How do you go from picking up ball for the first time at 13 years old in a Clondalkin secondary school to becoming one of the most talked about NBA prospects in America? This week, Aidan Igiehon tells Jarlath about this journey and all the bumps along the way. With an incredible honesty Aidan speaks about his phenomenal growth both on and off the court during his teenage years. The Irish Hulk as he is known, was growing an inch a month in one crazy period where his mother sought medical help to ...
Jul 31, 2021•32 min•Ep. 435
This week US gymnast Simone Biles stunned the world by withdrawing from the team gymnastics event at the Tokyo Olympic Games. Behind the storm the decision created was Larry Nassar. Biles was a victim of the US team doctor who abused hundreds of female gymnasts over the course of years while employed by the organisation and Michigan State University. Biles along with dozens of young women didn’t break their silence when the case went to court, they were never silent. They told everyone they coul...
Jul 30, 2021•11 min•Ep. 434
The final episode of our independent book stores 10 part mini series takes us to Letterfrack and another outlet of Books At One. Mary Ruddy gives Jarlath a look inside the shop, the rich history of its location and how she came to run the store with her husband Vincent Murphy. Like it’s sister store in Louisburgh, the books store that started this series, the Letterfrack branch is more than just a book retailer. Mary talks to Jar about her previous life, her publishing company Artisan and the ta...
Jul 28, 2021•25 min•Ep. 433
With the track and field events commencing this Friday, Sonia focuses this Irishman Running Abroad on what we can expect. How will the bizarre circumstances affect performances? The former world champion walks Jarlath through who to watch and why. With both Jar and Sonia back in Ireland there is news on a meet up run on August 8th and how to navigate a running plan in a new location. Sonia gives Jar a funny idea to replace weight training when you’re at the beach and the question of whether it i...
Jul 27, 2021•35 min•Ep. 432
Liz Nugent has lived an extraordinary life. This week the award-winning crime fiction writer joined Jarlath for a one of a kind conversation about the highs and lows of her life and career. Liz gives a hilarious account of being a compulsive liar as a child while also explaining the influence that growing up in constant fear had on her life. Having emigrated to London on her own at the age of 17, Liz explains how things took an unforeseeable turn after a break up. The end result is a misdiagnosi...
Jul 24, 2021•31 min•Ep. 431
This week, we are joined by Will De Búrca of De Búrca's Rare Books to discuss the fascinating world of book collecting, binding and discovery as an independent rare book store. Will talks about his time in Sotheby's in New York and what he has learned about the spending habits of wealthy collectors. We also get an insight into his extraordinary other life as a music producer. From playing Electric Picnic to bizarre valuation, the stories of Will’s life and the De Búrca family business flow in th...
Jul 21, 2021•29 min•Ep. 429
Gait analysis is rightly or wrongly something a lot of runners fear from a cost and mortification point of view. This week Jarlath reluctantly submits to having his gait analysed by the brilliant Irish chi running coach Emer O'Brien ( fitnesswithemer.ie ). Sonia admits why even she hates seeing the reality of her running technique played back to her. Emer explains why getting past this cognitive dissonance is so important to running more efficiently and avoiding injury. With the Olympics just ar...
Jul 20, 2021•35 min•Ep. 428
With many Irish people abroad and at home at a complete loss as to what the future holds in terms of travel, Dec Ryan, co-founder of Ryanair and Chairman of Viva Air and VivaLatinAmerica, rejoins Jarlath for a follow-up interview after almost 2 years since his first appearance. In this episode they discuss the 'crazy' regulations the industry is witnessing. Regulations which Dec believes are killing both the aviation and tourism sectors. Jarlath asks the Irish aviation pioneer why he has said he...
Jul 17, 2021•35 min•Ep. 427
Vibes & Scribes is a Cork literary institution. Today Jarlath hears the story of how Joan Lucey took the leap into book selling with the help of her sister in Macroom. Joan’s inspirational story of following her gut feeling and taking on the iconic building in Cork City is one that needs to be heard. Joan explains how Vibes & Scribes came to host live events with the likes of Mary Robinson, the personality that drives the store, the crash of 2008 and how surviving it helped her through t...
Jul 14, 2021•28 min•Ep. 425
Weight loss is a global obsession and often the hidden motivation behind a lot of new and old runners. Today on the podcast Sonia looks at a subject she has taken as a basic by-product of her job and considers why so many struggle with it. Jarlath quizzes the Irish Olympic legend on the errors most people make, her cheat code for meal prep and how to design your running schedule to maximise your chances of getting your body composition to match your running goals. There’s also listeners’ questio...
