Suzy Byrne : My Dad, Gay Byrne

Topics covered : AI in today's world, awareness.In this episode, I speak to technology consultant and author Joanne Griffin.She's married to Mark, they have two teenage boys, and they live in Navan.She left the mainstream corporate world just before Covid to pursue a career in tech, and a few years later, she wrote a book called “Humology – How to Put Humans Back at the Heart of Technology.”In our conversation, we talk about the reality of living in an increasingly tech-reliant world, the overwhelm that can often come with it, the importance of being mindful of our AI use, and why technology itself isn’t the enemy — if we use it with intention.Human-Centric Technology Design | Humology Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

14 Nov 39min

Topics covered : Leukaemia, blood transfusions, bone marrow transplant, pregnancy, birth story, positive mindset, exercise, faith, gratitude. This episode is in partnership with giveblood.ie — a service that truly saves lives.I speak with Laura Murphy, whose husband Dave was diagnosed with Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia eleven years ago.Throughout his treatment, he needed multiple blood transfusions and a bone marrow transplant — and the most difficult time of all came when Laura was pregnant with their son.Together, they’ve faced enormous challenges, but today, Dave is thriving, and they’re soaking up family life with their three-year-old, Joshua.Their story is one of resilience and deep gratitude for the donors who made his recovery possible.If this conversation resonates with you, please rate it, leave a comment, or share with a friend who needs to hear it.Míle buíochas. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

10 Nov 55min

Topics covered : rape, trauma, living in fear, self harm, PTSD, reclaiming. Bláthnaid Raleigh is from Mullingar, and her world changed forever after a night out in Galway in July 2019, when she was attacked and raped by a man from her hometown, Johnny Moran.As you can imagine, this conversation is intense at times, so please take care while listening.For five long years, as Bláthnaid tried to rebuild her life, he continued to live his, as normal — while she and her family were left in limbo, waiting for justice.Finally, in July 2024, he was sentenced to eight years in prison, without ever showing an ounce of remorse.Bláthnaid’s book Aftermath is a powerful and devastating account of what it means to survive — and of the failings of a system that left her feeling forgotten and silenced. But it’s also a story of extraordinary strength, courage, and the slow process of reclaiming herself.If you’ve been affected by what you’ve heard, please know that you’re not alone and there is help available.Sexual Assault Treatment Units (SATUs) - Rape Crisis Ireland Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

7 Nov 1h 6min

This is a Ready to be Real revisit from 2020 — recorded during the height of the Covid restrictions.In it, I speak to folklorist, artist and musician Dr. Billy Mag Fhlionn (Pagan Rave) about Samhain and the old Irish traditions that still shape how we celebrate Halloween today.Billy lives in Dingle with his wife Muireann and their daughters, Sadhbh and Líse.In this conversation, he shares the deeper meaning behind our Halloween customs — the stories of old, the sense of connection to our ancestors, and the games that have stood the test of time.We talk about trick or treating, 'bobbing for apples', 'shave the fryer' (the flour mountain), and 'snap apple' and he reveals what was originally hidden inside the báirín breac (you might be surprised!).Resources :https://tradition.iehttps://www.duchas.ie/enhttps://www.muireann.ie/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

3 Nov 47min

Topics covered: Gaeilge, music, heritage, culture, shame, colonisation, Irish Americans, Samhain, An Chailleach​.In this special Oíche Shamhna episode, I speak with musician, broadcaster, academic and podcaster Doireann Ní Ghlacáin.Doireann is the daughter of TG4 political correspondent Sorcha Ní Riada (and granddaughter of legendary Irish composer Seán Ó Riada) and fiddle player and retired Garda Kevin Glackin of the renowned Glackin musical family. Between podcasting (How to Gael), TV presenting, MC'ing, playing music, having a string of live shows and being awarded a PhD in oral Irish poetry recently, she is an incredibly impressive and productive woman.She currently splits her time between New York and Ireland, and we spoke ​last week, the day after I saw her perform on stage in An Taibhdhearc, the National Irish Language Theatre, with her show The Cailleach.In our chat, we talk about the rich heritage​ she has on both sides of her family, and about An Chailleach — and this reflective​, liminal time of year.We also discuss the moment on Virgin Media’s Six O’Clock Show in February 2024, when former TD Ivan Yates said he “couldn’t be arsed” in reference to the Irish language — and one of the presenters stood up to shake his hand in agreement.We explore how deeply insulting that was to Irish speakers, how it reflects a colonised mindset, and how passionately Doireann feels about being a Gael.A self-confessed girls’ girl, she describes herself as introspective — and simply put, I loved chatting to her.Bainigí sult as! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

