Today, we are joined by Dr. Luke O'Neill. Dr. Luke O'Neill is a professor and the chair of biochemistry at Trinity College Dublin. Dr. O'Neill is perhaps best known as one of Ireland’s foremost public intellectuals and scientific educators during the COVID-19 pandemic. A world-renowned scientist, his research focuses on inflammation; he has published over 350 scientific papers and is the founder of multiple health science startups.

Today, we talk about Luke O'Neill's first steps towards his career in science. He explains how he moved from an all-consuming interest in science at large to a more specific interest in biology, how his secondary school teacher influenced that journey, and his time as an undergraduate at Trinity and PhD student in London.

Dr. O'Neill talks about the transition from pure learning in scientific fields to performing novel research of one’s own. We talk about the development and deployment of the COVID-19 vaccines, and whether human challenge trials could have sped up development even more. We discuss animal testing, misinformation, and the status quo of scientific funding in Europe, and whether the best ideas are truly getting funded, or if progress is being slowed due to bureaucratic or conservative inertia.

Of course, we also discuss his music, a love of Dr. O'Neill's, some of his musical influences, the legacy of The Pogues, and even a bit on Irish film.

Dr. O'Neill is also the author of multiple books, including "Show Me the Science," "Humanology," and most recently, "To Boldly Go Where No Book Has Gone Before: A Joyous Journey Through All of Science."

He also hosts a podcast of his own with Newstalk, called "Show Me the Science”, he is a singer and guitarist in his band “The Metabolix”, and he writes a weekly column in the Irish Independent.

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Bramcast welcomes Alan Esslemont, Director General of TG4, to the podcast for our first conversation as Gaeilge.

Tosóimid lena scéal féin. Is as an Albain é Alan ó dhúchas, agus insíonn sé dúinn cathain agus cén fáth ar fhoghlaim sé Gaeilge na hÉireann, agus phléimid a thuras chuig an bpost atá aige faoi láthair mar an Ard-Stiúrthóir atá i gceannas ar TG4.

Sular fhoghlaim sé Gaeilge na hÉireann, chaith sé am sa Fhrainc agus ar Oileán Mhanann ag foghlaim Fraincis agus ansin Gàidhlig na hAlban. Labhraímid mar gheall ar bhunú TG4 i 1996, na haidhmeanna a bhain leis an chéad stáisiún teilifíse Gaeilge in Éirinn. An t-am a chaith sé roimhe sin ag obair le BBC na hAlba, cainéal don Ghàidhlig in Albain, agus ina dhiaidh sin nuair a tháinig sé ar ais mar Ard-Stiúrthóir sa bhliain 2016.

Phléimid an smaoineamh gur tháinig TG4 amach as COVID níos láidre, toisc nach raibh na míbhuntáistí geografacha a bhaineann le ceanncheathrú nach bhfuil i mBaile Átha Cliath in ann nuair a bhí gach rud déanta ar líne, nó ar Zoom. Chríochnaímid le cad a déarfadh Alan le duine atá fostaithe in Éirinn, gan aon Ghaeilge acu, a bhfuil spéis acu an teanga a fhoghlaim.

Introduction Music Credit: Eastern Blokhedz Live at Barbes for WFMU's Transpacific Sound Paradise

with Rob W

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Bramcast welcomes author Richard O'Rawe on our 15th episode.

Richard O’Rawe is a bestselling author of several books on the Troubles in Northern Ireland and two fiction novels. His writing is informed by, and in some cases the story of, his previous life as a member of the Provisional IRA.

O’Rawe’s first book, Blanketmen, recounted own life, how he joined the IRA, and his time on the Blanket and No Wash Protests Inside The H Blocks. It culminates in the story of the 1980 Hungerstrikrs as told from his perspective as their Spokesman. The book sent shockwaves across Ireland, and challenged the prevailing narrative on the hunger strikes. O’Rawe wrote that after the deaths of the first four hunger strikers, an offer had been made by the British government, through an agent codenamed ‘Mountain Climber’, that acquiesced to four of the five hunger strikers demands, including that to let prisoners wear their own clothes. This, O’Rawe writes, was thought sufficient to end the strike by leadership inside the prison, but was rejected by IRA leadership outside the prison, and a further six men would die before the strike was ended. 

HIs most recent book, “Stakeknifes dirty war”, tells the story of Freddie Scappaticci, the highest ranked known british informer within the IRA. In charge of the Internal security unit, known as the nutting squad, Scapaticci’s role was to root out and kill informers within the IRA. All the while, while he was an informer himself. The book investigates the life and crimes of scapaticci, it explores the british intelligence forces complicity in the murder and torture he dealt out, and it tells the story of some of the unfortunate men who endured, and survived, interrogation by the nutting squad.

Today, we discuss both “Stakeknifes dirty war” and Richard’s own life and perspective, and he leaves us with what he would say to a young Irishman or woman that thinks they too would like to take up arms, and who think they are willing to die for their country. 

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