Livin' In Stereo

Claire Walsh - The Sound of Freedom.

Freedom has a sound. Sometimes it’s a song. Sometimes it’s the hum of family life. Sometimes it’s the roar of the sea or the silence, thirty metres below its surface. And sometimes, it’s simply the space to feel without judgment. In this episode, I’m joined by Claire Walsh, the first person to represent Ireland at the Freediving World Championships in 2019. Claire is also a singer, teacher, author, speaker, breath trainer, and host of the podcast Scared Shitless. She holds a Master’s degree in Movement and above all else, she’s a deeply grounded, sound human. Our conversation weaves through early memories of freedom, music as a place where expression was encouraged, feelings were allowed, and nothing needed to be edited. Claire reflects on rare, quiet moments of connection, the grounding influence of family, and how belonging can be felt in presence rather than words. Music became a space of permission, a way to hold big feelings without judgment. That same relationship with breath, trust, and listening later found its expression in free diving, where surrender, focus, and inner calm are essential. This is a conversation about freedom as a lived experience. About voice, breath, and emotional truth. And about what becomes possible when we give ourselves and each other the freedom to feel. Clare is the author of Under Water. You can also explore her work, TEDx talk, and media appearances at clairewalshlife.com [http://clairewalshlife.com/], or learn more about her speaking and corporate work there. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Eoin Sheehan - The perfect storm

Food was never just food. Growing up in a big, busy family, food became Eoin Sheehan’s first language of connection, a way to belong, to contribute, to be part of something. Later, that same drive found an outlet in sport, as he threw himself fully into the pursuit of a professional rugby career.  When the scholarship didn’t come, the loss wasn’t just of a path, but of an identity he had been building towards. What followed wasn’t a neat pivot, but a convergence of timing, temperament, and resilience, it was the perfect storm. In this conversation, Eoin reflects on how food became both a grounding force and a creative outlet, eventually leading him to found Country Munch. He speaks honestly about ambition, disappointment, self-belief, and the subtle ways we search for connection and worth when a plan falls apart. This episode isn’t about failure or reinvention. It’s about adaptation. About how the threads of family, sport, food, and identity wove together into something meaningful, not despite the detours, but because of them. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Jenny Kavanagh - Behind the masks

Jenny Kavanagh has spent much of her life in roles, on stage, on screen, in movement, and in strength. An actress, stunt performer, writer, voiceover artist and Pilates teacher, she understands intimately what it means to be seen, performed, and perceived. But this conversation goes beyond the roles we play publicly, into the quieter reckoning of who we are when the masks start to fall away. Jenny speaks with such vulnerability and honesty about identity, discipline, creativity, and the long arc of self-trust, including her journey of living alcohol-free for over 10 years. Not as a headline, but as a foundation: the choice that changed how she relates to herself, her body, her work, and the world. This is a conversation about presence over performance, truth over approval, and the courage it takes to meet yourself without props and to love, who have been, who you are and who you will become. A nuanced, human episode about strength, self-awareness, and learning how to live, not just appear, fully. It’s a pleasure to introduce you to the Jenny behind the masks, prepare to fall in love.  ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Dr. Brian Pennie - From Heroin to Higher Consciousness

Some stories don’t just change a life, they resurrect one. Dr. Brian Pennie went from the grip of heroin addiction to the halls of academia, rebuilding his mind, body and soul, piece by piece until he could finally understand the very thing that once tried to destroy him. Today he’s a lecturer, researcher, author, podcast host, and speaker as one of Ireland’s most compelling voices on resilience, neuroscience, and awakening. But before the doctorate, before the stages, before the science, there was a man fighting for his life. This episode is the truth behind the transformation: the relapse, the moment of awakening, the rebuilding of self, and the mission he lives by now, to show people what’s possible when they stop running and finally turn inward. This conversation is pure gold from beginning to end, enjoy!  ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Maria Ryan - Following My Joy

Some people study the mind. Maria Ryan listens to it, through the rhythm of the heart and the whispers of the soul. She has devoted her life to hearing the smallest, quietest, sometimes nearly invisible voices…the ones the world so often talks over. A child psychotherapist with heroic gentleness and fierce emotional courage, Maria has spent decades helping children and families navigate trauma, anxiety, attachment wounds, and the quiet storms that shape who we become. But her own story is just as powerful. Maria speaks about what it means to grow up valuing safety, how friendship helped her feel seen, and how she eventually found her voice, first within herself, then unexpectedly on the radio, through her professional work, and later on Instagram. Her journey is a reminder that healing doesn’t begin in theory; it begins in connection, in courage, and in allowing yourself to be truly seen. This is the story of a woman who helps others find their voice while finally learning to honour her own. I didn’t want this chat to end and neither will you.  ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.