From kilmamagh to clean living

You can do everything “right” and still end up trapped with someone who is building a double life. Shauna, originally from Wexford and living in London, walks us through how a match on Tinder turns into a fast moving relationship that looks perfect on paper, while underneath it is powered by love bombing, manipulation, and control. We talk openly about the pieces people often miss: the early red flags like constant stories about a “crazy ex”, anger that shows up in public, and the subtle intimidation that starts to shrink your world. Shauna explains how financial abuse and hidden debt create panic and dependency, how monitoring can be disguised as caring, and how gaslighting can leave you doubting your own memory and judgement. We also discuss the very real danger of strangulation, why it is treated as a serious risk marker, and what it feels like to realise your relationship has moved from unhappy to life threatening. From there, Shauna shares what helped her get free: using Clare’s Law, speaking to police, navigating long court timelines, and the impact of a ten year restraining order. We zoom out to the bigger question too, how communities, sports clubs, and friend groups can enable abusers when they prioritise comfort and reputation over safety. This weeks episode is sponsored by Ivory Rowe visit Ivoryrowe.myshopify.com for more information. If this conversation makes you think of someone, share it with them. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us what policy or cultural change you want to see next, what would real zero tolerance look like where you live? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Drag can look like pure sparkle, but the real story is often grit. We’re joined by Dublin drag queen Davina Devine, who brings us from Ringsend to The George and back again, unpacking what it means to build a life in Irish nightlife while keeping the person underneath protected. We chat about how a shy, watchful kid becomes a performer, why the “mystery” around her isn’t a gimmick, and how creating an alter ego can be both freedom and armour. Things get raw as we talk about Pride in Ireland, street comments like “disgusting”, and the way online hate and misinformation have shifted the mood in recent years. Davina shares why she still tries to lead with kindness, how visibility itself becomes a quiet kind of activism, and why minorities often take the first hit when people feel unheard. We also get into the reality of showing up anyway, even when you’re just trying to get from A to B and live your life with dignity. Alongside the big themes, there’s plenty of crack: tales of celebrity encounters, the best and worst diva moments, and the joy of meeting an idol who treats you like a human. Davina also opens up about a brand-new ADHD diagnosis and how it explains the “hurricane” pace that helped her survive, create, and keep moving. If you care about Irish drag culture, LGBTQ+ Ireland, Dublin nightlife, and the cost and value of being seen, you’ll want to hear this one. Subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave us a review, what part of Davina’s story hit closest to home for you? Blog Post Copy Davina Devine’s story is rooted in Ringsend, Dublin, a place she describes as once overlooked and “in limbo” between neighbourhoods. That sense of being between worlds becomes a theme: growing up with a musician dad always gigging and a quiet mum at home, she learns how performance and privacy can sit side by side. She talks about feeling like an “old soul”, an adult child who stayed pristine, watched everything, and felt a step ahead of other kids. It is a familiar feeling for many LGBTQ+ people in Ireland who sense difference early but do not yet have language for it, especially when home, school, and wider culture are slow to offer safe, open space. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Family court can feel like a circus when you’re walking in with a broken heart, no sleep, and a head full of “what ifs”. We talk to Paddy, one of the people behind TalkToUs.ie, and Nicole, the creator of Courtwise, about what actually helps when you’re facing separation, divorce, maintenance questions, and child access disputes in Ireland. Their goal is simple: take you out of the dark place, help you understand the system, and get you moving with a plan that protects your mental health and your children. We get practical about the day-to-day realities of the Irish family law process: the fear of Dolphin House, the intimidation of sitting near an ex-partner, and the frustration of changing judges and endless adjournments. Paddy explains how their group supports men and women, why they teach people to become confident lay litigants, and how to instruct a solicitor instead of being steamrolled by one. We also dig into the in-camera rule, why it exists, and why so many people believe it can hide bad practice and inconsistent outcomes. Nicole shares what a multi-year court battle does to your life, and why evidence wins over storytelling. We unpack parental alienation, breaches of access orders, and why detailed notes can protect you years later when a child asks what really happened. We also cover “voice of the child” assessments and section reports, typical costs, and concerns about questionable expert credentials. If you’re co-parenting after a split, this conversation offers clear guidance, hard truths, and genuine solidarity. If this helps, please subscribe, share it with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more parents in Ireland can find it. What part of the court process do you wish someone had explained to you sooner? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A nurse from Tallaght with an Australian passport, a hospice education in dignity, and a life that gets knocked sideways by grief, single parenting and domestic abuse somehow ends up building one of Ireland’s most recognisable aesthetics brands. That “somehow” is the bit we wanted to understand, so we sat down with Kerry Hannafee for a proper, no-gloss conversation about what it actually takes to start over. We talk through Kerry’s global family background (Scotland, the British Army, Aden, Malta, Melbourne), what it feels like to come home to Ireland in the 1970s, and how early volunteering and hospice work shape her approach to care. From London nurse training at 17 to managing real pressure in hospitals, she explains how those years set her standards for safety, consent, and doing right by people, even when the job is hard. Then the story turns: relationships, loss, debt, control, and the moment she realises she needs a plan that protects her kids and gives her independence. Kerry shares how training in fillers and aesthetics becomes a lifeline, how she builds trust across Dublin well beyond the usual “posh postcode” stereotype, and how she grows from couch appointments to clinics, medical teams, and serious investment in treatments and equipment. We also get into what’s trending now in skin rejuvenation and aesthetics in Ireland, including Morpheus8, SoftWave, microneedling, polynucleotides, peels and realistic treatment planning, plus why she says “no” to requests every day. We finish with Kerry’s Pride allyship, the Pre-Pride Pamper Day, and what she wants next: stabilising, staying safe, and having time for family without losing momentum. If you like honest Irish business stories with real stakes, hit play, then subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review. What part of Kerry’s journey do you relate to most? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Three women, one bus ride, and a conversation that swings from pure Dublin craic to the kind of honesty that stops you in your tracks. We sit down with lollipop ladies who spend their mornings and afternoons doing the most under-rated safety job in the city: stepping into live traffic so children can cross the road. They tell us what it’s really like on the kerb, from drivers who try to push through the sign, to the constant weather battle, to the small rules they live by when someone is roaring at them. But the heart of it is the kids. We talk about school crossing patrol as more than road safety, because the lollipop lady can be the first kind face a child meets that day. We get into how they build trust, teach safe habits, keep spirits up on hard mornings, and why safeguarding, Garda vetting, and clear boundaries matter in modern Ireland. We also chat about Dublin City Council support, training, cover, and what good management looks like when your “office” is the middle of the road. Then the conversation goes deeper into the lives behind the high-vis jackets: loneliness after the kids grow up, the women’s clubs that keep people connected, and the friendships that hold you up through the worst years. One guest shares her family’s experience of sudden sight loss and a diagnosis of Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy, the guilt and grief that followed, and the practical ways they adapt, including better accessibility at sports with audio description. If you’ve ever walked past a lollipop lady without a second thought, this will change how you see that corner. Subscribe, share with someone who grew up on your road, and leave a review so more people find the stories that keep our communities safe and human. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.