An Irishman Abroad

Slightly later than advertised, this week's Irishman In America is a barnstorming chat about America's inexplicable fascination with the Royal Family. No matter what President happened to be in office, they managed to screw up the etiquette while Liz was in town. Marion recalls the top 5 greatest Presidential gaffs of all time and wonders if secretly, a chunk of America would quite like to have their own Royal Family.   Grifter is as grifter does! Finally, at long last, Donald Trump's $250 million dollar grift to "stop the steal" is being fully investigated. But why did it take this long? What are the chances of it producing an actual conviction? Or is it like Conor McGregor's road traffic offences. "It's the small things that get ya!" Dr. Oz thinks incest is one of those small things. In the second half of our show only available on Patreon, Marion looks at a bizarre interview that has resurfaced and the tragic killing of the journalist Jeff German.   — If you’d like to contact me, that is easy too

Sonia O'Sullivan dials in from Venice to talk to us about Ciara Mageean's record breaking night in Brussels and how to decipher a niggle from a full blown injury. Coach Trevor Cummins joins the chat from Switzerland where he is training for The Great North Run and helps our listeners navigate the headspace of this tricky down week period. To hear even more episodes, extended cuts and hundreds of great guests visit Patreon.com/irishmanabroad - help support the show and keep our podcast growing bigger and better. — If you’d like to contact me, that is easy too. You know what to do! 1. Irishman Abroad Live Line: You can now get in touch with us and feature on our shows by sending your WhatsApp voice note to 00447543122330. 2. Email Jar, Sonia and Marion directly on irishmanabroadpodcast@gmail.com. For updates on future episodes and live shows follow Jar here on Twitter, visit www.jigser.com or subscribe to the YouTube channel here. Disclaimer: All materials contained within this podcast are copyright protected.

It's another huge week for President Joe Biden, Marion McKeone looks ahead to his "battle for the soul of the nation" address and his chances of banning assault rifles. Meanwhile Donald Trump goads investigators into revealing his poor choices in carpet and the state in which confidential files were found. But why were they presented in this way? Is there more to these pictures. As promised last week, Marion runs down through the "God awful lunatics" emerging from the Republican Electoral Clown Car. In the extended cut over on www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad we get even more crazy with Dr Oz, JD Vance, Matt Gaetz and Marion's pick of the week. — If you’d like to contact me, that is easy too. You know what to do! 1. Irishman Abroad Live Line: You can now get in touch with us and feature on our shows by sending your WhatsApp voice note to 00447543122330. 2. Email Jar, Sonia and Marion directly on irishmanabroadpodcast@gmail.com. For updates on future episodes and live shows follow Jar here on Twitter, visit www.

For the last 10 weeks Sonia O'Sullivan has coached a hardy group of Irishman Abroad listeners to take part in the Antrim Coast Half Marathon. Today on the show, Jarlath takes us inside the event itself. From meeting the race organisers to the pre-race nerves and everything that lies beyond that, this episode is a unique inside look at one of the fastest half marathons in Europe. Sonia is joined by team captains Aisling De Maison and Neil Fusco to chat through their experiences of this challenge. Hear the entire story and get Sonia's full race plan by visiting Patreon.com/irishmanabroad.  — If you’d like to contact me, that is easy too. You know what to do! 1. Irishman Abroad Live Line: You can now get in touch with us and feature on our shows by sending your WhatsApp voice note to 00447543122330. 2. Email Jar, Sonia and Marion directly on irishmanabroadpodcast@gmail.com. For updates on future episodes and live shows follow Jar here on Twitter, visit www.jigser.com or subscribe to the YouTube channel here. Dis

While Donald wants to use the threat that he might run for President to get off the hook, President Biden wants to let everyone and anyone off the hook for the debts that University education has saddled them with. Which is least fair? Joe has been battered for his decision to write off the financial millstones hanging around the necks of some many Americans. Marion McKeone takes a look at the one man Donald fears in this election cycle and asks if Charlie Crist has a chance to beat him. Then in our latest segment, Marion takes us back to the political moment that inspired one man to challenge an election he lost fair and square; the 2000 Florida recount. If you’d like us to revisit a moment from recent US political history in this segment. Get in touch... 1. Irishman Abroad Live Line: You can now get in touch with us and feature on our shows by sending your WhatsApp voice note to 00447543122330. 2. Email Jar, Sonia and Marion directly on irishmanabroadpodcast@gmail.com. For updates on future episodes

