Brinsley takes us through whimsical, wild, weird stories and happenings around our island of Ireland. Thanks a million, Brinsley - it was an absolute pleasure to talk to you! Highly recommend Brinsley's book which you can find here linktr.ee/weirdireland or celebrate and support McNamara's work here buymeacoffee.com/weirdirelandMíle buíochas, a chara - A thousand gratitude, friend
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#30: Dane Buckley - Comedian
Dane Buckley is the world’s only Irish, Indian, gay comedian… probably! An award-winning comedian and writer, he delivers his comedy effortlessly with cheeky charm and camp mischief.Dane burst onto the comedy circuit in 2022, after a fulfilling career in charity work and social care, making a name for himself by winning Gong Shows and was a finalist in LGBTQ+ New Comedian of the Year (2022), British Comedian of the Year (2024) and BBC New Comedy Awards (2024).Whether it’s stories of his early years – Irish mammies, Indian grannies, and rebel priests – or his career in social care – chasing pensioners through Paris or delivering a baby impromptu – audiences across the UK are enjoying Dane’s hilarious and heart-warming tales.Dane has supported Deirdre Kane, My Therapist Ghosted Me, Tom Allen and Rosie Jones on Tour, has been featured on Comedy Central, BBC THREE and BBC ONE and is a regular on the club and festival circuit.Dane co-hosts the podcast Welcome to Hell which debuted in the top 10 charts of both Apple and Spotify and has gained a loyal following. Together with Daniel Foxx, the Infernal Aunties judge outrageous confessions, celebrate the salacious and revel in a good old-fashioned gossip.In this conversation, we touch on the pilgrimage it takes to get closer to the heart of Ireland, and what it means to be Irish, learn Irish and speak Irish. Go raibh míle maith agat, a chara! Thanks a million, friend! Ba phleisiúr ollmhór é! It was a huge pleasure :)Find Dane's podcast and shows on instagram page: @danecomedian
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#29 Aoife Lowden - Soul retrieval
Aoife Lowden is a guide and facilitator of courses, ceremonies, and gatherings which aim to support in building relationship rooted in land-based ancestral wisdom.Aoife works as a voice for the more-than-human world. Through story, song and healing ceremony, she weaves together ancestral wisdom and lived-mythology to bring forth an embodied experience of ancient druidic spirituality in the present moment today. Weaving the old with the new - Aoife creates spaces rooted in wild & ancient wisdom, whilst allowing the space for our emerging culture to come through and evolve. Aoife founded Leigheas Dé Danann where she weaves offerings inspired by the ancient lands of Éire and Alba, often in collaboration with her community. Aoife's own journey began with being born into a sick society, born into a council estate on the foothills of the Dublin mountains - never too far from the land but also deeply disconnected and surrounded by depression, desolation, poverty, addiction - and as a result, and a very sick community. Through this environment like a flower through the crack in the concrete, she grew to become resilient and hyper-aware of the change needed in this world - being directly impacted by the very sick and traumatised culture we have all inherited. Living in a Tír na nÓg dimension, on a pure mission, Aoife talks about repairing this world by being a guide, a catalyst for remembering who we are and how we all have this fire inside us.Onóir ollmhór caint leat, a chara - Huge honour to talk to you, friend.Go raibh míle maith agat - Thanks a millionFind Aoife on Instagram: @aoifededanannand her website: www.leigheasdedanann.com
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#28 Dian Killian, Ph.D. on The Gaelic Effect
Míle buíochas, mo laoch! Many thanks, my hero. Dian weaves together her experience and research from an illustrious career in Nonviolent Communication (NVC) & Transformative Coaching, an academic vocation focused on Classical Rhetoric, Applied Linguistics and Critical/Narrative Theory, and a lifelong passion for Irish Studies. Dian's Master of Philosophy degree at Trinity College, Dublin was in Anglo-Irish Literature in Cultural-Historical Contexts. Her PhD culminated in research on The Nation’s Other: The Construction of Irish National Identity in the Context of British Colonialism and Emigration. Dian has been an NVC trainer for 20 years, working with organisations such as Americorp, Cornell University, and the U.N. Development program. She co/wrote two popular NVC books, including Connecting across Differences and Urban Empathy: True Life Adventures of Compassion on the Streets of New York. She is also an award-winning writer, musician, and singer-songwriter who loves visual art and has a great talent for photography, drawing and print-making.The Irish language continues to surprise, inspire and delight Dian. Join Dian and her growing, visionary community at The Gaelic Effect where she exploresLanguage and how it impacts how we see and relate to the worldBeauty and draíocht (magic, wonder and awe)Solace, inspiration and companionship) in these liminal, uncertain timesHope for what’s possible: what we are truly capable of as human beings—at our bestFind The Gaelic Effect: How the Irish language can save the world, and the GaelStack here: https://diankillian.substack.com/Enjoy the conversation! Beir bua! (Grab victory)
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#27: Breandán Ó Cionnaith (Gaelscoilis)
Breandán is an inspirational, rising TikTok star in the Gaeltok, who is ensuring that Gaeilge has its place on the global app. My favourite creator on Tiktok by far! He believes that the accessibility of TikTok and its high usage among our youth is key to the revitalisation of our beautiful language. He brings us right back to his school days in Athenry where he was immersed in the language in his youth and how that has had such a positive effect on his love for the language today. Breandán's energy is refreshing as he avidly believes that Irish should be spoken as a living, thriving language as opposed to getting caught up on "cruinneas" or rigid accuracy. This bilingual conversation includes acúpla focal (a couple of words) as they naturally weave through our conversation. This effortless shift between the languages is representative of Breandán's relaxed, innate approach to Irish. He speaks to me about his complicated relationship with An Caighdeán (The Standard) and how it was something he had to learn to navigate during his time in DCU studying Irish at university level. Breandán is a fun, practical advocate for Irish language but he is adamant that he is not a Garda na Gaeilge (language guard) and rather, a person who is speaking and living our language by choice. Breandán warmly reminds us, "remember - it doesn't have to be cruinn, it just has to be Irish!" Absolutely loved chatting to you, a chara! Míle buíochas! Many thanks! I encourage you all to check out Breandán on Tiktok @gaelscoilis
Explore the cultural and psychological phenomenon of language and learning - how Irish has faded from our tongues but we're ready to gobble it back up. The word "gobble" comes from Irish! Let's talk to fresh talent bringing Irishness to a new level - musicians, historians, linguists, spiritual teachers, artists, activists and thinkers. There'll be a cúpla focal. There'll be wisdom and storytelling, a few life lessons and a few Irish lessons. Éist linn!
Ireland