In this episode, host Martin Nutty chats with Declan Curran, actor, writer, and producer of the acclaimed short film Dear Imelda. Declan traces his creative path from creating teenage comedy sketches on YouTube to crafting award-winning short films that have screened at festivals worldwide. His growing success is highlighted by a recent distribution deal brokered by Network Ireland Television (NITV) with the Japanese streaming platform SAMANSA, expanding his reach to international audiences.

Recorded at the Capital Irish Film Festival in Washington, DC—hosted by Solas Nua—this conversation captures the vibrant, collaborative spirit of the festival. Declan discusses the realities of self-funding projects, the power of film festivals for emerging filmmakers, and the value of real-life connections in a digital age. He also reflects on the top-tier screening experience at venues like the AFI Silver Theatre and the support he’s found through family collaborations, particularly with his cousin Arón Holden, director of Dear Imelda.

Looking ahead, Declan talks about his aspirations to transition into feature filmmaking and the lessons he’s carrying forward from his indie film success.

Links

Declan Curran

• Website
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Filmography
  • Dear Imelda (2024 - Trailer)
  • Birthday (2023)
  • Shall We Sit (2023)
  • Shine (2021)

Solas Nua

• Website
• Capital Irish Film Festival 2025

Other Links

• SAMANSA
• Network Television Ireland (NITV)
• AFI Silver

Episode Details: Season 7, Episode 22; Total Episode Count: 125

When you have a good story to tell, why not invite the world?
For our Lost In Belfast series finale, we convene in the Titanic Hotel’s grand vaulted hall, where the ill-fated ship was designed. Hundreds have gathered from across local communities and from around the globe for the Belfast International Homecoming—civic leaders, elected officials, business executives, investors, entrepreneurs, culture makers…and two peripatetic podcasters.

Co-host and a Belfast Homecoming Ambassador himself, John Lee spoke with the event’s creator Máirtín Ó Muilleoir, a former Lord Mayor, long-time publisher, and Irish Stew alum and Connla McCann, who organizes this and many other high-profile events on both sides of the Atlantic as co-founder and director of Aisling Events.

We glean their insights on the purpose, evolution, outcomes, and future of this much anticipated annual event (returning Sept. 25, 2025), and grab soundbites from Dan Dennehy--VP Council for American Ireland Relations, Bryan O’Dwyer, a New York lawyer dedicated to advancing Ireland’s cause in the United States, and Smuggling Nun Poitín’s Maura Clare, another past Irish Stew guest and a 2024 Belfast Homecoming Ambassador.

We also heard about the Homecoming’s sister event, the New York New Belfast Luncheon Conference, coming to the stately New York Athletic Club on Thurs., June 12. See the link below for last-minute tickets!

So, we are lost no more—we found our way home to Belfast.

We thank Tourism Ireland for all their support and Máirtín and Connla for inviting us to the Belfast Homecoming!

Links

• 2025 New York New Belfast Conference - Thu, Jun 12
• 2025 Belfast International Homecoming - Thu, Sep 25
• Aisling Events

Máirtín Ó Muilleoir

• LinkedIn
• Twitter/X
• Facebook
• Earlier Irish Stew episode

Connla McCann

• LinkedIn
• Facebook

Episode Details: Season 7, Episode 21; Total Episode Count: 124

In the 10th episode of the Irish Stew Podcast's Lost in Belfast series, host Martin Nutty sits down with poet Linda McKenna. Together, they discuss poetry, history, and forgotten voices of Irish history.

Linda's path to poetry began almost by accident, but her talent was apparent, confirmed when she received the prestigious 2018 Seamus Heaney Award for New Writing. Recording from the Observatory room at Belfast's Grand Central Hotel, Linda opens up about her unique approach to poetry, drawing inspiration from historical archives and fragmentary records to illuminate the often-overlooked stories of women throughout history.

During this compelling discussion, Linda reads excerpts from her acclaimed collection Four Thousand Keys and offers insights into her upcoming work, which seeks to recover and amplify voices from Ireland's 1798 rebellion. Her poetry serves as both historical excavation and artistic expression, breathing life into stories that might otherwise remain buried in dusty archives.

Join Martin and Linda for a conversation that connects past and present, exploring how poetry can serve as a bridge between forgotten histories and contemporary understanding.

Links

• Linda McKenna page at Doire Press
• Twitter
• Facebook

Books

• Four Thousand Keys
• In the Museum of Misremembered Things

Episode Details: Season 7, Episode 20; Total Episode Count: 123