An Irishman Abroad

This week, the most capped Leinster Rugby player of all time Devin Toner, joined Jarlath for a rare and in-depth conversation about his life and career.   Devin opens up about the Joe Schmidt era, how he manages the uncertainty of pro sports and his plans to avoid becoming a “rugby Dad”. There are some big laughs in this chat too with Jar quizzing Dev on the worst team building events he’s been forced to attend and whether he might consider fighting Jake Paul if the offer ever came in.   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.   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 a running question to Irish Olympic Legend Sonia O'Sullivan or ask our Americ

When Dawn Behan decided to set up her own bookstore in a small rural town in Ireland there were plenty of people eager to tell her it would not work. Five years on the shop has been named independent book shop of the year, hosted author events with the likes of Graham Norton and become an essential pillar of the community. Today in the fourth instalment of our mini-series focusing on independent book sellers Jarlath hears her story. Woodbine Books has fast become one of the most respected bookshops in the country. How did Dawn change the minds of those reluctant locals and forge a place for her shop in Kilcullen. Like all of these episodes, it’s a great story. Ireland’s independent bookstore week is coming soon. Why not check to see where your local bookstore is and give them some support this month.   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

If Sonia was a member of the A-Team she would have pointed out to Hannibal that it’s not really a plan until you write it down. This week Jarlath gets more guidance from the Irish sporting icon on how to properly plan a week of running. Regardless of where you are with your progress, Sonia’s insight into what should form the basis of your run plan will help. From rest to ambition, consecutive training days to discomfort and pain, this is a fun and in-depth conversation about one of the most overlooked aspects of the running world. In the full episode (available to Patrons on Patreon.com/irishmanabroad) Irish Olympic medal hopeful and national record holder Ciara Mageean jumps on the LiveLine for a chat. She, like Thomas Barr, is part of a brilliant new documentary series following the journey of 9 irish athletes to Tokyo. Horizon Tokyo will be released soon on RTE and was created by a good friend of the show, Darragh Bambrick. Ciara burst out of lockdown running crazy new times. Jarlath asks her how she used

Irish Olympian Thomas Barr joined Jarlath for a fascinating conversation about his life and career while in the thick of his preparation for Tokyo. Thomas is one of Ireland's biggest medal hopes for the upcoming games. He speaks for the first time about his discomfort when put in front of the media, the days in which his commitment to his sport is most tested and why he believes dopers will always be one step ahead of the testers.   Thomas explains the influence, bound and mutual support between him and his Olympian sister Jessie and how he unwinds watching some pretty strange videos on YouTube. Can he go all the way in Tokyo? Jarlath asks if the strange circumstances might work in his favour.   This episode was made possible by Darragh Bambrick. Darragh followed Thomas for “Horizon Tokyo” an extraordinary documentary series that followed 9 Irish athletes on and off the track for 3 years as they try to qualify for the Olympic games in Tokyo. Catch it on the RTÉ player.   To hear every episode in full and to g

In today’s episode of our mini-series on Irish independent bookshops Jarlath visits Kenny's Bookshop in Galway. He speaks to Tomás Kenny about the university romance that gave rise to this family business, the gamble of starting a bookstore in 1940s Ireland and the remarkable stories that are tied up in the history of this Irish literary institution. From humble beginning Kenny's has gone on to become a pillar of the Irish arts landscape west of the Shannon and the preferred Irish book supplier for the United States Library of Congress. Tomás also explains how a chance meeting with an unemployed computer engineer in 1994 resulted in Kenny's bookshop beating Amazon to the internet punch. Finally we hear the touching story of how the local community rallied around the bookshop during the pandemic.   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/iris

The number one cause of re-injury is doing too much too soon when trying to return to activity. Why do we find it so hard to resist the urge to go for it too soon? Sonia takes Jarlath into how to avoid this common pitfall that she herself has fallen for on many occasions. There’s your questions on carb loading, dealing with heat and fitness answered. Then the LiveLine is open for a call from Sonia’s strength and conditioning guru Trevor Cummins in Cóbh. There is so much to enjoy in these episodes and even more over on Patreon.   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    Supplementary research provided by John Meagher.   Th

This week the one and only Blindboy Boatclub makes his much-anticipated return to An Irishman Abroad.   Limerick’s most loved artist and hip-hop icon explains how his life was changed by taking his courage in his hands on a new platform, his attraction to dog videos as pure entertainment on Tik Tok and the Irish housing crisis.  For the very first time he discusses how Irish artists are moving to London because they can't afford to rent in Dublin. There's also a fascinating discussion on how we expect things from those with a platform, conspiracy theories and Jarlath reveals some exciting news about the next stage of the Irishman Abroad Podcast Network.   To hear every episode in full and to gain access to the entire back-catalogue of over 400 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.   The Irishman Abroad Liveline is now open. You can now get in touch with us and

