An Irishman Abroad

Tom Dunne stops by for a chat about Bob Dylan turning 80 and his own brush with death. He opens up to Jarlath for the first time about the rare heart condition that put him into coma for several days. An appreciation for life runs through his music recommendations for this week including the new Nick Cave book, albums by Paul Weller and St. Vincent and a documentary about the legendary band The Sp...

Why do we have it in our heads that there is a right way and a wrong way to run? Why are we obsessed with speed rather than enjoyment? Has Strava and the smart watches conditioned us all to want the wrong things from lacing up our shoes and enjoying this simple thing? Sonia breaks down a few of the most common mistakes she sees in amateurs and pros, while looking back and critically assessing her...

After 17 years at the BBC Annie MacManus walks away to start a new chapter. For two decades she has devoted her life to music and shining a light on the creativity of others. Her on air and on stage shows have become the stuff of legend, helped a generation form their musical tastes and thousands of artists find their audience.  With the release of her stunning debut novel Mother Mother, Annie tak...

As the entire world changes over the coming months there can be a sense of anxiety around losing the gains you have made or the fitness plan you have locked into place. Sonia has seen her world flipped upside down in recent weeks and Jarlath’s injury is throwing all sorts of new challenges at him. Together they chat through a few basic concepts that will hold you firm to your path, some supplement...

This week, we bring you the star and mastermind behind the hit show Irish Pickers, Ian Dowling. In the true style for which Ian is known, with all his cards laid out on the table, Ian generously tells us his incredible journey of success, tragedy, rebuilding and being the creator of his own path. Ian explains how he left a fantastic life in Australia to return home to help his family through a tra...

You can’t feel good all the time. It’s that simple. Even if you’re breaking your personal best on a weekly basis, you might not feel great about it. Runners low can be as common as runners high. This week our resident health, wellness and running guru Sonia “The Legend” O’Sullivan gives us her best advice on managing the inevitable dip in your outlook. Jarlath is really struggling this week after...

A lot of the time when we struggle with a sport early in our lives we are inclined to drop it and move on. Eimear Considine didn’t quit when general consensus was her sister was the more athletic. Jarlath sits down with the Irish rugby and camogie star to talk about why that struggle has paved the way for her to jump into this new life and thrive at the international level. In 2018 Eimear made the...

After relocating to America, Sonia explains to Jarlath how the ghost town of Nike’s HQ campus employs a steamroller to manicure its grass, the weird coincidence that produced a chance meeting with a competitor from her past and how she managed to charm her way into getting a vaccination within 48 hours of hitting American soil. The focus then turns to the most overlooked perils of running and how...

On what will go down as a momentous week in Black History with the conviction of Derek Chauvin, Ireland-based screenwriter Carl Austin joined Jarlath for a harrowing conversation about growing up in South Central Los Angeles. They discuss the influence the depiction of black communities in film has had on racism globally and much more. In this crossover episode from our forthcoming 3rd series of M...

With so much conflicting information out there and so many vested interests, it’s hard to know what to believe about running. Today Sonia takes aim and busts a few of the myths that hold us back when it comes to running well. Jarlath has picked up an injury and opens up for the first time about the impact it is having on his training and life. Sonia offers some no nonsense advice and announces her...

Horse racing legend Jessica Harrington sits down with Jarlath seven days on from Rachel Blackmore’s Grand National win to talk about her own remarkable journey. One of the very first female Irish racehorse trainers, Jessica has seen every side of the industry from the bitter disappointments to the glorious triumphs at the biggest events. How does she remain positive when the losses far outweigh th...

Following a bizarre incident involving a stray dog, Sonia finds herself on the examination table looking down the barrel of a health situation she has never faced before. The journey back to running after a layoff is something the Irish legend reflects upon with Jarlath. Together they examine the essential components of a thoughtful comeback. Sonia opens up about her like of self-kindness during h...

This week, Newstalk's Off The Ball and Virgin Media's 6 Nations presenter Joe Molloy joined Jarlath for a rare long-form conversation about his life and career. With a refreshing honesty, Joe outlines his mixed feelings over the 'tricky' infamous Roy Keane interview which "wasn't a good night" for him, the overwhelm he felt in Newstalk after the sudden departure of the Second Captains team and his...

