Ready To Be Real by Síle Seoige

How often do we push ourselves to the point of exhaustion, trying to do everything and keep everyone happy?

For this week's Real Take, I'm dipping into the Ready to Be Real archive to revisit a conversation I had with the brilliant midlife coach Alana Kirk back in April 2024.

In this short extract, Alana shares a powerful example of how setting boundaries and making small changes can make a huge difference, not just to our own wellbeing, but to family life too.

She also shares some wonderfully practical advice about knowing when...

Topics covered: Family, childhood, emigration, love, fatherhood, masculinity, patriarchy, Palestine, empathy, apathy, humanity, community, collective action, LSD, anxiety, panic attacks, creativity and music.

This week I'm joined by singer-songwriter, author and actor Declan O'Rourke.

Originally from Ballyfermot in Dublin, Declan grew up with his parents and three siblings. He spent part of his childhood in Australia, where the family lived for four years before returning to Ireland. By the time he turned 30, he had moved an incredible 27 times. Now 50, he's called Kinvara, County Galway, home for almost 20 years, with a special connection to...

Topics covered: Adolescence, preteens, parenting, boundaries, connection, communication, friendships, resilience, smartphones, internet access, childhood development and growing independence.

For this week's Real Take, I'm dipping into the Ready to Be Real archive and sharing an extract from a conversation I had with psychotherapist Richard Hogan in April 2025.

Richard specialises in working with families and is the author of two brilliant books, Parenting the Screenager and Home Is Where the Start Is. He's also a father of three daughters, so he brings both his professional knowledge and personal experience to the conversation.

...

Topics covered: Online safety, childhood, parenting, smartphones, social media, gaming, Roblox, algorithms, manipulation, digital autonomy, grooming, sextortion, exploitation, CSAM, pornography, harmful content, suicide, sharenting, digital literacy, boundaries, notifications, personal responsibility, screen time, peer pressure, parental responsibility, online reporting.

CONTENT WARNING: This episode includes discussions of child sexual abuse material, sexual exploitation, grooming, sextortion, pornography, suicide and other disturbing subjects. It is intended for adult listeners and is not suitable for children.

My guest in this episode is Mick Moran, CEO of Hotline.ie, Ireland's national reporting centre for suspected illegal online content, particularly...

In this week's Real Take, Majella O'Donnell shares her personal experience of the ten weeks she spent as an inpatient in St John of God Hospital in 2024, when she became seriously unwell with depression.

She speaks about the fear and vulnerability she experienced, and she also discusses medication, treatment and the practical tools she learned during her time in hospital, including recognising anxiety, understanding her body's fight-or-flight response and finding ways to support herself.

This is just one part of a much wider conversation.

In the full episode....Majella O'Donnell: Completely Herself...

Topics covered: Childhood, family, fear and safety, motherhood, relationships, depression, psychiatric care, medication, ADHD, breast cancer, ​mental health​, identity​, vulnerability, recovery, love, marriage and life with Daniel.

My guest in this episode is mental health advocate and TV personality Majella O’Donnell, in what is her very first podcast conversation.

Majella is a mother of two and grandmother of four, and she has been married to singer Daniel O’Donnell for almost 24 years.

In this conversation, Majella speaks with extraordinary honesty about her life and, in particular, her experience of living wit...

In this short extract from my conversation with eco-builder and author Harrison Gardner, he talks about the systems we rely on every day, why convenience so often wins, and the value of having a backup when the systems we take for granted, don't work as expected.

The full conversation,​ Harrison Gardner: How Prepared Are You?, is available now wherever you get your podcasts.

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Topics covered : Housing, shelter, self-building, self-sufficiency, security, agency, sustainability, consumerism, capitalism, convenience, our reliance on systems, power cuts, extreme weather, energy, practical skills, DIY, community, climate change, preparedness​ and taking back control.

Harrison Gardner is an eco-builder, author and broadcaster who lives in Co. Clare with his wife Erin and their two daughters, Inari (6) and Islita (3).

