The Echo Chamber from Tortoise Shack

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack CW: Contains personal stories that some listeners may find upsetting. This week Israel broke the ceasefire with devastating consequences, killing over 100 people, including 46 children. Somehow most western media is reporting that they've now reinstated it. We live in terrible times. Our guest, Hala Al-Khatib is a 20-years-old writer and poet from Gaza and she speaks of the horrors that her neighborhood and all of Gaza went through on October 28, 2025. While Israel carried out the latest massacre, Hala was holding her breath; the IOF tanks visible from what is left of her destroyed home. ...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack On the 30th of January 1972 a young Tony Doherty was playing marbles on the Bogside in Derry when word reached him that his father, Paddy had been shot. In the hours, weeks, months and years ahead the families of those who were murdered and injured on that day marched, campaigned and dragged the British State into apologising for what became known around the world as Bloody Sunday. Yesterday that journey (seemingly) ended when the mass murderer called Soldier F was found not guilty. Tony joins me to talk about the trial, the outcome...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack In this belter of an Echo pod we combine for the first time ever Mr irishelectionprojections.com's Harry McEvansoneya and thegist.ie's Simon McGarr and is was even more fun than I'd hoped. We talk about the main 3 stories arising out of Catherine Connolly's historic victory and the reasons much of legacy media seem to want to focus on the least important one. We talk winners, losers and the disconnect that this campaign has exposed between politics, media and the public. The Dion Fanning podcast is here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-142188516

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack In this Reboot Republic, Rory is joined by tortoise shack editor and producer, Tony Groves and Mr irishelectionprojections.com, Harry McEvansoneya, to talk about the Presidential Election, the broad Left-unity movement that may emerge and the far right in Ireland. We also pit Rory's enthusiasm against Tony's cynicism and Harry looks at what lessons might be learned from what was a bit of a mad campaign. Harry's latest:https://irishelectionprojections.com/2025/10/21/2025-presidential-election/ Bloody Sunday, Soldier F and British Justice with Tony Doherty out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-141945374

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Noor Abu Mariam, is a Business Administration student, a writer, and the social media manager for Gaza Great Minds School. She is passionate about using storytelling and digital media to share the voices and experiences of people in Gaza. She shares how she saw body parts for the first time in her life while being displaced to the south from Al-Shatii refugee camp. Noor was displaced at least 15 times and despite all the upheaval she hopes to finish her degree and continue her graduate studies. She recounts how she lost her friend and...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Dr Cian Ó Concubhair is Assistant Professor in the Dept of Law in NUI Maynooth, lecturing in Criminology and Criminal Justice. His doctoral research examined police-media relations, and the power of news media and policing. So as the presidential election has gotten more 'law and order' political media coverage than ever before, I thought he'd be the perfect guest to talk us all through it, and I wasn't wrong. I really enjoyed this and got a lot out of it. Listen/watch and don't worry about me spilling water all over the place! Latest f...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Baraa Qandeel is a Palestinian poet, translator and writer from Gaza. She works in marketing and has suffered immensely during the genocide losing friends and family, and surviving an airstrike nearby that left her in shock for hours. She joins us from Gaza to talk about the ceasefire and what people around her think about it. She discusses conversations amongst her friends about their experiences in what she calls 'triggering sessions.' Tune in for more The Fionnan Sheehan vs Heather Humphreys vs Martin pod is out now here:https://www.patreon.com...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack In this Echo Chamber Podcast, Sinn Féin's Housing Spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin sits down with Tony to talk about Catherine Connolly, left unity, the groups that are shaping the government's housing policy and why social housing can be beautiful. He also correctly calls Tony deranged. But they don't fall out... Baraa'h Qandeel in Gaza on the "ceasefire" is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-141438094 Please support Dignity for Palestine:https://www.patreon.com/posts/some-good-news-140335712

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack In this explosive Echo Chamber Podcast, Prison Office Whistleblower, Noel McGree, talks about his eviction into homelessness following his proven and legally tested accusations of mass fraud and misogyny in the Irish Prison Service. Noel talks candidly about his devastating experiences and of how he has been failed by many including former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and current Fine Gael presidential election candidate, Heather Humphreys. This is an interview that I'm very sad to say was necessary, but that you do not want to miss. The Willa White podcast is out now here:https...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack In this Echo Chamber Pod we’re joined by Mr Irish Election Projections himself, Harry McEvansoneya to discuss the Irish presidential election, the Jim Gavin fiasco, the Jim O’Callaghan leadership campaign, the momentum behind Catherine Connolly and media coverage of the election so far. For more from Harry go to https://irishelectionprojections.com/ Donate to Dignity for Palestine:https://www.patreon.com/posts/some-good-news-140335712

