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

Brenda McMullan is Grant-Maker from West Belfast, Northern Ireland.

 

After originally starting her career off in IT, Brenda is now the Executive Director of the Halifax Foundation NI — a funding body that grants over £1 million a year to local charities right here in Northern Ireland.

 

The foundation has responded rapidly to the COVID-19 Crisis by making funding decisions on a bi-weekly basis — rather than quarterly — so that grassroots organisations on the frontline can receive the support they need to respond during these uncertain times.

 

In today's episode, we talk about:

• How she went from cleaning-toilets to handling funds for a major bank!
• Some of the ways the Foundation is responding to the global pandemic
• Her pride for West Belfast
• The challenges parents of autistic children face
• And her brief stint in elocution classes

 

Brenda is a real 'salt-of-the-earth' kinda woman with a huge passion for what she does and loads of great insights/stories to share along the way.

 

Check it out!

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To see a 'treasure trove' of all things related to Brenda (including a photo) please visit https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/brenda-mcmullan-halifax-foundation-ni

 

Best Of Belfast is Northern Ireland's #1 Interview Podcast. We've shared 100+ hour-long conversations with incredible people from Northern Ireland.

 

To find out more, or join 'The Producers Club' please visit https://bestofbelfast.org/

 

Cheers!

 

— Matt 

 

 

 

Gary Lightbody is a singer-songwriter from Bangor, Northern Ireland and the lead singer of Snow Patrol.

 

Across their 25-year journey, Snow Patrol have sold over 17 million albums, picked up over 1 billion global streams and played on almost every stage known to man.

 

Their recent Reworked Album and Tour gave fans from all over the world the opportunity to experience new renditions of some of the bands greatest hits (and a few new absolute bangers too).

 

But it also gave long-time listeners the chance to pause and reflect on just how much has changed over the years.

 

(Yes, Chasing Cars is almost 15-years-old — and fun fact — was recently voted the most played song of the 21st century on UK radio). 

 

So, in today's conversation with Gary, we do just that: pause and reflect on the years that have gone before, and what they can maybe tell us about the future.

 

We cover topics like:

• Gary's first memories
• Snow Patrol's 10-year grind to success
• The importance of being specific while writing songs
• How to keep our heads right during Quarantine
• And Gary's greatest successes/challenges along the way

 

This will without a doubt be one of the fastest hours of your life and is full of so much genuine joy and stories worth sharing.

 

Check it out. 

 

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To see a photo of today's guest please visit https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/gary-lightbody-snow-patrol

 

Best Of Belfast is Northern Ireland's #1 Interview Podcast. We've shared 100+ hour-long conversations with incredible people from Northern Ireland.

 

To find out more, or join 'The Producers Club' please visit https://bestofbelfast.org/

 

Cheers!

 

— Matt 

 

 

Rebecca McKinney is a Radio Presenter and Fashion Stylist from Belfast, Northern Ireland.   After originally studying law, Rebecca pivoted into PR & Marketing before becoming the Resident Stylist for Victoria Square.   This ultimately led to Rebecca landing her dream job as one of the presenters of the Cool FM Breakfast Show — the biggest show in the country!   In today's episode we talk about: - Growing up on the grounds of Hogwarts (Campbell College) - How she got into radio - The role self-confidence has played in her journey - And a recent near-death experience with sepsis (!)   This is a super insightful yet fun conversation — and I know you'll not only really enjoy it, but also get a lot out of it.   Check it out!  

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To see a 'treasure trove' of all things related to Rebecca (including a photo) please visit https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/rebecca-mckinney-cool-fm

 

Best Of Belfast is Northern Ireland's #1 Interview Podcast. We've shared 100+ hour-long conversations with incredible people from Northern Ireland.

 

To find out more, or join 'The Producers Club' please visit https://bestofbelfast.org/

 

Cheers!

 

— Matt 

Thanks for an awesome month of monthly episodes!

 

Switching to two episodes a week (Monday & Thursday) going forward.

 

Say hello:

+447873636003

[email protected]

Gerry Flynn is a footballer and entrepreneur from Belfast, Northern Ireland.

 

Prior to moving to Spain 10 years ago, Gerry played professional football for Hull City before returning to the Irish League to play for Cliftonville & Coleraine where he won the Irish Cup.

    He now runs a series of businesses with his wife Debbie including: Dream Spanish Homes, DSH Invest, The Celt Irish Bar, The Shamrock Lounge and Mar Menor Car Hire.     In today's episode we talk about:

• Growing up in The New Lodge
• His recent social media success with "Football Stories"
• How he's handling the crisis from a business point of view
• And much much more.

Check it out.

 

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To see a 'treasure trove' of all things related to Gerry (including a photo) please visit https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/gerry-flynn-murcia-spain

 

Best Of Belfast is Northern Ireland's #1 Interview Podcast. We've shared 100+ hour-long conversations with incredible people from Northern Ireland.

