On episode 182 CJ Fulton returns as a guest to discuss his recent time in the NBA Summerleague and his college career. 

We recorded an episode in 2021 while he was attending Winchendon Prep School in Massachusetts. Since then he has gone from strength to strength in college at Lafayette and college of Charleston and recently earned a summer league roster spot with the Minnesota Timberwolves. 

The Fulton family are synonymous with Irish basketball and no better man than CJ to continue the family legacy. At just 23 years of age he has reached new heights and made history as the first Irish developed player to make the summer league and now earn an NBA training camp contract. 

His college accolades include 500 career assists, leading the NCAA in assist:turnover ratio as a freshman and junior, All-CAA Third Team, Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Recorded 199 assists as a senior - the third most in a single season in school history (Charleston) All-Patriot League honours (Lafayette). 

We discuss his career, the NBA Summer league and how he found the experience, his biggest strength and how he prepared for the NBA workouts. From navigating his career from the superleague, to the US, including playing for a new head coach every year at the college level and now to the NBA.

He's back home for the next month to work on his game, back at St. Malachy's sports hall in Belfast, where the NBA three-point line has been added as he's ready to take his game to the next level.

Tune in for an insight into the career and mentality of CJ Fulton, plus a cameo from international and former Lafayette team mate Neal Quinn!

Follow CJ here: 

https://www.instagram.com/cjfulton5/ 

As a listener of the sideline live podcast unlock your exclusive offer for The Sporting Club Ireland where sport and business meet.  A community built on connections, bringing together decision makers, entrepreneurs, and sports personalities across Ireland. Upcoming events in 2026 include Johnny Sexton, Peter O’Mahony and Nina Carberry with more to be announced. 

Receive a discount via this link ⁠⁠https://thesportingclub.co/register/dublin-individual-membership-pay-monthly-sideline-live/ ⁠

Listen to episode 28 with CJ recorded back in 2021 https://open.spotify.com/episode/7bBG5HuSuez2RsqKVDN3NQ?si=lo2huZdQQaqkqt0v3D2mSg

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Recorded using Samson Q2 microphone, Edited using GarageBand

Intro music, Watered Eyes by a talented Irish artist, Dillon Ward check him out ⁠⁠here⁠⁠ . 

If you are looking to set up your own podcast get in touch with the Prymal Productions team ⁠⁠⁠www.prymal.ie⁠⁠⁠ 

On this episode 181 I am delighted to be joined by Ronan Conway. An expert in team cohesion and connection with clients including sports teams, corporates and the irish prison system.  

At one point, he had it all on paper — a degree from UCC, a promising hurling career with Cork, and a good job in the tech industry. But beneath the surface, he was drifting. We explore the journey from feeling lost to finding his way and becoming a key figure in the high-performance sport space.

We unpack what it really means to be a facilitator, how to create powerful environments for growth, and why the best teams already have the answers — they just need help finding them. From big career pivots, the art of facilitation, to Lambay Island retreats and lessons from Jack McCaffrey & Declan Darcy, this is a wide-ranging conversation on connection, team culture, and coaching from the inside out.

Whether you're a coach, player, or just curious about the human side of high performance, this episode offers insights, stories, and practical advice to help build stronger teams — and more self-aware leaders.

Read more about his work with the prison system and his programme the circle 

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/2024/11/09/no-hurler-on-the-ditch-ronan-conway-a-firm-believer-in-the-promise-of-team-development/ 

Find Ronan here: 

https://www.ronanconway.ie/ 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronan-conway-3513042b/ 

Follow The Sideline Live Social Media channels: 

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Recorded using Samson Q2 microphone, Edited using GarageBand

Intro music, Watered Eyes by a talented Irish artist, Dillon Ward check him out ⁠⁠here⁠⁠ . 

