Politics & More Podcast

Mairead Kenny Interviews Hilary Beirne in Boyle Roscommon.Both are 'Rossies' and were NUI (National University Ireland) Seanad candidates January 2025.This audio is a sample related to the 2025 Irish Presidential Election.The full Episode will be available Dec 2025.Music by:Inspiring Dreams by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoonMusic promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/Creative Commons CC BY 4.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Shout out to some very important people who completed a 51 days hunger strike, sleeping rough in Tented accommodation outside the Dáil (Irish Parliament). They are Miriam, Mary, Maurice and Mary, also known as the Mightly Ms!

Politics and More. It's not just about Politics. There's More to it. 🎙️Promo - Extracts for the upcoming Full Episode February 2026.2025 Irish Presidential NominationsMairead Kenny: Cora, What motivated you to seek Presidential Nominations ?Dr. Cora Stack.. Presidential Speech Extract.''I stand before you today with clarity of purpose, independence of mind, and no compromise of principle. As president, I will be the guardian of the Constitution.''Mairead Kenny: Once the Presidential Order was signed by the Minister (James Browne) on September 3rd 2025, that engaged Ireland's Local Authorities (31 County and City Councils).Dr. Cora Stack: It was chaos and it was a disaster.Mairead Kenny: The requirement for 4 councils (nominations), that is, to ensure that not everybody can get on the Presidential ballot. No unsavory characters. Not every Tom, Dick and Harry.Dr. Cora Stack: It's a threshold. Super Mondays there were a few Super Mondays.Mairead Kenny: Non-transparent.Dr. Cora Stack: There was no transparency, no written guidance. I mean, I never saw for such a responsible position. I never came across. If you were going for a junior post in the Civil Service you would have more guidance.Mairead Kenny: Parties had their own candidate. The council nominations are for hopeful candidates outside Political parties.Dr. Cora Stack: 5 minutes, you were given in some cases five minutes to make your case why you should be the president five minutes answers. You were lucky to get 10 minutes.Mairead Kenny: The president is apolitical, is meant to be above Party Politics!Dr. Cora Stack: Going around you felt you were a nuisance. It wasn't just me. Everybody else felt they were a nuisance and you weren't welcome. It was only after the event that was very clear that the agenda was no one was to be nominated.Dr. Cora Stack: I don't know what got into me to take the (legal) challenge. I suppose I was going around and seeing the humiliation of all the (independent) candidates.Politics and more. It's not just about Politics. There's More to it. Stay Tuned... Full Podcast Episode Mairead Kenny Interview with Dr. Cora Stack Jan 23 2025.

Interview with Dr. Cora Stack discusses many topics including:POLITICAL PARTY CONTROL, LOCAL DEMOCRACY AND THE IRISH CONSTITUTION DEMOCRACY & PLURALISMPRESIDENTIAL NOMINATIONS PROCESSPOLITICAL PARTIESSTANDARDS IN PUBLIC OFFICE SIPODEMOCRATIC CONSEQUENCES DONE DEALS, SUPER MONDAYS & CUSTARD CREAMS MATHEMATICSMUSICAL INTERESTS... Transcript is available at https://maireadkenny.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Transcript-Dr.-Cora-Stack-Interview-2026.pdfCredits.(1) Gript Media - Ben Scallon (Journalist) Video Interview with An Tainiste Ireland Simon Harris Fine Gael.Harris defends councillors not nominating Independentshttps://gript.ie/cllr-aras-candidate-refusal-dark-day-for-democracyhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJ9cdGS0ev0https://www.facebook.com/GriptMedia/videos/harris-defends-councillors-not-nominating-independents/1351710006617757/(2) Lovely Day by Roa | https://roa-music.comhttps://www.youtube.com/RoaMusicMusic promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/Creative Commons CC BY 3.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/(3) Inspiring Dreams by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoonMusic promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/Creative Commons CC BY 4.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/(4) Keys to the Universe – David Vaughan – Ten Cenurionshttps://tencenturions.bandcamp.com/track/keys-to-the-universe(5) Jazz Piece by INPLUSMUSIChttps://pixabay.com/music/cafe-jazz-jazz-music-469468/https://pixabay.com/users/lnplusmusic-47631836/Hi, I'm Andrii, a music producer and founder of INPLUSMUSIC. I believe quality music should be accessible to everyone, that’s why I release my tracks for free. Enjoy!(6) Ludwig van Beethoven Moonlight, Wood Island Light (1894) by Winslow Homer Piano Sonata No. 14 - Op. 27, No. 2https://www.classicals.de/beethoven-piano-sonata-no-14Beethoven Piano SonataLicense terms (Standard - Non-Commercial)CC BY-NC 4.0Creative Commons - Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International

