An Irishman Abroad

This week, we bring you a very special episode with interviews from both past and new contributors including actress Lucy Davis, author Donald McRae, activist, athlete and awarding winning butcher James Nolan plus the double kidney transplant recipient and the motivational speaker Darren Cawley. We revisit Jarlath's first moments after surgery when the reality and beauty of the donation first dawned. Finally we hear the catchup with his brother Adrian. This is a very powerful compilation of voices from every side of kidney donation. Please share it and your wishes.   To hear every episode in full and to gain access to the entire back-catalogue of over 600 Irishman Abroad episodes that are not available on iTunes for just the price of a pint every month visit www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad Supplementary research provided by John Meagher. Our charity partner is jigsawonline.ie. In these tricky times, Jigsaw provides a range of resources, advice and care for your people to help them strengthen their menta

A tumultuous week in the US makes for a packed episode with Marion McKeone. With her trademark precision, Sunday Business Post US correspondent takes us inside the biggest stories of the week and what they mean for the coming weeks. Was President Biden sending a message to Putin with his action in Syria, how far is America away from actually burning books, is Joe Rogan to Spotify what Donald Trump is to the Republican Party? We also hear about Chris Cuomo’s take down and dump tackle of CNN president Jeff Zucker.   To hear every episode in full and to gain access to the entire back-catalogue of over 600 Irishman Abroad episodes that are not available on iTunes for just the price of a pint every month visit www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad   Supplementary research provided by John Meagher.   If you would like a story discussed, get in touch, the Irishman Abroad Liveline is now open. You can now get in touch with us and feature on our shows by sending your WhatsApp voice note to 0044 7543 122 330. Why not pose

After an eventful week Jarlath puts your questions to Sonia in our monthly “Ask Sonia Anything Episode”. Sonia‘s trip to the east coast for two indoor track meets almost hit the skids when snow and ice hit New York. The Irish icon fills us in on her Michelin Man run around Central Park and dips straight into our listener questions. We then head round the parishes from Raheny to Kenya. Olympic marathon hopeful Jan Corcoran jumps on the live line directly after training camp in the mountains. We get a full progress report from Jarlath breakthrough with the #Breaking20 challenge and Coach Pete Julian learns about Sonia’s three strike policy on sandwich offers the hard way.   To hear every episode in full and to gain access to the entire back-catalogue of over 600 Irishman Abroad episodes that are not available on iTunes for just the price of a pint every month visit www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad    Join our running event on strava.com/clubs/irishmanrunningabroad and help raise vitally needed funds for our chose

At present only 7% of Northern Ireland’s schools are religiously integrated. Carl Frampton is not content with changing the history of Irish boxing. The next part of his life is focused on helping others and Northern Ireland become a better place to live in for future generations. This week he sat down with Jarlath to talk about how he soared to the highest heights in the ring, how he almost quit at 21 years old and why boxing continues to be dogged by corruption. Carl Frampton has always had one eye on the bigger picture and in this candid interview he opens up about what has changed in Northern Ireland in the last two years and he has completely changed his mind about ever leaving.   To hear every episode in full and to gain access to the entire back-catalogue of over 600 Irishman Abroad episodes that are not available on iTunes for just the price of a pint every month visit www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad Supplementary research provided by John Meagher. Our charity partner is jigsawonline.ie. In thes

With Russia amassing more than 100,000 troops and equipment at the border with Ukraine, some experts are saying it’s a matter of when not if aggressive action will take place. Marion’s military insiders in Washington give her their opinion on what will happen next. After a disastrous start to his foreign policy regime, what kind of risk does this situation pose for President Biden and other volatile situations around the world. We will also take a look at the parallels between Boris Johnson and Donald Trump, the impact of Judge Stephen Beyer’s announcement that he will retire from the Supreme Court. Who will replace him, will Biden be good to his word and can Mitch McConnell obstruct whatever move he makes. We will also talk about the riveting trial of Michael Avanatti and the gift that keeps on giving Sarah Palin send New Yorkers into a state of spluttering fury this week. Find out why.   To hear every episode in full and to gain access to the entire back-catalogue of over 600 Irishman Abroad episodes that a

