North Dublin native Fergus “Fergie” Carey didn’t just open a bar in Philadelphia, he helped invent a neighborhood, a scene, and a sense of community that stretches from Center City to the Irish arts world and back again. In this on‑location episode recorded upstairs at Fergie’s Pub on Sansom Street, Irish Stew cohost John Lee traces Fergie’s journey from Burgerland on O’Connell Street to becoming one of Philly’s best‑known publicans and civic connectors.Fergie recalls the bleak job prospects of 1980s Dublin, his short, ill‑fated stint in Houston, and the sudden sense of being “revered because you’re Irish” when he finally landed in Philadelphia and started a job at El Taco Grande the very next morning. He walks us through bartending at McGlinchey’s, the leap to open Fergie’s with his Palestinian partner Wajih Abed in a rough‑and‑tumble City Center street, and the chaos of a first night saw the Guinness run dry in 40 minutes.We explore how Fergie built a career as co‑owner or founder of beloved spots like Monk’s Café, The Goat, The Jim, and soon The Monto, while never losing sight of the core lesson he learned in fast food: you’re managing people, not walls. He talks about keeping a pub current yet grounded in tradition through his self-invented live-band karaoke, Quizzo evenings, Saturday trad sessions, ballad nights, and the hugely popular “pub sing.”We also hear about Fergie’s deep engagement with Philadelphia’s civic and Irish cultural life, from Inis Nua Theatre Company and Beckett in the back room, to his tours to Ireland and charity concerts like his recreation of The Last Waltz.We spoke on eve of the Irish American Business Chamber &amp; Network’s Ambassador’s Awards Luncheon, the signature annual Irish event on the city’s calendar, after which those in-the-know kept the craic going at the nearby Fergie’s Pub.Among them were local business and civic leaders John Cummins and Adele Farrell who will share their insights on the Irish American Business Chamber &amp; Network and tales from their own Dublin-to-Philadelphia success story on a future episode of Irish Stew.LinksFergie’s Pub<ul><li><a href='https://www.fergies.com'>Website</a></li><li><a href='https://www.facebook.com/FergiesPhilly'>Facebook</a></li><li><a href='https://www.instagram.com/fergiespub'>Instagram</a></li></ul> All Irish Stew Libations Episodes - Ten episodes. All in one place.<ul><li><a href='https://www.irishstewpodcast.com/categories/libations'>Libations Episodes</a></li></ul>Irish Stew Links<ul><li>Episode Page: <a href='https://www.irishstewpodcast.com/fergus-carey'>Fergus Carey</a></li><li><a href='https://www.irishstewpodcast.com/'>Website Home Page</a></li><li><a href='https://www.facebook.com/IrishStewPodcast'>Facebook</a></li><li><a href='https://www.instagram.com/irishstewpodcast'>Instagram</a></li><li><a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/irish-stew-podcast'>LinkedIn</a></li><li><a href='https://bsky.app/profile/irishstewpodcast.com'>Bluesky</a></li><li><a href='https://mastodon.ie/@IrishStewPodcast'>Mastodon</a></li><li>Media Partner: <a href='https://www.irishcentral.com'>IrishCentral</a></li></ul>Episode Details: Season 8, Episode 12; Total Episode Count: 153

