Speaker 1 00:00:21 Are you doing I'm Doug Giovanni and y'all listening to the blasting podcasts, tales of the Irish diaspora series five episode two. One of the wonderful things about editing is that it gives you almost God-like powers to cart or to paste, to emphasize, or to rearrange, to give voice or to silence. I try not to let it go to my head. Actually, most of the time, I simply wrestle with my stammer to present myself as the smooth and erudite audio experience currently assaulting your lug holes that by the way was take for my guests. Geraldine judge is an actor and writer as well as an outreach worker for Irish community care in Liverpool, born in Hampshire, raised in Dublin and now resident in side, she has two plays the esteemed Dr. Berry and her own solo performance obscured view taking place as part of this year's Liverpool Irish festival. You can find links to both on the blog page of our website, www.passivepodcasts.com, but first spend an hour in the delightful company of Geraldine. Judge, who might predict is about to contradict me just after I ask how you doing
Speaker 2 00:01:26 I'm grant. I'm actually, I'm in the face world. I'm known as Geraldine Maloney judge. So I'll have two hats.
Speaker 1 00:01:34 Do you hyphenate that then?
Speaker 2 00:01:36 Yeah, well kind of, I it's it's it's it's some, some places when it's written down it's hyphen, it's just Gerald and Maloney judge. So it's my mom's maiden name. So, um,
Speaker 2 00:01:47 Well my eldest brother actually lives in Portsmouth. Um, he, he is the Navy person. Who's not in the Navy now. Obviously you left Navy many, many years ago. Um, so yeah, so he, he kind of, I think he came back for a little spell when he left the Navy just before the Falklands, thankfully. Um, and then he did a <inaudible> and then they, that he ends up going back to live down in that part of the world, kind of where kind of where his Navy roots are, I suppose. And then of course we were born in south Hampton, so it's, um, Hampshire, uh, so it's, it's kind of gone back to his roots. So he's been there for years now. So yeah, so my, all my other siblings, they live, they live apart from Mr. Nula. She lives in county loads. No. And then, uh, my, my second oldest brother, uh, went to the dark side and slips on the south side, which is very wrong.
Speaker 2 00:02:45 Um, it's bothering off. Somebody's going to be on the pale, but you know, going to the south side of the city, you know, what's going on there and where does he live now? It's it's um, it's not a turn your turn, your, let's say you say obviously the sides turn your, so there you go. Yep. Where were your parents from originally? My father is from Cabra ethanol road in Cabra, north side. Uh, my mother is from Joyce road in Drumcondra. So both north siders and yeah, they went slate, lots of other people in the fifties. Um, I think it was 56 or 57 and I think they moved to, they they're in London first. They did the usual tromping around London. No blacks, no togs in the way Irish experienced all that. I kind of did a spell in the Midlands as well. They, they, they worked in, um, oh, workshare useful.
Speaker 2 00:03:44 Part of the country they actually worked for the mum was she was actually trained as be an auxiliary nurse and they both worked for the NHS and they worked in like the Fitbit app works in a, in a mental hospital. Um, what they used to call mental hospitals, then, you know, it was a psychiatric unit. So he was like an orderly. So yeah, they, they worked really hard and then got married, Quebec doc married, swept back, had five, five loss. And then in 1972, they went, I know let's take them all back to Dublin with Hampshire purchase to get the neighbors talking just, yeah, but it was weird because when we were growing up in Kalbarri in north side of Dublin, there was kind of a lot of similarities. There was other families who, who, um, like those, uh, parents who was possibly English. I remember one line, I can't remember his name and his mom was from Birmingham and that, you know, I mean, there was a lot of kind of English connections if you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 00:04:47 And, and I think people had done. And of course, you know, with every single family that there was always somebody, you have somebody in England, you have an auntie in England, you know, my whole, my, uh, my mom's side, my, uh, her, her, her brother all stopping, not with us now. And they, they all moved my open auntie in Liverpool there, my auntie Mona, she, she moved to Liverpool and again, in the fifties. Um, so she was very much, no, I want to be in of a blue, very close to Dublin type of thing. Whereas me one was like affect thought and go further. You know what I mean? So, so, yeah. And then we've eh, uncles in, in slouch and he worked in the miles factory and in, in full in London. So yeah, there was a, there's always, everyone had an auntie or an uncle or co causes.
Speaker 2 00:05:35 There was always an English connection say in, in growing up, there was always that kind of traffic between England and Ireland, if that makes sense. So, so yeah, I always remember the chalk hill. This is weird. And this country, they spelled telephone with an F what's going on telephone, you know, the Irish and just, just mappings. Like, um, I remember one time, um, I was late for school and there was about five or six of us were all late. You know, moms are probably all straps and, you know, and they were all like, the teacher was kind of getting them in. She shot them in a chew. Like, why are you late? Why are you late? And she was writing the reasons Dan, why are you late? And whatever they were saying, it seemed to work, but I couldn't quite make out what they were saying. And what they were saying was step out, slip out. So I didn't have it. And I just, I just went up and sat down was what was that? Gerald?
