Made In Chaos with Ryan Curtis

He's 23 and Has Spent Years on Dublin's Streets Helping the Homeless — Not Because It's His Job, But Because He Chose To. Everyone has walked past someone sleeping rough. Most of us glance, wonder, and keep walking. Brandon O'Connor spends his nights sitting beside those people — hearing their stories and watching addiction, trauma, kindness and hope all exist on the same street. B...

He Won Olympic Silver in Beijing. Two Years Later He Hit Rock Bottom. Kenny Egan on Winning, Addiction & Finding Himself Again. Kenny Egan has one of the greatest stories in Irish sport, a ten-time senior champion, the only man ever to win ten consecutive senior titles, and an Olympic silver medallist in Beijing 2008. But once the gloves came off and the homecoming faded, Kenny faced a very differ...

Real Strength Isn't Pushing Through Everything. It's Learning to Bend Without Breaking. A Clinical Psychologist Explains. Most people think mental strength means never slowing down, never breaking, never letting anyone see them struggle. Professor Ross G. White, clinical psychologist, author and performance specialist who works with the Irish Rugby Football Union, argues that this exact be...

He Built the Road for Irish Muay Thai Himself. Two Years Homeless. A Best Friend Lost. World Champion. Craig "Coco" Coakley is one of Ireland's most accomplished Muay Thai fighters a Dublin Combat Academy fighter who became Irish Fighter of the Year, won multiple titles including a world title, and fought for Yokkao, Muay Thai Grand Prix and ONE Championship. But what makes Craig&#39...

It's Not About the Food. A Life Coach Who Spent 22 Years in an Eating Disorder Explains What It's Really About. On the night her mum died, Cara O'Loughlin was 15 years old. That same night, she picked up her first eating disorder behaviour. What followed was 22 years of anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, exercise addiction, a stroke at 29, osteoporosis, infertility warnings, and eventual...

A Brain Haemorrhage. Then Breast Cancer. Same Man. Two Years Apart. Dec Pierce Gets Completely Honest. Most people know Dec Pierce as the voice of Block Rockin' Beats — the man who brought thousands together through music, through lockdown, through the nights they'll never forget. But behind the energy and the stage presence, the last three years of Dec's life have been extraordinary i...

He Was Addicted to Heroin for 15 Years. Now He Has a PhD in Neuroscience. The Same Brain Did Both. Brian Pennie started using heroin at 16. By 20 he was chronically addicted, every single day for 15 years. He held down a job, sold drugs to fund his habit, and accumulated 50 grand in debt to dealers and money lenders. He had a violent seizure from benzo withdrawal, nearly died, and hit a moment of...

She Knew Before the Doctors Did. Carly Mahady on Cancer, Being Dismissed & Why Pity Never Saved Anyone. At 16, Carly Mahady found a lump and was told she was fine. At 22, she noticed something else, and this time the doctors listened. What followed was a diagnosis of secretory carcinoma, a cancer so rare only 0.02% of people in the world have it, a mastectomy scheduled for her 25th birthday, c...

Less Than 1% Chance of Walking Again. Three Doctors. Three Hammer Blows. One Decision to Never Give Up. Niall McMahon opened Alfie's on South William Street in Dublin in 2008, the same year the recession began. He survived debt, pandemics, rising costs and 18 years of one of the toughest industries in the world. Then, in November 2023, a blood vessel in his spine burst without warning. Within days...

You Don't Have a Sleep Problem — You Have a Boundary Problem. Ireland's Leading Sleep Expert Explains Everything. 80% of Irish workers are sleep-deprived on any given day. And the solution isn't a supplement, a sleep tracker, or blue light glasses. Tom Coleman — Ireland's leading sleep expert, who has worked with Olympic athletes, global corporations, and shift workers — joins Ryan...

From a Bedroom in Dublin to the World's Biggest Stages — Robbie G on Success, Grief & What It Really Costs. Robbie G is one half of Belters Only, Ireland's most successful DJ duo, diamond-certified at home, platinum across the world, and now playing stages from New York to Tokyo. But this episode isn't just about the highs. Ryan sits down with Robbie for one of the most honest conv...

Why Do You Keep Doing Things You Know Are Bad for You? A Behavioural Scientist Explains. Most people think they're in control of their decisions. They're not, and the science proves it. Ryan sits down with Jason Lear, behavioural analyst and organiser of TEDxBlackMountain, for one of the most thought-provoking episodes of Made in Chaos yet. Jason breaks down the hidden patterns driving hum...

