Eileen Forrestal from Get Up and Go Publications Ltd
Co founder and CEO joins us this week on our podcast.

We talked about her transition from her medical career to Get up and Go, her move to Sligo, what she loves about living here and what she is looking forward to in the future . . . she is a fabulous positive person that I am so happy to spend time with. I hope you enjoy this show too. 

Here is a bit more about Eileen too.

Eileen, a retired Doctor after 32 years (20 years Consultant Anaesthetist in Sligo General Hospital) since 2014, now engages full time in the business she co-founded in 2006 – Get Up and Go Publications Ltd – creating and distributing her award-winning inspirational GetUp and Go diaries and Journals, with almost 400,000 copies sold worldwide to date.

Having spent 20 years putting ‘people to sleep’, Eileen is now in the business of ‘Waking People Up’, committed to making a greater impact on personal health and wellbeing with inspiring and encouraging words, rather than with drugs and one pair of hands!!!

Eileen has now written a book - The Courage to Shine - sharing her personal story of ‘waking up’ to her own authentic self-expression and encouraging others to do the same, as access to wellbeing and vitality. Plagued by a childhood stammer, and afraid to speak for too many years, Eileen is now developing herself as an author, mentor, speaker and coach, in an effort to encourage others to overcome their fears and shine their light in the world.
An avid traveller, she has explored much of this beautiful earth. She describes summiting Kilimanjaro, trekking to Everest Base Camp, flying a microlite over the Zambezi, riding an ostrich and hypnotising a chicken as special highlights in a very colourful life.

A native of Dublin, she has lived the best years of her life in the beautiful Northwest of Ireland.
(The book is due for release early 2021)

Are you a Sligo Native? If no what is the story of how you moved here?: 

Born and bred in Whitehall in Dublin, moved to the UK after completing Medical School (UCD). Spent time in Africa (Zambia) and Canada. On my return to Ireland, took a locum position to cover Maternity leave in 1995 - fell in love with Sligo - and never left.

What do you love about living in Sligo?: 

Everything. I have travelled the world. Nothing compares to what I have here. I am home in Sligo.

If you could wave a magic wand what would you fix or bring to Sligo ie. facilities, shops, restaurants, culture/arts?: 

Confidence and pride.

What are you looking forward to in the future in your personal and professional life?: 

The future ....

What are your must-do Sligo recommendations? Restaurants/Walks etc.: 

Breathe it in - it's the same air that inspired WBYeats.

How can people find you online? 

eileenforrestal.com
getupandgodiary.com
Facebook - Get Up and Go and Shine Your Light pages
Twitter @getupandgo1 and @shineupyourlife
Linked in
Free Ebook on my website - Shine Up Your Life - coming soon :) 

Eileen Forrestal from Get Up and Go Publications Ltd
Co founder and CEO joins us this week on our podcast.

We talked about her transition from her medical career to Get up and Go, her move to Sligo, what she loves about living here and what she is looking forward to in the future . . . she is a fabulous positive person that I am so happy to spend time with. I hope you enjoy this show too. 

Here is a bit more about Eileen too.

Eileen, a retired Doctor after 32 years (20 years Consultant Anaesthetist in Sligo General Hospital) since 2014, now engages full time in the business she co-founded in 2006 – Get Up and Go Publications Ltd – creating and distributing her award-winning inspirational GetUp and Go diaries and Journals, with almost 400,000 copies sold worldwide to date.

Having spent 20 years putting ‘people to sleep’, Eileen is now in the business of ‘Waking People Up’, committed to making a greater impact on personal health and wellbeing with inspiring and encouraging words, rather than with drugs and one pair of hands!!!

Eileen has now written a book - The Courage to Shine - sharing her personal story of ‘waking up’ to her own authentic self-expression and encouraging others to do the same, as access to wellbeing and vitality. Plagued by a childhood stammer, and afraid to speak for too many years, Eileen is now developing herself as an author, mentor, speaker and coach, in an effort to encourage others to overcome their fears and shine their light in the world.
An avid traveller, she has explored much of this beautiful earth. She describes summiting Kilimanjaro, trekking to Everest Base Camp, flying a microlite over the Zambezi, riding an ostrich and hypnotising a chicken as special highlights in a very colourful life.

