Digg Podcast

David McGowan is a funeral director, embalmer and author from Easkey, Co. Sligo, with more than 40 years of experience working with families through death, funerals and grief. His work has also featured in the Netflix documentary The Funeral Director, giving viewers a rare look inside the profession and the care involved in preparing someone after death.

David speaks openly about what really happens behind the scenes in the funeral profession, from preparing a loved one for their final goodbye to the emotional impact of supporting families through loss. He shares some of the most difficult moments he has witnessed, why people grieve in completely different ways and what he believes can help when grief feels overwhelming.

David also talks about children attending wakes and funerals, why keeping yourself constantly busy can sometimes delay grief, how his work affected his own family and the lessons he learned from giving so much of himself to the business. He shares his personal beliefs around animals and death, including why he thinks dogs can sense when someone is dying, and why he often encourages people who are grieving to spend time by the water.

It is a conversation about death, but also about how we live, the people we make time for and how we support someone when they are going through loss.

Links from Episode

David McGowan 

https://www.ballinafuneralhome.ie/ 

Book - A Life Among the Dead

https://www.waterstones.com/book/a-life-among-the-dead/david-mcgowan/9781035412266 

Netflix Documentary - The Funeral Director

Brought to you in partnership with…

McKeever Hotels:

You can purchase gift vouchers here - https://mckeeverhotels.com/ 

Make sure to also check out The Meridian, the new cocktail destination in Armagh City Hotel.

Eddie McKeever, Managing Director of McKeever Hotels, and his sister Bridgene Keeley, Director of Sales and Marketing and Company Secretary, are part of the family behind a leading hotel group with seven hotels across Ireland, north and south.

They talk about growing a family business, working with siblings, succession planning and the opportunities available through a career in hospitality.

Caroline also hears from Ellie Kennedy, Duty Manager at Dunadry Hotel; Iris Houston, General Manager of the Adair Arms Hotel; Stella Grant, Procurement Manager across the group; and Scott Smith, General Manager at Dunsilly Hotel.

Together they share real stories about career progression, work-life balance, changing roles, gaining qualifications and the McKeever Academy.

If you’ve ever considered a career in hospitality, thought about changing direction in your working life or run a family business yourself, this episode gives a real look at the people and opportunities behind McKeever Hotels.

Links from Episode

McKeever Hotels

https://mckeeverhotels.com/ 

McKeever Hotels are delighted to offer you 15% off B&B stays across all their hotels. Use code DIGG15

T&Cs: Valid across B&B stays at: Dunadry Hotel & Gardens (including spa bedrooms), Armagh City Hotel, Dillons Hotel, Corr’s Corner Hotel, Dunsilly Hotel, Adair Arms Hotel, and The Lodge Hotel Coleraine

Subject to availability

Cannot be used in conjunction with other offers

Code valid until 31st December

Applicable on stays up to 30th March 2027

Brought to you in partnership with McKeever Hotels.

Paul Merriman, better known as Ask Paul, is an Irish financial adviser, entrepreneur and CEO of Fairstone Ireland, helping people understand their money and plan for their future. 

You’re working hard and paying the bills, but how do you know whether you’re doing the right thing with the money left over? Paul discusses saving for your children, investing, pensions for the self-employed and whether overpaying your mortgage could make a difference. 

He also shares how putting himself on social media helped grow his business, and how a phone call he nearly ignored led to selling it for far more than he expected.

If you keep putting off your finances because you don’t understand them or think you don’t have enough money to start, this conversation is for you. Paul explains why financial planning isn’t just for wealthy people, why you don’t need everything sorted today and how to prepare for your future without feeling guilty about enjoying your money now. It’s a starting point for anyone who wants to stop guessing and understand what to ask when they seek financial advice. 

Links from Episode

Paul Merriman

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/askpaul.ie/?hl=en 

Fairstone Ireland

https://www.fairstone.ie/ 

Fairstone UK

https://www.fairstone.co.uk/ 

Belfast - https://www.fairstone.co.uk/location/belfast/ 

Brought to you in partnership with…

McKeever Hotels:

You can purchase gift vouchers here - https://mckeeverhotels.com/ 

ProfileTree:

A Belfast web design, SEO, video and AI agency, founded by Ciaran Connolly in 2011, that helps businesses across Northern Ireland, Ireland and the UK get found online. Ciaran speaks and trains regularly on practical AI for business, and the team now works on AI SEO, which means checking and fixing whether a business shows up when a customer asks ChatGPT or Google's AI for a recommendation.

