The Nerve: An English and Arts Podcast
Episodes
Ep. 86: Student literary magazine Glór
09 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of the podcast celebrates the first issue of the new student-led literary magazine Glór. The first of its kind at SETU, the magazine fe...
Ep. 85: Theatre-makers Natasha Everitt and Deirdre Dwyer
23 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Natasha Everitt is a former student of Theatre Studies and English at SETU and since graduating, she has worked as a drama instructor, writer, actress...
Ep. 84: Author and lecturer Dr Oona Frawley
27 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In her collection of personal essays, This Interim Time, Oona Frawley details the ways in which we try to make sense of the world as our loved ones ...
Ep. 83: Christmas recommendations 2025
11 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Our most popular podcast episode of the year is back! On this year’s Christmas recommendations episode, Jenny is joined by Edward Hayden, course lea...
Ep. 82: Dyslexia and finding a love of language through Shakespeare, with actor Keith Dunphy
21 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the podcast, Jenny catches up with Waterford actor Keith Dunphy to talk about his show Word against the word which explores his exp...
Ep. 81: Practical approaches to GenAI in education with Dr Michelle Kassorla
03 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of the podcast tackles the issue of how we, as educators, might engage with GenAI in our classrooms and features Dr Michelle Kassorla, an...
Ep.80: Language, home and fitting in, with Patrick Holloway
20 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of the podcast features the writer Patrick Holloway, whose debut novel, “The Language of Remembering” was released earlier this year....
Ep. 79: The Poetry Lounge
11 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this first episode of the new season of The Nerve, we visit The Poetry Lounge, a regular event organised by Waterford poet Ger Duffy that features ...
Ep. 78: Poet, pacifist and fabulist Nidhi Zak/ Aria Eipe
08 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this final episode of the podcast for this academic semester, we are joined by the poet Nidhi Zak/ Aria Eipe. Her first poetry collection, Augurie...
Ep 77: Poet Gustav Parker Hibbett, and final year English students
25 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the podcast, we are joined by poet and essayist Gustav Parker Hibbett whose debut poetry collection, High Jump As Icarus Story wa...
Ep. 76: Jan Carson and Northern Irish identity
03 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of the podcast follows on from a visit by the author Jan Carson to Waterford as part of the Creative Ireland Shared Island initiative. Th...
Ep. 75: Sustainability in the Arts Festival
11 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Jenny is joined by Dr Hazel Farrell and Dr Don O’Neill of the Sustainability in the Arts Festival to talk about winning the Strate...
Ep. 74: Meet the English and Theatre Studies teaching team
21 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This very special episode features members of the English and Theatre Studies teaching team at SETU who share their innovative approaches to teaching ...
Ep. 73: Christmas recommendations 2024
10 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Every year, we try to do an episode in which staff from various departments within SETU give us their recommendations for good Christmas reads and act...
Ep. 72: From academia to children’s literature: Susan Cahill (The World Between the Rain)
27 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Recently featured in The Sunday Times’ Christmas gift guide, The World Between the Rain is a new children’s book by debut author Susan Cahill....
Ep. 71: “Cli-fi” (Climate fiction) with Renée Hulan
11 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the podcast, Jenny chats to Dr Renée Hulan, a Professor of English Language and Literature at Saint Mary’s University in Halifa...
Ep. 70: A life in the arts with playwright Jim Nolan and actor Michael Power
23 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the podcast, Jenny speaks to Jim Nolan and Michael Power who have just finished their sold-out run of Jim’s new play Castel Gand...
Ep. 69: What every first year needs to know
23 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of the podcast is dedicated to first year students and how they can get the most out of this next chapter of their lives. For most, it is...
Ep.68: Diversifying the Curriculum
24 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of the podcast features the collaborative team of lecturers and students who are working on the project “Diversifying the Curriculum”...
Ep. 67: Supporting Palestine with Fadi Zmorrod
10 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This is a very important and special episode of the podcast, in which Fadi Zmorrod, the recipient of the SEVN (South East Venue Network) bursary joi...
Ep. 66: How to talk about race with Dr Ebun Joseph
04 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As policies on EDI are rolled out in higher education institutes, increased efforts are being made to diversify and decolonise a wide range of curricu...