Speaker 2 00:06:35 They were saying, I slept it out. I slept in and they say, I slept it out. And I couldn't. And then guess who's the first few years knocking on somebody's door. Saturday evening is Tommy Moore coming out to Blake? Tell me more. I was always out it all, whether it's with a football, so-and-so coming out to play. I mean, lots of all the doors and starting tonight, it sounds like going to tell, you know, they got boxers, they got all the kids had gotten bartered. What's going on? You won't get in the bar at the beginning that you were having our Saturday night back from us for next day for Sunday. You know what I mean? So it's just, and then my, my, my Stefano's brother, oh, he was a case. He had the strongest Hampshire acts and go, and, and then he ended up cause he got into a bit of a, you know, like hanging around with not the, not the naughty boys and he be standing there on the, you know, with his hands and I'd be looking at them. So what's what's going on with him. Why is he talking all fully laid back?
Speaker 2 00:07:42 Well, he, he had, even now, when you listen to him talk, now you can still hear a slight Hampshire twine. I mom's two brothers again, suddenly not with us Henry and undone, you know, talk about chalk and cheese. Uh, Henry, they, they lived, he, they both married. Um, again, Irish women, um, Henry married, Mountie, Mary God rest her. She was from Watford and then Andy married breeder and she was from Tipperary, but Andy was like, oh, Joe's good. But Henry was very hello. Hi. Or like you said about your, but they were very kind of very different, but what still kind of very, very proud of their roots and very much Irish, man. You know what I mean? It's fascinating when you, when you hear like how people's accents become and the people go, what are you actually from? Are you, are you Irish? Or, oh yeah.
Speaker 2 00:08:47 And then it's weird when you're talking to people that, oh God, yeah. I can hear a little bit of the loop now. And then all the people, all the people like now, yeah. Now you're not Scouts, so, or you're totally Irish. I, you know, I put a little bit, sometimes I got, sometimes I got a little bit offended. People say, oh, you've never lost your ex. And I go, yes, I have. And it's not because I don't want to. It's just, you know what I mean? I just, I liked, I liked the sound of how I am. When was it that you felt that you were part of Dublin rather than from Hampshire? I think again, this is not, I mean, I've always, you know, always grown up because obviously mom and dad are adults. You know what I mean? Um, I like being on the north side and it was always, it was always a thing I think in the GAA, you know, when Dublin, where, where, um, uh, apart from this year that the curse was lifted, apparently.
Speaker 2 00:09:43 Um, you know, that, that was, uh, that was a ferrous kind of prides thing of, of being a dope Roddy. Doyle wrote a really interesting article for the Indaba magazine, um, on the back of Italia 90. And it's why I big Jack the price of a pint. And it was almost like he, he helped me rediscover my nationality, my love of being Irish. And I, I suppose in a way, I think it's hung your 90 debt did do that for a lot of people. Um, and that's kind of what I'm on the back of that I've written a one woman show about how my love affair with football began. I mean, we had, you know, I've grown up with brothers who are massive Liverpool funds. So, you know, that was always prevalent in our household, but I just wasn't really into football, but when it's how you're 90 happens.
Speaker 2 00:10:31 And I think there's like the, the, the, the article that, that Ron's daughter wrote. And he was saying, um, you know, Ireland was a foreign country to us items where you went on holiday to your auntie, you know, Ireland was, was something else. It was, it was the Eurovision song contest. It was done. It was, it was something, it was, um, you know, all the Tweed little things. It was, it was the Moyer anymore. You're the continuity announcer on or CA they were from Ireland. We were from Dublin. We were very different. I mean, and I think like over the years, but, you know, I was kind of, I suppose, in a way, because, because I was so, cause I was bullied when I, when I came over to Dublin and you know, I used to get horrendous things, you know, you're an English, spectra and English pig, English is a stupid country.
Speaker 2 00:11:18 And even some of the teachers were with, you know, they, they, they were certainly in that kind of anti English way. You know what I mean? And I suppose, like thrown off, there was almost like this pull between, you know, unlike, I think my mom's experience of growing up in Ireland as opposed to her sister's experience. Cause like when her sister went to Liverpool, so you walk into bouncy mama's house and it's JFK the Pope it's, you're walking and try and Irish household. Whereas like my moment in England, I mean, there was a picture of saving her house, but she, you know, we were proud of Irishness, boy, it wasn't like rammed in your face or it wasn't like a big, I am Irish type of thing. You know what I mean? And, and it's just interesting that I remember just kind of, kind of going backwards and forwards now, but there was this, there was a black and white photograph of all of a sentence that comes to none.
Speaker 2 00:12:10 I think, you know, in the good old fashioned days where people used to write to each other and send photographs in the post and there's this black and white photograph of <inaudible>, which I think my mom had sent, somebody had sent her from Ireland, but there's this whole it's like I said, oh, what happened when my mom spoke to, will you smoke when you were holding this? No, no, no. She said they used to burn the mail. They used to burn the Irish mail in the post office, um, as kind of an act of retribution, if there was a particular bombing or whatever I'd got on. And they, you know, there was an Irish postmark, they would start burning it. You know what I mean? Like as a kind of way of like, you know, we're getting our own bikinis type of thing, which is quite sad, really, you know, you know what I mean? So it's, it's, it's, it's a difficult one. It's a funny one because, because again, there's this, so there's so much, I dunno if this is the right word symmetry between England and Ireland, we're very, very similar, but we're very, very different.
