The Ireland Podcast

Fender Jackson

About the Podcast The Ireland Podcast is a long-form interview series creating space for unhurried conversation about life on the island of Ireland and beyond. The Conversations Hosted by Fender Jackson and produced by Salthill Media, the podcast centres on listening rather than argument. Each episode features a single guest and allows time for reflection, context, and experience to emerge naturally. Guests include artists, musicians, writers, athletes, broadcasters, historians, and cultural figures whose work or perspective offers insight into place, memory, and lived experience. There is no political or religious agenda. The podcast does not seek to persuade, promote, or argue a position. Instead, it exists as a space for careful dialogue, where complexity is allowed and difference is approached with curiosity rather than confrontation. The Host Fender Jackson grew up in Ulster and later lived in England and China before returning to Ireland and settling in Galway, where most episodes are now recorded. These experiences inform a listening-led, exploratory approach shaped by distance as well as proximity, and by an awareness of how place, movement, and memory intersect. Approach The Ireland Podcast approaches the island as a shared, lived place - shaped by multiple histories, traditions, communities, and viewpoints. In a post-conflict society, conversation itself has value. The podcast recognises the role that respectful dialogue, storytelling, and careful questioning can play in fostering empathy and understanding. Over time, it becomes an informal record of conversations about the island and its many expressions, offered quietly and without prescription. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 206. Steve Vai: Guitarist - Part Two

    FEB 3

    206. Steve Vai: Guitarist - Part Two

    Steve Vai returns for Part Two of this special conversation marking the 40th anniversary of Public Image Ltd’s Album. Because we don’t have a licence to play the record in the episode itself, listeners are encouraged to line up their own copy of Album and press play at the countdowns as Steve and Fender listen through the tracks in real time. Vai reflects on what he played, how the sessions unfolded from inside the control room, and why Album remains one of the most enjoyable and creatively free guest projects he ever jumped into - minimal direction, total space, and a sound that still feels unique forty years on. Along the way, he recalls dinner with John Lydon, being asked about joining PiL, and the gear he used at the time: Guitar: Charvel Custom (“The Green Meanie”) Amp: Carvin X100B (“ice pick” sharp tone) Delay: Roland SDE-3000 rack delay Setup: two SDE-3000s - one for mono delay, one used as chorus via chaining Overdrive: amp set with drive + a kick-in pedal for solos Sitar: Choral sitar (electric) Play-along track cues and full notes are included below. 00:40 - Track 1: FFF (countdown and play) 06:15 - Track 2: Rise 12:20 - Track 3: Fishing 17:39 - Track 4: Round 28:40 - Side Two begins - Bags (countdown and play) 34:11 - Track 6: Home 40:03 - Track 7: Ease Thanks / credit: Shout-out and thanks to Ned Evett for connecting the conversation and for the Galway link-up. Honourable mention to drummer, Colin McMahon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 2m
  2. 204. Jane O’Leary: Musician - Part 2

    12/16/2025

    204. Jane O’Leary: Musician - Part 2

    The concluding part of an interview with Jane O’Leary, her first since being honoured with the prestigious National Concert Hall Lifetime Achievement Award. For more than 50 years, Jane O’Leary has been breaking new musical ground in Ireland. We catch up with her to learn more about her life and musical style. Conversation includes: setting up the Concorde Contemporary Music Group; punk music; the evolution of contemporary music since the the late 70s; composer Ed Bennett; Rick Beato; the simplification and lack of bridges of popular music today; Nick Cave; AI; composing with a pencil vs. composing with a mouse; receiving her Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Concert Hall; Triptych for string quartet and orchestra performed by the ConTempo Quartet and the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland (NSOI), conducted by Kensho Watanabe; working with Kensho; Hans Zimmer and Interstellar; Jane’s upcoming orchestral fanfare for RTÉ Concert Orchestra to celebrate the centenary of the RTÉ; Gladiator Soundtrack featuring Lisa Gerrard; Paul Muldoon; breadcrumbs and other topics. Photo by Dara Mac Dónaill Links https://janesoleary.com/ Additional Links https://musicforgalway.ie/ http://www.concorde.cmc.ie/ http://theirelandpodcast.com/latest-podcast/episode/6b2f8545/203-jane-oleary-musician-part-1 https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0xwtb9A1rIER90qCAS6VHs?si=7b42b99a1e1943eb Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    47 min
  3. 201. Karl MacDermott: Comedy Writer & Performer

