An Irishman Abroad

Technological doping, the greatest thing since the stopwatch or the greatest fad since fidget spinners! Call it what you like, super shoes are changing running one carbon footplate at a time. Jarlath doesn’t have a pair. Sonia has a pair in every city she visits! Jarlath has a lot of questions. Are these shoes intended for the slow runner? Can they be harmful? Do they really work? Why are they so damn expensive? And if they cost that much, surely we should be allowed to train in them? Sonia has the answers and few insights into what the elite athletes think of them. We also go round the parishes for Sonia’s runs of the week, open the mailbag for an alternative view and get Sonia’s one thing you should be doing in her now legendary “tip of the week”. Support the creation of this show so that it continue to be weekly by visiting Patreon.com/irishmanabroad and in return you’ll get double the episode length and detailed episode notes with even more helpful advice.   To hear every episode in full and to gain acces

Catherina McKiernan joins Jarlath for a fascinating and rare conversation about the highs and lows of her life and career.   Catherina is an Irish sporting legend and yet she often looks back on her glittering career with mixed feelings. She opens up about her battles with remaining in love with the sport when the business side of things took over. We hear about her realisation about the importance of striking a balance after becoming burned out relatively early in her career.  Catherina was 92 seconds away from setting a world record time in the marathon in Amsterdam and yet she says it does not haunt her. Jarlath asks why and gets an answer he wasn’t expecting.   For more information on Catherina visit https://www.runwithcatherina.ie/   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

On Tuesday the House of Representatives voted to hold ex-president Donald Trump’s former chief of staff, Mark Meadows, in contempt of Congress and refer him to the US Department of Justice for prosecution after his refusal to testify to the select committee investigating the Capitol riot. This week Marion McKeone explains why she believes he played a critical role in the January 6th riot and why history needs to accurately record what exactly took place in the corridors of power on that fateful day. Jarlath wonders if America is even paying attention and if they are, what can this investigation even hope to do when Trump supporters and haters are so entrenched.    Marion's books of the year are revealed and we also get a brief catch-up on what has been happening in the Ghislaine Maxwell trial and bit more of the lighter side with Marion’s favourite conspiracy theory of the year.   To hear every episode in full and to gain access to the entire back-catalogue of over 500 Irishman Abroad episodes that are not av

The fear of injury is a constant conscious or unconscious fear for every athlete no matter what their experience level. For many it’s the reason they avoid running completely. Rather than feeling powerless over the prospect of injury, Jarlath asks Sonia O’Sullivan and another gold medal winning Irish athlete, our special guest David Gillick, if there is a formula to avoid picking up physical ailments from running. With the European Cross Country Championships in Dublin last weekend we get a review of what took place and the standout performances. There’s a trip around the parishes to see which Irishman Abroad club members broke their PBs and a lot more over in the full extended cut on Patreon.com/irishmanabroad.   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 he

Comedy isn’t just in Jack Whitehall’s genes it’s in his bones. Today on Irishman Abroad’s Selection Box Jarlath chooses Jack’s latest movie “Clifford The Big Red Dog” as his cinema recommendation for all of the family this Christmas and talks to the man himself about how it was made. This isn’t just a movie promotion interview though. Jarlath and Jack have been friends for years. Together they go deep into Jack’s earliest influences, the process of nailing a physical comedy bit, being a magnet for humiliating moments, the influence of his father, where the line is and more. Watch the whole interview and gain access to hundreds of interviews from the last 8 years of Irishman Abroad by going to Patreon.com/irishmanabroad. Clifford The Big Red Dog is joyous family romp about a little girl whose puppy miraculously grows to ten feet tall overnight. It’s in cinemas everywhere now. As Jar puts it, “this is an instant classic.”   Supplementary research provided by John Meagher.   Our charity partner is jigsawonline.i

If the Ghislaine Maxwell trial is proof of what money can let you get away with, the injustice that Anthony Broadwater suffered is an example of what can happen at the other end of the spectrum. He served 16 years for a sex crime he didn’t commit, was branded a sex offender and struggled to integrate back into normal life. As Marion details in today’s episode, a bizarre twist of fate and the help of director Timothy Mucciante changed his life this week. We also get the latest from the New York courtroom where Maxwell begins her defence today. Finally there’s a round up of all the news from across the pond including the defeat of Biden’s vaccine mandate and what that means.   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 you would like a story discussed, get in touch, the Iris

