Sin Scéal Eile

Claire is young, strong and extremely knowledgeable about endometriosis, a condition that has plagued her since she was 11 years old. She has had to fight with insurance companies, advocate for herself to be taken seriously by pharmacists and doctors, and persuade so many consultants to refer her so that she could get the treatment that she needed.

She sits here today telling me her story so that others may benefit from all this research she has done. Claire found the answers to her crippling pain in a clinic in Romania, but hopes that in the future, other women will be able to get the care they need at home. 

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, just follow @ruthlessimagery online for more details.

x R

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.

Lee is the kind of guy that just by looking at him, you know he will have a good yarn to spin. We met for a pint one very rainy afternoon in Howth, the clanging of the masts on the boats rocking in the bay and the rain pelting off the window added the perfect soundtrack to our chat.

Lee has come prepared. He tells me an adventurous tale from his past, one of Caribbean seas, cheap Colombian contraband and storm warnings that would have Teresa Mannion reaching for her rain coat.

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, just follow @ruthlessimagery online for more details.

x R

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.

Angie is modest and humble. I can tell she’s uncomfortable talking about the incredible work she has done for Helping Irish Hosts, the organisation she helped start in March 2022, just after the invasion in Ukraine. 

Angie is much more relaxed when she’s talking about all of the other amazing people who work alongside her, making sure that the everyday people who signed up to host Ukrainian refugees are supported. HIH was started in a time of crisis and from pure necessity. Angie and her sister seem to have sprung into action as soon as it was clear that Ireland was going to welcome an immense amount of refugees. They immediately began to rally their neighbours and friends, they cleared space in their homes, started whatsapp groups and spreadsheets. They continued to work tirelessly for the years that followed, ensuring that both those hosting and being hosted, felt supported, recognised and respected. 

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, just follow @ruthlessimagery online for more details.

x R

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.

The first thing I notice about Michael and Anne’s apartment in Dublin City Centre is the colour. The walls are an incredible shade of orange, there’s portraits of David Bowie and Bob Marley on the wall and a huge colourful teapot collection on the shelves. 

It’s a fun, vibrant space, which seems perfect for the couple who live here. 

Michael invited me over to talk about his situation as a full time carer. He’s been minding Anne, full time, since she had brain surgery in 2017. 

Michael is a positive man, chipper and chatty. He tells us about his life, Anne’s health struggles and how they used to live, in a very matter of fact way. He’s not looking for pity, he’s content, and of late, Anne has been happy too, as long as they’re together. 

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, just follow @ruthlessimagery online for more details.

x R

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.

“Kia ora” is Māori for “welcome”, an unusual phrase to hear in the sunny South East of Ireland but perfectly fitting for this particular farm.I remember visiting the Kia Ora Mini Farm on a school tour when I was about 5 or 6 and having my little Dubliner mind blown, so to re-visit a good 30+ years on was such a treat.

It’s a family run business in the truest sense and today I’m chatting with 23 year old Steacy who has lived next door, fed the chickens, mucked out the pigs and cuddled the rabbits her whole life. 

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, just follow @ruthlessimagery online for more details.

x R

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.

Morgan is cool, but not in a pretentious way, in a charming and intellectual way, the way that most good songwriters and musicians can be if they keep themselves grounded. He plays drums, which is arguably one of the most physical roles in a band and Morgan has cerebral palsy.

I shamefully know very little (or even nothing) about cerebral palsy, which doesn’t surprise Morgan. It’s apparently rare to see people with the condition being portrayed in the media.

He explains the extent of his cerebral palsy and its physical restrictions to me in such a succinct and concise manner that it dawns on me that he’s been explaining this his whole life. He’s generous with my questions, and has a very calm way of telling me about all that he faces. 

“So on this side, I can tap my foot as quickly as I like. But if I try and do that over here on my other foot, there's a lot less data from me to it, and it's not picking it up as well. It's essentially a signal error. That's how it feels to me, like bad wifi.”

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, just follow @ruthlessimagery online for more details.

x R

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.

The awful stormy weather of late broke long enough for me to photograph Caitriona down on the wooden bridge in Clontarf, which was quite fitting as we’d been chatting about the arrival of Spring. Caitriona emailed me through Irish with a smattering of béarla to tell me about her love of “Naomh Bríd agus mná na hÉireann”. 

We chat a bit about Bríd as well as her sister in sainthood, St Gobnait (the patron saint of bees) but mainly we chat about Irish country life, our language, religion and traditions. 

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, just follow @ruthlessimagery online for more details.

x R

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 Daria on a quiet afternoon in her local pub in Drogheda, she was easy to recognise thankfully. She came dressed in sequins, feathers and legs that went on for days. 

Apparently there’s a bit of a burlesque scene burgeoning in Drogheda. Daria has been producing wildly entertaining evenings for the past few years, attracting folk from as far as Belfast and locals alike, with each show selling out.  

She explains the origins of burlesque to me, how it compares to modern day performing, while also patiently answering all my endless questions (and then letting me try on the headdress). 

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, just follow @ruthlessimagery online for more details.

x R

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 Ciara wrote to me about being in this project, she didn’t say much at all. She just said that her story is one about “heartache and uncertainty at a time of life where others seem to have everything together”. This was enough for me to know I needed to listen to her story. 

We sit outside on Drury street, it’s lashing rain and we’ve just begged the bar to turn on the patio heaters above us as we sip a warm cider. One of the many things that Ciara and I agree upon during our chats is that heartbreak isn’t respected or acknowledged enough in today’s society. The grief you experience when a relationship breaks down can be as painful as a death, but yet there’s no mass gathering of well wishers to help you get you through it. 

Listening to Ciara speak today and I know that she’s speaking for entire generations of women who have been through relationship wars as well (myself included).

Come back tomorrow for another photograph/podcast/story.

xRuth

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.

As I approach my 40th birthday, I find my mind beginning to focus on my health and mobility a lot more. When I see an email from Dr. John McGuire in my inbox, a 77 year old yoga teacher, wishing to share his story, I jumped at the chance to chat to him.

John found yoga in the 90s from a recommendation by his doctor, advising him to seek methods of core strengthening. What he ended up gaining was so much more. 

When he retired from the business world, he entered the teaching world and his goal is to remain a yoga teacher until he’s 100. 

Come back tomorrow for another podcast/photo/story.

xRuth

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.