The Tools at Hand with Harrison Gardner

harrisongardner

We live in a complex world. And navigating it as the complex, hopeful, emotional, ambitious human beings that we are takes a very real set of tools. The Tools at Hand is a podcast about people who have done the work of finding and developing those tools. People who saw a problem, or felt one, and instead of waiting for someone else to fix it, started figuring it out for themselves. In their community, their discipline, their craft, or their own inner life. Each episode in conversation with one guest who gives an honest account of what it actually took to build something real. The question underneath every conversation is: what did you have to learn to build this?

The Tools at Hand podcast is brought to you by Bord Gáis Energy.

New episodes drop every Thursday.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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S2 · E10
Thursday · 1 hr 23 min
The standard way of building is leading us to a disaster | Robert Bourke
What if the way we build our homes and cities is part of the problem and the solution is already around us? Architect Robert Bourke joins me to explore how we can rethink the way we build, from the materials we use to the relationship between buildings, nature and the communities around them. With construction contributing significantly to global carbon emissions, Robert questions why concrete, steel and glass have become the default and why we should look at existing buildings before building new ones. But sustainable architecture isn't just about materials. It's about seeing buildings as part of a much bigger system: how water moves through our cities, how our streets affect rivers, and how we can design places that work with nature rather than against it. From a tiny three-square-metre extension that won two national awards to a community rain garden designed to help absorb rainfall and reduce flooding, Robert shows how small, thoughtful interventions can make a difference. What would our towns and cities look like if we stopped treating buildings as isolated objects and started designing for the systems we all depend on? Support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/HarrisonGardner CONNECT WITH ME Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_harrisongardner Website: https://www.harrisongardner.net/ Bookstore: https://www.harrisongardner.net/bookstore-1 Pre-order my new book HEAT-SHELTER-WATER-FOOD https://www.harrisongardner.net/heat-shelter-water-food Robert Burke Architects: https://www.rba.ie/ Act Now Collective: https://actnowcollective.org/ Chapters 00:00 — Teaser 00:00:55 — Intro 00:02:41 — Why We Need to Rethink How We Build 00:11:27 — What Traditional Buildings Can Teach Us 00:17:50 — Building with Light, Space and Nature 00:25:55 — The Three-Square-Metre Extension That Won Two Awards 00:31:05 — The Value of Working with an Architect 00:39:05 — Building for Permanence and Longevity 00:46:10 — From Architecture to Landscape Systems 00:50:15 — Learning to Think in Systems 00:55:39 — Restoring Rivers and Working with Water 00:57:00 — The Knocklyon Sponge Scape and Rain Garden 01:03:00 — Moving from Protecting Nature to Restoring It 01:08:05 — Learning from Communities and Farmers 01:12:13 — Advice for Young Architects 01:20:30 — How Small Changes Add Up 01:22:10 — Final Thoughts and Where to Find Robert Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S2 · E9
October 8 · 59 min
Why Ireland Once Made Dancing Illegal | Edwina Guckian | The Devil's in the Dance Hall
In 1935, dancing became illegal in Ireland unless you had a licence. You couldn’t simply organise a dance in a barn. You couldn’t dance at a crossroads. And in rural Ireland, you couldn’t even hold a dance in your own home. The Public Dance Halls Act was part of a much wider attempt to control Irish social life — with the Church and authorities deeply involved in deciding where, how and even whether people could dance. But what happens when a community refuses to accept that control? Edwina Guckian is a dancer, choreographer and community organiser who has spent years exploring Ireland’s lost dance culture and the forces that shaped it. Her work on The Devil's in the Dance Hall brings this history back to life through music, dance and storytelling. The project explores a time when jazz, dancing and new forms of socialising were seen by some as a threat to Irish society — even being described as the work of the devil. We also get into the extraordinary story of Jimmy Gralton, who reopened a community hall in 1932 as a space for dancing, music, education and gathering. The hall quickly attracted people from beyond the local community, but the conflict surrounding it escalated dramatically. Shots were fired at dancers, and on Christmas Eve 1932, the hall was attacked and burned down. Nearly a century later, Edwina is helping bring the story full circle. A campaign is now underway to rebuild Gralton’s Hall on its original site — not simply as a monument to the past, but as a new community space where people can gather, dance