Jul 13, 2021•36 min•Ep. 424
This week, Irish comedy legends Foil, Arms & Hog joined Jarlath for a rare and hilarious conversation about their rise to success and more. In this rip-roaring chat, Sean Finegan, Conor McKenna and Sean Flanagan speak to Jarlath about bringing sketch comedy into the modern Irish comedy scene, how they often consoled each other on those long journeys home after a tough gig and their experiences of taking the Edinburgh Fringe Festival leap. The lads open up about the one show after which they ...
Jul 10, 2021•34 min•Ep. 423
When Cian Byrne nabbed a steady job with a multinational as a business forecaster his future looked pretty set in stone. Then over coffee with his father he realised that the family business would soon disappear if he didn’t reject the big business opportunity in favour of moving to Maynooth. Today Cian tells Jarlath the story of their independent bookshop and examines the rise of independent stores. Book sales have been in his family for almost 50 years, Jarlath asks Cian about the trends they ...
Jul 07, 2021•28 min•Ep. 421
The New York Times bestselling book “Breath - The New Science Of A Lost Art” is the jumping off point for this discussion of the roles of breathing in life and running. In James Nestor’s book he presents evidence from a wide array of sources to suggest that we can reduce stress, sleep apnea and even auto-immune diseases by simply reverting to nasal breathing. Sonia and Jar look at the application of nasal breathing in athletics and they both give it a try. Later in the episode Sonia’s coach Trev...
Jul 06, 2021•28 min•Ep. 420
Acclaimed comic artist and now host of "Draw With Will" on Sky TV speaks to Jarlath from his home in Ballycotton county Cork. Will has worked for the biggest studios and franchises in the comic book universe including Star Wars and Marvel. His work on Spiderman is vast but he still finds time to work on a multitude of other projects such as a breathtaking mural in Cork city, his own best-selling comic series on The Celtic Warrior Cú Chulainn and instructional videos for kids. Jarlath and Will bo...
Jul 03, 2021•34 min•Ep. 419
Jarlath meets Irish bookseller of the year Antonia Daly to discuss the independent bookstore movement and how she followed her grandparents unusual path from Barrow Street to Trim, County Meath. Her bookstore is a childhood dream that she plucked up the courage to pursue when the engineering company she worked for was moving abroad. Today “Antonia’s Bookstore” isn’t just a retail outlet in a small town in Meath, it’s an integral part of the community. Jarlath also gets her summer read recommenda...
Jun 30, 2021•32 min•Ep. 417
Want to run more efficiently, with more balance, better posture and less chance of injury? Apparently “drills” are the only way to go. Today Sonia explains what the hell a drill is apart from a handy yoke around the house. The principles behind them and why pretty much every runner should regard a solid selection of drills as essential at least twice a week. With the US Olympic trials concluded Sonia is completely exhausted from the emotional rollercoaster of seeing her athletes qualify in style...
Jun 29, 2021•36 min•Ep. 416
In a week when Ireland faced the reality of the rise of the Delta variant of COVID-19, Jarlath sat down with Eamon Dunphy to ask what exactly is happening on the ground back home. Few have been so critical of the Irish establishment and yet on the question of whether this government has failed the people Eamon has a surprising response. Jarlath asks whether there is hope to be found and whether the anti-vaccination campaign is growing or shrinking in size. Later in the episode we hear Eamon’s vi...
Jun 26, 2021•31 min•Ep. 415
This week the Selection Box stops in Greystones to meet Trish Hennessy, the dynamo behind one of the most unusual independent book shops in Ireland. Her story of how selling a few books as a hobby turned into a successful award winning business is an inspiration. Jarlath asks Trish about the remarkably novel ways in which she survived the pandemic. Her book subscription service has allowed relatives in other countries to use literature to keep in contact with the children they desperately want t...
Jun 23, 2021•36 min•Ep. 413
Ever thought about running a marathon? Can anyone do it or is that madness? Sonia O’Sullivan digs into the myths and legends surrounding marathon training to reveal some surprising realities. Is it really something that anyone can train for in 12 weeks? Will you still have any friends at the end of it? We get a masterclass from the Irish athletics icon and former winner of the Dublin City Marathon. Jarlath asks Sonia questions posed by our running club members on everything from nutrition to sho...
Jun 22, 2021•33 min•Ep. 412
This week, the most capped Leinster Rugby player of all time Devin Toner, joined Jarlath for a rare and in-depth conversation about his life and career. Devin opens up about the Joe Schmidt era, how he manages the uncertainty of pro sports and his plans to avoid becoming a “rugby Dad”. There are some big laughs in this chat too with Jar quizzing Dev on the worst team building events he’s been forced to attend and whether he might consider fighting Jake Paul if the offer ever came in. To hear eve...
