Fingal Libraries Celebrates International Podcast Day: 30th September
Did you know we’re big fans of podcasts here at Fingal Libraries? We have our very own Fingal Libraries Podcast which can be found here https://anchor.fm/fingallibraries/episodes/Fingal-Library-Show-from-Monday-16th-of-November-emed7f. This podcast is created by library staff and features discussions of upcoming events and activities, guides to using our latest eservices, and many reviews of books and movies.
There’s also a podcast for the whole of Fingal County Council, which can be found here https://www.fingal.ie/podcast. The Inside Fingal Podcast gives an insight into the work being done by councillors and staff to make Fingal a better place to live, work, visit and do business in. Make sure to catch episode 19 and hear all about Fingal’s new County Library as part of the Swords Cultural Quarter project.
Fingal Libraries also regularly host podcast workshops for young people, both online and in person. Participants will learn about all the steps to create their very own podcasts, including developing their ideas, hosting, recording, and editing. Archived workshops can be found here https://www.crowdcast.io/e/mdph5tc7 and here https://www.crowdcast.io/e/7znvv2il
To celebrate International Podcast Day, we’re sharing some of our favourite Irish podcasts!
1. Resident
Created by Rob Flynn, who facilitates Fingal Libraries’ podcasting workshops, Resident is a ten-part series that tells individual stories on identity, culture, and the immigrant experience in Ireland. Each episode focuses on one person's story, where they explore the unique personal histories that led them here and what home means to them today.
The series features a diverse group of contributors, including a medical student who worked on the frontline during the Syrian civil war, a Brazilian-American who spent his teenage summers trekking through the Amazon rainforest, and a Somali filmmaker who travelled back to her homeland to record her family’s nomadic heritage.
2. 180 Degrees
This podcast is produced by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland and airs fortnightly. It looks at the energy choices we make when it comes to transport, our homes, businesses, and technology. Special guests, such as Mary Robinson, Dermot Bannon, and Eamon Ryan TD, discuss everything from tips for home energy upgrades, to electric vehicles, and how to reduce your carbon footprint.
3. The Black and Irish Podcast
This weekly podcast is presented by Leon Diop, Femi Bankole, Amanda Ade, and Boni Odoemene. Each week they talk to a variety of remarkable people about the lives of black people living in Ireland. Through these conversations about their personal experiences, they explore the culture and identity, along with the struggles and the successes of the black Irish community. Guests have included ‘Don’t Touch my Hair’ author Emma Dabiri, fitness influencer Paul Olima, actor Jade Jordan, and political coordinator for Black and Irish Eric Ehigie.
4. The Almanac of Ireland
Presented by Manchán Magan, this podcast and RTE Radio 1 show explores the quirks, conundrums, and wonders of Ireland. Each episode features stories based on Irish folklore, mythology, and heritage. Such topics include how the Irish were able to make a cheese hard enough to kill the semi-divine leader of Connaught, Queen Maeve; what it was like to spend hours alone in an ancient cave of transformation where Gaelic warriors endured periods of isolation to prove their manhood; and how long does it take for an urban pond to become a multidimensional wonderland. A wide variety of topics are explored weekly in this charming and funny podcast.
5. Three Castles Burning
This podcast by Donal Fallon is a social history podcast which tells some of the more forgotten stories of Dublin’s history. Episodes include ‘Bram Stoker’s Dublin’, a part of the Bram Stoker festival, which describes how Bram Stoker may have been influenced by Dublin city. ‘Bang Bang Shoots the Busses’ tells of Thomas Dudley, the well-loved character, with Daniel Lambert from Bang Bang Café.
Clíodhna O’Reilly, Fingal Libraries HQ.