 

To find out more, or join 'The Producers Club' please visit https://bestofbelfast.org/

 

Cheers!

 

— Matt 

 

Sam Halliday is a musician from Bangor, Northern Ireland (and a part-time footballer for his local team).

 

After starting a band with some friends from school, Sam and his mates went on to form the international award-winning music sensation that is Two Door Cinema Club.

 

Named after a local cinema back home, the band has sold millions of albums worldwide and performed on some of the biggest stages on the planet.

 

In today's show, we chat to Sam about:

• The band's origin story
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
• What their early gigs were like
• His favourite takeaway in NI

 

Check it out.

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To see a 'treasure trove' of all things related to Sam (including a photo) please visit https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/sam-halliday-two-door-cinema-club

 

Best Of Belfast is Northern Ireland's #1 Interview Podcast. We've shared 100+ hour-long conversations with incredible people from Northern Ireland.

 

To find out more, or join 'The Producers Club' please visit https://bestofbelfast.org/

Cheers!

 

— Matt 

 

Adam Cree is the Chief Revenue Officer of 3EN Cloud Ltd, located in Holywood, Co. Down.

 

Having spent the first part of his working life in professional sports, he made the transition to the business world despite having no qualifications or degrees.

 

From there, Adam has worked his way up to the leadership team of 3EN, helping them double their growth of staff and revenue in his first full year in the role.

 

In today's show, we chat to Adam about:

• His early childhood experience
• How someone 'becomes' a Belfast Giant
• What led to him getting into business
• And the greatest successes/failures he's experienced along the way

Check it out!

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To see a 'treasure trove' of all things related to Adam (including a photo) please visit https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/adam-cree-3en-cloud

 

Best Of Belfast is Northern Ireland's #1 Interview Podcast. We've shared 100+ hour-long conversations with incredible people from Northern Ireland.

 

To find out more, or join 'The Producer's Club' please visit httpbestofbelfast.org/

 

Cheers!

 

— Matt 

 

Paddy Raff is a comedian from Belfast, Northern Ireland.

  After working in a call-centre before joining a wedding band, Paddy has exploded onto the comedy-scene much later in life than most — despite having all the responsibilities that come with being "an adult."     As more and more people started sharing his SnapChat sketches via WhatsApp and social media, it became clear that there was an audience out there for his material.     In just a couple of years, Paddy has gone from performing his first stand-up gig at an open mic night to selling out shows in the SSE Arena and performing in front of thousands of people.     Today's episode we chat about:

• Paddy's early memories 
• How he got into comedy
• Why starting late has paid-off
• And the highs/lows he's experienced along the way.

  Check it out!  

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To see a 'treasure trove' of all things related to Paddy (including a photo) please visit https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/paddy-raff-comedian

 

Best Of Belfast is Northern Ireland's #1 Interview Podcast. We've shared 100+ hour-long conversations with incredible people from Northern Ireland.

 

To find out more, or join 'The Producers Club' please visit https://bestofbelfast.org/

 

Cheers!

 

— Matt 

               

Patrick Quinn is a 37-year-old International School Principal from Belfast currently living in Changshu, China.

  After initially working in fashion and management, Patrick pivoted into a career in teaching because of his love for people.
    In 2017 he took the massive step to move to China for a year and he's been there ever since.     In today's episode we talk about:

• Taking risks
• Trying new things
• How to build confidence
• And the highs/lows Patrick has experienced along the way

  Enjoy!  

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To see a 'treasure trove' of all things related to Patrick (including a photo) please visit https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/patrick-quinn-changshu-china

 

Best Of Belfast is Northern Ireland's #1 Interview Podcast. We've shared 100+ hour-long conversations with incredible people from Northern Ireland.

 

To find out more, or join 'The Producers Club' please visit https://bestofbelfast.org/

 

Cheers!

 

— Matt 

     

Claire Moore hails from Jordanstown, Co. Antrim and is currently based in Hong Kong after an eight-year stint in Dublin.

 

She works in sports marketing and has been involved in planning major events around the globe such as The Irish Open, The World Rugby Sevens Series and The Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

 

But shortly after moving to Hong Kong, Claire began to experience some unusual symptoms. 10-days later she was on the operating table for full-blown brain surgery — an event that she claims has changed her life forever.

 

This is her story.

 

In today's episode we talk about:

• Why she's so proud to come from Jordanstown
• What led her to moving away from home
• How Hong Kong is reacting to COVID-19
• And the ways her life has changed post-surgery

 

Check it out.

 

//

 

To see a 'treasure trove' of all things related to Claire (including a photo) please visit https://bestofbelfast.org/stories/claire-moore-hong-kong

 

Best Of Belfast is Northern Ireland's #1 Interview Podcast. We've shared 100+ hour-long conversations with incredible people from Northern Ireland.

 

To find out more, or join 'The Producers Club' please visit https://bestofbelfast.org/

 

Cheers!

 

— Matt