In this episode, I sit down with Mary McGuiggan — A Derry woman, retired primary school teacher, renowned Irish dancer and dance teacher, activist, mother, grandmother, and Gaelic speaker are just some of her many talents . Mary has been at the heart of building the Rights of Nature campaign in Northern Ireland and is one of the founders of The Gathering, which brings activists together from across Ireland to share struggles, strengthen connections, and support one another. We talk about what inspired her to this work, how The Gathering has become a space for solidarity and creativity, and why international links — from CELDF in the United States to the Atrato River Guardians in Colombia — matter here at home. Mary speaks with joy, wisdom, and humour, reminding us that defending the earth is not just resistance but also culture, music, dance, and powerful relationships. Listen in as we explore the roots of Rights of Nature, the resilience of communities across Ireland, and the vision of a future where the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the soil we grow from are honoured and protected. In this episode, I sit down with Mary McGuiggan — A Derry woman, retired primary school teacher, renowned Irish dancer and dance teacher, activist, mother, grandmother, and Gaelic speaker are just some of her many talents . Mary has been at the heart of building the Rights of Nature campaign in Northern Ireland and is one of the founders of The Gathering, which brings activists together from across Ireland to share struggles, strengthen connections, and support one another. We talk about what inspired her to this work, how The Gathering has become a space for solidarity and creativity, and why international links — from CELDF in the United States to the Atrato River Guardians in Colombia — matter here at home. Mary speaks with joy, wisdom, and humour, reminding us that defending the earth is not just resistance but also culture, music, dance, and powerful relationships. Listen in as we explore the roots of Rights of Nature, the resilience of communities across Ireland, and the vision of a future where the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the soil we grow from are honoured and protected. 📣 Share, review, and help amplify our story #dontmineus #SaveOurSperrins #notoxicmining LINKS FOR THIS INTERVIEW with Mary McGuiggan On the Zero Waste North West website you can find the link to the monthly meetings for the Gathering https://zerowastenw.org/projects/the-gathering/ and the Community Environment Legal Defence Found committed to nature dedicated to community SAVE OUR SPERRINS ( Social Media) https://www.dontmineus.com https://www.facebook.com/SaveOurSperrins https://www.instagram.com/save_our_sperrins/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/save-our-sperrins https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/save-our-sperrins-108907 https://www.youtube.com/@SaveOurSperrins https://www.podbean.com/eas/pb-n32q3-1939c83 LINKS TO OTHER RESOURCES http://caimnetwork.org/mining-in-ireland/ Mining in Ireland is a contentious issue, with 19% of the Republic of Ireland and 27% of Northern Ireland’s land area issued in prospecting licences. While mining companies claim to bring jobs and development, communities like those near Tara Mines and Gypsum Ltd have faced significant environmental and social impacts. Communities Against the Injustice of Mining (CAIM) is an all-island network resisting prospecting and extraction. https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/after-the-goldrush-by-gerry-mcgovern/id1681123169 Do Irish people know that Ireland has been selected as a Green sacrifice song for the so-called green technology, renewable energy transition from the beautiful wilds of Clare, Wicklow and Leitrim to the outstanding natural beauty of the Sperrin mountains of Tyrone. Rural Ireland is on Big Mining's chopping block. This podcast is about the power of community, about how communities of Ireland are organising to stop this disaster happening. For short term returns, the government wants to sell Ireland to mining interests as silently and quietly as possible. Let's make some noises. We will try to unravel why the Irish government is doing this LINKS TO Greencastle People’s Office(GPO) Facebook Page - and the site of the GPO ( The GPO is a humble caravan which has become a hub for the campaign against the goldmine ) -https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063579042613&sk=about https://maps.app.goo.gl/Cz7FHdUoi5ByxECz7?g_st=ipc

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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