Smashing Times Arts and Human Rights Radio Show
Enjoy chat on culture and sport including the recent All Ireland Senior Hurling Final, Red Dress Day, the powerful REDress Project and the RTE Documentary on One podcast series Stolen Sister.
The Smashing Times Arts and Human Rights Radio show broadcast on Wednesday 23 July, 6-7pm (repeated Wednesday 30 July 2025 and available as a podcast), features lively chat by co-hosts Mary Moynihan and Freda Manweiler on arts, culture sport and equality including a celebration of the recent All Ireland Senior Hurling final won by Tipperary. The show features a presentation on the excellent Irish podcast series Stolen Sister which delves into the 1976 disappearance and subsequent murder of Elizabeth Plunkett. The Plunkett family continues to seek accountability, and the podcast has played a crucial role in bringing renewed attention to the case. Host Mary Moynihan talks about the annual Red Dress Day in Canada which is held each year to remember and honour the thousands of Indigenous women and girls who have been murdered or who are missing in Canada. Red Dress Day was inspired by Metis artist Jaime Black who created a visual installation in 2010 to draw attention to the epidemic of violence towards Indigenous women in Canada.
Our feature interview today is with Ciara Hayes, a producer with Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality and a producer for the annual international Irish Arts and Human Rights festival. This year’s festival runs from the 10 to 19 October 2025 and is presented by Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality and Front Line Defenders, with a range of partners. The festival features exciting and innovative events that promote equality, human rights and diversity throughout Ireland, Northern Ireland and internationally. The aim of the festival is to showcase and highlight the extraordinary work of human rights defenders in Ireland and around the world, past and present, and the role of the arts and artists in promoting human rights today. For this year’s festival there are three calls open to the public. Ciara Hayes chats about the open calls which are suitable for artists, organisations and citizens who want to get involved in this year’s festival, a unique programme of events both onsite and online celebrating the arts for equality, human rights and diversity.
Freda Manweiler presents News from the Network with fun things to do in arts and culture for July and August and shares biographical information from the Ten We Admire series from the Smashing Times monthly newsletter on artist Marina Vargas.
As always we extend a special thanks to text and contributions from Féilim James, writer and Editor of the Smashing Times Newsletter and Tintreach: Smashing Times Arts and Literary Journal and to Carmen Ortiz Victorino, Assistant Newsletter Editor and to all the staff of Dublin South FM.
The Smashing Times Arts and Human Rights Radio show is broadcast every Wednesday 6-7pm with Dublin South FM with each episode available as a podcast. The show is hosted by Mary Moynihan, writer, poet, creator of art and photography and Artistic Director, Smashing Times along with co-host Freda Manweiler, Producer, Smashing Times. Enjoy an engaging hour of in-depth discussions focused on all things arts, culture and human rights. Tune in to Dublin South FM 93.9, or listen online at www.dublinsouthfm.ie.
Information on our past shows here
Mary Moynihan, MA, she/her, is an author of novels, poetry, films and plays, from Dublin, Ireland. Mary embarked upon her award-winning career as a writer in theatre and film and has garnered much acclaim for her plays, poetry and short film scripts, and for creating interdisciplinary artworks combining writing, poetry and photography presented in galleries and online. She established and became Artistic Director of Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality and is Artistic Curator for the annual international Arts and Human Rights festival.
Freda Manweiler has worked with Smashing Times since 1999. She is highly skilled in project management, coordination and implementation. She has extensive experience working at a European level developing and delivering a range of European Initiatives, collaborating with over 50 cultural, educational and civil society organisations from over 22 European Countries. Promoting European Values through working on activities and projects that promote human rights, gender equality, positive mental health, remembrance and civic engagement.