Sin Scéal Eile

Angela invited us to her home for the chats. She has a beautiful cottage, surrounded by bog, in very rural Ireland. The fire is on and the tea is flowing. She has created a slow life here, one that’s very far from her previous life. 

Angela used to run her own very successful vegan food business. It was a triumph and had her up and back to Dublin all the time. It was chaotic and stressful, and something she didn’t really enjoy doing. Along with the business stress, came an addiction relapse. Angela would abuse...

Michael has a fascinating career, he is an Irish composer, writer, director and performer, and has just created a brand new opera, The Curing Line. His research techniques were above and beyond. He went out into rural communities, interviewing folk with "the cure”. A rapidly disappearing part of Irish culture.

Sin Scéal Eile - That's Another Story was hosted and created by Ruth Medjber, with sound by Ronan Lally. The podcast is produced by Dee Reddy at Poddle Audio with original music by Elaine Mai.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more inf...

Like a lot of people, Covid changed things for Caitriona, but in a really lovely way. Her work went mostly remote, which made her really look at where she was in the world. After great consideration with her husband, they packed up their lives in Dublin, along with their 1 year old, and moved West to open a cafe. 

She now gets the best of both worlds, occasionally popping up to Dublin for work, taking in the buzz of the city, and then retreating to Louisburgh when she’s had enough. The dream! 

Rx

Francis founded the Red Fox Press book publishing and gallery when he landed in Ireland from Belgium back in 2002. Shortly after he met Antic-Ham and convinced her to also move to Ireland.

Together they run the most wonderfully artistic enterprise, publishing art books, taking photos, making screen prints and selling vintage cameras. 

Francis has the largest collection of polaroid and instant cameras I’ve ever witnessed. Thousands of them, ranging in uses, from dentist cameras to police mugshot cameras.

Needless to say, I very much enjoyed our chats!  Rx

On our travels through the West coast we got wind of a very unique gallery/shop on Achill Island, owned by a couple, Ham and Francis (Francis’ story will follow tomorrow). 

We walked into Red Fox Press and instantly knew that we were in the right place. The gallery is an analogue dream. It’s filled with hand drawn illustrations, vintage cameras and tiny art books, hundreds of them. 

Antic-Ham is an artist, illustrator, photographer and publisher. When she’s not greeting customers in the shop, she’s out the back, hand sewing book bindi...

If you ever need to feel the sunshine in Achill, visit Miriam. She's a salt of the earth Dub who came from Crumlin to reconnect with the Irish language. She sold up her business and found a derelict house in the Wild West that she breathed life into once again.

Part of her day to day now is doing a bit of community outreach. She acts like a point of contact for anyone who might be feeling a bit lonely or isolated (which I imagine could be a lot of folk in the summer months).

...

Sports mad journalist, Patrick, has found himself in the right job over at Paddy Power so much so he’s stuck at it for 20 years. He has a podcast studio at home, where he chats about horses (while looking at his own horses out the window). He’ll be the first to admit he grew up privileged, his parents taking him to Hong Kong for 2 years when he was 16 and then letting him stay in a perpetual “free gaf” for his college years, the house quickly being dubbed as “PK’s Casino”.

Rx

Sin Scéal Eile - T...

Noeleen has the coolest job in the world. She’s the director of the National Botanic Gardens, and yes, she gets to live on the grounds. Noeleen has had a wild journey to get to this prestigious position, following her heart and passion all the way. I never anticipated where our chat would lead, but together we discussed plant conservation, wild Irish orchids, frankincense and even Noeleen’s impact on rosewood necked guitars. 

I can’t thank Noeleen enough for the guided tour and behind the scenes nose around the Gardens. BEST.DAY.EVER.

Rx

Fancy hearing a wonderfully romantic story about a whirlwind marriage proposal and a night in an antique store? Janice and Pete have been married for 35 years and have the most beautiful story of how they met. Press play to have your faith in men restored!

Rx

Sin Scéal Eile - That's Another Story was hosted and created by Ruth Medjber, with sound by Ronan Lally. The podcast is produced by Dee Reddy at Poddle Audio with original music by Elaine Mai.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We caught up with Kate in the midst of rehearsals for her Dublin Fringe Festival show, West Meath Gothic. It sounds like an eerie tale, addressing the epidemic of loneliness in rural Ireland. Kate has brought all of her worlds together for this show; writing, acting and aerial dance and today she tells me the reality of bringing a show to life in 2026. 

