I wish Irish people would listen to their history, to their ancestral voices, who were faced with similar choices of perilous journeys as people now from so many other countries.

We thought it was bad at the time in 2019, but things have gotten so much worse. The end credits state: ‘More than 27,000 people have drowned trying to cross to Europe 1993-2019.’ But ‘have drowned’ isn't accurate. They've been killed deliberately. As part of EU policy.

‘The system did a job on us,
banned us from travelling and moving on.
It is a caring country, a land we call home.
Wrap the starry flag around me for I am Irish too.’
- Helen Hutchinson, 'The Starry Flag'

Helen Hutchinson is also a prolific poet - one of @skeinpress.bsky.social ‘Play It Forward’ Fellows in 2023, author of the poetry collection, ‘From The Dirt Lane to the Open Roads’, and guest editor of @poetryireland.bsky.social The Trumpet (issue 13)

Listen here:
bairbreflood.org/2025/04/09/h...

Helen Hutchinson was part of one of the first families to experience this state policy and we talk about this in depth, and how it affects people today. She’s a founding member of Pavee Point which uses a collective community development approach to fight for Traveller & Roma human rights.

yes, thank you Jonathan - and what's worse is they haven't changed it since, it really is such a disgrace and the Greek government continue to cover up what happened. There's a general strike here tomorrow to force them to change things. The Greek people have had enough.