The week of any race is a tricky one. Getting the balance right between rest and keeping the legs fresh is made all the more difficult by the amount of admin involved in getting to the race site with all your bits and pieces. It's a plate spinning exercise but Sonia knows just the man to help us with the Antrim Coast Half Marathon. James McIlroy, the former international middle distance running star and organiser of the race, pops in to walk us through what to expect on the big day. Meanwhile team captains Aisling and Neil get some help with their final questions for the big event. It's been a hell of a week for Irish athletes at the European Championships and Sonia has had a front row seat while commentating for RTE with friends of the show Rob Heffernan and Derval O'Rourke. She takes a brief look back at the significant moments and the success of the German star she has coached all year, Konstance Klosterhalfen (KoKo). We get a double whammy tip of the week, some letters from the squad and a tutorial On the

Were Liz Channey's reelection hopes doomed on January 13, 2021, when a week after the insurrection at the Capitol, she and nine other House Republicans voted to impeach former President Donald Trump? This week they paid price at the polls. Like having to drive to Dundalk twice in one day, is this a time loop we will all be stuck in for the next two years or could Sarah Palin by the answer. Marion McKeone surveys the landscape of the Primaries and calls out the crazies. There was more shock and horror on Thursday when Allen Weisselberg, who for decades was one of Donald Trump's most trusted and loyal employees as chief financial officer of the Trump family business, pleaded guilty on Thursday to 15 counts ranging from grand larceny to tax fraud to falsifying business records. He is the latest person close to the 45th president to plead guilty or be convicted at trial of of a felony. Marion examines the fine print of his deal and spots a problem. Why did the Orange fella keep those boxes of confidential documen

With two weeks to go to the Antrim Coast Half Marathon, Sonia O'Sullivan is here to walk us through the basics of tapering back your training so that you can run your best race on the big day. What is the theory behind the two week taper? Is it possible to feel worse when running less in this period. It's time for Sonia to blow some myths out of the water while our squad captains Aisling and Neil tell us about what they have been up to across the last two weeks of training. I have spent the last week touring Ireland seeking out the most scenic runs available thanks to Jaguar Ireland. It's been an education and an adventure. I round up a few of the best moments from the trip, get some great voice notes from the squad, an email from an Ozzy listeners who has followed the plan and bumped into Sonia's cousin in Brisbane and get one final tip from Sonia what to do if nature calls during the big race. Week 9 of Sonia 10 week half marathon training plan is here. Let's go get it. Thanks to all our supporters on Patre

It’s been a week like no other. He was a President like no other. Now something is happening to him that has never happened to any President before him. Marion gives us a play by play review of what exactly happened at Mar A Lago and what could happen next. Trump went into full court press on the spin cycle as soon as his least favourite kid delivered the news of the raid. Was it really a raid? Or was it a heavily sign posted event that his Royal Orangeness is using to galvanise support for his run in 2024. Marion turns her focus in the second part of the show (only on Patreon) to Alex Jones, Joe Biden’s huge week and another case against Trump that reaches a pivotal moment this week. There’s so much more in the second part but the only way to hear it is by signing up and helping us make this podcast last until 2024 and beyond.  If you’d like to contact me, that is easy too. You know what to do! 1. Irishman Abroad Live Line: You can now get in touch with us and feature on our shows by sending your WhatsApp vo

With a million and one muscle soreness remedies available over the counter Sonia and Jarlath go in search of the most unusual but effective recovery aids with the help of the listeners. It’s week 8 of Sonia’s half marathon training plan and time to start the taper. Captain Neil Fusco lead a gang of hardy Irishman Abroad runners around his favourite trail in Bray county Wicklow on Sunday. We check in with him and ask if lowering expectations in the lead up to a big race is healthy. This episode covers a lot. Even more if you’re a member on Patreon. We have a further 40 minutes of motivation, Craic, advice and uddermint over there. Support the show. Join up. It only takes a few seconds.  — If you’d like to contact me, that is easy too. You know what to do! 1. Irishman Abroad Live Line: You can now get in touch with us and feature on our shows by sending your WhatsApp voice note to 00447543122330. 2. Email Jar, Sonia and Marion directly on irishmanabroadpodcast@gmail.com. For updates on future episodes and live

