The Celebration Sessions

Think Halloween began in America? Think again! Long before pumpkins and party shops, Samhain was Ireland’s new year; a liminal night of fire, ancestry, and the thin veil. In this unmissable episode, Dublin tour guide and storyteller Helena Murphy brings the Irish roots of Halloween vividly to life; from the Wheel of the Year and sacred fires on the Hill of Ward to divination, extra places set at t...

A Dublin man once stole the show at the opening of one of the world’s most iconic landmarks, by cutting the ribbon himself!! That’s just one of the extraordinary tales I explore with historian and author Warren Farrell. In our conversation, Warren also shares the story of the woman who “died twice”, a forgotten Wimbledon champion, and a soldier who carried a musket ball from Waterloo in his chest...

In this solo reflection, I share thoughts on what a celebrant-led funeral really looks like. For many, the only funerals they’ve known have been in a church setting, so the idea of a personalised, civil, or independent ceremony can feel unfamiliar. But in truth, these ceremonies are built around stories, memories, and meaning. They’re about creating space for love, comfort, and connection, in a wa...

In this episode of The Celebration Sessions, I sit down with Ambassador Dr. Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid at the Embassy of Palestine in Dublin for a powerful and really lovely conversation. With so much darkness in the world right now, it can be easy to lose sight of hope. But this episode is a reminder of the strength that lives in culture; in memory, in food, in music, in story. Together, we expl...

As we approach the year's end, it can be a time for reflection and anticipation. As a funeral celebrant, I've had the privilege of honouring lives that have left behind beautiful legacies for their families and the concept of 'legacy' has lingered with me, urging me to explore it further.   In this episode, I’m joined by end-of-life planner and founder of Living Legacy, Jennifer McConnell to...

Seosamh Ó'Broin was a historian, Irish language advocate, and member of the community in Inchicore. His impact on Inchicore is far reaching, from campaigning to save and redevelop Kilmainham Gaol, to building a local cultural centre in the heart of the village, to recording the fascinating history of the area in his wonderful book, " Inchicore, Kilmainham and District" . Seosamh sadly passed away...

This episode is slightly different as it is Conor on his own, sharing his thoughts about the recent headlines from the Vatican regarding the blessing of same sex unions. The language the Vatican uses when talking about LGBTQI+ people can often be so upsetting and hurtful, and this episode discusses a way forward for people of faith who are made feel 'less than' by the Church. Hopefully the main ta...

There are wedding bells in the air for this episode as the countdown is on to The Wedding and Honeymoon Show at the RDS. I'm joined by writer broadcaster and presenter Andrea Hayes, and award winning wedding expert Sara Kennedy as they share some of the highlights we can expect at Ireland's largest wedding show, this September at the RDS. Make sure to keep up to date with the latest on the show on...

The Irish have have left their imprint on the history of Argentina and for this episode we turn our attention to Mayo born William 'Guillermo' Brown; Father Fahy; Alfie Lamb; and Camila O'Gorman. I'm joined by tour guide Victoria Catta who shares stories of military heroes, religious leaders, and a tragic love story of legendary proportions. A huge thank you to Victoria for sharing her time and jo...

I am on board Hurtigruten's MS Roald Amundsen after a wonderful expedition cruise across Antarctica. The ship is named after the fist person to reach the South Pole. So, of course it was so fitting to sit down and chat with one of the fantastic expedition team on board, Luciano Matías. Luciano shares his journey from Chile to life as an Antarctic expedition guide; the pioneering explorers who insp...

I'm joined by Brian Doyle from Jennings Funeral Home to explore the role of the Funeral Director; how they arrive into your life; and how the funeral landscape is looking in Ireland at the moment. As we unpack this episode, hopefully we’ll demystify the person behind the role of the Funeral professional, and perhaps pay homage to the wonderful work they do every day with bereaved families.  A...

For this episode we turn our attention to Islam as we talk about celebrations in the holy Islamic calendar such as Eid al-Adha, Eid al-Fitr, and the holy month of Ramadan. I'm joined by Tasneem Filaih to talk about ritual, community, and the best knafeh in Dublin! Sincere thanks to Tasneem for joining me for this episode. I really enjoyed learning about Eid, Ramadan and my favourite subject, food!...