Jun 19, 2021•31 min•Ep. 411
When Dawn Behan decided to set up her own bookstore in a small rural town in Ireland there were plenty of people eager to tell her it would not work. Five years on the shop has been named independent book shop of the year, hosted author events with the likes of Graham Norton and become an essential pillar of the community. Today in the fourth instalment of our mini-series focusing on independent book sellers Jarlath hears her story. Woodbine Books has fast become one of the most respected booksh...
Jun 16, 2021•29 min•Ep. 409
If Sonia was a member of the A-Team she would have pointed out to Hannibal that it’s not really a plan until you write it down. This week Jarlath gets more guidance from the Irish sporting icon on how to properly plan a week of running. Regardless of where you are with your progress, Sonia’s insight into what should form the basis of your run plan will help. From rest to ambition, consecutive training days to discomfort and pain, this is a fun and in-depth conversation about one of the most over...
Jun 15, 2021•28 min•Ep. 408
Irish Olympian Thomas Barr joined Jarlath for a fascinating conversation about his life and career while in the thick of his preparation for Tokyo. Thomas is one of Ireland's biggest medal hopes for the upcoming games. He speaks for the first time about his discomfort when put in front of the media, the days in which his commitment to his sport is most tested and why he believes dopers will always be one step ahead of the testers. Thomas explains the influence, bound and mutual support between h...
Jun 12, 2021•37 min•Ep. 407
In today’s episode of our mini-series on Irish independent bookshops Jarlath visits Kenny's Bookshop in Galway. He speaks to Tomás Kenny about the university romance that gave rise to this family business, the gamble of starting a bookstore in 1940s Ireland and the remarkable stories that are tied up in the history of this Irish literary institution. From humble beginning Kenny's has gone on to become a pillar of the Irish arts landscape west of the Shannon and the preferred Irish book supplier ...
Jun 09, 2021•32 min•Ep. 405
The number one cause of re-injury is doing too much too soon when trying to return to activity. Why do we find it so hard to resist the urge to go for it too soon? Sonia takes Jarlath into how to avoid this common pitfall that she herself has fallen for on many occasions. There’s your questions on carb loading, dealing with heat and fitness answered. Then the LiveLine is open for a call from Sonia’s strength and conditioning guru Trevor Cummins in Cóbh. There is so much to enjoy in these episode...
Jun 08, 2021•28 min•Ep. 404
This week the one and only Blindboy Boatclub makes his much-anticipated return to An Irishman Abroad. Limerick’s most loved artist and hip-hop icon explains how his life was changed by taking his courage in his hands on a new platform, his attraction to dog videos as pure entertainment on Tik Tok and the Irish housing crisis. For the very first time he discusses how Irish artists are moving to London because they can't afford to rent in Dublin. There's also a fascinating discussion on how we exp...
Jun 05, 2021•31 min•Ep. 403
When he started renting books to his sisters as a child Kevin Gildea had no idea he was planting seeds for what would become a lifelong journey towards owning his book shop. In episode two of this very special Irishman Abroad mini-series focusing on independent bookstores around Ireland, Jarlath meets Kevin to talk about his very long and winding road towards creating his Dun Laoighaire hub for second hand books. You’d be forgiven for thinking that starting his own business was the biggest chall...
Jun 02, 2021•32 min•Ep. 401
Hips, just like the resemblance between Joey Tribbianni and an Irish Uncle, have been overlooked for far too long. This week Sonia explains why developing even a little more power in your hips can make a world of difference to your running, posture and prospects of getting injured. Jarlath went down the rabbit hole of Matt LeBlanc memes while simultaneously devouring every piece of half baked theory on the subject of hips. He puts his findings to Sonia and explains why he had resigned himself to...
Jun 01, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 400
The challenge of emerging from lockdown is the topic for discussion today when Jarlath sits down with one of our most popular guests of all time Enda McNulty. Last time they spoke in March of 2020, the pandemic was just unfolding. With the world flying blind as to how long the lockdowns would last and what impact COVID19 might have, Enda provided a calm voice of reason. The episode was listened to in record numbers and became an instant fan favourite. Today Enda breaks down what faces us from he...
May 29, 2021•32 min•Ep. 399
Jarlath meets Joanne Hunter the manager of a brilliant independent book shop in Louisburgh in county Mayo to talk about the challenges facing these kinds of book shops during the pandemic. We hear the very unusual story of how an Irish Times article brought her to apply for the job and how Books At One has come from a cornerstone of the community. The first in a series of Selection Box episodes to be uploaded across the next few months, this conversation goes straight to the heart of why we need...
May 26, 2021•34 min•Ep. 397
