In this month’s ARINS podcast, host Rory Montgomery discusses the recent Irish Studies in International Affairs article, A Review of Employment Law in Ireland, North and South, with its authors Esther McGuinness (Ulster University), Desmond Ryan (Trinity College Dublin) and Rory O'Connell(Ulster University).  

The article explores the evolution and current state of employment law across the two jurisdictions on the island of Ireland, a century after the 1920 Government of Ireland Act. It  examines how partition and constitutional changes have affected shared legal origins and  analyses collective and individual labour law, including health and safety, through the lens of historical and contemporary influences, such as Brexit and the Windsor Framework.  

 

The article is available open access, as are all ARINS publications, and can be read here:  

https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/423/article/962917

ARINS Podcast 46: A Review of Employment Law in Ireland, North and South

Right now, Israel's military is invading and obliterating what remains of Gaza City. After 700 days of genocidal bombing, shooting, forced starvation, and the systematic destruction of schools, hospitals, farms, refugee camps, roads, houses, and the entire infrastructure of civilian life, the Palestinians clinging to life in Gaza City are being exterminated, while others run or limp for their lives with nowhere safe to go. Amid the horrors of Israel’s military onslaught, with starvation and illness spreading, Mohamed Abu Tawila, a former English teacher, and his nephew Abdul Rahman, a would-be college student, have been raising money online and risking their lives and safety to secure and transport clean water to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. In this urgent episode, we speak with Mohamed and Abdul Rahman from Gaza about their daily struggle to live in the midst of genocide.&nbsp; &nbsp; Additional links/info:&nbsp;   Mohamed’s    Abdul Rahman’s          Ruwaida Amer, The Real News Network, “”   Featured Music:&nbsp;   Jules Taylor, “Working People” Theme Song   Credits:&nbsp;   Audio Post-Production: Jules Taylor&nbsp;   &nbsp;

‘We want life”: Palestinians in Gaza describe their daily struggle to survive

“I was born on this planet, why do I pay to exist here?” That’s one question proposed by Hossein in today’s podcast episode. Additionally, we discuss how his political asylum has affected his career as a documentary filmmaker, and dive further into a philosophical discussion, while learning more about his latest award winning film “I Am Gitxsan” which explores a recent high school graduate reconnecting with his Indigenous heritage in Hazelton, British Columbia, Canada.

Visit his production website: www.fazelifilms.com
or for his latest film “I am Gitxsan” on the web: www.iamgitxsan.com

Hossein Martin Fazeli has been an A-List director in North America for many years. He has been producing, directing, and writing fiction and non-fiction television and film for more than two decades and has extensive international experience, having worked on location in a dozen different countries.

His films have been broadcast around the world, including on CBC, BBC, ARTE, and Canal+, winning 45 international awards in the process.

Throughout the years he has collaborated with organizations such as UNDP, European Commission, and Nonviolence International on a wide range of film and television projects, including national and regional campaigns, exploring issues such as human rights, women's rights, and minority rights.

His 2007 production, "The Tale of Two Nazanins", about a teenage girl imprisoned on death row in Iran, was broadcast on major international networks such as the BBC and CNN and is credited with igniting an international campaign that saved her life.

In 2008, Fazeli was chosen by the Sundance Institute to take part in their International Filmmakers Award. He has lectured around the world on the ever changing face of film production and has held workshops with students at various educational institutions such as SFU (Canada), SOAS (UK), Aarhus University (Denmark) and the European Film Academy.
For more info, please visit: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3347515/

Please visit our youtube channel for more videos and be sure to like and subscribe. 
https://www.youtube.com/@BreakingIndie

Ep. 13 Hossein Martin Fazel, “I Am Gitxsan”

The Meath Film Festival takes place at the Solstice in Navan on 13-14 September 2025, full details are on the website at Meathfilm.ie

In this Film Ireland podcast, shorts programmer for the festival and Film Ireland contributor Mick Jordan talks to director Steven Benedict about his new film A Lady of Paris, which is screening at the festival.

Steven Benedict
Steven Benedict is a multi-award-winning writer, producer, and director of several short films and co-director of an award-winning feature. Steven lectures part-time at the National Film School of Ireland, where, among other subjects, he teaches in the Masters in Screenwriting program.Steven also curates his own website, www.stevenbenedict.ie, hosting over 400 podcasts and several video essays. In addition, he is a regular contributor to RTE radio’s arts program, Arena.


Meath Film Festival Podcast: Steven Benedict, Director of 'A Lady of Paris'

Listen back to our 2025 Heritage Week lecture by Emma Murphy, curator at the National Museum of Ireland – Natural History. Learn about R. J. Ussher MRIA, 1841-1913, and his connections to the National Museum, including a large collection of archived correspondence from Ussher to the curators and the hundreds of specimen donations that Ussher gave personally, or were given by his associates due to his encouragement.

