Creative Places & Faces

The second part of the interview with author, journalist and broadcaster, Malachi O'Doherty, takes us from Belfast to India via England, Geneva and a few other places. 

Follow Malachi's fascinating time in India, discover some of the places that contributed to his development as a writer and see him back to his native city of Belfast.

Some of the topics covered include Hinduism vs Catholicism and a pretty deep and philosophical look at relationships.

This episode is sponsored by Property Insurance Centre.

See the transcription with images over at Travel Inspires - From Donegal to Belfast and India with Malachi O'Doherty

Podcast website:
https://creativeplacesandfaces.com/

Credits:
Host: Jackie De Burca
Sound engineer: Newton Samadder
Music: No.4 Piano Journey by Esther Abrami
Voice over: Mike Payne

Sponsor Series 1:
Property Insurance Centre

Author, journalist and broadcaster, Malachi O'Doherty was born in the village of Muff, Co. Donegal in March 1951.  Did you know that Malachi is a twin? And it was suspected that he and his brother may not survive. Soon after the family moved to Ballycastle while his father worked hard in a Belfast bar to feed an ever-increasing brood of children.

Packed full of interesting childhood anecdotes, this episode touches on Malachi's relationship with his Dad and also discusses the similarities between being a freelance journalist and a barman!

This episode is sponsored by Property Insurance Centre.

See the transcription with images over at Travel Inspires - From Muff to Ballycastle and Belfast with Malachi O’Doherty

Podcast website:
https://creativeplacesandfaces.com/

Credits:
Host: Jackie De Burca
Sound engineer: Newton Samadder
Music: No.4 Piano Journey by Esther Abrami
Voice over: Mike Payne

Sponsor Series 1:
Property Insurance Centre

Andrea Spencer is a Glass Artist who makes beautiful works of art from glass. Originally from England, Andrea has been based in a Games of Thrones location in Northern Ireland, Ballintoy, where she both lives and works.

She finds much of her inspiration from nature and delights in investigating natural forms that are then transformed into symbolic objects or abstracted to create images.

As Andrea considers her environment in Northern Ireland, she says, "It is very inspiring and I've always been very drawn to spending time in the natural world, especially as an immersive experience, being completely surrounded by nature or being in the water or standing on a precipice or steeped in the changing light, we get an incredible quality of light here that I think is due to the nature of being so close to the coast."

Andrea also answers questions about the therapeutic value of spending time with horses, what may have triggered her fascination with the natural world, her love of birds both dead and alive.. and much more.

The transcript along with images of the area, Andrea and her work can be found over at Ballintoy and The Causeway Coast with Andrea Spencer.

This episode is sponsored by Property Insurance Centre.

Podcast website:
https://creativeplacesandfaces.com/

Credits:
Host: Jackie De Burca
Sound engineer: Newton Samadder
Music: No.4 Piano Journey by Esther Abrami
Voice over: Mike Payne

Sponsor Series 1:
Property Insurance Centre

Jan Carson has made East Belfast her base for a number of years now. Discover how these terraced streets play muse to this award-winning author.

Listen to Jan as she describes how this place is bursting with material for her as an author. Learn how being in the middle of this closely-knit community triggers her creativity.

Jan also talks about her first serious writer's block and how she managed to resolve it. In fact, she did so in a way that resulted in a book.

We also discuss the effects of the COVID-19 lockdown on Jan: a person who only spent around one-third of the year in her own home in 2019. Discover Jan's connection with the communities that she has become involved in the south - the Republic of Ireland.

This episode of Creative Places & Faces is sponsored by the Property Insurance Centre.

The transcription with images is available at Travel Inspires - Exploring East Belfast with Jan Carson.

Podcast website:
https://creativeplacesandfaces.com/

Credits:
Host: Jackie De Burca
Sound engineer: Newton Samadder
Music: No.4 Piano Journey by Esther Abrami
Voice over: Mike Payne

Sponsor Series 1:
Property Insurance Centre

Senior reporter for one of the world's top newspapers, The Guardian, (at the time of recording) and author of ten books, Henry McDonald talks to Jackie De Burca about his formative years in Belfast, the role of both East and West Berlin in his novels and life, plus how Nerja in Spain and Hove in England affect him creatively.

Born on 6th July 1965, he grew up in Belfast during The Troubles where he had a few lucky escapes. In Belfast,

The interview highlights some fascinating connections between Henry’s 2019 gritty Belfast-based novel, Two Souls, and his own creative life and journey.

Asked how he may have been creatively influenced had he been born in Nerja rather than Belfast, McDonald said,

“I think if I had been born there I would be writing about ancient myths, hidden Roman treasure or Moorish ghosts.”

Enjoy visuals with Henry's interview at Henry McDonald's Inspirational Places

Podcast website:
https://creativeplacesandfaces.com/

Credits:
Host: Jackie De Burca
Sound engineer: Newton Samadder
Music: No.4 Piano Journey by Esther Abrami
Voice over: Mike Payne

Sponsor Series 1:
Property Insurance Centre

Winner of the EU Prize for Literature in 2019, Ballymena born author, Jan Carson, delves into her own imagination as well as a number of places that have had an important impact on her creativity.

Be transported by Jan's gentle voice as she considers the formative effects of her hometown Ballymena, how it contrasted with the Belfast of her university days and learn how she desperately needed to leave an environment that these days she loves.

Follow her to Portland, Oregon, where she ended up living by accident. A place for Jan that was "the maddest culture shock and it was wonderful." In fact, she didn't want to leave at all but this couldn't be avoided.

Leaving behind a cultural hub that she loved, not long afterwards Jan could be spotted writing her first book, the Portland inspired novel, Malcolm Orange Disappears. in the coffee shop at Tesco's in Ballymena.

Jan's journey also takes you to St. Andrews in Scotland and Karmøy in Norway.

This episode of Creative Places & Faces is sponsored by the Property Insurance Centre.

The transcription with images is available at Travel Inspires - to enjoy some visuals of the podcast just head over to Jan Carson: Belfast, Portland and more

Podcast website:
https://creativeplacesandfaces.com/

Credits:
Host: Jackie De Burca
Sound engineer: Newton Samadder
Music: No.4 Piano Journey by Esther Abrami
Voice over: Mike Payne

Sponsor Series 1:
Property Insurance Centre