If you are looking to set up your own podcast get in touch with the Prymal Productions team ⁠⁠⁠www.prymal.ie⁠⁠⁠ 

On this episode of The Sideline Live podcast, I sit down with Eileen Roche, Director of Basketball Operations at Stanford. We dive into her incredible journey as a multi-sport athlete, coach, and long-time leader behind one of college basketball’s most successful programs.

Eileen and I met in September 2022 while I visited Stanford and clicked straight away. Growing up in Brooklyn she was an accomplished athlete in 3 sports; basketball, field hockey and softball. She decided to continue playing all three and attend Wesleyan University in Ohio, where she would excel was voted team captain in each sport. She would later be inducted into their hall of fame and pursued a career in coaching.

During the episode shares insights on leadership, building a high-performance culture, and what it takes to support elite athletes both on and off the court. We explore her experience working alongside coaching legend Tara VanDerveer, how the role of basketball operations has evolved, and the behind-the-scenes details and culture that help make Stanford a powerhouse.

From balancing academics and athletics to the challenges and opportunities women face in sport, Eileen offers practical advice for the next generation of leaders—whether coaches, players, or sport professionals. A serious operator on and off the court we discussed managing a busy programme as they move to the ACC schedule for the upcoming season. And yet she never fails to bring her infectious energy and enthusiasm to the programme every day.

This episode is packed with stories, lessons, and reflections on what success really means in sport and life. So tune in to hear from one of my favourite people in sport.

Follow The Sideline Live Social Media channels: 

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Recorded using Samson Q2 microphone, Edited using GarageBand

Intro music, Watered Eyes by a talented Irish artist, Dillon Ward check him out ⁠⁠here⁠⁠ . 

If you are looking to set up your own podcast get in touch with the Prymal Productions team ⁠⁠⁠www.prymal.ie⁠⁠⁠

On episode 179 I am delighted to be joined by Alan O’Mara. Author of 'The Best Is Yet To Come' and founder of 'Real Talks' , mental performance coach  podcast host and wellbeing speaker. He is also a previous inter-county goalkeeper with Cavan and manager with New York in 2024.

We dive deep into Alan’s journey from inter-county football to working with top athletes, coaches and teams in the area of mental performance.

Alan shares powerful insights on his experience in sport, being an inter county manager, the realities of leading a team, and self care. Whether you're a coach, athlete, or just curious about the mental side of sport, this episode offers valuable takeaways.

We also discuss promotion of Gaelic Games and how practical it is to provide more inter-county matches for the New York senior football team.

Read the article that Alan wrote in the Irish independent about his time as senior inter county manager with New York

https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/life-as-an-inter-county-manager-migraines-constant-fatigue-and-a-fuzzy-brain-i-became-unusually-irritable-and-erratic-as-a-person-and-partner/a362866442.html

Find Alan here

https://www.instagram.com/aomthecat/?hl=en

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanomara/

https://x.com/aomthecat?lang=en

Follow The Sideline Live Social Media channels: 

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⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thesidelinelive/⁠⁠⁠ 

Recorded using Samson Q2 microphone, Edited using GarageBand

Intro music, Watered Eyes by a talented Irish artist, Dillon Ward check him out ⁠⁠here⁠⁠ . 

If you are looking to set up your own podcast get in touch with the Prymal Productions team ⁠⁠⁠www.prymal.ie⁠⁠⁠ 

On episode 178 I am delighted to be joined by former tennis professional, a former world top 130 player, the most successful Irish tennis player in the open era, Conor Niland. He is also known for his award winning book, The Racket, which was awarded the prestigious William Hill Sports book of the year in 2024, becoming the 3rd Irish author to win the award behind Paul Kimmage (Rough Ride in 1990) and Paul Gibson and Eamonn Magee (The Lost Sould of Eamonn Magee)

Within the first 30 minutes of reading The Racket, Conor was on my (hit) list to interview and I was delighted to sit down with him (virtually) and unpack one of my favourite books of all time. 

Tune in for an honest account of the life of a professional athlete on the world stage. We discuss his career that began in his back gaeden in Limerick, to the UK for secondary School, California for college and around the world for professional competitions including 2 grand slams. 