<description>&lt;p&gt;North Dublin native Fergus “Fergie” Carey didn’t just open a bar in Philadelphia, he helped invent a neighborhood, a scene, and a sense of community that stretches from Center City to the Irish arts world and back again. In this on‑location episode recorded upstairs at Fergie’s Pub on Sansom Street, Irish Stew cohost John Lee traces Fergie’s journey from Burgerland on O’Connell Street to becoming one of Philly’s best‑known publicans and civic connectors.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Fergie recalls the bleak job prospects of 1980s Dublin, his short, ill‑fated stint in Houston, and the sudden sense of being “revered because you’re Irish” when he finally landed in Philadelphia and started a job at El Taco Grande the very next morning. He walks us through bartending at McGlinchey’s, the leap to open Fergie’s with his Palestinian partner Wajih Abed in a rough‑and‑tumble City Center street, and the chaos of a first night saw the Guinness run dry in 40 minutes.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We explore how Fergie built a career as co‑owner or founder of beloved spots like Monk’s Café, The Goat, The Jim, and soon The Monto, while never losing sight of the core lesson he learned in fast food: you’re managing people, not walls. He talks about keeping a pub current yet grounded in tradition through his self-invented live-band karaoke, Quizzo evenings, Saturday trad sessions, ballad nights, and the hugely popular “pub sing.”&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We also hear about Fergie’s deep engagement with Philadelphia’s civic and Irish cultural life, from Inis Nua Theatre Company and Beckett in the back room, to his tours to Ireland and charity concerts like his recreation of The Last Waltz.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We spoke on eve of the Irish American Business Chamber &amp;amp; Network’s Ambassador’s Awards Luncheon, the signature annual Irish event on the city’s calendar, after which those in-the-know kept the craic going at the nearby Fergie’s Pub.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Among them were local business and civic leaders John Cummins and Adele Farrell who will share their insights on the Irish American Business Chamber &amp;amp; Network and tales from their own Dublin-to-Philadelphia success story on a future episode of Irish Stew.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Links&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Fergie’s Pub&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.fergies.com'&gt;Website&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.facebook.com/FergiesPhilly'&gt;Facebook&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.instagram.com/fergiespub'&gt;Instagram&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;All Irish Stew Libations Episodes - Ten episodes. All in one place.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.irishstewpodcast.com/categories/libations'&gt;Libations Episodes&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Irish Stew Links&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Episode Page: &lt;a href='https://www.irishstewpodcast.com/fergus-carey'&gt;Fergus Carey&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.irishstewpodcast.com/'&gt;Website Home Page&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.facebook.com/IrishStewPodcast'&gt;Facebook&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.instagram.com/irishstewpodcast'&gt;Instagram&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/irish-stew-podcast'&gt;LinkedIn&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://bsky.app/profile/irishstewpodcast.com'&gt;Bluesky&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://mastodon.ie/@IrishStewPodcast'&gt;Mastodon&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Media Partner: &lt;a href='https://www.irishcentral.com'&gt;IrishCentral&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Episode Details: Season 8, Episode 12; Total Episode Count: 153&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

North Dublin native Fergus “Fergie” Carey didn’t just open a bar in Philadelphia, he helped invent a neighborhood, a scene, and a sense of community that stretches from Center City to the Irish arts world and back again. In this on‑location episode recorded upstairs at Fergie’s Pub on Sansom Street, Irish Stew cohost John Lee traces Fergie’s journey from Burgerland on O’Connell Street to becoming one of Philly’s best‑known publicans and civic connectors. Fergie recalls the bleak job prospects...

Irish Stew Podcast

From Burgerland to Fergie’s Pub: An Irish Publican’s Philadelphia Story

A language returned Mollie Guidera returns to the Irish Stew for a second conversation. Since her first appearance in November 2023, she has published The Gaeilge Guide and grown Irish with Molly into the fastest-growing Gaeilge community in the world — more than 10,000 students across 75 countries. But what Mollie is really doing is harder to quantify: dismantling the barriers that sit between Irish people and their own language.The problem was never the language Fourteen years of compulsory classes, taught through the very language you were trying to learn, left a generation feeling guilty for failing at something that was never properly taught. Mollie&apos;s argument is simple: the language is logical, patterned, and far more learnable than people believe. The problem was always the delivery.Hidden in plain sight We spend time on Hiberno English — the way Irish survives in everyday speech. &quot;Is the dinner not ready yet?&quot; Nobody in America says that. Say it in Irish and it makes perfect grammatical sense. From Wilde to Joyce to Sally Rooney, the Irish literary tradition is Hiberno English in action — a colonized people turning the language of their oppressor into a thing of beauty.The key holder The episode carries the presence of Manchán Magan, who passed away last year. Mollie recalls asking Manchán for advice on a documentary about her offshore students — Hong Kong, Moscow, Alaska — and his reply coming back immediately: go for it. His wife&apos;s words at the Irish Book Awards said it best: Manchán opened the door and showed us all the way through. We just have to walk.The language is yours Fluency is a myth. What matters is showing up consistently, with curiosity, and without shame. The language is yours. It always was. Episode Quote &quot;People have this negative reaction to Irish — and yet this regret for not learning it. There&apos;s a very complicated relationship. But I don&apos;t think the language itself is complicated.&quot; — Mollie Guidera LinksMollie Guidera<ul><li>Website: <a href='https://www.irishwithmollie.com'>Irish With Mollie</a></li><li>Book: <a href='https://linktr.ee/TheGaeilgeGuide'>The Gaeilge Guide</a></li><li>Podcast: <a href='https://pod.link/1725969641'>Irish with Mollie</a></li><li><a href='https://www.instagram.com/irishwithmollie/'>Instagram</a></li><li><a href='https://www.tiktok.com/@irishwithmollie'>TikTok</a></li></ul>Irish Language Resources<ul><li><a href='https://www.teg.ie/english.167.html'>TEG</a>: Irish Language Certification</li><li><a href='https://www.siopaleabhar.com/en'>An Siopa Leabhar</a> - Irish Language Book Store</li></ul>All Irish Stew Irish Language Episodes - Ten episodes. All in one place.<ul><li><a href='https://www.irishstewpodcast.com/categories/irish-language'>Irish Language Episodes</a></li></ul>Irish Stew Links<ul><li><a href='https://www.irishstewpodcast.com'>Website</a></li><li><a href='https://www.facebook.com/IrishStewPodcast'>Facebook</a></li><li><a href='https://www.instagram.com/irishstewpodcast'>Instagram</a></li><li><a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/irish-stew-podcast'>LinkedIn</a></li><li><a href='https://bsky.app/profile/irishstewpodcast.com'>Bluesky</a></li><li><a href='https://mastodon.ie/@IrishStewPodcast'>Mastodon</a></li><li>Media Partner: <a href='https://www.irishcentral.com'>IrishCentral</a></li></ul>Episode Details: Season 8, Episode 11; Total Episode Count: 152

