Best Of Belfast: Northern Ireland's #1 Interview Podcast

Peter Rollins is a freelance philosopher and psychoanalytic theorist who helps people find freedom from the tyranny of happiness. In today’s conversation we talk about: Why people post on Instagram How desire works Irish mammies Amusing Ourselves To Death The weird, cult-like nature of LA Liver King The Psychology of JD and Elliott in Scrubs Why he’s moving back to Belfast And how to escape the pl...

Seán Napier is a football coach and entrepreneur who works as the MLS Next Academy Director for the Boston Bolts . He’s also the co-founder of Evolve Academy ; an online learning start-up that helps young athletes develop resilience, confidence and the self-reflective skills they need to thrive on and off the pitch. In today’s episode we talk about: Growing up playing football in Belfast Moving to...

Bill Allen (William Frank Allen) is an ex-prison officer who worked in the Crumlin Road Jail and Maze Prison at the height of the troubles. In today’s episode, we talk about: Growing up in London after WW2 Mars Bars coming off the ration How he got into prison work Physical courage War hero and friend Ken Lewis The Shankill Butchers Why rough men keep the world safe How a dog foiled a prison escap...

Episode 300 is approaching... and we have some weird news to share. 

Sai Kelly is a husband, father and filmmaker. In today’s episode we talk about: What it means to be a man How having a daughter forces you to level-up Why you should always talk to the scariest person in the room And the new wild wisdom mini-series dropping on Best Of Belfast in 2023. This is episode is also the first one in our brand new video podcast studio set-up by Sai himself, so be sure to c...

Hannah and Shane are the artistic duo behind Spontaneous Deuce : a big breaded baking sensation that has been taking the NI Artisan markets by storm. After studying art in London and travelling around the world on a food pilgrimage, the couple have just opened a bakery in Hillsborough called Round House Bakery . In today’s episode we talk about: - Growing up on a Christmas tree farm - Wanting to l...

Conan Bradley is the co-founder of Bioliberty : a start-up whose mission is to empower every human to live a longer independent life through assistive and rehabilitative robotics. In this episode, we chat about: Part-time pizza jobs Cookstown Bingo Halls Itchy feet The difference between soft and hard robotics How assistive robotics can help stroke victims Why UK start-ups end up selling in the US...

PD Savage is a CrossFit Games Athlete and the fittest man in Ireland. In today’s conversation we chat about: Growing up doing manual labour on a farm How playing GA set him up as a competitor Why he got into CrossFit Highs and lows of competing on such a high-level Balancing income generating work with sport The role loss has played in his journey One thing he wished he started doing earlier in hi...

Maddie Hamill started out her career as a research scientist in the Department of Agriculture in Northern Ireland. Her plan was to work for a few years before getting married, having kids and living in a wee house near her mum on the Cave Hill Road. What ended up happening was a rollercoaster journey that included moving to Wales to work for a Tobacco company, becoming the Vice President of Global...

Jane Shaw lives at and manages Elmfield Estate : a family-run wellness centre, retreat facility, educational institute and home of a monthly artisan market . After living and working in London for almost 20-years, Jane moved back to Northern Ireland to help transform her childhood home — and breathtaking grounds — into a destination where individuals and businesses can come to explore the path to...

Bio: Louis Pearsons is an entrepreneur, athlete and competitor. In this episode we talk about: Competing at a high level from a young age Pursuing goals vs being content Qualifying for the Crossfit Games Leaning into our flaws Polaroids And dealing with addiction // https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/louis-pearson //

Bio: In this episode we caught up with Granda John, Johnny-son and Grandson Curtis from Sloan’s Gym to chat about running an intergenerational family business and: The boxing legacy of their building How they build community among members The connection between Mental health and exercise Why we don’t talk to strangers anymore The power of breaking bread together (in their on-site cafe) And their p...

Ged Armstrong &  Matthew Morgan have a combined 300 million video views on TikTok and Instagram. In this episode we talk about: - Why we don't rap in our accents - Our first YouTube videos (Runescape, COD, FIFA) - Balancing creativity with making money - Dealing with haters - The trauma involved with going viral - Short-term vs legacy - And managing mental health as creators. Check it out. // P.S....