and connect across generations. We talk about why Ireland has lost many of its natural spaces for social connection, why people can feel so inhibited about dancing today, and what it takes to create a genuinely safe space where people feel comfortable getting onto the dance floor. Edwina also shares the thinking behind the Rambling Project, her work bringing different generations together, and why she believes that if something is missing from your community, you shouldn’t wait for someone else to create it. Sometimes, you just have to build it yourself. Support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/HarrisonGardner CONNECT WITH ME Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_harrisongardner Website: https://www.harrisongardner.net/ Bookstore: https://www.harrisongardner.net/bookstore-1 Pre-order my new book HEAT-SHELTER-WATER-FOOD https://www.harrisongardner.net/heat-shelter-water-food Follow Edwina Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edwinaguckian/ Support the Rebuild of Gralton’s Hall: https://www.gofundme.com/f/rebuild-graltons-hall The Devil’s in the Dance Hall: https://www.edwinaguckian.com/the-devils-in-the-dance-hall/ 00:00 They Once Made Dancing Illegal in Ireland 02:37 Meet Edwina Guckian 05:01 The Devil in the Dance Hall 06:00 How Dancing Became Illegal in Ireland 12:10 How Women Were Policed and Shamed 16:20 Why We’ve Stopped Dancing 19:28 How to Create a Safe Space to Dance 20:50 Inside The Devil in the Dance Hall 25:00 The Story of Jimmy Gralton 32:45 Gralton Reopens the Hall 34:35 The Hall Is Attacked and Burned Down 37:25 Why Edwina Is Bringing It Back 38:35 Dancing Brings Generations Together 40:20 The Rambling Project 42:43 Why We Need New Social Spaces 46:25 Bringing Generations Together 47:10 Rebuilding Community 50:50 If You See the Gap, Build It 52:00 Rebuilding Gralton’s Hall 57:20 How to Support Edwina’s Work Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S2 · E8
October 1 · 1 hr 16 min
The Young Irish Farmer Revolutionising Farming | Sophie Bell
What does the future of farming in Ireland look like? Sophie Bell is a young farmer from County Cavan who took on the running of her family farm at just 17, while finishing her Leaving Cert. Today, she’s balancing farming with a career in social media, speaking about agriculture across Ireland and Europe, and rethinking what it means to build a sustainable life from the land. We talk about the pressure on farmers to have a second income, why farming can feel more like a culture than a career, and the barriers facing the next generation. Sophie also shares what she learned from researching the impact of bovine TB on farmers, what it's like being a young woman in a traditionally male-dominated industry, and how social media has opened doors she never expected. And then we get into what she's changing on the farm — moving away from commodity pricing and towards a model where she has more control over what the farm earns, how it operates, and where it goes next. A conversation about farming, money, gender, social media, and what happens when you stop accepting that things have to be done the way they've always been done. Support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/HarrisonGardner CONNECT WITH ME Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_harrisongardner Website: https://www.harrisongardner.net/ Bookstore: https://www.harrisongardner.net/bookstore-1 Pre-order my new book HEAT-SHELTER-WATER-FOOD https://www.harrisongardner.net/heat-shelter-water-food Follow Sophie: https://www.instagram.com/sophie_bell__?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&stkn=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw== 00:00 – Teaser 00:55 – Introduction 02:47 – Sophie’s 56-Acre Farm in County Cavan 05:25 – Why Do Farmers Need a Second Income? 07:50 – The Next Generation of Farmers 10:10 – Passing the Farm to the Next Generation 13:15 – Who Gets Taught to Be a Farmer? 18:35 – Is Farming a Career or a Culture? 23:25 – How Social Media Changed Sophie’s Farm 26:35 – The Hidden Cost of Bovine TB 33:10 – “I Thought I Wasn’t Allowed to Be a Farmer” 35:47 – Taking Over the Farm at 17 38:42 – Being Taken Seriously as a Young Woman 45:37 – Advice for Young Women in Farming 48:08 – Why Farming Needs More Alternative Ideas 56:30 – Sophie’s Work With the EU and UN 01:03:19 – A Different Way to Make Farming Pay 01:06:10 – For the First Time, the Farm Isn’t Struggling 01:08:35 – The Future of Wool in Ireland 01:12:30 – Taking Back Control 01:14:10 – What Sustainable Farming Should Look Like 01:15:11 – Outro Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S2 · E7
September 24 · 54 min
Irish Fiddle Player Clare Sands on Bringing Politics Into Folk Music
