Disturbing The Peace Podcast

Around 15 years ago, the idea of sending nudes was something that scandalised many people. As a woman, if your intimate pictures were leaked (even if it was through no fault of your own) often many people would blame you for taking the photos in the first place. In 2020, many of us have taken a different view with more and more people taking agency over their own bodies and doing what they want with them. One of the best examples of this is the popularity of OnlyFans. So who better to explain what OnlyFans is than someone who's been using it even before it hit the mainstream? Follow Caoimhe on Twitter - @caoimhecatriona Become a Tortoise Shack patron - visit www.patreon.com/tortoiseshack Get tickets to the live show here. << Back To Disturbing The Peace

Please help keep this podcast going by becoming a member at patreon.com/tortoiseshack You might have seen the series, Stories from the Streets, on Virgin Media TV recently. Well the writer and director, Luke McManus and one of the stars of episode 3, homeless rapper, Tommy KD, came over to the tortoise shack to tell us all about it. Tommy recounts his own journey through addiction, sleeping rough and finding peace in art. He shares candidly about his years on the streets and the relationships he had and what resilience means. Luke describes how the focus of a show like this is to break that dehumanising idea about homeless people and why we must all look beyond the strereotypes. We also had a lot of fun!

It was a pleasure to be joined by Dublin Inquirer Reporter, Shamim Malekmian, Barrister & Human Rights Activist, Séana Grant and the Political Poll Boss, Harry McEvansoneya for a run through the week that was. We covered the unjust treatment of migrant workers, that abhorrent song, the latest political polls, the continued attacks on LGBTQ rights, Ukraine, the Queen in the SINDO, some things to look out for next week and why our booming economy isn't lifting the wider society. To attend these regular live shows and get lots of exclusive content join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack

CONTENT WARNING: This episode is a conversation about assisted suicide and may not be suitable for all listeners.The passing of Gino Kenny's Dying with Dignity Bill into Committee Stage has sparked a national discussion about death. Ireland has a history of doing death well but that doesn't mean we're comfortable talking about the prospect of our own death. Alannah Murray was on DTP a few months ago to talk about being in a wheelchair. She returns today to discuss why she's in favour of dying with dignity, having to face her own mortality several times in her childhood and living with an illness that will eventually kill her.If you have been affected by any of the topics raised in today's episode please contact Samaritans at 116 123.Become a DTP Patron. 

CONTENT WARNING: This podcast contains references to suicide and may not be suitable for all listeners. Tom Savage is the founder of Three Red Kings, a website dedicated to Munster and Irish rugby. He's also a distinguished writer and commentator on the game. In fact, if you look at Tom's life, you'd never know that he'd recently been diagnosed with schizophrenia. He joins Rachel on the podcast to chat about the 14 years of "carnage" of delusions and paranoia that led to him going to a Garda station last year to report that people were following him and ending up in a psychiatric ward. He speaks candidly about his battle with his multiple realities, where he is now and what it's like to not be able to rely on what your mind is telling you.Become a Three Red Kings patron.Become a DTP Patron.Follow Tom on Twitter.

CONTENT WARNING: This podcast contains references to sexual assault.Transpeople have had to deal with a lot of shit over the past few years. The row over self-identification in England and Wales has led to a surge in transphobia in Ireland too. With JK Rowling being the latest British "feminist" to add her voice to the debate, it seems that trans people are the victims of the arguments that were made against giving LGBTQ+ people their rights 30 years ago. So why is this happening now and how do we stop it happening in Ireland? Joining Rachel on the pod to discuss it all is activist Aoife Martin.Become a DTP patron. 

It's long been asked why female participation in sport drops off in their teenage years compared to men. There is a multitude of answers but one of the main ones could be the perceived lack of female role models in sport and sports writing. Emma Duffy is one of these role models. An avid sports fan, she spends her days working for the 42 and her night's training or watching sport. She joins Rachel on the pod to chat about her love of sports, her love of her job and why you should never be afraid to mix it with the lads.Sign up to the 42 here.Follow Emma on Twitter.Become a DTP patron.

The way we consume our news has been changed forever by the introduction of the internet and social media. The most obvious example of this is Twitter where thousands and people can now follow their favourite journalists from across the world. One of the more popular Irish journalists is Virgin Media's Richard Chambers. He joins Rachel to discuss how Twitter has changed the way news is reported, the advantages and disadvantages of being so accessible to people and his "rivalry" with Gavan Reilly. Follow Richard on Twitter.Become a DTP Patron.

COVID has decimated the Irish arts scene with the cancellation of live performances until further notice. With no end in sight, the precarious industry now faces a battle for survival with artists having to find new ways to make a living. So how is the Irish music scene going to survive and what will it look like going forward? Joining Rachel to attempt to answer these questions as well as to set out the stall for why there are enough men with acoustic guitars in the Irish music scene is producer and singer Semi Olusa.You can find Semi's music here.Become a DTP patron.

For many millenials, being able to move out is seen as the main goal. But with ever-increasing rents and fewer houses to go around, this seems unachievable. Joe.ie's Head of Social and sketch comedian Michael Fry joins Rachel in the studio to discuss commuting from Navan, insane rent prices and what he would do if he was the Minister for Housing. Become a DTP patron - visit www.patreon.com/dtppod 

1 in 10 Irish women are affected by endometriosis in Ireland yet it can take anywhere up to 10 years to get a diagnosis. This leaves the woman suffering in pain for years on end and oftentimes, doctors and GPs may not even believe that the pain is as bad as it is. Social Democrats Councillor Carly Bailey is just one of these women. She joins Rachel on the podcast to discuss why there's a need for a specialised centre for endometriosis in Ireland, the amount of pain and procedure she had to go through to get a diagnosis and why there is a big problem in Ireland with reproductive and gynaecological care. Become a DTP patron - visit www.patreon.com/dtppod Follow Carly on Twitter. You can find the Endometriosis Association of Ireland on Twitter or on their website.

