BTF Recommendations. Teal text with a plain black background.
Did you see the article "Comment: Official Ireland wants a diaspora of visitors and investors" by Paulie Doyle in The Ditch this week? It makes some truly excellent arguments about the Irish diaspora and how we can easily and often unknowingly be harnessed by the governments in Ireland who have very non-idyllic agendas. In the name of connecting with good things (and not "fantasies," "shakedowns," "nostalgia vulgarities," or colonial pursuits of "FDI nationalism"), below are some resources that BTF highly recommends. (And by the way — we'll be back with a fuller response to Doyle's article in a future blogpost soon!)
Gaelige Classes with Na Gaeil A Buzz
If you are look for Gaeilge or Irish langauge classes, be sure to check out the courses offered by Na Gaeil A Buzz. Na Gaeil a Buzz offers online and in-person classes that run for 10 weeks, including Beginners (Bunrang), Intermediate (Meán Rang) and Advanced (Ardrang), as well as Conversations class, Songs (Rang Comhrá), Parents Irish, and Uilleann piper lessons. The next term begins in September.
The Sperrins Podcast
Another fantastic resource is The Sperrins Podcast hosted by our friends and partners, Save Our Sperrins. The Sperrins Podcast is currently releasing episodes weekly, uncovering the stories, struggles, and resilience of the communities fighting to protect the Sperrins Mountains from gold and ‘critical minerals’ mining. The movement to protect the Sperrins is of one of the North of Ireland’s most urgent environmental battles today as land defenders and community activities resist threats to the environment, heritage, and communities’ futures.
Be sure to start with Episode #No.42 - Dalradian’s New Marketing Campaign: A Reality Check. This episode marks the beginning of the public inquiry than began in April 2026 to review the mining application by the Canadian mining company Dalradian. Every week since, members of Save Our Sperrins have shown up at the inquiry to provide the community and public with weekly recaps of what transpires there. This is critical because the inquiry does not allow any recording of the proceedings, it does not stream the proceedings for those who are unable to attend in-person, nor does it provide a transcript. The only way to know what is happening is to either physically be there everyday, or listen to The Sperrins Podcast.
If you haven’t been following the podacst, now is a great time to catch up as the inquiry is currently on a brief recess.
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