Speaker 1 00:13:16 You're listening to the plastic podcasts. We all come from somewhere else, find us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. We often say that members of the Irish diaspora lead a dual existence, but in Geraldine's case, that's literally true as Geraldine Maloney, judge. She is a fine writer and actor as we've established, but as Geraldine judge, she's an outreach worker for Irish community care into the pool, a service that covers everything from housing applications to training opportunities, to social events for the Irish, Irish, gypsy, and travel communities. I want to know how she got started on this part of her life.
Speaker 2 00:13:50 It was a community parents, breastfeeding support volunteer in the young field area. It was, it was a voluntary role. It was like, it was, it was kind of run through shore stats and the good old days we had shore style, we have chore start family centers. So I, I was living in the unfilled area and I had two young boys and I would access the playgroups to stay in playgroups. They were great lifeline. And they had a program of community parent program, which was like mentored by, um, a midwife and a health Pfister. And it was the, the idea was that you, you would set up this network of community parents to support all the parents, particularly if they were new to the area and they didn't know what, what services were available to them. So you would be friends with them and you would probably company them to like, stay in play the mom, Mormon toddler groups, the coffee mornings, all the different things.
Speaker 2 00:14:43 And then it was a re really good. Um, we got like train and we got fresh state train and we did loads of different aspects of training, which is great. And it was like, I, when I was in Dublin, I was a volunteer with the Dublin Simon community for a couple of years when I was, when I turned 18. So it's something that I've always wanted, you know, kind of that kind of work I read, I am interested in alongside obviously trying to be an actor and acting and stuff like that. So then I was, um, I was there one of the show start centers and rehearse. She's terrific. She's a midwife. She's retired now. She was one of our mentors. She, she coordinated the program and she said, come here, look at this. This is a really good job for you. And there was, there used to be like a little spinny thing with all different jobs.
Speaker 2 00:15:28 And she said, oh, there's a job there. And that'd be ideal for you. And it was, it was it at this time, it was part-time working specifically with the Irish toddlers. Um, and it was Irish community care. So I thought, oh God, I won't say the old fashioned way got in the car, went and got the air that the application form filled all out, hand-wrote it. And then hand delivered it the next day in the office and then got an interview. And, uh, there was, I think it was five of us were interviewed and I was the last one. And, um, so I, yeah, so I got the job, so that was 17 and a half years ago. So obviously my role has developed over the years and I've a full-time now and I'm still an actor by the way. Um, and I, I, I actually as well, I, I still do full line work, but I line manage other full line staff as well and unsupervised staff.
Speaker 2 00:16:19 Um, so we work with anyone who's Irish, our sense, Irish traveler, gypsy Roma, gypsy. Um, so we, we work right across. We like right across Merseyside, but we also, uh, we have, uh, a base of Wigan as well. And we do operate kind of Cheshire as well. Uh, we have a drop-in service in which while we don't do DACA and <inaudible> system in the Cheshire area as well, west Cheshire and brunch. And it's east Cheshire. Why do you think there's a need for specifically Irish community care? Because I think because a lot of, you know, again, you know, this there's a massive Irish vein running through Liverpool, mercy sides and beyond. Um, and I think because P because of people's lived experiences and it's, it's, it's traditionally, and it's, it's, you know, it, it, it's the statistics proven about, you know, um, people with mental health issues, people with poor physical health.
Speaker 2 00:17:17 Um, and, and it, it, it just, it just go back to our kind of genetic makeup or our ethnicity, I suppose. And it's also about people being able to feel comfortable speaking to another organization where they feel that they're understood, or they, they, they, their culture, their background is, is understood. And, and they, they have a voice. They have, they can, they've got a platform where they can feel comfortable speaking to people, because I think a lot of the times over the years, but, um, you know, working with the Irish travelers community quite a lot, um, there's a, there's a lack of understanding about people's backgrounds and culture and how the dynamics of how their families work and, um, and a fear and an ignorance as well. Um, with, with, I suppose, with, with people from very different backgrounds to, to what people here are used to. So I suppose it would be the same as like we've got like the Caribbean center here in Liverpool lates, you know, it's, it's where I think people can come and feel safe and a part of the community and understood if that makes sense.
Speaker 1 00:18:26 Yeah. I was just thinking it's all like a, I wondering whether or not ICC is a particularly, uh, Northwestern or even Northern Fiora, other organizations you're aware of that do this around the country.
Speaker 2 00:18:35 There is, yeah. I mean, again, in London, there's Birmingham, this, this, this I'm solely whole O's, Sandwell Irish, Sisay again, they like they would offer advocacy and support again in London, this, this Redford, Irish, this lots of different, and they may or may not be attached to an Irish. And so, I mean, we were a couple partnership with Liverpool Irish dancer, um, because initially Irish community care where in the old Irish runs from Mount pleasant, and then we moved to premises and juke street, and now we're on premises on Dale street. But, um, and obviously the <inaudible> moved out of Mount pleasant and now they're in St. Michael's on boundary lane, but we were a companionship with, with, with St. Michael's with the Irish answer. So I think a lot of like five-ish organizations around Britain, probably they may have the welfare support advocacy advice based in, and I it's, it just depends on what's available, what resources are available, building wise, rent wise resources from them, that kind of thing.
