Panoramica: Recent Episodes
Tom O'Connor
Making you think, laugh and question as well as (hopefully!) teaching you something new.
Shortlisted in two categories at the National Student Media Awards 2022: 1) Radio production of the year - News and Current Affairs 2) Journalism relating to the environment
A special report from Uganda on politics, refugees, religion and education in the country, which is also known as "The Pearl of Africa".
Named 'Radio Documentary of the Year' at the National Student Media Awards (Ireland) in 2024.
Presented and produced by Tom O'Connor for FlirtFM.
Credits for archive clips: NTV Uganda, Uganda Today, British Pathé and Louis Jadwong.
20 University of Galway students took part in the 'Sleep Out for Simon' in the Quadrangle on the night of October 6th.
The fundraising initiative was in aid of the Simon Community, which is an Irish charity helping homeless people.
Tom went to the Sleep Out where he spoke with Rory O'Flaherty, Dara Golden and Anna Sheehy.
Music courtesy of trad group Fiántas Ceol.
Kevin Boyle was a human rights lawyer, activist, and academic.
A leading figure in the Northern Ireland civil rights movement, he was a founder of the People's Democracy and a key member of NICRA (the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association). Kevin Boyle also contributed to the peace process, which culminated in the Good Friday Agreement of 1998.
As a human rights lawyer, he did significant work on cases regarding gay rights, abuse of prisoners, and the treatment of the Kurdish minority in Turkey.
Kevin Boyle was also central to the freedom of expression organisation Article 19, Amnesty International's work in Africa in the 1980s, and the work of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson.
Hear all this and more in 'Boyle's Law', which tells the story of Kevin Boyle with archive audio and contributions from those who knew him.
This documentary was named 'Podcast of the Year' at the National Student Media Awards (Ireland) in 2023.
Presented and produced by Tom O'Connor for the University of Galway radio station FlirtFM.
Music credits:
- Intro/Outro music
"Never Miss A Moment" from Scott Holmes Music on FreeMusicArchive. Licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International license.
- Other
"Codeine Crazy" from Alexander Lavoe on FreeMusicArchive. Licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International license.
Archive audio credits (more info available on request):
RTE Archives, BBC, Mike Chinoy, Council of Europe Facebook Page.
The Cairde Ronáin project brought together residents in a nursing home and children in a local school on the Aran Island of Inis Mór off the coast of Galway. They would chat, dance, play music, and more.
Noreen Watts is a staff nurse from Glenamaddy in County Galway who started the amazing Cáirde Rónáin initiative back in 2005. Noreen joined Tom to chat about the establishment of the programme, how it worked, why it stopped, and more.
Galway band ‘New Dad’ is one of the greatest Irish bands at the moment. The group has played Glastonbury, supported Fontaines DC, and gained over one million listeners in 176 countries on Spotify in 2022.
The band’s lead singer Julie Dawson and guitarist Sean O’Dowd chatted with Tom about the group’s history, its inspirations, gigging, their experiences of living together, plans for 'New Dad' in 2023 and much more besides.
A round-up of the main political events in Ireland, Britain and Northern Ireland in the second half of 2022 with:
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Mairéad Farrell, Sinn Féin TD for Galway West and party spokesperson on Public Expenditure and Reform,
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Darragh Nolan, Deputy Editor at SIN ("Student Independent News"), and
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Róisín Elizabeth Cowan, Editor-in-Chief at the University of Galway Law Review.
The panel discussed everything from the change of Taoiseach and the fall of Boris Johnson to the chaos of Liz Truss's premiership and the Stormont Assembly deadlock.
Animal activists have been advocating for animals to be recognised as sentient beings across the world. There have also been discussions about whether artificial intelligence should be deemed sentient beings.
Séan McCallum joined Claire and Tom in studio to examine progress in the area, what a sentient being is and more.