Please join us at patreon/com/tortoiseshack Comedian, satarist, activist and Corkman, Tadhg Hickey spent over six weeks at sea as part of the Global Sumud Flotilla. Their attempt to open a humanitarian corridor to Gaza was illegally intercepted in international waters by Israel and he, alongside the rest of the volunteers, then spent almost a week in an Israeli "terrorist" prison. He joins us to talk about the entire experience, including descriptions of humiliations and torture, and to discuss how even in failing to deliver the aid, the flotilla was successful in ways that the Israeli State cannot block. ...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Roaa Aladdin Missmeh is a Palestinian from Gaza who loves reading books and finds solace in them. Having left Gaza only a few weeks ago, she is currently doing her Master's degree in Linguistics and Applied Linguistics in Dublin. She shares with us her story of genocide, her journey out of Gaza and her need to tell the story of her people. Tune in for more. The Presidential Election podcast is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-140724971 Donate to Dignity for Palestine:https://www.patreon.com/posts/some-good-news-140335712

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack In this podcast you'll hear from Independent TD Barry Heneghan, both before and after (via pre-recorded message anticipating his abduction) his illegal abduction in international waters by Israeli forces, alongside the rest of the humanitarians who were participating in the Thousand Madleens to Gaza flotilla. Barry talks about entering the so-called 'red zone,' the treatment of the Sumud flotilla participants and his communications with his family just hours before his ship was illegally boarded. We hope he and all the participants are safe, treated humanely and are released home very quickly. Eoin Ó B...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack In what is being called an "opportunity to regularise employment misclassification" the Revenue Commissioners are to grant a two year amnesty to employers who engaged in bogus self employment. The repercussions this will have for the workers (across many industries) who have been denied benefits, entitlements and pay for the years outside of this 'opportunity' seem not to matter a jot. To add insult to injury it turns out that Arthur Cox, the legal firm representing RTE against bogus self employed workers, is using this “opportunity” as a marketing tool for their business. Arth...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Ruba Khalid Al-Faleet is a Palestinian writer, artist, and poet based in Gaza. Her work explores the intersection of identity, resistance, and the poetics of survival under siege. As an active member of the Gaza Poets Society and a contributor to the Resilient Voices digital storytelling project by the British Council, Ruba uses her voice to document lived realities, reclaim narrative agency, and build bridges through creative expression. Her art and poetry are deeply intertwined—each piece a visual and verbal testament to what endures when language is all that remains. She joins us...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Here's everything we know about the huge success - and it is a huge success - of the Sumud Flotilla and what is still happening at sea to break the siege of Gaza. I'm joined also by Independent TD Barry Heneghan, who is onboard the Thousand Madleens Flotilla, which is a few days behind the Sumud and is determined to sail on for Gaza no matter what the next few days bring. The Video Version of this podcast is available here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-140257804 Donate to Dignity for Palestine here...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack In his long overdue return, journalist with El Pais in Latin America, Nicholas Dale Leal, talks Argentina's chainsaw libertarian nightmare, Brazil not bending the knee to Trump, Venezuela vs the US regime change bollixology and the grim rise of fascism in the US. This is belter of a podcast. The Arthur Cox Sales Pitch Podcast is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-140027928 Nicholas' recent piece here: https://english.elpais.com/usa/2025-09-22/more-deportations-but-far-from-the-largest-in-history-nine-months-of-trumps-immigration-crusade-in-charts.html?sma=elpaisenglishedition_2025.09.25&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=elpaisenglishedition_2025.09.25 Donate to Dignity for...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack In this podcast I am joined from Nuseirat, Gaza by a very tired Dr Musallam Abukhalil, to discuss the latest developments on the ground, his day job in the barely functioning Nasser Hospital and the work of the amazing volunteer team he helped to setup, Dignity for Palestine. The Doc explains the strain the latest displacement is putting on the services they provide and outlines the help they need. You can help from as little as $3. So please click the link below and give what you can. Donate now:https://www.patreon.com...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Chris Andrews is a Sinn Féin Senator and he's taking part in his fifth Gaza Flotilla. His ship was struck four times last night by Israeli drones. Despite this he and his fellow Sumud Flotilla shipmates, including over 20 Irish people, remain undeterred and committed to delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza. He joins us from his ship to talk all about it. Yousef also covers the latest news from Gaza City, where the relentless destruction and bombing drives thousands out in what many fear is a permanent exodus. There's also an update from T...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Paddy Maguire is the (mad?) man behind the viral RareWitch-PetalReaction videos that excoriate the media, politics, racist movements and liberal doggies of Northern Ireland. In a rare interview with a Free-Stater he talks to me about his process, his inspiration/frustration and the artistic dysfunction of trying to shoehorn messages of solidarity into 90 second animations about the Belfast Live House. The Catherine Connolly Hamas "controversy" podcast:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-139542482 The Flotilla Attack Podcast is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-139635747 Support Dignity for Palestine: https://www.patreon...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Belfast Green Party Cllr and Community Worker, Brian Smyth has never been shy about calling a spade a spade. Unfortunately the rise in racist attacks (including an attempted lynching!) has meant that he has had to be even more vocal than he’d like. He joins me to talk about the failure of politics, the grimness of inequality, the fraying of societal norms and the things that can be done to reverse the decline. The RareWithch Podcast is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-139267100 Donate to Dignity for Palestine here:ht...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Senator Patricia Stephenson has just returned from the West Bank, Palestine and she joined me to discuss the apartheid regime she witnessed, the sanitising of settler violence and how any declarations about a two state solution falls apart in the face of the reality on the ground. And yes, we also discuss the latest Eoin Hayes controversy. Donate to Dignity for Palestine:https://www.patreon.com/posts/dignity-for-in-139268758

