The Nerve: An English and Arts Podcast

Ep. 87: Author and journalist Jen Bray

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 10:36:04 GMT

Jen Bray’s first novel, The Lies Between Us, is set in the seaside village of Dunmore East in Co. Waterford, where a disappearance and a murder cause old wounds to be reopened and family secrets to be unveiled. This first novel has shot to the top of bestseller lists in Ireland and has now been sold to publishers in Germany, Poland and the United States. However, Jen also holds down a full-time job as Political Editor of The Sunday Times and was formerly a political journalist with The Irish Times. In this episode of the podcast, she chats about juggling these roles, the joy that writing gives her and how she processed her own brush with violence through her novel.

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Ep. 86: Student literary magazine Glór

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 10:22:18 GMT

This episode of the podcast celebrates the launch of the new student-led literary magazine Glór. The first of its kind at SETU, the magazine features work by students from across disciplines and departments and spans art, poetry, fiction, reviews and interviews. The editorial team behind the magazine comprises a group of dedicated second year English students who have big plans for future issues and talk about the realities of balancing college work, part-time jobs and editing responsibilities as well as the pride and motivation they’ve enjoyed through developing and launching the magazine. If you are a student at SETU and want to submit to the magazine, you can find them @glormagsetu on Instagram or glormagazine@gmail.com

The first issue of the magazine was funded by The Growth Hub and the second issue will be funded by the Department of Arts.

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Ep. 85: Theatre-makers Natasha Everitt and Deirdre Dwyer

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 09:23:48 GMT

Natasha Everitt is a former student of Theatre Studies and English at SETU and since graduating, she has worked as a drama instructor, writer, actress and voiceover artist. Her upcoming show, Time Passes, will take place at Garter Lane Arts Centre in Waterford on 6th and 7th March. Directed by Deirdre Dwyer, the production focuses on a young woman whose mind starts to unravel to the point where she dreams of becoming a lawnmower. In studio, they discuss the process of developing and producing a one-woman show, the responsibility of representing mental health challenges in the theatre, and the hopes that they have for the future of the production.

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Ep. 84: Author and lecturer Dr Oona Frawley

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 09:38:08 GMT

In her collection of personal essays, This Interim Time, Oona Frawley details the ways in which we try to make sense of the world as our loved ones pass on. Her mother’s descent into dementia and the death of her beloved friend after a battle with cancer cause her to meditate on the loss of her father decades earlier in New York, where she grew up. Now a lecturer in Maynooth University, Dr Frawley’s research interests span late-19th and 20th century Irish Studies, Memory and Trauma Studies, ecocriticism, and writing from New Zealand and Australia, and she teaches on the Creative Writing programme alongside Paul Lynch (Prophet Song) and Belinda McKeon (Tender). Her novel, Flight, was published in 2014 and was nominated for an Irish Book Award. In this first episode of the podcast for 2026, Oona talks about her connection with America and with Ireland, the impact of having actor parents and what it’s like to be vulnerable in your writing when you are also a lecturer standing in front of 400 students.

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Ep. 83: Christmas recommendations 2025

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 15:40:03 GMT

Our most popular podcast episode of the year is back! On this year’s Christmas recommendations episode, Jenny is joined by Edward Hayden, course leader and lecturer in Culinary Arts (and well-known TV chef!), Dr Sinead O’Halloran, Head of the Department of Science and Dr Katherine Cagney, lecturer in Psychology on the BA Arts programme. They highlight a wonderful selection of books, events and films for you to enjoy over the festive season. We wish our listeners a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year, and thanks for listening in 2025!

Featured books/films:

All my sons by Arthur Miller

Through her eyes: A new history of Ireland in 21 women by Clodagh Finn

Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abulhawa

The Raptures and The Fire Starters by Jan Carson

Deaf, directed by Eva Libertad (Spanish, 2025)

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Ep. 82: Dyslexia and finding a love of language through Shakespeare, with actor Keith Dunphy

Fri, 21 Nov 2025 13:58:18 GMT

In this episode of the podcast, Jenny catches up with Waterford actor Keith Dunphy to talk about his show Word against the word which explores his experience as a dyslexic actor at RADA and the ways in which he navigated the complex world of stage and screen auditions. He talks about the role of Shakespeare in igniting his love of language and how important it was for him to find his own (Waterford) voice within a world of received pronunciation! Also in studio are Dr Christa de Brún, who added Keith’s production to the syllabus for the second year module Literature and Society, and student Katy Fitzgerald, who discusses how important it is to have texts like this on the curriculum, and promotes the new student literary magazine Glór, of which she is an editorial board member.

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Ep. 81: Practical approaches to GenAI in education with Dr Michelle Kassorla

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 09:59:53 GMT

This episode of the podcast tackles the issue of how we, as educators, might engage with GenAI in our classrooms and features Dr Michelle Kassorla, an Associate Professor of English at Georgia State University, Perimeter College. Michelle has served as a Chair and Expert Panel member for Educause, a non-profit association dedicated to transforming Higher Education through technology. She has co-written the AI Literacy in Teaching and Learning framework for Educause and has published elsewhere on the value of teaching with GenAI. She also writes the substack “The Academic Platypus,” where she advocates strongly for educators to embrace AI in the classroom. In the episode, she outlines practical approaches to teaching with AI, ways of rethinking Bloom’s taxonomy and assessment, the value of human empathy and creativity, and the huge impact that AI agents are likely to have in the coming months.

Further Reading:

Understanding Inverted Bloom's Taxonomy - https://michellekassorla.substack.com/p/understanding-inverted-blooms

The Academic Platypus - https://michellekassorla.substack.com

Boodle Box AI - https://boodlebox.ai

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Ep.80: Language, home and fitting in, with Patrick Holloway

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 11:22:55 GMT

This episode of the podcast features the writer Patrick Holloway, whose debut novel, “The Language of Remembering” was released earlier this year. The book tells two parallel stories: the first is set “Now” and details Oisín’s return from Brazil with his wife and daughter and his reconnection with his mother Brigid, who is suffering with early onset Alzheimer’s. The second, “Then” details Brigid’s early life in the same small town, as she deals with an unexpected pregnancy. Patrick himself lived in Brazil and pursued a Masters and PhD in Creative Writing and he has produced poems and short stories that have also explored themes of language, belonging and grief.

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Ep. 79: The Poetry Lounge

Sat, 11 Oct 2025 13:23:31 GMT

In this first episode of the new season of The Nerve, we visit The Poetry Lounge, a regular event organised by Waterford poet Ger Duffy that features well known and new poets from around the country. Events are held in Waterford Gallery of Art and are free and open to members of the public. This episode features the poets Luke Morgan, John Noonan and D'Or Seifer and includes readings of their work recorded at the event by Aidan Grant.

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Ep. 78: Poet, pacifist and fabulist Nidhi Zak/ Aria Eipe

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 09:23:16 GMT

In this final episode of the podcast for this academic semester, we are joined by the poet Nidhi Zak/ Aria Eipe. Her first poetry collection, Auguries of a Minor God(2021), was selected as a Book of the Year by The Irish Times and The Irish Independent and was shortlisted for major poetry prizes such as the Dylan Thomas Prize and the Butler Literary Award. She is a Global Peace Ambassador with the Institute for Economics and Peace, and a recipient of the Next Generation Artist Award in Literature from the Arts Council of Ireland. Born in India, Nidhi has lived across The Middle East, Europe and North America, an upbringing that has informed the variety of styles and forms that she works within. During the episode, she discusses a workshop on ekphrastic poetry that she ran at SETU Waterford thanks to funding from the Strategic Alignment for Teaching and Learning Enhancement (SATLE) from the National Forum. The session used ekphrastic poetry as a way of asking participants to reconsider their perspectives on the world around them, and Nidhi discusses the role of her own poetry in asking questions (rather than offering answers) in times of personal, social and political upheaval.

