Dara Clear

Hamnet, Train Dreams, and the Dark Spells of the Natural World – Episode 237

In this episode, Dara reviews Hamnet and Train Dreams, two very successful films in which nature is integral to the experiences of the protagonists. Jessie Buckley lights up Hamnet as a child of nature, and in Train Dreams, Joel Edgerton’s solitary logman carries with him an ineffable sadness and sense of guilt as he chops his way through North American forests in the first half of the twentieth century.

Hamnet, Train Dreams, and the Dark Spells of the Natural World – Episode 237 Read More »

One Film After Another – Movie and TV Review of 2025! – Episode 235

To kick off a new year of the podcast, Dara looks back at his viewing pleasure and displeasure of 2025 and drops some top tens for your consideration. Beginning with a wrap-up of last year’s Oscar-winning and nominated titles, he goes on to list his favourite films of 2025, as well as his top films outside that group. There are some obvious choices there as well as a couple of surprises.

One Film After Another – Movie and TV Review of 2025! – Episode 235 Read More »

Early Service

An exhausted daughter sits down with her philandering father for their traditional pre-Christmas dinner. Will they survive the evening without tearing each other apart? Or will a Christmas miracle help them overcome their differences? You can hear me read the story on the Christmas Special episode of the podcast.

Early Service Read More »

The 2025 Christmas Special! – Episode 234

It’s the 2025 Christmas special! Dara presents his new seasonal story, hot off the press! In ‘Early Service’, an exhausted daughter sits down with her philandering father for their annual Christmas night out. Can they survive their oppositional tendencies? Will something magical help them transcend their differences? Why does the holiday mean such different things to each of them?

The 2025 Christmas Special! – Episode 234 Read More »

Saving Christmas and Other Miracles – Interview with Musician, Singer and Songwriter, Aengus Devine – Episode 233

In this episode it is Dara’s great pleasure to sit down and have a long overdue chat with his great friend and former college buddy, Aengus Devine. Aengus is a gifted musician, singer and songwriter, and has sustained a long career as a professional musician. At the end of their long and winding conversation, Aengus plays his lovely new Christmas single ‘God Save Christmas’.

Saving Christmas and Other Miracles – Interview with Musician, Singer and Songwriter, Aengus Devine – Episode 233 Read More »

Roses, Tears, and Paying for Lunch – a Multi-Millionaire’s Masculinity Hack! – Episode 231

In this episode, Dara has thoughts on December coming round so quickly and the accompanying temptation to collapse in a heap. Does the festive season differ in any significant way from the rest of the year? Christmas really did used to be something special and genuinely indulgent – but does that still land when the rest of the year seems to involve frequent indulgence too?

Roses, Tears, and Paying for Lunch – a Multi-Millionaire’s Masculinity Hack! – Episode 231 Read More »

Flipping the Script and Messing with Expectations – Episode 230

In this episode, Dara considers the power of defying expectations. Partly prompted by a conversation with his dementia-affected father, his thoughts are also informed by a New York psychologist who worked with first responders to World Trade Center attacks. Role-reversal can be both destabilising and disarming, but it rarely goes unnoticed, and it often provokes both consternation and resentment.

Flipping the Script and Messing with Expectations – Episode 230 Read More »