Alive and Kicking with Clare McKenna

This week Clare speaks with Aidan O'Brien on what it means to come back to you, Conor Lennon on how blindness doesn't hold him back and we hear about the magic of Bumbleance; the children's medical transport service.

Shane Pearson has been working in health and wellness for over 20 years – starting out being coached, he has gone on to coach at individual and now helps coaches themselves to reach their full potential & A brain tumour diagnosis in the middle of the pandemic with a real possibility of having speech complications as a result of brain surgery led to taking chances, realising dreams and not taking n...

Clare speaks to Derval O'Rourke on how to bring health to the forefront of busy family life, Vaughan Yates on why less people are drinking alcohol and discusses the new trend in mood boosting mocktails and is the fuss around menopause necessary with Oonagh O'Hagan of Meaghers Pharmacy and Catherine O'Keefe The Wellness Warrior

Clare is joined by Dr Kate McCann to speak about her mission to make lifestyle medicine more accessible in our healthcare system moving us from sick care to true health care. Emilie Pine talks about the healing power of writing and her latest project centred around The National Maternity Hospital. And Kylie O'Donaghue tells Clare about her journey building women's nutritional supplements brand Fem...

Lisa Brennan was born with mild spina bifida and hip issues, in foster care, she left care age 18 as many do due to support to their foster family being cut but as she spent much of her life in a wheelchair she found getting a place to live and a job nigh on impossible. Lisa has faced so much adversity but has such an incredible story and she joins Clare to tell it. And Brother Richard is a Franci...

Kamal Ibrahim is an Irish television presenter, film and theatre producer, public speaker and he was also the winner of Mister World having won the competition held in South Korea on 27 March 2010. He's also an ambassador for Breast Cancer Ireland's Great Pink Run and he joined Clare to speak about the run and his family's experience of cancer. Pauline Rowdich started out as a Garda but her gut to...

Kyrie Farm is a proposed mental health recovery centre which will build a community on site allowing people to heal and integrate into a society away from a clinical setting. It's a concept which has worked well in the US and there is a similar farm in Cork. Clare spoke with John McKeon – founder, director and board member, Dr Eoin Galavan – Clinical Psychologist for HSE North Dublin & Director on...

The fabulous pharmacist Laura Dowling was working at a chemist counter for years and sharing her no-nonsense approach to health and wellness on her Instagram page. As her followers started to mount, she began to consider making a change. She joins Clare to talk about making the leap from the pharmacy to set up her own business. Brian Pennie, author, speaker, Ph. D. candidate, university lecturer,...

Dr. Heather McKee is a behaviour change specialist and international keynote speaker. She has had several of her papers published looking at why we do, or don't, do what we do. She talks to Clare about why developing skill power over willpower will always go further. Dietician Orla Walsh joins Clare to talk about her experience of migraines and how sometimes we can mis-read the triggers. And psych...

Purple House Cancer Support Centre is Ireland’s 1st Community based Cancer Support Centre, founded in 1990 by Veronica O'Leary after her own cancer experience made her realise that while she received excellent medical care, there wasn't much available by way of support for patients and their families to come to terms with the diagnosis and recovery. Clare went to Bray in Co. Wicklow to find out mo...

Darren Kennedy is a TV presenter, columnist with the Sunday Independent and perhaps best known for his style and impeccable grooming. He spoke to Clare about what health and wellness means to him and a subject close to his heart, the Irish Cancer Society night nurses. Sinead Crowe runs Intuitive Eating Ireland with her sister Gillian and through their events and social media they spread the word o...

As we start to get ready for back to school Clare meets a parent who's calling for a complete overhaul of how we treat neurodiversity as the current model isn't serving the teachers or the children. Michelle says her 9 year old said he didn't want to live as school caused so much anxiety and stress, she and educational psychologist Pauline Cogan will talk about how overwhelmed teachers and support...

Clare speaks to Aisling Drummond who has lodged a formal complaint as she says the BRCA community have been let down by hospital wait times, leaving them susceptible to developing cancer And Clare travels Off Grid in Wicklow to hear about the health benefits of sauna therapy.

