Carlow Connects Podcast

Carlow Connects | Ep. 17

My next guest is a well-known face in business circles in Carlow and beyond. He’s also a voice you’ll hear regularly on the radio commentating on GAA matches, so if you’ve ever roared at your kitchen radio on a Sunday, chances are it was him you were roaring at. Bernard Horohan of Tile N’ Style, Carlow!

He was part of the management team that guided O’Hanorans to the Junior A championship recently, beating my own club, Palatine, in the final. They say if you want something done, ask a busy person, and he’s no exception. He sits on the board of Club Carlow, alongside David Walsh, the funding and support group that keeps Carlow GAA going. But his support doesn’t stop at the GAA. Whether it’s other sports, local teams or initiatives right across the county, chances are his name is on the jersey or behind the project. And if you’re heading to Netwatch Cullen Park on match day, you’ll spot the little Smart car parked outside the grounds, covered in Tile N’ Style branding. It’s the most efficient advertising in Carlow: tiny car, huge presence. You’ll know he’s in the house.

He’s also dedicated to Manchester United, which is where we part ways. As an ABU, I’ve had the pleasure of a few trips away with him, and I can confirm he’s far better company than his taste in football would suggest. When you walk into his Shamrock Business Park in Graiguecullen, you get the feel of a real family business, with plenty of familiar faces working alongside him. That’s no accident, and it’s exactly what we’re here to talk about.

Make sure to keep up to date on the lates episodes & news across my socials: @ carlowconnectspodcast

Big thanks to our show sponsors Coppenagh House Farm, Tullow, Co.Carlow.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Carlow Connects | Ep. 16

My next guest is one of those stories that just makes you smile. Danielle Lambe. A couple of years ago, she was approached with an idea. To open up her own little coffee dock. Fast forward to today, award winning and that coffee dock has blossomed, quite literally, into a full business, complete with its own menu, its own following, and its own little slice of Hacketstown magic.

She's only twenty-three years of age, ladies and gentlemen. Twenty-three! I don't know about you, but at twenty-three I could barely make a decent cup of tea for myself, never mind run a business and employ people locally. So please join me in welcoming the woman behind Brew Stop. Proof that good things really do come to those who hustle.

Make sure to keep up to date on the lates episodes & news across my socials: @ carlowconnectspodcast

Big thanks to our show sponsors Coppenagh House Farm, Tullow, Co.Carlow.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Carlow Connects | Ep. 15

Joining me at the table today, is an extremely talented interior designer, and every builder listening is bowing their head saying, "She measured the wall twice, changed the colour four times, and the socket's moved 8 times for one lamp. Just tear the wall down", But, The finished room will look stunning, and we'll all pretend it was our idea!

Emma Butler is a multiple award winner, a TV & radio regular, and now a judge. She's won the Powerhouse Creativity Award, Network Ireland Carlow Businesswoman of the Year and Creative Professional. She's just been featured in Ireland's Homes Interiors & Living, she's shortlisted for the Fit Out Awards, and just when we thought she was busy enough, she's launched a brand new venture: Relocate to Ireland.

On Instagram you'll find her shopping for treasures, hanging pictures, in the car singing, screaming with stress, looking very busy, and giving her husband Lar a good dose of hardship. Lar, if you're listening, we're all on your side. But always with a smile. But in all seriousness, I've always said Emma is one of the bubbliest, happiest people I've ever met. She's a down-to-earth girl who is passionate about her work, and her work is truly wonderful. I can't fault it.

Make sure to keep up to date on the lates episodes & news across my socials: @ carlowconnectspodcast

Big thanks to our show sponsors Coppenagh House Farm, Tullow, Co.Carlow.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Carlow Connects | Ep. 14

Have you ever been on the phone to an IT person and felt completely lost? You ask why the printer won't work, network is down, and suddenly you're hearing about VPNs, DNS, MFA, SaaS, and RAM.

I'll be honest with you, I nod along and say "ah yeah" but I haven't a notion what any of those mean. I'm fairly sure one of them is a sandwich, a BLT maybe?

Every type of business uses IT, construction, healthcare, fitness & wellbeing, cafes, restaurants, you name we all touched by it in our daily lives. So today let's get the jargon out of the way and bring in someone to talk to us in plain English.

He's the CEO of Rockfield IT, based in Carlow, Colm Whelan!

He's here to explain what's going on with technology in our businesses, how to beat the scammers, why your data is stored where it is, and why everyone's so nervous about that buzzword, AI.

Make sure to keep up to date on the lates episodes & news across my socials: @ carlowconnectspodcast

Big thanks to our show sponsors Coppenagh House Farm, Tullow, Co.Carlow.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Carlow Connects | Ep. 13

My guest today used to work in beauty therapy. Where the biggest disaster was a dodgy brow. Then one day she looked at her career and thought, 'I need a change of surface'.

The Tarmacing Mammy, Shauna Doyle, swapped fake tan for real tar. Gel nails for gravel. Lash extensions for road extensions. She went from filling in brows to filling in potholes, and she's still doing full-face contouring, just on a much bigger scale.