Having spent more than 15 years designing and building conventional, sustainable and off-grid homes around the world, Harrison's work now centre​s on helping people develop the skills and confidence to become more capable and self-sufficient.

He is t...

If you enjoy this snippet, check out the full conversation with Kyla, anytime now!

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Topics covered : Gratitude, self-belief, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, mother-daughter bond, coercive control, patriarchy, beauty standards, ageing, women’s cycles, strength training, healthy love, taking up space.

This week’s guest is comedian and now author Kyla Cobbler.

Kyla and I sat down in Galway just as her first book, 'Happy, Thank You, More, Please' was released. We talk about the five-word mantra that has stayed with her since she was 21, her difficult experience of school, the unwavering support of her ​Mom, and her journey towards trusting herself and taking up space.

We also talk a...

​Topics covered : Rest, nervous system regulation, connection, guilt, awareness, balance, parenting, burnout, self compassion​.

For my final episode before the summer break, I'm joined by chartered clinical psychologist, author and psychology lecturer, Dr Malie Coyne.

Why do so many of us find it so difficult to rest?

​Malie explore​s our relationship with rest and why, in a world that celebrates busyness, so many of us struggle to switch off.

Malie lives in Galway with her husband, Pete, and their two daughters, Jessica (14) and Aimée (12) and she first joi...

In this week's Real Take, I'm sharing a short snippet from my conversation with professional home organiser and founder of The Home Reset, Hazel Burton.

Hazel explains why asking simple questions can be a game changer when it comes to reducing clutter and creating lasting organising habits at home.

If you enjoyed this episode, you'll find my full conversation with Hazel Burton wherever you get your podcasts.

​To connect with Hazel :

thehomereset.ie

[email protected]

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Topics covered: Career change, decluttering, guilt, shame, organisation, consumerism, sustainability, sentimental items, children's toys, labelling, habits, letting go, mental wellbeing, calmer homes.

This week's guest is professional home organiser Hazel Burton, founder of The Home Reset.

Hazel lives in Dublin with her husband Conor and their two children, Fionn who's 12 and Izzy who's almost 10.

Before setting up her own business, Hazel spent 17 years working in finance before following a very different path; one that's seen her help thousands of people transform not only their homes but, often, their lives too.

Topics covered : Tragic death, complex grief, severe injuries, PTSD.

This is my conversation with the incredible Zoe Holohan from March 2021.

On the 23rd of July 2018, Zoe and her husband Brian were on their honeymoon when disaster struck. Wildfires swept through the seaside town of Mati in Greece where they were staying and claimed the lives of 102 people. She miraculously survived despite her extensive injuries, while Brian, unfortunately didn’t.

In this conversation we hear how she and Brian met, what a wonderful man he was, their beautiful wedding day and how...

​Topics covered : Vulnerability, heritage, organic farming, biodiversity, food waste, value, climate, connection.

This week's guest is Kenneth Keavey, co-founder of Green Earth Organics, one of Ireland's best-known organic farms.

Kenneth holds a degree in science and a PhD in chemistry, and spent years working in biotechnology and the pharmaceutical industry before making a life-changing decision over twenty years ago. Together with his wife Jenny, he returned home to Galway to take over the family farm and build what has become Green Earth Organics​; an organic farming enterprise that today employs more than 45 people and deli...

No electricity. No hot water. The best sleep of her life.

In this week's Real Take, taken from my recent conversation with public historian and author Lesley Bond, we explore what it was really like to spend six months living on the Great Blasket Island.

Back in 2019, Lesley and her then-boyfriend (now husband) Gordon left their busy lives behind to become seasonal caretakers of the island. Together, they welcomed visitors, ran the island café, looked after the guest cottages and embraced a way of life shaped entirely by nature and the rhythms of t...

Topics covered: island life, ​living without modern comforts, heritage, community, ​postnatal depression, writing and healing.

This week, I’m joined by public historian and author Lesley Bond.

