In this episode, we delve into the incredible journey of Caroline Leon, a mountaineer whose life was irrevocably changed by a traumatic accident. Against all odds, Caroline not only survived but discovered a renewed sense of purpose in the mountains. Join us as Caroline recounts the harrowing details of her accident and the profound impact it had o…

In this episode, we explore the intricate dynamics of managing working relationships, romantic relationships, and the complexities of business development. Our guest, Keith O’Malley-Farrell, shares his invaluable insights and personal experiences on maintaining the balance between professional and personal connections. He opens up about the challen…

In this moving episode, we sit down with Ishani Cooney, a courageous mother who opens up about her challenging birth experience and the tough road of motherhood marked by anxiety and depression. Ishani shares her raw and honest story, revealing the emotional and mental hurdles she faced as she navigated the early days of motherhood. Despite the imm…

Chris Bradwell - From struggle to support In this episode, Ciarán sits down with Chris Bradwell, the founder of British Dads Dubai. In an open and heartfelt conversation, they delve into the strains of mental health as Chris shares his personal battles with anxiety and depression. The discussion extends to adult ADHD, where Chris reflects on his be…

In this first episode of Season 6, Ciarán and Andrew dive into the critical topic of workplace wellbeing and the key factors that influence performance at work. They also provide a sneak peek into what Season 6 has in store, with Ciarán sharing insights on the types of conversations and interviews listeners can look forward to. Additionally, Ciarán…

For the final episode of Season Five, we speak with Mollie from ‘Irish with Mollie’ where she shares her mission to revive the Irish language to a global audience. In this fascinating episode filled with passion, patriotism and pride, Mollie expresses her desire to make learning the Irish language fun and accessible; especially to the Irish diaspor…

In this episode, we speak to Sorcha Coyle, a Career and Money strategist for teachers. Sorcha shares with us her journey from teacher in Qatar to entrepreneur where she unites her teaching expertise, experience and coaching skills to support and guide others to maximise their skillset, where they can showcase their strengths. In addition, we discus…

For the fourth episode of Season Five, we talk to Neville O’Donoghue. Neville is the founder of the social media pages Benchwarmers, Gaelic craic and Rugby smacks; all totalling over 1 million followers! This episode shows how resilience, determination and the capability to think outside the box can lead to success. Neville describes how the tradit…

Ine-Mari Bredekamp comes on the show to discuss ADHD from the perspective of a parent. ADHD stands for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. It's a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects both children and adults. Ine Mari explains how her son's ADHD has created challenges in his life. She shares with us some specific examples of these challen…

In this episode, we are delighted to hear from Carla Julian, a kid's certified yoga instructor. Carla is the owner of Move on Yoga - an organisation that promotes wellness for children. Carla expresses her passion for creating an environment that is safe, free from technology and a place for young people to connect with their feelings and emotions.…

On the first show of Season Five, we had the pleasure of hosting Brian Keane of Brian Keane Fitness. Brian gave us an insight into his journey, from a primary school teacher to a successful businessman. Brian’s positivity and energy could be felt as soon he turned on his camera; and combined with his knowledge of the fitness industry and business h…

In Episode 5 of Season Four, Catherine O’Farrell brings to light her excruciating ordeal of being in a road accident. As Catherine cycled off into the Dubai sunset, a car hit her from behind and left her ‘literally’ hanging on for her life. With an amazing team of people at the helm, Catherine began to visualize her future positively and created a …

On today’s show Helen Farmer from Dubai Eye talks about the guilt of being a working mother. She talks about how her life was transformed when she was engaged, married and pregnant within a year. She was back at work within 45 days but as her first born turned one, the guilt started to creep in. Helen goes on to explain how she tries to juggle bein…

On today's show, Alistair brings us back to his school days where he endured some ‘not so pleasant’ experiences. With teachers who treated Alistair like there was something wrong with him, the ‘misunderstood’ teenage Alistair Dale felt lost in a system that truly was lost! Alistair explains how his unfortunate past as a teenager has created a passi…

Samira Cutts - Managing the mind. Today Samira Cutts explains to us what the work of occupational therapists entails and how we can learn to ‘function’’ better through the use of occupational therapy. With key ingredients of physical therapy, psychology, sociology and anthropology coming together, Samira musters up a range of strategies that can su…

Professional sport and its challenges To kick start off season 4 we had the pleasure to talk to Sean O’Shea, Director of Football and Cognita Schools Middle East. Sean shares with us that life as a professional football coach isn't an easy role to fill, but his passion and desire to make it to the top gives Sean the drive to get up every day to lac…

For episode 6 of session 3, we talk to life coach Linda Bonnar. Linda shares with us her challenges with regard to an eating disorder and how this had such a profound impact on her education, home life and relationships. Through her own understanding of the disorder, the support of her family and the many hours of cognitive training and therapy, Li…

In this New Years’ Day special, Ciarán provides some top tips and tricks to help you achieve your goals for 2023. We discuss: Setting SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-Bound) State Management – How to get you in the right physical and emotional state to achieve your goal How to set goals and take actions that make you h…