It’s a fact of life. Things don’t always go well. Sonia O’Sullivan, the greatest Irish athlete of all time, explains to Jarlath the head space we need to respond to the adversity we face when running and life gets really hard. The crisis might even happen while you’re running a race or out on a long run. Can we quiet that little voice that tells us we can’t and turn the hardest times into the foundations for something better? Sonia travels to the east coast for the Melrose Games and feels the memories of her time at Villanova come flooding back. She answers listener questions, takes a trip around the parishes to see what the listeners have been running, offers a travel tip of the week and helps Jarlath get over the idea that everyone is looking at you while you’re running. There’s news on the Irishman Running Abroad singlet and a brand new series launching this week. Get a double size episode each week and illustrated episode notes with more advice from Sonia over on Patreon.com/irishmanabroad.   To hear ever

On a weekend when Ireland tasted freedom for the first time in a long time, today’s guest seems particularly appropriate. Alan Corcoran knows a thing or two about embracing the opportunities that life presents you with even when it seems like there is only darkness ahead. While studying abroad Alan received devastating news from home. It’s a moment we all dread as emigrants. Ordered to stay and finish his exams rather than return to support his family, Alan hatched a plan. 35 marathons in 35 consecutive days. For an experienced runner it would seem daft to take on such a challenge. For someone like Alan, with no marathon experience whatsoever, it seemed like self-destruction. And yet he did it and raised thousands for his chosen charity. He didn’t stop there. Here for the first time he talks to Jarlath about his journey, the book he has written and self-published about the experience and film he made about the next challenge - swimming the length of Ireland. If you’re at all nervous about getting out there an

Marion hauls Joe in for his end of year assessment. Will he get to go on the school tour or will his failure in the areas of messaging and immigration be too much? All jokes aside, we cast a critical eye over the last 12 months of Biden/Harris, their biggest achievements and inability to get their party in line. Why do Americans believe their economic inflation has nothing to do with the rest of the world? And will 700 pages of Trump White House records that have just been released to the committee investigating January 6th move the needle at all? Marion McKeone explains it all and gives us her honest assessment of the new kid in the Oval Office.   To hear every episode in full and to gain access to the entire back-catalogue of over 600 Irishman Abroad episodes that are not available on iTunes for just the price of a pint every month visit www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad   Supplementary research provided by John Meagher.   If you would like a story discussed, get in touch, the Irishman Abroad Liveline is now o

It’s almost a week since we learned of the brutal killing of the Irish school teacher and musician Ashling Murphy. Sonia and Jarlath talk about the violence and how the proximity of this awful incident hit home. With the Cobh 10 Mile Road Race in April, we hear Sonia’s plan to commemorate Ashling’s memory forever in the race. Hersport.ie have also announced a run in March and a full campaign to highlight our country’s problem with gender based violence. We go around the parishes to see how our members dedicated their runs to Ashling Murphy. And we hear of one Irishman Running Abroad Club member who has traveled to Kenya this week for some high altitude training with the best of the best. The #breaking20 challenge moves into its third week and Sonia encourages Jar and everyone to get out there and meet up as restrictions look set to be eased across the world. In the extended cut our supporters on Patreon can enjoy and extra 30 minutes of advice from Sonia on drills and speed sessions and Jar reveals more about

For years Dr Alan Desmond has been telling people, ‘We can transform our health and revolutionise our quality of life by simply eating more plants.’ It was only while working on the frontline of the pandemic that he found the time, while isolating from his family to pen the book that would make him a best selling author and allow him to completely articulate his plant based design for changing our lives.   As rates of chronic disease continue to rise, ‘What should we eat?’ has become one of the most important questions of the 21st century. Dr Alan Desmond has made it his business to cut through the diet confusion to explain how we can all unlock the power of a healthy gut and optimise our overall well-being by simply putting more plants on our plate. Here for the first time on Irishman Abroad, Jarlath gets the chance to quiz the good doctor on whether all the hype around chomping more veg is really true. Having picked up the book Jarlath has taken the dive into Alan’s 80 completely plant-based recipes and the

