The Celebration Sessions

Irelands first Hindu Priest Sudhansh Verma joins me to share his insights and knowledge on the funeral customs and rituals of the Hindu faith. We discuss the cycles of the soul, the ideas of karma and reincarnation, and the ritual of cremation. Its been so interesting to learn about Hindu traditions of caring for the body, returning the body back to nature, and the significance of saying goodbye i...

Author and Meditation Teacher Conor Creighton shares his wisdom and thoughts around accepting that this is it ; this is the only moment you can have control over. We talk about how the meditation industry is marketed; men and mindfulness; and his wonderful new book 'This Is It' You can find out more about Conor and his teachings on his website meditatingwithconor.com He shares wonderful content on...

Life coach, celebrant and columnist Ariana Dunne shares her wisdom on how to make meaningful love connections. We're talking dating through the pandemic, showing yourself some self-love, and the pros and cons of ordering chicken wings on a first date; PLUS we have some listeners Q&As. You can find out more about Ariana through her website here . Check out her Instagram here , and not forgettin...

I'm joined by Caroline McNamara of Serendipity Celebrants, and funeral celebrant Pat Fenlon to discuss how we can adapt to a new landscape for funerals and memorials, and how we might grieve in a post Covid Ireland. In a fascinating chat, we weigh up changing rituals, making the effort to 'be there' for grieving friends, and finding closure while we're still in lockdown. A big thank you to Pat and...

Episode 13 is about what happens when Jewish boys turn 13 years of age. The Bar Mitzvah is much talked about in TV and movies, and in this episode I learn more about this Jewish coming of age ceremony. I'm joined by Hilary Abrahamson who is Chair of the Dublin City Interfaith Forum, and Chair of Rites and Practices with the Dublin Jewish Progressive Congregation. We had a great chat about the hist...

We're talking about the literature of love this time around and I'm joined by Bob Johnston of the Gutter Bookshop in Dalkey and Temple Bar to talk through the greatest literary lovers, some wedding ceremony inspiration, and why we love a tragic love story. Bob and The Gutter Bookshop team have been keeping the show on the road through lockdown with deliveries so you can check out the wonderful boo...

End of Life Companion and Doula Tanya Bryan joins me in this episode to discuss the role of a Death Doula; how we deal with the idea of 'ending'; and the preciousness of life. You can find out more about Tanya Bryan at atimetogather.ie and I encourage listeners to visit her site to read her beautiful and fascinating lamentations. During this episode we discuss different aspects of the journey to a...

Broadcaster, hotelier, wellness and motivational speaker, Bibi Baskin shares her story of embracing change through her life; recognising synchro destiny; and finding a peaceful pace to life. Bibi's gorgeous book 'The Happy Book' is available on her website. You can also find out more information about Bibi's Facebook group here. Two lovely websites worth checking out. Hosted on Acast. See acast.co...

In this episode, Gordon and Joel share their gorgeous love story; how absence and makes the heart grow fonder; and despite eloping to where they thought nobody knew either of them, how they found out it really is a small world. Its worth noting that this episode was recorded before level 5 restrictions, within the then guidelines, and we were kept caffeinated by the gorgeous coffee from the team a...

Memorial tattoos can be such a unique and personal way to remember someone special who is no longer with us. A tattoo can help keep memories alive long after someone has gone. In this episode, Dr John Troyer shares his knowledge on the history of the memorial tattoo, his advice to anyone thinking about getting one, and we discuss the language and icons of the memorial tattoo. Dr Troyer is director...

In this episode, I'm joined by 12 year old Laragh Byrne who has big dreams to represent Ireland in the Olympics when she's older. We hear what motivates her to train, who her heroes are, and can she see herself on the podium accepting the gold for Ireland? Joined by her mum Sonya, Larah is an inspiration and her ambition is infectious. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In such a changing landscape regarding weddings, I'm joined by Yvonne Cassidy of the Irish Ethical Celebrants Society in this episode to talk about embracing choice, putting the couple at the centre of the wedding ceremony, and the best secret locations for a gorgeous wedding ceremony. You can find out more about Yvonne and her wedding services on her website yvonnecassidyweddings.com Indeed, for...

In this episode well known TV personality, radio presenter, best selling author, and Bethany bereavement counsellor Andrea Hayes, shares her thoughts on the importance of being conscious of our emotions as we go through grief, the rituals that may help us shift the lens through which we experience our grief, and the profound possibility of the 'pause'. You can find out more about Andrea, her medit...

Self care is something that gets thrown around so much, but there is so often a fine line between self care, and self destruction. Aoibheann Cooke joins me in this episode to explore how best to take care of your self emotionally and physically. Aoibheann defines beautifully what self care is exactly, and we chat about the best ways to show yourself some love. You can find out more about Aoibheann...

In Ireland we're susceptible to the weather. Sometimes the Child of Prague doesn't work and in this episode I chat to Sarah and Cormac who had the most magical ceremony in a beautiful location, despite the rain. Sarah and Cormac share their love story and how they feel looking back on their amazing day. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Irish wake is a much talked about phenomenon, and the Irish are often lauded for 'doing death well', but just how true is it? In this episode, I talk to fellow Funeral Celebrant Pat Fenlon as we pick through this topic to discover, how do the Irish embrace the finality of death. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the Celebration Sessions. This is my journey, learning more about what makes us tick; how we celebrate, how we embrace joy, and how we face the bad times. In the first episode I spoke to the wonderful Barbara Scully about the positive things happing in the word right now, despite the 'circus of horrors' that was 2020. As we settle into 2021, there is so much hope. To catch Barbara and h...