Speaker 2 00:19:37 I mean, in an ideal world would be great if, if, if we kind of were under the same roof, different organizations in under the same roof, um, that will, that would be great. And like, you know, everyone's, oh, whatever happened to the old Irish. And so people still people still, again, it's, you know, you kind of wonder where, where people's heads are out. They kind of go, oh, the Irish had just been closed for years. Hasn't it and said, well, no, actually the Irish center is still running, but as soon a different venue and it has been for God and must be coming up for nearly 20 years. So, so that's, that's Irish community care. So, so if anyone needs any support, please give us a call at (151) 237-3987.
Speaker 1 00:20:19 But it also brings me each onto a couple of things I find interesting because you're involved in the arts is what is the social side of things. That's, uh, an issue at the moment about as I, for example, getting funding for, um, of, uh, projects that are specifically about the Irish in Britain, um, because they're not seen as a kind of separate ethnicity in the same way that, uh, other, other ethnicities are Irish just simply becomes a kind of, uh, kind of send me Britishness, semi white, other semi sort of other thing that isn't quite its own own ethnicity, which means that it's increasingly problematic for projects. <inaudible> look at the notion of Irishness in Britain. And I wonder whether that's kind of the same reading with regards to say, Irish community care and try to get funding there.
Speaker 2 00:21:01 No, I think a lot of iPhone that actually comes from the Irish government weirdly enough. And then over the years, we've had different strands of foreman say from we've had, um, we felt like a criminal justice. We have an open doors project we're working with In-Reach outreach people in that our prisons of the criminal justice system support and people in prison and when they come out of prison and that was from the true and TSP. And, and then we've also had, again, pots of funding through Liverpool city council, um, the NHS, you know, and the, you know, again, it's, it's, it's obviously some of my colleagues, you know, regional data is the director of Irish women's care. The majority of her job is, is like literally looking for foreman and doing funding applications. And, um, obviously then running the whole organization and then keeping a steady helm.
Speaker 2 00:21:49 So it's, it's yeah, it's, it's interesting about, you know, the perception of, of the, I, you know, the Irish as a, as a distinct ethnic minority and people, again, people kind of go, you know, don't get into around on Facebook. I was talking about my experiences about NCI as racism, and then somebody went, you can't know you're Irish, you can't experience racism because you're Irish. And I went, whoa, hang on a minute. There, no, you can experience sectarianism, but you can't experience racism because you're not a distinct race. But then the actual definition of racism, when you look at the definition of racism, it's about, you know, if anyone who's, who's been singled out because of their, their nationality or their ethnicity, it isn't about particularly a race. And when you look at the definition of racism, again, people kind of, they, they, like, I spoke to a guy, I did a play with him two years ago and he works.
Speaker 2 00:22:43 He works with them, the white chocolate center, who we do a lot of partnerships where if they, they they're an organization that supports people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homelessness, homeless. And then he was like, oh, I didn't realize that Irish people were a class in that way. Oh, I didn't know. There was a RTI of racism live with go, you, you work with white chocolate where unfortunately got a lot of, um, you know, Irish people coming over and they escape and para-military violence or speaking gang violence or domestic violence or issues or home drug issues. And they've, they've had to come over and, and they've ended up unfortunately on the streets here in, in, in, in Merseyside and Liverpool. So get, you know, it's, it's interesting how people don't don't get it. And like, I I'm, I'm always, uh, you know, people kind of look at me and go, what are you talking about Geraldine?
Speaker 2 00:23:32 And I go, I'm not white, I'm Irish. And I sat that very loudly and publicly at a conference or a meeting was lots of Merseyside police. And one of the police officers she's quite high up and she's from the north of Ireland. She went yesterday. And I actually agree with that. I perceived myself to be that way too. And whenever, you know, you're ticking, you know, the, uh, w two client, you know, when you go from male, female, sexuality, ethnicity, of course, what is Irish? It's, it's always under the white thing. And no, it's because again, you know, there's lots of people who are Irish, who aren't white. I know, can you go, you know, you wear white, but there are obviously there are black, there are Chinese there, you know, they're Asian, there are, you know, we have Muslim people. It's, it's, it's just, um, you know, we can't be put in a box and it, and, and it's great.
Speaker 2 00:24:22 Now, when you see, um, like the light, you know, a lot of, a lot of the, the Olympics team and the athletes and that they come from, uh, from, uh, a black background and they're Irish, and it's just so wonderful to see it's, it's, it's amazing. But I think, again, you know, when you look at the flip side of things and you, you get really Irish people who are really racist towards non-nationals, so to speak, uh, and, and they, they use really offensive racist terms. And you go, hang on a minute, let's look at our history here. Remember the no blacks, no dogs, no, ah, no. That was different bottles. How is it different? How is it different, please tell me. So again, you know, we, we, we, we have to educate each other and we're still learning. And we, we still, we've all got prejudices. We've all have perceptions of other, all the communities or the people, how, how people live, how people work. And sometimes we go a lot, you know, I'm not particularly fond of sources, such as such, you know, let's live and let live here, you know? Um, so anyway, I'm rambling again,
Speaker 1 00:25:44 We'll be back with Geraldine judge in a moment, but first it's time for the plastic pedestal, that part of the podcast, where I ask one of my interviewees to raise up and salute a member of the diaspora of personal cultural or political significance to them this week, author Paulie, Nevins, who's keeping her pedestal in the family
Speaker 3 00:26:05 Personal level. That's my S my shutting doors, mother, parents on both sides, uh, his grandparents on both sides where we're Irish, one Irish Catholic, the other Protestant, uh, and she, I just a wonderful person. She just celebrated her 80th birthday. Uh, hi, my name is Mary pat. And, uh, she, uh, she does not. She recently, I express to her son, she really doesn't want to define by this particular occurrence in her life, but at age she contracted polio. And like, in those days, the iron lung was the way you treated this. Uh, so she was in an iron lung for quite a long time. Uh, and then she was done crutches and embraces. And, uh, she has the most wonderful, positive attitude. I have not seen a photograph of her when she has been smiling. And she went, despite the disability, she went to college, got a degree taught school for 20 years.
