Niall Hanna: Portrait of an Artist
Martin Mac returns to talk to Niall Hanna, the singer/songwriter from Derrytresk, a friend in more ways than one; since renowned singer Geordie Hanna was both Martin's uncle and Niall's grandfather.
Niall tells how he grew up listening to recordings of his grandfather's songs and learning to play trad music. But in his teenage years he discovered Pink Floyd and the electric guitar. Later he joined an indie band and composed some songs whose titles he now chooses to forget. Eventually he returned to Irish traditional music and song.
This podcast features three original songs written by Niall and taken from his latest CD The Roving Journeyman. Niall teaches at St Patrick's Primary school, Annaghmore, and the idea for the first song we hear - "The Collier McQuaid" - came while teaching P7 students about coal mining in Coalisland.
From local history, we move to an extraordinary historical event played out on the international stage. No stranger to trad music, Oliver Corr adds much to the conversation. Martin reads a short extract from A Portrait of the Artist As A Young Man by James Joyce, which prompts a re-evaluation of the term "come-all-you". Joyce's novel also gave us the title for the podcast. So, do yourself a favour and spend some time in the company of a truly gifted and engaging artist.

Feargal McCrory - From Brackaville to Brooklyn following a dream.
Fearless Feargal McCrory has made huge physical and emotional sacrifices in his quest to win a World boxing title. That mission continued after last year's title challenge defeat, when the fight was stopped, leaving him hugely frustrated as he felt he had the answers to carry on.
Feargal recalls the sounds and the smell and the huge blue punch bag, when his father Anthony, a decent boxer, took him to the boxing club when he was just six.
To focus on a serious boxing career, he had to let go Gaelic football and he pays tribute to Paudie Hampsey who boxed in the club but gave his lot to football and an epic Tyrone career.
Feargal trained under John Breen and Eamonn McGee in Belfast before taking his dream to a top gym in Brooklyn.
While Ronan Mac seems starstruck with Madison Square Garden and the sights of New York, Feargal explains his focus is always on the fight. There are tough days too away from his young family for lengthy periods, missing his grandfather's funeral and children's birthdays as well as a lockdown cancellation and an injury setback.
The Garden has rocked as Irish fans from home and across America make up his huge support, including his friend actor Barry Keoghan of Banshees of Inisherin fame.
World title defeat last year to Lamont Roach Jnr was crushing. The bid for ultimate glory goes on.
These days Feargal is at home training furiously. There will be a fight soon, perhaps in New York or even in Tyrone!
Wherever the journey goes next, Fearless Feargal will give everything. A podcast from the heart from a devoted family man and truly dedicated fighter!

Leo Quinn - Family, Football and Fun!
Leo Quinn enjoys the craic!.. Team Leader for Mid Ulster Youth Service, he is a life-long Coalisland Fianna member brought up in the traditions of the club. His father Tommy was long-term club secretary and team bus driver and older brother Martin managed the minors to championship victory.
Leo also recalls his own great minor win and happy childhood memories about the town, including a glory night of snooker and trips to the cinema on the Lineside.
Leo & Ronan share memories and pay tribute to the Fianna committee of 2003, the Centenary of the club that included the launch of the second 'Na Fianna' book and the Gala dinner as well as traipsing the roads selling tickets for a 'cow clap'.
On the 20th anniversary of the U16 Paul McGirr Cup win, they roll call the players and remember a poignant and special tournament.
However it wasn't all plain sailing with a county final defeat, and much worse, a traumatic accident that resonates with Leo to this day.
Tyrone Crystal was good to him but their closure saw him embark on a new career. Perhaps it was meant to be... helping, along with others, enhance the welfare and development of our young people.
Leo is often called on to MC at community events, a great character he makes a wonderful contribution to local life!
(* There is a lot of Fianna in this podcast!)

Kenny Archer (Part 2) - Celebrating champions in Croke Park, Istanbul and Dungannon Square.
A Liverpool fanatic, Kenny recalls the night of a life-time in Istanbul, the Tyrone reporters in the press box in Croke Park when the Sam Maguire Cup was won and pays tribute to Dungannon Swifts on their marvellous Irish Cup win.
He also gives an insight into the selection process of the GAA football All Stars which causes much annual debate.
Kenny's father passed away in 2020 and he shares a column he wrote in tribute to Jack Archer that recalled precious memories of childhood playing football in their backyard as his Dad shouting the name of his hero, Bobby Charlton.
There's a wee gift for Kenny, a whiskey connoisseur, with World Whiskey Day approaching.
And we celebrate the Swifts homecoming with their legendary fan Philomena Begley!

Kenny Archer (Part 1) - Deputy Sports Editor of the Irish News & Liverpool fanatic.
When Kenny and Ronan two writers, newspaper columnists, sport lovers and Merseyside rivals got talking, it was inevitable the conversation would go on for a while.. .
In the first part of TheMacs podcast, Kenny recalls the stars of his youth who fired his imagination: Campbell/Ward, Ovett/Coe, McEnroe/Connors, Hagler/Hearns and of course his beloved Liverpool 1978 European Cup winners.. Dalglish, Souness, McDermott...
From Keenaghan, between Bush and Coalisland, he also remembers the frustration of attending the Royal School in Dungannon, a bastion of rugby when his first love was soccer as well as many happy hours roaming the countryside with his mates and his father's love for Manchester United and motor bike racing.
Music as well is a passion from Adam and the Ants through to Blur and Oasis.
A news hack back in the days with The Courier he was thrilled when Joe McAree asked him to cover Dungannon Swifts games and while he watched Gaelic football on TV, a Fianna Sports Editor brought him to his first Tyrone game... now he is a GAA football All Star selector!
A household name in Gaelic games newspaper coverage and a brilliant columnist, Kenny also gives a fascinating insight into the comaraderie in the Croke Park press box covering Tyrone's fantastic All Ireland wins.