Richard John Ussher MRIA, 1841-1913, was a speleologist, ornithologist, and renowned Irish naturalist. He published lists of Irish birds, showing the species contained in the National Collection. These, alongside “The Birds of Ireland” (1900), co-authored with Warren, were important works in the history of Irish ornithology. He donated his archive collection to the Royal Irish Academy, and many specimens to the National Museum of Ireland - Natural History.

Emma Murphy, Curator of Terrestrial Zoology at NMI – Natural History gave this lecture, exploring some of the stories, both funny and tragic, that can be found within Ussher’s collections, and highlighting his enduring scientific legacy.

This lecture was part of an programme of events relating to the Ussher Birds Notes collection, held in RIA Library. In 2024, the Library received funding from the Heritage Council as part of the Heritage Stewardship Fund for a project entitled, ‘The Birds of Ireland: Curating the Richard J. Ussher Collection at the Royal Irish Academy’. This project aimed to secure the long-term preservation, access, and discovery of material from the Ussher Bird Notes Collection through a programme of archival cataloguing, digitisation and outreach. The Ussher Bird Notes Digital Archive was launched in May 2025, and included digital images, with accompanying metadata, of 900 selected items from the collection. Detailed cataloguing of over 9000 items from the collection was also completed and researchers can contact library@ria.ie for more information about this listing. 

Thanks to a second tranche of funding from the Heritage Stewardship Fund, granted in 2025, the remainder of the Ussher Bird Notes Collection will be catalogued and more material will be added to the digital archive in due course.

A Naturalist’s Record: Stories from the Collections of R. J. Ussher

In this Film Ireland podcast, Gemma Creagh talks to Ciarán Kissane, Director of Irish Film Classification Office (IFCO).

This podcast has been made possible with the support of Screen Ireland.

https://www.filmireland.net/essay-in-the-name-of-the-censor/

IFCO & Screen Ireland: Classify an Irish Short Film
As part of this year’s Culture Night, the Irish Film Classification Office (IFCO) and Screen Ireland invite visitors behind the scenes of the world of film classification for a one-of-a-kind experience. Step into IFCO’s intimate onsite cinema and take part in classifying a Screen Ireland short film alongside an official IFCO Film Classifier – a rare opportunity to see exactly how IFCO comes to a decision and why a particular age rating would be applied.
Each screening will be followed by an interactive discussion, where audiences can explore the guidelines and decision-making process that determine whether a film gets a G, PG, 12A, or 15A classification and debate where they would draw the line themselves!
With multiple screenings running between 16:00 – 20:00, there’s something for everyone, including options suitable for younger audiences. Booking is essential – make sure to reserve the screening that’s right for you and your family for this unmissable Culture Night event.

Director of Film Classification Dr Ciarán Kissane

Presents: Director of Film Classification Dr Ciarán Kissane

In this Film Ireland podcast, Gemma Creagh talks with Donncha Gilmore, Director of 'Girls & Boys'

Girls & Boys tells the story of rugby player Jace meeting aspiring filmmaker Charlie at a college party. Both attend Trinity, but their worlds couldn’t be more different—Charlie is trans, her circle full of queer artists and creatives, while Jace sticks with the more straight-laced camaraderie of his rugby teammates. When the party is suddenly shut down by the Guards, the two find themselves alone in the streets of nighttime Dublin.As they wander the city, sharing secrets, dreams, and fears about life after college, a surprising revelation from their shared past threatens to upend their fragile connection. Jace must confront not only his past, but the social identity he’s long taken for granted.

Girls & Boys is in cinemas from 19th September 2025.

Presents: Donncha Gilmore, Writer/Director of 'Girls & Boys'

Ep. 14 Zoe Dunay & Aris Federman


Meet the team behind the award winning film “Tin Soldiers” and Blue Oak Productions. In this fun and lively conversation, we talk about our mutual love for Christopher Nolan, the hometown of the atomic bomb (Los Alamos), and this charismatic couple’s journey into filmmaking. 

Winner of the Jury Award for Best Cinematography at the 2025 Santa Fe Film Festival, “Tin Soldiers” delves into the journey of a child navigating the complexities of mental health treatment at a time when he’s still discovering what ‘normal’ is.

Contacts available on Instagram and Linkedin:

Zoe Dunay IG @zoedunay
Aris Federman IG @arisfederman
Blue Oak Productions IG  @blueoakproductions


Please visit our youtube channel for more videos and be sure to like and subscribe. 
https://www.youtube.com/@BreakingIndie

YouTube:
https://youtu.be/pZltsDZdVoU

Ep. 13 Hossein Martin Fazel, “I Am Gitxsan”

Breaking Indie Podcast