Ready To Be Real by Síle Seoige

Topics covered : Sexual confidence, connection, shame, blame, self-pleasure, communication, fantasies, desire, dirty talk, sex toys, orgasm.   Holistic sex educator Jenny Keane is my guest this week. It's an episode I had been looking forward to recording for ages and it did not disappoint. She talks about sexual confidence, the importance of connection, self-pleasure, shame, blame and d...

Topics covered : Childhood, starting a business/brand, taking chances, creating, success, failure, conflict, motherhood, gardening. In this episode I speak to trailblazing entrepreneur Marissa Carter. Marissa lives in Dublin with her husband Ronan and their kids; Charlie who’s 10 and Isabelle who’s 7 and their much loved dog Cherry. Her brand  ‘Cocoa Brown’  was born 10 years ago th...

Topics covered : Confidence, courage, anxiety, affirmations, bullshitting, self-talk.    In this episode I speak to Professor Ian Robertson   about confidence. Ian is a   clinical psychologist and neuroscientist and he is widely recognised as one of the world’s leading researchers in neuropsychology and he’s also the author of several best-selling books, including ‘ H...

Topics covered : Confidence, being in flow, authenticity, integrity, music, style, love, grief. In this episode I speak to Cork powerhouse Lyra, who’s a singer-songwriter known for her distinctive voice, striking outfits and electrifying live shows. In this conversation we speak about confidence and staying true to yourself, the special bond she had with her Nan Kitty and the absolute joy she...

Topics covered : parental separation, abandonment, depression, violence, racism, homelessness, shame, teenage pregnancy, suicide, grief, independence, support, resilience, representation, forgiveness, compassion. In this episode I speak to the phenomenal Deborah Somorin. Deborah, or Debbie as she’s better known as, has experienced so much in her life; she was in and out of care homes fro...

Topics covered : Anxiety, the inner critic, anorexia, bulimia, grief, attempted suicide, cancer diagnosis, baking, starting a business, success, wellbeing.  Una Leonard is the owner and founder of  2210 Patisserie , a very successful bakery business and she has a gorgeous, upbeat personality that at one point, hid a deep unhappiness. In this conversation we get a beautiful...

Topics covered : Meditation, fears, regrets, acceptance, death, present moment awareness, compassion. Brother Richard Hendrick has been a priest-friar for over 20 years and during the Covid 19 pandemic he wrote a poem called ‘Lockdown’ which went viral. In this conversation he gives us a fascinating insight into the life of a monk, he explains the difference between having purpose in life and...

Topics covered : Menstrual cycle, pelvic floor, heart disease. In this episode I speak to doctor, nutritionist and best-selling author Dr, Hazel Wallace, aka The Food Medic. Originally from Dundalk, Hazel lives in London and currently has over half a million followers on Instagram. Her third book –  The Female Factor  is a deep dive into women’s health and in this conversation she a...

Topics covered : Self-worth, the legal system in Ireland, rehabilitation. In this episode I speak to one of Ireland’s first female judges; Gillian Hussey. When she started out little did she know that she would deal with some of the most notorious criminals in Ireland, the likes of the Kinahans, the Cahills, ‘The Monk’ and John Gilligan. In this conversation she gives us an insight into her courtr...

Topics covered : Launching a brand, clothing sizes, vulnerability, body acceptance, confidence. This week I speak to makeup artist and influencer, Aideen Kate. Aideen lives in Dublin with her boyfriend Dave, she currently has 158 thousand followers on Instagram and is Stellar magazine’s cover girl for the month of July. This conversation is an insight into the life of an influencer/content cr...

Topics covered : Manifestation, embracing change, impact of the pandemic, surrogacy journey, pregnancy. In this episode I catch up with powerhouse couple Brian Dowling Gourounlian and his husband Arthur. They live in Kildare and will soon be parents for the very first time and this conversation picks up where we left off when we last spoke in January 2020 (released March 2020). So much has happene...

Topics covered : animal welfare, conservation, having a baby during Covid restrictions, heart condition, major surgery, scar, healing.    In this episode I speak to Killian and Katie McLaughlin who run a wildlife sanctuary in Donegal called ‘Wild Ireland’. They met in college when they were both studying law and they’re now married and are parents to Rígan who’s almost 2. In this co...

Topics covered : Anorexia, grief, shame, perfectionism, recovery, gratitude, the inner critic, CBT, social media, filters, boxing, meditation, femininity, spirituality, letting go. In this episode I speak to one of the most impressive people I’ve ever met, boxer Mary Kate Slattery. Originally from Dublin, Mary Kate spent parts of her childhood in Lahinch in Co. Clare. She’s the eldest of three gir...

