In this special check-in episode of the Irish Stew Podcast, host Martin Nutty welcomes back author Cauvery Madhavan to discuss her new novel, 'The Inheritance.' Cauvery shares the inspiration behind the novel, which weaves together stories from the Tudor conquest of Ireland and the more recent 1980s. Set in the Beara Peninsula, a place close to Cauvery's heart, the book explores themes of history, place, and identity while touching on the struggles of everyday people during turbulent times. The episode provides insights into the writing process, the research involved, and Cauvery's personal connection to the setting of the novel.

The Inheritance
It’s 1986 and 29-year-old Marlo O’Sullivan of London-Irish stock has just found out that his sister is his mother. To steady his life, he moves to Glengarriff, to a cottage he has inherited, in the stunning Beara Peninsula. When a neighbour dies unexpectedly, Marlo takes over his minibus service to Cork. There is nothing regular about the regulars on the bus – especially Sully, a non-verbal 6 year old, who goes nowhere but does the journey back and forth every day, on his own. Marlo is landed with this a strange but compassionate arrangement, fashioned to give the child’s mother respite from his care. Sully’s obsession with an imaginary friend in the ancient oak forests of Glengarriff slowly unveils its terrible secrets – a 400-hundred-year-old tragedy reveals itself.

Links

• Website
• The Inheritance
• Original Irish Stew Episode (July 2021)

Healthcare thought leader Michael J. Dowling returns to Irish Stew to discuss his new book The Aging Revolution: The History of Geriatric Health Care and What Really Matters to Older Adults, the launch of Northwell Studios to tell stories that humanize health care, and why he sees gun violence as a public health priority.
Last on Irish Stew in April, 2021, the Limerick-born Northwell Health CEO shares insights into the progress of geriatric healthcare, the societal challenges posed by an aging population, finding the one thing that matters to older adults, and the role of immigration in a graying world.

“We all want to age, nobody says I don't want to get older. So, we should have respect for people as they get older because we will be there someday ourselves,” he says.

Michael also tells how the new Northwell Studios will bring fresh storytelling to healthcare today, building on the success of the acclaimed Netflix documentary series Lenox Hill and Emergency NYC, and the Academy Award-shortlisted Covid-19 documentary The First Wave.

We wrap with Michael’s advocacy for viewing American gun violence as a public health crisis and how corporate America is embracing this new thinking.
To catch Michale Dowling’s infectious optimism, join us on this check-in episode of Irish Stew.

Links

• Website
• Book: The Aging Revolution
• Northwell Health: Michael Dowling
• LinkedIn

John Connell traveled far from Ireland in his 20s, and early in his career, his work yielded accolades in journalism and filmmaking. Yet happiness and contentment proved to be elusive. Returning to the family farm in Longford, one of Ireland's heartland counties, provided a restorative space to pursue a career as an author.

Three books followed, notably The Cow Book, which achieved critical acclaim; despite those successes, the way forward became unclear until an extended trip on the Camino de Santiago revealed the possibilities of another project that added deeper meaning to his life.

Join cohosts John Lee and Martin Nutty as they talk with John Connell about his latest book, The Lambing Season, and how life as a shepherd revealed new truths and understanding of what it takes to live well.

Links
Social Media

• Facebook
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• Twitter/X

Books

• The Lambing Season
• The Cow Book (The Farmer's Son)
• The Running Book
• The Stream of Everything

Seamus Plug

• Conor Hammersley

Our Irish Stew Drinks Party is back with PJ Rigney, founder of The Shed Distillery--home of the breakout star of the burgeoning Irish gin category, Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin, along with its Sausage Tree Irish Vodka, and Drumshanbo Irish Whiskey.

The magic happened when PJ rolled the dice after an innovative career in the global drinks industry to strike out on his own.
“To build a distillery is one thing, to create the product is another thing, but to create a way of communicating to consumers to build a brand is another thing entirely,” he says.

PJ wanted his distillery to be in the wild, un-manicured heart of rural Ireland, a place of curiosity & inspiration, surrounded by nature, immersed in rich history. He found it all in the beautiful village of Drumshanbo Co.Leitrim, on the shores of Lough Allen, at the foothills of Sliabh an Iarainn (The Iron Mountain).
His Shed Distillery is now a major contributor to the Leitrim economy and a draw for spirits enthusiasts and tourists worldwide.

Join us as we explore the role of innovation and storytelling in spirits sector success straight from the curious mind of PJ Rigney.

