Topics covered : Nervous system responses to stress, chakras, spiritual bypassing, self and collective care, motherhood, gratitude. 

In this episode, I speak to integrative health coach and co-founder of wellness platform 'Soul Space', Miriam Hussey.

She was a guest on one of my very first episodes of Ready to be Real back in 2019, alongside her husband Gerry — I love being in her company and I always take so much from listening to her speak.

She’s a mother of two, she spent 10 years working as a pharmacist, and she’s just written her first book: 'Light Up — Energise Your Body, Awaken Your Mind, Supercharge Your Soul.' 

In this conversation, we explore what true wellness really means — from how our nervous systems respond to stress, to the importance of honouring the full range of emotions we experience as humans.

If you enjoy Ready to be Real, please consider following, rating, and reviewing the podcast — it really helps!

And thank you, as always, for your support.

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

​Topics covered: Early-onset Parkinson’s disease, anger, grief, acceptance, adapting.

This is The Real Take — a glimpse of the honesty, wisdom and connection you’ll find in every episode of Ready to be Real.

In this snippet I speak to Irish Examiner fashion editor and author, Annmarie O’Connor, about life with early-onset Parkinson’s disease.

The youngest of five girls, Annmarie grew up on Long Island, New York, before moving to Ireland at the age of twelve. With strong family roots here — her mother’s side is from Inishbofin — many of her childhood summers were spent on the island.

She went on to build a successful career in fashion styling, working in the industry for almost two decades, and has already published two books: The Happy Closet and The Happy Medium.

But in December 2021, her world changed dramatically when she was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s disease — a progressive neurological condition that affects movement, mood, motivation, and much more.

​Annmarie's memoir  ​'Twitch – My Life with Parkinson’s​', is out now and you can hear the full conversation anytime!

Any mention of medication is Annmarie’s personal experience only and should not be taken as medical advice.

The Michael J. Fox article referenced ​during our chat can be found here:

​'Pity is another form of abuse' - Michael J Fox on Parkinson's

If you enjoy Ready to be Real, please consider following, rating, and reviewing the podcast — it really makes a difference.

And thank you, as always, for your support.

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

Topics covered: Early-onset Parkinson’s disease, symptoms, pain, denial, grief, acceptance, adapting.

In this episode, I speak with Irish Examiner fashion editor and author, Annmarie O’Connor, about her experience of living with Parkinson’s disease.

The youngest of five girls, Annmarie grew up on Long Island, New York, before moving to Ireland at the age of twelve. With strong family roots here — her mother’s side is from Inishbofin — many of her childhood summers were spent on the island.

She went on to build a successful career in fashion styling, working in the industry for almost two decades, and has already published two books: The Happy Closet and The Happy Medium.

But in December 2021, her world changed dramatically when she was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s disease — a progressive neurological condition that affects movement, mood, motivation, and much more.

Her memoir, ​'Twitch – My Life with Parkinson’s​', has just been released, and in this conversation Annmarie speaks openly about the past few years, what the condition has taught her, and the realities of life now.

Any mention of medication in this episode is Annmarie’s personal experience only and should not be taken as medical advice.

The Michael J. Fox article referenced in our chat can be found here:

​'Pity is another form of abuse' - Michael J Fox on Parkinson's

If you enjoy Ready to be Real, please consider following, rating, and reviewing the podcast — it really makes a difference.

And thank you, as always, for your support.

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

This is The Real Take — a glimpse of the honesty, wisdom and connection you’ll find in every episode of Ready to be Real.

In this ​b​onus episode I speak to health food advocate and Instagram sensation Sophie Morris about food labels and what to be aware of when doing our food shop, health halos and how she deals with criticism.

​You can hear the full conversation with Sophie Morris now.

​Listen here

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

Topics covered : Understanding food labels, ultra processed food, the psychology of supermarket shopping, clever food swaps, health halos and handling criticism.

​Welcome to my first episode back after the summer break, I’m joined by health food advocate and Instagram sensation, Sophie Morris.

S​he lives in Greystones, in Wicklow with her husband Robbie and their two boys, Wrio and Max.

And over the past year, her following online has skyrocketed thanks to her no-nonsense food videos — breaking down the tricks of the food industry and showing us how to make smarter choices.

She learned so much about the business of food when she ran her own cookie-dough company (Kooky Dough) back in 2009, and she’s now channelling all of that experience into her brand-new book 'Sophie’s Swaps' — a must-have for anyone who wants to shop and eat with more awareness.

In this conversation, Sophie explains how the food system really works, how we’re being manipulated in the supermarket aisles, what to watch out for on labels, and the clever swaps that can make a big difference​.

If you’re a fan of what I do, please follow, rate and review in all the usual places.

And thanks, as always, for your support of Ready to be Real.

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

A quick update about Ready to be Real...I'm taking a break for the summer, but I’ll be back again in the autumn.

Thanks so much for your continued support, it means so much to me and thanks also to my amazing guests who made these conversations possible.

The past ten months have been intense — full of meaningful work (I've been working on a documentary series) and the juggle of modern life — so I haven’t been as consistent with the pod as I would’ve liked. That said, the episodes I have released have been powerful.

With over 200 conversations available, there’s plenty to revisit — from thought-provoking, emotional discussions to unforgettable chats with incredible guests like photographer and activist Misan Harriman and the one and only Dr. Gabor Maté.

We’ve tackled everything from grief, addiction, and coercive control, to menopause, adolescence, and the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

These are honest, human conversations — some might challenge you, and many will stay with you long after you’ve listened to them.