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Ep 77: Poet Gustav Parker Hibbett, and final year English students

Tue, 25 Mar 2025 16:17:16 GMT

In this episode of the podcast, we are joined by poet and essayist Gustav Parker Hibbett whose debut poetry collection, High Jump As Icarus Story was shortlisted for the TS Eliot Prize and the 2025 John Pollard Foundation International Poetry Prize. Nominated for numerous other prizes and published in a wide range of literary magazines, they hold a BA in English from Stanford University and are currently pursuing a PhD in Literary Practice at Trinity College Dublin, where they are an Early Career Research Fellow at the Long Room Hub. Parker gave a talk on their poetry at SETU in March and was interviewed by two final year English students, Chika Dike and Naoise Murphy, who also join the discussion in studio along with Dr Christa de Brún who organised the event.

This event was made possible through funding from the National Forum’s Strategic Alignment of Teaching Learning Enhancement.

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Ep. 76: Jan Carson and Northern Irish identity

Mon, 03 Mar 2025 10:28:54 GMT

This episode of the podcast follows on from a visit by the author Jan Carson to Waterford as part of the Creative Ireland Shared Island initiative. This project is a collaboration between Mid and East Antrim Borough Councils and Waterford City and County Council who are aiming to develop and enhance a shared sense of community through various means, one of which is creativity and literature. Jan gave a talk at SETU, entitled, “Untangling the Knots of Northern Identity” which explored her identity as a Northern Protestant who identifies as an Irish writer.

Jan’s novel The Raptures was published in 2022 and was shortlisted for the An Post Irish Novel of the Year award and the Kerry Group Novel of the Year. Her novel The Fire Starters won the 2019 EU Prize for Literature for Ireland. She has written a number of short story collections, and her writing has been featured on BBC Radio 3 and 4, and on RTÉ. She has most recently worked alongside Duke Special in adapting The Velveteen Rabbit for the stage and the run begins this month at the Lyric Theatre, Belfast. Her next novel, Few and Far Between, will be released next year.

The episode also features Katherine Collins, the Creative Ireland Coordinator in Waterford who discusses the value of the Shared Island project and the power of the arts in helping us to understand one another better.

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Ep. 75: Sustainability in the Arts Festival

Tue, 11 Feb 2025 15:25:48 GMT

In this episode, Jenny is joined by Dr Hazel Farrell and Dr Don O’Neill of the Sustainability in the Arts Festival to talk about winning the Strategic Alignment of Teaching and Learning Enhancement (SATLE) Impact Award and to offer an overview of this year’s festival, which will take place from 7th – 11th April. The SATLE Impact prize money of €25,000 will help to expand the work of the previous two festivals which involved multidisciplinary collaborations between undergraduate and postgraduate students from a variety of disciplines across the Faculty of Arts and Humanities such as Music, Visual Art, Graphic Design, Culinary Arts, Languages and Internationalisation. The aim of the festival is for students to explore the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and the event will take place across all SETU campuses in Waterford, Carlow and Wexford.

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Ep. 74: Meet the English and Theatre Studies teaching team

Tue, 21 Jan 2025 20:23:39 GMT

This very special episode features members of the English and Theatre Studies teaching team at SETU who share their innovative approaches to teaching and research. In studio with Jenny are Dr Kate McCarthy, Dr Christa de Brún, Dr Úna Kealy, Dr Helena Walsh-Kiely and Deirdre Grant who each bring a variety of skills and to their roles. During the episode, we discuss approaches to teaching and learning, the team’s ongoing research and creative work, and what we love about our jobs and our students!

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Ep. 73: Christmas recommendations 2024

Tue, 10 Dec 2024 13:42:59 GMT

Every year, we try to do an episode in which staff from various departments within SETU give us their recommendations for good Christmas reads and activities, and this year is no different! In this episode, Jenny is joined by Neill Wylie, a Learning Technologist from the Centre for Technology Enhanced Learning, Dr Caroline McGarry from the School of Education and Dr Felicity Kelliher, a Professor of Management Practice and Academic Lead at the RIKON Centre. Featuring books by Irish authors, and events, activities and products for you to savour during the festive season, this is a must-listen for anyone looking for gift inspiration and some Christmas cheer!

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Ep. 72: From academia to children’s literature: Susan Cahill (The World Between the Rain)

Wed, 27 Nov 2024 21:12:31 GMT

Recently featured in The Sunday Times’ Christmas gift guide, The World Between the Rain is a new children’s book by debut author Susan Cahill. A story that plays out themes of grief and resilience within a swirling, watery adventure set in another world, it has at its centre a quiet girl called Marina who can’t shake the feeling that there is magic in the air around her. Susan herself couldn’t quite shake this story that rattled around in her head as she became more and more successful in the world of academia, ultimately reaching a tenured position as Associate Professor of Irish Studies in Concordia University, Montreal. In the episode, she talks about leaving this permanent position behind in order to pursue writing full-time, the long process of writing the book and her own podcast, Storyshaped, which focuses on the stories that shape the people we become.

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Ep. 71: “Cli-fi” (Climate fiction) with Renée Hulan

Mon, 11 Nov 2024 12:20:43 GMT

In this episode of the podcast, Jenny chats to Dr Renée Hulan, a Professor of English Language and Literature at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax. She was the Craig Dobbin Visiting Professor in Canadian Studies at University College Dublin in 2020-2021 and has written several books that bring together her interests in climate fiction, Canadian heritage and indigenous communities. She has also edited collections on these themes and recently gave a fascinating online lecture at South East Technological University, entitled “To bring the breathing world close: Reading Cli-Fi from Canada” which was run in conjunction with the Centre for Newfoundland and Labrador Studies at SETU.

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Ep. 70: A life in the arts with playwright Jim Nolan and actor Michael Power

Wed, 23 Oct 2024 15:40:53 GMT

In this episode of the podcast, Jenny speaks to Jim Nolan and Michael Power who have just finished their sold-out run of Jim’s new play Castel Gandolfo at Garter Lane Arts Centre in Waterford. The play revolves around a family whose long-buried secret threatens to unsettle the delicate balance they have established. The production also featured IFTA-nominated Carrie Crowley in the role of the returning mother-figure, Dolly, and a cast from the Four Rivers company which aims to bring new and classic plays to audiences in the south east. In the podcast, Jim discusses the play and his life as a playwright and director from the 1970s to the present, and Michael reflects on his development as an actor as he has moved from variety shows and musicals to parts in Normal People, Vikings, and a variety of roles in local and national theatre productions.

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Ep. 69: What every first year needs to know

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 15:37:50 GMT

This episode of the podcast is dedicated to first year students and how they can get the most out of this next chapter of their lives. For most, it is both an exciting and overwhelming time when students must learn how to navigate a new level of independence and cope with new academic, financial and social responsibilities. In studio are Conor Phelan, of SETU’s Student Life and Learning Office, Erin McNamara-Cullen, the course leader for the BA Arts programme at SETU and Corey Shanahan, the new Education Officer for the Students’ Union at SETU Waterford. Each of them discuss the challenges and opportunities of university life and offer advice about how to get the best out of the college experience.

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Ep.68: Diversifying the Curriculum

Wed, 24 Apr 2024 15:52:41 GMT

This episode of the podcast features the collaborative team of lecturers and students who are working on the project “Diversifying the Curriculum”. The project is funded by N-TUTORR, and aims to decolonise and diversify the third-year English module, The Literature of Family. The team presented at the recent national N-TUTORR showcase in Dublin and aims to change the teaching, learning and assessment focus of the module. Also in studio is the SETU N-TUTORR co-ordinator for Student Empowerment, Catriona McGrattan and Student Champion Sarah Daly, both of whom discuss the ways in which students can earn digital badges and what it means for students and educators to come together and work in partnership.

Members of the Diversifying the Curriculum team in studio were Dr Jenny O’Connor, Dr Christa de Brún, Chika Dike and Graeme Murphy. Also working on the project are students Emily Fleming and Mariya Lyash.

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Ep. 67: Supporting Palestine with Fadi Zmorrod

Wed, 10 Apr 2024 07:49:54 GMT

This is a very important and special episode of the podcast, in which Fadi Zmorrod, the recipient of the SEVN (South East Venue Network) bursary joins Jenny in studio to talk about his work with Doulab Circus and Dance. When Fadi was younger, he left the oppressive environment of occupied Palestine and went to study computing in the United States. Yet his heart was simply not in it: he was drawn back to the arts and to his home, where he met his Irish wife, Juliet, and where Doulab Circus and Dance was born. Across Palestine, Fadi and Juliet used dance and circus movement to offer children a space in which movement and intellectual curiosity could come together, and where trust and confidence could be built. The decision to leave Palestine was extremely difficult; Fadi speaks of what it was like to leave those children behind and what it is to cope with the conflicting emotions of relief and guilt that a new life of safety presents. Doulab Circus and Dance currently works with the residents of Direct Provision centres, members of the Travelling community and children with diverse and special needs.