Speaker 3 00:27:19 And there was a particular incident when she was teaching school at this elementary school, just across from where she was, they had what they called in those days, the crippled children's school. And one of the children was absolutely amazed when they saw her. And they said, your, a teacher that was such a surprise that this young person, I don't know what their physical disability was, but for that child to see someone who had a physical disability was teaching school. And I thought, you know, what a wonderful role model she probably didn't realize. And still doesn't how many people she inspires just, just by her attitude, her positive attitude, and the fact that she wasn't defined by polio and was able to get a degree raised his children and is very active to this day. You know, very much involved socially does a lot of zoom stuff. And so she was the person that came to mind for me,
Speaker 1 00:28:29 Pauline Nevins there. And if you want to hear more of what Pauline has to say, or indeed any of our previous interviewees, simply go to our
[email protected] also available on Spotify, Amazon, and apple podcasts. Now back to Geraldine judge, or rather Geraldine Maloney judge, as she's known in theater and film in this section, we talk about how she started acting as a school student in Dublin, how it led her to livable and her two shows for this year's Liverpool Irish festival, the esteemed Dr. Berry, and a self pen solo show obscured view a passion project about another passion, but first getting started,
Speaker 2 00:29:11 I started kind of, um, through Roddy Doyle weirdly enough, cause he was, he was our English teacher and he used to do, um, he used to write simplified versions of king Lear and watering Heights that were on, they were on the syllabus for our leaf and certificate, like COVID sway levels. So king isn't it's for really difficult play. So, uh <inaudible> um, there was also another teacher there called Paul Mercer who founded an excellent company called the cash machine company. So they roll in UCD together and they were all like fair heads. And, you know, and then Roddy, Doyle was inspired by Palmer had to write his own stuff. So, and then, so Mrs. Doyle Raji, do I sometimes say Mississauga's sometimes feels weird saying royalties oil, Mr. Toil. Um, he wrote a, I, we liked on a play with Paul Mercia and an Irish language play for the slow-go arts festival, which is great. And that, that, that, that kind of got me. I was always interested in acting, I don't like bits drama at primary school. And then, um, when we got into secondary school, so I did slogan there the year of <inaudible>. And then when I went back into the senior fifth year and Roger Doyle was, was rewritten a version of king Lear to make it easier.
Speaker 2 00:30:32 We did it and we performed and we, it was great. We had great cracker. It was really good. I played Donnatal one of the doors and it was just, it was just who's. And then they had, there was this thing called the Dublin Shakespeare. There was the Dublin Shakespeare society, which I ended up doing plays with through Dublin new. So cause they, they they've got a really good close relationship because they're around the corner from each other and north side Dublin garden street where DYC unfortunately are now not there anymore. And the dominance Shakespeare society were based in north bay, Georgia street. So, and they, they run this school Shakespeare festival every year.
Speaker 2 00:31:08 Should we enter it for a laugh? You know what I mean? You know, it will be up against all the posh convent schools and the Christian books, schools, you know, all the, all the middle class who, Hey, Ray Henry, isn't doing their Romeo and Juliet NOLA and we answered it. We got, we got best play. I got best actor, one of the lots of designs. And there was a, there was a poster design competition. And at Derek downs, I was running his name and he'd signed a poster for Hamlet. And that got an award on the two lots playing Lear and the fool got an award and you know, and then we got invited to schools too. And then during that time, Mr. Doyle logic oil and Palmer brought in people that they like, um, Veronica Cobra and she's, she's an actor, a theater director, and she does a lot of work with you face now.
Speaker 2 00:32:03 And she came in and did workshops with us and she introduced us to new theater, national theater. And so then I joined total new theater and then I did a couple of shows with national youth theater. And then I trained with gay school of acting. And then I worked with loaf magic theater company, couple of times. So yeah. So that's, that's kind of how it, and then as I say, my cousin here in Liverpool was, was doing, she, she did this amazing course called acting out with the, every man. She was a sign language interpreter, and she was kind of grappling around for something to do. And she was kind of trying to find a way, so she did that and then she was visiting us and she went, there's a course over there. It's absolutely fantastic. And you'll be ideal for it. Cause she came to live in Dublin for lounge.
Speaker 2 00:32:40 He came to see me a couple of plays and then she went back and she did that. So I had to go and pretend to live in the rules. So that's why I ended up moving to Liverpool because I got a place on the act now, and that was 30 years ago. So yeah. So over the years, like I've done, uh, you know, still, still worked professionally in and out, you know, in between having children and doing all the jobs and different things. But I've always, it's always like that's first and foremost. That's, that's my, that's my kind of role. I know I worked full time for our community care and I, I absolutely, I'm so grateful for a full-time job. I really am. I love my job and it's great. And it's a lot of challenges. Um, so yeah, so I'm kind of got two careers, two hats.
