Our conversation spans the world of languages and the world in each language. Sophia Smith Galer is an award-winning journalist and author best known for pioneering vertical-video reporting on platforms like TikTok. Recognised as one of British Vogue's 25 most influential women in the UK, she has amassed over 200 million views for her reporting on technology, language, and culture. Sophia is also one of just four people ever to have won University Challenge twice!We explore her recent book, How to Kill a Language, which is a hopeful, healing, humorous, insightful book which I highly recommend. Her research resonates so deeply with our own native tongue. I look forward to hearing your thoughts. Grma as éisteacht! Thank you for listening! Beidh tú sásta gur éist tú :) You will be glad you did. Míle buíochas, a chara Sophia - Many thanks, Sophia :) Ba phleisiúr é - It was a pleasure :)

Múinteoir bródúil anseo! Proud teacher here! Ba phleisiúr é bheith ag caint le Caoimhín, mo chara agus mo dhalta - It was a pleasure to speak with Kevin, my friend and my student. Nach bhfuil tú tógtha leis? Aren't you impressed with him? Taispeánann sé cad atá indéanta le cleachtadh, paisean, bród, obair chrua agus grá don dúshlán! He shows what is possible with practice, passion, pride, hard work and love for the challenge!

Labhraíomar faoi ghnó, a bhácús, bainisteoireacht, cruthaitheacht, a thuras leis an nGaeilge, agus ceird fháilteachais. We spoke about business, his bakery, management, creativity, his journey with Irish and the art of hospitality.

Thaitin sé go mór mór liom, a chara :) Go raibh míle maith agat!

Feicfidh tú a bhácús in Athens, Georgia, SAM (USA) https://www.independentbaking.com/

Agus ar instagram: independentbakingco

Go raibh míle maith agat, a chara Yuji - Thanks a million, friend Yuji :) Yuji Beleza is a viral Japanese-Irish social media influencer and language enthusiast and entertainer, known for approaching strangers on the street and surprising them by speaking their native languages. He has millions of followers across platforms like Instagram and Tiktok and inspires people worldwide to connect with each other with smiles, and his incredible commitment to learning is encourging and uplifting :)

It was so special to chat with you and hear about your mission to connect with others through the care, joy, effort and consistency of learning other langauges. It's what the world needs!

Grateful to have you on the pod, and see your life-affirming videos online connecting with people through laughter, dancing and conversation @yuji_beleza

"The beauty of it is just so compelling" - Are we talking about the Irish language? Cathy Galvin's poetry? The west of Ireland? All of it.

"It was the lost inheritance of
something sublime: the force
of sea and wind; survival on the
margins"

Is failure wrong or bad? Or is it a journey of acceptance, celebration, fun, vulnerability and connection? Through Patrick's clown school, working in hospitals, being a teacher and a student, growing through challenges and finding his joy in play, drama, dance, navigating struggles, second chances, and awareness, this is a story of resilience, one of the most powerful skills we can have.

Go raibh míle maith agat, a chara :)

Thank you, friend!

Bhain mé an-taitneamh as ár gcomhrá - I really enjoyed our conversation (I extracted shining out of it!)

https://clownschoolinternational.eu/

@patrickvandenboom

@clownschool_international

What a breath of fresh air. Martha is a tonic! I love her work ethic, her joyful spirit, her vision, community, the power of mindset, and her love of Leitrim. Bain taitneamh as! Extract shining out of it!

Grma, a chara Martha! Thank you, friend, Martha :)

Ba phleisiúr é caint leat - It was a pleasure to talk to you.

Follow her journey and get excellent book recommendations, too! Martha Gilheaney (@marthagiheaney)

In this episode, Stiofán Nutty and I talk about the challenges and triumphs of making Irish central to your life, raising children through Irish, the beauty and richness, wisdom and poetry of the language and how we can root ourselves in An Ghaeilge, making it central to our lives, regardless of previous experiences, study or lack of study!

This is the first episode on my podcast which is fully (or 99% in Irish!) Feedback welcome :)

Bainigí taitneamh as! Enjoy it!

