Guardians Of The Flame Podcast

Dr Gabriel Scally: Public Health & Covid-19

This is a fascinating interview with one of the U.K. and Republic of Ireland’s leading public health experts. Dr Gabriel Scally has been a regular commentator on News channels for the last year, often taking the British government to task for their failings in their dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic. He has been serving society as a doctor for over 40 years with public health being his main focus in that time.

In this interview we chart his life from growing up on the Falls Road in West Belfast during the civil rights movement and early days of the Troubles, his travels as a young man to Chile, Angola and Burkina Faso, and some of the many achievements in his career. It is fascinating and heart wrenching to hear him describe his work on the failings in the Republic of Ireland on the Cervical Check programme. What comes shining through in this episode is Dr Scally’s fierce determination to advocate for those most marginalised in society and to advocate for Public Health policies that will benefit all of those in society.

We also touch on the subject of abortion. This is obviously one of the most divisive subjects in many Western societies. I was keen to create a space for someone like Dr Scally to articulate what would have motivated him in his advocacy for reproductive rights in Northern Ireland. As we try to build a broad catalogue of podcasts dealing with all of life, this episode adds a new dimension.

Peter and Beryl Quigley

Beryl Quigley appears in our documentary telling the story of how her husband, Bill McConnell, was killed by the IRA. Her story is repeated in this podcast where she adds more detail.

Several years after her husband’s death she remarried Peter Quigley. Jonny Clark has known Peter and Beryl since the early 90’s and here he allows them to each tell their stories. Peter’s life is one of sadness and redemption. Both speak compellingly about their Christian faith and how it has lead them to walk the path of forgiveness. As people of faith they have made a life’s work out of courageously crossing boundaries that were considered taboo by many in the church. They share a simple faith that is simultaneously uncompromising, profound and one which is steeped in kindness and acceptance.

An interesting contribution in this interview are a couple of Peter’s “thoughts from the day” which he regularly shares on BBC Radio Ulster.

Bruce Clark: Journalism, Conflict Zones and Spirituality

Bruce Clark has been a correspondent for some of the worlds biggest news organisations over the last three decades: the Financial Times, Reuters, The Times and currently the Economist. He was based in Moscow in the final days of Communism and the fall of the Soviet Union. Following this he covered contexts all around Europe and notably for this podcast we talk of how he covered the Balkans in the mid 90’s and the Dayton agreement which brought the Bosnian war to an end. His insight into efforts to bring justice following conflict is fascinating. Bruce is also an author having written extensively about Russia and Greece and he is a cousin of mine. What a privilege it was to interview him. This podcast seeks to look at places with conflict and the roots of these often tribal divisions. Bruce is the first guest we have interviewed who is fluent in both Russian and Greek and well placed to comment on these nations as well as the growth of populism around the world at this unique moment in history. Finally, this conversation is enriched by Bruce’s deep understanding of Biblical Greek. We touch on theology and the importance of his deep Orthodox Christian faith.

James Greer: From Paramilitaries to Reconciliation

James Greer shares powerfully from his experience of membership in the UDA, prison and then starting a new life as a bridge builder. A poignant moment is sharing his entry to the UDA, pledging loyalty to it while having his hand on a Bible. This joining of violence with Religious belonging and identity undergirds what the Guardians Of The Flame project is all about. How do we celebrate the lives of people who have fanned the flame of humanity regardless of what faith they are. And how do we challenge the toxic religious nationalism that can become destructive in societies. James Greer swears no religious allegiance now but he has an overflowing humour and humanity that make his friendship with those who would have been his enemies so poignant.

Colum Sands: On Folk Music and Environmental Activism

Colum Sands is a hugely respected and much loved Irish folk music singer and songwriter. As well as penning a myriad of songs he has become more and more engaged in environmental campaigning. He led a campaign to recognise an “Invisible Tree”. This Oak tree on the edge of Rostrevor’s ancient Oak Wood was conveniently absent from developers plans to build inner city style apartment blocks with an underground car park on the site. Indeed, without a campaign like this one they would have “paved paradise and put up a parking lot”.

Colum is one of Ireland’s most gifted songwriters and story tellers. This interview traces his career with The Sands Family band, tells the story of songs written during The Troubles and his recent environmental activism with RARE (Rostrevor Action Respecting the Environment).

Colum is a brilliant human. In this outdoor, socially distanced (and very cold) interview we try to catch the magic and beauty of Colum and his music. To see the work of RARE find them on Instagram at @rostrevor_rare, Twitter @rostrevorRARE or Facebook @rostrevorRARE. His music, including his brilliant new album can be found at www.columsands.com

Brian Keenan: From Hostage to Mystic

“We were chained but they were chained to their guns”, said Brian Keenan after being released from 4 1/2 years of captivity and brutalisation as a hostage of the Islamic Jihad during the Lebanese civil war. This is a fascinating interview. I believe there is a greatness about Brian Keenan. He has suffered more than most should ever have to in one life time. From growing up in the back streets of Belfast, he travelled to Beirut as an English teacher during a civil war. There he became a hostage. But today Brian is more like a mystic. He has a profound humanity and sees beauty in others. It was extremely moving to hear him talking about one of his captors who treated him with a particularly malicious cruelty. He said if he was to meet ‘Said’ he would want to sit and have a coffee with him and ask him what was going on in his head in those days. Why did he treat him so cruelly? I saw no desire for revenge in Brian, just a generous heartedness and profound wisdom. Among several other books Brian detailed his time as a hostage in his critically acclaimed book “An Evil Cradling”.