Speaker 2 00:33:22 There you go. And so, yeah, so I'm going to be all being well pandemic please. God, don't destroy us again. I'm going to be performing in two plays for the lovable Irish festival. One of them is a one woman show called obscure view, which is about how my love affair with football began in Italia 90. So yeah, it's a play called the esteem, Dr. Berry it's about this famous doctor who came from cork and she was the first doctor to perform a Syrian section where both mother and child survived. Um, because at the time, um, women weren't allowed to practice medicine. So she had to pretend to be a man. So she took her mother's maiden name. I play the mother, which was Barry. So she, she was known as Dr. Barry. So it's, it's, it's, it's all about her kind of journey. Um, really, really good play by a woman called Carol McGann who wrote a play that I did, uh, a previous live wires festival about kissy Wilkinson, uh, who obviously we know queen of the slums first public wash house and livable again, I played, I played the mother.
Speaker 2 00:34:35 Yeah. So yeah, so that's that's so I, yeah, that my monologue talks about lots of light moods, it's Liverpool and Ireland, and going to the world cup in 94, I went over to the states, um, and just like again, you know, experience and being with all my cousins from Dublin, like, oh, so you're not really Irish, you know, but then, you know, Hey John older scores a goal way that got through to the next round, but he's, he's Scouser, you know, um, so all that silliness talk about those experiences. And then, uh, I didn't go to the world cup 2002 by, you know, the whole boy king getting sent home. I kind of did a little bit about that. And then I talk about also, um, sectarianism and stuff like that. And just talk about kind of funny going back to the, the Italian 90 stuff and, um, kind of Ireland's awakening.
Speaker 2 00:35:32 And I use, I use the, the, the expression Shane written try colors now know me to hide, um, almost because there was, um, there was no Rafiq incidents. It was when Ireland were beaten Italy in the 1994 world cup. And there was, there was several people were, were, were murdered. It was a sectarian killing while they were watching that for settler much in lock shinier, I think, uh, in Northern Ireland and, um, Protestant Goleman came in and, and shot them why they were watching that much. And it's, it's kind of like that, that damn flip side of, of, you know, I don't know, it's hard, it's hard to describe because when you watch the piece, it kind of explains it, if that makes sense. So talk about that. And then I also do a little section about, which has been all the experiences in my own experiences, but, um, about a girl who wasn't allowed to watch the game, the 1966 world cup, simply because she was a girl, she got sent to her room, so that <inaudible> license, she ends up on the pitch and miss all of it Mads, and then we bring it back to reality.
Speaker 2 00:36:38 And then I finish off with the whole section on them, my experience when I went to a stumbled to watch Liverpool in the champions league in 2005. So yeah, and it just kind of in between, Packard's just like little instances of, of when I experienced anti Irish racism or, you know, people saying to me, what are you doing? Co-innovate sport and Liverpool and English club, you know, you, Irish fosters come on over here, support and Liverpool. And then I list all the names of the Irish players that played for Liverpool. Yeah. So it's just, I, I obviously, I, I speak about Hillsborough and you know, how it impacted or in Dublin and make reference to the Stardust tragedy and the, my club, you know, in, in one Stacey woman, um, and kind of the dissimilarities between the two horrific events and how people were treated and people still fighting for justice and trying to get answers and try to have closure on what happens on those awful events, you know, on the impact it has on people.
Speaker 2 00:37:41 Um, and I think just, just to kind of, again, the, the, the sense of camaraderie between the two cities between Dublin and Liverpool and their kind of empathy for an understanding of each other, because of those two particular events, which, you know, uh, you know, affected people on both sides. You know, when, when, when Hills were happens, you know, it impacted greatly on time, get a bit, um, um, on, on a family as a, as a football and family, because, you know, my, my brothers would sometimes go and watch away games. Um, so that was, and then obviously when the Stardust, when the start is tragedy happens, it's just, it was, it was, it was horrendous nightmare explained to people by, you know, think about the impact of what Hills for hands, when that happens on the city of Liverpool. And it was the same thing in Dublin.
Speaker 2 00:38:44 I always remember waking up the next morning and the news was filtering through costs, no mobile phones, no laptops, no computers. Um, I just remember everyone. It was, it was, it, it was a doll, it was a black, there was like a black cloud in the sky and it was all, everyone was just walking around going, oh my God, oh my God, that's horrendous. So on its weird because I, I moved to Liverpool two years after the Hillsborough disaster. Um, and it was, you know, obviously it's still, it's still a raw open wound as a, as a stylist. And, you know, you drive it around and you get on the bus and you seen the Hillsborough disaster Y center and it, and it just kind of catch it the reality of, of, you know, member watching that event unfold on television. And this is it, this is the reality of it.