Ireland has a wonderful history of banning books. In fact we banned over 12,000 of them throughout our history. Some were banned for very good reason, while others were banned for mentioning divorce. Historian Dr Aoife Bhreatnach decided that this would be a great topic for a podcast and so the Censored Pod was born. She joins Rachel to discuss what led her to start the podcast, where her love for reading banned books came from and why Ireland loved banning books so very much. Become a DTP patron - visit www.patreon.com/dtppod Follow Aoife on Twitter.

Direct Provision is a broken system and stain on Irish society. Established in 2000 as a temporary measure, the system has existed for 20 years now creating massive barrier for those stuck in it to get out and establish themselves in the Irish state. A commitment has been made to overhaul Direct Provision in the lifetime of the next government but it remains to be seen how long this will take. So how do we dismantle it and what system should take its place? Joining Rachel from Ballyhaunis Direct Provision Centre is Owodunni Ola Mustapha to explain what it's like to live in Direct Provision for 6 years and from Dublin, writer Dean Van Nguyen on what should happen next. Follow Ola and Dean on Twitter. Donate to Black Pride Ireland, MASI and MERJ. Become a DTP patron - visit www.patreon.com/dtppod 

June is usually Pride Month but this year with the pandemic, the Pride parade and many of the Pride events around it had to be cancelled. This has allowed a bit of time for LGBTQ+people to pause and reflect around what Pride means to them and what it should look like when it returns. LGBTQ+ activist and writer Sam Riggs is one of those people. He joins Rachel to discuss Pride in its current form, the increase in the presences of corporations at Pride, the damage done to the trans community by the recent rights rollback in the UK and why a float blaring Mr Brightside, isn't exactly the worst idea for a Pride float. Become a DTP patron - visit www.patreon.com/dtppod Find Sam at @samwhatislife on Twitter.

Cauvery Madhavan arrived in Sligo, Ireland from India on Valentine's Day 33 years ago. Since then she's lived in Dunboyne, Limerick before settling in Kildare, in a house right beside Rachel.  Her latest book 'The Tainted' is set in India in the 1920s and takes a fictionalised view of an actual mutiny that took place by the Connaught Rangers. She joins Rachel and Tony for a crossover episode with The Echo Chamber to discuss her latest book as well as Indian politics and how her community in Straffan, Co Kildare became her family. Follow Cauvery on Twitter @CauveryMadhavan You can buy 'The Tainted' here. Donate to Black Pride Ireland, MASI and MERJ. Become a DTP patron - visit www.patreon.com/dtppod 

Hazel Chu first came to the attention of many when she was elected to Dublin City Council in Pembroke back in 2019. She received 3,000 first preference votes as well as a lot of media attention. Unfortunately, this media attention has led to an increase in the amount of racist abuse that Hazel receives both online and offline. She joins Rachel via Zoom to discuss what it was like to grow up in Ireland on the receiving end of racist abuse, her approach to dealing with it online and why she feels that Ireland has a long way to go in terms of tackling racism. Follow Hazel on @hazechu. Donate to Black Pride Ireland, MASI and MERJ. Become a DTP patron - visit www.patreon.com/dtppod 

The reaction to the murder of George Floyd by white police officers has caused protests around the world. Yet some people have asked why Irish people are getting angry and upset about it. While we may not have a tradition of police brutality, Ireland has its own problems with racism, problems that we have yet to address. How do we address it? We start by listening to Irish people of colour about their experiences. Nic Ndlovu came to Ireland from South Africa when he was 4 years old. He joins Rachel on the pod to discuss the microaggressions he has encountered throughout his life, what it's like to be followed around a supermarket by a security guard when shopping and dealing with racism both online and offline.This is an intense and uncomfortable chat and we need to be having more of this so we can address the problems in Irish society.Black Lives Matter.Follow Nic on Twitter.Donate to Black Pride Ireland, MASI and MERJ.Become a Tortoise Shack patron - visit www.patreon.com/tortoiseshack

At some point in our lives, we will probably end up caring for a family member. It may be a short term solution but more than likely, it could end up being a full time or nearly full-time role. It's a job that is emotionally, physically and psychologically taxing on both you and the person you're caring for and oftentimes, the government supports are either too hard to access or just simply not enough. Chair of the Queer Greens and freelance journalist Robert O'Sullivan is one of these carers. They joins Rachel to discuss what their day to day life looks like while caring for a family member and what it's like to be rejected for carer's allowance from a system that doesn't seem to care for its carers. Become a DTP patron - visit www.patreon.com/dtppod You can follow Rob on Twitter here.

The week Disturbing the Peace was delighted to take part in a crossover pod with our sister podcast Glow West with Caroline West. Myself and Caroline had the pleasure of interviewing dildo slinger and female entrepreneur Shawna Scott of Sex Siopa. We had a chat about her business during the pandemic, the quietest vibrators that you can get and how boiling your dildo is a great way to check if it's safe to use or not. Become a DRP patron - visit www.patreon.com/dtppod 

When you hear the word 'addict' what do you think of? Is it someone injection heroin on the streets? Someone drinking cans in the middle of the day? Someone who struggles to hold down a full time job? Often our understanding of the word 'addict' is misinformed or downright incorrect and Brian Pennie is the perfect example of this. He joins Rachel via Skype to discuss his heroin addiction, rehab, how he turned his life around to become a neuroscience lecturer and researcher in Trinity College Dublin and writing his new book 'Bonus Time'. Become a DTP patron - visit www.patreon.com/dtppod