A Peace of My Mind

John Noltner
  • 4.9 (17)
  • DOCUMENTARY
  • UPDATED MONTHLY

Stories to bridge divides and build community.

  1. The Troubles - Carmel Loughlin and Lauri McCusker

    FEB 12

    The Troubles - Carmel Loughlin and Lauri McCusker

    Two stories again in this episode: Carmel Loughlin grew up in the Republic of Ireland but spent time crossing the border frequently to visit family in the North, until the Troubles broke out when she was about 12 years old. She has spent much of her career in mental health, helping people navigate the ongoing challenges and lingering effects of the violence. Lauri McCusker works in community development in an effort to make life better in County Fermanaugh. And while he becomes frustrated by “watching people find reasons and excuses for not creating positive change in our society,” he is driven forward, looking for the next — sometimes small — win for his community.  Credits: Photos and text, John NoltnerField production, summer interns Kate West, Sawyer Garrison, and Kaitlin ImaiAudio Engineering, Razik SaifullahThanks for listening to A Peace of My Mind's podcast. For photos, videos, and additional content, visit our website and follow us on Instagram.

    1h 53m
  2. The Troubles - Gerry Creamer and Elaine O'Hara

    JAN 22

    The Troubles - Gerry Creamer and Elaine O'Hara

    In this episode we share two conversations with people we met in Manorhamilton in the Republic of Ireland, just across the border from Northern Ireland. Like so many things, conflict and tensions are not confined within a political line that is drawn on the map. Gerry Creamer is the youngest of five children. He grew up in a traditional and  devoutly Catholic family in the Republic of Ireland, close to the border with the North. Although he has several family members who have been active in politics, Gerry is more interested in community work and spends his time trying to find funding for programs that can make his community a better place to live. Elaine O’Hara has spent most of her life in Manorhamilton with short stays in Cork and Belfast, just after the signing of the Good Friday Agreement. She is active with a women’s group in Manorhamilton. Although life has taken some unexpected turns, she says she knows who she is, she holds her head up high, and she is immensely proud of the three sons she has raised. Credits: Photos and text, John NoltnerField production, summer interns Kate West, Sawyer Garrison, and Kaitlin ImaiAudio Engineering, Razik SaifullahThanks for listening to A Peace of My Mind's podcast. For photos, videos, and additional content, visit our website and follow us on Instagram.

    1h 15m
  3. The Troubles - Israel Eguaogie

    JAN 15

    The Troubles - Israel Eguaogie

    Israel Eguaogie was 17 when he left Nigeria and relocated to Germany as an asylum seeker. A decade later he moved to Dublin and soon after that, shifted north to Belfast. It was a decision that horrified his mother back in Nigeria, who had heard news reports of the sectarian violence in the country. But Israel said that he experienced the calm and the peace of Northern Ireland and recalled it was the first place since living in Germany, where someone said hello to him first. Israel has also experienced racism in Northern Ireland, and in recent public protests and violence directed at immigrants, Israel says he is concerned that previous rivals in the Protestant and Catholic communities will find unifying common ground in their backlash against newcomers, and that the rocks they once threw at each other will now land on the immigrants instead. Credits: Photos and text, John NoltnerField production, summer interns Kate West, Sawyer Garrison, and Kaitlin ImaiAudio Engineering, Razik SaifullahThanks for listening to A Peace of My Mind's podcast. For photos, videos, and additional content, visit our website and follow us on Instagram.

    23 min
  4. The Troubles - Lewis Lyttle and Roxy Lyttle

    JAN 8

    The Troubles - Lewis Lyttle and Roxy Lyttle

    Lewis Lyttle is an ex-Loyalist prisoner. He was sentenced to 15 years for attempted murder during The Troubles and was released early, with the signing of The Good Friday Agreement.  Now Lewis works to facilitate cross-community groups with Black Mountain Shared Space, a community center built on the site of a former peace wall and designed to bring people from both Protestant and Catholic communities together to get to know one another and build relationships and trust. Stay tuned toward the end of the recording for some generational insights from Lewis’ daughter Roxy, a high school student, who is engaged with programs at Black Mountain Shared Space as well. Credits: Photos and text, John NoltnerField production, summer interns Kate West, Sawyer Garrison, and Kaitlin ImaiAudio Engineering, Razik SaifullahThanks for listening to A Peace of My Mind's podcast. For photos, videos, and additional content, visit our website and follow us on Instagram.