How can one juror hand Ghislaine Maxwell a second chance when he doesn’t read the questionnaire he filled out before the trial? That’s the claim of Scotty David, the man who sat for weeks hear the case against the disgraced British heiress and failed to disclose his own history as a sexual assault victim. Marion McKeone explains what the Maxwell defence team could do next and how desperate the prosecution are getting. Meanwhile, Prince Andrew has run out of straws to clutch at. Time is running out and the family are turning their back on him. Developments in the case get the McKeone treatment before she moves on to President Biden’s feisty speech in Atlanta. Mitch McConnell slammed it faster than you can say “can I have my voting rights please”. Hear what Marion predicts will happen next in this revealing chapter in the Biden Presidency.   To hear every episode in full and to gain access to the entire back-catalogue of over 600 Irishman Abroad episodes that are not available on iTunes for just the price of a

Sonia is back in California with Union Athletic Club for some sunny weather and speed training. Jar spent last week soul searching and wondering whether a sub-20 minute 5K is within him. It’s been a tough week in January for a lot of people so what better way to focus your mind and energy than a bit of advice and craic from the greatest of all time. In this episode our hosts look at a few different fundamental ideas of speed training and answer some questions on the subject from you the listeners. There’s heaps more detail and fun in the extended cut on Patreon including Sonia's Tip of the Week, the downloadable episode notes and Jar's episode notes synopsis video.   To hear every episode in full and to gain access to the entire back-catalogue of over 600 Irishman Abroad episodes that are not available on iTunes for just the price of a pint every month visit www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad    Join our running event on strava.com/clubs/irishmanrunningabroad and help raise vitally needed funds for our chosen cha

How do you go from whispering lines to an actor on stage at an amateur dramatics group in Dungannon to starring in a Marvel series? This week, Tyrone actor Fra Fee joined Jarlath to tell the incredible story of how he did just that.   Fra opens up to Jarlath about the anonymity that he found when he moved to Manchester, coming out, how he became almost obsessive with bettering himself and the life-changing decision that he made when he became disillusioned with the musical theatre life in London.   In the full length version that is exclusive to Patrons of the show over on patreon.com/irishmanabroad Fra speaks about the fascinating experiences of moving to plays and screen acting, the fear he initially felt on film sets, the bizarre Marvel casting process and his journey in the Hawkeye series on Disney Plus.   Patrons also get to hear every episode in full and gain access to the entire back-catalogue of over 500 Irishman Abroad episodes that are not available on iTunes for just the price of a pint every month

One year ago a riot took place on Capitol Hill. The facts of who incited the violence have been up for debate ever since. Hundreds of those involved have been arrested thanks to teams of internet sleuths known as “sedition hunters” who sent thousands of leads to the FBI and used social media to track those individuals caught on camera. But does any of this even impact on the support for Donald Trump? Marion McKeone re-examines what happened that day and how the subsequent investigations have played out. She also leads us through the story of Elizabeth Holmes. Holmes was found guilty of fraud this week in a case that brings to an end one of the most bizarre stories in the history of Silicon Valley. We also get Marion’s predictions for 2022 on everything from the midterms to Paul Rudd’s enduring charm.   To hear every episode in full and to gain access to the entire back-catalogue of over 500 Irishman Abroad episodes that are not available on iTunes for just the price of a pint every month visit www.patreon.com

Do you find running a grind? Are you just floating along not really doing much? Tipping along is all well and good for some of the year but to really extract that joy and sense of achievement from running the right goal might be all you need. But how do you find the right one? Let Sonia explain via Jarlath’s goal to run a sub-20 minute 5K. Yes, you’ve heard of Kipchoge’s breaking two project well welcome to Jar’s breaking 20 project. It’s like Kipchoge’s enterprise with pints, complaining and dumb questions from Jar. You can come on the journey too. Join us on Strava and become a member of Sonia’s running club. There’s news on the annual meet-up run in the Phoenix Park and lots more.   To hear every episode in full and to gain access to the entire back-catalogue of over 500 Irishman Abroad episodes that are not available on iTunes for just the price of a pint every month visit www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad   Join our running event on strava.com/clubs/irishmanrunningabroad and help raise vitally needed funds

