The Comfortable Spot

Today, my guest is writer and historian Clare Mulley. Clare is an award-winning author known for her compelling biographies of remarkable women whose stories have often been overlooked by history. I was eager to welcome Clare back to The Comfortable Spot to discuss her latest book, Agent Zo: The Untold Story of Elżbieta Zawacka, the Woman Who Fought the Nazis. With her deep expertise in World War...

Today, my guest is Jack Pegoraro, the creator and host of the popular YouTube channel Number 27, where he shares professionally crafted, down-to-earth videos exploring the quirks, stories, and soul of classic and obscure cars. Jack has built a loyal following by documenting his own journey through car ownership and restoration—most notably his now-legendary Ferrari 308 project. As a longtime class...

Today, my guest is writer Briana Lawrence. Briana is the Senior Features Editor at Crunchyroll—an industry-leading, award-winning online platform that brings fans the latest news and features from across the anime world. I was eager to explore the world of Japanese animation, or "anime," which has experienced a remarkable surge in global popularity over the past decade. With the enthusia...

Today, my guest is podcast and documentary host Don Wildman. He is the current host of American History Hit on the History Hit platform, and also serves as the host and narrator of Mysteries at the Museum, Beyond the Unknown, Dark Tales with Don Wildman, and Buried Worlds with Don Wildman on the Travel Channel. I’ve been a keen listener of American History Hit since its launch in 2022 and have alw...

Today, my guest is Karen Sugrue. Karen is a psychotherapist, sociology lecturer, activist, lobbyist, and campaign manager. She is an intersectional feminist who advocates for reproductive rights, trans rights, and greater representation of women in Irish politics. I got to know Karen through her role as campaign manager for Elisa O'Donovan in the 2024 Irish General Election. I’ve long believed...

Today, my guest is blogger and podcast producer Jason Stershic. Since 2011, Jason has been roaming the internet as Agent Palmer. He has appeared on many podcasts and is a producer of several shows. In 2019, Jason expanded the Palmer brand by launching The Palmer Files podcast. He is an editor of self-published books, and a digital consultant to many. In 2024, I had the opportunity to be a guest on...

Today, I’m joined by author and academic Brian Milne. Brian is a social anthropologist who specializes in the human rights of children. His work has taken him to around 40 countries, most of them developing nations; at least four have been in a state of conflict or war, bringing him to the front line in two. Brian’s theoretical work began with migration. He has worked on, written about, and publis...

Today, my guest is author and peace activist Sanam Naraghi Anderlini. As Founder and CEO of the International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN), Sanam has spent over two decades advancing peace, security, and women's rights worldwide. She leads the Women’s Alliance for Security Leadership, supporting women-led organizations in over 40 countries, and spearheaded ICAN’s Innovative Peace Fund, chan...

Hi everyone. Great news! A new series of The Comfortable Spot podcast is coming soon but in the meantime, have a listen to a recent episode of my latest podcast production called Two half Pints. I'm joined by my friend Brian Milne as we we untangle the heart of politics, society, and human behaviour with thoughtful one-on-one discussions, exploring forces that shape our world and the nuances o...

Today my guest is photographer Steven Xiao. Steven is based in San Francisco and picked up photography during the pandemic as a way of getting some fresh air. Steven was a finalist for fine art at the Creative Awards at the Siena International Photo Awards, in the professional category. His work has been published in Dodho Magazine, a professional photography magazine, and has been featured in the...

Today my guest is singer songwriter Phil BroiKos. Phil is currently working on a very unusual project called A Day in Music. Over the course of two decades Phil is planning to release twenty-four hours of music productions of one hour per year. Each hour of music is inspired by events that happened within a corresponding hour of the day. So far, Phil has released 4 albums in the series. As a music...

Today my guest is musician Stella Bass. I've known Stella for over ten years and have always admired her professional approach to producing music and her new album, Look for the Silver Lining is no exception. The album is a collection of timeless jazz standards. Stella collaborates with The Johnny Taylor Trio to bring you a heady mix of delightful swing, intimate ballads, intoxicating Latin gr...

