Friends,In a nearly double-length and incredibly wide-ranging, I talk with journalist, editor, activist, and podcaster Una Mullally about the erosion of old structures and the possibility of new ones. Not just the government, but the environment, our relational structures, our spiritual structures, and more.
We talk at length on how neoliberalism and tech imperialism is eating the soul of Dublin, but our talk is by no means Ireland-specific. What we’re discussing at the core is how we fight against the consuming algorithms of neoliberalism and capitalism with our hearts and humanity. The reason we talk for so long isn’t merely because she’s Irish! It’s because we keep going deeper and deeper.
I was so excited to have this conversation with one of Ireland’s great minds.
Una is one of Ireland’s best known journalists, and one of the most incisive. She’s also the co-creator of the great podcast United Ireland, which chronicles the current landscape and history of Ireland, county by county. I can’t recommend a more accessible intro to this place I love so much.
On top of being an extremely prolific author, Una is also an activist, and much of that activism features in her work, including the book Repeal the 8th, which Una edited – an anthology work by women resisting misogynist abortion laws in Ireland (which features an essay by AEWCH 72 guest Sinead Gleeson!) Plus she’s written (briefly) about leprechauns, so how could I not be excited to speak with her?
Also on this episode:
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When and why Una left the Catholic church
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The tech gentrification of Dublin and everywhere
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The cruelty of ugliness
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Why Irish meter maids are the best
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The ways neoliberals pretend to be the drivers of progress
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Equality vs freedom
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The uses and dangers of nationalism
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The feeling of Ireland, and Irish people laughing at me for moving here
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The mystic pulse of the Irish land
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Why we need to fight oppression and heal trauma simultaneously
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The zombification of party politics
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Why relationship is the most important part of activism
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Why facts no longer matter
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How self indulgent emotional performativity holds back change
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Giving conflict over to the angels
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The problems with Extinction Rebellion
Want to go deeper? Look at the SHOW NOTES!
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Conner Habib 