

The Echo Chamber from Tortoise Shack
Tortoise Shack Media
Ireland’s original independent left leaning news, politics, and culture podcast that doesn’t take itself too seriously and still punches well above its weight. Join critically acclaimed & derided hosts, Martin McMahon and Tony Groves as they delve into the news of the day, pull apart the spin and challenge you to be an activist. This is the non-corporate, ad free, non-plastic-podcast reality that the medium is made for. There will be shenanigans!
Episodes
Mentioned books

Dec 3, 2025 • 0sec
Cows for Cars
Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack
A short podcast with MEP for Dublin, Lynn Boylan, on the return (again!) of CETA, the Governments insane push for unconstitutional investor courts, Mercosur's hormone enhanced cows for German cars and how to react to the EPP and Fine Gael joining with the far right in the EU.
The Leilani Farha Podcast is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-144371201
The Christy Moore Podcast here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/135485064?collection=1509929
Support Dignity for Palestine here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/call-to-stand-143037542

Dec 2, 2025 • 0sec
Balsam eases the pain
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Eva Abu Mariam is a 20 year-old woman from Gaza studying dentistry at Al-Azhar University–Gaza, who is involved deeply in community work in the field in Gaza. She joins us from her family home after 25 months of displacement, famine and tragedy. Please watch this podcast. Yes, the subject matter is heavy. But her spirit is indomitable.
Her poem that we discuss ‘Balsam’ is available here:https://illuminatedcities.org/poems/eva/balsam
The Leilani Farha Podcast is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-144371201
The Christy Moore Podcast here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/135485064?collection=1509929
Support Dignity for Palestine here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/call-to-stand-143037542

Nov 29, 2025 • 0sec
Thrown Under the EU’s Omnibus
Senator Patricia Stephenson, an advocate for workers' and human rights, teams up with Dr. Ciarán O'Carroll, a climate and industrial policy expert. They discuss the alarming role of far-right politics in dismantling EU protections for the environment and workers. Both highlight the personal dangers of weakened data privacy laws, recalling scandals like Cambridge Analytica. They also explore how a revitalized social contract could address economic injustices and connect immigration debates with broader issues of inequality.

Nov 27, 2025 • 38min
Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone
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Abdullah Al-Yazouri, is a 15-year old sophomore currently residing in Gaza. He came to global attention as the narrator of the award winning documentary “Gaza: How to Survive a War-zone." The BBC later pulled the documentary because of his fathers job in the Dept of Agriculture in Gaza. He talks about the documentary, the "controversy", his experience during the genocide, the impact hunger has had on his teenage development and his commendable plans for the future. Tune in for the full story.
The Leilani Farha Podcast is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-144371201
The Christy Moor Podcast here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/135485064?collection=1509929
Support Dignity for Palestine here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/call-to-stand-143037542

Nov 25, 2025 • 55min
I Hate To Say I Told You So!
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Journalist, writer and our man in Stockholm, Philip O’Connor is back and he had a lot to say. We talk the shift in rhetoric around immigration policy by senior politicians, what the Ivan Yates controversy actually says about our media, the chances of Left Unity beyond the Connolly campaign and some reasons to be optimistic. There are some!
Listen to Richard Boyd Barrett here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-143926042
Support Dignity for Palestine:https://www.patreon.com/posts/call-to-stand-143037542

Nov 23, 2025 • 40min
‘Keir Starmer’s on his way out. Does it even matter?’ with John Harris
Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack
Award winning Columnist with the Guardian, and host of their Politics Weekly podcast, John Harris, rejoined me in advance of the Budget to talk Labour’s lurch to Farage framing, the lack of a plan to improve the lives of ordinary people and the rise and rise of the Greens under Zack Polanski.
The Bernadette Devlin Podcast is out now here:
Richard Boyd-Barrett is here:
Donate to Dignity for Palestine here:

Nov 21, 2025 • 36min
The Seven Stages of Housing Crisis Grief
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Fresh from her dalliance with another podcast that I try not to listen to, but sometimes do, is returning champion, UCD's Orla Hegarty. She gives us a great breakdown of where the newest housing plan breaks down, talks cheese sandwiches and procurement, true affordability and even a little Charles Stewart Parnell. Enjoy.
The Bernadette Devlin podcast is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-143788781
Support Dignity for Palestine:https://www.patreon.com/posts/call-to-stand-143037542

Nov 21, 2025 • 28min
If I Start To Grieve I Might Never Stop
Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack
Maryam Elwaheidy is a translator with a strong foundation in English, Arabic. She holds a B.A. in English Language and Translation from Al-Azhar University in Gaza. She joins us from Gaza city to update us on the latest situation on the ground with the heavy fall of rain which flooded the tents of displaced Palestinians. We also discuss how the world is pretending that the so-called ceasefire means we can all forget about Gaza and what Israel has done over the last two plus years. Tune in for the full story.
Note: this was recorded in Leinster House and Richard Boyd-Barrett makes an impromptu appearance at the end.
Richard Boyd-Barrett is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-143926042
Support Dignity for Palestine here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/call-to-stand-143037542

Nov 18, 2025 • 27min
‘No One Cares About Sudan!’
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Our guest, Andrew Stroehlein, has over 20 years of experience in Human Rights Advocacy, including several years as the European Director of Human Rights Watch. He recently started his own newsletter, International Affairs for Normal People and I was delighted that he agreed to rejoin us on the tortoise shack to talk about his latest piece, "No One Cares About Sudan."
Read:https://www.internationalaffairsfornormalpeople.eu/no-one-cares-about-sudan/
Bernadette Devlin McAliskey's podcast here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-143788781
Support Dignity for Palestine here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/call-to-stand-143037542

Nov 15, 2025 • 55min
The Climate Emergency and the Lie of the Land with John Gibbons
Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack
Campaigning journalist, John Gibbons, is no stranger to talking Climate Breakdown on the tortoise shack, but this chat is a little bit different. His new book, The Lie of the Land, is part memoir, part climate action quick reference guide and part John starting fights with groups who have vested interests in slowing our response to the accelerating climate emergency. We talk about it all. Do get the book.
The Orla Hegarty Podcast is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-143584769
Support Dignity for Palestine here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/call-to-stand-143037542


