Ireland Archives - The ClearOut

If You’ve Nothing Good to Say, Maybe Think About Shutting Up! – Episode 161

In this hot and bothered episode, Dara tries to address the issue of racism in Ireland in the wake of the hate and racist abuse directed at Rhadisat Adeleke last week after her triumphant performances at the European Athletics Championships. A topic covered on the show before around the Emer O’Neill/Tommy Tiernan story, it seems to need speaking about again.

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Retreat! The Places We Escape To, For Better or Worse – Episode 107

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In this hazy episode, Dara seeks solace in mindful summer moments and solitary swims. He discusses the idea of retreat and running away to the places we find most comforting and tries to identify which ones might be better for us.

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Bent On Being Happy: Interview with Musician, Singer, Songwriter, and Music Therapist, Chiara Clear – Episode 91

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In this episode, Dara finally achieves a long-term goal of the podcast – he gets his wife to sit down for an interview at Hashtag Blessed!

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Laughing at the Wrong Things, or Why Cat Stevens is So Funny to Me – Episode 88

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In this episode, Dara looks at a couple of recent news stories in Ireland that have raised some confronting questions about where we’re at as a society.

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The Death of a Queen and the Power of Totems – Episode 69

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In this week’s episode Dara reflects on the passing of Queen Elizabeth II last week and examines his own feelings about the extraordinarily long reign of the deceased monarch. He looks at the fractious history between Ireland and Britain and pays particular attention to the different identities on either side of the Irish Sea and how very different levels of historical experience and education inform them.

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The Pebble Girl Part 2: Interview with Author, Artist, and Abuse Survivor, Aisling Creegan – Episode 59

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Dara presents the second of two parts of an in-depth interview with author, artist, and abuse survivor, Aisling Creegan.

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The Pebble Girl: Interview with Author, Artist, and Abuse Survivor, Aisling Creegan Part 1 – Episode 58

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Dara presents the first of two parts of an in-depth interview with author, artist, and abuse survivor, Aisling Creegan.

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Why Idealism Matters and the Proximity Principle of Enmity – Episode 57

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Dara begins this week’s episode by looking at the Irish discomfort with self-approval and putting it in the context of small-island, village mentality. He argues that it is a product of a damaged national psyche that leaves many Irish people with a pathological self-deprecation born of superstition and distrust of success.

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The Return

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We stand on the old stone bridge looking down at the river flowing from the mountains to the sea. The water is brilliantly clear, gushing and bubbling over the rocks and pebbles and silt with effortless onward movement. We stare patiently at the darker water that pools by either riverbank under the shade of the

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I am not a shark

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Oh, the shark has pretty teeth, dear And it shows them pearly white Just a jackknife has MacHeath, babe And it keeps it way out of sight When that shark bites with his teeth, dear Scarlet billows begin to spread Fancy gloves, wears old MacHeath, babe So there’s never, never a trace of red

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Ireland

Retreat! The Places We Escape To, For Better or Worse – Episode 107

Bent On Being Happy: Interview with Musician, Singer, Songwriter, and Music Therapist, Chiara Clear – Episode 91

Laughing at the Wrong Things, or Why Cat Stevens is So Funny to Me – Episode 88

The Death of a Queen and the Power of Totems – Episode 69

The Pebble Girl Part 2: Interview with Author, Artist, and Abuse Survivor, Aisling Creegan – Episode 59

The Pebble Girl: Interview with Author, Artist, and Abuse Survivor, Aisling Creegan Part 1 – Episode 58

Why Idealism Matters and the Proximity Principle of Enmity – Episode 57

The Return

I am not a shark

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