Best Of Belfast: Northern Ireland's #1 Interview Podcast

By Matthew ThompsonSociety & Culture Places & Travel

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Best Of Belfast: Northern Ireland's #1 Interview Podcast episodes

January 10, 2022#241 Kit Adams: Antarctica's Post-Man
Kit Adams is an adventurer from Newcastle, County Down who is currently working as a post-man in Antarctica. After growing up at the bottom of the Mourne Mountains, Kit has dedicated his life to learning about and exploring the natural world. Just before the pandemic hit he spent a season living and working at “The Penguin Post Office” where he and his colleagues manually processed over 60,000 postcards and welcomed visitors from all over the world. In today’s episode we talk about:

How on earth you land a job as a postman in Antarctica

What remote/wild parts of the planet can teach us

The value in disconnecting from technology

And why doing hard things is both fulfilling and worthwhile

Check it out. https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/kit-adams-antarctica-post-office P.S. The last we heard from Kit he was in the Falkland Islands on his way back to Antarctica!
48 min
January 03, 2022#240 Clive Corry: Loss, Grief & Intergenerational Trauma
Clive Corry is the founder of Action Trauma, Ltd. A not for profit organisation whose vision is to see a world where people stop hurting themselves and others because of undealt-with negative experiences (trauma).

His journey started in 2016, after the death of his wife through illness, where he believes trauma/stress/anxiety may have compromised her immune system.

Since then he’s read 100+ books on the topic, founded the not-for-profit and run several world-class conferences right here in Belfast that have attracted 1000’s of international visitors and global trauma experts like Gabor Maté, Janina Fisher, Stephen Porges, and Bessel van der Kolk. Along with many others.

In today’s episode we talk about:

Working in the family timber business (JP Corry) during the troubles

What trauma actually is and how it’s stored in our body

The role trauma plays in addiction

Why intergenerational trauma affects nearly all of us in Northern Ireland

And most importantly, what we can do to start dealing with and healing our own trauma.

This is a fascinating conversation with an incredibly passionate, empathetic individual with a huge heart for seeing our nation experience healing on a big-picture and individual level.

I hope that you get as much out of it as I did.

— Matt

P.S. Clive asks us to note that Action Trauma provides information for everyone working with or experiencing psychological trauma through its conferences and events. Regrettably, it is not able to provide therapy, advice or treatment directly. However, via the website, it can signpost to where help may be found.

P.P.S. Here’s three books Clive recommended as a starting point (Amazon Affiliate links):

Gabor Maté: When The Body Says No

Bessel van der Kolk: The Body Keeps The Score

Peter Levine: Waking The Tiger

// https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/clive-corry-action-trauma
59 min
December 27, 2021 [Rebroadcast] Norman Surplus: The First Man To Circumnavigate The Planet In An Autogyro
This conversation first aired three years ago and is one of our most popular episodes.

Merry Christmas and enjoy!
1 hr 32 min
December 20, 2021 [Rebroadcast] Foy Vance: A Once In A Lifetime Conversation
This conversation first aired three years ago and is one of our most popular episodes.

The long pauses, stretches of silence and absolute golden moments have been kept in the way they happened on the day.

Merry Christmas and enjoy!

1 hr 6 min
December 15, 2021 Taking A Break...
See You Next Year!
12 min
December 13, 2021#236 Eimir McSwiggan: Champion Ice Climber
Eimir McSwiggan is a World Champion Ice Climber from Northern Ireland who’s been living and working in South Korea since 2010. With 6 World Cup medals under her belt, Eimir is passionate about sharing her love for climbing and dreams of bringing competitive Ice Climbing back to Northern Ireland someday in the near future… In this episode we chat about:

Growing up on a farm in Gortin, County Tyrone.

How she got into the sport at an age when most people consider retiring

Life lessons climbing competitively has taught her

And some of her war stories from along the way (including a brutal yet beautiful 20-hour climb up Asia’s tallest frozen waterfall)

All this and more in a very heartfelt and honest conversation with one of Northern Ireland’s best-kept secrets. Check it out. https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/eimir-mcswiggan-ice-climber
1 hr 21 min
December 06, 2021#235 Martin Mullholland: Head Concierge Of The Europa Hotel Belfast
Martin Mullholland is the Head Concierge of the Europa Hotel and has worked there for 38-years — making him the longest-serving staff member of the iconic Belfast landmark. He’s also the current President of Les Clefs d'Or, UICH Ireland — a prestigious network of Head Concierges from around the world. In this episode we talk about:

Walking through the door of the hotel for the first time at 18-years old.

Working in Belfast City Centre during the troubles

Meeting President Bill Clinton

The most unusual request a guest has ever made

And the art of connecting with other people…

This conversation took place as part of the Europa’s 50th Anniversary to celebrate and commemorate its place in local history and the role it’s played in the Belfast story. Check it out! https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/martin-mullholland-head-concierge-europa-belfast
51 min
November 29, 2021 #234 Esoteric Ramblings: The Prince Of Egypt
Scott has never seen The Prince Of Egypt. Matt grew up watching it.

In this episode, the lads take an esoteric adventure through the trippy, complicated, star-studded, Oscar-winning 1998 animated cult-classic "kids-movie" musical all about Meek Moses leading the people of Israel through the Red Sea.

Check it out.

https://bestofbelfast/stories/prince-of-egypt

3 hr 11 min
November 22, 2021#233 Nadia Sayers: Miss Universe, Comic Books & Mental Health
Nadia Sayers is a professional model and Miss Universe Ireland 2020. She's also a passionate mental health advocate, speaker and educator with a Masters in Psychology. After facing her own battles with depression and anxiety, Nadia went on to work in suicide prevention for six years before taking on her current role as Youth Development Manager at Hope 4 Life NI. Her day job now involves going into schools across Northern Ireland with the Uberheroes Programme: an initiative that uses comic books to empower young people with the tools they need to take control of their mental health. (P.S. These comics are based on real-life stories of kids from NI and are co-created with Marvel and DC illustrators!) In today's episode we talk about:

Reconnecting with your inner-child

The difference between anxiety and depression

Nadia's own encounter with suicide

Her unexpected beauty pageant journey

And the incredible results Uberheroes comic books have had on the lives of kids right here on our doorstep.

Check it out!
P.S. Here's a pageant podcast Nadia recommends :) // https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/nadia-sayers-uberheroes
1 hr 5 min
November 15, 2021#232 Francesca Morelli: Ice Cream, Influencers & Forging Your Own Path
Francesca Morelli is the Enterprise Development Officer at QUBSU and Co-Founder of VAVA Influence: Northern Ireland’s first dedicated Influencer Marketing Agency. After growing up as part of the Morelli Ice Cream family, Fran began forging her own path in the world of tech start-ups by spending a year working in Paris before moving back home to start her own business. In today’s conversation we talk about:

The incredible history of the Morelli family

How living abroad isn’t always as glamorous as it looks

Why influencer marketing is the future

And the challenges/successes Fran’s faced on the journey so far.

Check it out! https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/francesca-morelli-vava-influence
54 min