Ep. 65: Caoimhe Weakliam, spoken word poet
26 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode sees us welcome our very first spoken word poet to the podcast! Caoimhe Weakliam joined us to chat about the power of spoken word poetry ...
Ep. 64: Daniel Mulhall, Joyce and Yeats scholar and former ambassador
02 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This first episode of 2024 for The Nerve features Daniel Mulhall, former Irish ambassador to the United Kingdom and the United States, who recently re...
Ep 63: Christmas book and event recommendations
04 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ho, ho, ho, and happy Christmas! In this festive episode of the podcast, Jenny is joined by Aoife Hearne, dietician and lecturer in the Department of...
Ep. 62: Alexander MacLeod
16 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Joining Dr Jenny O’Connor in studio for this episode is the award-winning Canadian author Alexander MacLeod. A Professor of Creative Writing at St M...
Ep 61: Orwell scholar Martin Tyrrell
26 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of the podcast features a discussion with the facilitator of this semester’s English and Theatre Studies Day, Martin Tyrrell. Martin i...
Ep 60: Shakespeare Squared
12 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, members of Waterford’s newest theatrical company, Shakespeare Squared, join Jenny in the studio to talk about the genesis of the or...
Ep 59: Generative Artificial Intelligence vs The Essay
28 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this first episode of a new season of the podcast, Dr Jenny O’Connor is joined by Pete Windle, the Head of the Centre for Technology Enhanced Lea...
Ep 58: Film in Waterford - Andy Kelly and Frank Ryan
02 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Andy Kelly is a nationally recognised archivist and collector of photography and film in Waterford and in this episode, he discusses the collection he...
Ep 57: Molly Twomey
03 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Molly Twomey grew up in Lismore, County Waterford, and graduated in 2019 with an MA in Creative Writing from UCC. She has been published in The Iris...
Ep 56: Frank Bosman on Morality, God and Netflix
20 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Frank Bosman of the Tilburg School of Catholic Theology in The Netherlands visited SETU in March 2023 to deliver a lecture as part of the Theology in ...
Ep 55: Joe Lambert of StoryCenter
28 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
StoryCenter has worked with nearly a thousand organisations around the world and trained more than fifteen thousand people in hundreds of workshops to...
Ep 54: Deirdre Grant
09 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this first episode of the new semester, Jenny welcomes Deirdre Grant, a dance practitioner and choreographer who also works as a lecturer at SETU W...
Ep 53: Aingeala Flannery
23 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of the podcast features award-winning author, journalist and broadcaster Aingeala Flannery, whose debut novel The Amusements has won high...
Ep 52: William Keohane and Dr Christa de Brún
10 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On Tuesday 25thOctober, poet and essayist William Keohane visited SETU to perform ‘Boxing Day,’ a 52-poem sequence that offers one poem for each w...
Ep 51: Dalal Sayed, Lani O’Hanlon and Sinead O’Higgins
27 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the podcast, Jenny talks to the facilitators of this semester’s English and Theatre Studies Day, Dalal Sayed and Lani O’Hanlon,...
Ep 50: Extra-Curricular Events
12 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the podcast, we check in with third year English and Theatre Studies students Dawn Murray and Naja Klemme, who discuss what they ha...
Ep 49: Aislinn O’Loughlin (and werewolves and vampires)
28 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this special, fifth anniversary episode of The Nerve, author Aislinn O’Loughlin discusses writing in the Young Adult genre in advance of the rele...
Ep 48: Poet, academic Emily Cullen
29 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this final episode of the podcast for this academic year, Jenny is joined by poet, scholar, harper and Arts curator, Emily Cullen. Emily is current...
Ep 47: Vincent Devine (painter of The Vicky Phelan Triptych)
07 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the podcast, Jenny is joined by the artist Vincent Devine, who recently travelled the country with his painting ‘The Vicky Phelan...
Ep 46: English and Theatre Studies Day in the Theatre Royal, with Jamie Beamish
31 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On Wednesday 9th March, students of English and Theatre Studies at WIT attended a workshop on Shakespeare facilitated by actor Jamie Beamish in the wo...
Ep 45: Postgraduate Study
25 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Nerve, we are guided by our third-year students, who have lots of questions about how to find the right postgraduate course, an...