Claire Holland and Tom O'Connor were joined by Róisín McGrath, vice auditor of the NUIG Feminist Society, to:
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Discuss the do's and dont's for incoming NUIG students
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Review the college year in general
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Assess the impact of Covid-19 on learning
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'Dr Strange in the Multiverse of Madness'
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'Operation Mincemeat'
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'Intouchables'
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Animated Films
Tom O'Connor, Claire Holland and Joe O'Brien discuss the current state of play in Irish politics, which parties are gaining students' support, the performance of the current government and more.
The United States Supreme Court gave a landmark judgment in 1973 in the case of Roe v Wade which allowed women to get an abortion in America. Now, that judgment and the long line of case law supporting it may be overturned.
Claire Holland and Tom O'Connor discuss why, the possible implications, the potential effect on the November mid-term elections and more.
Tom O'Connor and Claire Holland give some summer travel tips for Ireland and Europe this summer for everything from a weekend getaway with the car to using public transport all the time.
Now in its third and final series, Claire Holland and Tom O'Connor review the latest episodes of 'Derry Girls' and the show on a whole.
David McCullagh is the author of a two-volume biography on former Taoiseach and President of Ireland, Eamon DeValera. He joined Tom to talk about DeValera's life and legacy.
David is also the presenter of the RTE Six One News and has also recently released 'The Great Irish Politics Book'.
Cows are walking polluting machines. One of the ways they pollute is by releasing nitrogen through their urine into the soil which cannot absorb it all. Climate researchers have now been able to toilet train peeing cows to stop this problem!
Lindsay Matthews is an animal behaviour scientist who was part of this project to toilet-train cows. He joined Tom from New Zealand to talk about what inspired him to toilet train cows, how it worked and the benefits for the environment.
The Cairde Ronáin project brought together residents in a nursing home and children in a local school on the Aran Island of Inis Mór off the coast of Galway. They would chat, dance, play music and more.
Noreen Watts is a staff nurse from Glenamaddy in County Galway who started the amazing Cáirde Rónáin initiative back in 2005. Noreen joined Tom to chat about the establishment of the programme, how it worked, why it stopped and more.
Captain of the NUIG women’s basketball team ‘The Mystics’, Courtney Cecere, was live in the studio to chat about the team’s recent success, including winning the National Cup and the National League.
Courtney also chatted about how she got into basketball, coming from Pennsylvania in America, being a student ambassador and more!
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has released its third report in the space of eight months emphasising the need to take climate action now.
Izzy, Tom and Claire talked about the report, shifting away from fossil fuels, resistance to climate action and the steps we can take.
Tom O’Connor, Izzy Beaumont, Claire Holland and Gavin Daly ask:
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What is the value of community/college radio?
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Is there a societal pressure to be in a relationship and get married?
What is the worst thing a teacher has ever said to you?
Maria Nazarchuk and Maria Koslovska ("Masha") have both fled their homes in Eastern Ukraine in the past few weeks and were offered to stay in Ballindooley Castle by its owner, Barry Haughian.
Tom spoke with Maria and Masha about the war in Ukraine, their journeys out of the country and how they are settling into the Irish community. Tom also asked Barry what inspired him to offer his castle to 11 Ukrainians and what advice he has for Irish people seeking to help those fleeing the war in Ukraine.
(Thanks to Stephen Corrigan in the Connaught Tribune for putting the show in contact with Barry)
Izzy and Tom were joined by Claire Holland to chat about:
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Gym culture
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Why we never got hover cars
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Housing
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The global music market was worth $26bn in 2021 with revenues surging by 18.5%.
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Review of the new social media app 'BeReal'.
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The Census and the new 'time capsule' section on it.
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US Supreme Court nominee, Kentanji Brown Jackson.
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This week in history.
Deborah is the CEO of the Australia Koala Foundation for which she has worked since 1988. Deborah is sometimes referred to internationally as "the koala woman"!
