Sin Scéal Eile

It’s a misty, grey day down in Galway. I met Eamonn at the Blackrock diving board, a place that so many people find comfort and solace in. 

Eamonn, who has bounced between Galway and Dublin his whole life, swims here every day, even throughout the winter. He’s just come out of the water when I met him, even though it’s absolutely baltic. 

Eamonn is an advocate for mental health and has been an ambassador for many charities. He speaks at events, and festivals and he presents talks in workplaces. Eamonn has the unique perspective of being able to speak from lived experience. 

Eamonn’s life seems to centre around volunteering for various charities. He keeps himself busy by helping others in any way that he can. He’ll be the first to raise his hand for a fundraiser, no matter what the event is. He’ll try his hand at anything if he thinks it’ll make an impact or help even just one person. 

You can have a little listen to our full chat, just search for Sin Scéal Eile wherever you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify etc) or at our website, SinScealEile.

Come back tomorrow for another podcast/story/portrait. We’re interviewing and photographing people from all over Ireland, collecting their stories and sharing them daily. You can be a part of it too, Go to SinScealEile.ie for more information.

If you love this series and you appreciate that it takes a lot of time, passion and funding to bring it to you every day, consider becoming a sponsor. You can subscribe for exclusive content on Patreon, or make a once off donation on BuyMeACoffee. 

xR

Sin Scéal Eile - That's Another Story was hosted and created by Ruth Medjber, with sound by Ronan Lally. The podcast is produced by Dee Reddy at Poddle Audio with original music by Elaine Mai.

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

When I arrived to Ballycastle and we checked into our incredible accommodation (shout out to Yarn Ballycastle) there was some sourdough bread and wee pistachio cakes left for us. Let me tell you this, those cakes were the best thing I’ve ever tasted and I instantly needed to meet the woman behind them. 

Ursa Minor bakery is just a stones throw from the Yarn and inside you’ll find the bakery in the basement and a café and a very cute shop upstairs selling the finest foodie products our island has to offer.

I met Ciara in the Ursa Minor bakery school where she told me how the cafe came to be. It's a beautiful story filled with romance, community vibes and soulful food.

Come back tomorrow for another podcast/story/portrait. We’re interviewing and photographing people from all over Ireland, collecting their stories and sharing them daily. You can be a part of it too, Go to SinScealEile.ie for more information.

If you love this series and you appreciate that it takes a lot of time, passion and funding to bring it to you every day, consider becoming a sponsor. You can subscribe for exclusive content on Patreon, or make a once off donation on BuyMeACoffee. 

xR

Sin Scéal Eile - That's Another Story was hosted and created by Ruth Medjber, with sound by Ronan Lally. The podcast is produced by Dee Reddy at Poddle Audio with original music by Elaine Mai.

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

It’s unusual to hear of big families these days, so when Cheyanne contacted me and told me she was one of 15, I jumped at the chance to chat to her. Her story is incredibly positive, growing up in a small house filled with love and bunk beds. She’s very proud of all that she has achieved in life, including her place at Uni, but credits her Mother above all else for her success. 

Come back tomorrow for another podcast/story/portrait. We’re interviewing and photographing people from all over Ireland, collecting their stories and sharing them daily. You can be a part of it too, Go to SinScealEile.ie for more information.

If you love this series and you appreciate that it takes a lot of time, passion and funding to bring it to you every day, consider becoming a sponsor. You can subscribe for exclusive content on Patreon, or make a once off donation on BuyMeACoffee. 

xR

Sin Scéal Eile - That's Another Story was hosted and created by Ruth Medjber, with sound by Ronan Lally. The podcast is produced by Dee Reddy at Poddle Audio with original music by Elaine Mai.

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

Have you ever wondered about owning a campervan? Lorcan has had 4 in his lifetime, and like myself, absolutely adores the lifestyle. It was great to meet a fellow campervan obsessive and really get to the nitty gritty of why we’re ‘mad for road’. 