FREE AI Visibility Check https://profiletree.com/ai-seo/

Willie Anderson is a rugby coach, former Ireland rugby captain who earned 27 international caps, won a Five Nations Championship and Triple Crown, and famously stepped forward to face the All Blacks’ haka in 1989. But there is much more to his story than what happened on the rugby pitch.

Willie shares how taking a flag during a rugby tour landed him in an Argentinian prison for 3 months. He speaks openly about alcoholism and recovery, including the letter from his son Thomas that helped him confront his drinking. He talks about the pressure to drink when you’re trying to stay sober and what being there for his family means to him now.

Willie shares leadership lessons that go far beyond sport. He explains his 360 feedback approach, why a coach or business leader needs to hear uncomfortable truths, and how improving yourself can help your whole team improve. 

He also talks about his wife Heather’s support and his pride in his children, including fashion designer Jonathan Anderson. We hear how Jonathan and Chloe learned to work with their dyslexia, and why Willie believes effort matters more than talent, whether you’re building a career or chasing a place on a team. 

Links from Episode

Willie Anderson’s Book

Crossing The Line - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Crossing-Line-Willie-Anderson/dp/1914197151 

Brought to you in partnership with…

McKeever Hotels:

You can purchase gift vouchers here - https://mckeeverhotels.com/ 

ProfileTree:

A Belfast web design, SEO, video and AI agency, founded by Ciaran Connolly in 2011, that helps businesses across Northern Ireland, Ireland and the UK get found online. Ciaran speaks and trains regularly on practical AI for business, and the team now works on AI SEO, which means checking and fixing whether a business shows up when a customer asks ChatGPT or Google's AI for a recommendation.

FREE AI Visibility Check https://profiletree.com/ai-seo/

Clodagh Dunlop is a PSNI detective who had a stroke at just 35, leaving her with locked-in syndrome. Her only way to communicate was by blinking one eye. Today, she is back working full-time in a job she loves. 

Clodagh shares the stroke warning signs she dismissed and why she wishes she had trusted what her body was telling her. She opens up about being able to hear and feel everything while desperately wanting to tell her mum she was going to be okay. 

This conversation is about how you keep going when your life looks nothing like you planned. Clodagh talks about accepting what happened without letting it define her, learning to speak and move again, and setting small goals when the road ahead feels impossible. Sometimes, her only goal was to show up that day. 

For anyone facing a life-changing diagnosis, or supporting someone through the unimaginable, this is an episode to listen to and share.

Links from Episode

Clodagh Dunlop

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/clodaghbeatinglockedin/?locale=en_GB 

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/clodaghdunlopbeatinglockedin/?hl=en 

NI Chest, Heart and Stroke

https://nichs.org.uk/ 

Brought to you in partnership with…

McKeever Hotels:

You can purchase gift vouchers here - https://mckeeverhotels.com/ 

Paddy Raff is one of Northern Ireland’s best known comedians, a stand-up performer and comedy writer who went from making funny videos for family and friends to selling out Belfast’s SSE Arena.

Paddy talks about growing up in West Belfast, the early social media videos that unexpectedly went viral and how quickly his stand-up career took off. He opens up about family life, his sister Sarah and how growing up with a sibling with special needs shaped his perspective on life and how he treats people.

He also talks about creativity and ADHD, the impact of AI on comedy and human connection, knowing your worth personally and professionally, learning when to say no to work and why family will always come before taking every opportunity.

Of course, there are plenty of laughs, including a brilliant story involving a Dunnes Stores display bed that has to be heard.

A funny, honest conversation about the person behind Paddy Raff, the career he has built and what really matters to him.

Links from Episode

Paddy Raff:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/paddyraffcomedy/?hl=en 

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@paddyraffcomedy 

Tour Tickets - https://paddyraffcomedy.com/ 

Brought to you in partnership with…

McKeever Hotels:

You can purchase gift vouchers here - https://mckeeverhotels.com/ 

ProfileTree:

A Belfast web design, SEO, video and AI agency, founded by Ciaran Connolly in 2011, that helps businesses across Northern Ireland, Ireland and the UK get found online. Ciaran speaks and trains regularly on practical AI for business, and the team now works on AI SEO, which means checking and fixing whether a business shows up when a customer asks ChatGPT or Google's AI for a recommendation.