March 31 marks International Transgender Day of Visibility. It’s a day when we can celebrate our trans and non-binary friends and acknowledge the journeys and the struggles of our trans friends. In this episode, activist and founding member of Under the Rainbow Philippa Ryder joins me as we chat about where we're at in Ireland in the quest for trans visibility, equality, representation, inclusion;...

In this episode, I'm joined by Sudhansh Verma of the Vedic Hindu Cultural Centre of Ireland to explore the festival of Holi, also known as the festival of love, the Festival of Colours and indeed the festival of spring. A celebration which has different meanings, Holi is a wonderfully joyous occasion, marked with family, food, and fun. A heartfelt thank you to Sudhansh Verma for chatting with me....

Talking about death over cake and coffee may not sound like everyone's cup of tea, but Death Cafes have been growing in popularity and they provide a wonderful space to get people talking about a subject which is still a very taboo topic.  I'm joined by Chairperson of the Irish Ethical Celebrants Society Yvonne Cassidy who facilitates Death Cafes, and Celebrant Derbhile Graham to discuss this...

Words have the power to take you to a different place, and this time around we turn our attention to the literature of grief. I'm joined by Caroline McNamara of Serendipity Celebrants as we explore some poems, passages and readings which speak to grief and loss. We share some passages that might offer comfort or solace, or even advice. A big thank you to Caroline for joining me, and if you want to...

Japan is a country rich in ceremony and ritual so in this episode I'm joined by Kyoto based writer Karen Lee Tawarayama to find out more about some of the milestone occasions in Japanese culture and how they're celebrated. We're chatting about Okuizome, a celebration of a child's first meal; Shichi-Go-San which celebrates children at the ages of three, five, and seven; and Seijin no Hi which marks...

I'm joined by writer, broadcaster, and radio presenter Claire Murrihy to chat about Christmas traditions around the world. From Japan to South America, we discuss chicken from a bucket, drunken interruptions at midnight mass, and Venezuelan Egg-nog. We also share our Christmas traditions which make the holidays even more special. What really becomes clear however is the fact that so many tradition...

Its a gastronomic episode this time around as I'm joined by Lisa Goldberg from The Monday Morning Cooking Club to explore Hanukkah and how food is the cornerstone of Jewish celebration. Expect some mouth watering chats as we learn more about the miracle of Hanukkah, the best potatoes to use to make Latkes, and some delicious ingredients that can go into your doughnuts. A massive thank you to Lisa...

As the Irish Ethical Celebrants Society begins new ceremonies celebrating children of various ages, I'm joined by fellow Ethical Celebrants Clara Malone of Coastal Ceremonies, and Dermott Langan of lovecelebrant.ie to discuss Stepping Stones Ceremonies, and Coming of Age Ceremonies. These ceremonies focus primarily on children who may not be participating in First Communion or Confirmation ceremon...

This episode explores some interesting ways in which occasions are marked across India. I’m joined by Katie and Luke, travel vloggers known as The Ungraceful Guide as they share their experiences of enjoying and participating in various celebrations and occasions across India. We hear about Katie and Luke’s adventures through the Holi festival, also known as the Festival of colour in Hampi; the ‘p...

This gorgeous episode is a love letter from actor, TV presenter, and national treasure Simon Delaney to his wonderful wife Lisa. To celebrate their wedding anniversary, Simon shares how he first met Lisa, how she always encourages him to follow his professional path, and how they ALMOST didn't get engaged on a romantic trip to New York. Simon is quite 'the romantic', and his love story includes mu...

What happens your 'digital remains' when you die? The data and information we share through social media, google searches, emails and correspondence, will have profound ramifications for how we’ll be remembered, who will write our story, and what might 'big tech' companies be able to do with our information when we're gone. Psychologist and author Elaine Kasket joins me for this episode to share h...

I'm joined by writer, script editor, story consultant and improv expert John Dawson to talk about the magic that can happen in life when we say 'Yes... and...' Life can be such a strange rollercoaster that takes us into situations that we may never have imagined we'd be in, but there are some mind blowing life skills that can come from exploring the world of improv. If you've ever seen Whose...

This episode celebrates the importance of ritual, and the part that rituals play in how we celebrate occasions. There is plenty of wedding ceremony inspiration as I'm joined by fellow celebrants Clara Malone of Coastal Ceremonies, and Michael Grace to discuss some of our favourite wedding rituals. We discuss the Celtic roots of the 'handfasting', the many choices of a 'wine box ceremony', and what...