A native of Dublin, she has lived the best years of her life in the beautiful Northwest of Ireland.
(The book is due for release early 2021)

Are you a Sligo Native? If no what is the story of how you moved here?: 

Born and bred in Whitehall in Dublin, moved to the UK after completing Medical School (UCD). Spent time in Africa (Zambia) and Canada. On my return to Ireland, took a locum position to cover Maternity leave in 1995 - fell in love with Sligo - and never left.

What do you love about living in Sligo?: 

Everything. I have travelled the world. Nothing compares to what I have here. I am home in Sligo.

If you could wave a magic wand what would you fix or bring to Sligo ie. facilities, shops, restaurants, culture/arts?: 

Confidence and pride.

What are you looking forward to in the future in your personal and professional life?: 

The future ....

What are your must-do Sligo recommendations? Restaurants/Walks etc.: 

Breathe it in - it's the same air that inspired WBYeats.

How can people find you online? 

eileenforrestal.com
getupandgodiary.com
Facebook - Get Up and Go and Shine Your Light pages
Twitter @getupandgo1 and @shineupyourlife
Linked in
Free Ebook on my website - Shine Up Your Life - coming soon :) 

Through a previous guest George Mullan , I heard about Killian and on today’s show, he shares his story about moving back to Ireland from the USA and why they selected Sligo, his passion for wine and what is it like to learn new things.

Here is a bit more about Killian . . . 

A graduate of the University of Dublin, Trinity College in 1978, trained in Medicine and Cardiology in Dublin and London. Went to Cleveland Ohio in 1993 and to North Carolina in 2000. Has written several medical books and a book on Irish clockmakers who went to America. Is a Fellow of various Colleges of Physicians. Studied Oenology and Viticulture at Surry Community College Dobson, North Carolina between 2010 and 2015. This is a training station for people entering the wine industry in North Carolina and other parts of the United States. Returned to Ireland 2018. Semi-retired in 2020 to devote more time to the wine business. Killian is a a native of Dublin and moved here after about 25 years in the USA.

What do you love about living in Sligo?: People, size, landscape, sea.

If you could wave a magic wand what would you fix or bring to Sligo ie. facilities, shops, restaurants, culture/arts?: 
Pedestrianise the town, beautify the environment. Prioritise pedestrians, bicycles, public transport in and around the town.

What are you looking forward to in the future in your personal and professional life?: Developing the wine business, continuing some medical practice, reading, writing, travelling

What are your must-do Sligo recommendations? Restaurants/Walks etc.: Climb Benbulben and Medhbh's cairn, visit Carrowkeel, Carrowmore.

How can people find you online? 

Northwesternwine.ie, FaceBook/NorthwesternWine, [email protected]

Through a previous guest George Mullan , I heard about Killian and on today’s show, he shares his story about moving back to Ireland from the USA and why they selected Sligo, his passion for wine and what is it like to learn new things.

Here is a bit more about Killian . . . 

A graduate of the University of Dublin, Trinity College in 1978, trained in Medicine and Cardiology in Dublin and London. Went to Cleveland Ohio in 1993 and to North Carolina in 2000. Has written several medical books and a book on Irish clockmakers who went to America. Is a Fellow of various Colleges of Physicians. Studied Oenology and Viticulture at Surry Community College Dobson, North Carolina between 2010 and 2015. This is a training station for people entering the wine industry in North Carolina and other parts of the United States. Returned to Ireland 2018. Semi-retired in 2020 to devote more time to the wine business. Killian is a a native of Dublin and moved here after about 25 years in the USA.

What do you love about living in Sligo?: People, size, landscape, sea.

If you could wave a magic wand what would you fix or bring to Sligo ie. facilities, shops, restaurants, culture/arts?: 
Pedestrianise the town, beautify the environment. Prioritise pedestrians, bicycles, public transport in and around the town.