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;A language returned&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Mollie Guidera returns to the Irish Stew for a second conversation. Since her first appearance in November 2023, she has published &lt;em&gt;The Gaeilge Guide&lt;/em&gt; and grown &lt;em&gt;Irish with Molly&lt;/em&gt; into the fastest-growing Gaeilge community in the world — more than 10,000 students across 75 countries. But what Mollie is really doing is harder to quantify: dismantling the barriers that sit between Irish people and their own language.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;The problem was never the language&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Fourteen years of compulsory classes, taught through the very language you were trying to learn, left a generation feeling guilty for failing at something that was never properly taught. Mollie&amp;apos;s argument is simple: the language is logical, patterned, and far more learnable than people believe. The problem was always the delivery.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Hidden in plain sight&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;We spend time on Hiberno English — the way Irish survives in everyday speech.&lt;em&gt; &amp;quot;Is the dinner not ready yet?&lt;/em&gt;&amp;quot; Nobody in America says that. Say it in Irish and it makes perfect grammatical sense. From Wilde to Joyce to Sally Rooney, the Irish literary tradition is Hiberno English in action — a colonized people turning the language of their oppressor into a thing of beauty.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;The key holder&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;The episode carries the presence of Manchán Magan, who passed away last year. Mollie recalls asking Manchán for advice on a documentary about her offshore students — Hong Kong, Moscow, Alaska — and his reply coming back immediately: go for it. His wife&amp;apos;s words at the Irish Book Awards said it best: Manchán opened the door and showed us all the way through. We just have to walk.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;The language is yours&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Fluency is a myth. What matters is showing up consistently, with curiosity, and without shame. The language is yours. It always was.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Episode Quote&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;em&gt;&amp;quot;People have this negative reaction to Irish — and yet this regret for not learning it. There&amp;apos;s a very complicated relationship. But I don&amp;apos;t think the language itself is complicated.&amp;quot;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br/&gt;— Mollie Guidera&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Links&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Mollie Guidera&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Website: &lt;a href='https://www.irishwithmollie.com'&gt;Irish With Mollie&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Book: &lt;a href='https://linktr.ee/TheGaeilgeGuide'&gt;The Gaeilge Guide&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Podcast: &lt;a href='https://pod.link/1725969641'&gt;Irish with Mollie&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.instagram.com/irishwithmollie/'&gt;Instagram&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.tiktok.com/@irishwithmollie'&gt;TikTok&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Irish Language Resources&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.teg.ie/english.167.html'&gt;TEG&lt;/a&gt;: Irish Language Certification&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.siopaleabhar.com/en'&gt;An Siopa Leabhar&lt;/a&gt; - Irish Language Book Store&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;All Irish Stew Irish Language Episodes - Ten episodes. All in one place.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.irishstewpodcast.com/categories/irish-language'&gt;Irish Language Episodes&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Irish Stew Links&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.irishstewpodcast.com'&gt;Website&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.facebook.com/IrishStewPodcast'&gt;Facebook&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.instagram.com/irishstewpodcast'&gt;Instagram&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/irish-stew-podcast'&gt;LinkedIn&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://bsky.app/profile/irishstewpodcast.com'&gt;Bluesky&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://mastodon.ie/@IrishStewPodcast'&gt;Mastodon&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Media Partner: &lt;a href='https://www.irishcentral.com'&gt;IrishCentral&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Episode Details: Season 8, Episode 11; Total Episode Count: 152&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

