Men Episodes

The Irish Midlands flow to the relentless rhythm of the River Shannon and along its banks the Irish Stew podcasters found themselves again, Day Five of their “Off the Beaten Craic in the Hidden Heartlands” wanderings, gazing across its broad expanse from the docks of the County Offaly town of Banagher. There, cohosts John Lee and Martin Nutty met local historian James Scully and caught up with an old friend of John’s, Mark Boylan, who covers horseracing for The Irish Field, to explore the his...

Ireland has no shortage of stately manors, but as Irish Stew hosts Martin Nutty and John Lee learned, no other historic property has a legacy like Co. Offaly’s Birr Castle Demesne, which for generations has been an incubator of breakthroughs in engineering and science. With local historian and educator Brian Kennedy as their guide, the podcasters share the story of the Victorian-era, steampunk-style construction of timber, iron, and stonework that was the world’s largest telescope from 1845 t...

The poet Seamus Heaney once said, "I think of the bog as a feminine goddess-ridden ground, rather like the territory of Ireland itself." And that territory is 14- to- 21 percent bog. So, on their fourth day “Off the Beaten Craic in the Hidden Heartlands,” Irish Stew cohosts John Lee and Martin Nutty head to Shinrone in Offaly near the Tipperary border to the farm of Donie Regan, a demonstration site for Peatlands for Prosperity, the brainchild of Douglas McMillan and his Green Restoration I...

Despite the “Off the Beaten Craic” theme to the current Irish Stew podcast series, on this episode hosts Martin Nutty and John Lee follow the well-worn track of history that flows through Athlone like the broad River Shannon. Their guide is the affable Vincent Harney of Athlone Guided Tours, a well-researched, perceptive storyteller who peels back the layers of the Athlone story from atop Athlone Castle, while crossing the Shannon, and as they trod the ancient streets back into the very heart...

The oldest pub in Ireland, Europe…the world? Lend an ear as we explore the legend and lore of Sean’s Bar with the pub’s official storyteller Timmy Donovan. A central character in the Sean’s Bar story for the past 37 years, Timmy flips the calendar back to AD 900 when Luain Mac Luighdeach set up an inn on the banks of the Shannon which would evolve over the centuries into the Sean’s Bar of today. He points out the ancient wicker-and-wattle construction unearthed in the venerable pub’s plaster ...

Your cohosts are back from an eight-day road trip through Ireland's Hidden Heartlands, where instead of profiling a person, they went “Off the Beaten Craic” to explore a place - the Irish Midlands. Some tourists might view it as "drive-through country,” as they motor west from Dublin to the Wild Atlantic Way, but John and Martin found just a fraction of what they’re missing in Offaly, Westmeath, Longford, and Leitrim. And by traveling at a leisurely “slow tourism” pace during the quieter fall...

Guest Overview John Davis, the inquisitive everyman, serves as the perfect foil to economist David McWilliams on Ireland's beloved David McWilliams Podcast. Known for his genuine curiosity and ability to ask the questions listeners are thinking, Davis brings a unique perspective shaped by decades in the music and media industries. Episode Journey Join Martin Nutty and John Lee as they trace Davis' fascinating career through sound - from the music studios of Dublin and London to international ...

With the Aer Lingus College Football Classic last month and Ireland’s first NFL game at the end of this one, Neale Richmond kicks off the episode with a timely gridiron tale. “I'm not just a very old and average rugby player, but I'm the only member of the Irish Parliament who's played American football. I was a defensive tackle for the Dublin Rebels and proud holder of a Shamrock Bull medal from 2016,” says the Fine Gael TD for the Dublin Rathdown constituency and Ireland’s Minister of State...

In something of an epilogue to our “Lost in Belfast” series, former U.S. Congressman and U.S. Special Envoy to Northern Ireland Joseph Kennedy III joins Irish Stew for a wide-ranging conversation on politics, peace, and public service. From the streets of Belfast to the tumult of Washington, Kennedy reflects on the lessons Northern Ireland can teach the wider world, the legacy of his famed family, and where his own journey is headed next. Joe provides his deeply personal perspective on the re...

Today, we hear the story of an American congressman who changed the lives of thousands of Irish people, the foundation created to honor his legacy, and the big event this fall that will celebrate that legacy. To tell the tale, we have two Irish individuals who benefited from the Morrison Visa program, spearheaded by Congressman Bruce Morrison: Feargal O’Sullivan, CEO of the outsourced sales and marketing firm USAM, and Elaine Brennan, Executive Director of Global Strategic Partnerships for No...

In his third appearance on Irish Stew, historian Dr. Damian Shiels joins Martin Nutty for a wide-ranging and thought-provoking conversation. Now living in Finland, Damian shares the personal story behind his move abroad, driven by Ireland’s rising cost of living and the opportunities remote work provides. The episode explores Damian’s latest projects, including "Transatlantic", a new podcast he co-hosts with Finn Dwyer, which dives deep into the historical connections between Ireland and Amer...

The Smuggler is back and rhyming its way through Ireland, so we updated our earlier episode with actor Mick Mellamphy with news of his Irish tour of Ronán Noone’s award-winning one-man tour de force this July. Set on a wealthy American island enclave and performed in rhymed verse, The Smuggler follows Irish immigrant Tim Finnegan as he’s pulled into the local criminal underworld after a fatal crash stirs tensions between locals and migrants. It's a raucous, interactive experience, with the...