Today we have a very special retrospective episode to mark the 9th anniversary of the Irishman Abroad. Looking back on the most awkward, funny and pivotal moments and episodes across hundreds of hours of conversation with the most fascinating Irish people ever to leave our shores. It's also a chance to say thank you to everyone who has played a part in making our show what it is today and to announce what's coming next for Ireland's biggest podcast for the Irish abroad.   I hope you enjoy it and I hope that you will come with me on the next phase of this mad old trip we've been on together for nearly a decade.   If you’ve like to contact me, that is easy too. You know what to do! 1. Irishman Abroad Live Line: You can now get in touch with us and feature on our shows by sending your WhatsApp voice note to 00447543122330. 2. Email Jar, Sonia and Marion directly on irishmanabroadpodcast@gmail.com. For updates on future episodes and live shows follow Jar here on Twitter, visit www.jigser.com or subscribe to th

Marion McKeone (Sunday Business Post US Correspondent) takes a trip to Liz Cheney's homeland and comes to understand the Republicans that reside there a little better. She describes to Jarlath Regan here interactions with locals while attending a rodeo festival, taverns and parks. Later in the episode she looks at the assignation of Ayman al-Zawahiri in Kabul. The most surgical of US airstrikes took the head of al-Qaeda out standing on a balcony while his family were unscathed just feet away. In the second part of the discussion we hear who about al-Zawahiri's ferociously violent past and whether a retaliation could be on the cards. Finally Marion examines the latest developments in the Alex Jones trial and asks why did Nancy Pelosi visit Taiwan? Jarlath recommends the most 90s documentary of all time and reveals his plans for the next two weeks of the podcast. If you would like to contact Irishman Abroad there are a number of options. 1. Irishman Abroad Live Line: You can now get in touch with us and feature

With 4 weeks to go to the Antrim Coast Half Marathon, Sonia O'Sullivan asks us all to breathe out and listen to what our bodies are telling us. It’s a tough thing to do at the best of times but when your training hasn’t been going exactly to plan, it can feel impossible. She walks me and our team captains Neil and Aisling through the plan for this week, examines their progress, offers some unique tips on sock management and gives us glimpse into what her coaching life has been like this week as she moves to London. It’s a jam packed episode featuring a trip around the parishes you need to hear, a retirement voice note from one squad member and the realisation that moving house and while running is the worst for of cross-training.   Sadly we will not have episode notes but Patrons will get the full training plan and a further 30 minutes of chat this week. if you’ve like to contact me, that is easy too. You know what to do! 1. Irishman Abroad Live Line: You can now get in touch with us and feature on our shows

In April 2021, for the first time since 1851, the population in the Republic of Ireland was estimated to have passed the five million mark. Many believe a big part of this story has to do with returning Irish nationals. This weekend I became one of them. According to CSO findings, 65,200 people immigrated to Ireland in the year to April 2021, 30,200 of whom were returning Irish nationals, the highest number of returning Irish nationals since 2007. 2022 is set to be an even bigger year for the return of the Irishmen and women abroad. James Parnell has made helping these people re-integrate into Ireland a huge part of his successful coaching business. His site ANewDawninIreland.com  is a resource for both returning emigrants and those coming to Ireland for the first time. A New Dawn in Ireland was the first blended online and offline training/coaching programme to inspire and help people create the life they want back in Ireland. Today on the podcast, with my car packed up and ready to head for the ferry, I too

This week we got short glimpse of what to expect from Donald Trump if he runs for office in 2024. This time it seems angrier, more out there and at its core, driven by revenge. Marion McKeone of the Sunday Business Post has been taking in the reaction to former the President's speech at the America First Policy Institute's event in Washington. There were a few notable omissions from the speech and a few moments that drew gasps. Meanwhile Alex Jones faced the music for his grotesque treatment of the family of the victims of the Sandy Hook massacre. Jones repeatedly “lied and attacked the parents of murdered children” when he told his Infowars audience that the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting was a hoax an attorney for one of the victim’s parents told a jury on Tuesday at the beginning of a trial to determine how much Jones must pay for defaming them. We look at why Joe Mansion has suddenly rolled over and allowed President Biden to score some big legislative wins. Was he made an offer he could not re