 It opens on Sept 16th in the Project Arts Centre and if the promo photos are anything to go by, it’s going to be STUNNING.

xR

Sin Scéa...

Ruairí is just 34 years old and has already gone through a marriage and a divorce, but he hasn’t let that temporary bad patch decide the tone of the rest of his life. On the contrary. Ruairí has thrown out the rule book. He takes the ups and downs in his stride, learning from them, while leaning on the support of good friends and therapy. He has used cycling, music, books and photography to revive his life and no longer worries about what he can’t control.

Rx

Sin Scéal Eile - That's Another...

Sin Scéal Eile - That's Another Story was hosted and created by Ruth Medjber, with sound by Ronan Lally. The podcast is produced by Dee Reddy at Poddle Audio with original music by Elaine Mai.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kalle (pronounced like Tallaght) is a performance artist and poet. He does this very clever and creative type of performance down at festivals where he wanders around with his Swedish mother’s vintage typewriter. He’ll encounter new people, ask them a few questions and then write them a bespoke poem on the spot. An artifact that I bet is treasured for life. 

Rx

Sin Scéal Eile - That's Another Story was hosted and created by Ruth Medjber, with sound by Ronan Lally. The podcast is produced by Dee Reddy at Poddle Audio with o...

Claire is the cutest self-professed Anorak you’ll ever meet. Radio obsessed since a young age, she’s worked across many different types of radio stations, including the best Irish radio station that there ever was, the pirate station, Phantom FM (in my humble opinion, of course). You can now find her behind the decks at every worthy festival, where she carefully curates an amazing playlist that gets even the most hungover soldiers bopping again.

Rx

Sin Scéal Eile - That's Another Story was hosted and created by Ruth Medjber, with sound by Ronan...

“Gaelmaxxing” is the title of Síomha’s new show at the Dublin Fringe this year. She was brought up speaking Irish as her first language in Dublin, which is rare enough. Back then, she says, “it wasn’t cool”. Not like it is now. Síomha is a writer, singer, comedian, artist and activist. She puts her money where her mouth is, sometimes saying the things that we all wish we could.

Her show will be bilingual, but mostly as gaeilge! It opens in Bewley’s Theatre from Sept 6th to 12th!

Rx

I’ll admit that Jade’s story was difficult to hear, simply because I naively thought we were beyond such experiences, especially since the marriage referendum. Her story is about falling in love with your soulmate and then having to change your entire life as you know it. 

It’s about introspection, courage, and living your truth. Her coming out journey was not without its trauma, but thankfully she gets her happily ever after!

Rx

Sin Scéal Eile - That's Another Story was hosted and created by Ruth...

Ever heard of a Poetry Brothel? Rachel (amongst many other things) is the Madame of such a place. She pairs eager art lovers up with poets, tarot readers, and performers for private sessions. It all sounds very salacious and extremely novel. 

Rx

Sin Scéal Eile - That's Another Story was hosted and created by Ruth Medjber, with sound by Ronan Lally. The podcast is produced by Dee Reddy at Poddle Audio with original music by Elaine Mai.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We all know dogs are class. But then there's Koda, who alerted his Dad to a medical condition that otherwise would have gone untreated. Now that's a VERY good boy. Barry was once obsessed with training, running, ultra marathoning. He'd run through the parks and woods, not paying much heed to his surroundings. His recent health scare literally forced him to slow down and discover the quiet, sometimes hidden beauty that he had been missing.

Sin Scéal Eile - That's Another Story was hosted and created by Ruth Medjber, with sound by Ronan Lally. The podcast i...

Paul is loving his laid back but extremely busy life of late. He retired a few years back and now spends his time doing a bit of local tour guiding around Drumcondra, photography and even some radio. He's full of stories about all sorts, including Joyce, Sinead O'Connor, Joni Mitchell and even photographing Biden!

Sin Scéal Eile - That's Another Story was hosted and created by Ruth Medjber, with sound by Ronan Lally. The podcast is produced by Dee Reddy at Poddle Audio with original music by Elaine Mai.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.c...

Sean has taken a giant leap this week, he’s quit his job selling sheds and moved into the pin world full time. 

If you ever felt like you needed a pin to show that you’re witty, cool, and very millennial, then Sean “the king pin” Conroy’s collection is for you. Featuring such gems as Darth Brooks (yes, that’s Darth Vader playing guitar), a St Brigid’s cross pin that doubles as a fidget spinner, the Magic Naas Ball (who knew the Kildare treasure could read fortunes), or the pièce de résistance, the “Ho...

