There really is something for everyone this week on the Irishman Abroad. From Sonia O’Sullivan’s marathon training advice to Eamon Dunphy’s predictions for the future for Ireland, Jarlath Regan presents four new hugely entertaining weekly episodes of his world-beating podcast.
Whether you are a sports fan or just love a good human story, this week’s offerings from the Irishman Abroad are sure to entertain, provoke, inspire and maybe restore your connection to home.
“Irishman Running Abroad”
On Tuesday, Jarlath spoke to Irish athletics legend, former world champion, and Olympic silver medalist, Sonia O’Sullivan about the right way to train for a marathon. The weekly, “Irishman Running Abroad” conversations with the Irish sporting icon are both inspiring and at times hilarious.
O’Sullivan has masterfully coached Jarlath from couch to 5K and beyond. In the space of just 6 months, she has taken the Irish comedian from being “unable to run a bath” to competing in 10-mile road races. If you’re a runner of any level or just want a good laugh these episodes are a must.
"Selection Box"
The David versus Goliath battle between the independent book stores and the online giants is the subject of the Irishman Abroad’s Thursday arts podcast. This week Jarlath brought the Selection Box series to Greystones to meet Trish Hennessy, the creator, and owner of Half Way Up The Stairs.
Trish started selling books from her home many years ago and never dreamed that one day she would own and run her own celebrated children’s book shop. Jarlath hears how some ingenious ideas, a lot of hard work, and the support of the community made Half Way Up The Stairs into an award-winning small Irish enterprise.
The pandemic threw a curveball to all businesses especially book stores. Trish explains to Jarlath how her book subscription and gift box ideas allowed relatives who desperately missed their tiny nieces, nephews, granddaughters, and grandsons to bring the perfect books into their lives from halfway across the globe during the lockdown.
"An Irishman in America"
Friday on Irishman Abroad is usually reserved for a look inside American politics with US correspondent Marion McKeone. This week Jarlath gave us a different American tale. The story of the 1992 Olympic Dream team, as told by the legendary Sports Illustrated writer Jack McCallum.
McCallum covered the now legendary squad lead by Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. He explains how the idea very nearly didn’t happen, the initial backlash against the team and the impact it had on the world in the moment and for decades to come.
This episode is part of the Irishman Abroad mini-series collection available to premium members of the podcast. There are dozens of episodes available for free and hundreds more when you sign up at patreon.com/irishmanabroad. As Jarlath puts it, you can “hear every episode made since 2013 for the price of a coffee each month”.
"Irishman Abroad big interview"
The Irishman Abroad big interview on a Sunday has featured the biggest names in Irish life including Gabriel Byrne, Bob Geldof, Hozier and Imelda May. This week Jarlath is joined by the writer, journalist and soccer pundit Eamon Dunphy to talk about Ireland’s handling of the pandemic and more.
Dunphy has built his reputation for nonsense analysis and honest journalism over years through his books and working for RTE and Irish newspapers. He has some very surprising takes on what will happen next in relation to Ireland’s future and some great insight into the state of world soccer. We even get to hear how he discovered a passion for horse racing as a youngster playing for Manchester United with George Best.
As usual, the Irishman Abroad offers up the most diverse range of entertaining podcasts each week. Make it a fixture on your smartphone or tablet by subscribing here or by signing up to the premium feed to help support the creation of the show. Visit the Irishman Abroad's SoundCloud, Apple listings or support them on Patreon.
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