Also in studio are Dr Kate McCarthy, who has galvanised SETU staff as part of a solidarity initiative called Gather for Palestine, and Sinead Bolger, an arts and migration facilitator who talks about meeting Fadi for the first time and offers some suggestions on readings by Palestinian authors that you can find below.

Book Recommendation List:

I saw Ramallah by Mourid Barghouti – non-fiction

Award-winning account of the human aspects of the Palestinian struggle.

Footnotes in Gaza by Joe Sacco - Graphic Novel

Joe Sacco’s visual journalism about the massacre of 111 Palestinian refugees by Israeli soldiers in 1956.

The hundred years' war on Palestine : a history of settler colonial conquest and resistance by Rashid Khalidi– Non-fiction

A landmark history of one hundred years of war waged against the Palestinians from the foremost US historian of the Middle East, told through pivotal events and family history.

Palestine +100 : stories from a century after the Nakba, edited by Basma Ghalayini. – short stories

What might your home city look like in the year 2048 - exactly 100 years after Nakba, the displacement of more than 700,000 people after the Israeli War of Independence?

Enter ghost by Isabella Hammad - fiction

An actress returns to her home city of Haifa after many years in London and finds herself roped into a production of Hamlet in the West Bank.

Against the loveless world by Susan Abulhawa - fiction

Nahr, a resilient but exhausted woman, tells the story of her life from an Israeli solitary confinement cell.

Mornings in Jenin / Susan Abulhawa – fiction

A multi-generational story about a Palestinian family as they live through half a century of violent history.

Qissat : short stories by Palestinian women, edited by Jo Glanville - fiction

In a cross-generational compilation, editor Jo Glanville chronicles the varied lived experiences of Palestinian women, from domestic to diaspora.

A woman is no man by Etaf Rum

The debut novel by Palestinian-American Etaf Rum takes us inside the lives of a conservative Arab family living in America.

Salt houses / Hala Alyan

Salma is forced to leave Palestine and move to Kuwait City, but when Saddam Hussein invades, she must leave again.

They called me a lioness: a Palestinian girl’s fight for freedom by Ahed Tamimi – non-fiction

A Palestinian activist jailed at sixteen after a confrontation with Israeli soldiers illuminates the daily struggles of life under occupation in this moving, deeply personal memoir.

Out of place : a memoir / Edward Said.

An extraordinary story of exile and a celebration of an irrecoverable past.

The Secret Life of Saeed: The Pessoptimist by Emile Habibi.

This award-winning novel-in-translation is clever tragicomedy that demonstrates the complex life of a Palestinian living in Israel.

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Ep. 66: How to talk about race with Dr Ebun Joseph

Mon, 04 Mar 2024 11:09:24 GMT

As policies on EDI are rolled out in higher education institutes, increased efforts are being made to diversify and decolonise a wide range of curricula across the sector. With thanks to SATLE funding (Strategic Alignment of Teaching and Learning Enhancement) from the National Forum, Dr Ebun Joseph joined us at SETU for two seminars (one with students and another with staff) on understanding racial diversity and talking about race in the classroom. In this episode of the podcast, Jenny chatted to Ebun about her educational journey, setting up the Institute of Antiracism and Black Studies, and how Irish universities can improve their efforts at inclusion. Also in studio was the organiser of the event, Dr Christa de Brún, who discussed the importance of Ebun’s visit, and second year student, Chika Dike, who spoke about what she learned from attending the event.

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Ep. 65: Caoimhe Weakliam, spoken word poet

Mon, 26 Feb 2024 09:09:55 GMT

This episode sees us welcome our very first spoken word poet to the podcast! Caoimhe Weakliam joined us to chat about the power of spoken word poetry after a talk with English students that was funded by the Strategic Alignment for Teaching and Learning Enhancement initiative from the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. In the past year, Caoimhe has performed as part of the Dublin Fringe Festival and Culture Night and has delivered two sets at Electric Picnic. She has also worked as a youth worker and creative practitioner, and her main aim is to create positive change in the world and to empower young people through spoken word methodologies. Also in studio is English lecturer and poet Dr Christa de Brún, and Sasha Terfous, a first year student (and herself a spoken word poet) who attended the event.

You can follow Caoimhe on Instagram @caoimheweakliam

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Ep. 64: Daniel Mulhall, Joyce and Yeats scholar and former ambassador

Fri, 02 Feb 2024 10:55:00 GMT

This first episode of 2024 for The Nerve features Daniel Mulhall, former Irish ambassador to the United Kingdom and the United States, who recently received an honorary doctorate from SETU. Born and raised in Waterford, Daniel’s diplomacy work has taken him all over the world, and in the podcast, he highlights how literature has played an important role in his job. He also discusses the process of writing a book on Ulysses during the pandemic, his various academic roles at NYU, Cambridge and Harvard, and his latest book Pilgrim Soul: WB Yeats and the Ireland of his time.

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Ep 63: Christmas book and event recommendations

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 20:01:34 GMT

Ho, ho, ho, and happy Christmas! In this festive episode of the podcast, Jenny is joined by Aoife Hearne, dietician and lecturer in the Department of Health Sciences (and previous contributor to TV’s Operation Transformation), Dr John McNamara who lectures in Social Care, Social Science, and Sociology in the Departments of Social Care and Early Childhood, and the Department of Arts, and Dr David Scanlon, lecturer in Biology & Biopharmaceutical Science. Their Christmas recommendations range from books about the social change instigated by the printing press, the science behind disease and addictive behaviour, and novels about love and loss. They also discuss the events that signify Christmas to them and there’s a January recommendation to help get over the Christmas blues.

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Ep. 62: Alexander MacLeod

Thu, 16 Nov 2023 00:01:00 GMT

Joining Dr Jenny O’Connor in studio for this episode is the award-winning Canadian author Alexander MacLeod. A Professor of Creative Writing at St Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Alexander has been published in the prestigious New Yorker and Granta magazines and has won the Atlantic Book Award, the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award and the O.Henry Award. His first collection Light Lifting was published in 2010 and his latest, Animal Person, was released in 2022. Both collections explore the fragile connections that define us, the collision of the mundane and the extraordinary and the invisible forces that drive people to behave in unexpected ways. Alexander also facilitated a creative writing masterclass at SETU thanks to support from the Canadian Embassy, the Centre for Newfoundland and Labrador Studies at SETU, and the Department of Arts at SETU, Waterford.

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Ep 61: Orwell scholar Martin Tyrrell

Thu, 26 Oct 2023 04:18:00 GMT

This episode of the podcast features a discussion with the facilitator of this semester’s English and Theatre Studies Day, Martin Tyrrell. Martin is the author of the forthcoming George Orwell: from Class War to Cold War and a contributing editor for the academic journal George Orwell Studies. His highly entertaining lecture on Animal Farm, Nineteen Eighty-Four and Orwell’s essays offered context and commentary on the social, political and personal influences in George Orwell’s work. After the lecture, Martin also ran a workshop in which he discussed approaches to creative writing. The podcast also features Dr Christa de Brún, who teaches Nineteen Eighty-Four to second year students on the Literature and Society module. Both contributors discuss the importance of Orwell’s work alongside the paradox of his own intolerance, the prevailing relevance of his ideas and his often-overlooked wife Eileen who is a fascinating figure in her own right.

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Ep 60: Shakespeare Squared

Thu, 12 Oct 2023 11:37:43 GMT

In this episode, members of Waterford’s newest theatrical company, Shakespeare Squared, join Jenny in the studio to talk about the genesis of the organisation and their recent production of Twelfth Night, an open air promenade piece that used the backdrop of Waterford’s Viking Triangle to bring their interpretation to life. Along with theatre professional Eimear Cheasty, co-directors Joe Meagher and Deirdre Dwyer won the maximum available funding from the Arts Council’s Theatre Project Awards 2023 to stage the production and here, they discuss their creative approach to getting the project off the ground. Performer (and former graduate of English and Theatre Studies) Natasha Everitt tells us what it’s like to inhabit one of Shakespeare’s most mischievous Fools and English and Theatre Studies lecturer Dr Helena Walsh-Kiely joins us to give her thoughts on the show.