Links
The Shed Distillery

• Website
• X/Twitter
• Instagram
• Facebook
• YouTube
• LinkedIn

Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin

• Website

PJ Rigney

• LinkedIn

Irish Stew delves into the rich world of Irish American literature through the eyes and pen of guest John Kearns, a New Yorker by way of Philadelphia and a relentless storyteller in short stories, novels, plays, poetry, screenwriting, and song.

Our conversation explores John’s creative processes, the importance of maintaining cultural roots, the differences between Irish American identities in Philadelphia and New York, and his long run as the curator of the monthly Irish American Writers & Artists Salon. From an early age, he’s always been writing, inspired by his family story, cultural heritage, and his deep connection to Irish literature.

He shares the creative process behind his novels The World and Worlds and his play Boann and the Well of Wisdom, a poetic drama inspired by Boann, the Irish goddess of poetry who created the River Boyne. John talks about the challenges bringing Boann from script to stage and his satisfaction at seeing it take top honors at the recent Origin Theatre 1st Irish Festival.

And John’s taking Boann and the Well of Wisdom on the road, to Ireland. Catch it if you can!

Links
John Kearns Social Media

• Facebook
• Twitter

John Kearns Publications

• Boann and the Well of Wisdom: Irish Tour Fundraiser
• Website
• Facebook

John Kearns Books (Amazon)

• The World
• Dreams and Dull Realities
• Worlds

In this episode of Irish Stew, hosts John Lee and Martin Nutty welcome Julie Breathnach-Banwait, a poet and child psychologist. Julie shares her unique journey from her Connemara home (Ceantar an nOileán) off the west coast of Ireland to the island of Tasmania off the south coast of Australia.

Julie discusses her deep connection to the Irish language, her published works, her latest poetry collection, Split Bones (Cnámha Scoilte), and her experiences living in Tasmania. She reads a poignant bilingual poem exploring themes of emergence and transformation. The episode delves into Julie's nuanced prose poetry, her creative process, and how writing in Irish helps her reconnect with her roots while living far from her birthplace.

Julie Links

• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• TwitterX

Split Bones (Cnámha Scoilte )

• Publisher: Bobtail Books
• Amazon USA
• Amazon UK

This episode of Irish Stew features an in-depth discussion with Dr. Elizabeth Stack, the Executive Director of the American Irish Historical Society (AIHS).

Dr. Stack discusses her journey from Listowel, County Kerry, to her academic career in history and her role in developing the Irish American Heritage Museum in Albany and revitalizing the AIHS.

Recorded at the AIHS's historic Fifth Avenue headquarters in New York, the conversation delves into the importance of preserving Irish American history, the challenges of maintaining the society's landmark building, and the efforts to engage younger generations in Irish heritage. Dr. Stack also reflects on the broader themes of immigration and community integration, emphasizing the continuing relevance of these issues today.

Links
Elizabeth Stack

• LinkedIn

American Irish Historical Society

• Website
• Facebook
• Twitter

In New York for the annual New York New Belfast Conference, Máirtín Ó Muilleoir swung by the Irish Stew Global Headquarters for a transatlantic conversation with co-host John Lee.

In this episode, the Belfast Media Group and Irish Echo publisher tells of growing up during The Troubles, watching gun battles on his Belfast street, his move into politics, the less-than-warm reception he got as a Sinn Féin Belfast City Councillor, the superpower he discovered during his eventful year as the Lord Mayor of Belfast, and his tireless efforts to reach across divides, connect communities, and build bridges.

“When I had to reach out to the other side--sometimes that was tough--but every time I did I was met halfway--not 50 percent of the time, not 70 percent--every time,“ he says. “Every initiative we did reaching out to the Protestant or Unionist people, they responded with generosity and grace.”

He reflects on personal challenges, the conundrum he found waiting for him in the Lord Mayor’s office, his fondest memory from his one-year term, the electricity in the air of the new Belfast, the ongoing need for social justice, the imperative to grow economic opportunity, the indispensable contributions of Irish America, and reason the Northern Ireland Hospice earned his “Seamus Plug,”

And you’ll hear the curious story behind the remarkable Robert Ballagh portrait of him that broke the mold in the “Dome of Delight.”

Links
Social Media

• Twitter/X
• LinkedIn
• Facebook

Business Interests

• Belfast Media Group
• Irish Echo
• Aisling Events

Seamus Plug

• Northern Ireland Hospice