Sin Scéal Eile

Life feels truly unfair sometimes. All Alan has wanted in life is a family of his own. After being abandoned at a train station in the UK by his mother when he was a child, he finally made his way back to Ireland and started his own family. He has 5 wonderful children, a wife and a 10 week old puppy called Elvis.  When Alan first reached out to me, he wanted to tell me his adoption story, tha...

I’ve never met someone who loves the art of book publishing more than Gráinne Clear. We met in her family home in Navan, where she pops back every few weeks from her base in London. She exploded her life not too long ago and luckily landed her dream job as a result.  She works in children’s books for a publisher that she’s long admired. We have a fascinating chat about the psychology of...

Róisín has quit her lovely stable job as a teacher and has followed her passion of professional birdwatching. We took a stroll around Tymon Park on a rainy Sunday morning and chatted about birds, spotting herons, blackbirds, and even some divorced swans.  Sometimes it’s the simplest topics which are the most enjoyable.  Come back tomorrow for another podcast/story/portrait. We’re intervi...

It was Lisa Walsh’s choice that we meet on the banks of the Liffey for our podcast chat today. She’s a true Northside Dubliner from Ballymun. She’s only lived at 3 addresses in her lifetime, a home bird by all accounts.  Lisa, who trained as a social worker in child protection, loves the feeling of being rooted and acknowledges the sacredness of a home for her children, “It’s their home....

I could have sat in Oli's beautiful wee cottage for hours and hours, drinking tea and listening to the story of his life. His home is as warm and inviting as he is. It's packed with art of various forms, including a gorgeous Mary statue passed down from his grandmother (which has been disco-fied to match the space). Thatch cottage living is in his genes, so it seems only fitting he has settled in...

Martin plays his cards close to his chest. He was recommended to be in the project by a mutual friend of ours and I can tell that he doesn’t quite know what to make of me and my project. In his lovely home in Ballycastle, we sit on his handmade furniture. His beautiful pieces that would sell for hundreds, if not thousands, in a gallery, modestly decorate his living room. In the local village he fa...

Tony is a journalist, mostly writing about arts, culture and music. He’s written about me a couple of times too and I’ve always thought it was the most well researched interview I’ve ever had.  In his work, Tony is considerate and respectful of his interviewee. He knows when to push for more and when to stay silent. He favours broadsheets over tabloids and he graciously shares top class inter...

Gillian is a dog person if ever there was one. After her last wee dog crossed the rainbow bridge, she was obviously devastated.  Alone in the house, she felt the loss even more, but decided to be both proactive and utterly selfless by taking on the challenge of raising a puppy for Autism Assistance Dogs Ireland. Along came Cupid and with him so much joy, boundless energy and a link to a...

Chandrika is a poet, an immigrant and self-described “diplo-brat”. She has travelled the world from a young age, following her Mum from post to post as she worked as an ambassador and diplomat for India.  Chandrika found many versions of “home” along the way. She recalls being so warmly welcomed by her classmates in Turkey and has kept those friendships alive well into adulthood.  It has...

I met Íde in Boyds pub in Ballycastle. She had seen online that I was bringing this project to the area and looking for people to share their story. She didn’t sign up at the time as she thought maybe I’d find more interesting people. We sat and chat over a few pints and I think she warmed up to me and in turn, really understood that I wanted to chat to all types of people. By the time I got back...

Colm is a dark horse. You’d think he was just an unassuming man, part time taxi driver, loving Father, Husband etc. What you wouldn’t guess from him is that he’s lived a very full and exciting life.  He lived in Baghdad for a spell, building an airport for Saddam Hussein, entertaining the locals with his busking everywhere he went. He’s climbed Kilamanjaro and Everest base camp. He’s also a b...

This is a very quick paced project. I don’t have any real time to research the life and work of people who I'm meeting, I’m usually learning along with the listener..  If I had time to research Julian’s work before meeting him, I probably would have fangirled my way through the interview. He shows me around his studio and I’m utterly dumbstruck by the incredible life and beauty in his paintin...

I sat down with David to talk about his daughter, Lucia. He tells me that this is her story, not his, and that if she were here today she'd be the one chatting to us. I've read Lucia's website and her blog, I've got a sense of who she was and David only confirms my impression of her. She was endlessly kind, gracious and compassionate. A young, vibrant and fun woman. She was a recipient of multiple...