We also delve into his book and dissect his work including chapters on  Wimbledon, winning v losing as a pro, identity and retirement. A love letter to sport, family and yet a reality of the cut throat nature of professional sport this is finding peace and relief in sport with Conor Niland. 

Conor is now non playing captain of the Irish Davis Cup tennis team. A key part of developing the next generation of irish professional tennis players. This September we will host games vs China including two top 50 opponents. Details to be announced online with the venue in Dublin. 

The Racket is now available to buy via paperback. If you are purchasing the book try support local or Irish independent book shops which include: (not affiliated or sponsored just promoting Irish brands)

easons.com 

kennys.ie  

hodgesfiggis.ie 

booksupstairs.ie 

Find Conor here: 

https://www.instagram.com/conorniland81/ 

https://x.com/conorniland1 

As a listener of the sideline live podcast unlock your exclusive offer for The Sporting Club Ireland where sport and business meet.  A community built on connections, bringing together decision makers, entrepreneurs, and sports personalities across Ireland. Upcoming events in 2026 include Johnny Sexton, Peter O’Mahony and Nina Carberry with more to be announced. 

Receive a discount via this link ⁠⁠https://thesportingclub.co/register/dublin-individual-membership-pay-monthly-sideline-live/ ⁠

Follow The Sideline Live Social Media channels: 

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/thesidelinelive⁠⁠⁠ 

⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thesidelinelive/⁠⁠⁠ 

Recorded using Samson Q2 microphone, Edited using GarageBand

Intro music, Watered Eyes by a talented Irish artist, Dillon Ward check him out ⁠⁠here⁠⁠ . 

If you are looking to set up your own podcast get in touch with the Prymal Productions team ⁠⁠⁠www.prymal.ie⁠⁠⁠ 

On episode 177 I am delighted to be joined by Shane McEntee. Former Meath captain, current St Peters Dunboyne senior footballer and GAA plus pundit. 

(Note this episode was recorded the day before the All-Ireland quarter final win over Galway)

01:00 For the first 30 minutes Shane and I debate the current rules, inter county calendar, 7s, penalties, the minor and senior double header finals and more! (Let us know your thoughts) 

31:00 We then discussed his experience as a leader in both Gaelic football as Meath captain and in the defence forces. Shane shares what it means to be an inter county captain, how the leadership group interacts and helps with the role. 

We also touched on breaking into panels, learning the ropes and facing the 6 in a row dublin team  and relishing that opportunity 

A fantastic insight into leadership, life as an inter county footballer,  analysing a game as an individual player in collaboration with an analyst and the current state of Gaelic football. A big thanks to Shane for his time! 

Find Shane here 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-mcentee-8a26a4206/ 

https://www.instagram.com/shanemacnt/ 

Follow The Sideline Live Social Media channels: 

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/thesidelinelive⁠⁠⁠ 

⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thesidelinelive/⁠⁠⁠ 

Recorded using Samson Q2 microphone, Edited using GarageBand

Intro music, Watered Eyes by a talented Irish artist, Dillon Ward check him out ⁠⁠here⁠⁠ . 

If you are looking to set up your own podcast get in touch with the Prymal Productions team ⁠⁠⁠www.prymal.ie⁠⁠⁠ 

On episode 176 I am delighted to be joined by All-ireland winner club football manager with Cuala, Austin O’Malley. 

The former Mayo and Wicklow inter county footballer was involved in both the 2004 and 2006 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship finals with Mayo. O'Malley won the 2006 Dublin Senior Football Championship while playing for UCD and lined out with St.Vincent's in Marino. He took over as manager of Cuala Senior football team and in his 3rd season led them to the 2024 All-Ireland club football title following a first ever county football title win against Kilmacud Crokes. 