What are you looking forward to in the future in your personal and professional life?: Developing the wine business, continuing some medical practice, reading, writing, travelling

What are your must-do Sligo recommendations? Restaurants/Walks etc.: Climb Benbulben and Medhbh's cairn, visit Carrowkeel, Carrowmore.

How can people find you online? 

Northwesternwine.ie, FaceBook/NorthwesternWine, [email protected]

In 2013 David Lyttle and Eddie Lee wrote a Suite called the Barinthus Suite and it world premiered at the Hawks Well, who commissioned it. Inspired by Sligo’s Neolithic landscape, it featured some internationally renowned jazz and trad musicians.

I interviewed Eddie a few weeks ago you can listen here - 

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1100048/5305732-s1-ep19-eddie-lee-musician-photographer.mp3?blob_id=21462037&download=true

Here is some more about Eddie that he shared with me for our previous podcast 

As a pro musician of more than 3 decades, I’ve guested on a Grammy-nominated Enya album, toured and recorded with artists on several continents across many genres of music, including NoCrows, Dervish, Those Nervous Animals, Stockton’s Wing, A Woman’s Heart and the Pale. In 2013 I sang in Ennio Morricone’s choir for his Irish concerts and was commissioned to co-write a suite of music by the Hawks Well Theatre and appeared in Ken Loach’s Jimmy's Hall as a jazz musician. Each July I have been instrumental in bringing the best jazz musicians on the planet to Sligo to teach and perform at Sligo Jazz Project’s annual summer school and festival. I enjoy travelling through my music career and it’s probably this I really miss the most during the current pandemic. 

More recently I have explored my love for photography and the landscape of my home county Sligo in particular. In the lockdown period I have been studying and learning about various aspects of photography and with the uncertainty surrounding the entertainment business hope to forge a career as a photographer over the coming months and years L, branching out into portrait work as well as my landscape and Milky Way/night Sky work. 

I have also been doing a Wednesday night jazz & world music show on radiosligo.com

In 2013 David Lyttle and Eddie Lee wrote a Suite called the Barinthus Suite and it world premiered at the Hawks Well, who commissioned it. Inspired by Sligo’s Neolithic landscape, it featured some internationally renowned jazz and trad musicians.

I interviewed Eddie a few weeks ago you can listen here - 

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1100048/5305732-s1-ep19-eddie-lee-musician-photographer.mp3?blob_id=21462037&download=true

Here is some more about Eddie that he shared with me for our previous podcast 

As a pro musician of more than 3 decades, I’ve guested on a Grammy-nominated Enya album, toured and recorded with artists on several continents across many genres of music, including NoCrows, Dervish, Those Nervous Animals, Stockton’s Wing, A Woman’s Heart and the Pale. In 2013 I sang in Ennio Morricone’s choir for his Irish concerts and was commissioned to co-write a suite of music by the Hawks Well Theatre and appeared in Ken Loach’s Jimmy's Hall as a jazz musician. Each July I have been instrumental in bringing the best jazz musicians on the planet to Sligo to teach and perform at Sligo Jazz Project’s annual summer school and festival. I enjoy travelling through my music career and it’s probably this I really miss the most during the current pandemic. 

More recently I have explored my love for photography and the landscape of my home county Sligo in particular. In the lockdown period I have been studying and learning about various aspects of photography and with the uncertainty surrounding the entertainment business hope to forge a career as a photographer over the coming months and years L, branching out into portrait work as well as my landscape and Milky Way/night Sky work. 

I have also been doing a Wednesday night jazz & world music show on radiosligo.com

On this weeks podcast I have a lovely chat with Michelle about how she found her love for her profession, life during the lockdown and her favourite places in Sligo.

Some more questions I asked Michelle are here . . .

Tell us more about your career so far . . . I was born in Sligo and have lived here all my life. Home is in North Sligo near Lislarry beach a lovely part of the wild Atlantic. I started working in childcare 25 years ago. I have been a registered childminder, an early years educator in pre-school and also in a special need's preschool. I have trained in Early Years Education, Special Educational Needs, and as a post birth Doula.