What can music do when the world feels divided? For Clare Sands, it can be a way of bringing people together. Clare is a sixth-generation fiddle player, singer and composer from Ireland. In this conversation, we talk about Irish culture, activism, Palestine, and the role music can play in starting difficult conversations. Clare shares the story of swimming across the Bosphorus from Asia to Europe and raising around €12,000 for two Palestinian organisations with her sister. We talk about the pushback she has experienced when sharing Palestinian folk songs, and why she continues to use music to connect people across cultures and traditions. We also explore the story behind the flag on Clare’s album artwork, her relationship with Irish history and folklore, and the importance of reclaiming symbols that can become divisive. Along the way, we get into a bigger question: how do you get people to engage with difficult ideas in a way that feels welcoming? Support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/HarrisonGardner CONNECT WITH ME Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_harrisongardner Website: https://www.harrisongardner.net/ Bookstore: https://www.harrisongardner.net/bookstore-1 Pre-order my new book HEAT-SHELTER-WATER-FOOD https://www.harrisongardner.net/heat-shelter-water-food Clare Sands Website: claresands.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claresandsceol/?hl=en Substack: https://claresandsceol.substack.com/ 00:00 Teaser — Why Was a Folk Song Too Much? 00:41 Introduction 03:00 Irish Music, Culture & Clare Sands’ Roots 07:20 Climate Change & Adapting to a Changing World 09:10 Irish Traditional Music & Creative Independence 12:35 Music, Activism & Palestinian Folk Songs 14:45 Irish Identity, Folklore & Siding With the Underdog 21:10 Swimming, Community & Connection 25:20 Swimming From Asia to Europe for Palestine 33:05 Using Music to Open Difficult Conversations 38:10 Irish Flags, Irish History & Reclaiming Identity 41:05 Music, Community & Connecting Across Borders 46:15 Bringing Music to Rural Communities 47:35 Small Audiences, Community & Connection 52:05 Clare Sands’ Music, New Album & Song of a Gael Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S2 · E6
September 17 · 1 hr 6 min
I Traded Photography for Food & Shelter to Travel the World | The Pixel Trade | Shantanu Starick
What happens when you decide to travel to all seven continents without spending any money? That was the challenge Shantanu Starick set himself after stepping away from a career in architecture. Trading nothing but his photography skills for food, shelter and transport, he created The Pixel Trade — a three-and-a-half-year journey built entirely around exchange, trust and the people he met along the way. But living without money comes with its own challenges. What does it actually cost to rely on other people? And what happens when the journey ends and you have to reintegrate into a world that still runs on money, responsibility and bills? In this conversation, we explore the value of trade, the relationships that grow from it, and why the best exchanges are the ones where both people feel they’ve come away with the better end of the deal. Support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/HarrisonGardner CONNECT WITH ME Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_harrisongardnerWebsite: https://www.harrisongardner.net/ Bookstore: https://www.harrisongardner.net/bookstore-1 Pre-order my new book HEAT-SHELTER-WATER-FOOD https://www.harrisongardner.net/heat-shelter-water-food Explore the Pixel Trade Project and discover the trades that made this journey possible: http://thepixeltrade.com/trades Chapters 00:00 — Teaser & Introduction 02:22 — The Pixel Trade: Trading Photography for Food, Shelter & Transport 19:33 — The Squarespace Hosting Trade 20:40 — New York, Tumblr & Inter-Trading 29:12 — What Makes a Great Trade? 40:40 — Burnout & Reaching Antarctica 41:41 — How He Got to Antarctica 48:40 — The Pixel Trade as a Life Apprenticeship 50:00 — What He Learned About Money 51:40 — Returning to a World That Runs on Money Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S2 · E5
September 10 · 1 hr 28 min
From Sailing to Antarctica to Becoming a Polar Bear Guard | Sarah Schwimmer
Sarah Schwimmer is a naturalist, ecologist and polar expedition leader who has spent the last decade guiding more than 125 expeditions around the world. In this conversation, Sarah talks about her upcoming expedition to Svalbard aboard a first-of-its-kind solar-powered polar expedition vessel, how she dropped out of university to sail across the Atlantic at 19, and how following her curiosity shaped the life she built. We also talk about Antarctica, the realities of working in the polar regions, the experience of coming out later in life, creating safer and more inclusive spaces in expedition travel, and what it means to become a polar bear guard. Sarah's approach to life comes back to a simple idea: you don't need to know exactly how to do something before you start. Sometimes you have to trust that you'll figure it out along the way. Support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/HarrisonGardner Connect with Harrison: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_harrisongardner Website: https://www.harrisongardner.net/ Books: https://www.harrisongardner.net/bookstore-1 Pre-order my new book HEAT-SHELTER-WATER-FOOD https://www.harrisongardner.net/heat-shelter-water-food