In episode 4, Sandy Stirling tells us about the challenges he has experienced with a troubled marriage and the heartache associated with life in a broken family. Sandy shares with us the lengths he went to help him overcome such challenges, and gives us a taste of the amazing work he is currently doing for MND (Motor Neurone Disease). As Sandy says…

Today we talk to James Greenen; the principal dancer from the world-renowned Irish dancing show ‘Riverdance’. In this episode, James shares with us his Irish dancing journey and the bank of skills that helps him perform to a global audience year after year. In addition, James takes us on the Riverdance tour and gives us a taste of the stresses and …

In this short episode, we highlight men's mental health and discuss the reason why Jonathan and Ciaran grew moustaches for the month of November to promote Movember. Movember is an annual event involving the growing of moustaches during the month of November to raise awareness of men's health issues, such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and …

For the first episode of season three, Ciarán talks to educator and Irish examiner journalist Jenny Horgan. Jenny shares her views and opinions on the irish education system where she expresses concerns about how the curriculum prepares young people for the demands of adult life. In addition, Jenny highlights challenges teachers face with regard to…

Episode 6 gives our listeners an opportunity to see that when you have hit rock bottom, the only way is up! Sir Marco Robinson shares with us his challenging background story where he finds himself homeless, jobless and scavenging for any opportunity that comes his way. Through determination, grit and commitment to himself, Sir Marco tells us how h…

In this episode, Lousin Mehrabi discusses a topic that no parent ever wants to face. She shares with us the heartbreaking news that her son Alex has a fatal disease; Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. With a diagnosis that only gets worse and has no cure, Lousin explains how she negotiates her way into coping with this and identifies what strategies she …

For episode four of season two, we do it differently. Ciarán shares his interview with one of Dubai’s most highly respected talk show hosts, Helen Farmer. Here, Ciarán and Helen talk about body image and the negative effect it can have on people. They delve into body image stories from Ciarán's newly released book LISTEN! and share their own views …

Chris Haill - No other way out CONTENT WARNING - THIS PODCAST DISCUSSED SUICIDE In this episode, Chris Haill talks about the challenges he has experienced from a young teenager to adult life with regard to his mental health and inevitably his mental illness. In his story, Chris takes us to a very dark place where he sees no way out due to an array …

For season two of episode two we welcomed Jasmine Navarro to discuss the challenges she has experienced with guilt after death. Jasmine's story evolves as she expresses the emotions she faced when dealing with the grief of her stepfather, and the guilt associated with this. With some great tips and strategies of how she overcame such challenges, Ja…

Episode one of season two is a compelling story, where Kendria Johnson shares with us her harrowing journey from a pregnant 14-year-old girl to a strong, passionate and successful woman. This episode not only highlights how lonely life can be when facing challenges without the support of those closest to us, but it also demonstrates what can be ach…

This is the final episode for season one of Let’s LISTEN! where producer Andrew interviews the ‘usual’ host Ciarán. Ciarán discusses the purpose of the podcast and what he and Andrew are aiming to achieve with it. In addition, Ciarán discusses his own journey, his new book LISTEN! and highlights some of the challenges teenagers today experience. Yo…

Jane Brown reflects on the struggles she has experienced with an abusive partner and how this affected her confidence and presence in the relationship. With a wealth of love and care demonstrated by Jane for her children, and eventually herself, there is lots of learning to take from Jane's powerful story, where she transforms her life and takes co…

Episode 6 highlights the power alcohol and a negative lifestyle can have on mental health. Michael tells us how he overcame his demons by taking action and going into rehab to make him the person he is today. He shows us that through different variations of self-help, many obstacles can be broken down. With some powerful motivational phrases, this …

Episode 5 brings many emotions to the surface as Dean Arrowsmith talks about his challenges with self-worth, suicidal thoughts and the tragic termination of his unborn child Charli Mae. Dean demonstrates that even in the worst of times, the goodness of helping others provides a pathway for self revival. With a fitting visit from baby Fiadh, this ep…

In this episode, we talk to Karen Turner from iOptimizeme.com. Karen is the mother of a student with Asperger's syndrome, who has had her challenges with the education system. Karen provides us with some 'stark' examples of the pains associated with having Asperger's syndrome and attempting to fit into the ‘expected’ school system. As always, there…

In our third episode, we speak to Jonathan Harkin. Throughout the interview, we delve into Jonathan’s troubling past, with regards to his inner demons, alcohol abuse and body image insecurities. Jonathan doesn’t hold back as he takes us to a very dark place in his life. This interview is full of tips for self-improvement, so for those needing an in…

In our second episode, we LISTEN to Dan Smith. Dan talks about his transformation from being the breadwinner of the house to a stay at home dad. The interview evolves as Dan expresses how he reconstructs his mindset to one that is more favourable, through running! With a hidden gem in this interview for boxing fans, this interview is not to be miss…

For our first episode, we listen to Dean Munro. Dean tragically lost his son Monte after just 10 weeks. Dean talks about the grieving process, the impact on his mental health and how important it is for men to talk To find out more about how Dean is honouring Monte’s legacy, or purchase one of the short stories Dean has written about him, visit htt…