Heaney, hope and history rhyming.
At the launch of the 'Atlas of Donegal' on Saturday, Martin McGuinness told the audience about the power of Heaney’s words literally bringing opposite sides together. He recalled giving Ian Paisley a hand-written Heaney poem as a retirement present and his subsequent surprise at seeing it on the wall when visiting Paisley’s office some months later. It’s a simple anecdote, but it shows how the ...
3m Sep 11, 2013
3m
Metalman - Waterford's superhero brewer
Grainne from Metalman Brewing took time out from her busy schedule at the excellent Irish Craft Beer and Cider festival in the RDS on Sunday to big up the forthcoming Waterford Harvest festival. She also tells us a bit more about Metalman, what's on offer in their range and tells the ladies to give craft beer a chance no matter what the colour is! http://metalmanbrewing.com/http://waterfordhar...
7m Sep 10, 2013
7m
The Pattern
"So she thoroughly taught him that one cannot take pleasure without giving pleasure, and that every gesture, every caress, every touch, every glance, every last bit of the body has its secret, which brings happiness to the person who knows how to wake it. She taught him that after a celebration of love the lovers should not part without admiring each other, without being conquered or having con...
7m Sep 05, 2013
7m
The High Nelly museum in Bob's Bar
2021 update: please note that the museum upstairs is no longer open. Anyone passing through County Laois on the M8 is missing a lot. The nearby village of Durrow has many fine features going for it - Ireland's only Scarecrow festival, Castle Durrow, Sheppard's famous auction house and Bob's Bar run by the affable Bobby Campion (above on the right).  Bob's Bar features a little museum containi...
2m Sep 04, 2013
2m
Atlas of County Donegal
Ireland's most beautiful county, Donegal has both a vast landscape and a fascinating past. Surprisingly for an area so rich in heritage and culture, there has been no one major work bringing together the great diversity of material written about the county’s history, landscapes and people. Until now that is. This magnificent 600 page book seeks to put Donegal on the map of contemporary Ireland....
1m Sep 03, 2013
1m
Death of a natural
30th August 2013: The sad news was announced today of Seamus Heaney's death. Airwaves and social media in Ireland are abuzz with kind words about this most generous and avuncular of Irishmen. A collective keening or mourning is taking place in Ireland and anywhere where there's an appreciate of language and its power to capture all the deep emotions that swirl through our beings on a daily basi...
1m Aug 30, 2013
1m
Rosebutt
The year is 2041. From the balcony of a crumbling pile overlooking Margate, reclusive media mogul Simon Phillip Cowell sits heavily on his designer commode looking despondently down below at an ice cream van by the gates of his guarded mansion. The tinkling twirl of 'Hallelujah' echos up to the balcony for the hundredth time that day sending Cowell off into a reverie from years past. The image ...
2s Aug 27, 2013
2s
Dulse and Yellowman
Speaker: Sean McMahon RIP The Auld Lammas Fair has been held in Ballycastle since the 17th Century. It takes place on the last Monday and Tuesday of August and traditionally marks the end of the summer and beginning of the harvest. Its exact origin is uncertain, but one theory is that it began as a result of the occupation of the area around Ballycastle by the MacDonnell's of the Isles in the ...
1m Aug 26, 2013
1m
A Yeats overview: monkey glands and all
On this day 45 years ago, the 23rd August 1968, George Yeats, wife of William Butler Yeats, passed away. They say that you should never meet your idols, nevermind marrying one. Iconic figures in literature from Joyce to Hemingway to Fitzgerald, not to mention Hunter S. Thompson have have difficult marriages that have been well documented. George Yeats had to put up with a snob, a bore and an ab...
3m Aug 23, 2013
3m
Site of Ireland's first planted potato
On the 3rd October 2014, National Potato Day, we celebrate the humble spud by trawling through our audio portfolio to reveal where it is thought Ireland cultivated its first potato. We fully understand that this by no means a scientific fact, but there's a great background story to the place and the man who (allegedly) planted it anyway. The potato had reached Europe courtesy of returning Span...