Is iarr Thánaiste do Ghaeltacht an Oileáin Úir é Diarmaid Ó Maolagáin - Diarmaid Ó Maolagáin was the Vice-President of the "New Island" Gaeltacht in Tamworth, Ontario.“A small community is drawn here, to a small patch of land in a tiny Ontario town where Gaelic acts as a lifeline to their history, their culture and to the Emerald Isle itself. This is the Canadian Gaeltacht.”

— Susan Krashinsky, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

www.gaeilge.ca

D'fhoghlaim sé a chuid Ghaelainne i gCeanada chun ceangal a dhéanamh len' dhúchais - He learned his Irish in Canada to make a link with his heritage. Fuair sé pobal láidir Gaelach agus d'fhoghlaim sé as bheith páirteach le himeachtaí tumoideachas agus sa tighe tabharnaí ag labhairt le cainteoirí líofa - He found a strong Irish community and he learned being part of immersive activities and in the pub speaking with fluent speakers.  Nuair a ghlac sé ról an Tánaiste bhí sé mar chuspóir aige an Ghaelainn a spreagadh - When he took up the role of Vice-President it was a goal of his to spread the language, agus mar sin thar aon rud éile bhí fonn múinteoireachta air - and therefore above all the desire to teach was on him. Thosnaigh sé ag múineadh tríd an Ghaeltacht agus théis tamaill thosnaigh sé ag múineadh ar a shon fhéin - He started to teach through the Gaeltacht agus after a while, for himself.  Anois tá sé ag múineadh agus ag freastal ar scoil chun céim a fháil sa Cheol Ceilteach - Now he is teaching and attending school to get a degree in Celtic Music. Oibríonn sé fós leis an nGaeltacht chun imeachtaí a eagrú - He still works with the Gaeltacht to organise events. Cuireann sé gliondar ina chroí go bhfuil sé in ann tacaíocht a thabhairt do fhoghlaimeoirí agus gur féidir leis cairdeas a dhéanamh tríd an teanga - It puts delight on his heart to be able to give support to learners and make friends through the language, agus tá sé ag tnúth le coinneáil ar aghaidh ag foghlaim agus ag labhairt na Gaelainne - and he is looking forward to carrying on learning and speaking Irish!

Connect with Diarmaid here :) @gael_ceanadachGo raibh míle maith agat, a chara! Thanks a million, friend. Thaitin ár gcomhrá go mór liom - I really enjoyed our conversation!

So wonderful to start 2026 releasing this conversation about naturally healing your relationship with food. Sinéad Crowe is an Intuitive Eating Counsellor, Nutritional Therapist, and Perinatal Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist. She also has intensive training in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Strategic Intervention, and Behavioural Family Therapy, alongside a Masters in Mindfulness-Based Interventions from UCD.

Our chat ranges from listening to our appetite, navigating the nuances of the food industry, our Irish relationship with famine vs feast, and mostly how to be good to ourselves and doing what feels good.

Having personally experienced binge eating for over 20 years and once enforced rigid food rules for her eldest children, Sinéad deeply understands the struggles many people face around food. Her own journey led her to raise her younger children as intuitive eaters, and this lived experience, combined with her professional expertise, allows her to support others with empathy, compassion, and practical guidance.

Find Sinéad's brilliantly effective, likeable and approachable work @intuitive.eating.ireland

If you need other support there are helplines like www.bodywhys.ie

Grá mór, a chara - Big love, friend! Bhí sé ar fheabhas caint leat - It was great to talk to you!

Kerry Irish aficionado, online sensation, brain rot connoisseur, and witty wizard, @an_maolchathach knows how to ride those trends while providing us with the most soothing, lyrical accent on the internet waves. This was an illuminating conversation with such a knowledgable young enthusiast who is celebrating our language and drawing in the giggles from far and wide. The richness of his accent and the great interest he has is inspiring. He creates memes and brain rot on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, making it inclusive and accessibe by adding subtitles. Brain rot is a slang term for the perceived mental decline from excessive, low-quality digital media consumption, especially short-form content, leading to reduced attention spans, cognitive fog, and difficulty with deeper focus, with Oxford naming it Word of the Year in 2024 to highlight digital overload's impact!

Find An Maolchathach for a good laugh and a lot of learning @an_maolchathach on Instagram, Tiktok and Youtube