How Do You Build 1 Million Followers, a Boxing Career & a Music Brand From Scratch? Ben Williams Tells All. Ben Williams has done what most people only talk about, built a massive social media following, signed to Warner Music, fought on Misfits Boxing, and launched multiple businesses, all before most people have figured out what they want to do with their lives. In this episode, Ryan sits do...

Paul Harkin built one of the biggest online prize competition platforms in the UK and Ireland from a bedroom in Liverpool, with no business plan, no investors, and a Shark hoover as his first major prize. Six years later, he's made 11 millionaires, given away over £200 million in prizes, and signed deals with the UFC, Matchroom Boxing, and PFL. In this episode, Paul opens up about the sacrific...

The Scientist Exposing What Really Works, Peptides, Ozempic, Supplements & Root Cause Health Most people are chasing shortcuts that are quietly destroying their health. In this episode, Ryan sits down with Dr. Dean St Mart, pharmacologist, functional medicine expert, and one of Ireland's most trusted voices in performance health, to cut through the noise on supplements, peptides, and the real scie...

In this episode of Made In Chaos, Ryan Curtis sits down with ultra endurance athlete Darragh Morgan, the first man to ever swim around the coastline of Ireland. Darragh opens up about the mental battles behind extreme endurance, the obsession with chasing impossible goals, and why some people feel the need to push themselves far beyond normal limits. From running across Ireland to spending hours a...

Ryan Curtis is joined by Jen Healy for a deep conversation about trauma, addiction, healing, and the mindset patterns that keep people stuck. Jen shares her experience working in recovery, mental health and personal development, explaining why many people stay trapped in victim mentality, repeat the same cycles, and struggle to truly change their lives. They talk about the reality of healing, the...

Kevin Shanahan, known as Miracle Man Kev , has died twice. Once for 42 minutes. Once for 93 minutes. Doctors didn’t expect him to survive, but somehow he did. In this episode, Kevin joins Ryan Curtis to talk about cardiac arrest, brain injury, recovery, chronic pain, mindset, and the reality of rebuilding your life after everything is taken from you. They discuss the mental side of recovery, losin...

In this episode of Made In Chaos, Ryan sits down with Paralympic table tennis player Colin Judge for one of the most honest conversations yet. Colin opens up about growing up with a disability, hiding behind prosthetics, struggling with confidence, and feeling like he didn’t belong. He shares what it was like missing out on the Paralympics by one place, moving abroad to go all in on sport, and the...

Cheryl Lyons went from doing makeup clients in her mam’s sitting room to running multiple businesses, without a roadmap, a safety net, or a job for life. In this episode of Made in Chaos , Cheryl shares what it really takes to go all-in on yourself, the fear that comes with growth, and why chasing passion over security changed her life forever. We dive into: Leaving “safe” jobs behind Taking finan...

In this episode of Made In Chaos , Ryan Curtis speaks with Gavin Meenan about the life-altering event that shaped who he is today. Gavin opens up about surviving a tragic accident, living with guilt, navigating therapy, and the ongoing process of self-forgiveness. This conversation explores trauma, men’s mental health, accountability, and what it really means to heal when the past doesn’t disappea...

UFC fighter Shauna Bannon joins the Made In Chaos podcast for a deeply honest conversation about the unseen side of elite sport. From quitting a high-paying finance career to chasing the UFC dream, Shauna breaks down the sacrifices, mental battles, injuries, and emotional lows that came with it, including the aftermath of her debut loss and how close she came to walking away. A powerful episode on...

In this episode of Made in Chaos , Ryan sits down with Chris O’Reilly , founder of The Liberty Soup Run . Chris shares his journey from addiction to recovery and how helping homeless people across Dublin became his life’s mission. They discuss homelessness in Ireland, addiction, stigma, burnout, mental health, recovery, and the power of human connection. Chris speaks honestly about the failures of...

In this episode of Made in Chaos , Ryan Curtis sits down with professional boxer Gary Cully to talk discipline, self-belief, sacrifice, and embracing uncertainty. Gary reflects on growing up feeling overlooked, choosing training over distractions, and learning to be comfortable alone. He explains how losses shaped his mindset, why visualisation and faith matter, and how chaos is an unavoidable par...

In this episode of Made in Chaos , Ryan Curtis sits down with bestselling author and academic Katriona O’Sullivan for a powerful conversation about poverty, education, inequality, and survival. Katriona challenges the idea that success is simply about hard work, explaining why “choice is a myth” for people growing up in poverty. Drawing on lived experience, neuroscience, and education research, sh...