Today my guest is author and political scientist Dr. Tobias Endler. With over 20 years in academia, Tobias has published numerous books and articles on US politics, transatlantic relations, as well as democracy, media, populism, and current progressive movements. I have known Tobias for many years now and we often catch up online and in person to discuss political and social issues. It's a bus...

Rock Vocal Mastery: Graham Bonnett on Shaping a Music Legend Today my guest is rock music vocalist Graham Bonnett. Since his early teens, Graham has become synonymous with his powerful voice which has been heard in many songs over the decades. Graham has recorded with some of the best rock acts in the world including Rainbow and Alcatrazz. Graham is super active and still tours with his own band n...

Today my guest is graphic designer Simon Roche. Simon is a Product Design Director who builds products and design systems in education and tech. Simon has worked in many fields in the last 20+ years as a designer, and produced work for international clients from Denmark to Australia, as well as for many Irish businesses through cultural work, branding and editorial design. I was keen to chat with...

Today my guest is journalist and writer Ken Foxe. With over 30 years' experience in media, Ken has been at the forefront of investigative reporting and was the leading author of a long-running series of articles in 2009 regarding politicians' expenses that led to major changes in the way they were reimbursed. Ken is also a co-director of Right to Know, an Irish transparency organisation th...

Everything is on schedule The Comfortable Spot podcast season six in early February. I’ve got some amazing guests and great conversations and as always, some of them you will know, some maybe not but I know you’ll find all of them intriguing. In the meantime, here is a bonus mini episode featuring more from my recent chat with graphic designer Malcolm Garrett. We review of three iconic album cover...

Today my guest is Mary Ward. Mary is my aunt and has lived in Dublin all of her life. As a family, we have often discussed the idea of documenting our history and as part of that, I thought it would be a great opportunity to sit down with Mary and chat about her memories of living in Dublin over the last 70 years. From her childhood playing all day on the streets of South Dublin to her memory of t...

Today my guest is author and rugby historian James Stafford. A self confessed rugby fanatic, James is the founder of cult rugby website The East Terrace, and has written on rugby for publications such as The Daily Telegraph, Irish Independent, Metro, ESPN Scrum.com, and Rugby World. In 2017 his collection of short comics,  The Sorrowful Putto of Prague , was published to critical acclaim in the Cz...

Today my guest is podcaster and historian Ian Sanders. Ian is the host and producer of the Cold War Conversations podcast. Since childhood, Ian has been fascinated with the Cold War which was an era in recent history that focused on the post war threat of conflict between the Warsaw Pact countries and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. Ian started the podcast in 2018 to record as many first-h...

Today my guest is graphic designer Malcom Garrett. For over forty years Malcom has been at the forefront of graphic design and has created iconic images for musicians and bands around the world. From the Rio album by Duran Duran to becoming a founder member of the 5D World Builders at 5D Institute at USC in California, Malcolm is noted for his collaborative approach to design and education and is...

Today my guest is Kaila Gabriel. Kaila is a first year Masters student at Queens University, Ontario, Canada, studying Immunology and Cancer Therapeutics. In her spare time, Kalia is a contributing writer for The Average Scientist project whose goal it is to make science accessible to all. I invited Kaila to join me a guest to chat about her passion for molecular biology and discuss the field of m...

Today my guest is musician and actor Flo McSweeney. Flo first came to prominence as a versatile vocalist on the Irish rock scene with stand out performances with acts such as Moving Hearts and Toy with Rhythm before embarking on a solo career alongside acting roles in theatres across Ireland. In 2018, Flo realised her debut solo album, Picture in a Frame to critical acclaim. A blend of coffee jazz...

Today my guest is author and historian Joseph Dragovich. Joe has recently published Hawkhurst: Murder, Corruption and Britian's Most Notorious Smuggling Gang. The story of the Hawkhurst Gang is an account of one of the first modern crime syndicates and provides the perfect opportunity to explore 1740s Britain, a time of profound political, economic and social transformation, through the storie...

Today my guest is Counselling Psychologist Niamh Delmar. Specialising in mental health and psychological distress, Niamh is involved with assessment, treatment and relapse prevention. She has over ten years' experience as a training consultant for major organisational settings and provides mental health talks and workshops. Niamh is also a freelance writer and has also been a guest on various...