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Ep 59: Generative Artificial Intelligence vs The Essay

Thu, 28 Sep 2023 09:48:38 GMT

In this first episode of a new season of the podcast, Dr Jenny O’Connor is joined by Pete Windle, the Head of the Centre for Technology Enhanced Learning at SETU, and Dr Kate McCarthy, researcher and lecturer in Theatre Studies to discuss the way generative artificial intelligence (GenAI, e.g. Chat GPT) has affected the teaching of subjects that traditionally relied on the essay (or other text-based methods) for assessing students. The discussion includes philosophical questions about teaching and learning but also the challenge posed by large student groups and how AI can teach us how to think more critically about the information we consume.

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Ep 58: Film in Waterford - Andy Kelly and Frank Ryan

Tue, 02 May 2023 11:22:19 GMT

Andy Kelly is a nationally recognised archivist and collector of photography and film in Waterford and in this episode, he discusses the collection he has amassed, his time as a projectionist and filmmaker, and the innovative methods he employed when faced with technical challenges over the years (like building cranes and setting fire to a specially built thatched cottage for a movie set piece!). Frank Ryan is a long-time member of Waterford Film For All and recalls the venues, films and audiences that have sustained the film society over the years. The conversation leads to memories of Waterford from another time, and the many people who have helped to document the life of the region.

To find out more about Andy, you can watch a documentary about him on TG4 entitled “Scannáin Bhaile Andy” which includes clips of his films and some of the photographs he has preserved. It is available on the TG4 website at this link: bit.ly/3LChf8J

To find out more about Waterford Film For All, find them on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, and learn more about their current season by visiting the Garter Lane Arts Centre website: https://garterlane.ie

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Ep 57: Molly Twomey

Mon, 03 Apr 2023 20:51:03 GMT

Molly Twomey grew up in Lismore, County Waterford, and graduated in 2019 with an MA in Creative Writing from UCC. She has been published in The Irish Times, Banshee, The Stinging Fly and Poetry Ireland Review and her first poetry collection, Raised among vultures, is now available from The Gallery Press. The collection’s unflinching style deals with the complexities of modern living, the realities of dealing with an eating disorder and the intricacies of family dynamics. During the podcast, she reads from the collection and discusses the relationship between her anorexia and her writing, and the forms and shapes her poetry has taken.

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Ep 56: Frank Bosman on Morality, God and Netflix

Mon, 20 Mar 2023 11:26:18 GMT

Frank Bosman of the Tilburg School of Catholic Theology in The Netherlands visited SETU in March 2023 to deliver a lecture as part of the Theology in the Public Square series on the connection between culture, theology and religion in three recent TV series. Each of the shows (Squid Game, Jaguar and The Good Place) explores theological themes such as morality, theodicy, truth and hope, and in this episode, he discusses the importance of popular culture in considering such issues in the contemporary moment. Frank has also written extensively on religious themes in video games. Also in studio is SETU’s Dr Paul Clogher, whose own work on theology, film and culture brought him into contact with Frank, and has resulted in a lasting friendship between the two academics and a connection between the two institutions.

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Ep 55: Joe Lambert of StoryCenter

Tue, 28 Feb 2023 20:03:48 GMT

StoryCenter has worked with nearly a thousand organisations around the world and trained more than fifteen thousand people in hundreds of workshops to share stories from their lives. Through its wide-ranging work, it has transformed the way that community activists, educators, health and human services agencies, business professionals, and artists think about the power of the personal voice in creating change. The co-founder of the organisation, Joe Lambert, started out with a degree in Theatre and Political Science at UC Berkeley and a passion for activism, and moved from theatre work to digital storytelling as a way of furthering his principles of social justice and equity. In this episode of the podcast, he discusses the path that led him here, and the potential of digital storytelling to cross disciplines and break barriers.

Discover more about StoryCentre at storycenter.org

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Ep 54: Deirdre Grant

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 11:48:33 GMT

In this first episode of the new semester, Jenny welcomes Deirdre Grant, a dance practitioner and choreographer who also works as a lecturer at SETU Waterford, teaching on courses as diverse as Theatre Studies, Early Childhood Studies, and Social Care. She is also the current Dance Artist in Residence at Garter Lane Arts Centre, Waterford. During Covid, when her work with community groups and regional artists could no longer take place, the idea for a book about how to reconnect with the body post-pandemic started to grow. The resulting publication, Prompts for the Mover, was developed in conjunction with her brother, a fine art photographer, and is due to be launched in March. Dee talks about how she ended up following her passion, the benefits of dance for people with a variety of abilities and needs, and her hopes for her new publication.

Dee writes a blog which can be found at promptsforthemover.com/blog

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Ep 53: Aingeala Flannery

Wed, 23 Nov 2022 14:25:19 GMT

This episode of the podcast features award-winning author, journalist and broadcaster Aingeala Flannery, whose debut novel The Amusements has won high praise from the national press, and from authors such as Anne Enright, Donal Ryan and Marian Keyes. Set in Tramore, Co. Waterford, the story revolves around Helen Grant, who dreams of escaping the seaside town and running away to art college, and follows her family and neighbours over three decades. During the course of the conversation, Aingeala discusses giving up a stable job in national media to pen her debut, her connection to Tramore and her fondness for the characters in her books.

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Ep 52: William Keohane and Dr Christa de Brún

Thu, 10 Nov 2022 12:25:14 GMT

On Tuesday 25thOctober, poet and essayist William Keohane visited SETU to perform ‘Boxing Day,’ a 52-poem sequence that offers one poem for each week of the year. Each one offers a fragmentary glimpse into the experience of gender transition and taken together, the 52 poems present a narrative account of a year of change, apprehension, and grief. The event was organised by English lecturer Dr Christa de Brún and funded by the EDI office at SETU Waterford.

In this episode of the podcast, William and Christa join Jenny in studio to talk about the importance of this type of poetry work and how literature can challenge stereotypes and provide representation for marginalised groups. William also discusses his role in setting up the Trans Limerick Community (TLC) to support trans people in Limerick city and county.

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Ep 51: Dalal Sayed, Lani O’Hanlon and Sinead O’Higgins

Thu, 27 Oct 2022 10:44:00 GMT

In this episode of the podcast, Jenny talks to the facilitators of this semester’s English and Theatre Studies Day, Dalal Sayed and Lani O’Hanlon, as well as Sinead O’Higgins of Waterford Libraries. Dalal’s recent memoir Escape from War to Live in Peace tells of her family’s experience of fleeing from Syria and settling in Cappoquin, Waterford and Lani has recently won the Trócaire Ireland Poetry Competition with her poem, “When I visit Dalal” about their relationship. Sinead was instrumental in securing funding to get the book published and has been involved in organising launch and publicity events that centre Dalal’s story. The three of them discuss the way the book came about, its importance, and how writing and sharing one’s story can become a way of healing. English and Theatre Studies Day was supported by the Department of Arts, Waterford Libaries and Creative Ireland.

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Ep 50: Extra-Curricular Events

Wed, 12 Oct 2022 09:07:19 GMT

In this episode of the podcast, we check in with third year English and Theatre Studies students Dawn Murray and Naja Klemme, who discuss what they have gained from taking part in extra-curricular activities at SETU. They discuss how they got to know one another via online bingo sessions organised by the Students’ Union during Covid, how important it is to connect with lecturers and guest speakers at organised events, and what it’s like to work with performance artists and theatre practitioners as part of the Imagine Arts Festival in Waterford.

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Ep 49: Aislinn O’Loughlin (and werewolves and vampires)

Wed, 28 Sep 2022 08:11:14 GMT

In this special, fifth anniversary episode of The Nerve, author Aislinn O’Loughlin discusses writing in the Young Adult genre in advance of the release of her new book, Big Bad Me. The novel tells the story of Evie and her sister Kate, who encounter a litany of suspicious murders in the wake of Evie’s revelation that she is a werewolf. A novel about identity, difference, family and love, it relies on vibrant and sparky characters along with witty dialogue to engage its readers. Aislinn talks about writing books in her teens, how to appreciate rejection letters from publishers and what it’s like to dream a werewolf into existence.