Tom spoke with Deborah about how she got involved with koalas, the climate crisis, older generations' resistance to climate action, how protecting koalas is necessary for stopping climate change, and much more besides.
Claire Holland came back on the Panel with Izzy and Tom.
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Should the college year be longer?
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As one petrol station in Muldhuddart charged €2 for petrol, is public transport better than using a car?
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Is it better to live in the countryside or the city?
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Review of 'Tick Tick Boom' starring Andrew Garfield
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Review of Seven nightclub and bar
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World book day
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Blue or Bald initiative in support of Pieta House on March 31st with organiser Liam Liddane Dillon
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IPCC Report on Climate Change
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This Week in History
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Should Irish be compulsory in schools?
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Should a blended approach (online and in-person) remain?
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Coffee culture
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Review of the Róisín Dubh Silent Disco
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NUIG Theatre Week
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Theatre vs Cinema: Which is better?
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Tayto Park being sponsored by a different company
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Reopening rural train lines or turning them into greenways
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This week in history
Limerick-lover and a good friend of Tom's, Claire Holland, came on the show for a chat about:
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Things we did as kids that we should do again as adults,
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Valentine's Day as singletons,
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Whether sleeping on your belly/back/side is best, and
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Wedding rings.
A 'Reclaim the Night' march has been organised for next Wednesday, February 23rd starting at Eyre Square moving down to the Spanish Arch.
Vice Auditor of the NUIG Feminist Society, Róisín McGrath, spoke to Tom about 'Reclaim the Night' marches and developments relating to an NUIG sexual assault policy.
Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris has said that he is considering either reducing or scrapping the €3,000 annual student contribution fee paid by third level students.
Convenor of the School of Law, Business and Public Policy, Krys Bachan and Tom teased out the possibility of fees being reduced or gotten rid of altogether.
Last September, Galway City Councillors voted by 17 to 1 in favour of a temporary two-way cycle lane along the Salthill prom. After 4 hours of debate on Monday evening, the Councillors changed their minds and voted 13 to 4 to revoke plans for the temporary 3 km cycle route. Those who voted against the plan cited concerns of local businesses, schools, residents and emergency services.
Mayor and Councillor for Galway City Central, Colette Connolly, is one of the 4 Councillors who did not want to revoke the plans. Mayor Connolly joined Tom to give her reaction to the decision and talk about where to go from here when it comes to cycling in Galway.
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Wordle
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Reform of Ireland's defense budget
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Ministers travelling abroad for St Patrick's Day
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Oscar nominations
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The increased popularity of true crime
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Plans for Valentine's Day
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Would you like to live forever?
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Who would play you in a movie?
Fighting Words gives young people the opportunity to write and create in a number of ways.
Today, Tom learns about the organisation's playwriting course which gives young teenagers the chance to write one act plays for production in the Abbey Theatre. This year, 8 young playwrights gather opposite Croke Park on Sundays to work on their one act shows.
Tom spoke with:
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Una Kavanagh (one of the main organisers of the programme who is also an actor, writer and artist),
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Sean Farrly (one of the coordinators of the initiative who also took part in it when he was a teen), and
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Róisín Browne (a participant in this year's programme).
On this week's show, Izzy and Tom:
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Looked back on President Biden's first year in office,
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Spoke about how we think ourselves drunk,
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Reviewed two recent cinema releases; 'Kingsman 3' and 'Belfast',
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Chatted about the cheap flights phenomenon, and
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Checked whether each other were keeping up their New Years resolutions!
On this new segment, Izzy paid respects to Ashling Murphy on behalf of 'Panoramica'. Tom and Izzy also spoke about controversy surrounding Molly Mae's 24-hours in a day comment, what they do with their 24-hours, new years resolutions, being spontaneous and more.
