Win Happy Podcast

On today's podcast I chatted with author, restaurateur, healer and teacher David Ellis.

David is a former client of ours and after a brief amount of work that we did for him way back in the very dark Celtic tiger crash days, a friendship developed.

David's story is extremely interesting, and in the very competitive and demanding hospitality sector he went from being the emotionless hatchet man to being someone that his colleagues could barely recognise.

After his father passed away something very strange and quite unbelievable happened to him, which changed the course of his life.

Let's hear that story...

Podcast Production by Greg Canty

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On today's podcast I had the immense pleasure of chatting with the author of the book, 'Octopus on a Treadmill', Gifty Enright.

As a young woman growing up in Ghana she dreamt of having lots of shoes, big cupboards, and the trappings of success, so she moved to London to fulfill her dream.

She quickly discovered that she missed that strong sense of community that she enjoyed in Ghana, but she dug deep and carved out a very successful career and life for herself in London.

After a number of years this successful, hard working career mum hit a "Burnout" wall that she knew could not be solved with the medication that was being prescribed to her. This avid reader who was determined to get better, did some deep research to find a sustainable solution to her life situation. She applied what she learnt and after just three months she was on the road to recovery and hasn't looked back since.

She wrote the book 'Octopus on a Treadmill' to share what she learned so that other busy career mums who are constantly juggling don't hit the same burnout wall that she did.

As well as being an author, she is a public speaker and a coach and she doesn't care so much about those shoes anymore!

Enjoy the show

Podcast Production by Greg Canty

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On today's episode I chatted with Genealogist David Ryan who opened up my eyes to a profession I knew nothing about.

What exactly does a genealogist do, who employs them, why and when?

David explained to me the process that he normally follows, and the interesting people that he ends up doing this work for and the unusual stories that he uncovers, including the poor man who was killed on Patrick Street by a bull who had escaped!

As well as providing practical tips about investigating your own family tree, he also spoke about the many online ancestry services that use DNA tests as part of their process and if these are to be trusted.

Enjoy the show..

Podcast Production by Greg Canty

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On today's podcast I had the privilege of speaking with Irish actor Diarmuid Noyes, the co-lead of the movie 'Christy', which has been winning awards in Ireland and abroad and rave reviews from movie critics everywhere.

Diarmuid plays the character Shane in the movie brilliantly, as he wrestles with the job of trying to steer his brother Christy on the right path and at the same time, not to derail his own life.

Diarmuid talks in detail about the huge preparation that goes into getting a part like this right, the process around the whole movie and the special bond that has grown between the novice actors and the more experienced actors like himself and Emma Willis, who played his wife Stacey in the movie.

He has been acting since he was nine years of age, a career shaped in some ways by a crush on Mary Kate Olsen and personal circumstances, and even now he still finds this crazy profession challenging.

Diarmuid is extremely humble, finds praise a difficult thing to accept and for some strange reason he gives himself too hard a time.

Yes Diarmuid, you are a brilliant actor.

Enjoy the show...

Christy opens in Irish cinemas on the 29th August, and in Britain from the 5th September.

The book I referred to at the end of the podcast is called The Surrender Experiment.

Podcast Production by Greg Canty

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On today's podcast I bring you a conversation that I had with Garry McCarthy outside a busy beer house in Berlin during the Berlin Film Festival, where the movie 'Christy' won the Grand Prix of the Generation 14plus category.

While Garry didn't have a starring role in the movie, you could say he was the biggest star of the movie, because his tireless work as the Founder and Creative Director of the Kabin Studio for years and years, can be seen in the performances of some of the main actors as well as the spirit that runs through the whole movie.

Danny Power who plays the main character in the movie, Christy, came from the Kabin as well as Jamie Forde, Darren Stewart, Cara Cullen and many of the supporting cast. Much of the music you hear in the movie and is available in the soundtrack came from the Kabin Studio.

The movie captures the real stories of life for many in the northside of Cork city and Gary has witnessed these stories for years.

Through his work at the Kabin he empowers young people through music and creativity to find their voices, build their confidence and to feel safe.

He says "when you have the right people around you, you can be steered in the right direction"

He is one of those people.

Enjoy the show

Christy opens in Irish cinemas at the end of August.