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Ahmad Abushawish is a 19-year-old writer and activist from Gaza. He has successfully conveyed his voice and the stories of his people through several prestigious platforms, including Al Jazeera, Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, Electronic Intifada, Prism Reports, and We Are Not Numbers. He is also an alumnus of the Access 16 program. Ahmad aspires to pursue higher education abroad and earn a scholarship at a prestigious university, where he hopes to further develop his skills and amplify the voices of his community. He joins us from Nuseirat, Gaza, hours after he completed...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Dr Niall Conroy is a consultant in public health medicine and adjunct professor of public health in UCC. He's also a person who has fought epidemics and pandemics in Sierra Leone, Australia and Ireland. He joins me to discuss the chainsaw that RFK Jnr is taking to the US's Human Health Services, the CDC and the impact globally this might have. Inequality, wellness, homelessness and standing on your head at Electric Picnic all feature. Honestly, the lad from Tallaght is top notch. The Child Poverty Podcast with Children's Rights Alliance is out now...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack We Tell Our Stories Hani Mahmoud decided 23 months ago to shift from academia and to stand in front of the camera in order to tell the story of Gaza and its people. He works as the Aljazeera English correspondent in Gaza, becoming one of the most important journalists alive, sharing with the world a story that would otherwise go untold or manipulated. Tune in to learn about Hani, his work and the people of Gaza, from whom he takes his strength to continue. Tadhg Hickey on the Drone Strike on the Global Sumud...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Nour Abo Aisha is a writer, journalist, and translator from Gaza. She writes about living under the siege, memory, displacement, and survival; from her own life and the lives of those around her in Gaza. For Nour, writing is a form of resistance against erasure and a voice that breaks through imposed silence. Her work has appeared in The Guardian, Prism Reports, Mondoweiss, and Al Jazeera Net, and she is also a member of We Are Not Numbers. She joins us from Gaza City as the Israeli military rains both bombs and paper...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Late last night an incendiary device was fired at the Global Sumud Flotilla's Steering Committee's ship (full video podcast here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-138492264) The final departure as part of the Global Sumud Flotilla is due (overdue?) to leave Tunis in the coming days. Professional troublemaker and longtime Palestinian Rights activist, Paul Murphy is there now ready for the off and he joined me for a chat about what is happening there and what is like to be part of this incredible people-led movement that is trying to fill the void...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Greg Stoker is a US army veteran with a Special Operations background. He's also an anti-imperialist activist, podcast host (Colonial Outcasts) and shipmate on the US Veterans Ship as part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, that is attempting to break the blockade and deliver aid to Gaza. He joins us from off the coast of Tunis to discuss the colonial boomerang we all need to be paying attention to, the need for a global media campaign to support the flotilla, the threat from Israeli Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, to lock the humanitarians up...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Lynn Boylan is an Irish MEP for Dublin, who serves as the Chair for the EU's Relationship with Palestine Committee, and she is one of many (alongside international law experts, human rights lawyers and academics) people who are joining a Legal Monitoring ship that is shortly setting sail from Italy to accompany the Global Sumud Flotilla, that is attempting to break the near 20 year siege of Gaza and deliver aid to people experiencing both the ongoing genocide and a manmade famine. The RFK Jnr Podcast with Public Health Consultant, Dr Niall Conroy is...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack In this PalCast we are joined by Imad Qudaih, who is a 22 year old visually impaired student at the Islamic University of Gaza, majoring in English translation. Another accidental genocide correspondent, he’s been working as a freelance journalist with BBC News since June 2024. He joins us from Al-Mawasi to speak of displacement and his cat, who was killed by an Israeli sniper. Tune in for more from this remarkable young man. The Global Sumud Flotilla Podcast is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-138024067 The latest Reboot Republic podcast with Pa...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Sara Awad is an English literature student, writer, and storyteller based in Gaza. Passionate about capturing human experiences and social issues, Sara uses her words to shed light on stories often unheard. Her work explores themes of resilience, identity, and hope amid war circumstances. I contributed to The Intercept, Truthout, PRISM, The Electronic Intifada, Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, and We Are Not Numbers. She joins us from Gaza City to share her story, discuss the most recent events including the "double tap" bombing of Nasser Hospital and her hopes for the...