It’s hard to keep up with Kelly, she talks a mile a minute and over one (very delicious cup of coffee) we have covered so many incredibly deep topics.  She tells me about how she met her wife and fell instantly and madly in love. How they went on to battle through multiple rounds of unsuccessful IVF, and then how they finally conceived their two beautiful children.  It’s a happy, loving...

The great thing about this project is that I’m constantly learning, everyday is a school day in 2026. Karen came to tell me about the relationship between Ireland and the Roman Empire. I for one didn’t know we were all that close with the Romans! Karen has a PHD and is fascinated by history but it was her fascination with Ireland that led her to work in an Irish bar back home in America, where, as...

I’ve known Damo from working in the events industry for years, I know he’s a grafter, I know he’s a plate spinner and I know he loves his work on the St. Patrick’s Day Festival.  We popped up to where the floats and performers were getting ready this morning to see Damo in action and get an insight into the production that goes into it all. Between his phone calls and radio calls he manages t...

Musician (and friend) Sinéad White, is about to have her first baby. By the time this podcast comes out, all going well, there’ll be a new baby boy or girl in the world. Her partner knows the gender, she doesn’t, so that’s also adding to the suspense in the room. (If you listen to the update at the end of the podcast, you can find out too! And the cutest name ever!) All around her home there’s sig...

Let’s start by saying I met Niamh in the pub one afternoon and this podcast could have been about 8 hours long, but we couldn’t do that to our editor Dee. So we capped the recording after an hour and continued with the pints for a few hours more. What I realised quite quickly after meeting her, is that Niamh is no ordinary woman. She’s a million different types of woman all rolled into one feisty...

If you were ever looking for a sign, head to Orla’s house. She has adorned her walls in positive affirmations. Orla has welcomed 13 children into her home, both as a Mother and a foster parent. Her own mother and father (also foster parents) sadly died young, leaving Orla to come back home and raise the youngest of their family herself.  Orla is an incredibly passionate and community driven w...

When I saw Charlie walking up the road with her dog, I knew instantly she was a boater. Effortlessly cool and extremely laid back. Charlie lives on a big red boat in the harbour of Rathlin Island. 10 years ago she went to a rave on the island, fell in love with the place and decided to move. Come back tomorrow for another podcast/story/portrait. We’re interviewing and photographing people from all...

We got the ferry to Rathlin, our first island in the project. Marianne was waiting and took us for a lovely spin around the island. She's an incredibly knowledgeable woman and told us all about the ups and downs of island life. She was born and raised on Rathlin and tells me that everyone on the island has at least two jobs. Whether you’re on the committee or you volunteer for the fire brigade, ev...

Laura’s house seems very unassuming from the front, it’s one of a row of houses in a little estate in Ballintoy. When you’re on the doorstep and turn around, you can really see its value. It has one of the most stunning views I’ve ever seen, all the way to Rathlin and Fair Head gleaming in the sunshine.  Laura is fun. Just straight up fun, positive, cheery and great to chat to. She’s a parame...

Alex answered the door of her family home in rural Antrim in full cosplay, and it made my day. She’s a confident, chatty young woman, but she wasn’t always so outgoing. Since she found her tribe of cosplayers and gamers, she has totally come out of her shell.  You’ll find her at conventions, in full cosplay attire, either on stage lip syncing, having some professional photos taken, or chattin...

It’s a misty, grey day down in Galway. I met Eamonn at the Blackrock diving board, a place that so many people find comfort and solace in.  Eamonn, who has bounced between Galway and Dublin his whole life, swims here every day, even throughout the winter. He’s just come out of the water when I met him, even though it’s absolutely baltic.  Eamonn is an advocate for mental health and has b...

When I arrived to Ballycastle and we checked into our incredible accommodation (shout out to Yarn Ballycastle) there was some sourdough bread and wee pistachio cakes left for us. Let me tell you this, those cakes were the best thing I’ve ever tasted and I instantly needed to meet the woman behind them.  Ursa Minor bakery is just a stones throw from the Yarn and inside you’ll find the bakery i...