In 2019, Lesley and her then-boyfriend, ​(now husband​) Gordon, left their busy lives behind to spend six months as caretakers on the Great Blasket Island, off the coast of Kerry.

With no electricity or hot water, their days were shaped by the rhythms of the island and the unpredictability of the Atlantic. Together, they welcomed visitors from all over the world, ran the island café, looked after the g...

​Topics covered : her upbringing, her late husband, grief, mourning, rebuilding her life, fostering, community, belonging and public service. 

This week, I'm joined by Helen Ogbu​ - Labour councillor, the newly elected Mayor of Galway, foster carer, life coach and PhD student.

Helen made history this year by becoming Galway's first Mayor from a migrant background. But long before politics, her life had already taken her on an extraordinary journey.

Growing up in Lagos, Nigeria, Helen was one of eight children in a home where kindness, generosity and caring for others were simply part...

In this weeks Real Take from my conversation with musician, performer and storyteller Aindrias de Staic...he talks about the ancient Irish bardic storytelling tradition and why play is so good for our mental health.

If you enjoyed this conversation, I'd really encourage you to listen to the full episode, where Aindrias speaks openly about his childhood, his relationship with his father, addiction and recovery, receiving an ADHD diagnosis later in life, reconnecting with nature and finding his way back to himself.

Find Aindrias

Website: https://www.aindrias.com

...

Topics covered : ADHD, addiction, recovery, nature, bardic storytelling, performing.

My guest this week is musician, performer and storyteller Aindrias de Staic, who many of you will know online as 'Smalltown Seanchaí'.

The son of the late writer and folklorist Eddie Stack, Aindrias grew up immersed in stories. But this conversation isn't simply about where he comes from, it's about the life he's lived.

We talk about his childhood, his parents' separation, his struggles with alcohol and addiction, and what it has taken to reach 20 years of sobriety. He speaks o...

In this week's Real Take, Tara Rafter reflects on her mother's final days living with COPD​ and the heartbreak of saying goodbye to the woman who had been her anchor throughout life.

​If this excerpt resonates with you, I highly recommend listening to the full episode:

Tara Rafter: Hypervigilance to Healing

​Growing up in a home impacted by alcoholism and domestic violence, she learned from a young age how to navigate uncertainty. Despite the difficulties her family faced, she speaks with remarkable compassion about both of her parents, who died far too yo...

​Topics covered include:​ Alcoholism​, domestic violence​, hypervigilance​, compassion​, motherhood​, self-abandonment​, being a carer​, death and loss​, grief​, faith​, spirituality​, forgiveness​, love​, safety​, self-worth​, self-sabotage​, overwhelm​, healing​.

This week I'm joined by Master Neuro Linguistic Programming Practitioner, Executive Coach and founder of The Navigation Coach, Tara Rafter.

Tara lives in Mayo with her husband Kevin and their son Kai.

In this deeply honest conversation, Tara shares the story of her childhood growing up in a home impacted by alcoholism and domestic violence. She speaks candidly about the hypervigilance she developed from a young age, the lasting impact those ex...

Topics covered : Multiple sclerosis, childfree by choice, travel, freedom, simple living. 

This week, I sit down with author Susan Bennett to chat about her memoir, One Year.

Susan and her husband Chris live in Antrim.

After both receiving a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis just three days apart, they made a decision that would change the course of their lives. 

Years later, they packed up their much loved campervan, fondly known as Hans, and set off on an unforgettable journey through 17 countries across Europe.

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In this snippet I speak to online fitness coach and content creator Siobhán O'Hagan about being pregnant with her second child and her decision to become become a solo parent through IVF.

Siobhán lives in Dublin with her daughter Cadhla, who will be 3 in August.

At the time of recording, she was 15 weeks pregnant and she shares how she has found the experience so far and why she felt confident making such a significant life decision on her own.

* If you're considering fertility treatment or have any questions about your ow...

