The Smuggler is back and rhyming its way through Ireland, so we updated our earlier episode with actor Mick Mellamphy with news of his Irish tour of Ronán Noone’s award-winning one-man tour de force this July.

Set on a wealthy American island enclave and performed in rhymed verse, The Smuggler follows Irish immigrant Tim Finnegan as he’s pulled into the local criminal underworld after a fatal crash stirs tensions between locals and migrants.

It's a raucous, interactive experience, with the edge of a thriller and the serious subtext of immigration and identity, playing in Listowel, Cork, Belfast, and Dublin (details below).

With roots in both Dublin and Cork, Mick is a well-known New York actor and artistic director of the Origin Theatre who enjoys rockstar fame as the performance capture actor for the cheeky Irish gunslinger Sean MacGuire from the massively popular video game Red Dead Redemption 2, aka RDR2.

Mick leaves us with a wee sample of The Smuggler as he slips into the conflicted character of Tim Finnegan, but to get the full experience, catch Mick on tour in Ireland this July.

Original episode published January 2023

Links

The Smuggler

• Facebook
• Schedule and Venues
  • St John’s Theatre, Listowel (July 11)
  • The Cork Arts Theatre (July 16-19)
  • The Harrison Hotel, Belfast (July 23-25)
  • J.R. Mahon’s, Dublin (July 28-30)

Mick Mellamphy

• Facebook
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• Origin Theatre/1st Irish Festival

Episode Details: Season 7, Episode 23; Total Episode Count: 126

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