Episode 1: Mairead Kenny Interview with Mr. Hilary Beirne, both Seanad 2025 candidates. 🎄It's not just Politics, there's More to it!Both are 'Rossies' and were NUI (National University Ireland) Seanad candidates January 2025.Interview & Discussion on topics including the 2025 NUI Seanad Election, Post Seanad Election, Voting rights Irish Citizens Abroad and Northern Ireland, Irish Presidential Election, Irish Local Politics, US relationship and non-politics Topic Musical Interests!🤭The Interview Transcript is available at https://maireadkenny.ie/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Transcript-Politics-More-Transcript-Mairead-Kenny-Hilary-Beirne-Interview.pdfMusic Credits:HILARY BEIRNE REMARKS AT ST PATRICK'S DAY FOUNDATION ANNUAL GALA 2022https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agN-lVYdXlALovely Day by Roa https://soundcloud.com/roa_music1031/roa-lovely-dayhttps://open.spotify.com/track/62kRght3xYYddFBjIbNYu5Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/Creative Commons CC BY 3.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/https://roa-music.comInspiring Dreams by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoonhttps://www.youtube.com/c/keysofmoonmusicMusic promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/Creative Commons CC BY 4.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Flight of the Bumblebee - Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakovhttps://www.classicals.de/rimsky-korsakov-bumblebeeLicense terms (Standard - Non-Commercial)CC BY-NC 4.0Creative Commons - Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 InternationalHorslips - Trouble with a Capital T! (Referenced only)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Whf2OXc8dSI

Politics & More - Music InterestsThis podcast is the Music Interests convos from the interviews with guests in Politics & More, with guests to date, Hilary Beirne & Dr. Cora Stack.Plus future Guest mentions.Transcript at http://maireadkenny.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Transcript-Politics-More-Transcript-Mairead-Kenny-Guests-Music-Interests-only.pdfMusic Credits.(1) HILARY BEIRNE REMARKS AT ST PATRICK'S DAY FOUNDATION ANNUAL GALA 2022https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agN-lVYdXlA(2) Lovely Day by Roa | https://roa-music.comhttps://www.youtube.com/RoaMusicMusic promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/Creative Commons CC BY 3.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/(3) Inspiring Dreams by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoonMusic promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/Creative Commons CC BY 4.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/(4) Flight of the Bumlebee - Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakovhttps://www.classicals.de/rimsky-korsakov-bumblebeeLicense terms (Standard - Non-Commercial)CC BY-NC 4.0Creative Commons - Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International(5) Horslips - Trouble with a Capital T! Celtic Note. (Referenced only)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Whf2OXc8dSI(6) Keys to the Universe – David Vaughan – Ten Centurionshttps://tencenturions.bandcamp.com/track/keys-to-the-universeWith Permission to use Track in Podcast.(7) INPLUSMUSIC JAZZhttps://pixabay.com/music/cafe-jazz-jazz-music-469468/ Hi, I'm Andrii, a music producer and founder of INPLUSMUSIC. I believe quality music should be accessible to everyone, that’s why I release my tracks for free. Enjoy!(8) Beethoven Sonata # 14 "Moonlight"Ludwig van Beethoven Moonlight, Wood Island Light (1894) by Winslow Homer Piano Sonata No. 14 - Op. 27, No. 2 here.Beethoven Sonata # 14 "Moonlight" Op. 27 No. 2 Valentina Lisitsa here.License terms (Standard - Non-Commercial)CC BY-NC 4.0Creative Commons - Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 Internationalhttps://www.classicals.de/beethoven-piano-sonata-no-14www.classicals.de