Ep 44: Edward Hayden, Drama League of Ireland
09 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the podcast, Dr Jenny O’Connor chats to WIT’s own Edward Hayden in his capacity as editor of the Drama League of Ireland magazi...
Ep 43: Annemarie Ní Chuireáinn and Dr. Christa de Brún
24 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Dr. Jenny O’Connor talks to the award-winning poet Annemarie Ni Churreáin, who gave an online seminar this semester at WIT on the ...
Ep 42: Iron Annie Cabaret
10 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Jenny is joined by Luke Cassidy, the author of the novel Iron Annie, and writer of the stage show adaptation of the text, the Iron An...
Ep 41: The Little Robber Girl
20 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Nerve, Jenny talks to theatre makers Deirdre Dwyer and Nicholas Kavanagh, who facilitated this semester’s English and Theatre...
Ep 40: Returning To Campus After Lockdown
07 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this (celebratory!) episode of The Nerve, Dr Jenny O’Connor is joined in studio by second year student Anthony Finn and third year students Aoife...
Ep 39: Write by the Sea Festival with Lucy Moore
15 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to the first episode of The Nerve for the new semester. In this episode, Dr Jenny O’Connor speaks to Lucy Moore of the Write by the Sea...
Ep 38: Tomm Moore of Cartoon Saloon
15 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the podcast, Jenny speaks to Tomm Moore of Kilkenny-based animation studio Cartoon Saloon. Its most recent film, Wolfwalkers, is cu...
Ep 37: Joanne McCarthy of The Waxed Lemon
25 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Jenny is joined by Joanne McCarthy, one of the co-founders of literary magazine, The Waxed Lemon. Joanne discusses the responses to t...
Ep 36: John Patrick McHugh
11 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the podcast, Jenny chats to writer John Patrick McHugh, whose recent collection of short stories, Pure Gold, has received rave revi...
Ep 35: Bernie McGill
23 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Bernie McGill’s novel The Watch House was nominated in 2019 for the Ireland/European Prize for Literature and Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes ...
Ep 34: Royal Irish Academy Librarian, Barbara McCormack
12 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this season of episodes, Jenny conducts one-to-one interviews with people who are important to the Arts in Ireland in one way or another. This firs...
Ep 33: Christmas Recommendations
16 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ho ho ho! Five of the regular podcast hosts from WIT got together to record a joint episode recommending some books, TV programmes, films, podcasts an...
Ep 32: If I knew then what I know now…
23 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Nerve, Dr. Jenny O’Connor is joined by three English graduates who are currently engaged in postgraduate study. Lauren Browne...
Ep 31: English and Theatre Studies Day with Billy O’Callaghan
11 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Nerve, Dr. Jenny O’Connor is joined by Billy O’Callaghan, our special guest for this semester’s English and Theatre Studi...
Ep 30: Global Undergraduate Awards and life after the BA Arts programme at WIT
28 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Jenny O’Connor talks to Dr. Christa de Brun about being on the judging panel for the Global Undergraduate Awards...
Ep 29: Online Teaching & Learning
08 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Jenny O’Connor speaks to Dr. Áine Furlong, Dr. Úna Kealy and English and Theatre Studies student Jack Reid abo...
Ep 28: Books on the Nightstand
24 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We continue our Books on the Nightstand tradition in the final episode of The Nerve for this semester. However, while we normally invite staff from ot...
Ep 27: Waterford’s Magdalene Heritage
27 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Jenny O’Connor is joined by Dr. Jennifer O’Mahoney and Dr. Kate McCarthy of the Magdalene Heritage and Waterfo...
Ep 26: Donal Ryan. English Day at WIT
09 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
English Day at WIT takes place once per semester. This semester, we were delighted to welcome the multi-award winning author and lecturer in Creative ...
Ep 25: Theatre trip: Gone Full Havisham
27 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As part of the extracurricular programme of events on offer to students of English and/or Theatre Studies at WIT, staff and students attended a produc...
Ep 24: Students of English at WIT
06 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In the first episode of The Nerve for the new semester, Dr. Jenny O’Connor is joined by three English students to talk about the content of the Engl...
Ep 23: Books on the Nightstand
04 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Dr. Jenny O’Connor is joined by colleagues from the School of Humanities to discuss the current books on their nightstand. Dr. Haze...