With storm Barra bearing down on Ireland there has never been a more appropriate moment to release our long planned but never recorded episode about coping with winter conditions. The temptation to roll over in bed on a Saturday is so vast that even the great Sonia O’Sullivan admits she nearly fell foul of it this past weekend. Instead, she scrambled down to Bushy Park while Jarlath shambled to St Albans. Both got the result! Today Sonia takes us through the basics and not so basic tips and tricks to conquer any weather condition that winter can throw at you. With Catherina McKiernan on the podcast this Sunday, Sonia looks back on their relationship with each other and the media. We get a trip around the parishes, Sonia’s tip of the week, her astonishing book discovery for prolonged peak athletic performance even in old age and a look at whether we all need to dial it back 10%. Patrons get a further exclusive 30mins of content and detailed episode notes with a beginners guide to running 5K direct from Sonia h

The headline might read, 'Claire Walsh - the only Irish person ever to compete at the Freediving World Championships' but there is way more to the story of this trailblazing Irish woman. Jarlath caught up with Claire at an unusual crossroads in her life. Before all hell broke loose, when she wasn’t travelling the world taking part in one of the toughest sports known to man, Claire Walsh taught businesses and individuals how to harness the power of their breath. All that came to an abrupt halt for obvious reasons. Today as she prepares to write her story for the first time, we get the unfiltered account of what brought her to the edge and what stopped her from tipping over. Thanks to all those who support Irishman Abroad in whatever way you can. The best way is to kick in a couple of euro a month on Patreon in return for access to all our content including hundreds of hours of archived interviews and up-coming conversations with the likes of Jack Whitehall and Catherina McKiernan.   To hear every episode in fu

With week one drawing to a conclusion the award winning US correspondent Marion McKeone explains what exactly took place. Jarlath wonders what kind of defence can be mounted for the business partner of a convicted predator such as Epstein. Discrediting the memory of the victims seems to be the path chosen by Maxwell's ferocious defence team. The key witnesses, the pilot who claims he saw nothing and the possibility that the conspiracy theories relating to the case are true - Jarlath and Marion get to it all and even a bit more. With vaccines in salads and Roe vs Wade putting an end to the impartiality of the SCOTUS, there’s a lot to get to this week but as always Marion delivers.   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 you would like a story discussed, get in touch, t

Why do 99% of runners, including Sonia O’Sullivan, go too fast on their easy runs? Experts believe that 80% of your running each week should be done at a very easy conversational pace in order to build stamina and recover properly from harder sessions yet very few people actually stick within this pace window. Most will go a little too fast, some (like Jarlath) have gone so fast on their slow days that injury is just around the corner. This week Sonia explains why this simple piece of advice is so hard to take for so many people. How do you establish what your pace should be, why is Jack Daniels involved and is there anything to be said for listening to your heart and not the clock? This is a humdinger of a chat that will resonate with runners of all levels. There’s also a classic tip of the week, a trip around the parishes on Strava and a great listener letter about returning from injury.   To hear every episode in full and to gain access to the entire back-catalogue of over 500 Irishman Abroad episodes that

This week actor, writer and activist Evanna Lynch joined Jarlath to discuss her astonishing new book.   Evanna speaks about when and why her critical inner voice started to become toxic. She provides some invaluable advice to the parents of those battling eating disorders and reveals exclusive news of her next project.   From her thoughts on the freeing nature of art's subjectivity to the importance of speaking out about the challenges of womanhood, why the Harry Potter reunion wasn't as fabulous as she thought it would be and much more, this is a raw and honest conversation with a true friend of the show.   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

Three cases that directly impact the rise of vigilantism in America were decided this week. The lynching of Ahmaud Arbery shocked the world but only when the public got to see footage of what took place. The place saw the same footage and were content not to act. Jarlath asks Marion about what this says to the public on the other side of these convictions. Marion takes us through the trial step by step and attempts to join the dots between Arbery, Rittenhouse and Charlottesville. Justice was served this week but how it came about was miraculous. How many similar cases have been buried? Marion and Jarlath also offer their weekly recommendations for what to watch and read. Thanks to all of our loyal and legendary patrons for supporting the continued creation of this series.   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   Supplemen

Sonia heads to California to check out a potential training camp for her Nike athletes. On a whim she decided to run a half marathon. Hear how she got on in this great episode about all things snack related. There’s a brilliant letter from a listener who built her own snacks business from a very simple idea, Sonia’s tip of the week and a deep dive into pre, mid and post run snacks. Jarlath is 1600km into his running challenge for Jigsaw. Why not support him. He has only 400km to go! https://www.idonate.ie/fundraiser/11392108_jarlath-regan--irishman-running-abroad-.html   Join our running event on strava.com/clubs/irishmanrunningabroad and help raise vitally needed funds for our chosen charity partner jigsaw.ie and all the work they do to support young people in Ireland.   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   Supplementa

Richard Chambers sits down to discuss the storm surrounding his new book “A State Of Emergency - The Story Of Ireland’s Covid Crisis”. It’s an extraordinary piece of writing from within the storm. Each and every day while covering the news for Virgin Media News in Dublin, Richard had a rare vantage point of those in charge, those on the front lines and those who suffered most through this crisis. He tells Jarlath about why he wanted to gather what he saw into one publication and what he feels could happen from here. The book is available in all good bookshops and online suppliers now.    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 s