During those 20 years in childcare, I kept seeing parents and hearing them talk about how they struggled in those early weeks and months post-birth. I had also remembered my own experience of becoming a mum too. I knew I wanted to try and make a difference to their parenting journey. To make it more positive and empower them in the process.

In 2013 I set up Mamogs, a support service for those birthing and with young babies. It was hard at the beginning as it was new and it took people a while to accept that asking for and accepting help and support is an okay thing to do. Connecting with local services that had a similar clientele helped me a lot and they intern connected me with others and shared training courses that would build on my knowledge and support my clients.

Over the years I have done training or attended workshops in breastfeeding support, early feeding, supporting those coping with pregnancy or infant loss and minding me, among others. During these strange times, I have also done training in infection control, ppe and more to ensure my clients  feel very safe during home visits.

I have also set up virtual support sessions that can be booked through my website and also courses in preparing for post birth and for Dads to be.

Providing support to a family at there most venerable time is a huge honour. When I arrive at a home to provide support Im ready and prepared for anything. Ready to hear that mum's birth story and hold space for her to process it. Ready to hear a partner speak about how they felt during the birth experience. Ready to prep and cook meals, to do a quick tidy, to run a bath for mum. Ready to provide researched information and support there parenting choices. Ready to sit and have a cuppa and be a shoulder to cry on. Ready.

Over the past 4 years I have also run a Pregnancy & Family Wellness Day which had grown to 40 stands bringing business and services that support the family in both public and private sector together. Sadly due to Covid restrictions, this year will be taking a miss.

What do you love about living in Sligo?: Where do I start? Its a culmination of things. We are so lucky to live in a beautiful part of north Sligo near Lislarry beach. Its a little piece of heaven that we felt even more connected to during lockdown.

Living is Sligo gives you the opportunity to relax and enjoy your way of life. This can be as fast or slow-paced as you wish and season dependant too. Everything is on our doorstep. Even though we live in the heart of the country the town is only 20 minutes away, with everything you could need there.

When I set up Mamogs, I had a very large community to reach out to. People who provide other services but to a similar catchment as my own. It was wonderful to bounce ideas off them and that later grew into great friendships and shared support.

I love the gentle hustle and bustle in the town, the warmth of the business, in particular, those run by locals or those now settled here. I love the opportunities available to provide support and unity in business like Sligo Woman in Business.

If you could wave a magic wand what would you fix or bring to Sligo ie. facilities, shops, restaurants, culture/arts?: 

Oh T

On this weeks podcast I have a lovely chat with Michelle about how she found her love for her profession, life during the lockdown and her favourite places in Sligo.

Some more questions I asked Michelle are here . . .

Tell us more about your career so far . . . I was born in Sligo and have lived here all my life. Home is in North Sligo near Lislarry beach a lovely part of the wild Atlantic. I started working in childcare 25 years ago. I have been a registered childminder, an early years educator in pre-school and also in a special need's preschool. I have trained in Early Years Education, Special Educational Needs, and as a post birth Doula.

During those 20 years in childcare, I kept seeing parents and hearing them talk about how they struggled in those early weeks and months post-birth. I had also remembered my own experience of becoming a mum too. I knew I wanted to try and make a difference to their parenting journey. To make it more positive and empower them in the process.

In 2013 I set up Mamogs, a support service for those birthing and with young babies. It was hard at the beginning as it was new and it took people a while to accept that asking for and accepting help and support is an okay thing to do. Connecting with local services that had a similar clientele helped me a lot and they intern connected me with others and shared training courses that would build on my knowledge and support my clients.

Over the years I have done training or attended workshops in breastfeeding support, early feeding, supporting those coping with pregnancy or infant loss and minding me, among others. During these strange times, I have also done training in infection control, ppe and more to ensure my clients  feel very safe during home visits.

I have also set up virtual support sessions that can be booked through my website and also courses in preparing for post birth and for Dads to be.

Providing support to a family at there most venerable time is a huge honour. When I arrive at a home to provide support Im ready and prepared for anything. Ready to hear that mum's birth story and hold space for her to process it. Ready to hear a partner speak about how they felt during the birth experience. Ready to prep and cook meals, to do a quick tidy, to run a bath for mum. Ready to provide researched information and support there parenting choices. Ready to sit and have a cuppa and be a shoulder to cry on. Ready.