Christy was directed by Brendan Canty.

Podcast Production by Greg Canty

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On night two of the Berlin Ale Film Festival there was a second screening of the movie Christy in a more intimate venue, and a chance for me to relax and properly watch the movie.

During the course of the evening I spoke with some of the stars behind the movie and I also hit the record button during the Kabin Crew performance, and the audience question and answer session with the cast and the audience after the show.

The film really connected with the audience and while the questions they asked were really interesting, some of the answers were quite hilarious and you just might get a flavour of real Cork like!

The movie was about real lives, it captured both the dark and the light, and in many ways it was art imitating life.

On today's podcast I captured some of the magic from this very special night.

Interviews with:

• Brendan Canty (Director and co-writer)
• Emmet Fleming - Sleeper Films
• Danny Power - Christy
• Jamie Forde - Robot
• Darren 'Tiny' Stewart - Ferrit
• Ema Willis - Stacy
• Cara Cullen - Leona
• Ian 'Bony' Tabone

Enjoy the show

Christy was co-written by and directed by Brendan Canty

Christy opens in cinemas at the end of August.

Podcast Production by Greg Canty

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On today's podcast I chatted with theatre director, writer and performer Karen Minihan about many topics including her two books, her plays, her theatre directing and her performing.

It is one of life's huge miracles that Karen worked as a solicitor for 10 years, and then that moment arrived when she had to embrace who she was and what she needed to be doing with her precious life.

She spoke about where she gets her inspiration, how stories come to her, how she develops the characters and how she thrives off the energy that comes from collaboration.

She also spoke about her book Extraordinary, Ordinary Women and the sequel More Extraordinary, Ordinary Women. In these books she reveals the untold stories that highlight the significant, yet often overlooked, contributions of women in West Cork during the Irish War of Independence and Civil War.

Karen is an absolute live wire, brimming with passion, projects, ideas and creativity, and I tried my very best to keep pace with her.

Enjoy the show

This episode is dedicated to Sorcha

Podcast Production by Greg Canty

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Early in the morning on the 13th June 2025 the air raid sirens and the phone alerts came and you had to quickly move to a communal shelter with your partner and your two children.

What thoughts go through your head when you hear the bombs overhead?

What conversations do you have with other people sheltering?

What do you tell your children?

Does it make people think about what it must be like for people in Gaza as the bombs rain down on them and they have no shelters?

How do you do this day after day when those sirens alert you once again to take cover?

Now that the war with Iran "is over" how do you feel?

What is the position with Gaza and has this changed the standing of Netanyahu?

On today's podcast I chat with Paul Kearns, urban planner, author and journalist about his experience living in Tel Aviv with his young family for the last 8 years, and wonder what is he still doing there?

Let's hear what he has to say.

Podcast Production by Greg Canty

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I can't imagine giving up my home and deciding to live in a horse drawn caravan.

I can't imagine moving to another country in that horse drawn caravan and buying some land on a rugged peninsula.

I can't imagine living in a teepee on that land through wet and damp winters with my infant children.

On today's podcast I chatted with Lisa Scarff who moved from Dorset to Sheep's Head in 1993, and made a wonderful life for herself and her children.

She speaks about her love of nature, making a life in West Cork, entrepreneurship, her meadows, butterflies, moths and turning 70!

Enjoy the show

Greg

Podcast Production by Greg Canty

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On today's podcast I had the absolute pleasure of the company of Fiona Burke, the founder and owner of Little Red Skincare.

A simple conversation about her very special business opened up into a number of areas I wasn't at all expecting.

She chatted about her early life as the daughter of the local policeman in Ennis, being bullied out of her job as an engineer by someone who felt that wasn't the place for a woman, and this leading to an unplanned life of a successful entrepreneur selling cheese at various markets around Cork.

The cheese business evolved into Little Red Skincare, an organically certified business that can be purchased online, in various stockists, or even better, in person from Fiona at Bantry, Skibbereen and Schull markets.

She also chatted about some big personal changes that she has made recently, and how she has cracked the code on this thing we call life!

Enjoy the show

Podcast Production by Greg Canty

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Email Greg with feedback or suggested guests: [email protected]