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Ep 48: Poet, academic Emily Cullen

Fri, 29 Apr 2022 15:04:34 GMT

In this final episode of the podcast for this academic year, Jenny is joined by poet, scholar, harper and Arts curator, Emily Cullen. Emily is currently the Poet in Residence in the University of Limerick and combines that role with poetry writing as well as curating literature and poetry events. On foot of Poetry Day Ireland, Emily talks about the importance of poetry in Irish life, her “scenic” route to where she is now, and teaching as a mutually enriching experience for students and teachers alike. She also reads and discusses a poem from her collection, Conditional Perfect (2019).

Show notes:

Below is the list of texts referred to during the podcast.

No vague utopia by Emily Cullen

In between angels and animals by Emily Cullen

Conditional Perfect by Emily Cullen

Letters to a young poet by Rainier Maria Rilke

Poetry Writing: An Expert Guide by Fiona Sampson

Writing down the bones by Natalie Goldberg

Straw for the Fire by Theodore Roethke

Various texts by Annie Finch

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Ep 47: Vincent Devine (painter of The Vicky Phelan Triptych)

Thu, 07 Apr 2022 09:57:43 GMT

In this episode of the podcast, Jenny is joined by the artist Vincent Devine, who recently travelled the country with his painting ‘The Vicky Phelan Triptych,’ and its owner, David Brennan. Vincent attended WIT’s International Women’s Day celebrations, where he talked the audience through the symbolism of each section of the painting, and the collaborative process that he and Vicky went through during its planning and development. He discusses the importance of the painting in generating conversations around women’s health, trauma and resilience, and how it has impacted his own life and work. During the episode, Jenny and Vincent also discuss Dr Christa de Brún’s poem, “Triptych in Blue” written about the artwork.

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Ep 46: English and Theatre Studies Day in the Theatre Royal, with Jamie Beamish

Thu, 31 Mar 2022 13:21:15 GMT

On Wednesday 9th March, students of English and Theatre Studies at WIT attended a workshop on Shakespeare facilitated by actor Jamie Beamish in the wonderful environs of Waterford’s Theatre Royal. Jamie is the current Theatre Artist in Residence in the Theatre Royal and in this episode, he joins Jenny in studio alongside the manager of the theatre, Mary Boland, who has an ambitious new vision for how the venue might open itself up to the people of the south east. They discuss the impact of the English and Theatre Studies Day, the changing role of theatre in our society, and how important it is to embrace Shakespeare!

Jamie Beamish has appeared in Bridgerton and Derry Girls and has recently wrapped on the new series Billy the Kid and Halo (based on the video game). He has also recently performed in the Abbey production of Marina Carr’s Portia Coughlan, has acted on the stage of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, and has played a wide range of Shakespearean roles over the course of his career.

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Ep 45: Postgraduate Study

Fri, 25 Feb 2022 09:47:22 GMT

In this episode of The Nerve, we are guided by our third-year students, who have lots of questions about how to find the right postgraduate course, and how to navigate the PAC and UCAS systems. In studio with Jenny are Angela Collins, Head of Careers and Careers Advisor at WIT, and final year English students Katie Chance and Ben Harper.

If you’re still not sure what you want to do, how do you go about narrowing your selection? What kinds of documentation do colleges look for upon application? How do you write a personal statement? How early should you start to think about postgrad courses? These are some of the questions that Angela provides answers to in the episode, as well as offering sound and practical advice for all students thinking about postgraduate study.

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Ep 44: Edward Hayden, Drama League of Ireland

Wed, 09 Feb 2022 07:00:00 GMT

In this episode of the podcast, Dr Jenny O’Connor chats to WIT’s own Edward Hayden in his capacity as editor of the Drama League of Ireland magazine. Edward is the course leader for the Higher Certificate in Culinary Arts and is well known to viewers of Virgin Media’s Ireland AM where he occupies a guest chef slot. In his spare time, Edward is a very active member of the award-winning New Ross Drama Workshop, and in his role as editor of the DLI magazine, has interviewed and curated content for the first issue of 2022. He speaks about the challenges facing drama societies around the country during the pandemic and the many exciting opportunities that now present themselves as the country opens up once more.

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Ep 43: Annemarie Ní Chuireáinn and Dr. Christa de Brún

Wed, 24 Nov 2021 09:54:45 GMT

In this episode, Dr. Jenny O’Connor talks to the award-winning poet Annemarie Ni Churreáin, who gave an online seminar this semester at WIT on the way in which literature can develop a critical consciousness in students. This event was organised by English lecturer Dr Christa de Brún, who joins Jenny to chat about using one of Annemarie’s poems to challenge and stimulate students’ thinking. Annemarie has had her poetry published in the Poetry Ireland Review, The Stinging Fly and her first collection, Bloodroot, was shortlisted for highly prestigious awards in Ireland and the U.S. She is a member of the Writers in Prisons Panel co-funded by the Arts Council and the Department of Justice and was also the artist in residence at the Centre Culturel Irlandais Paris. Her new collection, The Poison Glen, is out now.

Note: The Critical Thinking through Literature event, featuring Annemarie Ni Churreáin, was funded by the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education.

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Ep 42: Iron Annie Cabaret

Wed, 10 Nov 2021 09:44:19 GMT

In this episode, Jenny is joined by Luke Cassidy, the author of the novel Iron Annie, and writer of the stage show adaptation of the text, the Iron Annie Cabaret. Luke talks about setting his debut novel in his home town of Dundalk, writing two female lead characters, and what is involved in getting a stage show off the ground in Covid times.

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Ep 41: The Little Robber Girl

Wed, 20 Oct 2021 17:44:02 GMT

In this episode of The Nerve, Jenny talks to theatre makers Deirdre Dwyer and Nicholas Kavanagh, who facilitated this semester’s English and Theatre Studies Day at WIT. Deirdre’s new work is the audio drama The Little Robber Girl, which, along with the accompanying postal pack, brings to life the story of tearaway Mattie and her dog, Arthur. This work was written by Deirdre in her role as Theatre Artist in Residence at Garter Lane Arts Centre, and employs the voice talents of several local actors, one of whom is the mercurial Nicholas Kavanagh. They discuss the process of bringing this unusual project to life, the importance of deadlines and the experience of recording your voice in the hot press.

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Ep 40: Returning To Campus After Lockdown

Thu, 07 Oct 2021 08:54:45 GMT

In this (celebratory!) episode of The Nerve, Dr Jenny O’Connor is joined in studio by second year student Anthony Finn and third year students Aoife Manville and Katie Chance, who have returned to the WIT campus after 18 months. They discuss the remote online learning experience, making friends with people who used to be virtual classmates on Zoom and what it’s like preparing for your first ever college exam in your final year of college.

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Ep 39: Write by the Sea Festival with Lucy Moore

Wed, 15 Sep 2021 15:28:54 GMT

Welcome back to the first episode of The Nerve for the new semester. In this episode, Dr Jenny O’Connor speaks to Lucy Moore of the Write by the Sea Festival which normally takes place in Kilmore Quay, Co. Wexford. This year, the festival remains online and will host the likes of Douglas Kennedy, Christine Dwyer Hickey, Colm Tóibín, Melatu Uche Okorie, Billy O’Callaghan and WIT’s very own Dr. Fiona Ennis. Lucy discusses community support for the festival, the high quality of entries for the writing competition and storytelling in sitting rooms.

Tickets can be bought from www.writebythesea.ie

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Ep 38: Tomm Moore of Cartoon Saloon

Thu, 15 Apr 2021 02:00:00 GMT

In this episode of the podcast, Jenny speaks to Tomm Moore of Kilkenny-based animation studio Cartoon Saloon. Its most recent film, Wolfwalkers, is currently nominated for the 2021 Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature, and was also nominated for a Golden Globe. Prior to this, The Breadwinner, Song of the Sea, The Secret of Kells and the short film Late Afternoon were also nominated for Oscars and other prestigious awards. The studio produces content for television and streaming services too, and has thrived during the pandemic creating an impressive slate of new productions that will come to fruition over the next five years. During the podcast, Tomm chats about setting up the studio, writing stories collaboratively, the importance of multitasking and what it’s like to go to the Oscars.