Find Sarah and learn more about her expeditions: https://www.instagram.com/the_vagabondist/ https://www.the-vagabondist.com/pages/about Chapters 00:00 — Teaser & Introduction 04:00 — Solar-Powered Ship to Svalbard & the North Pole 18:00 — Sustainable Travel & the Future of Exploration 24:00 — Childhood, Nature & the Dream of Exploration 30:00 — Dropping Out of University to Sail Across the Atlantic 43:00 — Dyslexia, Dyscalculia & Learning to Trust Yourself 56:50 — Becoming a Polar Expedition Leader 58:50 — Antarctica, Sailing & the Drake Passage 01:08:00 — Coming Out, LGBTQ+ Inclusion & Expedition Travel 01:18:40 — Freedom, Wilderness & Being Yourself 01:20:00 — What Does a Polar Bear Guard Do? 01:26:20 — Talking to Bears & Sarah's Next Adventure Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S2 · E4
September 3 · 56 min
Paul Noonan & Brian Crosby: From Bell X1 to Pilgrims, Music Therapy & Breathwork
Paul Noonan and Brian Crosby have been making music together, in one form or another, for decades. From Juniper and Bell X1, through 16 years of separate creative journeys, they eventually found their way back into a room together. What started with Brian’s solo piano record Imbrium and a voice note from Paul during COVID became Pilgrims — a new project built from everything they had learned and experienced in the years apart. In this conversation, we talk about what it means to return to a creative partnership after so much time, the vulnerability of making something new with someone you have a long history with, and how Pilgrims grew from remote recordings into a live project. We also get into the very different paths they took along the way. Brian talks about leaving Bell X1, moving to Berlin, composing for film, building recording studios from scratch, and training in holotropic breathwork. Paul talks about his work as a music therapist, working with people with dementia, brain injuries and children, and what music can make possible in those settings. And underneath all of it is a bigger question about creativity: what happens when we stop trying to be perfect, become willing to be vulnerable, and allow other people to change what we're making? This is a conversation about music, collaboration, fear, connection, and finding your way back to making things. Support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/HarrisonGardner Connect with Harrison: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_harrisongardner Website: https://www.harrisongardner.net/ Books: https://www.harrisongardner.net/bookstore-1 Pre-order my new book HEAT-SHELTER-WATER-FOOD https://www.harrisongardner.net/heat-shelter-water-food Explore Pilgrims and their music: https://www.pilgrims.music/ Chapters 00:00 – Teaser 00:51 – Intro: Creating Something People Are Ready to Receive 03:50 – From Bell X1 to Pilgrims 05:42 – The Voice Note That Sparked Pilgrims 07:31 – Finding a New Musical Voice 08:17 – Two Very Different Journeys 09:17 – Why Brian Left Bell X1 16:40 – Building a Creative Scene in Berlin 19:28 – What Is Holotropic Breathwork? 23:45 – Fear, Self-Doubt & Creativity 30:55 – Paul Noonan on Music Therapy 32:00 – Music & Brain Injury 32:45 – Creating a Safe Space 34:20 – From Performer to Facilitator 40:55 – Building the Wicklow Studio 45:00 – Why Small Venues Matter 52:34 – What's Next for Pilgrims? 55:37 – Outro Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S2 · E3
August 27 · 1 hr 8 min
Why Education Keeps Preparing Kids for the Wrong Future | Owen Losse
What if we're preparing young people for a future that will never exist? After more than 15 years working across education systems and helping schools improve outcomes for students, Owen Losse has reached a surprising conclusion: we spend too much time trying to predict the future, and not enough time understanding how people actually learn. In this conversation, Owen draws on his experience as an education leader to explore one of the biggest questions facing education today: How do we prepare people for a future we can't predict? From AI and the surprising history of the chalkboard to confidence, practical skills, and why learning has to be hard, this conversation challenges many of our assumptions about education, technology, and what it really means to prepare people for an unknowable future. Whether you're an educator, parent, leader, builder, or lifelong learner, you'll walk away with a different perspective on learning—and why the most important skills may be the ones that never go out of date. Support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/HarrisonGardner Connect with Harrison: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_harrisongardner Website: https://www.harrisongardner.net/ Books: https://www.harrisongardner.net/bookstore-1 Pre-order my new book HEAT-SHELTER-WATER-FOOD https://www.harrisongardner.net/heat-shelter-water-food Connect with Owen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/owenlosse/ Chapters 00:00 Learning Has to Be Hard 02:45 Owen's Journey Through Education 09:06 Why Education Doesn't Work the Same Everywhere 12:20 What Should Schools Actually Teach? 15:45 Why Schools Keep Chasing the Future 24:50 Why Schools Are Always Behind 27:33 The AI Education Debate Happened 100 Years Ago 34:35 How Build School Teaches People to Learn 39:30 How Schools Can Stop Chasing Society 50:15 What 15-Year-Olds Really Think About Home 58:00 Is Confidence a Skill? 59:20 What Cooking 100 Chickens Teaches Us About Learning 01:03:20 Learning From Failure 01:05:05 What a Good Learning Environment Looks Like Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S2 · E2