A language returned Mollie Guidera returns to the Irish Stew for a second conversation. Since her first appearance in November 2023, she has published The Gaeilge Guide and grown Irish with Molly into the fastest-growing Gaeilge community in the world — more than 10,000 students across 75 countries. But what Mollie is really doing is harder to quantify: dismantling the barriers that sit between Irish people and their own language. The problem was never the language Fourteen years of compulsor...

Mollie Guidera: This Language Is Ours

Award-winning director, producer, and writer Ruán Magan joins Irish Stew for a timely conversation ahead of his double appearance at this weekend’s Solas Nua Capital Irish Film Festival, where he’ll present two very different visions of Ireland on screen.Ruán reflects on a creative life that has taken him from early collaborations with his brother, writer and broadcaster Manchán Magan, through decades of boundary-pushing work that has reached audiences around the world. He talks about growing up in a family steeped in story, language, and history, and how that background propels him toward projects that dig beneath the surface of Ireland’s past and present.One of his festival offerings is the new documentary “Daniel O’Connell – The Emancipator,” which marks the 250th anniversary of O’Connell’s birth and revisits the life, legacy, and global impact of “The Liberator.” Ruán describes the film as “a chance to step back from today’s noise and remember how one determined Irish lawyer changed the democratic DNA of the modern world,” connecting O’Connell’s campaigns for Catholic Emancipation to later movements led by figures like Frederick Douglass, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr.He then turns to his Irish-language drama “Báite,” a feature that takes his fascination with Irish history and identity into more intimate, psychological territory. Ruán calls it “a story where the past seeps up through the floorboards of ordinary lives,” using the rhythms of the Irish language and the coastal landscape to explore guilt, memory, and the pull of old ghosts.Throughout the episode, Ruán shares his approach to filmmaking as “trying to make the invisible visible—whether that’s buried history, an overlooked revolutionary, or the quiet truths people carry inside them.” He talks about balancing scholarship and emotion, why collaboration matters, and what keeps drawing him back to Irish subjects for a global audience.Irish Stew will be the Podcast in Residence at the Capital Irish Film Festival, Feb. 26 – Mar. 1, appearing on stage after the Friday 6:30 p.m. screening to discuss Northern Irish film with a panel of Northern Irish filmmakers.LinksSolas Nua<ul><li><a href='https://www.solasnua.org'>Website</a></li><li><a href='https://www.solasnua.org/ciff'>Capital Irish Film Festival</a><ul><li><a href='https://www.solasnua.org/events/ciff2026-baite'>Báite</a></li><li><a href='https://www.solasnua.org/events/ciff2026-daniel-oconnell-emancipator'>Daniel O&apos;Connell: The Emancipator</a></li></ul></li></ul>Ruán Magan<ul><li><a href='https://www.ruanmagan.com'>Website</a></li><li><a href='https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0535707'>IMDb</a></li><li><a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruanmagan'>LinkedIn</a></li></ul> Irish Stew Links<ul><li><a href='https://www.irishstewpodcast.com'>Website</a></li><li><a href='https://www.facebook.com/IrishStewPodcast'>Facebook</a></li><li><a href='https://www.instagram.com/irishstewpodcast'>Instagram</a></li><li><a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/irish-stew-podcast'>LinkedIn</a></li><li>Media Partner: <a href='https://www.irishcentral.com'>IrishCentral</a></li></ul>Episode Details: Season 8, Episode 10; Total Episode Count: 151