Across more than 150 episodes in 2021 there was hot competition for the awards for best story, most “Irish Mammy”, most inspiring and funniest moments, but we found them. Jarlath walks us through the best of the best moments you might have missed from the past year of superstar Sunday interviews that until now only supporters of the podcast could hear. There’s big laughs and huge inspiration to be found in this stellar end of year episode. Why not go back listen to the ones that got past you in 2021 and get your new year off to the right start.    To hear every episode in full and to gain access to the entire back-catalogue of over 500 Irishman Abroad episodes that are not available on iTunes for just the price of a pint every month visit www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad Supplementary research provided by John Meagher. Our charity partner is jigsawonline.ie. In these tricky times, Jigsaw provides a range of resources, advice and care for your people to help them strengthen their mental health and the skil

Wednesday saw Ghislaine Maxwell convicted of sex trafficking but will this actually result in further charges, jail time and will others implicated in the case go to prison? Sunday Business Post US correspondent and our good friend Marion McKeone, explains what just happened, whether Maxwell’s appeal is already dead in the water and what she say while in the courtroom. With 300,000 new cases of Covid detected, is America even paying attention? Will this encourage or discourage other victims to come forward? We get an assessment of the Maxwell defence team and how their bully boy tactics backfired so horribly for the British socialite. Both Jarlath and Marion were caught off guard by this verdict. Why were so many so sure she would walk?   To hear every episode in full and to gain access to the entire back-catalogue of over 500 Irishman Abroad episodes that are not available on iTunes for just the price of a pint every month visit www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad   Supplementary research provided by John Meag

Encountering a rut or a lull in your motivation is normal at this time of year. How you deal with it is what counts. Sonia dials in from Australia to talk us through her key methods for preparing athletes, and people giving running a go, for the best start to the New Year. Her advice on what to do prior to making your resolutions might just save you the heartache of failing in the first few weeks of 2022. Jarlath is back in Ireland and knows a thing or two about faulty exercise promises. He quizzes Sonia on how to spot whether we are burned out or just in need of a new tangible focus. We go round the parishes of the world to see who ran what over Christmas, dip into the mailbag to find out the real danger of repetition and Sonia breaks down a marathon plan she discovered in her personal archives. Don’t miss a minute of this chat or any of our episodes by signing up to support our shows on Patreon. You’ll immediately get access to a whole range of exclusive content and detailed episode notes for each episode w

When Ellen Keane claimed gold at the Tokyo Paralympic Games last summer she understood and accepted the responsibility to be more than just an elite athlete. Ever since she burst onto the scene, qualifying for her first Paralympics as a thirteen year old, she has travelled a personal journey towards understanding and accepting who she is as a person and her responsibility to other disabled young people. In this relaxed and fun conversation on the eve of Christmas Eve, Jarlath and Ellen reflect on the past year and the journey towards finding peace with herself. RTE’s Dancing With The Stars is just around the corner. Ellen is Jarlath’s tip to win the entire show. She explains how the training is going so far and why it might not be as cut and dry as Jarlath believes despite her competitive hip hop dancing past. Supporters of Irishman Abroad can hear a further 40 minutes of this interview which includes Ellen revealing her shock at how other athletes treated her upon her return from Tokyo, her secrets to findin

Marion McKeone joins Jarlath to sift through the major events of 2021 and the implications for the future of America. From the January 6th riot in Washington to this week’s closing statements in the Ghislaine Maxwell trial, our US correspondent leaves no stone unturned as she assesses the damage and potential for healing in another year ravaged by the pandemic. Last Christmas the vaccine arrived and an end appeared to be in sight. This week the arrival of omicron, the realisation that it is less severe and the approval of anti-viral drugs by the FDA might be a proper new dawn. Finally we get the latest on the world’s most colossal gobshite Joe Manchin and how he truly is the biggest spanner in the works of Joe Biden’s big plan.   To hear every episode in full and to gain access to the entire back-catalogue of over 500 Irishman Abroad episodes that are not available on iTunes for just the price of a pint every month visit www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad   Supplementary research provided by John Meagher.   If