August 20 · 52 min
Earthships: Houses From Cans and Tires Without Utility Bills | Mike Reynolds
What if your home could produce its own water, energy, food, and comfort? For more than 50 years, Michael Reynolds has challenged conventional architecture by building off-grid, self-sustaining homes from materials most people consider trash. As the creator of the Earthship movement, he believes our homes should take care of us, not the other way around. But this conversation isn't really about architecture. It's about independence. It's about questioning the systems we've come to depend on and asking a simple question: What if the resources we need are already all around us? In this episode, Mike shares why he built homes from tires, beer cans, and bottles and why he believes autonomous off-grid housing is the future. We explore Earthships, off-grid living, self-reliance, and sustainable architecture, while asking whether waste could become one of our most valuable resources. Whether you're interested in alternative building or simply learning to think differently, this conversation will challenge the way you think about home, freedom, and resilience. Support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/HarrisonGardner CONNECT WITH ME Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_harrisongardner Website: https://www.harrisongardner.net/ Bookstore: https://www.harrisongardner.net/bookstore-1 Pre-order my new book HEAT-SHELTER-WATER-FOOD https://www.harrisongardner.net/heat-shelter-water-food Earthship Biotecture: https://earthship.com/ Earthship Academy & Training: https://earthship.com/learn 00:00 Building a House From Beer Cans 01:04 The Colombia Story 03:40 Why Mike Started Building Earthships 08:10 The 60-Year Fight Against the System 12:00 Why Autonomous Off-Grid Housing Matters 14:09 Ad Break: Supporting The Tools at Hand 15:57 Unbuilding the Way We Think About Homes 20:30 The Six Things Every Human Needs 25:30 Why Everything Has Become an Industry 29:05 The Knowledge Mike Wants to Spread 38:03 What COVID Taught Mike About Self-Reliance 43:21 Why a House Should Be a Machine 48:25 How Earthships Changed Harrison's Life 49:45 The Garbage Warrior & Harrison's New Book Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S2 · E1
August 13 · 57 min
The Question I've Been Trying to Answer for 20 Years
When I was 19, I went to Kenya because I wanted to make myself useful in the world. Instead, I found myself caught in the middle of the 2007–08 post-election violence and came home with a feeling of helplessness and a question that has stayed with me for almost 20 years: why do some people keep believing their actions matter while others eventually stop trying? Years later, I went back to the journal I kept during that time and started looking at the experience differently. In this episode, I explore Martin Seligman’s famous dog experiment and the psychology of learned helplessness, and how our sense of agency is shaped by repeated experience. I also look at where I see the same pattern today, from Irish farmers dealing with wool that has almost no economic value to a generation growing up with every global crisis in their pockets. And I ask what it might take to unlearn helplessness and start finding the levers that still work. Pre-order my new book HEAT-SHELTER-WATER-FOOD https://www.harrisongardner.net/heat-shelter-water-food Support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/HarrisonGardner CONNECT WITH ME Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_harrisongardner Website: https://www.harrisongardner.net/ Chapters 00:00 Intro: Kenya and Helplessness 01:03 Welcome Back 01:40 Why I Went to Kenya 04:10 Kenya's 2007 Election Crisis 13:03 Reading My Diary From Kenya 24:04 Martin Seligman's Dog Experiment 26:30 Learned Helplessness and Agency 28:00 Why I Thought I Could Change the World 31:20 Finding the Same Pattern Everywhere 33:42 The Irish Wool Problem 38:10 What Today's Generation Is Learning 42:30 What Really Happened in Kenya? 48:20 The Work That Actually Matters 52:50 Looking Back Twenty Years Later 55:40 Finding the Levers Around Us 56:50 My New Book: Heat, Shelter, Water, Food 57:35 Credits Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E10
June 17 · 52 min
Alan Wyley: The Answer Was Already There
Ireland wastes over a million euro of renewable energy every day while over half a million households can't afford to heat their homes. Alan Wyley is the CEO of Energycloud and has a €500 device that connects those two factors. He and Harrison talk about elegant solutions, stubborn optimism, and what it takes to bring an end to energy poverty. Brought to you by Bord Gáis Energy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E9