Kathleen Gillespie & Anne Walker: Hope After A Human Bomb

On 24 October 1990 Patsy Gillespie was chained into his seat and made to drive into an army base with a van carrying over 1200 pounds of explosives. His wife Kathleen Gillespie and some of her family were held at gunpoint until the bomb detonated. Patsy has become known as the “human bomb”. He saved lives as he waved his arms and shouted for soldiers to run. 5 soldiers and Patsy died that day. Kathleen Gillespie, Patsy’s widow, is a remarkable woman of courage, passion and empathy.

 

In this interview we speak both to Kathleen and to Anne Walker. Anne is a woman of warmth and courage. Anne had been a Republican activist in Derry/Londonderry in the late 80’s. Her job was moving weapons and bomb making equipment around. Today Kathleen and Anne are friends. They share in this remarkable interview about the horrors of war and conflict. They share about courage and about the sadness over past decisions. They also share a remarkable story of grace and redemption.

 

Today these two women are firm and deep friends. 30 years ago the IRA was committed to militarily defeating British rule in Northern Ireland. Patsy came from the Catholic/nationalist community but because he was working in a British army base he was regarded as a legitimate target by the IRA. When we look back at those years we can see that it was a meaningless cycle of violence. It is deeply moving to hear Anne share about her horror at what Republicans did in the murder of Kathleen’s husband. The beauty of the grace Kathleen showed years later to Anne is awe inspiring. Listen to learn, and listen to become part of the change we need to see in the world. This is an amazingly moving interview. Anne and Kathleen are heroes. They show us how the cycle of violence can be stopped, with grace.

Gareth Higgins: Us and Them and The End of Violence

Gareth Higgins is a story teller and violence reduction activist. He grew up in Belfast, Northern Ireland and has been living in America for the last ten years. Many moons ago he wrote the book “How movies helped to save my soul”. He was the founding Director of the Wild Goose festival and he is also one of Jonny Clark’s oldest friends. 

This is an engaging podcast that includes a real tangible framework for transforming conflict. At the same time it is a conversation that traces Gareth’s life, his move to America, his friendship with the likes of Walter Wink and John O’Donohue and writing a book with Brian McLaren. 

Check out Gareth’s new book “How Not To Be Afraid” and the brilliant magazine theporchmagazine.com

Moya Brennan: Ireland, Music and Faith.

Moya Brennan is one of Ireland’s most well known and beloved singers. Her band Clannad are known all over the world and their music is a wondrous blend of Celtic fusion and traditional irish folk music. Moya is a beautiful soul with a deep faith who loves the environment. Clannad came to Rostrevor last summer in July 2019 to play at the village’s famous folk festival, Fiddlers Green. We recorded this interview the night after their amazing sold out gig.

Ramy & Roula Taleb: Teaching Forgiveness in Lebanon

This podcast is the story of the remarkable work of Ramy and Roula Taleb, how they journeyed to Belfast and are now making peace in Lebanon. For the last 18 years Jonny and Jenn Clark and their team have raised funds for young Christians from areas of conflict to spend 6-12 months in Belfast or Rostrevor, Northern Ireland learning about reconciliation and how their faith can build peace in their communities. Ramy was the first Lebanese trainee and landed into Belfast in 2005, barely speaking English but with a deep hunger to learn from the experience. He ended up spending five years in Belfast, particularly working in the Shankill and Falls areas. One of the projects Ramy focused on in Belfast was a project which takes Forgiveness education into many Protestant and Catholic schools in the city.

By 2010 Ramy had married the beautiful Roula and together they started a new life back in Lebanon, ultimately starting a sister project of the Belfast work called the Foundation for Forgiveness and Reconciliation (ffrlebanon.org). The work in Lebanon is unprecedented in it’s radical commitment to building bridges throughout the sectarian divides of this post-civil war country. Ramy and Roula are courageously taking forgiveness, reconciliation and peace-building training to as many people as they can and are often doing it with what little resources they can find. If you are looking to support a grass-roots charity in the Middle East you should check out the work of FFR and get behind them.

This work in Lebanon is something all of the GOTF team are passionate about and it’s why Josh Eaves (Instagram: @josheaves1) and Jonny Clark continue to be involved in different ways, including our plans to make our next Guardians Of The Flame documentary there. This episode was as usual recorded by the brilliant Fra Sands of @safeplacestudios. The music in our podcasts is by the brilliant Irish folk band @naleanai