FREE AI Visibility Check: https://profiletree.com/ai-seo/

Louise McDonnell, better known as LMD, is a makeup artist, content creator and beauty entrepreneur behind LMD Cosmetics, LMD Beauty and Pearla Bay.

Louise shares the real story behind her success and speaks openly about parts of her life she has never discussed publicly before.

From building her career in makeup and growing a huge social media following, to family pressures, burnout, body image, dieting and realising that food had become a coping mechanism, Louise gives an honest look at what has happened behind the scenes.

She also talks about business growth, showing up online, taking opportunities, knowing your worth and why getting comfortable with being uncomfortable matters.

An honest conversation about beauty, business, social media, motherhood, confidence and everything people don’t always see behind the scenes.

Links from Episode

Louise McDonnell

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/louisemcdonnell_/?hl=en 

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@louisemcdonnell_ 

Brought to you in partnership with…

McKeever Hotels:

You can purchase gift vouchers here - https://mckeeverhotels.com/ 

ProfileTree:

A Belfast web design, SEO, video and AI agency, founded by Ciaran Connolly in 2011, that helps businesses across Northern Ireland, Ireland and the UK get found online. Ciaran speaks and trains regularly on practical AI for business, and the team now works on AI SEO, which means checking and fixing whether a business shows up when a customer asks ChatGPT or Google's AI for a recommendation.

FREE AI Visibility Check https://profiletree.com/ai-seo/

Russell Watson is one of the world’s most successful classical singers, with more than seven million albums sold and performances for royalty, presidents and the Pope.

Russell Watson shares how he went from factory night shifts and working men’s clubs in Salford, England, to international success. He opens up about the warning signs that were dismissed as stress, the life changing diagnosis that followed and the moment he realised everything could change.

Russell also talks about surviving serious illness, rebuilding his career, staying grounded through fame and why talent, hard work and trusting your own instincts have kept him at the top for more than 25 years.

Links from Episode

Russell Watson 

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/officialrussellwatson/?hl=en

Tour Dates - https://www.awaywithmedia.com/tours/russell-watson 

Location Partner - Dunadry Hotel and Gardens https://www.dunadry.com/ 

which is part of https://mckeeverhotels.com/ 

Use Digg15 for 15% off B&B stays in any of their seven hotels. Code valid until 30th September, applicable on stays up to 30th March 2027

Black Paddy (Fabu-D) is one of Ireland’s most recognisable online personalities, a comedian, storyteller and content creator known for travelling through towns across the island, meeting people, sharing laughs and bringing his own energy everywhere he goes.

He shares the story behind Black Paddy, coming to Ireland from Nigeria, building a life here, and becoming a bridge between cultures. He opens up about Irish humour, racism, social media, fatherhood, faith, comedy and the personal battles that shaped the man behind the viral videos.

A funny, honest and powerful conversation about identity, culture, resilience, second chances and why what you give out comes back to you.

Links from Episodes

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/blackpaddy_official/?hl=en 

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@the_black_paddy?lang=en 

Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@TheBlackPaddyShow/videos 

Website - https://www.black-paddy.com/ 

Location Partner - Dunadry Hotel and Gardens https://www.dunadry.com/ 

which is part of https://mckeeverhotels.com/ 

Use Digg15 for 15% off B&B stays in any of their seven hotels. Code valid until 30th September, applicable on stays up to 30th March 2027

Karen O’Leary is one of Ireland’s best known family and child law solicitors, senior partner and head of family and child law at Caldwell & Robinson Solicitors.

Karen shares clear, practical advice on divorce, separation, prenups, cohabitation rights and family law in Ireland. She explains the myth of common law marriage, what happens to the family home, pensions, businesses and finances when a relationship breaks down, and why living together does not give you the same legal protection as marriage.

Karen also talks about mediation, protecting your privacy during separation, supporting children through divorce, and why uploading private family law or divorce documents to ChatGPT could get you into serious trouble.

A must listen for anyone going through separation, thinking about divorce, living with a partner, or wanting to understand their legal rights before they need them.

Links from Episode

Caldwell and Robinson Solicitors -  https://www.caldwellrobinson.com/ 

Location Partner - Dunadry Hotel and Gardens https://www.dunadry.com/ 

which is part of https://mckeeverhotels.com/ 

Use Digg15 for 15% off B&B stays in any of their seven hotels. Code valid until 30th September, applicable on stays up to 30th March 2027