Sinéad O’Leary : Fighting Spirit

Topics covered : Patrick, historic and legendary; the myth of Síle and Sheela na Gigs. Shelly Mooney is a historian and artist who lives in County Wexford with her husband Kev, their baby Ferdia and Lola their dog and she runs the brilliant Instagram page ‘Tales from the Wood’ which explores the history and mythology of Ireland.And in this conversation she talks to us about St. Patrick, the man he was before the title of Saint was bestowed upon him.But even more interesting than that, she talks to us about Síle and her connection to Patrick and the often misunderstood symbol of ‘Sheela na Gig’.If you’re a fan of my pod, please follow, rate and review in all the usual places.And thanks, as always, for your support of Ready to be Real. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

17 Mars 202336min

Topics covered : Fertility, IVF, love, abnormalities, law in Ireland, disappointment, dilemma, termination, impact of covid restrictions, grief, loss, trauma, compassion, support, healing, acceptance. In this episode I speak to salon owner and entrepreneur Anna Hosty.Anna is married to Dave and they live in Galway with their daughter Henrietta who is 6 next month and their dog Ozzie.She’s also the co-owner of hairdressing group ‘Yourells’ and co-founder of the hair supplement for Mums called ‘The Hair Vitamin Company’.And as you’ll hear at the beginning of our chat, I have known Anna for a long time but what I didn’t know until recently was what she had been through personally.In this conversation she shares her experience of fertility and motherhood which includes the IVF process; joy, loss and trauma.She is a brave and wonderful person and I am so grateful that she trusted me to help her tell her story.It's an episode that will challenge some of you and I ask you to park your judgement and open your heart and mind to what you’re about to hear as unless you’ve experienced the same, you have no idea how you’d respond.I am so grateful to Anna for speaking so honestly about her experience and I know it’ll help a lot of you who listen.Resources :If you need to talk to someone, you can contact a Samaritan on Freephone 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.ieOr go to…Mental health - HSE.ieIf you’re a fan of my pod, please follow, rate and review in all the usual places.And thanks, as always, for your support of Ready to be Real. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

12 Mars 20231h 9min

Topics covered : Motherhood, loss of identity, finding yourself again, modelling, eating disorder, social media.In this episode I speak to online sensation Louise Boyce, better known as Mama Still Got It.Louise is a Mum of 3 who’s online content on motherhood is hilarious and her book Mama Still Got It is coming out on the 8th of June.During our conversation we naturally speak about motherhood, the loss of identity that can often happen when becoming a mother…and finding yourself again, but we also talk about modelling, her struggles with an eating disorder early in her career, social media and her closeness to her sister.Enjoy and let me know what you think, thanks!Resources : Bodywhys | The Eating Disorders Association of IrelandIf you’re a fan of my pod, please follow, rate and review in all the usual places. And thanks, as always, for your support of Ready to be Real. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

3 Mars 202351min

Topics covered : her childhood, the power of journaling, self-worth, being wronged, sitting with pain, authenticity, gaslighting, boundaries, growth, inner child, healing. In this episode I speak to Lebanese-Canadian author, poet, speaker, activist and educator, the incredible Najwa Zebian.Najwa being a guest on ‘Ready to be Real’ is a dream come true for me as she is someone I have long admired.She grew up in a conservative Muslim household and writing helped her process and heal from past pain.Her voice is incredibly soothing, and she has a wonderful way of simplifying complex topics.In this conversation she speaks about being ‘wronged’ and how best to manage it, self-worth, gaslighting, the importance of boundaries and how to heal.And at the end of the conversation, I ask her a question that has a profound impact on both of us.This was without a doubt one of the most powerful conversations that I’ve ever had and you can find Najwa’s latest book ‘Trust Your Heart’ online and in audio form on her website Najwa Zebian | Author. Speaker. Creator | Author. Speaker. CreatorIf you’re a fan of my pod, please follow, rate and review in all the usual places. And thanks, as always, for your support of Ready to be Real. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