<description>&lt;p&gt;Award-winning director, producer, and writer Ruán Magan joins Irish Stew for a timely conversation ahead of his double appearance at this weekend’s Solas Nua Capital Irish Film Festival, where he’ll present two very different visions of Ireland on screen.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Ruán reflects on a creative life that has taken him from early collaborations with his brother, writer and broadcaster Manchán Magan, through decades of boundary-pushing work that has reached audiences around the world. He talks about growing up in a family steeped in story, language, and history, and how that background propels him toward projects that dig beneath the surface of Ireland’s past and present.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;One of his festival offerings is the new documentary “Daniel O’Connell – The Emancipator,” which marks the 250th anniversary of O’Connell’s birth and revisits the life, legacy, and global impact of “The Liberator.” Ruán describes the film as “a chance to step back from today’s noise and remember how one determined Irish lawyer changed the democratic DNA of the modern world,” connecting O’Connell’s campaigns for Catholic Emancipation to later movements led by figures like Frederick Douglass, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;He then turns to his Irish-language drama “Báite,” a feature that takes his fascination with Irish history and identity into more intimate, psychological territory. Ruán calls it “a story where the past seeps up through the floorboards of ordinary lives,” using the rhythms of the Irish language and the coastal landscape to explore guilt, memory, and the pull of old ghosts.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Throughout the episode, Ruán shares his approach to filmmaking as “trying to make the invisible visible—whether that’s buried history, an overlooked revolutionary, or the quiet truths people carry inside them.” He talks about balancing scholarship and emotion, why collaboration matters, and what keeps drawing him back to Irish subjects for a global audience.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Irish Stew will be the Podcast in Residence at the Capital Irish Film Festival, Feb. 26 – Mar. 1, appearing on stage after the Friday 6:30 p.m. screening to discuss Northern Irish film with a panel of Northern Irish filmmakers.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Links&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Solas Nua&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.solasnua.org'&gt;Website&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.solasnua.org/ciff'&gt;Capital Irish Film Festival&lt;/a&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.solasnua.org/events/ciff2026-baite'&gt;Báite&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.solasnua.org/events/ciff2026-daniel-oconnell-emancipator'&gt;Daniel O&amp;apos;Connell: The Emancipator&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Ruán Magan&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.ruanmagan.com'&gt;Website&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0535707'&gt;IMDb&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruanmagan'&gt;LinkedIn&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Irish Stew Links&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.irishstewpodcast.com'&gt;Website&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.facebook.com/IrishStewPodcast'&gt;Facebook&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.instagram.com/irishstewpodcast'&gt;Instagram&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/irish-stew-podcast'&gt;LinkedIn&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Media Partner: &lt;a href='https://www.irishcentral.com'&gt;IrishCentral&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Episode Details: Season 8, Episode 10; Total Episode Count: 151&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Award-winning director, producer, and writer Ruán Magan joins Irish Stew for a timely conversation ahead of his double appearance at this weekend’s Solas Nua Capital Irish Film Festival, where he’ll present two very different visions of Ireland on screen. Ruán reflects on a creative life that has taken him from early collaborations with his brother, writer and broadcaster Manchán Magan, through decades of boundary-pushing work that has reached audiences around the world. He talks about growin...