Speaker 2 00:39:32 And then meeting people over the years and two really lovely people. I've met piece of Carney who used to run the football arts initiative. And he just took us around the survivor. I'm a fund, my own me she's from London originally. And, um, she, you know, she got, literally pulled out of the crowds and the guy that pulled her out when Jesus, how did you, how are you still alive? Um, so just, and then meet, you know, meet and people who, who were there and, and my own partner, he, he was there as well. And he wasn't in the lap lane then. And he went with them. There was a group of them, like, you know, you get group of people, some people you don't know that well, and they get in the car with you and they all go together. And one of their, their party, sadly, didn't go home with them so that, you know what I mean? So that, that whole impact of, of, of that, and, um, living with someone and it's just anyway, <inaudible> emotional or angry, or, but please come and watch it. The 27th of October, the it's the coal, the music room and the Philharmonic hall on hope streets. I think I'm not sure I was looking, I don't know whether the actual program has been launched yet. I'm on the website. I'm not too sure, but I'll, I'll make sure you got all the information. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 1 00:41:01 You're listening to the plastic podcasts, tales of the Irish diaspora, email
[email protected]. It's a joy to chat with Geraldine judge. And one of the sad responsibilities of editing is having to take the hour and a half that we spent talking and whittle it down to 45 minutes. But that's a format for you in this last section. We discuss family, the confusion still created by Brexit and how her Irishness has inspired her work. You'll also get to hear a moment when I stammer my way through a, that goes nowhere, just to prove that editing isn't simply me playing God.
Speaker 2 00:41:38 It is a lot of, again, we, you know, it work after Brexit happened and it was still happening. And a lot of people were very worried and very concerned. And, um, we, you know, you've got some older Irish people who've lived here for years and they were really worried. Am I going to get supported? Um, do I, oh my God, what's going to happen to me or do I have to prove my Irishness or do I have to, to, I have to prove that I've lived here for 40, 50 years now. I've paid my stamp on, I've worked for the NHS or wherever it is. You know what I mean? And then on a, on a kind of a lighter note, there's a rager friend of mine here in Liverpool is he's so funny. Every time he sees me, he goes, so you've you being fucking spouses.
Speaker 2 00:42:18 Yeah. But it's a real tongue in cheek. Cause he's, he's like very much, you know, not of that ill, but you'd be amazed like working through the benefit system. And again, you know, one piece of information, incorrect information can cause so much upset and anxiety and, um, and heartache. And there's no need for like, we've had people go through the Bacopa over from Ireland, I'm going to claim benefits and they've been sold. No, you've got to do the three in one. Um, uh, what's the words, cause I've not been worked for two weeks. I can't remember these things. Um, it'll come to me, but you know, you have to wait three months before you can claim because, because you're a European national and then you go, no, no, no, no, no. This the common agreements between England and Ireland, we can work freely. We can travel freely.
Speaker 2 00:43:08 We can come back with some forwards and claim benefits. That's that's, you know, you know, it's, it's in the Irish constitution, the Irish embassy of poor our statements about this go on the Irish embassy's website. We've had to reeducate people working in departments of work and pensions who've been telling Irish people that they can't claim benefits for certain periods of time because they're Europeans so to speak. Um, yeah, it's, it's just, uh, yeah, there's a lot of scare mongering out there and a lot of ignorance and nonsense. And then, you know, somebody who's probably used not had a great education and see who's, who's probably just worked in, in say as a laborer for 40, 50, whatever it years. And they haven't got that much education or understanding, and they're getting told this and I can put the Frighteners up people and make people really stressed. Cause for necessary stress, there's just no need for it because somebody in the head goes because of Brexit, Irish people they're Europeans, they can't do this and they can't do that. And again, it's, it's ignorance, lack of understanding, lack of training, lack of, I don't know, forethought, whatever mumbling again, feel free.
Speaker 1 00:44:24 It's a place to rent a last three questions. I think one is, um, the, I was going to ask whether or not, um, having this sense, um, of, uh, both having been born in England, raised in art and coming over to Liverpool, being Irish and English and so forth, whether that's actually been part of being an actor and a writer, whether that's, that's kind of informed you in, uh, in as much as, um, not having that, how an identity, but what, it's something that's called a perceived by others as being somewhat fluid.
Speaker 2 00:45:03 What my answer is.
Speaker 1 00:45:06 Do you think that being a member of the Irish diaspora influenced you actually becoming an actor?
Speaker 2 00:45:11 I don't know. I think it's certainly helped over the years because I mean, you look at the kind of artistic cultural history of Irish, particularly Dublin, like I'm a massive Shaun or Casey farm. Um, cause I think I, again, I think it was how I was brought up again. I get, I kind of harp on about this, you know, when you come from a working class background and people can make a perception that you're not, um, culturally informed artistically involved. Like I grew up in a household that, that, you know, my, my dad's side of the family, they were a big, massive operable. They loved opera. And my, my brother loves opera and classical music and we were brought up for a love of theater and my mother and father were, they, you know, they used to listen to Casey plays on the wireless and the old days. So that light love of theaters always been very rich and very vibrant within, within my family. So I suppose I've been quite lucky in that way. And I absolutely love for me to love Shakespeare and I love, I love, plays and love. I love American playwrights different things. So I suppose, yeah, it is a big mashup melt of things. And I think Matt, maybe, maybe having those experiences, Dulce does help, um, being a creator and being at being a writer, being an actor, whatever it, yeah. And that's a shift question. Yes.
Speaker 1 00:46:35 Okay. She'll take that. Thank you. But also the speaking of your family is on. And when we were doing the preamble to this week, we talked about how your brother joined the Royal Navy and would wear his, um, his, his tricolor or his GAA shirt while running around the frigate for the Navy and then come back to Dublin and full Naval uniform. Is that typical of your family?