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Ep 37: Joanne McCarthy of The Waxed Lemon

Thu, 25 Mar 2021 06:00:00 GMT

In this episode, Jenny is joined by Joanne McCarthy, one of the co-founders of literary magazine, The Waxed Lemon. Joanne discusses the responses to the latest edition’s call for submission, offers advice for budding contributors and reads from her own poetry which has been published in The Stinging Fly, The Honest Ulsterman, and The Bangor Literary Review.

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Ep 36: John Patrick McHugh

Thu, 11 Mar 2021 21:05:07 GMT

In this episode of the podcast, Jenny chats to writer John Patrick McHugh, whose recent collection of short stories, Pure Gold, has received rave reviews from The Irish Times and Vanity Fair. Prior to the publication of the collection, JP’s stories were published in literary journals like Granta, Winter Papers and The Stinging Fly. The conversation veers from how long it takes to produce two good sentences to working in a supportive writing bubble with Nicole Flattery and Sally Rooney, and how it feels to find out you’ve been published. JP also reads from a couple of stories in the collection.

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Ep 35: Bernie McGill

Tue, 23 Feb 2021 15:17:57 GMT

Bernie McGill’s novel The Watch House was nominated in 2019 for the Ireland/European Prize for Literature and Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes nominated The Butterfly Cabinet as his novel of the year in 2012. Her short fiction has been nominated for several awards and in 2008, she won the Zoetrope: All-Story Short Fiction Award in the United States. Bernie is a former Writing Fellow with the Royal Literary Fund at the Seamus Heaney Centre in Queen’s University, Belfast and she teaches and facilitates workshops with the Irish Writers’ Centre (one of which is coming up in April of 2021).

In this episode, Jenny talks to Bernie about what a typical day in her life is like, what it has meant to her to contribute to anthologies that highlight the work of women writers and how teaching keeps her awake at night!

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Ep 34: Royal Irish Academy Librarian, Barbara McCormack

Fri, 12 Feb 2021 13:37:16 GMT

In this season of episodes, Jenny conducts one-to-one interviews with people who are important to the Arts in Ireland in one way or another. This first episode features Barbara McCormack, the Academy Librarian with the Royal Irish Academy. The discussion focuses on what it means to be in this type of role and how the pandemic has affected the work that can be done. There is also some valuable advice for students looking to follow this career path.

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Ep 33: Christmas Recommendations

Wed, 16 Dec 2020 22:16:07 GMT

Ho ho ho! Five of the regular podcast hosts from WIT got together to record a joint episode recommending some books, TV programmes, films, podcasts and tech that you (or a loved one) might enjoy over the Christmas period. Features Jenny O’Connor from The Nerve, Bruce Wardrop from Win Win, Niamh Maguire from Engendering Change, Tom Grinsell from WIT Talks Student Life and Rob O’Connor of The Machine.

A very Happy Christmas to all our listeners.

Recommendation Notes:

Bruce Wardrop

(Book) Atomic Habits – James Clear https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits
(Podcast) Real Science of Sport https://twitter.com/sportsscipod
(Podcast) Where Is George Gibney? https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p08njhrm

Niamh Maguire

(Book) Girl Woman Other – Bernadine Evaristo https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41081373-girl-woman-other
(TV Show) - Rita https://www.netflix.com/ie/title/70285368

Tom Grinsell

(Documentary) The Wolfpack Insider [Tour de France 2020] https://youtu.be/NOEoqwi9Mls
(TV Show) Queen’s Gambit https://www.netflix.com/ie/title/80234304

Jenny O’Connor

(Book) Actress – Anne Enright https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45993330-actress
(Film) God’s Own Country https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5635086/
(Film) Only You https://www.netflix.com/ie/title/81111212

Rob O’Connor

(Film) The Midnight Sky https://www.netflix.com/ie/title/80244645
(Tech) Nintendo Switch https://www.nintendo.com/switch/

Extra Notes:

Desert Island Discs, Bernadine Evaristo https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000mrb1
Desert Island Discs, Anne Enright https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000dpn1

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Ep 32: If I knew then what I know now…

Mon, 23 Nov 2020 11:19:50 GMT

In this episode of The Nerve, Dr. Jenny O’Connor is joined by three English graduates who are currently engaged in postgraduate study. Lauren Browne, Michael Power and Dylan Phelan reflect on what they might tell their first year selves about opening themselves up to new experiences, taking feedback on board and fostering self-belief, and they discuss how the BA Arts programme has prepared them for the current challenges of their postgraduate work.

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Ep 31: English and Theatre Studies Day with Billy O’Callaghan

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 21:36:42 GMT

In this episode of The Nerve, Dr. Jenny O’Connor is joined by Billy O’Callaghan, our special guest for this semester’s English and Theatre Studies Day. Billy is the winner of a Bord Gais Energy Book Award and has been nominated for a raft of other awards for his writing. He has had over a hundred short stories published in literary journals around the world and has had his work translated into eleven languages. Billy ran two sessions with our students: one on the art and craft of the short story, and another on the how to get published. Dr Fiona Ennis is also a guest on this episode of the podcast. Winner of the Molly Keane Creative Writing Award for her short story “Debt”, Fiona was also nominated for the Bristol Short Story Award this year for her story “Host” .

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Ep 30: Global Undergraduate Awards and life after the BA Arts programme at WIT

Wed, 28 Oct 2020 17:26:59 GMT

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Jenny O’Connor talks to Dr. Christa de Brun about being on the judging panel for the Global Undergraduate Awards, which receives approximately 4,000 entries each year from across the world. She is also joined by two former English, Aaron Kent and Alessia Zuccarelli, who discuss being highly commended in the Awards and how their time at WIT led to their current postgraduate opportunities. Aaron has recently won an Irish Research Council scholarship and has taken up a PhD position at WIT, working alongside Dr. Una Kealy and Dr. Kate McCarthy on the underrepresentation of Irish women playwrights following the War of Independence. Alessia is currently undertaking an MA in Creative Writing at Queen’s University, Belfast.

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Ep 29: Online Teaching & Learning

Thu, 08 Oct 2020 08:54:24 GMT

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Jenny O’Connor speaks to Dr. Áine Furlong, Dr. Úna Kealy and English and Theatre Studies student Jack Reid about the process of moving from face-to-face to emergency online teaching and learning. They discuss the things that scared them the most, the opportunities they see in the digital space, and top tips for maximising time and energy online.

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Ep 28: Books on the Nightstand

Fri, 24 Apr 2020 16:35:44 GMT

We continue our Books on the Nightstand tradition in the final episode of The Nerve for this semester. However, while we normally invite staff from other departments to give their recommendations, we had to improvise a little in these abnormal times. Instead, this episode comes to you from the sitting room of Dr. Jenny O’Connor, who is joined by her husband Rob O’Connor from the Department of Computing and Mathematics, and their four daughters Sophie, Elise, Wendy and Stella. From science fiction to modernist literature, adventure stories to rhyming books about naughty musical notes, there is something here for everyone.

Books discussed

Dune by Frank Herbert

Jacob’s Room by Virginia Woolf

A Slanting of the Sun by Donal Ryan

Ratburger by David Walliams

The Famous Five by Enid Blyton

Harry Potter by JK Rowling

The Land of Stories by Chris Colfer

The Diddle that Dummed by Kes Gray and Fred Blunt

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Ep 27: Waterford’s Magdalene Heritage

Fri, 27 Mar 2020 13:35:53 GMT

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Jenny O’Connor is joined by Dr. Jennifer O’Mahoney and Dr. Kate McCarthy of the Magdalene Heritage and Waterford Memories projects which aim to document survivors’ narratives about their time in Magdalene laundries and to offer educational resources to schools and the general public that focus on the social history, cultural and built heritage of Waterford’s former Magdalene Laundry and Industrial School. Dr. O’Mahoney and Dr. McCarthy have developed Waterford Memories website (www.waterfordmemories.com) and have recently launched a resource called Exploring Waterford's Magdalene Heritage: An Activity & Resource Pack, a set of cultural and heritage-informed educational resources.