Jenny Keane is a holistic sex educator who through her workshops online and in person is breaking down the barriers to having open and honest conversation about health and wellness in this very natural bodily function. She speaks to Clare about what true sexual wellness is, the definition of our sexuality and the many elements which hold us back. Denise Kenny Byrne is cofounder of The Headplan, a...

Ian Ward was looking to make a few quid by taking part in a medical trail, a subsequent health check and MRI led to the discovery of a brain tumour and a life expectancy of around 5 years– this isn't an interview you're going to want to miss because you'll have an idea of what he'll have to say but the reality is a larger than life character on a mission to smash as many fundraising world records...

Dr Hazel Wallace has been making a name for herself in the health and wellness industry as an NHS doctor, a registered nutritionist and online as The Food Medic. She joins Clare to talk about her third book The Female Factor and how she is using her voice to change up a male centric health model Clinical Psychologist Dr Eddie Murphy speaks to Clare about becoming your true self

Melissa Hemsley is a Cookery Writer, Chef and Sustainability Champion. She has written 5 cookbooks. She joins Clare to talk about her latest Feel Good and why her passion is promoting food that is nourishes our bodies, grows with the seasons where nothing is wasted and it of course tastes good. Yvonne O'Meara is a psychotherapist who works with people through all stages of cancer diagnosis and is...

Carly Keegan went on her first diet at the age of 12 and spent her life in a cycle of losing and gaining weight which ended with a poor relationship with food and her body, but she has now begun the process of healing. She tells her story. Clare takes a trip to Powerscourt Springs Health Farm to meet its owner and hear about its concept - that wellness is different for everyone. And Dr. Mark Rowe...

Prader Wili Syndrome – the condition where you never feel full and constantly seek food. We hear from a parent who wants the stigma to lift for her 9 year old son Henry. CEO of Breast Cancer Ireland Aisling Hurley discusses the latest advancements in treatments And performance nutritionist Sinead Bradbury gives her take on a holistic view of health and how you might not view yourself as an athlete...

World Microbiome Day takes place tomorrow June 27th. The theme this year is celebrating the important role microbes play in the health of humans, animals, plants, oceans and the entire planet. Pharmacist Oonagh O'Hagan joins Clare to tell us about it and how you can mind you microbiome Clare speaks to Clinical psychologist Dr Eddie Murphy about social anxiety And we hear from an author who wishes...

Despite being Ireland’s most common genetic condition, Haemochromatosis or ‘iron overload’, as it is also known, is not as widely known as some other genetic conditions. The Irish Haemochromatosis Association estimates there are at least 20,000 undiagnosed cases of Haemochromatosis in Ireland. Brian Keegan and nutritionist Sarah Keogh join Clare in Studio And Clare speaks with Roxie Nafousi; the w...

It's Motor Neuron Disease National Awareness Month and Clare is joined by Mark Dignam who suffers from MND. Caroline De Costa speaks about her book The Women's Doc And Suzanne Kenny tells Clare all about anti gravity yoga while Emma West explains sound bath meditation.

There isn’t a family in Ireland that has not been touched by cancer. In fact, approximately 25,000 people are diagnosed with invasive cancer here each year. In the past 20 years, almost 31,000 (30,770) people have taken part in nearly 800 (786) cancer clinical trials. Clare is joined by Professor Seamus O’Reilly, (consultant medical oncologist and Vice Clinical Lead Cancer Trials Ireland) to hear...

Aisling Nestor was working as a mental health nurse and had a huge bank of knowledge on how to look after your mind and manage stress but when she found herself burnt out unable to leave her bed she knew something had to change and it did including the focus of her work which she has shifted to focus on helping others manage stress and burnout. She works in particular with healthcare professionals...

Clare is joined by International Rugby player and A&E doctor Claire McLaughlin to discuss managing injury and avoiding burnout. We visit Hayfield Manor to find out about the new spa treatments being designed with cancer patients in mind. And Dr. Sarah Murphy on what we all need to know about women's health.