Unlike me, Lorcan likes a compact and stealthy van, something neat that he can fit into his driveway. What we totally agree on though is the utter relief you get when you park up somewhere new, open the door to an epic view, and crack a cold drink and watch the sunset. 

Come back tomorrow for another podcast/story/portrait. We’re interviewing and photographing people from all over Ireland, collecting their stories and sharing them daily. You can be a part of it too, Go to SinScealEile.ie for more information.

If you love this series and you appreciate that it takes a lot of time, passion and funding to bring it to you every day, consider becoming a sponsor. You can subscribe for exclusive content on Patreon, or make a once off donation on BuyMeACoffee. 

xR

Sin Scéal Eile - That's Another Story was hosted and created by Ruth Medjber, with sound by Ronan Lally. The podcast is produced by Dee Reddy at Poddle Audio with original music by Elaine Mai.

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

Matt is a joy to be around, a real buzzer and total chatter. He’s Australian originally, but only very recently got his Irish citizenship and is only delighted with himself. 

We talk about what it means to be Irish. It’s the first sunny day of the year, which is probably why we’re both in a great moon and together we gush over this fab Island and all who inhabit it. 

Come back tomorrow for another podcast/story/portrait. We’re interviewing and photographing people from all over Ireland, collecting their stories and sharing them daily. You can be a part of it too, Go to SinScealEile.ie for more information.

If you love this series and you appreciate that it takes a lot of time, passion and funding to bring it to you every day, consider becoming a sponsor. You can subscribe for exclusive content on Patreon, or make a once off donation on BuyMeACoffee. 

xR

Sin Scéal Eile - That's Another Story was hosted and created by Ruth Medjber, with sound by Ronan Lally. The podcast is produced by Dee Reddy at Poddle Audio with original music by Elaine Mai.

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

I feel a bit underprepared when I meet Ria and listen to her speak. She’s incredibly informed, confident and articulate, referencing book after book. I’m in awe of her knowledge.

She’s an Irish, Jewish pro-Palestinian artist and activist, who works in NCAD (where she also studied). Her heritage has informed her practice as an artist, but also who she is as a person. She’s determined to speak her mind, even if it offends some of her own family (who would hold opposite political views). Working as both a lecturer and a journalist, she’s eager to make people understand that being Jewish, does not equate to being a Zionist and in turn, being anti-Israel, is not antisemitic. 

Come back tomorrow for another podcast/story/portrait. We’re interviewing and photographing people from all over Ireland, collecting their stories and sharing them daily. You can be a part of it too, Go to SinScealEile.ie for more information.

If you love this series and you appreciate that it takes a lot of time, passion and funding to bring it to you every day, consider becoming a sponsor. You can subscribe for exclusive content on Patreon, or make a once off donation on BuyMeACoffee. 

xR

Sin Scéal Eile - That's Another Story was hosted and created by Ruth Medjber, with sound by Ronan Lally. The podcast is produced by Dee Reddy at Poddle Audio with original music by Elaine Mai.

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

Usually at 6am, I’m getting into bed, not getting out of bed, putting on all my layers, and heading to a rowing club. I’m reluctant to say the least, especially as Galway has it’s trademark mist making my face glossy and freezing.

However, I will admit, as soon as we passed the river and reached the lake, everything got eerily peaceful and I began to understand the draw of rowing. 

Colin has been rowing out here for decades and he’s currently the President of the Tribesmen Rowing Club in Galway. He rows for many reasons. For socialising, accountability, and to keep himself both physically and mentally healthy. It seems like the perfect activity to meet new, like-minded people who can become life-long friends. It’s also a great way to keep yourself out of the pub (rowing at 6am after a night out would obviously be all kinds of hell).

Sin Scéal Eile - That's Another Story was hosted and created by Ruth Medjber, with sound by Ronan Lally. The podcast is produced by Dee Reddy at Poddle Audio with original music by Elaine Mai.