2m Aug 23, 2013
2m
The man who shot Michael Collins
Wording below is from 2015. See the updated article for 2022 here: https://www.racontour.com/michael-collins-remembered/ On this day 99 years ago, the 22nd of August 1922, Michael Collins was shot and killed in a gun battle at Béal na mBláth. He was 31 years old when he died (this image incorrectly states 30). Half a million people attended his funeral in Dublin. All parties to the conflict, b...
2m Aug 22, 2013
2m
Roscommon Lamb Festival 2013
There can be few better ambassadors for an area than locals with a talent and a passion. In this audio piece, you will hear several voices that have helped make the Roscommon Lamb Festival the great success it has become. Everyone from Mary and Eamonn Gleeson to Dermot Molloy to Brendan Allen of Castlemine Farm to JJ Harlow's to Lawrence Fallon to Francis Green, the list goes on. What is impor...
12m Apr 12, 2013
12m
Paddy the barber presents...
There can be few better ambassadors of a town than the likes of living legend, Paddy Joe Burke, the barber of Church Street, Roscommon Town. Here is his most eloquent ad lib on the wonders of the town recorded as he was leaving Gleeson's Restaurant recently - he's on the right of the picture with Eamonn Gleeson. Few people have the flourish and the flair that this man demonstrates with his wond...
2m Mar 27, 2013
2m
And a lollypop for the lamb!
Seeing as out next project is an innovative audio app for Roscommon, we're more than happy to promote this great event on during the May bank holiday. Always great fun & brilliantly organized - their family day by the castle was just magical in 2011 and 2012. Tastiest lamb in Ireland to boot!With only weeks left until Roscommon's Famous Lamb Festival for 2013, here is a sneak preview of what's ...
2m Mar 27, 2013
2m
St. Patrick
From 2012 in Newtowncunningham, hear Seoirse O'Dochartaigh and Sean Beattie tell us a bit more about this most mysterious of Irish icons. Seoirse recites the ballad 'St. Patrick was a gentleman' followed by a discussion with Sean on St. Patrick's connections with the Inishowen peninsula. Recorded in All Saints church in Newtowncunningham on the eve of St. Patrick's Day, it's lovely to find som...
8m Mar 17, 2013
8m
The Mote Park Lion
Much like the 'two vast and trunkless legs of stone' in Ozymandias, the Mote Park lion hasn't quite turned out the way his creator expected. Local historian, John Kerrigan, knows the estate like the back of his hand and with his canny mix of good humour and insight, he takes us around the old Crofton estate recreating a world that has long gone, but remains a significant chapter from our past. ...
1m Mar 14, 2013
1m
Welcome to St John's House
Elizabeth and Richard Collins run St. John’s House, a Georgian guesthouse by the shores of Lough Ree in County Roscommon, where you can really let yourself unwind in a true hidden gem of Ireland. Located right beside the national treasure that is Rindoon Anglo Norman medieval town, this is ideal for walkers and lover of nature and heritage. The affable hosts share what is on offer at St John’s ...
3m Feb 12, 2013
3m
Superstitions on trial 2/2
In collating the amount of material for The Rambling House, we became aware of the density of material regarding superstitions, folklore and customs in the northwest of Ireland. In an effort to try and bring the full range of material to the attention of the listeners, we devised a method by which we could present as much information as possible in a short space of time that would be both fun a...
28m Jan 12, 2013
28m
Superstitions on trial 1/2
In collating the amount of material for The Rambling House, we became aware of the density of material regarding superstitions, folklore and customs in the northwest of Ireland. In an effort to try and bring the full range of material to the attention of the listeners, we devised a method by which we could present as much information as possible in a short space of time that would be both fun a...