Sion Hill is the alias for singer-songwriter and producer Nathan Johnston. After leaving Ireland for Berlin, after leaving Berlin for Hamburg, and after leaving Hamburg for the murmuring vastness that is London, Nate’s desire for something new is as evident in his music as it is in his change of destination! Nate has toured Europe with the likes of A-ha, Pete Doherty and Alice Merton. Going back to his roots in Pop, Soul and Rock’n’roll, Sion Hill is finally learning to accept that there are no straight paths in life. Instead he and his sound will continue to “venture into the unknown”.
Nate came on 'Panoramica' to chat about growing up in Mullingar, getting into music, going to boarding school, how he started off studying business in college, the differences between small and big venues and much more.
Colm Keena is a Dubliner who studied zoology at Trinity College but ended up going into journalism! He has been a journalist with The Irish Times for around 25 years and is currently a public affairs correspondent there. Colm has worked on a variety of stories mainly relating to business, law, and politics. In 2006, Colm's refusal to reveal the name of a source who gave him information about then-Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Bertie Ahern's finances resulted in a court case that went all the way to the Irish Supreme Court.
As a member of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), Colm worked on the Pandora Papers and a story relating to the Xinjiang internment camps. Notably, Colm was a member of the Pulitzer Prize-winning team that worked on the Panama Papers.
Colm is also an author. He has written a novel ('Bishop's Move') as well as biographies on Bertie Ahern, Charles Haughey, and Gerry Adams.
Colm came on 'Panoramica' to chat about his long career in journalism, how he ended up as a journalist having studied zoology, his work on the Mahon Tribunal, the prospect of going to prison, what he has learned, why he recommends journalism to young people and more.
Geraldine O'Connell Cusack grew up in an Irish family the Bronx, New York. Her father was a trade union organiser in the docks there. Geraldine studied political science at university and went on to work with the Seminole tribe in Florida to help them develop an alphabet. After that, she did similar work for communities in rural Chile and Tanzania.
Geraldine came on 'Panoramica' to discuss her upbringing, her Irish roots, how she ended up working with the Seminole tribe, the Seminole's history, her daughter's and her own experience living with the tribe and much more.
Dominic MacSorley grew up in Belfast during a period often referred to as "The Troubles". Coming from a medical background, Dominic studied law and started working for Concern Worldwide in his 20s. He continued working for the non-governmental organisation all around the world for the past few decades. He became CEO of Concern Worldwide and is now approaching the end of his time in that role.
Dominic came on 'Panoramica' to talk about many things, including his beginnings, hope, Concern's work and the solutions to the most pressing problems facing our world.
Mary Kennedy grew up in Dublin and became a teacher. One day, she answered an ad in a paper and became a continuity announcer in RTE. She became a household name after presenting many shows over the years, including 'Eurovision' (1995), 'Nationwide' and 'Open House'.
Mary came on 'Panoramica' to chat about her early life, family, career, faith and her new book 'Journey to the Well', which she co-authored with her sister, Deirdre.
Patrick Desprez grew up in France and moved to Ireland a few decades ago where he went on to study linguistics and become a teacher.
Patrick came on 'Panoramica' to chat about linguistics, education, the power of language and coming to Ireland.
Updated episode with better audio
Sri Paran came to Ireland from Sri Lanka a number of decades ago and is now a well respected paediatric surgeon. He came on 'Panoramica' to discuss his move to Ireland, faith, how he got into medicine and his remarkable home country of Sri Lanka.
Larry Donnelly is a law lecturer at NUI Galway in the West of Ireland. He is a regular media contributor and is a writer for the Journal.ie.
Larry came on ‘Panoramica’ to talk about education, politics, his early life in Boston, moving to Ireland and his new book ‘The Bostonian’, which is available now.
Nancy Hollander is a criminal defence lawyer based in the USA. She has represented many people during her career, including a former Guantanamo Bay detainee called Mohamedou Ould Slahi.
Nancy talked about her early life, how she ended up in law and Mohamedou's story which is told in the Golden Globe-winning film, 'The Mauritanian', starring Jodie Foster and Benedict Cumberbatch.