In this episode, I’m joined by Fergus Cronin — an emotionally focused couples therapist who’s been working with Irish couples for over a decade, right at the heart of intimacy, conflict, and repair.

Together, we go deep into what really happens when relationships break down — not at the level of communication skills, but at the level of attachment, shame, and the body.

This episode covers:

Why conflict is a necessary part of relationship — and how rupture & repair actually deepen love

The pursue–withdraw cycle and how couples unknowingly trap each other

How childhood attachment wounds hijack adult relationships

Why emotional safety, not independence, is the foundation of intimacy

Fergus Cronin - You can check out Fergus's website https://ferguscronin.ie/

Mens Leadership Programme - For full details of MLP starting 16th March. Check it out here

Enjoy Niall

If you’ve ever felt like men are changing… but not fast enough — this episode is for you.

Women are no longer willing to carry emotional immaturity in a relationship. They’re asking for men who are present, responsible, and emotionally available… and for a lot of men, that feels almost impossible — not because they don’t care, but because they were never taught how.

Today I’m joined by Hugh Newton — a man who’s been in the trenches of men’s work for over two decades. I first met Hugh nearly ten years ago during my own initiation with the Mankind Project. He also works with A Celebration of Being an organisation supporting men & women together.

He’s also the founder of The Sovereign’s Journey — and in this conversation we go deep into

- Why so many men live in survival mode

- Why the “hero” path eventually burns us out

-What it actually takes to move into sovereignty — where love, leadership, and real partnership become possible.

If you’re a man who wants to show up better… or a woman who wants to understand what’s happening beneath the surface — I genuinely think this one matters.

Info on Hugh:

Website: https://www.thesovereignsjourney.co.uk/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hugh_newton/?hl=en

For details on Mens Leadership Programme click here

Ianto Doyle is a men’s work facilitator, coach, and one of the founders of Journeyman UK—the UK branch of an international rites-of-passage movement for teenage boys. With roots in the Mankind Project, Ianto has spent decades creating spaces where boys and men can drop the mask, meet their truth, and be welcomed into mature masculinity through challenge, blessing, and authentic connection.

He’s also the founder of Life Intelligence, a coaching philosophy that asks one question at the heart of every decision: is this life-enhancing or life-destroying? Ianto’s work weaves personal healing with right relationship to community, culture, and the living world—grounded, practical, and deeply values-led.

We are also joined by my good friend Robin Botley an Elder with over 30 years experience in mens work. This is a great conversation with decades of experience between these 2 wonderful men. I hope you enjoy.

In the podcast we cover:

Lineage & belonging — the mystery of ancestry, identity, and where “home” really is.

Father wound & repair — authoritarian fathers, unresolved grief, and healing without “having it out.”

Rites of passage & mentoring boys — Journeyman UK, initiation, and why boys need socially-activated manhood.

Men, women & culture wars — the medicine of wise women, misandry/misogyny, and rebuilding community as the answer.

Ianto Doyle - If you are interested in Ianto and the work he does you can check out this website here

1:1 Mentoring - if you feel I can help you on your journey of becoming a man setup a conversation here Book a call

Over the past six months many men have come to me saying the same thing: “My relationship is falling apart… and I don’t know what to do.”

In this episode, I dive into why relationships are breaking down for men, why our best efforts often aren’t enough, and how cultural and inherited wounds shape the way Irish men show up in love.

I break down the emotional skills women actually need from us, the hidden shame we carry, and why relationship is both the hardest and most transformative arena of a man’s life.

This episode is a roadmap for men who want to stop collapsing, stop performing, and start becoming emotionally grounded, capable partners.

I cover:

- The impact of the absent or emotionally shutdown father

- 7 essential qualities women need from men today

- How childhood wounds and nervous system patterns show up in adult intimacy

- Why relationship can’t be our therapy—and what men must do instead

If you enjoyed this podcast please share it with someone struggling in relationship.

Info & bookings for (re)Claiming Desire & Reframing Rejection Day retreat

Want to deepen your relationship? To discuss how I can help you book a discovery call here

Michael Ryan is a Yoga and Breathwork teacher with over 20 years experience. In recent years his work has focussed on guiding men towards a deeper sense of purpose. 

He creates safe, powerful spaces for men to explore emotional awareness, strength and authenticity. He leads with grounded presence, helping men reconnect to what truly matters.

In this podcast we cover:

- The weight and heaviness of what we hold as men in Ireland

- Creating safety within as a key to navigating trauma

- Healing the father wound by choosing to heal and change

- the Important role of Rites of passage for young men.

More info on Michael:

Nature of Man website: www.natureorman.ie

Michaels personal website: www.michaelryan.yoga

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelryan_thewayhome/

More info on Niall:

Discover how I can help you: book a call

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_niall_graham_/

My guest on the show this week is Catherine Hale is a nervous system coach and founder of Culture of Care Training, helping changemakers, coaches, and leaders unlock their potential through trauma-informed facilitation.

With over a decade of experience, she guides people into deeper authenticity and resilience, weaving personal healing with collective cultural repair.

In this episode we dive deep into:

More info on Catherine:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catherinehaleuk/

Website: https://catherinehale.co.uk/

Field Facilitator Training Online: https://www.the-field.com/online

Niall:

Framework of Wholeness: https://youtu.be/RMcHWViy_FU

Shame is one of the most powerful emotions we carry. It keeps us small, disconnected, and afraid to show up as who we truly are.

In this episode, I reveal the 4 levels of shame:

Cultural – The legacy of being Irish and colonized.

Religious & Childhood – Wounds from the church and school.

Masculine – The fear of stepping up as a man.

Inherited – The ancestral weight passed down through generations.

Shame is an aspect of a greater framework that I teach. If you would like to know more click the link below 

A Contemporary Framework for Wholeness 

We hear this question being echoed in society, a calling forth of a different type of man. But often we do not look at the greater cultural shifts that have left men confused about how what it actually means to be a man, we have lost the traditional roles and now there is a new man needing to emerge.

In this podcast I dive into what is shifting in culture and that a different type of man needs to emerge now. We are being called by women and society to level up as men.

I cover:

- This difficulty and confusion we are faced with as men in todays society

- How many of us have abandoned our masculinity because of the backlash against men

- How men give up their own power to feel safe and acceptable

- How the rising and healing of women is calling us into being greater men

There is a new era of man emerging, who is not only deep within himself but he has worked through his wounds around the feminine and women. This man lives beyond the narratives of culture and lives by his own rules. 

There are a few men who have done some work and realise there is more to go. If this is you setup a chat here to see how my method of working with men is changing peoples lives and relationships. Book here

Many men have the experience ‘I feel like im living in my head.’ Yes we are functional and getting by but there is an underlying restlessness or stuckness. Getting into the body and facing the reasons we have become disembodied supports us to become grounded and open men feeling connected to life.

In this podcast I go into:

Grounding and co-regulation practice here

Interested in doing this work 1:1? Book a call

We have been lead to believe that as an individual we can gain personal power but it is becoming clear that we as men are intimately linked to much greater forces from our past and society that directly impact our sense of personal power.

In this podacst i go into the reasons why even though men have done so much personal work they are still feeling disempowered, stuck and like they cannot move forward in life. I look at the 4 main reasons around my personal journe yof empowerment you may not be aware of:

Ready to do this work?

If you are ready to face all of you including your ancestral and familial traumas to emerge whole able to build the life you want contact me and we can have a short conversation if i can help you here