Conversations on the Margins is a GoLoud Original Podcast presented by Lynn Ruane. This limited series podcast brings you meaningful conversations and discussions about life, family, art, music and more, from inside the Irish prison system. Episodes are about one hour in duration.

Chapter 1: Origins

In Chapter 1: We hear from Stretch, Marty, Anto, Alex, Paul and Senan in Wheatfield prison, as they sit and converse with Lynn Ruane. This episode covers their early years, the men reflect on their schooldays and their youth; both fond memories and times they were failed by the system. All the music you hear in this episode and the rest of the series is performed by students in the Wheatfield prison education centre.

Chapter 2: Fatherhood and Family

In Chapter 2: We hear from Anto, Senan, Paul, Marty, Dylan and Stretch. Families and fatherhood is the focus of the conversations with Lynn Ruane. For all of the men, the love for and from their families is a driving force for them and gets them through their time spent in prison. Lynn and the men reflect on how prison is a community and family affair, affecting not only the person serving the sentence but the household missing a loved one. All the music you hear in this series is performed by students in the Wheatfield Prison Education Centre.

Chapter 3: Addiction, Dual Diagnosis and Finding Life

In Chapter 3, we hear from Dylan, Anto and Senan as well as Caron McCaffrey, Director General of the Irish Prison Service, who all touch on the topics of addiction and mental health, both in and out of prison. It's a complex issue, impossible to cover in only one episode of our podcast but our interviewees talk about it movingly and with great care and consideration. The music you will hear is written and performed for this series by students in Wheatfield Prison's Educational Centre.

Chapter 4: Who will take responsibility?

In Chapter 4: Niall has been in the prison system for a long time. In this conversation with Lynn he gives a profound account of his life journey that ultimately asks society the question; if he is taking responsibility for his crime, who is going to take responsibility for young men in communities like the one he came from? As ever, music heard in this podcast is performed by students in Wheatfield Prison Educational Centre.

Chapter 5: The Governor

Lynn chats to Eddie Mullins, governor of Wheatfield prison about life within the Irish Prison System. Eddie, from his perspective, explores his views on the Justice System and what we can do to change it for the better. In this episode, Eddie talks about how recidivism happens in communities not inside prison, he believes that prison should be a last resort and reserved only for the people who need to be there. The music heard in this episode is performed by men in the Wheatfield Prison Educational Centre.