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

I met Siobhán in St Anne’s Park, it was cold, but refreshing. She doesn’t remember what she wrote on her application form to be in this project, and she’s a bit surprised I chose to interview her. For me, it’s so important to include Siobhán as she describes herself as “ordinary” which is precisely who this project is designed for.

“I feel a need to truly be "seen". I would never normally put myself forward for something like this but I'm moving into a new decade and I think it's OK to ask to be considered. An ordinary woman, an ordinary life, but I'm still here. I still matter.”

I sat with Siobhán first not knowing what we’d talk about. I had asked her if there were any similarities between when she had a child at 21 and her next child at 37, then the topic quickly revealed itself as postpartum depression. Within 10 minutes of meeting we were deep into an incredibly sensitive conversation. 

The emotions, thoughts, symptoms she described to me sound utterly horrendous and I felt embarrassed for not previously understanding the complexity of postnatal depression. 

In a world where community nurses are extremely overstretched and the focus is primarily on the beautiful new baby, Siobhán thinks it’s important to check in with new mums. To ask them honestly and outright “Do you think you might be depressed?” when you think things are a bit off. You could save them so much pain and anguish and start them on their journey to getting help.. 

Come back tomorrow for another podcast/story/portrait. We’re interviewing and photographing people from all over Ireland, collecting their stories and sharing them daily. You can be a part of it too, Go to SinScealEile.ie for more information.

If you love this series and you appreciate that it takes a lot of time, passion and funding to bring it to you every day, consider becoming a sponsor. You can subscribe for exclusive content on Patreon, or make a once off donation on BuyMeACoffee. 

xR

Sin Scéal Eile - That's Another Story was hosted and created by Ruth Medjber, with sound by Ronan Lally. The podcast is produced by Dee Reddy at Poddle Audio with original music by Elaine Mai.

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

Joyful, colourful, wonderful. Virtue is a Galway shop-keeper (but I really feel we should call her a shop-maker, as she makes a lot of things she sells). In her gorgeous shop on Dominick Street, she has a vibrant mix of Ghanian patterns, symbols and fabrics, paired with traditional Irish tweed and little dots of Gaeilge all around. 

Her ethos in the store is all about legacy and heritage. Making long lasting, high quality pieces, that not only tell a story, but can be handed down to the next generation. 

Come back tomorrow for another podcast/story/portrait. We’re interviewing and photographing people from all over Ireland, collecting their stories and sharing them daily. You can be a part of it too, Go to SinScealEile.ie for more information.

If you love this series and you appreciate that it takes a lot of time, passion and funding to bring it to you every day, consider becoming a sponsor. You can subscribe for exclusive content on Patreon, or make a once off donation on BuyMeACoffee. 

xR

Sin Scéal Eile - That's Another Story was hosted and created by Ruth Medjber, with sound by Ronan Lally. The podcast is produced by Dee Reddy at Poddle Audio with original music by Elaine Mai.

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

Galway has a certain type of rain that feels wetter than anywhere else in Ireland. The streaks of thick rain flow sideways across the huge windows of Barry’s painting studio, which is nestled in the Connemara landscape. Everywhere I look, inside and out, there’s warm colours of rust, green and stone grey, both in his paintings, his outfit and outside the windows, all unmistakably Connemara. 

We talk through Barry’s process as an artist. He tends to wear two hats in life, one as a successful touring trad musician, the other as an equally successful painter, both roles influencing each other. Elements of nature seeping deep into every aspect of his work. 

Come back tomorrow for another podcast/story/portrait. We’re interviewing and photographing people from all over Ireland, collecting their stories and sharing them daily. You can be a part of it too, Go to SinScealEile.ie for more information.

If you love this series and you appreciate that it takes a lot of time, passion and funding to bring it to you every day, consider becoming a sponsor. You can subscribe for exclusive content on Patreon, or make a once off donation on BuyMeACoffee. 

xR

Sin Scéal Eile - That's Another Story was hosted and created by Ruth Medjber, with sound by Ronan Lally. The podcast is produced by Dee Reddy at Poddle Audio with original music by Elaine Mai.

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