In this episode, I sit down with Eamonn, who grew up in Sheriff Street in the 1980s, one of five children raised by a father doing his best after their mother left for England when life became too heavy to carry.

Eamonn speaks honestly about growing up without a mother, the silence and confusion that followed, and how that absence shaped his sense of self from a young age. He reflects on life in the flats, the strength of community, and the neighbours who stepped in to support his family during some of their hardest years.

He shares what it was like to be put out of school at 12 and attending Bosco’s with his younger brother, and how drugs slowly became a way to cope — offering confidence, easing his shyness, and numbing feelings he didn’t yet have the words to express. Eamonn speaks openly about the progression of his addiction and his journey through three treatment centres, beginning at just 27 years old.

This episode is not only about addiction, but about recovery in its deepest sense — learning how to feel, how to understand the past, and how to make peace with it. Eamonn speaks with compassion for his younger self, his father, and his mother, holding all of their stories with understanding rather than blame.

Now in recovery, Eamonn works in the services supporting people experiencing homelessness and addiction and continues to give back in meaningful ways.

This is a moving conversation about loss, resilience, recovery, and the long journey home to yourself.