Jamie is as Enniscorthy as they come. He was born and raised here and we had the pleasure of joining him for a pint in his local to find out more about him. He's movie mad, achieving a first in his film degree, but has sidetracked the industry in later life in favour of staying local and being present for his family.

Rx

Sin Scéal Eile - That's Another Story was hosted and created by Ruth Medjber, with sound by Ronan Lally. The podcast is produced by Dee Reddy at Poddle Audio with o...

Mat is a fixer of all things. If something breaks at home, he’ll try his hand at figuring it out, whether in his tool shed at home, or the workshop he shares with pals. From guitars to cars, computers to cameras. Bonus points if he gets to use his 3D printer on the job!

Rx

Sin Scéal Eile - That's Another Story was hosted and created by Ruth Medjber, with sound by Ronan Lally. The podcast is produced by Dee Reddy at Poddle Audio with original music by Elaine Mai.

Hos...

Edel’s soulmate was her Mam. They were closer than anything. That’s why, when her Mam died, so did a part of Edel. It’s a heartbreaking story of grief, one that’s known to so many of us. For Edel, it was her love of music, particularly the band Thin Lizzy, that got her through the rough parts.

Rx

Sin Scéal Eile - That's Another Story was hosted and created by Ruth Medjber, with sound by Ronan Lally. The podcast is produced by Dee Reddy at Poddle Audio with original music by Elaine...

Pam mentioned in her directions that the path to her home was a little “off the beaten track” and she really wasn’t lying. As we drove our big camper down the little boreen, we came to her perfect wee house. She had a table set within the walled gardens where we chatted in the sunshine.

Pam and her husband are living an idyllic life, but it's very different to the one they first set out for themselves. They’ve turned their backs on investment banking, and instead have chosen a greenhouse full of organic avocados and lemo...

Ken has such an epic career and it’s still on the up. He started out in the music business, touring the world as a backline tech (a life I know a bit about myself). Ken saw an opportunity to change industry which allowed him to spend more time at home with his kids and he snapped it up. He now works in live event broadcasting, helping put  together shows like the special olympics and the champions league final.

Rx

Sin Scéal Eile - That's Another Story was hosted and created by Ruth Medj...

Andrea is an Irish woman who grew up in the States. She always knew she would return here one day, but her cushy, dependable job with the US government meant that she was committed to her career. Andrea worked for 11 years in the refugee affairs division of the Department of Homeland Security. 

As the government changed, so did Andrea’s job. Andrea was faced with either reassignment or resignation. She’s now doing her PHD in Galway and living a lovely life in Kilkenny and hopes to work in human rights.

Rx

Sin S...

Don’t listen to this episode unless you have a kayak on standby and are ready to paddle. Susan’s enthusiasm and passion for paddling is utterly infectious. 10 years ago she made kayaking her life by opening the Go Paddle Kayak Academy, which is really handy because I doubt there’s anything else she’d rather be doing.

The river is her happy place. She monitors the rainfall on the mountains to see when new opportunities to fling herself down might appear. Her downtime is spent journeying across rivers in far away lands, sleeping in hammocks in the j...

Alina has faced so much in her life. She grew up in what she describes as “extreme poverty”. She is a member of the Roma community, something she didn’t always celebrate. As she travelled around the world she would often be mistaken for another heritage, “passing” as she calls it. Now she realises that in order for one to celebrate their culture, they need to take ownership of it, change the narrative by doing good things, and be the example that others can be proud of too. 

I took so much away from my chat with Alina...

Danny is a musician who I met while down at Feile Vegan (a vegan festival in Carlow). He was playing on the Friday night and I cornered him for a chat. 

He’s a vegan himself, though I’m not sure if that’s a prerequisite for playing the festival but it’s something he’s genuinely very passionate about and even sings about. It was the 2014 film, Cowspiracy, that got him over to the V side, as it did for so many.

He’s recently been made redundant from his day job in TikTok, an...

Ray is a professional artist. His work can be seen on the streets of Belfast, in galleries, and on t-shirts and hats in his own merch store. He’s a shrewd business person as well as an avid cultural commentator. His work is topical and witty. 

He’s been in the game long enough to remember when painting illegally meant your work might be painted over within hours and you also might get arrested for it. He’s grateful that things have changed significantly in cities like Belfast, where the council now appreciates, respects and even commissions street...