27m Jan 12, 2013
27m
Maritime Heritage 2/2
Inishowen is nearly completely surrounded by water from the Swilly to the Fough and we felt that its maritime heritage deserved capturing for posterity in what is the area's leading fishing port. The Cairn theatre overlooking Greencastle was the location for the penultimate episode of Rambling House in Inishowen. The group gathered with locals to discuss everything from folklore to fishing quot...
16m Jan 12, 2013
16m
Maritime Heritage 1/2
Inishowen is nearly completely surrounded by water from the Swilly to the Fough and we felt that its maritime heritage deserved capturing for posterity in what is the area's leading fishing port. The Cairn theatre overlooking Greencastle was the location for the penultimate episode of Rambling House in Inishowen. The group gathered with locals to discuss everything from folklore to fishing quot...
26m Jan 12, 2013
26m
The Inishowen fiddle tradition 2/2
Dinny 'White Harra' McLoughlin is a legendary fiddle player, teacher and composer living just outside of Buncrana who would be regarded as the doyen of the Inishowen fiddle tradition, a style that is fundamentally different from that played in the rest of Donegal. We were welcomed into his house in Shandrim to hear some of his own compositions, his musings and anecdotes in what was a famous 'Bi...
26m Jan 12, 2013
26m
The Inishowen fiddle tradition 1/2
Dinny 'White Harra' McLoughlin is a legendary fiddle player, teacher and composer living just outside of Buncrana who would be regarded as the doyen of the Inishowen fiddle tradition, a style that is fundamentally different from that played in the rest of Donegal. We were welcomed into his house in Shandrim to hear some of his own compositions, his musings and anecdotes in what was a famous 'Bi...
30m Jan 12, 2013
30m
Border Smuggling Part Two
How a border can cause so much agitation and ingenuity is explained in a way that will in time be regarded as a classic in Irish broadcasting. We don't use these words lightly - hear everything from the whimsical to the chilling, from chicken bones to Winter Willy, this is a programme that tells us how a line can alter the lives of everyone. http://www.ramblinghouse.ie
23m Jan 04, 2013
23m
Border Smuggling Part One
How a border can cause so much agitation and ingenuity is explained in a way that will in time be regarded as a classic in Irish broadcasting. We don't use these words lightly - hear everything from the whimsical to the chilling, from chicken bones to Winter Willy, this is a programme that tells us how a line can alter the lives of everyone. http://www.ramblinghouse.ie
30m Jan 04, 2013
30m
The Poitín Republic - Part Two
Dan's Cottage in Urrismanagh in Inishowen was the setting for our programme on the subject of the Cratur. This region was famously known as The Poitín Republic due to the abundance and quality of the brew in the area. The Rambling House team were joined by some knowledgeable locals to produce a very entertaining and informative radio programme. Sit back with a glass of your favourite tipple - m...
20m Jan 04, 2013
20m
The Poitin Republic Part One
Dan's Cottage in Urrismanagh in Inishowen was the setting for our programme on the subject of the Cratur. This region was famously known as The Poitín Republic due to the abundance and quality of the brew in the area. The Rambling House team were joined by some knowledgeable locals to produce a very entertaining and informative radio programme. Sit back with a glass of your favourite tipple - ...
28m Jan 04, 2013
28m
Living off the land in days gone by (Part 2/2)
Malin Head has seen its fair share of Mother Nature at her best – and at her worst. None worse perhaps than the Winter of 1947, when the headland was closed off for six weeks due to heavy snow. Far from foundering, the locals survived by helping each other and using their knowledge of the land and the sea around them to survive the ordeal. We used that incident to kick start our radio series, R...
18m Dec 31, 2012
18m
Living off the land in days gone by (Part 1/2)
Malin Head has seen its fair share of Mother Nature at her best – and at her worst. None worse perhaps than the Winter of 1947, when the headland was closed off for six weeks due to heavy snow. Far from foundering, the locals survived by helping each other and using their knowledge of the land and the sea around them to survive the ordeal. We used that incident to kick start our radio series, R...