As a player he was coached by Mick O’Dwyer, Davy Billings, Micky Whelan, John Maughan, John O’Mahoney and Mickey Moran, some of the best gaelic football coaches of all time. Austin shares insights from the legends of coaching and how it has shaped his approach as a leader, coach and manager.

During this episode we discuss coaching, performance, vision, stretch goals, energy management as a coach or manager, preparing for a match as a manager and more! Plenty of takeaways for athletes, coaches, managers and those involved in elite sport throughout the chat.

A teacher by trade he moved into performance coaching working with Enda McNulty and completed multiple academic qualifications before setting up his own business Hexagon performance where he works with individuals in sport and business. 

His work includes improving human performance, building High-Performance teams, Culture Coding, and is a skilled Health & Wellbeing practitioner. Qualifications include BBS Degree in Business Studies, Hdip In Education, BSC in Strength & Conditioning, Diploma in The Science of Wellbeing, MSc in The Science of Performance Coaching and a Certificate in Sport and Performance Psychology. 

Find Austin here: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/austin-o-malley/

https://hexagonperformance.ie/ 

Follow The Sideline Live Social Media channels: 

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/thesidelinelive⁠⁠⁠ 

⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thesidelinelive/⁠⁠⁠ 

Recorded using Samson Q2 microphone, Edited using GarageBand

Intro music, Watered Eyes by a talented Irish artist, Dillon Ward check him out ⁠⁠here⁠⁠ . 

If you are looking to set up your own podcast get in touch with the Prymal Productions team ⁠⁠⁠www.prymal.ie⁠⁠⁠  

On episode 175 I check in with one of Ireland’s biggest college signings and one of 9 Irish girls entering Division 1 college basketball Emma Tolan. 

Emma recently signed with the University of Oklahoma, one of America’s most well known sports programmes they compete in the SEC and are ranked 7th in the nation. From Cavan to the SEC she learnt her trade at Cavan Eagles and Virginia College winning 5 All-Ireland schools titles and Women's Division 1 (national league) young player of the year.

Emma enters as a sophomore following one year at DCU and will join the Sooners fresh off their sweet sixteen appearance in the NCAA tournament loss to UCONN. 

During the basketball off season she has won a handful of ulster titles and a minor All-Ireland title in 2024 with underage cavan ladies football teams and county titles with her club and county including an Ulster Ladies Football all-star award.

The ultimate super siblings trio, she shares the court and pitch with older sisters Niamh and Ciara, who have both represented Ireland and Cavan at international and county competitions. While their Dad Graham, helps run the club in his role as chairman which has grown from strength to strength entering the national league in 2022 and securing promotion to the super league for the 2024/25 season. 

Success continued for Emma on the international stage with a 6th place finish at the U18 Euros in 2023 where she was shortlisted for a MVP fan vote. She will face international team mate Grace Prenter next season as she suits up for the University of Texas who also compete in the SEC.

The Sooners are a stacked squad with highly ranked players including four McDonald's All-Americans: All-SEC picks Reagan Beers and Payton Verhulst, Sahara Williams, and the number 1 ranked recruit in the class of 2025 Aaliyah Chavez. Coach Jennie Baranczyk enters her 4th season and has built a strong foundation so far, with her sights clearly on bringing a national championship back to Norman, Oklahoma.

“Going from the wee show center in Virginia out to that big of a stadium is a bit mad to think about”

From the Virginia Show center with give or take a max capacity of 600, to the Lloyd Noble Center with over 10k, an exciting year awaits the talented Tolan. 

Follow Emma:

https://www.instagram.com/emma_tolan1/

Follow Oklahoma Women's Basketball

https://www.instagram.com/ou_wbball/

Follow The Sideline Live Social Media channels: 

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/thesidelinelive⁠⁠⁠ 

⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thesidelinelive/⁠⁠⁠ 

Recorded using Samson Q2 microphone, Edited using GarageBand

Intro music, Watered Eyes by a talented Irish artist, Dillon Ward check him out ⁠⁠here⁠⁠ . 