    11/26/2025

    201. Karl MacDermott: Comedy Writer & Performer

    Conversation includes: the (non-existent) comedy scene in Ireland in the 1970s and 80s; leprosy and space-travel; Ardal O’Hanlon; The Bogey Boys; Billy Roche; Young Ones; Tommy Tiernan; pioneering the comedy scene; Myles na Gopaleen; Hal Roche; setting up the Comedy Cellar above The International Bar on Wicklow Street, Dublin in the late 1980s with Mr Trellis, Barry Murphy, Kevin Gildea, Dermot Carmody; Dylan Moran; Jason Byrne and Dara Ó Briain; teabags and fireplaces; ‘The Young Ones’ on BBC 2; WC Fields and Laurel & Hardy; Peter Sellers and Woody Allen; Monty Python; Paul Whitehouse & The Fast Show; The Goons; Brendan Balfe; Shelley Berman; Frank Hall & Hall’s Pictorial Weekly; Scrap Saturday; the hard cultural border in Ireland; Tim McGarry & The Hole In The Wall Gang; the guts of the young Patrick Kielty; Jackie Hamilton; Alex Hormozi; Tommy, Be-Bop & Eddie Izzard; Edinburgh Comedy Festival; writing for BBC including The Mahaffys with Pauline McGlynn and Mario Rosenstock; Morgan Jones and Here’s Johnny; screenplays and development hell; The Tyrone Guthrie Centre at Annaghmakerrig, Co. Monaghan; Rick Ruben, Paul McCartney and McCartney 3,2,1; Culture Night; Fail Again, Fail Even Better; Frank McNally at Irish Times; Minnie Riperton, Rhea Perlman and Maya Rudolph; Gershwin & Cole Porter; James Joyce, Nora Barnacle & The Nora Barnacle Museum; AE Russell; Instagram; being in it to win it; McDermott vs. MacDermott; chiselling gravestones; AI, Climate Change and deluded optimism and other topics. Links https://www.karlmacdermott.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@failevenbetter/shorts Additional Links https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6X10SbhtXCFouvclB0Ndin?si=41ad25ec08bf4f36 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 4m
  4. 200. Fender Jackson: Interview Your Parents

    11/19/2025

    200. Fender Jackson: Interview Your Parents

    In this special milestone episode of The Ireland Podcast, Fender sits down with his own children for a heartfelt discussion about interviewing his parents. Together, they explore why capturing family stories matters, how to approach these conversations with sensitivity, and what it means to preserve memories for the next generation. Fender also offers thoughtful advice for anyone considering interviewing their own loved ones - parents, grandparents, or elders in their community. And for listeners whose family members have already passed, he gently suggests seeking out those who knew them, ensuring their voices and stories are not lost to time. Below you’ll find links to helpful documents designed to guide you through interviewing your own loved ones, as well as a link to Salthill Media’s Record Your Life Story - a resource for anyone who wants to preserve personal or family histories in a meaningful way. A touching, reflective episode that celebrates connection, heritage, and the power of conversation. Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the last 200 episodes - we truly appreciate each and every one of you. Please continue to help us grow by sharing the podcast with your family and friends, leaving a positive review, and subscribing on your preferred platform. Your support means the world to us. Relevant Links Interview Questions Family Tree Doc https://www.salthillmedia.com/liferecordings Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    25 min

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
12 Ratings

About

About the Podcast The Ireland Podcast is a long-form interview series creating space for unhurried conversation about life on the island of Ireland and beyond. The Conversations Hosted by Fender Jackson and produced by Salthill Media, the podcast centres on listening rather than argument. Each episode features a single guest and allows time for reflection, context, and experience to emerge naturally. Guests include artists, musicians, writers, athletes, broadcasters, historians, and cultural figures whose work or perspective offers insight into place, memory, and lived experience. There is no political or religious agenda. The podcast does not seek to persuade, promote, or argue a position. Instead, it exists as a space for careful dialogue, where complexity is allowed and difference is approached with curiosity rather than confrontation. The Host Fender Jackson grew up in Ulster and later lived in England and China before returning to Ireland and settling in Galway, where most episodes are now recorded. These experiences inform a listening-led, exploratory approach shaped by distance as well as proximity, and by an awareness of how place, movement, and memory intersect. Approach The Ireland Podcast approaches the island as a shared, lived place - shaped by multiple histories, traditions, communities, and viewpoints. In a post-conflict society, conversation itself has value. The podcast recognises the role that respectful dialogue, storytelling, and careful questioning can play in fostering empathy and understanding. Over time, it becomes an informal record of conversations about the island and its many expressions, offered quietly and without prescription. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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