The Ireland Podcast

About the Podcast

The Ireland Podcast is a long-form interview series creating space for unhurried conversation about life on the island of Ireland and beyond.

The Conversations

Hosted by Fender Jackson and produced by Salthill Media, the podcast centres on listening rather than argument. Each episode features a single guest and allows time for reflection, context, and experience to emerge naturally. Guests include artists, musicians, writers, athletes, broadcasters, historians, and cultural figures whose work or perspective offers insight into place, memory, and lived experience.

There is no political or religious agenda. The podcast does not seek to persuade, promote, or argue a position. Instead, it exists as a space for careful dialogue, where complexity is allowed and difference is approached with curiosity rather than confrontation.

The Host

Fender Jackson grew up in Ulster and later lived in England and China before returning to Ireland and settling in Galway, where most episodes are now recorded. These experiences inform a listening-led, exploratory approach shaped by distance as well as proximity, and by an awareness of how place, movement, and memory intersect.

Approach

The Ireland Podcast approaches the island as a shared, lived place - shaped by multiple histories, traditions, communities, and viewpoints. In a post-conflict society, conversation itself has value. The podcast recognises the role that respectful dialogue, storytelling, and careful questioning can play in fostering empathy and understanding.

Over time, it becomes an informal record of conversations about the island and its many expressions, offered quietly and without prescription.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Episoder(227)

203. Jane O’Leary: Musician - Part 1

For more than 50 years, Jane O’Leary has been breaking new musical ground in Ireland. We catch up with her to learn more about her life and musical style.Conversation includes: Jane the musician (list...

9 Des 202547min

202. Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart: Metal Box - Rebuilt In Dub

Jah Wobble’s Invaders of the Heart chat with Fender Jackson after their gig in Róisín Dubh, Galway on Wed 3rd December 2025.Conversation includes: interviews with the band; Keith Levene’s guitar and g...

5 Des 202542min

201. Karl MacDermott: Comedy Writer & Performer

Conversation includes: the (non-existent) comedy scene in Ireland in the 1970s and 80s; leprosy and space-travel; Ardal O’Hanlon; The Bogey Boys; Billy Roche; Young Ones; Tommy Tiernan; pioneering the...

26 Nov 20251h 3min

200. Fender Jackson: Interview Your Parents

In this special milestone episode of The Ireland Podcast, Fender sits down with his own children for a heartfelt discussion about interviewing his parents. Together, they explore why capturing family ...

19 Nov 202524min

199. Fr Bernárd Lynch: Priest, Author & Activist

Born in Ennis, County Clare, Fr. Bernárd’s journey began in the traditional Ireland of the 1940s, shaped by school, family, and faith. But his path soon led him far from the familiar - from the semina...

12 Nov 20251h 5min

198. Gerry McAvoy: Photo-Finish & Joe Bonamassa

Bass legend Gerry McAvoy takes us through a track-by-track journey of Photo-Finish, Rory Gallagher’s powerhouse 1978 album. In this wide-ranging conversation, Gerry shares insights into the sessions, ...

5 Nov 202543min

197. Nora McBurney: The Irish Yinzer

While recording Episode 122 with Swinford’s own Breege Rowley, the editor-turned-documentary maker suggested to Fender that he speak with Nora McBurney - the voice behind her film ‘All Our Yesterdays’...

28 Okt 202550min

196. London Irish Centre: 70th Anniversary

Fender Jackson recently took part in celebrating the 70th anniversary of the London Irish Centre, marking seven decades of cultural connection and community spirit. The event paid tribute to the Centr...

14 Okt 20251h 9min