When he started renting books to his sisters as a child Kevin Gildea had no idea he was planting seeds for what would become a lifelong journey towards owning his book shop. In episode two of this very special Irishman Abroad mini-series focusing on independent bookstores around Ireland, Jarlath meets Kevin  to talk about his very long and winding road towards creating his Dun Laoighaire hub for second hand books. You’d be forgiven for thinking that starting his own business was the biggest challenge within this story but Kevin reveals the odour that nearly bested him. How conquering it might have been the thrill of his life and how opening up four days before lockdown made this enterprise even more special.   To hear every episode in full and to gain access to the entire back-catalogue of over 400 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.   The Irishman Abroad Li

Hips, just like the resemblance between Joey Tribbianni and an Irish Uncle, have been overlooked for far too long. This week Sonia explains why developing even a little more power in your hips can make a world of difference to your running, posture and prospects of getting injured. Jarlath went down the rabbit hole of Matt LeBlanc memes while simultaneously devouring every piece of half baked theory on the subject of hips. He puts his findings to Sonia and explains why he had resigned himself to having old man hips. Is there any hope for those of us who have long standing injury damage? Sonia’s own mobility issues are revealed and she takes your questions on supplements and letting your internal monologue get you down when injured. There’s a reminder of the next Irishman Abroad event and an update on how Sonia’s athletes faired in a Portland track meet last weekend.    Join our running event on strava.com/clubs/irishmanrunningabroad and help raise vitally needed funds for our chosen charity partner jigsaw.ie 

The challenge of emerging from lockdown is the topic for discussion today when Jarlath sits down with one of our most popular guests of all time Enda McNulty. Last time they spoke in March of 2020, the pandemic was just unfolding. With the world flying blind as to how long the lockdowns would last and what impact COVID19 might have, Enda provided a calm voice of reason. The episode was listened to in record numbers and became an instant fan favourite. Today Enda breaks down what faces us from here, how to rise to this new challenge and recover from whatever losses we have taken. Naturally, Enda has faced resistance to his teaching over the years. Jarlath wants to find out about the nuts he couldn’t crack and why.   For a bit of background on Enda and his work visit mcnultyperformance.ie Enda has been the high performance coach for not only companies like Microsoft and Kellogs, he was also the performance coach for the grand slam winning Ireland Leinster rugby teams. Before all this he was a winner of 7 Ulster

Jarlath meets Joanne Hunter the manager of a brilliant independent book shop in Louisburgh in county Mayo to talk about the challenges facing these kinds of book shops during the pandemic. We hear the very unusual story of how an Irish Times article brought her to apply for the job and how Books At One has come from a cornerstone of the community. The first in a series of Selection Box episodes to be uploaded across the next few months, this conversation goes straight to the heart of why we need to support our local stores when and where we can. If you’d like to suggest an independent book store for Jarlath to devote an episode to, email us at irishmanabroadpodcast@gmail.com. For more on Books At One and their extraordinary work visit www.booksatone.ie To hear every episode in full and to gain access to the entire back-catalogue of over 400 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 provi

Understanding the relationship and difference between these two things could change your running forever, help you avoid injury long term and make you a better person. Well the third one isn’t a guarantee but Sonia takes Jar by the hand and walks him through the essentials of teaching your body to do more and why it has such a huge impact on even elite athletes. With his injury still hanging around Jarlath takes a page from Boris Johnson’s book and uses an abundance of caution when it comes to returning to running. The impatience is killing him. Sonia advises him and all our listeners on why the use of this time and a little bit of detective work is essential.   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 400 Irishman Abroad episodes that are not available on iTune

Rory O’Neill aka Panti Bliss sat down with Jarlath this week to talk about Ireland six years on form that momentus day when the nation said yes to marriage equality. In this wide ranging discussion Jarlath asks Rory about the rise of a certain kind of insensitivity in the country and whether it is linked to a minority who feel wronged by the changes that have occurred in recent years. To hear the full conversation including Rory speaking for the first time about the housing crisis, the challenges and stress of running his own pub and why he doesn’t necessarily agree with all the criticism Ireland takes, join up on Patreon. Become one of the many people who feel that Irishman Abroad is worth something and want it to continue…. Panti is Ireland’s foremost “gender discombobulist”, “accidental activist”, best selling author, electrifying performer and driver of change. In his mother's words, Rory O'Neill has “always been his own man.” And woman. And national treasure.   To hear every episode in full and to gain

Tom Dunne stops by for a chat about Bob Dylan turning 80 and his own brush with death. He opens up to Jarlath for the first time about the rare heart condition that put him into coma for several days. An appreciation for life runs through his music recommendations for this week including the new Nick Cave book, albums by Paul Weller and St. Vincent and a documentary about the legendary band The Sparks. To hear every episode in full and to gain access to the entire back-catalogue of over 400 Irishman Abroad episodes that are not available on iTunes for just the price of a pint every month visit www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad 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 a running question to Irish Olympic Legend Sonia O'Sullivan or ask our America Correspondent Marion McKeone her thoughts on a current talking point Stateside? Of course, if you have an issue with traffic or elephants on

