Drama On One

The Burning Question by Kevin Brew - with Amitav Ghosh
The second episode in Drama On One's strand offering a compendium of thoughts and stories on climate activism and the living planet.
Presented by Louise Williams, Episode 2 features the words of scholar Amitav Ghosh, author of The Nutmeg’s Curse. The programme features a recording of Amitav Ghosh's lecture 'How Should We Think About Climate Change?', given at the Royal Irish Academy of Music in 2024 and hosted by Field Day and University of Notre Dame Dublin. On the root cause of climate change, Ghosh is clear - ‘Climate change is not a policy matter. It’s a war. It’s a war of the global rich against the global poor.’
The lecture is introduced by Stephen Rea.
The lecture was given at the Royal Irish Academy of Music on 1st December 2024.

Featuring the lecture 'How Should We Think About Climate Change?', Copyright © Amitav Ghosh, 2024, used by permission of The Wylie Agency (UK) Limited and Hachette UK.
Special thanks to Eimear Clowry Delaney, Professor Kevin Whelan, Maggie Arriola, the University of Notre Dame Dublin and The Royal Irish Academy of Music for permission to record the lecture.
Presented by Louise Williams
Musical Score by Daragh Dukes.
Wildlife recordings by Chris Watson
Sound supervision and Sound Design by Ruth Kennington.
Producer: Kevin Brew
Amitav's new novel Ghost Eye is available now.
The programme is funded by Coimisiún na Meán with the television licence fee.
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In The Middle of The Fields by Mary Lavin
Based on the acclaimed stage production of Mary Lavin's short story, directed by Joan Sheehy, and originally produced by Blood In The Alley Theatre Company. The evocative story centres around a young widow who displays a strong, independent spirit in running her farm. An encounter one night with a neighbouring farmer becomes emotionally charged and unsettling, posing provocative questions about past passions in a shifting and surprising story that will leave you captivated.
Cast & Production Credits
Kathy Rose O’Brien (Vera & Bridie)
Mark O’Regan (Ned)
Seamus Moran (Bartley Crossen)
Music composed by Tom Lane.
Music performed by Dermot Dunne.
Directed by Joan Sheehy.
Sound Design & Sound Supervision by Ciarán Cullen.
Presented by Kind Permission of the Estate of Mary Lavin.
Special thanks to Kathleen MacMahon.
Producer, Blood in the Alley: Geoff Gould.
Producer for RTÉ: Kevin Brew.
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The Ballad of the Stolwijk Rescue
Another chance to hear the award-winning documentary from our colleagues in The Lyric Feature. In December 1940, eight fishermen from Arranmore Island in County Donegal rescued 18 Dutch sailors from the SS Stolwijk, a cargo ship which had been wrecked on rocks in a hurricane force storm. Singer and multi-instrumentalist, Brían Mac Gloinn, who is one half of the well known folk duo Ye Vagabonds, heard the story from the last living eye witness, Andrew Early, who knew the lifeboat crew who effected the daring rescue. Using his testimony and that of other islanders, Brían has woven a radio ballad to commemorate the events of that day. The radio ballad is a particular form of radio storytelling that was pioneered by Ewan McColl, Peggy Seeger and Charles Parker, where eyewitness accounts are augmented by new original music and sound effects to recreate the emotional context of an event. This may be the first ever Irish radio ballad.This programme was shortlisted for the Prix Italia radio awards in 2021.
Written, presented and performed by Brían Mac Gloinn,
Sound mixing by Brían MacGloinn and Damian Chennells
Produced by Brían Mac Gloinn and Eoin O Kelly
(first broadcast 24th of December 2020)
EPG: From The Lyric Feature: Ye Vagabonds Brían Mac Gloinn tells the story in word and song of the rescue of 18 Dutch sailors off Arranmore Island over 80 years ago.
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Wake by Irene Kelleher
In this touching comedy we eavesdrop on the thoughts of a young woman during her mother’s wake in the family home, in a play that explores the indeterminacy of grief and family relationships, amidst a motley crew of mourners determined to talk about anything except loss.
Cast & Production Credits
Irene Kelleher (Lily)
Gary Murphy (Dad)
Dawn Bradfield (Lily’s Mam, Bridget Fogarty, Aunt Rachel, & the Sexy Top!)
Mark O’Regan (Father Sean, Tommy Riordan & Uncle Danny)
Denis Conway (Toothie Teddy & Uncle Gerry)
Norma Sheahan (Aunt Jess & Aunt Sally)
Alex Murphy (Michael Sweeney)
Liz Fitzgibbon (Aoibheann & Cousin Aileen)

Composer: Cormac O’Connor
Director: Conall Morrison
Sound Supervision and Sound Design: Damian Chennells
Image: Marcin Lewandowski
Producer for RTÉ: Kevin Brew
The original stage production of Wake was directed by Geoff Gould. It premiered in 2021 at West Cork Fit Up, and has toured extensively since then.
If you or anyone you know has been affected by the issues raised in the piece, you can find helpline information at rte.ie/support
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Horace by John O'Donnell
Fidelma has a special gift. So when young couple Tom and Cathy join the bereavement counselling group, Fidelma sees a way that she can help them – until other darker secrets are revealed.
Dawn Bradfield was Fidelma
Stephen Jones played Darren
The role of Cathy was played by Aoibhinn McGinnity
Mark Huberman was Tom
Charlie McGuinness was Eugene
Bernie was played by Enda Oates
Sound design and sound supervision was by Mark Dwyer
Horace by John O’Donnell was directed by Gorretti Slavin
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