-bloomsday-2024-part-1-drumcondra-interviews

https://www.theirelandpodcast.com/latest-podcast/episode/9d08fc8b/77-bloomsday-2024-part-2-drumcondra-performances

https://www.theirelandpodcast.com/latest-podcast/episode/2c7ef2ee/70-aedin-moloney-molly-bloom-james-joyce-and-paddy-moloney

https://www.theirelandpodcast.com/latest-podcast/episode/8c22d3be/71-prof-brian-arkins-james-joyce-and-aedin-moloney

https://www.theirelandpodcast.com/latest-podcast/episode/49105ca8/45-noel-ogrady-singer-and-raconteur

Jim’s Links

https://galwaytrails.ie/

https://charliebyrne.ie/product/no-ordinary-bread/

https://www.idonate.ie/crowdfunder/JimWardPlay

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Episode 169 archeologist Dr. Kieran O’Conor chats with Fender Jackson in Galway on Thursday 22nd May 2025. This is part four - the final part.

Conversation includes: who was Turlough O’Carolan; how he became blind; how he came to study the harp; the compositions of Denis O’Conor 1, Denis O’Conor 1, Charles O’Conor and Mrs. O’Conor; the harp having the “old madness in it” when O’Carolan was around the O’Conors; O’Carolan the teacher; O’Carolan the hellraising rock god; viewing the protestant element of the island as a positive thing; the Brian Boru harp; a performance of ‘Sí Bheag, Sí Mhór’ (‘Sheebeg, Sheemore’) and ‘An Gaoth Aneas’ (‘The South Wind’), as well as other topics.

‘Sí Bheag, Sí Mhór’ - Arranged and performed by Fender Jackson All instruments and vocals by Fender Jackson: acoustic and electric guitars, fretless bass, drums, tambourine, shakers, organ, and vocals.

Relevant Links

https://universityofgalway.academia.edu/KieranOConor

https://pay.universityofgalway.ie/people/kierandoconor.html

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.