Why do we have it in our heads that there is a right way and a wrong way to run? Why are we obsessed with speed rather than enjoyment? Has Strava and the smart watches conditioned us all to want the wrong things from lacing up our shoes and enjoying this simple thing? Sonia breaks down a few of the most common mistakes she sees in amateurs and pros, while looking back and critically assessing her own bad habits over the years. There’s Sonia’s tip of the week, your questions answered and Jarlath brings a new coach onto the team, another Cobh legend, Trevor Cummins. Trev has helped Sonia thousands of others over achieve and now he turns his expertise to Jarlath’s recovery and you the listeners’ running habits.   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 gain access to the entire back-catalogue of over 400 Irishman Abroad episodes that are not ava

After 17 years at the BBC Annie MacManus walks away to start a new chapter. For two decades she has devoted her life to music and shining a light on the creativity of others. Her on air and on stage shows have become the stuff of legend, helped a generation form their musical tastes and thousands of artists find their audience.  With the release of her stunning debut novel Mother Mother, Annie takes a leap of faith into the unknown to become the creator in the full glare of the spotlight. She spoke to Jarlath this week about what prompted her to start down this dramatically different path. We hear about how a ridiculously busy schedule has taken its toll on her and how spinning multiple plates made the writing process almost impossible. Later we hear about her journey into music from Queens University in Belfast and how the passion for chat and music has always been her fuel. Jarlath explores how she honed her skill as an interviewer, the Alex Turner interview that proved the power of silence and the backgrou

As the entire world changes over the coming months there can be a sense of anxiety around losing the gains you have made or the fitness plan you have locked into place. Sonia has seen her world flipped upside down in recent weeks and Jarlath’s injury is throwing all sorts of new challenges at him. Together they chat through a few basic concepts that will hold you firm to your path, some supplements Sonia swears by and the dangers of having a car that looks like a lot of cars. There’s also an excellent listener email about whether it’s safe for weight loss and Sonia’s “tip of the week”.     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 gain access to the entire back-catalogue of over 400 Irishman Abroad episodes that are not available on iTunes for just the price of a pint every month visit www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad.   Our charity partner is ji

This week, we bring you the star and mastermind behind the hit show Irish Pickers, Ian Dowling. In the true style for which Ian is known, with all his cards laid out on the table, Ian generously tells us his incredible journey of success, tragedy, rebuilding and being the creator of his own path. Ian explains how he left a fantastic life in Australia to return home to help his family through a traumatic period, the fluke circumstances which caused a fire to destroy much of his business and how he took everything he had left with him to America all before Irish Pickers even went to air. From the art of haggling to his incredible collection of historical Irish materials and much more, this is a truly enlightening conversation with a man whose passion for his craft is second-to-none. To hear every episode in full and to gain access to the entire back-catalogue of over 400 Irishman Abroad episodes that are not available on iTunes for just the price of a pint every month visit www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad O

You can’t feel good all the time. It’s that simple. Even if you’re breaking your personal best on a weekly basis, you might not feel great about it. Runners low can be as common as runners high. This week our resident health, wellness and running guru Sonia “The Legend” O’Sullivan gives us her best advice on managing the inevitable dip in your outlook. Jarlath is really struggling this week after a shock diagnosis from his physio has sidelined him for the next month. That didn’t stop him this weekend. Jar and Sonia look back on a massively successful 5K event in memory of their fallen friend Gillian Ryan and in aid of the Southeaster Mountain rescue (The family’s gofundme is very close to reaching their €25,000 target https://www.gofundme.com/f/south-eastern-mountain-rescue-on-behalf-of-gillian?utm_campaign=p_cp_url&utm_medium=os&utm_source=customer). There’s shoutouts galore, a new caller to the LiveLine and our email of the week.   Join our running event on strava.com/clubs/irishmanrunningabroad and

A lot of the time when we struggle with a sport early in our lives we are inclined to drop it and move on. Eimear Considine didn’t quit when general consensus was her sister was the more athletic. Jarlath sits down with the Irish rugby and camogie star to talk about why that struggle has paved the way for her to jump into this new life and thrive at the international level. In 2018 Eimear made the unusual choice to step away from her sports when it all felt like too much. She later realised that the sensation she was experiencing was in fact, burnout. A time to travel the world and consider whether professional life down under might be the place for her produced some revelations that she still quotes today. On top of all this Eimear is an Irish and PE teacher in Dublin, Jarlath asks her about the way the language is now taught and the change in dynamic now that PE is an exam subject. There’s even more from this Irish sports star when you subscribe to us on Patreon... To hear every episode in full and to gain