Bugsy McMahon - all his world's a stage.
Currently enjoying a sell-out run with The Snapper, actor, director and all-round stage devotee Bugsy McMahon enjoys a chat with Ronan Mac and TwoMacs producer Oliver, also a theatre veteran.
Bugsy (why Bugsy?!) recalls a childhood inspired by his late mother Eithne RIP, a fabulous musician, and father Aidan a great Tyrone midfielder and hugely popular school teacher.
From Donaghmore, his introduction to the stage was at the Bardic Theatre. He pays tribute to Sean Faloon, the father figure of the Bardic and many who thread the boards, including Malachi Cush, Conor Grimes and Emma Hetherington, who have gone on from the theatre to excel in their pathways.
Bugsy also remembers being handed the script to play the iconic role of Bull McCabe, by Brian ('Munroe') Faloon RIP as well as directing classic productions including Evita and The Ferryman (staring a live goose!) that invariably received standing ovations.
It is a fascinating insight into the world of local drama.
Bugsy was also thrilled to appear with his brother Liam in the ITV crime series Joan and won the prestigious Gabriel award with 'Faith of our Fathers' an epic movie based on Penal times that he scripted and played the role of the main protagonist Fr Loughran. It was a movie had a private viewing by no less than Pope Francis.
A life embedded in the stage, Bugsy brings acting workshops to schools with his company: 'Be Dramatic' giving young people wonderful skills and development.
He is currently directing 'American Idiot' a rock/punk musical based on the album by Green day. It opens at the Bardic Theatre this week and looks to be another great hit for Bugsy and the crew, with tickets selling fast.
For Bugsy McMahon the shows go on...

Pearse Kelly - When Coalisland was snooker loopy

Dennis Taylor's epic World Snooker title win is all of 40 years ago this week.
We celebrate a time when snooker in Coalisland was vibrant with players of all abilities and ages on the green baizes.
Snooker aficionado Pearse Kelly recalls men like Jim Joe, his son Joe, Vincent Gervin and Louis Conlon who ran Gervin's Hall a bastion of snooker and billiards in the North.
Lads turned back the clock to nick more time, got a swish of Jim Joe's feather duster when they climbed on the table, the hall packed and names listed as they waited to get a free table.
There were also superb cue-men including Johnny Rea, Sean T Hughes, Hugh Gerard Coney, the phenomenal Harry Morgan, Pearse's brother Colm, the Cullens with multiple snooker leagues in the area.
We recall local man Jackie Rea who reached a world final and appeared on the famous BBC2 Pot Black series where Dennis made his first TV appearance in 1975.
Those days stars like Terry Griffiths, Doug Mountjoy, Kirk Stevens, Graham Miles and Steve Davis played exhibitions in Gervins while the best players in the North took part in competitions in front of packed audiences: Joe Swail, Eddie Swaffield, Tommy Murphy...
The pinnacle was the 1985 World final when Dennis Taylor potted the last black ball to spark unbridled celebrations in the town. A week later, he came home with the trophy in a never-to-be-forgotten day as a packed Coalisland was top of the world and Dennis donned the Mayor's robes and was regaled with a song written in his honour by Dessie Symington.
Then came Eamonn Andrews' red book when Dennis was the subject of the celebrated TV show 'This is your Life' and his former team-mates and local characters joined famous snooker players and celebrities ..
Pearse managed to scoop the script from that show, a brilliant memory!
Those were the days! A world title when Coalisland was snooker loopy....

Bernadette McAliskey (Devlin) Part 2

Still campaigning for justice and equality for all.

Bernadette continues her journey as she advocates for justice and equality, not least for the bombarded population of Palestine, and all those downtrodden by capitalist greed and the rise of fascism.
She recalls 'The Greatest' Muhammad Ali requesting to meet her and attending 'The Fight of the Century', Ali versus Frazier in 1971 at Madison Square Gardens, during an incredible era for heavyweight boxing.
Bernadette and her husband Michael were shot by loyalists, and she tells how, as she lay injured, a British soldier told her he was ordered by his superiors to allow the gang into her home and arrest them on the way out.
Out of such trauma came the bizarre story of her crafted walking stick that was lost during a Hunger Strike protest riot in Dublin only to re-emerge years later in a retired Garda officer's Bed & Breakfast in Tipperary.
Bernadette suggests the 'Troubles' years, as they were labelled, will reverberate through generations.
Producer of the TwoMacs podcasts, Oliver Corr reads a beautiful and powerful piece he wrote, inspired by a photograph of a mountain scene; however a goldmining company, driven by greed, may be set to destroy that idyllic scene.
Bernadette is also writing an insightful and highly popular newspaper column these days... and gives a nod to 'Ronan's Rants' back in the day!
Despite the rise of fascism, billionaire avarice, local and global exploitation and the Trumps and Musks of this world, Bernadette still believes in the basic decency and goodness of people... a decency if harnessed, can give everyone their civil rights.
And there's always the joy of making blackcurrant jam and 'the best occupation of all', spending time with her grandchildren!