24 Feb 20231h 14min

Topics covered : Fertility, miscarriage, IVF process, fear, the power of words, motherhood, parental anxiety, shift in perspective, stage of life, acting, integrity. In this episode I speak to actor and mother Caroline Morahan.Caroline lives in LA with her husband Dáithí 0r Doc as he’s better known and their 2 kids, Rowan who’s 3 and Ava who’s 2.They moved to LA 15 years ago and at the time she left a very successful TV in Ireland to pursue acting.Last month when she was back in Dublin, we sat down and spoke about her path to motherhood, being a Mom, her career to date, her love of acting, the sage advice given to her by her own mother and how baby brain is real!** This episode does not feature any medical guidance so please consult your doctor if you are looking for fertility advice.If you’re a fan of my pod, please follow, rate and review in all the usual places. And thanks, as always, for your support of Ready to be Real. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

17 Feb 20231h 5min

Topics covered : Army life, body boarding accident, incomplete quadriplegia, recovery, controlling the controllables, perspective, gratitude, mindfulness.Billy Hedderman is married to Rita and they have 2 girls, Lana who’s 5.5 and Isobel who’s 3.5 and they live in Australia.Originally from Cork, he served in the Irish Defence Forces for 13 years which included successfully completing the Army Ranger Selection Process when he was only 20.And his greatest challenge came in the form of a body boarding accident on New Years Eve in 2014, in which he suffered immediate spinal cord damage, paralysing him from the neck down.But within 7.5 months he had ran a 10k and not too long after that he returned to one of his passions which is skydiving!This conversation is an amazing story of psychological resilience and determination when faced with a life changing quadriplegic diagnosis and I think you are going to take so much from it.If you’re a fan of my pod, please follow, rate and review in all the usual places. And thanks, as always, for your support of Ready to be Real. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

10 Feb 20231h 33min

Topics covered : Impressions, talent, hard work, brain tumour, health, relationship with his wife Fiona, learning, thinking ahead, manifesting, business savvy, tour. It's Friday and time for another real chat, this time with impressionist Conor Moore aka Conor Moore (@conor_sketches) • Instagram photos and videos on Instagram.We sat down a couple of weeks ago and he spoke about something he rarely if ever speaks about...finding out he had a brain tumour 10 years ago, something that changed his outlook forever. In this conversation he also talks impressions and working with Tiger Woods, his work in Golf and Formula 1, his wife Fiona and he gives us his take on manifesting. He lives in Dublin with his wife Fiona and they’re currently in the process of building their forever home in his home town of Mullingar. And in the past 6.5 years he went from working in a call centre to being one of the most in demand entertainers on the scene right now.And along with his career in entertainment he also invested in a bar in New York a few years ago called ‘The Westbury’. He's sound, incredibly grounded and it was a joy to talk to him.And wait until you hear his impression of Roy Keane on the Tommy Tiernan show, so good!His tour started last night in the Olympia and for the last remaining tickets for his nationwide tour through February and early March, go to https://www.conorsketches.com/If you’re a fan of my pod, please follow, rate and review in all the usual places. And thanks, as always, for your support of Ready to be Real. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

3 Feb 20231h 7min

Topics covered : Imbolc and the symbolism and significance of Brigid. In this episode, I speak to historian and artist Shelly Mooney who runs the brilliant Instagram page ‘Tales from the Wood’ which explores the history and mythology of Ireland.She lives in the countryside in County Wexford with her husband Kev, their baby Ferdia and Lola their dog. After several years of campaigning, St Brigid’s Day has finally become a public holiday in Ireland and it’s the first one to be named after a woman.In this conversation Shelly talks about the ancient pagan festival heralding the beginning of Spring called ‘Imbolc’ and the significance of Brigid and her resurgence in recent times, including the story behind her cloak and the cross of St. Brigid. If you’re a fan of my pod, please follow, rate and review in all the usual places. And thanks, as always, for your support of Ready to be Real. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

27 Jan 202315min