John Connors returns to the studio for Episode #085 of Paddy Holohan's No Shame Podcast.
John is an Irish actor, documentary filmmaker, screenwriter, human activist & is making his second appearance on the show. If you haven't seen it yet you can watch his first episode here.
During the podcast Connors talks about his critically acclaimed play 'Ireland's Call', a one man show that he's taken on a worldwide tour to cities such as New York, Sydney, London, Liverpool, Dublin & Paris. John holds Q&A with the crowd after every show & uses the feedback to refine & tweak his performances. It has given 'Ireland's Call' a universal appeal that audiences from all over the globe can relate to.
John is currently on a media campaign to talk about the planned mass eviction of Travellers in Dublin. Connors speaks of a tendered document released by Dublin City Council to evict Travellers from council land.
Connors highlights that the plan has come in the midst of the worse homeless crisis this country has ever faced & such a move would only add to an already catastrophic problem. John talks about previous evictions across Ireland in Meath & Cavan, where ex-loyalist paramilitaries were brought in to evict Travellers off council land.
The award winning filmmaker also refers to a horrific experience his family suffered when the ERU (Emergency Response Unit) entered his camp site by force, without a warrant & threatened John's mother at gunpoint with assault rifles. The attack left his Mother in a state of shock & Connors explains that unfortunately it's not an isolated incident. John believes travellers won't put up with this inhumane treatment for much longer & dangerous times could be on the horizon unless we work together to resolve these issues.
Watch episode #085 of Paddy Holohan's No Shame Podcast below:
Furthermore many local authorities around the country are not spending the full Traveller accommodation budget to improve camp sites, with 2017 figures suggesting 4.1 million was left unspent. However, John does acknowledge the work of some Councillors such as Anthony Flynn who reached out to him in a bid help find a solution.
John discusses the history of Irish culture & how it stems from the travelling community. Connors talks about the impact of British rule on Ireland which over hundreds of years lead to the break up of the countries nomadic society.
The 'Ireland's Call' star talks of how the settled & travelling communities have been pitted against one another by the establishment for generations, with reference to campaigns from politicians to dehumanise the travelling community. John believes it's more important than ever for both communities to make the effort to come together to help one another & reiterates that his two best friends are from the settled community.
Listen to / download the full episode of Paddy Holohan's No Shame Podcast below:
In the pursuit of success John highlights the dangers of adopting a victim mentality when faced with oppression. No matter how bad the situation, Connor's believes taking responsibility for oneself will offer total freedom, enabling a person to navigate past any challenge life will throw at them.
Both men close the show by discussing the prospect of a United Ireland with Connor's believing we'll see it happen within the next five years. Despite condemning many of the provocative actions on July 12th both Paddy & John highlight that it's essential for Unionists to be a part of a United Ireland. There are many communities on this island that make it Ireland & without the minorities we can never be truly united as a nation once again.
What an incredibly powerful conversation from two leaders of their respective communities. John is one of the truly great minds of our time & at just 29 years of age we look forward to seeing big things from the Coolock native. Whatever your plans are for the day make sure you've made time for this week's No Shame. From a cultural, political & philosophical stand point, theres an extremely important message in this one for people across all divides.
The full episode #085 of Paddy Holohan's No Shame Podcast with John Connors is available now across all the usual platforms including Youtube, iTunes & Spotify. As always, thank you so much for all of your support & please continue to spread the word by liking, sharing, subscribing & commenting, the love doesn't go unnoticed.