Please note that due to restrictions arising from the COVID-19 outbreak, this podcast was recorded via Zoom, which may affect the audio quality in places.

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Ep 26: Donal Ryan. English Day at WIT

Mon, 09 Mar 2020 08:12:07 GMT

English Day at WIT takes place once per semester. This semester, we were delighted to welcome the multi-award winning author and lecturer in Creative Writing, Donal Ryan to the Institute for a workshop with our English major and minor students. In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Jenny O’Connor is joined by Donal who speaks about the process of writing and the emergent beauty of simple, precise language. Dr. Fiona Ennis, Dr. Christa de Brún and third year student Angela Sutherland also offer their thoughts on Donal’s work and what they learned from the workshop about their own writing.

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Ep 25: Theatre trip: Gone Full Havisham

Thu, 27 Feb 2020 10:09:00 GMT

As part of the extracurricular programme of events on offer to students of English and/or Theatre Studies at WIT, staff and students attended a production of Gone Full Havisham at Garter Lane Arts Centre. The play documents the wedding night of Emily Halloran, who has been jilted at the altar and is live streaming the fallout via social media. Written and performed by Irene Kelleher and directed by Regina Crowley, it uses innovative staging techniques and challenges the audience to think about their own complicity as they enjoy the spectacle that unfolds. Dr. Jenny O’Connor is joined in the studio by Dr. Kate McCarthy, lecturer in Theatre Studies and English, and third year students Grainne Kavanagh and John Power who were in attendance on the night.

Link to Irene Kelleher’s Mary and Me: https://www.rte.ie/culture/2019/0220/1031653-mary-and-me-listen-to-irene-kellehers-drama-on-one-play/

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Ep 24: Students of English at WIT

Thu, 06 Feb 2020 09:54:09 GMT

In the first episode of The Nerve for the new semester, Dr. Jenny O’Connor is joined by three English students to talk about the content of the English programme: first year Rebecca Byrne, second year Beibhinn O’Sullivan and third year Lauren Browne. The students discuss the modules they’re studying, the extra-curricular English activities facilitated by staff and the benefits of studying at WIT (there are many!).

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Ep 23: Books on the Nightstand

Wed, 04 Dec 2019 16:49:28 GMT

In this episode, Dr. Jenny O’Connor is joined by colleagues from the School of Humanities to discuss the current books on their nightstand. Dr. Hazel Farrell (Music), Philip Cremin (Religious Studies) and Dr. Christa de Brún (English) talk about the texts they have been enjoying recently and that they would recommend to others. The books include a biography about a woman who created Ireland’s first concert hall and youth orchestra; a bildungsroman about growing up in pre-Troubles Derry; a classic of gay literature that investigates themes of self-denial and the concept of home; a fantasy adventure and theological tome that we all think we know; and a story about the contemporary racial divide in America. These books might make good Christmas presents for the awkward bibliophile in your life! For details on all of the books discussed, see the podcast notes below.

Olive Smith: A Musical Visionary by Gillian Smith

Reading in the Dark by Seamus Deane

Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin

Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien

The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas

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Ep 22: Translating Irish Plays

Mon, 11 Nov 2019 11:23:08 GMT

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Jenny O’Connor is joined by Dr. José Francisco Fernández Sánchez, a Beckett scholar and expert in translation from the University of Almería in Spain, as well as WIT lecturers Dr. Úna Kealy (English and Theatre Studies) and Andrés Romera (Spanish) who have recently collaborated on a translation of Teresa Deevy’s The King of Spain’s Daughter. The discussion ranges from Samuel Beckett and Teresa Deevy to how to translate colloquial Waterford sayings and how to convey humour in another language.

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Ep 21: Imagine Arts Festival and Waterford Writers’ Weekend

Tue, 22 Oct 2019 16:57:24 GMT

In this episode, Dr. Jenny O’Connor is joined by Jane Keane of the Imagine Arts Festival committee who highlights this year’s not-to-be missed events and talks about how important the Arts scene is for Waterford. The festival incorporates Waterford Writers’ Weekend and also in studio are Dr. Una Kealy and Dr. Fiona Ennis who speak about their festival event, which is entitled “Impossible Situations: Waterford women writing on love and loss”. The Imagine Arts Festival takes place from 18th – 27th October, 2019.

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Ep 20: Theatre trips: Synge and O’Neill

Wed, 02 Oct 2019 09:40:28 GMT

Upcoming productions: The Playboy of the Western World, Long Day’s Journey into Night and the Eugene O’Neill Festival

In this, our twentieth episode of The Nerve, we discuss upcoming theatre productions and the texts behind them. Dr. Jenny O’Connor is joined in studio by Dr. Richard Hayes, an O’Neill scholar who tells us about the extraordinary journey of Eugene O’Neill’s family from New Ross to America and the festival that celebrates his life and work in New Ross this October. Also in studio are new first year students Catherine Bradley and Brendan Ahearne who discuss their thoughts on JM Synge’s The Playboy of the Western World, which is part of 2019’s Dublin Theatre Festival.

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Ep 19: Jamie Beamish

Tue, 24 Sep 2019 09:54:49 GMT

In this episode, Dr. Jenny O’Connor is joined by fellow English and Theatre Studies lecturer, Dr. Kate McCarthy and special guest, WIT alumnus and London-based actor Jamie Beamish. Jamie discusses playing Iago in a Waterford accent, what he learned during his time studying music at WIT, and how a willingness to diversify and adapt is key to the success of any Arts graduate.

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Ep 18: Flash Fiction

Thu, 28 Mar 2019 12:01:25 GMT

In the final episode of The Nerve for this academic year, Jenny is joined by Margaret O’Brien, lecturer in Creative Writing at WIT and second year English students Michael Power and Eleanor O’Connor. The discussion is focused upon flash fiction: stories of 1,000 words or less that, through their brevity, offer freedom from the traditional rules of writing and yet, require great attention to detail. Students of English at WIT talk about their experiences of writing flash fiction, and Margaret outlines the potential offered by this narrative form.

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Ep 17: The Country Girls

Thu, 14 Mar 2019 11:40:09 GMT

In this episode of the podcast, Jenny is joined by Dr. Úna Kealy, lecturer in English and Theatre Studies, and students from both of those disciplines, Aoife Molloy, Sinead Croarkin and Bronagh Sharpe. The topic under consideration is the production of The Country Girls now playing in the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, which WIT staff and students travelled to last week. The Country Girls, a novel banned upon its release in 1960 for its sexually explicit content, was adapted for the stage by the novel’s author Edna O’Brien, and this production (directed by Graham McLaren) invites lots of discussion over the rendering of its key themes and the fate of its protagonists, not to mention the role of the predatory Mr. Gentleman..!

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Ep 16: Shakespeare the author? Shakespeare the screenwriter!

Thu, 28 Feb 2019 10:42:02 GMT

In this episode, Jenny is joined by Dr. Kate McCarthy, fellow English lecturer (and our resident Shakespeare conspiracy theorist) and first year students Béibhínn O’Sullivan and Dean Cusack Lynch, who are currently studying the module Shakespeare: Drama and Film. The podcast discusses our enduring attachment to Shakespeare, the film adaptations and reinterpretations of his plays, and whether he, in fact, is the real author behind the best known works in the English language.

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Ep 15: Counterparts and Creative Writing with Danielle McLaughlin

Mon, 11 Feb 2019 10:17:59 GMT

This special episode of The Nerve sees writer Danielle McLaughlin join Dr. Jenny O’Connor in the studio, alongside Creative Writing lecturer Margaret O’Brien and English students Brandon Collins and Dylan Phelan. Danielle McLaughlin is the current UCC Writer-in-Residence and her stories have appeared in newspapers and magazines such as The Stinging Fly, The Irish Times, Southword, The New Yorker and have been broadcast on RTE Radio 1 and BBC Radio 4. Her debut collection of short storiesDinosaurs on Other Planets was published in Ireland, the UK, the US and Slovakia. Last year, she edited Counterparts, an anthology of work by writers with legal backgrounds, and on the day of the podcast, she also gave a seminar and writing workshop to our lucky English students.