​Topics covered : Building a career in the fitness industry​, solo travel and the search for freedom​, holotropic breathwork​, solo motherhood through IVF​, ​pregnancy and preparing for baby number two​, navigating criticism and online trolling​, the importance of family support​ and creating a life on your own terms​.

A quick note : If you're considering fertility treatment or have any questions about your own circumstances, please speak with your doctor or a qualified healthcare professional.

This week on Ready to be Real, I'm joined by online fitness coach and content creator Siobh​án O'Hagan.

For more than a decad...

Former Navy Captain Marie Gleeson speaks about the most profound and heartbreaking experience of her life. During her pregnancy with her son Ciarán, Marie and her husband John received devastating news about his health. What followed was a journey marked by immense love and, ultimately, deep grief.

If you'd like to hear the full conversation, Marie also speaks about life in the Navy and what the sea taught her about navigating life.  

It's available to listen to anytime now.

​And if anything discussed in this episode feels difficult or brings up emoti...

​Topics covered : life in the Irish Navy, leadership, being a woman in a male-dominated environment, drug interdiction operations, UN peacekeeping missions, traumatic pregnancy, child loss, grief, motherhood, mental health and emotional wellbeing.

​(Please take care while listening, particularly if any of these topics feel sensitive or close to home.​)

This week, I speak to former Navy Captain Marie Gleeson.

Marie lives in Tipperary with her husband John and their two daughters, Laoise and Muireann. Raised on a dairy farm as the eldest of six children, she went on to become one of the fi...

This week’s Real Take, is a powerful moment from my recent conversation with Professor of Psychology and bestselling author Dr. Katriona O’Sullivan.

Katriona speaks about growing up feeling deeply unloved and the many ways she felt hungry in childhood.

Despite experiencing extreme poverty, addiction, abuse and homelessness growing up, Katriona went on to completely transform her life.

Today, she uses her voice, her position and her privilege to help lift others up and advocate for inclusion, opportunity and education.

She also reflects on what helps her now, the importance of a...

Topics covered: Body image, diet culture, good girl conditioning, life under patriarchy, poverty, trauma, hypervigilance, affirmations, self-belief, healing, ageing, motherhood, connection​, privilege.

In this episode I sit down once again with Professor of Psychology and bestselling author​, the extraordinary Dr. Katriona O’Sullivan.

When Katriona first joined the podcast in November 2023, her memoir Poor had been released and since then, the book has become a phenomenon; winning Biography of the Year and Newcomer of the Year at the Irish Book Awards, remaining in Ireland’s top-ten nonfiction chart for two years, being translated into sev...

Today’s Real Take comes from a powerful conversation I recorded in October 2024 with photographer, filmmaker and activist Misan Harriman.

Misan is Chair of ​cultural hub, the Southbank Centre, an ambassador for Save the Children, and one of the most compassionate and courageous voices speaking up about injustice and inequality in the world today. Through his photography, filmmaking and activism, he has consistently used his platform to amplify voices that are too often ignored​; especially concerning children​.

Over the past number of weeks, Misan has been the target of what many believe is a deeply...

Topics covered : Addiction, shame, awareness, compassion, recovery.

In this week’s episode of Ready to Be Real, I speak to Dr. Brian Pennie - neuroscientist, podcast host and former heroin addict.

I first met Brian back in 2020 when his memoir Bonus Time was released, and I remember being completely blown away by his honesty and insight. Since then, life has continued to evolve for Brian. He’s now living a very fulfilled life with his partner Natalie, continuing his work in neuroscience, delivering talks, hosting his own podcast and helping people better understand addiction, beha...

This is The Real Take and in this snippet, Tony O’Reilly — co-author of the bestselling book 'Tony 10: The Astonishing Story of the Postman Who Gambled €10,000,000…and Lost It All' — speaks about the point where his gambling addiction escalated into stealing €1.75 million from An Post while working as a branch manager.

It’s a shocking and deeply heartbreaking insight into the reality of gambling addiction and the lengths a person can go to when completely consumed by it.