June 10 · 45 min
Clare Noone: Understanding the System We're In
Dr Clare Noone has sat in the rooms where the world tries to agree on its future. As a climate scientist who attended the most recent COP summit in Brazil, she has seen up close the gap between what the science says and what actually gets decided. She and Harrison talk about turning research into action, what it costs to keep communicating clearly when the stakes are this high, and what the rest of us can actually do with that information. Contains strong language. Brought to you by Bord Gáis Energy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E8
June 3 · 1 hr 7 min
Ankur Delight: Conflict as a Place to Build From
Ankur Delight is a conflict mediator, farmer, mathematician, and one of Harrison's oldest friends. They met at the Gandhi Ashram and in this conversation they explore why conflict might actually be a gift, what really happens in a mediation room, and what it means to build community and connection in a world that keeps pulling itself apart. Contains strong language. Brought to you by Bord Gáis Energy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E7
May 27 · 57 min
Ainle Ó Cairealláin: Language as Infrastructure
Ainle Ó Cairealláin has just returned from Cuba, where he travelled as part of the Nuestra América Convoy's humanitarian mission. He's also one of the most compelling voices in Ireland on the relationship between language, community, and identity. He and Harrison talk about language as a form of infrastructure, what it means to hold a culture together from the inside out, and why the communities with the least are often the ones who know most about resilience. Brought to you by Bord Gáis Energy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E6
May 20 · 59 min
Clare Dunne: Making the Thing You Need
IFTA award winning actor and writer Clare Dunne joins Harrison in the studio. Clare's performance as Amanda Kinsella in Kin has made her a household name, but what Harrison really wanted to talk about was Herself, Clare's film about a woman who builds her own home when the system fails her. She and Harrison talk about craft, identity, and the courage it takes to make the thing you need when nobody else will make it for you. Contains strong language. Brought to you by Bord Gáis Energy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E5
May 13 · 55 min
Matt Smith: Planting for the Long Game
After years on the ocean, and then years growing vegetables, Matt Smith co-founded the charity Hometree to restore native woodland across Ireland. He and Harrison talk about ecological restoration, long-term thinking, and what it takes to build something with results you may never see. Contains strong language. Brought to you by Bord Gáis Energy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E4
May 6 · 48 min
Aoife Dunne: Building a Life That Makes You Laugh
Aoife Dunne is repeatedly selling out her hit comedy show GOOD GRIEF across Ireland and lucky for us, she found a moment in the middle of it all, to join us in the studio. In this episode, she and Harrison talk about what it actually takes to build a creative life, trust your own voice, and use comedy to process the harder parts of being alive with some honesty. Contains strong language. Brought to you by Bord Gáis Energy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E3
April 29 · 56 min
Seán McCabe: Owning the Future Together
Most climate action starts with a government or a corporation. Seán McCabe started with a community football club. As the Head of Climate Justice & Sustainability at the Bohemian Climate Cooperative, he and his community are using cooperative ownership to fund renewable energy and retrofit homes from the ground up. He and Harrison talk about what it really means to give people a stake in something, and why that changes everything. Brought to you by Bord Gáis Energy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E2
April 22 · 48 min
Iseult Ward: Rescuing Food, Building Systems
Every day in Ireland, good food is thrown away while families go without. Iseult Ward co-founded FoodCloud to close that gap and has built one of Europe's most effective food redistribution systems. She and Harrison talk about what it takes to turn a good idea into real infrastructure, and why food is rarely just about food. Brought to you by Bord Gáis Energy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S1 · E1
April 15 · 1 hr 4 min
Using What You Have to Create What You Need
Before the guests arrive, Harrison sets out the idea at the heart of this podcast. From a slum in Ahmedabad to Gandhi's salt march, a piece of American legislation that affected everyone… but that nobody read, and a damp stone cottage on the west coast of Ireland, this is the episode that explains why the show exists and what it is for. Brought to you by Bord Gáis Energy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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