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Ep 14: Books on the Nightstand

Wed, 30 Jan 2019 18:01:23 GMT

The first English at WIT podcast of 2019 sees Dr. Jenny O’Connor and Dr. Fiona Ennis of English discussing “Books on the Nightstand” with Mairéad Meagher and Rob O’Connor of the Department of Computing and Maths. Topics range from short story collections about gender, law and politics to novels about music and physics, as well as genocide and the Nuremberg trials. We also mention Danielle McLaughlin’s edited collection Counterparts in advance of her visit to WIT next Tuesday 5th February.

More info on the books discussed can be found at:

Fresh Complaint - Jeffrery Eugenides. https://bit.ly/2UNbs2X

Counterparts: A Synergy of Law and Literature - Danielle McLaughlin, ed. https://bit.ly/2BoPtIf

The Time Of Our Singing - Richard Powers. https://bit.ly/2TB1yRQ

Sweet Home - Wendy Erskine. https://bit.ly/2UEqUOK

East West Street - Philippe Sands. https://bit.ly/2Tv774c

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Ep 13: Hughie and Creative Writing Workshop

Fri, 30 Nov 2018 14:10:37 GMT

In this episode of The Nerve, Jenny is joined by first year students Aoife Molloy and Emma Kearns, as well as second year student Niamh Callanan and English lecturer, Dr. Christa de Brún. They discuss two of the events organised for English and Theatre Studies students this semester: a performance of “Hughie” by Eugene O’Neill, which featured an American cast (and a well-known TV actor!) and a Creative Writing masterclass with award-winning author Claire Keegan.

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Ep 12: Performing the Region Project

Wed, 14 Nov 2018 15:40:40 GMT

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Jenny O’Connor is joined by Dr. Una Kealy and former Theatre Studies and English student Laura Broderick. Una, together with Dr. Kate McCarthy, runs the Performing the Region research project in collaboration with WIT students, Garter Lane Arts Centre and director Jim Nolan and here, she discusses the three plays that have formed the cornerstones of the project thus far: Jim Nolan’s Blackwater Angel, Teresa Deevy’s Wife to James Whelan, and Una Troy’s Mount Prospect, which is currently running at Garter Lane Arts Centre in Waterford. Laura is one of the cast of Mount Prospect, and she discusses the character she plays, as well as some of the important thematic concerns of the play. The act of reviving and recouping the voices of South East theatre for a new audience is of primary importance for the project, and another of its strands, Performing Women, is concerned with the reclamation of women’s voices in particular. The productions at Garter Lane bring WIT students together from courses as diverse as Arts, Architecture, Music, Entertainment Systems and Graphic Design.

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Ep 11: Academic Writing

Thu, 11 Oct 2018 11:43:24 GMT

In this episode Dr. Jenny O’Connor is joined in studio by Dr. Fiona Ennis, lecturer in poetry on the BA Arts programme, along with Jess Sinnott, Caleb O’Connor and Alessia Zuccarelli, all of whom are current third year English students. The discussion ranges from the writing challenges faced by first years upon entry into the Arts programme to the lessons that each of the panel (lecturers included) has learned during the course of their studies. Caleb and Jess also reveal details of their new peer mentorship scheme which is available to all students on the English programme, and which will provide additional support on how to write and structure continuous assessment papers as well as exams. The mentorship scheme kicks off next Monday at 1.45pm, and not Wednesday as indicated during the discussion here.

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Ep 10: Richard III

Wed, 19 Sep 2018 15:21:25 GMT

In the first episode of The Nerve of our Autumn semester, Dr. Jenny O’Connor speaks to Dr. Una Kealy and second year student Eleanor O’Connor about Richard III in anticipation of the English at WIT trip to The Abbey on 20th October. They discuss first encounters with the play, the all-important female characters and the rise and fall of Richard’s fortunes, as well as providing important details on how to book your place on the trip.

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Ep 09: Preparing for Exams and Continuous Assessments

Wed, 25 Apr 2018 10:49:22 GMT

In this final episode of The Nerve for the current academic year, lecturers Dr. Jenny O’Connor and Dr. Christa de Brún speak to students from first year (Michael Power), second year (Katiemarie Lynch) and third year (Frances Ryan) of the English programme, to find out how students are feeling at this time of the year, and to listen to the questions that they have gathered from their class group about final assignments and exams. They offer concrete and practical advice on how best to prepare, what to do if panic strikes in an exam, how to relieve stress and how to get the best marks possible in your final assessments.

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Ep 08: John Ennis

Fri, 23 Mar 2018 16:16:18 GMT

In this episode of The Nerve, we are joined by our very first special guest, Dr. John Ennis, award-winning poet and former Head of School of Humanities at WIT. John talks to us about his poetic connection with Russian Pussy Riot, his link with the Icelandic band Sigur Rós, and the importance of poetry as a craft.

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Ep 07: In Search Of Valour

Thu, 15 Mar 2018 12:09:15 GMT

This episode of The Nerve is also taken from our week on Vibe WIT Radio. Here, guest presenter Kate McCarthy hosts a discussion on Waterford playwright Theresa Deevy's work 'In Search Of Valour' followed by a reading by some students of BA Arts at Waterford Institute of Technology.

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Ep 06: Creative Writing

Thu, 15 Mar 2018 09:38:59 GMT

In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Jenny O'Connor is joined by Margaret O'Brien, lecturer in Creative Writing on the English programme. Also in studio are final year student Apryl Byrne and former student Mary McGrath, who both credit the second year Creative Writing module with helping them to lose their inhibitions and find a voice that they never knew they had

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Ep 05: Christmas

Thu, 07 Dec 2017 17:38:39 GMT

In this episode of The Nerve, Jenny is joined by colleagues Dr. Una Kealy, Dr. Christa de Brun and Dr. Paul Clougher to talk about the Christmas-themed texts that evoke those all-important festive feelings. Poetry by Matilda Blind and Anne Sexton, James Joyce’s ‘The Dead’ and Martin Scorsese’s ‘The Last Temptation of Christ’ provide the fodder for this delicious audible feast.

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Ep 04: 1984

Fri, 17 Nov 2017 09:28:43 GMT

In this episode of The Nerve, Dr. Jenny O'Connor talks to Dr. Christa de Brún and second year English students Aisling O'Byrne and Brandon Collins about George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, a novel that has last year became an Amazon bestseller despite being first published almost 70 years ago. The podcast focuses on why the novel is suddenly popular again, and the panel discusses some of its most interesting features

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Ep 03: Recommendations

Wed, 25 Oct 2017 08:32:29 GMT

In this episode of The Nerve, Jenny talks to Dr. Richard Hayes and students of English Dylan Phelan and Zoe O'Sullivan about the books and films that they're currently enjoying outside of class time. Books include The Unconsolable by Kazuo Ishiguro, Animal Farm by George Orwell, Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell and The Long Gaze Back: An Anthology of Irish Women Writers, edited by Sinéad Gleeson. The films discussed are The Big Lebowski (dir: The Coen brothers), Midnight in Paris (dir: Woody Allen), The Siege of Jadotville (dir: Richie Smith) and The Skin I Live In (dir: Pedro Almodóvar).The podcast also features a special guest star "The Plague" who seems to be inflicting many of our contributors!

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Ep 02: The Great Gatsby

Thu, 12 Oct 2017 12:51:30 GMT

In this episode of The Nerve, Jenny is joined by Kate McCarthy who discusses the recent production of The Great Gatsby in Dublin’s Gate Theatre. Dr. Christa de Brún, who teaches The Great Gatsby as part of her module on The Modern Novel, tells us a little bit about the background to the novel, and third year students Garcia Rodriguez and Jessica Clerkin discuss the flawed characters at the heart of the book.

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Ep 01: Teresa Deevy

Wed, 20 Sep 2017 08:55:59 GMT

In the first episode of The Nerve, Jenny speaks to Dr. Una Kealy about Teresa Deevy, a Waterford playwright born in 1894. Deevy’s play “Katie Roche” is currently running at the Abbey theatre in Dublin, a production which WIT students will attend this Saturday. Also in studio are second year English students Alessia Zuccarelli and Caleb O’Connor, who give their views on the play, and discuss the benefits of taking part in Close Encounters of the English kind: A Teresa Deevy Special on Wednesday 27th September 2017.

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