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack In this podcast we are joined by two School Secretaries, Luisa Carty and Noreen O'Callaghan, to discuss the reasons for their upcoming indefinite strike action and why it is a workers rights issue that all of us have a stake in. They discuss the inequality in the current system, the impacts the lack of entitlements have had on them and their colleagues and they are calling on us all to support them as the look for what is only fair. Up the Workers. Support our friend Hana Salah's family:https://www.gofundme.com...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Journalist and now author, Tommy Greene, rejoins us to talk about the plucky coalmine that is using the investor courts (remember CETA folks?) to sue the British Govt for messing with their profits. Read more here:https://www.desmog.com/2025/08/11/uk-government-to-be-sued-in-secret-corporate-court-by-coal-firm-represented-by-tory-mp/ We also go deep into the green slime that is Lough Neagh, the worsening environmental disaster, the political panto in lieu of action and what, if anything, is likely to happen next. No eels were injured in the making of this podcast. Book Preorder:https://www.irishacademicpress.ie/product/troubled-waters/ Recommended Coal...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Nadera Mushtaha is a poet and writer from Gaza and a former student of Dr Refaat Alareer. She talks of losing her family home in Shujayia, her friend Malak Arafat, whose murder she discovered 7 months later because of the rolling internet blackouts in Gaza. In the background, we hear Israeli drones and tank shells as Israel continues to attack the Zaytoun and Sabra neighborhoods threatening another wave of mass expulsion. Tune in for more. Editors Note, I have cleaned the audio up so we can hear Nadera, but I also have the audio...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack We've just seen Keir Starmer's government threatening Irish writer, Sally Rooney and many western governments have decided to take more action against people protesting against the genocide in Gaza than against the Israeli regime that is committing it. You'll also have seen hundreds of people arrested on the streets of London for peacefully protesting while holding signs saying 'I Support Palestine Action.' This is absolute madness. Joining me on the podcast is another brave Irish woman who was one of the people who arrested at the recent protest, Sinéad Nic Shiacais. S...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack It was a great pleasure to be joined by Shahd Alnaami, who is a 21-year-old writer, poet, and translator from Gaza, Palestine. In this PalCast episode, she speaks of losing her sister Rahaf, 13, and her friend Eman 19. She tells us how two houses belonging to her family were also destroyed and how her family was displaced multiple times. She speaks of the children of Gaza and their big dreams now consist of simply having a piece of bread, while still trying to cling to their childhood. Tune in for her story. Yousef on...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack without doubt the maddest, but best chat we've had the best-maddest US-Based Irish-Russian economist there is, Prof Constantin Gurdgiev. Tariffs, Trumpism, immigration, Irish pharma, BRICS and Martin’s viagra economic development plan. A belter. The Christy Moore podcast is here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-135485064 Dignity for Palestine:https://www.patreon.com/posts/dignity-for-two-134250846

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Adam Mohamed is someone who we love and admire in the tortoise shack. His new project, A Ballymun Blend, is a written, spoken and sung history and stories of the much maligned area that we love. He is having a launch in the Axis, Ballymun on August 29th. Go. Tickets:https://axisballymun.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows The Christy Moore podcast is here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-135485064 Dignity for Palestine:https://www.patreon.com/posts/dignity-for-two-134250846

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Taqwa Al-Wawi is a 19-year English literature student at the Islamic University of Gaza. She is also writer out of Gaza, who has published dozens of articles across the globe in the span of 6 months. She speaks of the importance of telling the story of the ongoing genocide, the empowerment of writing, the famine fatigue and how many people are barely surviving on water and maybe some bread. A powerful first person testimony. Tune in for full story The Christy Moore podcast is here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-135485064 Dignity for Palestine...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Daniel Ennis is what you might call an accidental life-long politician, even if what he works on is not typically part of the political curriculum. He's also 7ft 15", so I had to be careful in my criticisms. This was fun. Not all podcasts with Cllrs are fun. The Christy Moore Podcast is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/135485064 Donate to Dignity for Palestine:https://www.patreon.com/posts/dignity-for-two-134250846