Speaker 2 00:46:59 But again, there was, there was like, you know, there was lots of lots and lots in from like aim and Pharrell him a name of Pharrell joined the Navy, the Royal Navy. There was, there was lots joining the British army during the Irish army as well. And the merchant Navy, the Irish Navy though, there was a lot of lots where, you know, traditionally you went off and joined the British armed forces, um, over the use. And, um, he was, my brother was so, so lucky. He left just before the Falklands, he left, he spent six years and then Navy, I have no passport all the world. Um, but yeah, he, and, and then when he joined the Navy, he was taken into a room and was told that he didn't have to swear allegiance to the queen. And then my, my youngest son, um, for a brief brief periods wanted to join the army and he did, he was Squatty at 16 and he, but he only stayed six months.
Speaker 2 00:47:54 Um, so yeah, yeah. Both, both my sons about they they've had their Irish passports when they were young. Listen, no, no. Cause for break, they're like <inaudible> passport again. They went, oh yeah. So, and it is interesting in, in like the next generation when I will never like, you know, my muscles were probably disagreeing and go, yeah, you, you, you make us Irish. You almost to be Irish, don't you? Cause course it was someone you are. I hear that. You know what I mean? So, um, I think Joel will appoint my oldest son. He was, he was trying to take over ethnicity and he couldn't see it anywhere. And he was really annoyed. I wanted to tick the other one. And for some reason they have a <inaudible> to do COVID he was filling out something and he was really annoyed. He was going on at once. I think he's a bit like me. He didn't want to take white Irish. She wants to take other, so that's brilliant. Did
Speaker 1 00:48:48 You really catch a lot of flack at home for
Speaker 2 00:48:51 Now? I think there was a fascination because I'll tell you why, because, and to remember the bond film, is it the spy who loved me? They used his frigate a lot. They filmed, they did a lot of film on around that. And then on the closing credits of the spy who loved me, you can see this little figure on the deck and that's my brother. So he was like, cause I was telling all my friends, you know, your kids to tell ridiculous lies to your friends, you know? Yeah. He's, he's Matt, Roger Moore and he's, you know, blah, blah, blah.
Speaker 2 00:49:26 So, cause from, Brendan's come home when he's walking up the road and they're all like, oh, you're a film star. You've been in the James Bond film. I think it's, I don't know. I don't think we did no. Um, he did particularly a say cause there was, there was so many of the families who have the labs joining the armed forces. So it wasn't, it wasn't a, uh, uncommon thing really, you know, interesting. I mean there was probably wrong. People were probably saying things or probably mum, my mum probably heard things, but kept it from us. I don't know. Do you know what I mean? Possibly I don't know.
Speaker 1 00:50:04 Final question, which is the one I asked most of my interviewees, which is what does being a member of the RSD aspirin mean to you?
Speaker 2 00:50:12 Oh, I just, I'm so proud of being Irish. I'm just, I, I get, I don't know. I just, I feel quite unique and I feel quite special. I feel I'm, I'm, I'm in a, I'm in a really special organization or a special club. Um, quite unique membership, you know, quite for quite elites sounds really snobby and really poached, but it's just, you know, when, like when, I mean, I don't like box and press say, this is a few years ago, might give you a laugh. Um, and Katie Taylor was, was going for gold in the Olympics and um, you know, and I would say I kept on Italian. Mike's gonna come on, stand, watch this, your fellow country, woman she's, you know, stone for gold on blah. What's it like boxing unlike LA like after 30 seconds, apparently this is my impersonation me, come on.
Speaker 2 00:51:15 I was like jumping up and down and I know they had got me try color out and it was like, yay Katie saying. Yeah. And then like when I went to Dublin, um, where my mom lives, she lives in the city center. Um, the, the last that when the goals for Carrie Harrington, um, she doesn't live too far. So there's all these big posters society took some pictures of me in the background, you know, congratulations and cave me the falter. And I was, and it just, just like a burning pride, I think just really proud to be, to be Irish, really, really proud. Um, you know, Ireland's got its flaws, you know, we we've we've, we've got our, we've got our skeletons in the cupboard. We know that, you know, the institutional abuse and that, you know, makes people angry. And, and, you know, I think I, I wish people over the years have been dealt on fortunate blows.
Speaker 2 00:52:14 A lot of assignment of prophets have had to put up with a lot of nonsense and abuse and crap, but you know, we come out the other side, smiling and, and we, we kind of still stand up on our Patterson go we're here, we're here to stay. And I think, you know, w we've we've brought so much wealth in, in, in terms of like culture and arts and medicine as sports music, Jesus, uh, you know, to, to so many corners of the earth. And I'm not thinking, you know, I think the world would be a very dull place without Irish people. And when God made God on the seventh day, he didn't rest. He made the Irish to keep everyone happy.
Speaker 1 00:53:03 You've been listening to the plastic podcasts that be Doug Devani and my guest Geraldine, judge AKA Geraldine Maloney judge, the plastic pedestal was provided by Pauline Nevins and music by Jack Devani. Find out more about us at www dot practice, podcasts.com. Follow us on Twitter. Facebook or Instagram will email
[email protected]. The plastic podcasts are production of the plastic project.
