Show Notes
Fidelma O'Kane from the Save Our Sperrins anti-gold mining campaign is our guest on episode 106. This chat was a massive eye opener for me. What I thought was a big gold-mining company picking on a small rural community was way off. The success of the Save Our Sperrins campaign is critical to close the door on gold mining prospects popping up all over the country. If the gold mine goes ahead in the Sperrins goes ahead it will be an ecological and environmental train wreck, and will jeopardise the lives of the people who live there now and the lives of future generations. Follow Save Our Sperrins on facebook and listen to the horrendous plans that Dalradian Gold have in store for the people of the Sperrins. They plan to have 2 explosions in the area every day for 20 years and the plans include cyanid pits, mountains of waste rock and destruction of an area of outstanding natural beauty. Notably minister for the environment in the 26 counties Eamonn Ryan signed the petition to stop the Sperrins goldmine, and is the minister in charge of granting current gold mining prospect license of which there are 2 planned for Cork and Kerry. Further, Dalraian used 2 Belfast based PR companies to further their plans and public image in the Sperrins; MCE and AV Brown. Interestingly one of the Directors of MCE Ben Mallon is a former DUP councillor and another Lindsay Millar is a former UUP Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council. Episode available on all usual platforms. Thank you to Fidelma for being a guest on the show and thanks to the supporters of the show who are subscribed via patreon.com/rebelmatters. Map of gold mining prospecting licences in the north: https://www.economy-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/economy/mineral-prospecting-licence-map-council-boundaries.pdf Map showing prospecting licences in the south: http://spatial.dcenr.gov.ie/EMD_DOWNLOAD/Nov2021/PL_Map_Nov2021_A0.pdf
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Rebel Matters is a completely independent podcast and 100% supported through Patreon. I am working hard at the moment to get the show to be financially self-sufficient so that we can continue to produce episodes and have important conversations. If you want to help us keep the show on the road and are in a position to do so, please consider becoming a valued Patron at patreon.com/rebelmatters.
On this week's episode we speak to Mary O'Hagan from the Save Lough Neagh campaign that is fighting to save the biggest body of water in Ireland from ecological disaster. The Lough is suffering from the spread of a green algae that is destroying wildlife, the natural beauty of the Lough and its surrounding areas, and is having a devastating effect on the local communities. Lough Neagh also supplies 40% of the drinking water in the north of Ireland. This is an issue of capital and profit being put before people and the environment, and is something that should concern everyone in Ireland deeply. If you enjoyed this episode please help us keep the show on the road and to build Rebel Matters into a valuable independent media platform by becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/rebelmatters. If you live in the 6 counties, click here to find out where your drinking water comes from : https://www.niwater.com/about-your-water/bga Follow the Save Lough Neagh campaign on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saveloughneagh/ Follow Save Lough Neagh on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/saveloughneagh/?locale=en_GB Follow Rebel Matters on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebel_matters Subscribe to Rebel Matters Substack: https://substack.com/@rebelmatters Without the support of our wonderful Patrons the Rebel Matters Podcast would not be possible. Go raibh míle maith agaibh a chairde!
This week I chatted with Rebecca O Keefe who is an ex-international basketball player and who is involved with Irish Sport for Palestine and the Stop The Game Campaign, calling on the FAI and Irish soccer governing bodies to boycott the scheduled international fixture against Israel later this year. Link to full video episode here: https://www.youtube.com/@rebelmatters Help us to build a radical independent media platform here www.patreon.com/rebelmatters
Before the end of 2025 we stopped publishing the show to Spotify because of the links between its then CEO Daniel Ek and arms manufacturers. Spotify has also censored pro-Palestine voices and is known for its exploitation of artists when it comes to remuneration for the use of their art. As part of our process to move away from the platform, we spoke to Kelly Early who co-hosts the For Tech's Sake podcast to discuss the sinister connections between the streaming platform and weapons of war, and potential alternatives for artists and listeners. We wanted to get this episode out way sooner but we have been working through a bit of a backlog of work, so we are very happy to finally have it out there. Huge thanks to Kelly for being a guest on the show and to our loyal supporters over on Patreon who are truly helping us to build the Rebel Matters into an independent media platform bringing perspectives you might not otherwise get on important issues. Full video episode out on YouTube and audio only on many of the usual platforms with the exception of the aforementioned. Please like and subscribe and enjoy the show! Get early access, exclusive content, and help us to build a radical independent media platform by becoming a Patron. www.patreon.com/rebelmatters
Our guests for this episode are Niamh Ní Bhrian, Fionn Wallace, and Rory Rowan. This conversation was recorded in December 2025 after our guests had presented the Neutrality Roadshow in the Cultúalnn here in West Belfast. During this chat we discussed the current threats to Irish neutrality, the prospect of a united Ireland and what that might look like in terms of Irish neutrality, and the seemingly threats to Irish sovereignty through an intentional remilitarization of the country both north and south by the British government. Subscribe on YouTube @rebelmatters Follow us on Instagram @rebel_matters Follow us on UpScrolled @rebel_matters Follow us on TikTok @rebel_matters The Rebel Matters Podcast is a completely independent show produced in Belfast, and 100% supported by our Patrons. To join our community, support our work and get early access to episodes visit www.patreon.com/rebelmatters