The Ireland Podcast

Recorded in Galway on Tuesday, 20th May 2025 - pre-recorded to coincide with the lead-up to this year’s Galway Races, which begin on Monday, 28th July 2025.In the first of a three-part special, Galway Racecourse CEO Michael Moloney joins Fender Jackson for a wide-ranging conversation that charts both his personal career path and the recent evolution of one of Ireland’s most iconic sporting venues. Michael reflects on how the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic became a catalyst for modernisation and change at Ballybrit.Conversation includes: introductions; early life including education; working for horse racing Ireland; Plumpton Racecourse; Covid; comparison between Plumpton and Galway racecourses; the improvements made; how Michael prioritises the workload; implementing a culture of change; The Galway Plate; Knowledge Management; peer assists and other topics.Relevant Linkwww.galwayraces.com

Episode 181 Fender Jackson visits the Lunch Club in the Kennedy Hall of the London Irish Centre on Fri 20th June 2025 and chats with Finola Marriott, Maeve Heath and Maria Connolly. This is a special year for the London Irish Centre as it marks its 70th anniversary.In this special episode, Fender Jackson drops in to the Lunch Club at the London Irish Centre in Camden, London - a warm, vibrant hub for generations of the Irish diaspora. Set against a backdrop of laughter, tea, and stories, Fender chats with attendees and staff to explore the sense of community, identity, and belonging that the Centre fosters. From recollections of emigration and hard work to lighter tales of dances and reunions, the voices in this episode reflect a living thread that connects Ireland to London.Sincere thanks to Finola, Maeve and Maria for their contributions and all at the London Irish Centre who have helped make this episode possible.Relevant Linkshttps://londonirishcentre.org/https://londonirishcentre.org/our-services/community-development/community-cafe/

Episode 180 Fine Artist Kathryn Callaghan chats with Fender Jackson from her home in County Down on Thursday 26th June 2025.Conversation includes: introductions; Kathryn’s journey towards being an artist; Outscape; Yard Gallery; Holywood, Co. Down; Gerard Byrne; Guggi; studying Fine Art HND; understanding Kathryn’s motivation as an artist; Daoirí Farrell; confidence; Kathryn’s pouring technique of painting; Jackson Pollock; Kathryn’s influence’s including Rothko; capturing the feeling; knowing when the piece is finished; John Cage and 4’33; less is more; working off an image; musical preferences; choosing colours; John and Killarney Falconry; illustration board; framing; Pete Fowler; the customers; Ciara O’Neill; current exhibition in Bushmills Inn; pricing paintings; making it as an artist; gallery commission; social media; accidents; Brian Eno and the Oblique Strategies; Colin Davidson; plans for the future; the Wild Atlantic Music Tours; Fender's freebies and other topics.Relevant Linkshttps://www.kathryncallaghan.co.ukhttps://www.instagram.com/kcfineartSpotify PlaylistFender's Freebieshttps://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/3m17hxnoyar4wyrcplyj8/Family-Tree.pdf?rlkey=5f9zlsr1nguqxx29a6b8e0pcb&dl=0https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/5rcum100vn4g4pjw4kqyp/Life-Story-Interview-Questions.pdf?rlkey=dy567j0qummhkhpr0z70bpvb1&dl=0

Episode 179. Wayne McCullough, Ireland's first and only Irish male boxer in history to ever win a WBC world title, chats with Fender Jackson from his base in Las Vegas on Monday 30th June 2025.Conversation includes: introductions; titles; Albert Foundry Gym; Highfield Estate, Shankill, Belfast; early life; Shankill, Belfast; the normality of the Troubles of Northern Ireland; flags and national anthems; fighting for N.Ireland and Ireland; bring the IRA and the UVF together; carrying the Irish flag for the opening of the 1988 Olympics and the N. Ireland flag for the Commonwealth Games in 1990; training under the legendary Eddie Futch; Joe Louis; Henry Armstrong; leaving Belfast; how an 83 year old man trains a young up and coming professional; receiving an endorsement letter from Eddie Futch; his professional journey to the WBC title; winning a fight with one hand; getting married 3 days after a fight; jet lag; running after flights; cold temperatures; controlling anger and using it as a fuel; winning the NABF bantamweight title; learning a lot from the Rabanales fight; not having his defence perfected; Joe Rogan, Bono and his best friend Guggi; the motivation after a fight; winning the world title in Japan; being a trainer; Camp With The Champ; Wayne’s daughter singer Wy Mac; Wayne’s ambition to train World Champions; Mathew Kindale; favourite boxing movie; Matthew Tyndall; Mickey Ward; how Wayne would like to be remembered; the knowledge Wayne has of Eddie Futch and other topics.Relevant Linkswww.campwiththechamp.comAdditional Linkswww.thewymac.com

How did it come to pass that Gary Lineker - former England football captain, Match of the Day presenter, and co-founder of one of the UK’s biggest podcast production companies - would give his first interview since leaving the BBC… on The Ireland Podcast? In a twist full of irony and charm, the English sporting icon found himself chatting on a train platform with Irish host Fender Jackson, just hours after Jackson had interviewed Lord Chris Patten. The result? An impromptu and revealing conversation about podcasting, the media, and life after the BBC - all delivered not to a British broadcaster, but to an independent Irish podcast!Fender shares every moment before and after the recording with Anna, a young adolescent footballer, who joins him for the duration of the show. In the second half, Fender interviews Anna about her own footballing journey, and the challenges facing young female athletes today - giving the episode a fresh, intergenerational twist.Special thanks to Anna and to Gary for this episode.Relevant Linkshttps://www.goalhanger.comAdditional Linkshttps://www.theirelandpodcast.com/latest-podcast/episode/9cea2b64/177-lord-chris-patten-the-patten-reporthttps://www.theirelandpodcast.com/latest-podcast/episode/1f55ffb3/117-paul-connolly-tv-producer-part-2

Lord Patten chats with Fender Jackson in his London home on Wednesday 18th June 2025.Lord Patten has held several prominent roles, including Governor of Hong Kong, European Commissioner for External Relations, Chairman of the BBC Trust, and Chancellor of the University of Oxford, but he tells Fender that overseeing the reform of the N. Ireland police service remains his proudest political achievement.Conversation includes: introductions; previous roles; early life; synopsis of Patten’s life; identity politics; Boyle, Roscommon; Phil Richardson Band; Heavitree Brewery; Mo Mowlam offering the policing reform job; importance of character; Dr. Paisley impersonations; recent unrest in Ballymena, Antrim; Trump and Putin; Peter Mandelson; the near impossible task of Police Reform in N. Ireland post Good Friday Agreement (GFA); legislating the Patten Report; Unionist objections; Gerry Adams; the IRA list; being a N. Ireland Junior Minister for Margaret Thatcher; London bomb attacks; Airey Neave; Jim Pryor; police bodyguards; Peter Smith QC; public meetings; Rosemary Nelson; Israel and Palestine; Maurice Hayes; early prisoner releases as part of GFA; kneecappings; Norman Tebbit; Brighton bomb; Tony Blair, John Major and Bertie Ahern; regrets of not keeping a diary during his time as being European Commissioner; why he is so proud of the report; other countries using the report; “Minister of Treachery”; social media; strong leadership; MAGA; “soft power”; Adlai Stevenson; Brexit and the Conservative Party; ‘things have to change in order to remain the same’; Abraham Lincoln; being an octogenarian; the Troubles as a war; how Britain cack-handedly handled Ireland in the past; heroes; kindness; Bobby MacDonnagh and more.Relevant Linkshttps://cain.ulster.ac.uk/issues/police/patten/patten99.pdf