Ep 22: Translating Irish Plays
11 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Jenny O’Connor is joined by Dr. José Francisco Fernández Sánchez, a Beckett scholar and expert in translation...
Ep 21: Imagine Arts Festival and Waterford Writers’ Weekend
22 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Dr. Jenny O’Connor is joined by Jane Keane of the Imagine Arts Festival committee who highlights this year’s not-to-be missed eve...
Ep 20: Theatre trips: Synge and O’Neill
02 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Upcoming productions: The Playboy of the Western World, Long Day’s Journey into Night and the Eugene O’Neill Festival In this, our twentieth episo...
Ep 19: Jamie Beamish
24 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Dr. Jenny O’Connor is joined by fellow English and Theatre Studies lecturer, Dr. Kate McCarthy and special guest, WIT alumnus and L...
Ep 18: Flash Fiction
28 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In the final episode of The Nerve for this academic year, Jenny is joined by Margaret O’Brien, lecturer in Creative Writing at WIT and second year E...
Ep 17: The Country Girls
14 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the podcast, Jenny is joined by Dr. Úna Kealy, lecturer in English and Theatre Studies, and students from both of those discipline...
Ep 16: Shakespeare the author? Shakespeare the screenwriter!
28 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Jenny is joined by Dr. Kate McCarthy, fellow English lecturer (and our resident Shakespeare conspiracy theorist) and first year stude...
Ep 15: Counterparts and Creative Writing with Danielle McLaughlin
11 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This special episode of The Nerve sees writer Danielle McLaughlin join Dr. Jenny O’Connor in the studio, alongside Creative Writing lecturer Margare...
Ep 14: Books on the Nightstand
30 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The first English at WIT podcast of 2019 sees Dr. Jenny O’Connor and Dr. Fiona Ennis of English discussing “Books on the Nightstand” with Mairé...
Ep 13: Hughie and Creative Writing Workshop
30 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Nerve, Jenny is joined by first year students Aoife Molloy and Emma Kearns, as well as second year student Niamh Callanan and E...
Ep 12: Performing the Region Project
14 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Jenny O’Connor is joined by Dr. Una Kealy and former Theatre Studies and English student Laura Broderick. Una, t...
Ep 11: Academic Writing
11 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Dr. Jenny O’Connor is joined in studio by Dr. Fiona Ennis, lecturer in poetry on the BA Arts programme, along with Jess Sinnott, Cal...
Ep 10: Richard III
19 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In the first episode of The Nerve of our Autumn semester, Dr. Jenny O’Connor speaks to Dr. Una Kealy and second year student Eleanor O’Connor abou...
Ep 09: Preparing for Exams and Continuous Assessments
25 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this final episode of The Nerve for the current academic year, lecturers Dr. Jenny O’Connor and Dr. Christa de Brún speak to students from first...
Ep 08: John Ennis
23 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Nerve, we are joined by our very first special guest, Dr. John Ennis, award-winning poet and former Head of School of Humanitie...
Ep 07: In Search Of Valour
15 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of The Nerve is also taken from our week on Vibe WIT Radio. Here, guest presenter Kate McCarthy hosts a discussion on Waterford playwrigh...
Ep 06: Creative Writing
15 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Jenny O'Connor is joined by Margaret O'Brien, lecturer in Creative Writing on the English programme. Also in studi...
Ep 05: Christmas
07 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Nerve, Jenny is joined by colleagues Dr. Una Kealy, Dr. Christa de Brun and Dr. Paul Clougher to talk about the Christmas-theme...
Ep 04: 1984
17 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Nerve, Dr. Jenny O'Connor talks to Dr. Christa de Brún and second year English students Aisling O'Byrne and Brandon Collins ab...
Ep 03: Recommendations
25 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Nerve, Jenny talks to Dr. Richard Hayes and students of English Dylan Phelan and Zoe O'Sullivan about the books and films that ...
Ep 02: The Great Gatsby
12 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Nerve, Jenny is joined by Kate McCarthy who discusses the recent production of The Great Gatsby in Dublin’s Gate Theatre. Dr....
Ep 01: Teresa Deevy
20 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In the first episode of The Nerve, Jenny speaks to Dr. Una Kealy about Teresa Deevy, a Waterford playwright born in 1894. Deevy’s play “Katie Roch...