If you have any feedback for me, guest suggestions, or topics you'd love me to explore when I'm back, please do get in touch — DM me on Instagram 𝗦í𝗹𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗼𝗶𝗴𝗲 (@sileseoige) • Instagram photos and videos or drop an ema​il to [email protected]

Have a lovely summer, and I’ll chat to you again in September — more organised than ever, with weekly episodes you can rely on.

And as always...Saoirse don Phalaistín.

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

Topics covered : Identity crisis, bullying, self-worth, addiction, alcohol, drugs, money laundering, court case, self-sabotage, Covid, homelessness, taking responsibility, rebuilding her life.     

In this episode I sit down with DJ Nikki Hayes — whose real name is Eimear O’Keeffe.

Eimear or Nikki as she’s better known, rose to fame as a hugely popular voice on radio stations like 2FM and Spin 1038 but behind the mic, she was struggling. Her battle with addiction, eventually led her to lose everything — her family, her job, her home, and her sense of self. For three harrowing months, she lived on the streets of Dublin, sleeping rough.

In this raw and moving episode, she talks openly about hitting rock bottom, facing legal battles, taking ownership of her actions and finding the strength to rebuild her life.

Today, she's back doing what she loves, working in radio again on East Coast FM. But most importantly, she’s restoring her life with her daughter Farah who she adores.

If you’ve been affected by this conversation, please know that there is help available…

Urgent help - HSE.ie

Tiglin Challenge Limited

If you’re a fan of what I do, please follow, rate and review in all the usual places.

And thanks, as always, for your support of Ready to be Real.

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

Topics covered : Activism, social justice, betrayal, family estrangement, patriarchy, responsibility, grief, regrets, forgiveness, love, business.  

In this episode, I sit down with mother and daughter — Rosita and Chupi Sweetman.

Rosita is a trailblazing activist and one of the founding members of the Women’s Liberation Movement of the 1970's, a time when speaking out for women’s rights — including the right to contraception — was radical and urgently needed.

Her daughter Chupi is a hugely successful entrepreneur who runs her own luxury jewellery brand and is someone who passionately believes that business can be a powerful force for good.

She's married to Brian and they have a daughter together. Aya is almost 5 and the light of their lives.

Chupi was homeschooled as a child, raised in a loving and creative environment — one shaped by her mother’s values, courage, and conviction.

But behind the strength and warmth of their story lies a great deal of pain — and it’s captured in Rosita’s powerful new memoir, Girl with a Fork in a World of Soup.

While much of the book focuses on the turbulent years of her marriage, the emotional heart of the story begins in childhood — when Rosita, at just nine years old, was sent off to boarding school, and shortly after, her younger sister died from a heart condition, just shy of her seventh birthday.

That devastating loss shattered her family, and without support or counselling, grief pulled them apart in ways that would echo through the decades.

The memoir also delves into Rosita’s deeply dysfunctional relationship with her ex-husband — Chupi’s father — who ultimately had an affair with one of Rosita’s sisters and was involved with other members of her family too. The betrayal was devastating and led to family estrangement, but in writing the book she is telling the truth of her experience with integrity and heart.

It takes real courage to speak so honestly, and I’m so grateful for the depth and heart they brought to this conversation.

Buy Rosita's book here

Women's Aid - Listening. Believing. Supporting. Empowering.

Chupi Jewellery | Engagement Rings, Wedding Rings & Fine Jewellery

If you’re a fan of what I do, please follow, rate and review in all the usual places.

And thanks, as always, for your support of Ready to be Real.

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

Topics covered : Imposter syndrome, vulnerability, shedding shame, triggers, self-sabotage, apologising, blocks, boundaries, self-worth, ADHD, conditioning, reclaiming.  

This episode originally aired on the 6th of October 2023 and feels eerily resonant now, given how much has shifted since.

I speak to body-based visibility and business coach, Kate O’Dwyer.

She lives in Dublin with her partner Jim and their son, Ned.

She is the senior guest booker on The Tommy Tiernan Show on RTÉ and her passion is in supporting women to step into their fullest self-expression so that they can share their work, their words, and their wisdom.

She believes that our visibility can heal and embolden each other to build the world we all want to live in.

And in this conversation she shares her own experience with us, she speaks about visibility blocks and what they might look like and shows us how to step into our power.

Since we recorded this pod, Kate has created the ever-growing Pals for Palestine Ireland community - her heart and leadership continue to inspire me deeply.

If you’re a fan of my pod, please follow, rate and review in all the usual places.

And thanks, as always, for your support of Ready to be Real.

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

Topics covered : Mental health, homophobia, same-sex marriage referendum in Ireland, rejecting shame. 

This week marks 10 years of the marriage equality referendum in Ireland when the country overwhelmingly voted 'yes' and in doing so became the first country in the world to grant equal marriage rights to same-sex couples by popular vote.

3 years ago I spoke to bar owner, drag queen and activist, Rory O’Neill aka Panti Bliss.

Originally from Ballinrobe in Mayo, Rory lives in Dublin city with his husband Anderson and their dog Penny.

We spoke in late February 2022 and at times there is an eerie poignancy to our conversation as it happened as Covid restrictions were being lifted here in Ireland, but before the invasion of Ukraine.

In this conversation we speak about his now iconic Noble call in the Abbey Theatre and the events which led to it, he speaks about the impact the pandemic had on him, the freedom his alter ego Panti gives him, how he rejects shame of any kind and how he would like to be remembered. 

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