You don't have to be coaching at the world championships, moving house, raising kids or trying to recover from COVID to feel like you are using energy you don't have to run in the evenings. There can come a point in any training block where we feel like the tank is empty. That's where I got to this week and strangely, many of our listeners reported the same experience. Week 5 of Sonia's half marathon training plan really put it up to us all. This week we review what was learned with our team captains Aisling DeMaison in France and Neil Fusco recovering from COVID in Wicklow. On the micro level we look at whether running on an empty stomach is a good idea after I bottomed out (bonked) during the group run we organised in the Phoenix Park. Sonia looks back at a jam packed World Championships, getting lost in the hills of Oregon and explains her "Week 6 Plan" in detail. There's a trip around the parishes and some fuelling life hacks you will definitely want to hear. Don't forget there will be episode notes to fo

My Hidden Race is the story of Olympic medallist Anyika Onuora, who stood on the podium at every major championship in athletics. Behind all the success and smiles lay something sinister that she could not speak about for years. The she has written with Jonathan Drennan doesn't go into detail about the technicalities of her sport. Instead, it gives an unflinching testimony of what it takes to pursue your dreams as a Black British woman against all odds and lifts the lid on the reality of life as a female athlete in a way that nobody else has done before her. She admits that there have been far too many years of silence caught in a system. Now Anyika is determined to make up for lost time and use her story to inspire and heal others. Today on Irishman Abroad I talk to her about the writing of My Hidden Race with Jonathan Drennan. I could not put this book down. It will take you into a world that often takes place far from the spotlight of the Olympic torch and shines an intense light on the brutal reality of

Just when you thought the January 6th Select Committee Hearings were over, they reveal there's going to be a new season in September. Last night's climactic instalment didn't disappoint with the focus turning to Trump's apparent failure to do anything during the entire three hour period during which his supporters attacked the Capitol Buildings. Today Marion takes us inside the key take aways from last night's revelations, the footage, the witnesses, the twists and the new information we never thought we would ever get. It's all here in this bumper episode - slightly delayed so that we could give it to you in full to start your weekend. In the second half of the discussion we delve into the Secret Service's deletion of evidence from that fateful day. Their ineptitude goes beyond the dithery auld fella and into the realm of suspicious. Marion explains what appears to have happened and why a criminal investigation has begun. We listen to the Trump blooper reel outakes that I have been so desperate to hear. A

Sonia ducks away from the IAAF World Championships to give us another masterclass in training for the half marathon distance. She has a big announcement that only Patrons can hear and I have a huge prize for one lucky listener. I've been getting emails all week from squad members who have picked up bumps, niggles and of course the dreaded virus. We all know the road to any big race is never smooth. Sometimes the setbacks are easily managed with some time off but when the clock is ticking, things get a bit trickier. Sonia pops on her coaching hat and drops some knowledge on how to navigate these setbacks and walks us through the theory behind the plan for this week. Captains Aisling and Neil jump on the live line to fill us in on their progress and we even have time for a listener letter, Coke zero's impact on hydration, meeting bears out on your run and how to remain cool when you lose your car keys at the IAAF World Championships. Don't forget the illustrated and fully clickable episode notes featuring the f

In 2019 Iain Ward signed up for a medical trial. As part of the trial an MRI was done on his brain and a small, supposedly harmless, tumour was detected. A later scan showed it growing so, two weeks after his 31st birthday he was scheduled for brain surgery, during which he had to be awake and talking the entire time. A week later it was confirmed that he had Stage 3 brain cancer, which normally comes with a life expectancy of 5 years. Because he’s younger he might get longer than this but either way he has decided that he’s going to spend his last years dedicating himself to achieving something difficult and worthwhile. Breaking the world record for the most money raised for running a marathon. Remarkably he’s not looking for your money, he’s simply looking to grow his social media channels so that when his they gets sponsors, he can donate that money. That approach is working. The evidence is on his channels. Just the other week he gathered a huge crowd of runners in London for a run. For every single one t