With jury selection almost complete, Marion McKeone looks ahead to the most anticipated celebrity trial in recent memory. Ghislaine Maxwell stands accused of sex crimes, conspiracy and perjury related to the actions of the financier Jeffrey Epstein, who killed himself in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019, while awaiting sex trafficking charges. Attorneys have said that Ghislaine Maxwell “played a critical role in helping Epstein to identify, befriend and groom minor victims” and “in some cases, Maxwell participated in the abuse”. Marion looks into the dark corners and absurdity of the jury selection process, the presiding judge and questions over what this trial can hope to reveal. Later in the episode Jarlath gets an update on the censure of Paul Gosar and the closing arguments in the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse.   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.pat

Whether you're failing to cool down, stretch properly, refuel or sleep adequately, you are making the next run harder than the last. This week the greatest Irish athlete of all time breaks down the keys to replenishing and restoring the body after the exertion. Jar drained the tank last week and felt sick at the end of his Sunday run. Together they laugh about the reasons why this happened. Sonia explains the struggles she has had with recovery in the past and gives us a rare insight into the supplement she found that really helps her sleep better and heal more quickly. Don't forget there's a double size version of the episode with more hints, tips and craic over on patreon.com/irishmanabroad. You'll also get extensive episode notes with more info and tips from Sonia.   Join our running event on strava.com/clubs/irishmanrunningabroad and help raise vitally needed funds for our chosen charity partner jigsaw.ie and all the work they do to support young people in Ireland. Why not join Jarlath in raising money fo

This week, Jarlath is joined by Kodaline frontman Steve Garrigan for a one of a kind conversation about his life and career. Steve speaks frankly about the painful shyness that dominated his early years and how his parents tried to help him. Later Jarlath asks about the devastating effects of tasting fame in your Leaving Cert year and how he wrote Kodaline's hit single High Hopes at a time when he felt like he had hit rock bottom.   From the hilarious accounts of his earliest roles as a Pokemon and making an absolute fool of himself in front of Tony Hawk (without whom Kodaline would not exist) as well as his sobering account of the terrifying panic attack he experienced at the age of 20 and much more, this is a fascinating conversation with one of Ireland's top musical talents.   Steve's book High Hopes is available in all good bookstores and the list of cognitive distortions that is referenced in the interview can be found here https://positivepsychology.com/cognitive-distortions/   To hear every episode in

This week the New York Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez hit the headlines again when The White House condemned the Republican congressman Paul Gosar for tweeting a video which depicted him striking and appearing to kill her. The House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, said “threats of violence against members of Congress and the president of the United States must not be tolerated” and called on the House Republican leader, Kevin McCarthy, to join in condemning the video and call on law enforcement to investigate”. AOC is adamant that this kind of thing is nothing new and nothing will happen as a result. She says she’s used to this.    Jarlath is joined as always by our US correspondent Marion McKeone to talk about what happened. Is the treatment of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez barely even news? Marion tries to explain what it is about her that gets this furious response from Republicans. When did all this begin? And are the bookies right when they say that she is destined for the White House.   If you would like a story d

This week Jarlath talks to Sonia about all the challenges facing women in sport and how we can keep young girls involved. Together they reflect on how few and far between the options once were for young girls interested in pursuing sport in a serious way in Ireland as recently as the early 90s. Has enough changed? Sonia gives her opinion what needs to happen for change to take place for this generation. We also get an update on her elite training group at Nike HQ in Oregon. This week German athletics hero Konstanze Klosterhalfen invited Sonia to a yoga class on a rest day. We get her take on an activity she has resisted for some time.   Join our running event on strava.com/clubs/irishmanrunningabroad and help raise vitally needed funds for our chosen charity partner jigsaw.ie and all the work they do to support young people in Ireland. Why not join Jarlath in raising money for Jigsaw by signing up to the Irishman Abroad challenge over at https://www.idonate.ie/event/2576_.html   To hear every episode in full

This week Damien Dempsey makes a much-anticipated return to the podcast for the first time since 2015. In this very emotionally raw conversation, Damien speaks about the meditative state he experiences while singing, his private battle with a shyness, his experiences of depression and the making of his powerful new documentary Love Yourself Today.   Damien reflects on waiting on creativity to arrive and the devastating thought process that he had prior to opening for Christy Moore.   Damien discusses how he handles the impact he has on the lives of his audience to opening up to his mother, the savage beating which very nearly brought a premature end to his career and much, much 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   Supplementary research provided by John Meagher. Our charity partner is jigsawonline.ie. In these