Filmmaker Ruán Magan – making the invisible visible

For it’s 150th episode, Irish Stew podcast welcomes back a clear-eyed optimist for troubled times, Michael J. Dowling. Glucksman Ireland House is honoring him with the Outstanding Public Service and Lifetime Contribution to Public Health Award at its New York City Gala on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. After decades of work transforming Northwell Health into an American healthcare leader, Michael has segued into a CEO Emeritus role, but it sounds nothing like retirement. “Life is a series of changes, a series of journeys,” says the former top-class hurler from Knockaderry, Co. Limerick. “I have stepped down, but I haven’t stepped away. I could never retire. I enjoy the battles. I&apos;m working at Northwell full-time for the next two years on the succession with the new leadership team.”On the episode hosted by John Lee, Michael shares his well-honed views on compassionate leadership, how to address social media’s  effect on youth mental health, the promise of healthcare progress, the impact of the Irish on U.S. history, immigration’s enduring value, why the US must continue to be a beacon for democracy globally, and his commitment to Irish America.“I want to spend a portion of my time continuing to build and enhance the Irish influence in the United States and vice versa.”Listening to the episode, it’s easy to see why New York University’s Glucksman Ireland House chose to honor Michael at its Gala at New York’s Mandarin Hotel. For Michael, the admiration is mutual.“Glucksman House is at the center of Irish and Irish‑American studies. It reminds us about heritage, history, and contribution,” he says. “Loretta Glucksman is an icon, an extraordinary individual. And it&apos;s not just her work here in the US, it is her work in Ireland, too, and all she does to bring people together and promote a sense of humility, strength, and kindness to the world around us.”What’s next for Michael Dowling? He tells of his work in youth mental health addressing the perils of “so many young people living in a virtual world and not living in the real world,” the book he’s writing on leadership fueled by optimism, and his plans to deepen involvement with Irish institutions in the US and in Ireland. “We need more people to be spokespersons about the values of decency and respect and humanity and caring,” he says.Irish Stew is off to DC this weekend to be the Podcast in Residence at the Solas Nua Capital Irish Film Festival, Feb. 26-Mar. 1. Filmmaker Ruán Magan, who has both a feature film and documentary in the festival, headlines the next episode of Irish Stew.LinksGlucksman Ireland House <ul><li><a href='http://irelandhouse.fas.nyu.edu/page/home'>Website </a></li><li><a href='https://as.nyu.edu/research-centers/irelandhouse/about/glucksman-ireland-house-gala-.html?challenge=d06e90d7-4d8f-4b88-9d8c-10b73beb60f1'>Gala Tickets</a> for Tuesday, March 3 at the Mandarin Hotel</li></ul>Michael Dowling<ul><li><a href='https://www.northwell.edu'>Northwell Health</a></li><li><a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-j-dowling'>LinkedIn</a></li><li><a href='https://x.com/MichaelJDowling'>X</a></li></ul>Irish Stew Links<ul><li><a href='https://www.irishstewpodcast.com'>Website</a></li><li><a href='https://www.facebook.com/IrishStewPodcast'>Facebook</a></li><li><a href='https://www.instagram.com/irishstewpodcast'>Instagram</a></li><li><a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/irish-stew-podcast'>LinkedIn</a></li><li>Media Partner: <a href='https://www.irishcentral.com'>IrishCentral</a></li></ul>Episode Details: Season 8, Episode 9; Total Episode Count: 150

<description>&lt;p&gt;For it’s 150th episode, Irish Stew podcast welcomes back a clear-eyed optimist for troubled times, Michael J. Dowling. Glucksman Ireland House is honoring him with the Outstanding Public Service and Lifetime Contribution to Public Health Award at its New York City Gala on Tuesday, March 3, 2026&lt;b&gt;. &lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;After decades of work transforming Northwell Health into an American healthcare leader, Michael has segued into a CEO Emeritus role, but it sounds nothing like retirement. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;“Life is a series of changes, a series of journeys,” says the former top-class hurler from Knockaderry, Co. Limerick. “I have stepped down, but I haven’t stepped away. I could never retire. I enjoy the battles. I&amp;apos;m working at Northwell full-time for the next two years on the succession with the new leadership team.”&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;On the episode hosted by John Lee, Michael shares his well-honed views on compassionate leadership, how to address social media’s  effect on youth mental health, the promise of healthcare progress, the impact of the Irish on U.S. history, immigration’s enduring value, why the US must continue to be a beacon for democracy globally, and his commitment to Irish America.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;“I want to spend a portion of my time continuing to build and enhance the Irish influence in the United States and vice versa.”&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Listening to the episode, it’s easy to see why New York University’s Glucksman Ireland House chose to honor Michael at its Gala at New York’s Mandarin Hotel. For Michael, the admiration is mutual.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;“Glucksman House is at the center of Irish and Irish‑American studies. It reminds us about heritage, history, and contribution,” he says. “Loretta Glucksman is an icon, an extraordinary individual. And it&amp;apos;s not just her work here in the US, it is her work in Ireland, too, and all she does to bring people together and promote a sense of humility, strength, and kindness to the world around us.”&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;What’s next for Michael Dowling? He tells of his work in youth mental health addressing the perils of “so many young people living in a virtual world and not living in the real world,” the book he’s writing on leadership fueled by optimism, and his plans to deepen involvement with Irish institutions in the US and in Ireland.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; “We need more people to be spokespersons about the values of decency and respect and humanity and caring,” he says.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Irish Stew is off to DC this weekend to be the Podcast in Residence at the Solas Nua Capital Irish Film Festival, Feb. 26-Mar. 1. Filmmaker Ruán Magan, who has both a feature film and documentary in the festival, headlines the next episode of Irish Stew.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Links&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Glucksman Ireland House &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='http://irelandhouse.fas.nyu.edu/page/home'&gt;Website &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://as.nyu.edu/research-centers/irelandhouse/about/glucksman-ireland-house-gala-.html?challenge=d06e90d7-4d8f-4b88-9d8c-10b73beb60f1'&gt;Gala Tickets&lt;/a&gt; for Tuesday, March 3 at the Mandarin Hotel&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Michael Dowling&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.northwell.edu'&gt;Northwell Health&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-j-dowling'&gt;LinkedIn&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://x.com/MichaelJDowling'&gt;X&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Irish Stew Links&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.irishstewpodcast.com'&gt;Website&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.facebook.com/IrishStewPodcast'&gt;Facebook&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.instagram.com/irishstewpodcast'&gt;Instagram&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/irish-stew-podcast'&gt;LinkedIn&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Media Partner: &lt;a href='https://www.irishcentral.com'&gt;IrishCentral&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Episode Details: Season 8, Episode 9; Total Episode Count: 150&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

