Sin Scéal Eile

Edel’s soulmate was her Mam. They were closer than anything. That’s why, when her Mam died, so did a part of Edel. It’s a heartbreaking story of grief, one that’s known to so many of us. For Edel, it was her love of music, particularly the band Thin Lizzy, that got her through the rough parts. Rx Sin Scéal Eile - That's Another Story was hosted and created by Ruth Medjber, with sound by Ronan Lall...

Pam mentioned in her directions that the path to her home was a little “off the beaten track” and she really wasn’t lying. As we drove our big camper down the little boreen, we came to her perfect wee house. She had a table set within the walled gardens where we chatted in the sunshine. Pam and her husband are living an idyllic life, but it's very different to the one they first set out for themse...

Ken has such an epic career and it’s still on the up. He started out in the music business, touring the world as a backline tech (a life I know a bit about myself). Ken saw an opportunity to change industry which allowed him to spend more time at home with his kids and he snapped it up. He now works in live event broadcasting, helping put  together shows like the special olympics and the cham...

Andrea is an Irish woman who grew up in the States. She always knew she would return here one day, but her cushy, dependable job with the US government meant that she was committed to her career. Andrea worked for 11 years in the refugee affairs division of the Department of Homeland Security.  As the government changed, so did Andrea’s job. Andrea was faced with either reassignment or resign...

Don’t listen to this episode unless you have a kayak on standby and are ready to paddle. Susan’s enthusiasm and passion for paddling is utterly infectious. 10 years ago she made kayaking her life by opening the Go Paddle Kayak Academy, which is really handy because I doubt there’s anything else she’d rather be doing. The river is her happy place. She monitors the rainfall on the mountains to see w...

Alina has faced so much in her life. She grew up in what she describes as “extreme poverty”. She is a member of the Roma community, something she didn’t always celebrate. As she travelled around the world she would often be mistaken for another heritage, “passing” as she calls it. Now she realises that in order for one to celebrate their culture, they need to take ownership of it, change the narra...

Danny is a musician who I met while down at Feile Vegan (a vegan festival in Carlow). He was playing on the Friday night and I cornered him for a chat.  He’s a vegan himself, though I’m not sure if that’s a prerequisite for playing the festival but it’s something he’s genuinely very passionate about and even sings about. It was the 2014 film, Cowspiracy, that got him over to the V side, as it...

Ray is a professional artist. His work can be seen on the streets of Belfast, in galleries, and on t-shirts and hats in his own merch store. He’s a shrewd business person as well as an avid cultural commentator. His work is topical and witty.  He’s been in the game long enough to remember when painting illegally meant your work might be painted over within hours and you also might get arreste...

Shannon is a ceasefire baby. She’s also a young mother who has been loving the craic of the Belfast fleadh, hearing people speaking Irish and playing trad in the streets. Shannon is incredibly proud of her Irish heritage but she is also excited to bring up her son as part of a mixed family, knowing that he’ll learn from both her and her partner’s culture. xT Sin Scéal Eile - That's Another Story w...

Jonathan is a pal of mine who has one of those jobs that I’ll never really understand, though today I try my hardest. He’s got a PHD, he’s written theorems, and he lectures in Queens University.  I love hearing his perspective on growing up in a Protestant area of Co. Antrim. His ongoing struggles with his national identity, as well as coming into his own identity (and his coming out story)....

Joe is a street artist, teacher, activist and old pal of mine. We sat in his back garden and discussed his phenomenal career as well as the obstructions and frustrations he faces trying to practice his craft. xR Sin Scéal Eile - That's Another Story was hosted and created by Ruth Medjber, with sound by Ronan Lally. The podcast is produced by Dee Reddy at Poddle Audio with original music by Elaine...

Azean welcomed us to her gorgeous home. It’s decorated so precisely and so minimalistically, there’s a feeling of space, serenity and peace. This is the space she now calls home, after many years of moving, sometimes couch surfing and sometimes moving when she wasn't really willing to move.  She is originally from Singapore, but speaks with a beautiful Northern Irish lilt. In the last year al...

Blezzing is an extraordinary young woman who has stayed strong and faced down so many challenges in her life. She suffers from chronic illness, and in turn has experienced medical misogyny and racism. Instead of letting them get the better of her, she’s become an intersectional, mental health activist, helping so many others. xR Sin Scéal Eile - That's Another Story was hosted and created by Ruth...

