The Sperrins: Mining, Power & Community in Northern Ireland

After almost a month's break, the Public Inquiry returns and so do the daily podcasts.

At first glance, today's hearing was about lighting and dark skies. But as the day unfolded, it became clear that this wasn't really about lighting at all. It was about what darkness means.

In this episode:

• Why three days have been devoted to lighting at the Inquiry.
• ...

As the Public Inquiry takes a short summer break, so too does the podcast. I'll be back when the Inquiry resumes on 4th, 5th and 6th August, but before then I'd like to leave you this .

In this special episode, I share a poem I wrote several years ago my own original reinterpretation, inspired by the style of The Vagina Monologues. It is a lament for the land, imagining the Earth as a living body and reflecting on what it feels lik...

Sometimes the hardest thing to do is look in the mirror.

In this episode, I take a step back from the Public Inquiry to reflect on my own words and actions following recent events. It's an honest conversation about the difference between reacting and responding, the responsibilities that come with public commentary, and why holding ourselves to the same standards we expect of others...

This week's proceedings ranged from blasting and explosives to radon, arsenic, lead, public health and childhood development. But beneath the technical evidence, a much bigger question continued to emerge: who carries the risk, and who is ultimately accountable?

In this episode we cover:

• 💥 New evidence on blasting and explosives
• 🏠 The experiences of residents living through previous...

In Part 2 of Wednesday's Public Inquiry, the focus shifts from planning policy to public health.

Retired GP Dr Alan Evans and consultant surgeon Dr Michael Mullan gave evidence on radon, arsenic, lead and tellurium, raising questions about the potential health implications of mining and why these issues matter to communities living in the Sperrins.

This episode also explores why local conc...

Public Inquiry – Final Day Before Summer Recess

Today's hearing focused on some of the most important public health issues considered at the Inquiry so far.

In this episode I look at the evidence presented on air pollution, radiation, electromagnetic fields and the potential health implications of the proposed mine. I also explain some of the technical...

When the public inquiry  starts to obscure the bigger picture, sometimes it's worth stopping to remember what we're actually trying to protect.

This week's podcast steps back from the technical evidence of the Public Inquiry to reflect on why so many people have devoted years of their lives to this process. Alongside that, I examine another week inside the Inquiry, where procedural de...

Today's Public Inquiry was about blasting, but it began with something entirely different. Warnings about the podcast itself, questions about freedom of expression, and another confirmation that Cormac remains excluded from the Inquiry.

As the evidence unfolded, new information continued to emerge orally rather than through the Environmental Statement, raising further concerns for T...

This episode takes a step away from the Public Inquiry and into the heart of the Sperrins for the 21st annual Gathering at Silverbrook Mill, Donemana.

Set in one of Ireland's most unique historic mill complexes, The Gathering brings together people, communities and campaigns from across Northern Ireland and beyond. It is a day of conversation, learning, music, connection and shared ...

This week at the Public Inquiry, noise may have been the official topic, but questions of fairness, participation and whose voices are heard often dominated proceedings.

In this episode I discuss:

• A further 33 days being added to the Inquiry timetable. • The internet outage that left third parties unable to access key documents while others remained connec...

Today the Public Inquiry returned to noise, rebuttals, conditions, and a guest  appearance from  a member of the  "Silent Majority."

In this episode:

• Third parties challenge inaccuracies in the applicant's evidence
• Noise evidence and rebuttals continue
• A masterclass in staying on message regardless of the question
• Why every impact seems to be described as "negligible"
• The case for the readmission of long-time ca...

This week at the Public Inquiry, the discussion appeared to be about roads, heritage and planning policy.

But beneath the technical evidence, a much bigger question emerged.

What happens when a system designed to assess categories is asked to understand memory, faith, community and belonging?

In this episode, I reflect on why many people feel the outcome is already predetermined, why communities often prevail not by convincing thos...

Day 29 of the Dalradian Public Inquiry brought archaeology, peatlands and heritage into sharp focus, along with some uncomfortable questions about conditions, timetables and public participation. We hear contrasting evidence from Dr Jill Plunkett and HED, discuss the implications of archaeological mitigation, and reflect on the growing frustration among third parties as key topics are quietly set aside and timetable pressures conti...

Today the Public Inquiry heard evidence on historic roads, religious heritage, intangible cultural heritage and the deep connections between people, language and landscape.

What emerged was a profound question: can everything that matters be measured?

In a day that featured testimony from Father Joe McVeigh , Sinéad Ní Mhearnóg, Dr. Peadar Mac Gabhann, Liam Monaghan, Dr. Vicenza Cirifice and others, the discussion moved into the re...

Today I take a closer look at one of the most fascinating aspects of the Public Inquiry – not the evidence itself, but how that evidence is presented.

When does advocacy become narrative building? How are facts framed, emphasised, minimised or reinterpreted? And what should third parties be listening out for as the Inquiry continues?

In this episode:

• How barristers shape narratives without necessarily disputing facts
• The...

The Mass Rock, Memory and Corporate Colonialism

What is it that makes a place sacred?

In this episode I reflect on childhood memories of an ancient ráth in County Kildare and the deep sense of mystery, belonging and connection it inspired. Those memories lead me to the Crockanboy Mass Rock in the Sperrins and a wider question about heritage, community and who gets to decide what places matter.

• The childhood rá...

This week I reflect on the growing questions around trust, public accountability and whether public infrastructure is being altered to serve the public interest or private commercial interests.

In this episode:

• The proposed abandonment of a public road

• Public interest versus commercial interest

• Road saf...

The afternoon session moved into the world of planning conditions, trigger points and whether the safeguards attached to major developments are actually capable of protecting communities and public infrastructure.

In this episode:

• What planning conditions are and why they matter • The six tests that planning conditions are supposed to satisfy • Debate over...

Today’s inquiry heard explosive concerns over the proposed abandonment of the old road and its replacement with what many believe is effectively a mining haul road in disguise — a Via Pretensa.

From traffic chaos and explosives transport, to access to the historic Mass Rock, human rights, road safety, and accusations that local communities are being turned into a “sacrifice zone”, emotions boiled over inside...