29m Dec 31, 2012
29m
Sean Beattie's just reward
Inishowen's eminent historian and editor, Sean Beattie, was recently awarded an honorary M.A. in history from the National University of Ireland, Galway along with the historian, Helen Meehan. Here, Donegal Historical Society member, Seumas Gildea, explains what makes Sean a cut above even the boffins of Oxford!
1m Nov 11, 2012
1m
Peter Ward's plate
Hear Country Choice's Peter Ward describe the wonderful array of local produce served up to this hungry customer - you'd be tempted to jump in the car & drive to Nenagh tonight!
3m Jun 28, 2012
3m
Remembering Johnny
Johnny Ward was one of the most distinguished figures practising law in the north west with a career spanning seven decades. He died peacefully at home in the arms of his beloved wife, Marion, on the morning of the 20th of April 2012. At his funeral, his daughter, Kathryn, recalled her thoughts on what made this gentle giant of a man so special, and why we all should cherish our own memories an...
11m Apr 23, 2012
11m
By George
A tribute to the poet, wit, father and husband that was George Fennell, 1924 - 2012. Hilary's introduction Resurrection Maura The Professor's Dream The Eye and Ear Hospital The Tavern Sybil's recollection Ivor's speech Macushla sung by John McCormack Original preface to the poetry collection, 'Resurrection': - These poems form an important part of Fennell’s canon. Up until now little has bee...
24m Feb 15, 2012
24m
The Spinning Wheel
5m Dec 27, 2011
5m
AIRPI meets Audioboo
Here's a brief recording from the AIRPI meeting on the 3rd December 2011 when John Ward recorded a few members for AIRPI's first mass boo - some folk were very shy indeed, others not so....
1m Dec 03, 2011
1m
Jerpoint Park
Jerpoint Park is a must see visitor attraction in Thomastown, Co.Kilkenny. A national monument heritage site with footprints of 12th century medieval town & the tomb of St. Nicholas (Bishop of Myra and yes, the famed Santa Claus no less!). Afterwards, enjoy the tea rooms in the wonderful Belmore House serving homemade scones. Fishing on the river Nore for wild salmon & brown trout on a private ...
2m Oct 24, 2011
2m
Kilkenny Foodcamp debate
The indomitable Mag Kirwan took time out from running Goatsbridge Trout Farm to tell us about an event she has set up with Keith Bohanna for this year's Savour Kilkenny; a veritable Food Fight at 3:30, Newpark hotel, Kilkenny! Chaired by John McKenna of The Bridgestone Food Guide who will pose this question: “Traditional Irish Cuisine – an embarrassment of riches or just an embarrassment?” O...
2m Oct 24, 2011
2m
Radio 4's Denis Nowlan
Radio Four's Station Manager, Denis Nowlan, was in Dublin of Friday night at the invitation of AIRPI. He gave a highly informative overview of Radio Four with a view to letting Irish independent radio producers know what is required to get commissioned for documentaries. His full talk will soon be available on airpi.ie to members, but for now, we are posting his wrap up gag about one of the ma...
2m Oct 14, 2011
2m
Donegal - a creative county?
Overview: Rapporteur Fiona McGaughey summarizes themes from the speeches and the salient points from the various workshops at the end of a conference on cultural tourism in County Donegal that took place on the 4th of October 2011. Summary: A well run and well attended conference on cultural tourism in Donegal took place in the Villa Rosa hotel in Ballybofey, Co. Donegal today. Among the speak...
13m Oct 04, 2011
13m
Welcome to the Sound Garden
#AIRPI #IrishRadioProducers #SoundGarden
1m Jul 14, 2011
1m
Prof McKevitt summarises Colgan Heritage weekend 2011 highlights
5m Jun 26, 2011
5m
Talk on tourism & technology
4m Jun 13, 2011
4m