Over the past 4 years I have also run a Pregnancy & Family Wellness Day which had grown to 40 stands bringing business and services that support the family in both public and private sector together. Sadly due to Covid restrictions, this year will be taking a miss.

What do you love about living in Sligo?: Where do I start? Its a culmination of things. We are so lucky to live in a beautiful part of north Sligo near Lislarry beach. Its a little piece of heaven that we felt even more connected to during lockdown.

Living is Sligo gives you the opportunity to relax and enjoy your way of life. This can be as fast or slow-paced as you wish and season dependant too. Everything is on our doorstep. Even though we live in the heart of the country the town is only 20 minutes away, with everything you could need there.

When I set up Mamogs, I had a very large community to reach out to. People who provide other services but to a similar catchment as my own. It was wonderful to bounce ideas off them and that later grew into great friendships and shared support.

I love the gentle hustle and bustle in the town, the warmth of the business, in particular, those run by locals or those now settled here. I love the opportunities available to provide support and unity in business like Sligo Woman in Business.

If you could wave a magic wand what would you fix or bring to Sligo ie. facilities, shops, restaurants, culture/arts?: 

Oh T

This week I had an incredible interview with Oonagh Monahan who welcomed me to my first SWIBN event over 8 years ago. We talked about when she arrived to Sligo in 1995, her career, her love of food and favourite places to eat and visit in our beautiful home.

Here is some more information about Oonagh’s career

Oonagh founded Alpha Omega Consultants in 2008 and specialises in Food Business Development, Innovation and Technology Transfer and environmental research project management working as a consultant, mentor, trainer and author. With over 25 years experience, Oonagh has worked for both pharma and food multinationals including Kerry Group (Grove Turkeys), Premier Foods (Manor Bakeries), Elan Pharmaceuticals and Fort Dodge Laboratories. She has also worked in Academia at the forefront of technology transfer and collaboration. She moved to a position as General Manager of the Food Technology Centre in St. Angela’s College, Sligo, where she was responsible for business development of the centre and developing food product development and innovation projects with food producers.

Since setting up her own consultancy firm based in Leitrim, Oonagh has worked on cross-border technology transfer and innovation programmes with SME manufacturing and trade able services industries, while specialising in the food sector. At present, she works with a variety of food businesses across the island of Ireland and at all stages of their development, from start-up through growth to export and innovation. She has managed Inter trade Ireland funded and INTERREG cross border programmes for almost 20 years. To date, Oonagh has mentored over 300 food sector start-ups many of whom are now on supermarket shelves across the island.

Clients to date include Helix Innovation Partnerships; Enterprise Ireland (Business Mentor), InterTrade Ireland (INNOVA and Elevate programmes); Sligo, Leitrim, Cavan, Roscommon, Longford, Louth, Leitrim, Westmeath, Monaghan and Mayo Local Enterprise Offices; Mayo North East Partnership Company, South West Mayo Development, County Wicklow Partnership; ICBAN (Irish Cross Border Area Network), and Líonra (Regional Higher Education Network) among others. In addition, Oonagh lectures part-time in St. Angela’s College in Sligo as a food product development lecturer at St. Angela’s College, working on practical product development with Home Economics students and in EU and Irish Food Legislation.

Oonagh the Technical Consultant to the Irish Bread Bakers Association, and provides technical writing and reporting services to PKF-FPM Accountants for R&D tax credit refunds from HMRC and the Irish Revenue. Oonagh has also been the facilitator of the Sligo Women in Business Network since 2009.

Her best-selling book “Money for Jam – the Essential Guide to Starting Your Own Food Business” is published by Oaktree Press. In 2019 she won the Food Hero award from the IQFA, sponsored by Aldi Ireland. Oonagh is a Fellow of the Institute of Food Science & Technology (UK), a Chartered Scientist and a Fellow of the Institute of Food Science & Technology of Ireland.