Topics covered : Dancing with the Stars, life during lockdown, their relationship. In this episode I speak to couple Jake Carter and Karen Byrne. They   live in Dublin with their dog Lenny and they started dating after they won series 2 of Dancing with the Stars in Ireland. Jake is a singer songwriter whose brother Nathan is also in the business. He’s outgoing and optimistic and Karen is a pr...

Topics covered : Hurling, diversity, inclusion, religion. In this episode I speak to Abood Al Jumaili who also goes by the name Bonnar O’Loinsigh. He lives in Dublin and his nickname is based on two hurling greats, the Bonnar Maher from Tipperary and former player Colin Lynch from Clare. He left his home in Baghdad when he was only 9 years old and came to Ireland with his family, five years a...

Topics covered : Drug trip, drug induced psychosis, suicidal thoughts, breakdown, mania, bi-polar disorder, shedding shame, early onset Alzheimer’s, grief, regrets, recovery, self care, power of movement, pole-dancing. In this episode I speak to writer and podcaster, Sophie White. She lives in Dublin with her husband Seb and their 3 sons who are 2, 5 and 8. She graduated from the National College...

Topics covered : Cancer, smear tests, holistic treatments, medical procedures, trauma, therapy, grief, healing, belief, trusting your gut instinct, health. In this episode I speak to the inspirational Lynsey Bennett. She lives in Longford with her daughters Zoë who’s 13 and Hailee who’s 8 and in 2019 she found out she was one of the women caught up in the cervical check scandal brought to public a...

Topics covered : Motherhood, career, ageing, menopause.  In this episode I speak to actor, comedian, TV presenter and podcaster, the multi-talented Deirdre O’Kane. She lives in Dun Laoghaire in Dublin with her husband, writer and director Stephen Bradley and their teenage kids, Holly who’s 17 and Daniel who’s 13. She describes herself as an optimist who can be competitive and self-critic...

Topics covered : Dancing with the Stars, her racing career, motherhood, pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, fear of failure. In this episode I speak to retired jockey and Dancing with the Stars champion Nina Carberry. She’s regarded as one of the greatest amateur riders of all time and after an almost 17-year career in the saddle, she retired in 2018. She’s married to Te...

Topics covered : sex, porn, sexting, shedding shame, pushing boundaries, deepening understanding. In this episode I speak to pundit, podcaster and psychotherapist, Richie Sadlier. It's my second time sitting down to chat to Richie and as always he is such a brilliant guest. He’s married to Fiona and when we spoke in 2019, his autobiography ‘Recovering’ had just been released and in it he reve...

Topics covered : Best foods to eat and when to eat them, genetics, blue zones, impact of Covid, exercise, sleep, sex, connections, engagement, laughter. Professor Rose Anne Kenny  has  35 years  of experience at the forefront of ageing medicine and in this conversation she shares some of the proven adjustments we can all make regardless of our age, to live longer and happier li...

Topics covered : Alcoholism, fatal fetal abnormality, abortion, induced labour, birth trauma.   In this bonus episode I speak to the incredible Amy Dunne. In 2007, a 16 year old Amy was pregnant with a baby girl who had a fatal fetal abnormality. At the time, Amy was in the care of the HSE, so she told a social worker about her plan to travel for a termination after finding out the devastatin...

Topics covered : motherhood, march for maternity, channeling, authenticity, acting, yoga, letting go, signs.   This week I speak to actor and writer, Amy De Bhrún. She’s married to Seán and they have 2 kids, daughter Billie and baby son River. And in this conversation we speak about motherhood, her powerful March for Maternity speech, being authentic, TV show ‘Line of Duty’, her lov...

Topics covered : Imposter syndrome, over-thinking, being triggered, relationships, finding purpose, changing careers, accountability, acceptance, overwhelm, fear of rejection, time management, people pleasing. This is the second episode with life coach Mark Fennell, which we recorded about 5 months ago. It’s full of practical advice on a whole heap of topics and he also answers a selecti...

Topics covered : Mental health, homophobia, same-sex marriage referendum in Ireland, rejecting shame.  This week I speak to bar owner, drag queen and activist, Rory O’Neill aka Panti Bliss. Originally from Ballinrobe in Mayo, Rory lives in Dublin city with his husband Anderson and their dog Penny. We spoke in late February and at times there is an eerie poignancy to our co...