Ireland’s greatest athlete gives us a masterclass in how to respond to setbacks, failures and unforeseen problems. After a week where Sonia asked all our listeners to see how high they could climb, a month when Ireland has struggled to see light in the darkness and a year when everyone has been forced to dig deep, there really has never been a better time to talk about resilience. Jarlath goes dee...

This week, award-winning writer Kevin Barry joined Jarlath for a fascinating conversation about writing and the mystery of the creative process. Kevin speaks about the deal fiction writers make with their subconscious mind, the importance of embracing failure, trusting the gut and reveals the book he regards as his "awkward child". This chat is full of the classic Irish observations you’d expect f...

Niggly pains and aches are among the hardest aspects of running at any level. The intuition and detective work needed to decipher whether a nagging pain is just a passing change taking place in your body, a part of the normal discomfort of pushing yourself or something that if left unchecked will develop into something way more serious - can be immense. Whether you suffer with tender shins, heals,...

Our special Organ Donation Awareness Week episode brings together three very different stories from three very different individuals who have had their lives changed by this modern medical miracle. RTE courts reporter and Irish Kidney Association ambassador Vivienne Traynor donated a kidney to her nephew in 2009 but that’s only the beginning of her story. Lucy Davis received a kidney from her moth...

You’ve probably heard of Kobe’s “Mamba Mentality” of work ethic and perfectionism. This week Irish athletics legend who is also know by just one name, takes us inside the “Sonia Mentality” for running. Whether you’re struggling to get out the door or break 20 minutes for 5K, Sonia O’Sullivan’s tips on the right headspace or mental approach to running and life will help you. With an honesty you rar...

Patrick Kielty sits down with Jarlath to talk about the long and winding road from rural Northern Ireland to London and L.A. and back again. Recorded the day after Piers Morgan stepped down from his television duties, Jarlath starts by asking Paddy about the first time he realised he was tabloid fodder and the poet of modern media. With standup firmly on his mind, Jarlath digs into how laughter so...

Sonia and Jarlath discuss a subject that is long overdue on this podcast and in society in general. Jarlath asks Sonia about fear that comes with running for women and what men can do to help make the running experience less threatening. The Irish Olympic legend opens up about her own fears and the intimidation that even world class athletes feel on their runs. Together they try to find at least o...

Colin O’Donoghue had his light bulb moment in Drogheda when he got roped into performing youth theatre. Today he confides in Jarlath that the craving for more work, more projects, more challenges has never changed since. The star of such global hits as Once Upon A Time, The Rite and The Right Stuff, Colin speaks for the first time about how close he came to quitting the business completely. Jarlat...

Jarlath puts your questions on nutrition to the Irish athletics legend Sonia O’Sullivan. From the basics of what our daily plate should look like to the more insider knowledge of gels this episode covers everything. With our Mothers Day and St Patrick’s Day events on the horizon Sonia gives us a few pre and post race tips and her recipe of the week. Finally we hear Aisling Demaison of the Running...

This week, Laura Whitmore joined Jarlath to discuss her new book No One Can Change Your Life Except For You. More than a memoir, it’s a book filled with exceptional advice on how to live your best life and take charge of your own story. Laura speaks about the pitfalls of modern life, the phenomenon of expectations and her delicate treatment of writing about past relationships. From her jaw-droppin...

It’s remarkable that it has taken us 6 months to get to the issue of balance in running given it is perhaps the most essential component of biomechanics and the training itself. Sonia leads Jarlath through the basic theory of teaching your feet to react to changes in your body position. There’s a look at some of the more unusual training exercises to improve the reaction of our proprioceptors and...

Mark Horgan joins Jarlath for an in depth discussion about the production and impact of his global hit podcast series, “Where Is George Gibney?”. We hear of Mark’s first awareness of the case and how eve the was confused as to whether Gibney was imprisoned for the initial sexual abuse charges against him. Jarlath digs into the exact judicial loophole that allowed Gibney to leave the country and ev...