31 Okt 1h 5min

Topics covered : Fertility, multiple rounds of IVF, miscarriage, acceptance, magic.​This is a re-release of a conversation I recorded with business woman Denise Phillips back in April 2021 when she had just come from an appointment in the Coombe hospital where she found out she was 29 weeks pregnant!It's the most incredible story.Now 4.5 years on, her daughter Beth is 10 and her son Jude is 4 and she just announced that she is pregnant again!So I thought it was the perfect time to reshare this gorgeous conversation that is sure to resonate with a lot of you.Original shownotes...Denise Phillips lives in Newbridge, Co. Kildare with her husband Mark, their 6 year old daughter Beth and she’s also step mother to 16 year old Ellie.She’s hugely successful in her career as the owner of Pelo hairdressing and the co-owner of Irish hair brand Voduz and last week she got the surprise of her life when she found out she was over 6 months pregnant!For the past 10 years, she had lived with unexplained infertility, no periods, no ovulation and the lining of her womb was very thin.On their 9th cycle of IVF she went on to have their little girl and when Beth was a baby, she also took part in TV documentary ‘The Babymakers’, which followed the lives of couples for over a year, who were trying to conceive and showed the reality of IVF.This was one of my favourite chats ever on the podcast, it’s full of wisdom and practical advice, especially for those who are navigating the often-challenging road to parenthood. She speaks about acceptance and gratitude and the importance of staying in your own lane.And when we spoke on Tuesday when she had just come from all her pregnancy appointments in the Coombe hospital, where she found out she was almost 29 weeks pregnant!Book mentions:Deepak Chopra’s The Seven Spiritual Laws of SuccessVishen Lakhiani’s The Code of the Extraordinary MindIf you enjoyed this chat please show your support by leaving a rating or a little comment on Apple and by clicking follow on Spotify, I’d be so thankful. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

28 Okt 1h 31min

Topics covered : Grooming, childhood sexual abuse, shame, addiction, survival, recovery, therapy, healing, acting, Palestine, censorship, collective care, Andor.This is the second part of my conversation with multi award-winning Irish actor — and all-round gorgeous human — Denise Gough.In this episode, Denise speaks openly about the painful experiences of grooming and abuse in her childhood — experiences that led to her being homeless in London as a teenager, addicted to drugs and alcohol.Since getting sober at 27, she’s gone on to thrive — both in her acting career and in life.She's an incredibly strong, open-hearted woman, and her story is one of survival, strength, and deep healing.If you haven’t yet listened to Part 1, I really encourage you to go back and do so.You might also want to hear my conversations with Gabor and Daniel Maté, Róisín El Cherif, Farah Nabulsi, and Hala Sourani, as well as the episode I released in May with Jack Fitzgerald, where he speaks so bravely about surviving childhood sexual abuse.These stories aren’t easy to hear, but they are necessary and they remind us of the strength of the human spirit.Book mentions:'Perfect Victims' (and the Politics of Appeal) by Mohammed El-Kurd'The Message' and 'Between the World and Me' by Ta-Nehisi CoatesIf you need support, please reach out — you are not alone, and help is available:One In FourSupport – Mental Health IrelandAnd if you’re a fan of what I do, please follow, rate, and review Ready to Be Real wherever you listen.Míle buíochas, as always, for your support. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

24 Okt 48min

This is The Real Take — a glimpse of the honesty, wisdom and connection you’ll find in every episode of Ready to be Real.​In this snippet Irish actor Denise Gough speaks about her recent visit to The West Bank...she speaks about what she saw and how it has deepened her commitment to ​Palestine. ​- you can hear the full episode with Denise ​anytime now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

20 Okt 11min