When you have a good story to tell, why not invite the world? For our Lost In Belfast series finale, we convene in the Titanic Hotel’s grand vaulted hall, where the ill-fated ship was designed. Hundreds have gathered from across local communities and from around the globe for the Belfast International Homecoming—civic leaders, elected officials, business executives, investors, entrepreneurs, culture makers…and two peripatetic podcasters. Co-host and a Belfast Homecoming Ambassador himself, Jo...

In this episode of Irish Stew , host Martin Nutty connects with key figures from Solas Nua , a dynamic Washington, D.C.-based arts organization devoted to contemporary Irish culture. Recorded during the Capital Irish Film Festival , the conversation features: Kate Meenan-Waugh , Board Co-Chair Andrew Dolan , Executive Director Rex Daugherty , Artistic Director of Theater Kate recounts her Irish upbringing, her background in education, and the path that led her to Solas Nua. Andrew ...

Join us in jail, or is it gaol, as in the Crumlin Road Gaol, the last Victorian era prison relic in Northern Ireland, now being put to better use as the home of the Belfast Distillery Company, working to revive the classic old McConnell’s Whisky brand and creating a major new hospitality and tourist attraction in the process. We stop for “just the one” in this all-too brief episode, where CEO John Kelly lays out the twin goals for the distillery: “Restore the legend of McConnell’s Irish Whisk...

Former champion boxer John Duddy from Derry and one-time construction worker Newry’s own Ciaran Byrne share their unlikely paths to acting on stage and in film in part two of our first live podcast recording for Origin Theatre’s 1st Irish Festival. The two friends delve into how their life experiences inform their performances, personal traumas from The Troubles, and the critical role of theater in post-conflict healing and education. Sharing compelling narratives throughout, Ciaran and John ...

We found the right guides for Belfast’s burgeoning food and festivities scene in Michael Stewart and Caroline Wilson. Caroline is a lawyer-turned-serial-entrepreneur of food and drink experiences. She founded Belfast Food Tour, co-founded Taste and Tour, Ahoy Belfast, Fooday and Belfast Gin Fest and she’s on the Board of Visit Belfast and The Strand. A well-known man about Belfast, Michael Stewart, spent close to 40 years in hospitality--and was he ever hospitable to us, helping us arrange...

Join us as we get “Lost Outside of Belfast” when we take a 25-minute cab ride from the city center to Hinch Distillery in bucolic County Down. With Head Distiller Will Stafford as our guide, we explore the sensory journey of whiskey making from the meticulous process of mashing, fermentation, and distillation to savoring the heady aromas of the “angels’ share” seeping from the aged wooden barrels shacked ceiling-high in the cavernous Hinch whiskey warehouse. Next, Claire McLernon guides us th...

Join us as Larry Kirwan spins us back to the vibrant, violent New York City of the 1980s and the lives of the mostly undocumented Irish who called a patch of turf there home, in his novel Rockin’ The Bronx. Best known as the frontman for the legendary Irish-inflected rock & roll band Black 47, Larry delves into themes of immigration, Irish and Hispanic cultural intersections, the shifting fortunes of the navvies and the nannies, the unnamed scourge of AIDS, Reagan-era politics, and his creat...

“St. Patrick’s Day Today, Hungover Tomorrow.” Seeing that slogan on a St. Patrick’s Day T-shirt sent William Spencer Reilly on a mission to “reclaim the day” from negative stereotypes to what is best about Irish culture. So, he created the Sober St. Patrick’s Day® Grand Celebration, a culture-rich, family-friendly, attractively priced, alcohol-free way to enjoy the “great day for the Irish.” We delve into Bill’s life in theater production, how it served him in developing Sober St. Patrick’s D...

Join us in the Queen’s Quarter at the former derelict buildings that Anthony and Andrea Kieran transformed into Belfast’s stunning five-star boutique hotel, Regency House. Their story intertwines personal histories with The Troubles (including when Anthony was the victim of two bombings in one day in South Armagh), their serendipitous meeting in Washington, D.C., his work for NASA, their decision to move to Belfast, their unplanned venture into the hospitality business, and the peak experienc...

Join us for the first stop on Day 2 of our Lost in Belfast Road Trip as we visit the magnificent City Hall to meet Lord Mayor Micky Murray. The city’s youngest and first openly gay Lord Mayor shares refreshing new perspectives on his changing city, saying “Where Belfast is now and where we're going is a lot more exciting than what's happened over the last 50 years.” The Lord Mayor talks about his political journey, Alliance Party affiliation, priorities in office, LGBTQ+ community efforts, an...

Gerry knows gin from his time behind the bar and from sipping his favorite tipple from the other side of the stick. But he found his perfect gin, though he could imagine just how it would taste, a taste he finally captured in his now award-winning Jawbox Gin. Join us as Gerry tells us how the idea for creating a gin just wouldn’t let him go, the Belfast stories behind the Jawbox name and striking logo design, how he managed to time the Jawbox launch just as the gin category was taking off,...

Join us in the first leg of our “Irish Stew Gets Lost in Belfast Road Trip” in the vibrant Cathedral Quarter at its prime culinary destination Waterman House as we explore the recipe for restaurant success with Chef and Founder Niall McKenna. Niall dishes on his culinary journey from West Belfast, training under influential chefs like Paul Rankin, the evolution of his multiple restaurant ventures including James St. and Hadskis, and the buzz surrounding his Waterman House Cookery School. For Ni...