Ilse van Staden is a rugby player, butcher, chef, language teacher and biltong maker from South Africa. Since moving to Northern Ireland in 2011 she has played for Ulster Rugby, and represented Ireland in the Six Nations as prop. Along with her partner Alannah, Ilse also set up Ke Nako : an award-winning artisan food business that specialises in South African cuisine. Fast-forward a few years late...

Jonathan Black is an experienced company director who has co-founded several companies, ranging from gaming to commercial real estate. For over a decade, he has been actively involved in the Games Industry, originally specialising in 3D Modelling and Level Design while using Minecraft as a platform for distribution. In 2015, along with his business partner, Alex Bellavita, he co-founded Blockcepti...

Rich Wade is a photographer from Belfast based in New York. He has shot for the likes of WWE, Rolling Stone, Vogue, NPR, Van Morrison and The Washington post— and his work has been exhibited in the United States, Europe, Russia, Asia and Australia. In this episode we chat about: Getting into wrestling at a young age Moving to NYC Shooting for WWE What it means to be a “working photographer” “Shiny...

Joe Barr is a 63-year old ultra-endurance cyclist who has been racing bikes his whole life. He is a 1986 Commonwealth Games medalist and has amassed hundreds of medals and trophies in different cycling disciplines throughout his 45+ year career. In 2004 Joe retired from professional cycling but after his young son, Ross beat cancer in 2008 he returned to the bike to fund-raise for a respite centre...

Isabel Woods is a 93-year-old who set long distance cycling records back in the 1950s. In this episode we talk about: Street-games she played as a young girl on the streets of Belfast Saving up to buy her first bicycle while working in a factory Cycling through rain, wind and snow to make her club proud Giving a donkey a bath in her cottage Set dancing over Zoom during the pandemic And the greates...

Matt Gillespie is a die hard BMX fanatic who has dedicated his adult life to the pursuit of seeing Skateparks built across Northern Ireland. He’s built three indoor Skateparks , runs a dare devil stunt team and fronts an organisation who seek to teach every child in the land how to safely ride a bmx, stunt scooter or skateboard. In the last 5 years Matt has added father and husband to the CV and n...

Ryan Scollan is a sports scientist, esports performance coach and entrepreneur who’s deeply passionate about using technology to address the health and well-being challenges of professional gamers. In pursuit of this passion, he founded Gscience, an esports and performance coaching company, which he led from inception to its recent acquisition by Adamas. In this episode we talk about: What the met...

Robert Jamison is an architect, known his boundary-pushing work through his own practice and involvement in the BBC/Netflix show Your Home Made Perfect . In his early days, Robert studied architecture at Queen’s and became a lecturer there before moving to London to work on a wide-range of projects. After the 2008 crash, he booked a one-way plane ticket to India, a trip that continues to impact an...

Conor Gallagher is the North Belfast-born founder of AllotMe : an online platform that connects empty outdoor space with would-be vegetable growers, often described as the Airbnb for gardens. He gave up his career as an architect to work on AllotMe, in response to increasing demand for allotment spaces across the UK and Ireland during multiple lockdowns in the summer of 2020 In today’s episode, we...

Richard Kirk is the co-founder of Workplus : an online platform that makes it easier for people to find apprenticeships that’s based out of Ormeau Baths . In today’s episode we talk about: A day in the life of a tech-founder Why apprenticeships are unrated for both employer and employee How to serve people through systems And the importance of not losing your soul while pursuing the entrepreneuria...

Brendan Digney is the founder of Machine Eye : a tech start-up from Belfast that uses AI and Computer Vision to make heavy machinery autonomous and safer. (AKA: “he turns big diggers and cranes into Teslas”) Having grown up surrounded by farms, fields, and machinery, Brendan has an intimate knowledge of the industry which he is now using to save lives (and costs) on construction/agricultural sites...

Tōnē Flōrēal is an International Man of Mystery, a real-life cross between Austin Powers and Forrest Gump. He has traveled the world learning from the all-stars of healing and human performance. His company, FlowReal, shares this collective knowledge and wisdom through his Magic Flow Bus Events and Podcast . In today’s episode, we ended up scrapping our plan to talk about Tōnē’s business ventures...