    49 min
  5. The Troubles - Bronagh McAtasney

    12/31/2025

    The Troubles - Bronagh McAtasney

    Bronagh McAtasney is the daughter of John Bosco McAtasney, a master weaver and the last hand loom weaver in Ireland. She recalls his curiosity, his desire to learn, and his passion to instill the same in his children. When he passed away in 2018, Bronagh used her small inheritance to leave her job in administration, go back to school for a master’s degree in public history and now, in her own words, “I’m actually getting paid to be nosy about people’s lives.” Growing up during the Troubles, Bronagh kept a diary that weaves the threads of daily headlines and historical trauma with the day-to-day realities of life as a 13-year-old girl in Northern Ireland. In 2013, she started sharing her diary posts daily on Twitter (and now BlueSky) as a way to document and juxtapose the geopolitical realities with her personal experience. Credits: Photos and text, John NoltnerField production, summer interns Kate West, Sawyer Garrison, and Kaitlin ImaiAudio Engineering, Razik SaifullahThanks for listening to A Peace of My Mind's podcast. For photos, videos, and additional content, visit our website and follow us on Instagram. Thanks for listening to A Peace of My Mind's podcast. For photos, videos, and additional content, visit our website and follow us on Instagram.

    59 min
  6. The Troubles - Aoife Moore

    12/26/2025

    The Troubles - Aoife Moore

    Aoife Moore is an independent investigative journalist from Derry, Northern Ireland and formerly worked as a political correspondent for the BBC. She calls herself a victim of England’s legacy in Ireland and says that every facet of her life has been marred by British colonialism, including the death of her uncle in the violence of Bloody Sunday. Aoife chose her path to become a journalist because of her frustration with the British media’s unwillingness to challenge the government’s official narrative of what happened on Bloody Sunday and her desire to be a part of revealing the truth. She is the best-selling author of The Long Game: Inside Sinn Fein, a book that explores the growth of Sinn Fein from the armed struggle of the IRA to its current political dominance in the country. Credits: Photos and text, John NoltnerField production, summer interns Kate West, Sawyer Garrison, and Kaitlin ImaiAudio Engineering, Razik SaifullahThanks for listening to A Peace of My Mind's podcast. For photos, videos, and additional content, visit our website and follow us on Instagram.

    40 min
  7. The Troubles - Jonny Clark

    12/18/2025

    The Troubles - Jonny Clark

    Jonny Clark is the program manager for Public Theology at Corrymeela, often called Ireland’s oldest peace center. Born in New Zealand and married to an American, Jonny has lived in Northern Ireland for 40 years. When he was growing up, his family moved to Belfast at the heights of The Troubles. As he says, “During a time when most people were not moving to Northern Ireland.” He has spent time in South Africa, Israel - Palestine, and other places of tension, learning ways that other countries have moved through or continue to struggle with conflict. Jonny was involved with making a documentary called Guardians of the Flame, a film that strives to hear redemptive stories from people in the midst of religious and sectarian violence. Credits: Photos and text, John NoltnerField production, summer interns Kate West, Sawyer Garrison, and Kaitlin ImaiAudio Engineering, Razik SaifullahThanks for listening to A Peace of My Mind's podcast. For photos, videos, and additional content, visit our website and follow us on Instagram.

    59 min
  8. SOBR - Lisa Retezan

    11/11/2025

    SOBR - Lisa Retezan

    Lisa Retezan works as a substance use disorder navigator at a day shelter for youth who are unhoused. She openly shares her story with them about her own struggles with addiction. Lisa took her first sip of alcohol at age 15 and struggled for much of her life with addiction. Her husband at the time knew, and as Lisa says, "He cleaned up my messes." Her mother knew and begged her to get help, but Lisa wasn't ready. Eventually the alcohol lead to a job loss, followed by an attempted suicide. Then, she was ready for help. At the time of our interview, Lisa had been sober for 6 years, 3 months, and 3 days. Many thanks to the Minnesota State Arts Board and the arts and cultural heritage fund for supporting this work. John Noltner is a fiscal year 2025 recipient of a Creative Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund. Thanks for listening to A Peace of My Mind's podcast. For photos, videos, and additional content, visit our website and follow us on Instagram.

    58 min
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About

Stories to bridge divides and build community.

Information

  • Creator
    John Noltner
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    142
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 A Peace of My Mind
  • Show Website
    A Peace of My Mind