She hopped into a truck, in an industry where people expected her to be lost, and she's been paving the way ever since. Her business may be small, but it's laying down big results. And she knows that, in business, it's not just the tar that holds things together, it's the connections. Fill your contact book right and every road leads to work.

She's a smooth operator, she's always on a roll, and she's proof that you don't need to be big to make a lasting impression.

Make sure to keep up to date on the lates episodes & news across my socials: @ carlowconnectspodcast

Big thanks to our show sponsors Coppenagh House Farm, Tullow, Co.Carlow.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Carlow Connects | Ep. 12

My next guests are proof that some things only get better with age, reputations included. Established back in 1973, REA Sothern has been the name that Leinster families and land-owners trust when it's time to sell, buy, or figure out what on earth their property is actually worth.

Over five decades, this family-run business has built its name the old-fashioned way, through relationships, reputation, and knowing the area better than anyone else, while quietly plugging into a network of fifty sister offices around the country as a founding member of the Real Estate Alliance Group.

Joining me today is the man who started it all, Harry Sothern, and the man who, by his own admission, was 'brought in kicking and screaming' back in 2006, his son Keith. Two decades later, Keith's seen the best and worst the estate agency world has to offer, and he's still here. Father and son, please welcome Harry and Keith.

Make sure to keep up to date on the lates episodes & news across my socials: @ carlowconnectspodcast Big thanks to our show sponsors Coppenagh House Farm, Tullow, Co.Carlow.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Carlow Connects | Ep. 11

Fáilte romhaibh ar ais go Carlow Connects. Now, this week's guest is a man whose guitar & lyrics has done a fair bit of travelling through the Irish charts, onto some of the biggest stages in the country far and wide, and alongside some serious musical royalty. Fiach Moriarty.

He is lead guitarist with the band Aldoc, and you'll also catch him stepping in for the occasional solo with the legendary Horslips. Three studio albums deep to his name, his band Aldoc have carved their own path through the Irish circuit.

He has collaborated with the likes of Damien Dempsey, brian kennedy, and Paul Brady, even supporting Damien live on stage. He's jammed with Paddy Moloney of the Chieftains, Finbar Wright, Fiachna Ó Braonáin of the Hothouse Flowers, Jack L, and Jim Lockhart of Horslips! A who's who of Irish music.

A proud Gaeilgeoir with a real passion for our native language, Fiach even wrote a song for his better half, Clara Hutchison, a Carlow native herself, to win the Pan Celtic 2026 singer song writing competition.

It's a career built almost entirely on connection. Who you know, who you play with, who takes a chance on you. And that's exactly what we're digging into today.

Make sure to keep up to date on the lates episodes & news across my socials: @ carlowconnectspodcast

Big thanks to our show sponsors Coppenagh House Farm, Tullow, Co.Carlow.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Carlow Connects | Ep. 10

My next guest has been providing & helping people with their electrical appliances in Carlow & beyond the borders for many a decade. Sean Swan.

This year, he and his business are celebrating a major milestone, of 60 years in business. A family run business that has grown into a trusted household name amongst us carlovians, for home appliances, and an incredible retail service the minute you walk in their door in the strawhall industrial estate.

If you walk around & through Carlow town on any given day, you’ll be sure to see an eire og top, or jersey, with Swans Electrical stitched across it. And by his own admission, that jersey has broken my heart on a football field more times than he'd like to count.

He's currently President of Éire Óg GAA, a champion of Carlow Camogie, a proud Lions Club man, and last year walked into what he thought was a normal work event... and walked out with a Lifetime Achievement Award and a standing ovation he never saw coming.

Make sure to keep up to date on the lates episodes & news across my socials: @carlowconnectspodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Carlow Connects | Ep. 09

My guest today, is one of Ireland's most recognisable faces and voices, A qualified Personal Trainer, Nutritionalist and health & wellness coach, and one of the best known content creators in Ireland. She's a brand ambassador for a number of household names both here and internationally. She is a fellow podcaster, like myself, with her very own podcast, Shake the Ground. Which is making serious waves through the podcast world.

Represented by the wonderful Jules Fallon & Demeter Wollen at First Management in Dublin, and she's a regular voice on the radio talking fitness, sport, and lifestyle and an MC.

It's the connections built up over the years that brought Nathalie Lennon in to us today, but I'll admit, I'm nosy about the whole "influencing" & content creation aspect of online business & personality building. What it's actually like being front and centre every single day, working with brands, living your life slightly more publicly than the rest of us. If you want to know how the world of content creation works this is must for you.

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Carlow Connects | Ep. 08

Today we’re joined by Minister Jennifer Murnane O’Connor. Someone who’s been part of public life in Carlow and Kilkenny for nearly three decades. She’s served as a councillor, a Senator, a TD, and now Minister of State at the Department of Health. But beyond all the titles, Jennifer is known for being deeply rooted in her community, always present, and always approachable.

We’re chatting about her journey into politics, what life looks like outside the Dáil, the juggle of family and public service, and the experiences that shaped her along the way. It’s a chance to get to know the person behind the role.

Make sure to keep up to date on the lates episodes & news across my socials: @carlowconnectspodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.