Niamh has lived a few lives. From working in tech, to relaunching herself with a masters degree in art in her 30s. She’s now living in Belfast and utterly feels the buzz of the place. Her heart is leading her into a brand new passion, astrology. She tells me about all the different types of astrology practice, it’s ancient roots and how she might go about reading a birth chart. xR Sin Scéal Eile -...

Lucy runs a wonderful business where she helps people and companies live their best lives. There’s absolutely no way I can describe her job and do it justice, but it really is so fascinating. Why do we have to wait for a massive health scare or the like for us to realise that “this is not a rehearsal?” Lucy will help you live the life you want and need. Sin Scéal Eile - That's Another Story was ho...

In the middle of the fleadh we popped over to Emma's lovely house for a cup of tea. She has a dream home, beautiful dog and the kind of job that makes you feel like you're doing something worthwhile. She describes her role as kind of a matchmaker for activists to find good lawyers (I'm definitely paraphrasing here). Sin Scéal Eile - That's Another Story was hosted and created by Ruth Medjber, with...

Who knew that just beyond the back of a housing estate in North Belfast there was a tiny oasis. A place where you can go, switch off your phone, be at one with nature and awaken your inner child. This is the space that Maeve has created. Her ceramics workshops allow you to be creative with no pressure to make anything functional. After that, you can then reset yourself in the sauna or hot tub and...

We caught up with Abhishek right before he headed to the airport to fly home to India. He arrived in Ireland 18 months ago and couldn’t love it more. In September he’ll graduate with a masters degree and all going well, will find a job that will allow him to stay.  Abhishek is a delight to talk to, he’s bubbly, chatty and very articulate. Obviously he misses home, his Mom, her food and the ep...

Aoife was our second guest on the All Curious Minds stage at All Together Now and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. She took us on a fiercely emotional journey about her experience with ayahuasca in Brazil. It led her to completely change her life and become the incredible woman she is today.  Both our guests at ATN, Faye and Aoife, are stunning women. They’re courageous, raw, emotional, p...

Wow. Just wow. We had our very first live podcast with an audience down at the All Together Now festival in Waterford. We packed out the tent, and I couldn't have asked for better guests, Faye O'Rourke (Soda Blonde) and Aoife Dunne (whose episode we'll share tomorrow). Faye is so creative and channels all of her emotions into both her songwriting and her visual arts. We chat about her process, wha...

I don’t think I’ve ever met a more genuine and down to earth fella. Against all odds, Fergus has learned to walk again after a spinal cord injury. He’s now challenged himself to walk 4,500km across America to raise awareness and one million euro for Spinal Injuries Ireland. It’s no mean feat, even for the most able bodied person, but Fergus is determined and knows what he needs to do to succeed. W...

Brian knows how to live a good life. After years of teaching, he has retired to his dream home on Inishbofin. He plays tunes in the local pub, cooks up a storm for the community festivals, and just generally treats himself to a nice life. What’s most adorable about Brian is his new fond love of tattoos, especially his matching ones with his daughter. Rx Sin Scéal Eile - That's Another Story was ho...

We meet some amazing people doing this series, none more so than the legendary Nicky Broujos. Admittedly, I know nothing about Irish football, but I know that Nicky is a complete gent. He’s kind, funny and super welcoming. He’s generous with his storytelling today, even though he says he doesn’t do a lot of chatting these days due to complications from his cancer treatment affecting his speech.&nb...

Cillian didn’t intend on being in this project. His role for the day was to escort us onto the pilgrimage island and introduce us to Father La (episode 206). However, as he was giving us a short tour of the amazing island, it dawned on me that he has one of the most unique jobs in Ireland and we’d be silly not to interview him.  With a bit of arm twisting, Cillian told us how exactly he ended...

My call out for participants for this project reached Lough Derg, an inland island in Donegal, which many people know as ‘St Patrick's Purgatory’. It’s an ancient pilgrimage site that dates back to the 5th century. Each summer, thousands of people descend on the island and take part in a 3 day pilgrimage. They walk and pray barefoot, they fast and they stay awake for the duration of the first nigh...