Tony now works as a gambling addiction counsellor and psychotherapist, helping people whose lives have been impacted by gamb...

​Topics covered: insecurities, psychology of addiction, secrecy, manipulation, shame, suicide ideation, finding meaning.

My first guest of this brand new season of Ready to be Real is someone I’ve wanted to sit down with since the podcast launched back in 2019.

Tony O’Reilly is the co-author of the bestselling book Tony 10: The Astonishing Story of the Postman Who Gambled €10,000,000…and Lost It All ​ - the extraordinary true story of how a one pound bet in his early twenties spiralled into a devastating online gambling addiction that completely consumed his life.

Over time, Tony gamb...

Topics covered : Mother and Baby home, adoption, grief, faith, taboo, shedding shame, transgenerational trauma, therapy, holotropic breathwork, motherhood, inner child healing, compassion.  

In the final episode of this season, I speak to psychotherapist Deirdre Nicole Hegarty, who shares her adoption story​ with us.

Deirdre lives in Donegal with her husband Noel and their baby boy, Con​all.

She was adopted at three months old from a mother and baby home, into a loving family where her adoption was always known and spoken about openly.

But as she grew older​, and especi...

In this snippet, business mentor and change coach Niamh Ennis speaks about the power of change​, whether it arrives suddenly in our lives or is something we choose and how both can lead us closer to the life we truly want, if we’re willing to ask ourselves the right questions…and really listen to the answers.

If you enjoyed this snippet, you can listen to my full conversation with Niamh Ennis now, wherever you get your podcasts.

To connect with Niamh:

www.niamhennis.com

She is the founder of The...

​Topics covered : Pancreatic cancer, grief, sympathy, therapy, good girl conditioning, life changes, intuition, journaling. 

This week, business mentor and change coach Niamh Ennis is my guest.

She lives in Galway with her husband Michael and their rescue dog Bella.

She’s the author of 'Get Unstuck: Ditch Your Drama and Move from Pain to Power' but long before the work she does now, Niamh went through an incredibly difficult period in her life.

In her late 30s and early 40s, she experienced profound loss; her fiancé Tony died just nine da...

In this week's Real Take, I'm sharing a short snippet of my recent conversation with Celtic wisdom teacher and guide Mari Kennedy.

Here she talks to us about the coming days, Síle's day on the 18th and later in the week, we'll be celebrating the Spring Equinox.

I highly recommend you listen to the full conversation with Mari anytime now, it's a beaut!

To connect with her :

https://www.marikennedy.com/

https://www.instagram.com/marikennedywisdom

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Topics covered : The dark feminine/An Chailleach, infertility, grief, good girl conditioning, masculine and feminine forces, patriarchy, menopause, 4 (not 3) stages of womanhood - Maiden, Mother, Sovereign Queen and Crone, Friday the 13th, Síle's day, year of the Fire Horse, Spring Equinox, Sinéad O'Connor, rebellion, new age wellness, Síle na gig, feminine rising. 

For this special Friday the 13th episode, I’m joined by a teacher and guide in the Celtic Wisdom tradition, ​the wonderful Mari Kennedy.

Mari lives in her home county of Sligo with her partner ​writer Eugene​ O'Brien, and she works w...

I'm dipping into the Ready to be Real archive for this week's Real Take.

In this snippet, I speak with the wonderfully reflective Michael Harding, as he shares his love of religion and spirituality...from Buddhism to Christianity...with the philosophical curiosity and earthy wisdom he’s so well known for.

And if you enjoy this, I highly recommend you listen to the full conversation with Michael from December 2022.

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This week I'm joined by personal trainer and online coach Iza Clarke.

Originally from Poland, Iza has been living in Ireland for the past 18 years. She’s married to Odhran and they have two tween daughters, Lanah and Keira.

I recently started training with ​her and I love how encouraging and knowledgeable she is​, so I wanted to sit down with her for an honest and informative conversation about strength training, nutrition, and how our approach to fitness needs to change as we move through different decades of life.

​* To be clear, thi...