If you are looking to set up your own podcast get in touch with the Prymal Productions team ⁠⁠⁠www.prymal.ie⁠⁠⁠ 

On episode 174 I am delighted to be joined by a legend of athletics and para sport Jason Smyth.

The fastest Paralympian in history — a six-time Paralympic gold medallist and the only athlete to ever run 100m in under 11 seconds in the T13 classification for visual impairment he is a legend of the sport. But above all that Jason went unbeaten throughout his ENTIRE 19 YEAR CAREER. He dominated the global stage with 21 gold medals across Paralympic Games, World, and European Championships.

We discuss his career, how he nearly didn't compete in athletics, purpose, finding your flow state, committing yourself to a goal, and elite-level consistency.

Jason shares his journey from local tracks in Northern Ireland to becoming an international sprinting legend and how he dealt with missing out on qualifying for the Olympics in 2012 by hundredths of a second. Jason’s insights go beyond the medals and the track— this is a conversation about purpose, pressure, and chasing your potential.

A legend of the sport, trailblazer, role model, ambassador, gentleman and a great dancer too, tune in to learn from Jason Smyth.

As a listener of the sideline live podcast unlock your exclusive offer for The Sporting Club Ireland where sport and business meet.  A community built on connections, bringing together decision makers, entrepreneurs, and sports personalities across Ireland. Upcoming events in 2026 include Johnny Sexton, Peter O’Mahony and Nina Carberry with more to be announced. 

Receive a discount via this link ⁠⁠https://thesportingclub.co/register/dublin-individual-membership-pay-monthly-sideline-live/ ⁠

Find Jason here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/smythjason/

https://www.instagram.com/jason.smyth100/

Follow The Sideline Live Social Media channels: 

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/thesidelinelive⁠⁠⁠ 

⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thesidelinelive/⁠⁠⁠ 

Recorded using Samson Q2 microphone, Edited using GarageBand

Intro music, Watered Eyes by a talented Irish artist, Dillon Ward check him out ⁠⁠here⁠⁠ . 

If you are looking to set up your own podcast get in touch with the Prymal Productions team ⁠⁠⁠www.prymal.ie⁠⁠⁠ 

On episode 173 Off the Ball journalist Eoin Sheahan joins the podcast to unpack his captivating podcast series, Diverted, chronicling his travels across Latin America through the lens of sport, culture, and personal discovery. 

We dive into the creative process behind crafting a documentary-style podcast on the move, exploring stories from Palestine football in South America, basketball in Guatemala - where their average height is 5 feet, Alexis McCallister and his family football academy, Juventus in Belize where they all speak German, Mayo hurling (yes Mayo hurling), interviewing the Belize senior men’s football manager in his house and more. 

Eoin shares the challenges of capturing authentic audio in unpredictable environments, immersive storytelling, sport as a method of connection and understanding culture. 

We also discuss tailgating at GAA games and bringing an American style to the All-Ireland final weekends. Halftime show? Tailgating? Saturday evening games like the 2019 football replay under sunset/night sky? 

Tune in for a rich conversation about South American sport through an irish lens, obscure sports, an international influence on local teams, culture,  creativity, hitchhiking, and the art of narrative in a world of constant change.

Listen to diverted on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6rjuEV2OLCMSahhGJYD8n2?si=8bcb8b27f6e44f10 

Find Eoin here 

https://x.com/EoinSheahan 

https://www.instagram.com/eoinsheahan/ 

[email protected] 

Follow The Sideline Live Social Media channels: 

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/thesidelinelive⁠⁠⁠ 

⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thesidelinelive/⁠⁠⁠ 

Recorded using Samson Q2 microphone, Edited using GarageBand

Intro music, Watered Eyes by a talented Irish artist, Dillon Ward check him out ⁠⁠here⁠⁠ . 

If you are looking to set up your own podcast get in touch with the Prymal Productions team ⁠⁠⁠www.prymal.ie⁠⁠⁠