Shannon is a ceasefire baby. She’s also a young mother who has been loving the craic of the Belfast fleadh, hearing people speaking Irish and playing trad in the streets. Shannon is incredibly proud of her Irish heritage but she is also excited to bring up her son as part of a mixed family, knowing that he’ll learn from both her and her partner’s culture.

xT

Sin Scéal Eile - That's Another Story was hosted and created by Ruth Medjber, with sound by Ronan Lally. The podcast is produced by Dee Red...

Jonathan is a pal of mine who has one of those jobs that I’ll never really understand, though today I try my hardest. He’s got a PHD, he’s written theorems, and he lectures in Queens University. 

I love hearing his perspective on growing up in a Protestant area of Co. Antrim. His ongoing struggles with his national identity, as well as coming into his own identity (and his coming out story).

xR

Sin Scéal Eile - That's Another Story was hosted and created by Ruth Medjber, with sound by...

Joe is a street artist, teacher, activist and old pal of mine. We sat in his back garden and discussed his phenomenal career as well as the obstructions and frustrations he faces trying to practice his craft.

xR

Sin Scéal Eile - That's Another Story was hosted and created by Ruth Medjber, with sound by Ronan Lally. The podcast is produced by Dee Reddy at Poddle Audio with original music by Elaine Mai.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Azean welcomed us to her gorgeous home. It’s decorated so precisely and so minimalistically, there’s a feeling of space, serenity and peace. This is the space she now calls home, after many years of moving, sometimes couch surfing and sometimes moving when she wasn't really willing to move. 

She is originally from Singapore, but speaks with a beautiful Northern Irish lilt. In the last year alone, since she bought her home, her sanctuary, she has come into her own. She’s trying new careers, new hobbies and is finally allowed to rediscover her faith and herself...

Blezzing is an extraordinary young woman who has stayed strong and faced down so many challenges in her life. She suffers from chronic illness, and in turn has experienced medical misogyny and racism. Instead of letting them get the better of her, she’s become an intersectional, mental health activist, helping so many others.

xR

Sin Scéal Eile - That's Another Story was hosted and created by Ruth Medjber, with sound by Ronan Lally. The podcast is produced by Dee Reddy at Poddle Audio with original music by Elaine Mai.

Hosted on...

Niamh has lived a few lives. From working in tech, to relaunching herself with a masters degree in art in her 30s. She’s now living in Belfast and utterly feels the buzz of the place. Her heart is leading her into a brand new passion, astrology. She tells me about all the different types of astrology practice, it’s ancient roots and how she might go about reading a birth chart.

xR

Sin Scéal Eile - That's Another Story was hosted and created by Ruth Medjber, with sound by Ronan Lally. The podca...

Lucy runs a wonderful business where she helps people and companies live their best lives. There’s absolutely no way I can describe her job and do it justice, but it really is so fascinating. Why do we have to wait for a massive health scare or the like for us to realise that “this is not a rehearsal?” Lucy will help you live the life you want and need.

Sin Scéal Eile - That's Another Story was hosted and created by Ruth Medjber, with sound by Ronan Lally. The podcast is produced by Dee Reddy at Podd...

In the middle of the fleadh we popped over to Emma's lovely house for a cup of tea. She has a dream home, beautiful dog and the kind of job that makes you feel like you're doing something worthwhile. She describes her role as kind of a matchmaker for activists to find good lawyers (I'm definitely paraphrasing here).

Sin Scéal Eile - That's Another Story was hosted and created by Ruth Medjber, with sound by Ronan Lally. The podcast is produced by Dee Reddy at Poddle Audio with original music by Elaine Mai.

Hosted o...

Who knew that just beyond the back of a housing estate in North Belfast there was a tiny oasis. A place where you can go, switch off your phone, be at one with nature and awaken your inner child. This is the space that Maeve has created. Her ceramics workshops allow you to be creative with no pressure to make anything functional. After that, you can then reset yourself in the sauna or hot tub and then dunk in the cold plunge while admiring the stunning view from Cavehill.

Sin Scéal Eile - That's Another Story w...

We caught up with Abhishek right before he headed to the airport to fly home to India. He arrived in Ireland 18 months ago and couldn’t love it more. In September he’ll graduate with a masters degree and all going well, will find a job that will allow him to stay. 

Abhishek is a delight to talk to, he’s bubbly, chatty and very articulate. Obviously he misses home, his Mom, her food and the epic 10 day festivals they have full of dancing and music. 

Sin Scéal Eile - That's Another Story was hosted an...