For it’s 150th episode, Irish Stew podcast welcomes back a clear-eyed optimist for troubled times, Michael J. Dowling. Glucksman Ireland House is honoring him with the Outstanding Public Service and Lifetime Contribution to Public Health Award at its New York City Gala on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.  After decades of work transforming Northwell Health into an American healthcare leader, Michael has segued into a CEO Emeritus role, but it sounds nothing like retirement.  “Life is a serie...

Michael Dowling on Leadership, Democracy, Optimism, and the Glucksman Award

Filmmaker Nuala O’Connor joins Irish Stew cohosts Martin Nutty and John Lee for a “Global Irish Nation Conversation” on her documentary In Time: Dónal Lunny, her filmic tone poem in black and white on the enigmatic innovator of Irish music. Co‑founder of the seminal groups Planxty, The Bothy Band, and Moving Hearts, Dónal introduced the flat-back bouzouki to Irish music and broke through with new time signatures, revolutionizing the sound and status of Irish trad music without breaking its fundamental architecture.Previously an RTÉ radio producer, Nuala is now an Emmy Award-winning writer and director whose work in music and arts documentary filmmaking spans more than three decades.The director explains how the title In Time carries intertwined meanings that mirror the musician’s life and work. “You know sometimes things come to you for no reason and then they seem to be very reasonable after they’ve arrived,” she says of the name. “There’s the idea of time signature in music. Dónal explored time signatures previously unheard in Irish music and he has been at the forefront of Irish music for so long, you know, literally in time.”The episode also delves into Dónal’s deep relationships with fellow musicians, his creative collaborations with his Planxty bandmates, and newer sonic explorations as he is still pushing boundaries in his late seventies.He also pushed boundaries in his personal life which the film unflinchingly shows and the podcasters explore.Nuala explains that she wanted to paint a portrait of an artist still very much in motion, not a nostalgic retrospective, a commitment captured powerfully in the film’s climactic scene where an ailing Dónal and his Planxty colleague Christy Moore reunite.“I took Dónal out of hospital, drove him to where we shot that, and then put him in the car and brought him back to hospital after,” she says, “I honestly didn’t know, will he be here when the film comes out?In Time: Dónal Lunny will screen on Day 3 of the Solas Nua Capital Irish Film Festival, Feb. 26 through Mar. 1. Irish Stew will once again be the festival’s Podcast in Residence and will record an episode on stage with filmmaker guests following the Fri., Feb. 27, 6:30 PM Northern Ireland Spotlight screenings of Three Keenings and No Ordinary Heist.LinksSolas Nua<ul><li><a href='https://www.solasnua.org'>Website</a></li><li><a href='https://www.solasnua.org/ciff'>Capital Irish Film Festival</a></li><li><a href='https://www.solasnua.org/events/ciff2026-time-donal-lunny'>In Time: Dónal Lunny</a></li></ul>Nuala O’Connor<ul><li>IMDB</li></ul>South Wind Blows Productions <ul><li><a href='https://southwindblows.com'>Website</a></li><li><a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/south-wind-blows'>LinkedIn</a></li><li><a href='https://www.facebook.com/SouthWindBlows'>Facebook </a></li></ul>Irish Stew Links<ul><li><a href='https://www.irishstewpodcast.com'>Website</a></li><li><a href='https://www.facebook.com/IrishStewPodcast'>Facebook</a></li><li><a href='https://www.instagram.com/irishstewpodcast'>Instagram</a></li><li><a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/irish-stew-podcast'>LinkedIn</a></li><li>Media Partner: <a href='https://www.irishcentral.com'>IrishCentral</a></li></ul>Episode Details: Season 8, Episode 8; Total Episode Count: 149