More questions we asked Oonagh are . . . 

What do you love about living in Sligo?: 

The people I've met and the friends I've made.The culture, the music scene. The scenery - the sea and mountains.

If you could wave a magic wand what would you fix or bring to Sligo ie. facilities, shops, restaurants, culture/arts?: 

Better public transport connections into Leitrim!
Cycle lanes;
A food market area / partly covered in the town centre;
I always think that Sligo town lacks a "centre" like a square or public space where people can sit, where events / concerts could be held etc.
A food hub / community kitchen-type facility;
Ability to rent surf boards! (You can't rent surfboards in Sligo due to some bye-law, but you can in Donegal, why??!!);
Bette

This week I had an incredible interview with Oonagh Monahan who welcomed me to my first SWIBN event over 8 years ago. We talked about when she arrived to Sligo in 1995, her career, her love of food and favourite places to eat and visit in our beautiful home.

Here is some more information about Oonagh’s career

Oonagh founded Alpha Omega Consultants in 2008 and specialises in Food Business Development, Innovation and Technology Transfer and environmental research project management working as a consultant, mentor, trainer and author. With over 25 years experience, Oonagh has worked for both pharma and food multinationals including Kerry Group (Grove Turkeys), Premier Foods (Manor Bakeries), Elan Pharmaceuticals and Fort Dodge Laboratories. She has also worked in Academia at the forefront of technology transfer and collaboration. She moved to a position as General Manager of the Food Technology Centre in St. Angela’s College, Sligo, where she was responsible for business development of the centre and developing food product development and innovation projects with food producers.

Since setting up her own consultancy firm based in Leitrim, Oonagh has worked on cross-border technology transfer and innovation programmes with SME manufacturing and trade able services industries, while specialising in the food sector. At present, she works with a variety of food businesses across the island of Ireland and at all stages of their development, from start-up through growth to export and innovation. She has managed Inter trade Ireland funded and INTERREG cross border programmes for almost 20 years. To date, Oonagh has mentored over 300 food sector start-ups many of whom are now on supermarket shelves across the island.

Clients to date include Helix Innovation Partnerships; Enterprise Ireland (Business Mentor), InterTrade Ireland (INNOVA and Elevate programmes); Sligo, Leitrim, Cavan, Roscommon, Longford, Louth, Leitrim, Westmeath, Monaghan and Mayo Local Enterprise Offices; Mayo North East Partnership Company, South West Mayo Development, County Wicklow Partnership; ICBAN (Irish Cross Border Area Network), and Líonra (Regional Higher Education Network) among others. In addition, Oonagh lectures part-time in St. Angela’s College in Sligo as a food product development lecturer at St. Angela’s College, working on practical product development with Home Economics students and in EU and Irish Food Legislation.

Oonagh the Technical Consultant to the Irish Bread Bakers Association, and provides technical writing and reporting services to PKF-FPM Accountants for R&D tax credit refunds from HMRC and the Irish Revenue. Oonagh has also been the facilitator of the Sligo Women in Business Network since 2009.

Her best-selling book “Money for Jam – the Essential Guide to Starting Your Own Food Business” is published by Oaktree Press. In 2019 she won the Food Hero award from the IQFA, sponsored by Aldi Ireland. Oonagh is a Fellow of the Institute of Food Science & Technology (UK), a Chartered Scientist and a Fellow of the Institute of Food Science & Technology of Ireland.

More questions we asked Oonagh are . . . 

What do you love about living in Sligo?: 

The people I've met and the friends I've made.The culture, the music scene. The scenery - the sea and mountains.

If you could wave a magic wand what would you fix or bring to Sligo ie. facilities, shops, restaurants, culture/arts?: 

Better public transport connections into Leitrim!
Cycle lanes;
A food market area / partly covered in the town centre;
I always think that Sligo town lacks a "centre" like a square or public space where people can sit, where events / concerts could be held etc.
A food hub / community kitchen-type facility;
Ability to rent surf boards! (You can't rent surfboards in Sligo due to some bye-law, but you can in Donegal, why??!!);
Bette