Politics & More Miriam Moriarty Owens Promo.Politics and more. It's not just about Politics. There's More to it!Miriam Moriarty Owens, a Survivor, Author and Dail (Irish Parliament) Hunger Striker, 51 days hunger strike (fluids only) with 3 other Industrial & Reformatory School Survivors. ‘’Goodnight from me (Miriam) and Mary, Maurice and Mary, we’re the 4 Ms, the mighty 4.’’Miriam Moriarty Owens: September 23rd 2025 (‘Caught on the hop’) ‘’We’re on hunger strike since 10 o’clock on Sunday night (September 21st) and not one minister, elected minister and Danny (Healy Rae TD) I have to say, we’ve contacted you, you’ve not contacted us and you’re a Kerry man, I’m very disappointed in you.’’Mairead Kenny: Miriam, How did you guys come together to plan that or decide to do the hunger strike?Miriam Moriarty Owens: It wasn’t really planned. We didn't intend to go on hunger strike; we were forced into doing something drastic for the government to listen to us.Two of my fellow hunger strikers (Maurice & Mary) were in consultation talks with the government for the past, since 2019. There were so many recommendations put in, they ended up getting none. Not one was passed.Mairead Kenny: There were four thousand or more survivors (and survivors who had died as well). You were representing all of them.Miriam Moriarty Owens: We gave them notice in July (4th approx.), just the day before the close of the summer break. We said, in an email to them and handed them the letter in the Dail. We said we were going to put you on notice. We didn't give them the date. Naturally they went on their summer break.Mairead Kenny: OK, you gave them notice then, email and you hand-delivered it as well, that you were going to go on hunger strike, the four of you.Miriam Moriarty Owens: Yeah, we hand delivered them.Mairead Kenny: And you got no response?Miriam Moriarty Owens: Not one. Every TD, you get these automated responses. I don't want to speak to machine.Mairead Kenny: Out of office.Miriam Moriarty Owens:  Out of office, yes and I'm going, oh my God. We decided then together the four of us (hunger strikers) that we we'd start our hunger strike on the 21st of September (2025).Mairead Kenny: OK.Miriam Moriarty Owens: We’d give them a week.Mairead Kenny: Were they just back in the Dail?Miriam Moriarty Owens: A week.Mairead Kenny: They were back a week. OK. And they still hadn't responded to any of your emails?Miriam Moriarty Owens: No.Mairead Kenny:  And did you email them a few times then about the hunger strike?Miriam Moriarty Owens: Quite a few times. They’re inboxes must be exploding.Miriam Moriarty Owens: Exploding. Or else they blocked us coming in. ‘Oh, not another one’. But even making phone calls to them. I think it was just the disrespect.Miriam Moriarty Owens: We asked could go in, they said oh you can but only one of you are allowed into the Dail. We said we’re here the 4 of us. Nobody was willing to help.Mairead Kenny: Ye should have been top priority to get that sorted out.      *                                                               Mairead Kenny: Join me, Mairead Kenny, my interview with Miriam Moriarty Owens on the 51-day hunger strike. Full Episode coming soon.Politics and More. It's not just about Politics. There's More to it!https://maireadkenny.ie/miriam-moriarty-owens/Letters From Secondary School students in Meán Scoil Nua, Tríúigh, Castlegregory Kerry To the Four Survivors of Ireland’s Industrial and Reformatory Schools on Hunger Strikers here. Thank you to all in the school for your wonderful kind letters to the Mighty Ms, 4 Hunger Strikers Industrial Schools Survivors and the Taoiseach & Tánaiste. Great work there! 🥰AUDIO 23.09.2025 ‘LIVE FROM THE OUSIDE LEINSTER HOUSE DAIL IRISH PARLIAMENT’ – MARIA STEEN PRESIDENTIAL Media + Miriam Moriarty Owens ‘Caught on the hop’ . here