In this very first episode of our brand new ‘Soundings Holy Trinity’ strand, hosts Dylan Haskins and Lisa Hannigan are joined by the holy trinity of Panti Bliss, Áine Lawlor & Fr. Peter McVerry with music from Paul Noonan (Bell X1). Recorded live at the historic City Assembly House in Dublin, we hear about a larcenous dog, how to survive a political interview grilling and what happens when Madonna turns up at an Irish funeral.
Introducing Soundings Holy Trinity
Good storytelling is all about light and dark. In this live show-come-podcast episode, Dylan and Lisa are joined by a Holy Trinity of guests who share their three stories to inspire, to alarm and to humour. The show happens in three sections and each section features live performance of songs on those same themes from our music guest. Soundings Holy Trinity is a show for the curious, the serious and the hilarious.
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Our first Trinity of guests…
Rory O’Neill (AKA Panti)
Panti Bliss is the drag queen alter ego of performance artist Rory O’Neill, regarded by many as the High Queen of Ireland! Panti started 2014 as a pub landlady, performer and gender discombobulist and ended the year as a gay rights campaigner, noble caller, St Patrick’s Day parade floater, best selling author, Irish person of the year and a bona fide National treasure.
Áine Lawlor
Áine is presenter of Irish national broadcaster RTE’s News at One radio programme and The Week in Politics television show. With over 20 years experience as a presenter, previously the first voice you’d hear in the day on Morning Ireland – in 2014 she was inducted into the PPI radio hall of fame. Not surprising, she is one of the most recognisable voices on Irish radio, it takes a very particular type of voice to deliver massively dramatic news first thing in the morning, strike fear into politicians sitting opposite her, and at the same time ease all us listeners awake with a calming fuzzy familiarity. In 2011 Aine took a year off the airwaves after being diagnosed with breast cancer, which she successfully overcame, documented the experience in a 2-part documentary called Facing Cancer, and in doing so became an important voice in the fight against a disease which a staggering 1 in 3 people in Ireland will be diagnosed with.
www.rte.ie/radio1/news-at-one/
Fr. Peter McVerry
Fr. Peter McVerry is a Jesuit priest who has spent the past 40 years working with vulnerable and homeless people. In 1974 he first moved to Summerhill in north inner city Dublin where he witnessed the problems of homelessness and deprivation. In 1983 he founded what became the Peter McVerry Trust. What began with a 3 bedroom flat in Ballymun has grown to over fourteen homeless hostels, over 100 apartments, a residential drugs detox centre and two drug stablisation services working with over 3500 vulnerable young people each year. In 2014, he was awarded Freedom of the City of Dublin which along with a few ancient privileges, now requires him to protect the city from attack using a sword and a longbow made of yew.
www.pmvtrust.ie/fr-peter-mcverry
Paul Noonan
Music guest Paul Noonan is sickeningly prolific. He has released 6 studio albums and two live albums with his band, Bell X1, toured the world, written and performed on the Cake Sale record for Oxfam, recently released an album of duets under the name Printer Clips. Bell X1 have headlined festivals and areas in Ireland and next to U2 have more airplay than any other Irish band. Paul is also disturbingly coordinated in that he can play drums and sing at the same time.