<description>&lt;p&gt;Filmmaker Nuala O’Connor joins Irish Stew cohosts Martin Nutty and John Lee for a “Global Irish Nation Conversation” on her documentary &lt;em&gt;In Time: Dónal Lunny&lt;/em&gt;, her filmic tone poem in black and white on the enigmatic innovator of Irish music.&lt;br/&gt;Co‑founder of the seminal groups Planxty, The Bothy Band, and Moving Hearts, Dónal introduced the flat-back bouzouki to Irish music and broke through with new time signatures, revolutionizing the sound and status of Irish trad music without breaking its fundamental architecture.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Previously an RTÉ radio producer, Nuala is now an Emmy Award-winning writer and director whose work in music and arts documentary filmmaking spans more than three decades.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The director explains how the title In Time carries intertwined meanings that mirror the musician’s life and work. “You know sometimes things come to you for no reason and then they seem to be very reasonable after they’ve arrived,” she says of the name. “There’s the idea of time signature in music. Dónal explored time signatures previously unheard in Irish music and he has been at the forefront of Irish music for so long, you know, literally in time.”&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The episode also delves into Dónal’s deep relationships with fellow musicians, his creative collaborations with his Planxty bandmates, and newer sonic explorations as he is still pushing boundaries in his late seventies.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;He also pushed boundaries in his personal life which the film unflinchingly shows and the podcasters explore.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Nuala explains that she wanted to paint a portrait of an artist still very much in motion, not a nostalgic retrospective, a commitment captured powerfully in the film’s climactic scene where an ailing Dónal and his Planxty colleague Christy Moore reunite.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;“I took Dónal out of hospital, drove him to where we shot that, and then put him in the car and brought him back to hospital after,” she says, “I honestly didn’t know, will he be here when the film comes out?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In Time: Dónal Lunny will screen on Day 3 of the Solas Nua Capital Irish Film Festival, Feb. 26 through Mar. 1. Irish Stew will once again be the festival’s Podcast in Residence and will record an episode on stage with filmmaker guests following the Fri., Feb. 27, 6:30 PM Northern Ireland Spotlight screenings of &lt;em&gt;Three Keenings &lt;/em&gt;and &lt;em&gt;No Ordinary Heist&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Links&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Solas Nua&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.solasnua.org'&gt;Website&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.solasnua.org/ciff'&gt;Capital Irish Film Festival&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.solasnua.org/events/ciff2026-time-donal-lunny'&gt;In Time: Dónal Lunny&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Nuala O’Connor&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;IMDB&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;South Wind Blows Productions&lt;/em&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://southwindblows.com'&gt;Website&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/south-wind-blows'&gt;LinkedIn&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.facebook.com/SouthWindBlows'&gt;Facebook &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Irish Stew Links&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.irishstewpodcast.com'&gt;Website&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.facebook.com/IrishStewPodcast'&gt;Facebook&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.instagram.com/irishstewpodcast'&gt;Instagram&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/irish-stew-podcast'&gt;LinkedIn&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Media Partner: &lt;a href='https://www.irishcentral.com'&gt;IrishCentral&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Episode Details: Season 8, Episode 8; Total Episode Count: 149&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Filmmaker Nuala O’Connor joins Irish Stew cohosts Martin Nutty and John Lee for a “Global Irish Nation Conversation” on her documentary In Time: Dónal Lunny, her filmic tone poem in black and white on the enigmatic innovator of Irish music. Co‑founder of the seminal groups Planxty, The Bothy Band, and Moving Hearts, Dónal introduced the flat-back bouzouki to Irish music and broke through with new time signatures, revolutionizing the sound and status of Irish trad music without breaking its fu...

In Time: Dónal Lunny, Nuala O’Connor’s Film Chronicle of the Enigmatic Innovator

Irish Stew, the podcast for the Global Irish Nation featuring interviews with fascinating influencers proud of their Irish Edge. If you're Irish born or hyphenated Irish, this is the podcast that brings all the Irish together Listen Notes

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