Best Of Belfast: Northern Ireland's #1 Interview Podcast
Activity Overview
Episode publication activity over the past year
Episodes
#173 Julie Andrews: Linenhall Library
23 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Julie Andrews is the current Director of the Linen Hall Library: Belfast's oldest and last-standing private Libary. Located just opposite City Hal...
#172 Dennis Coppel: Medic, Father, President
16 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Dennis Coppel is an 85-year-old former Anesthetist and the current President of the Belfast Jewish Community. Some of his early memories inclu...
#171 Virtual Tour Of The Belfast Jewish Synagogue
09 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As part of our documentary on Otto Jaffe and the history of the Jewish Community in Northern Ireland, we paid a visit to the Belfast Hebrew Congregati...
[Documentary] Sir Otto Jaffe: "The Linen Entrepreneur Who Changed A City"
02 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Sir Otto Jaffe was one of the leading entrepreneurs responsible for the boom of the Linen Industry here in Belfast in the 1800s. Through a lot ...
#169 Mark Goldstone: Pharmacist, Copywriter, Investor
26 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Mark Goldstone has worked for more than 25 years in the healthcare/life sciences industry. He has a passion for technology, new “stuff” ...
#168 Leonard Nugent: Construction Worker, Adventurer, Author
19 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Leonard Nugent is a businessman and author from Belfast with an incredible story to tell. Despite experiencing homelessness at a young age ...
#167 Rita Harkin & The Red Bricks Of Belfast
12 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Quick bonus episode with Rita Harkin from the Architectural Heritage Trust who we interviewed as part of our Danny Blanchflower documentary released l...
[Documentary] Danny Blanchflower: "The Greatest Footballer Who Ever Lived"
05 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Danny Blanchflower was a footballer from Belfast who’s most well-known for captaining the Tottenham Hotspurs team that won the double in 1961 an...
#165 Maud Hamill: Blue Plaques & Ulster History Circle
28 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Today marks the beginning of a very exciting new series we’re rolling out next week called The Streets Where They Lived: a six-part history docume...
#164 Joshua Burnside: Singer, Songwriter, Storyteller
21 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Joshua Burnside is a singer, songwriter and storyteller from Northern Ireland. His award-winning, genre-defying music draws from the rich, complex ...
#163 Alice Wilkinson & Susan Rollins-McEwen: Yoga Quarter & Refill Quarter
14 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Alice Wilkinson and Susan Rollins-McEwen are the dynamic duo behind Yoga Quarter and Refill Quarter in East Belfast. They met while completing...
#162 David O'Reilly (Rigsy): DJ, Broadcaster, Author, Father.
07 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
David O’Reilly (Rigsy) is is a broadcaster, DJ and author from Belfast, Northern Ireland. As an independent producer, he hosts two radi...
#161 Cormac Quinn: The Tech Entrepreneur Behind loyalBe
31 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Cormac Quinn is the founder of loyalBe: a bank-connected rewards app aimed at helping independent retailers to attract and retain customers. The mo...
#160 Andi Jarvis: Marketing & Black Lives Matter
24 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Andi Jarvis is the Founder and Strategy Director of Eximo Marketing, a marketing strategy consultancy based in Bangor and Liverpool. Originally fro...
#159 Sinead O'Sullivan: Aerospace Engineer, NASA, Harvard & Beyond
17 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Sinead O’Sullivan is an Aerospace Engineer from Northern Ireland who has worked with NASA to design human spaceflight missions to the planet Mars an...
#158 Mike Kerr: beIN Sports
10 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Mike is the Managing Director, of beIN ASIA PACIFIC: a global leader in the production and distribution of sports content like The Premier League, Rug...
#157 Terry Kane: Facebook
03 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Terry Kane is a senior executive at Facebook living in Dubai where he heads up the marketing strategy for the Middle East, Africa and Turkey regions f...
#156 Bernadette Collins: Formula One
27 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Bernadette Collins is a senior Formula One strategy engineer from Northern Ireland working with the Racing Point F1 Team. Alongside being responsib...
#155 Professor Philip Hamill: Abu Dhabi University
20 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Philip Hamill is the Associate Provost, and currently the Interim provost, at Abu Dhabi University. After watching a movie about Wall Street when h...
#154 Sheridan Tongue: Composer
13 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Sheridan Tongue is a BAFTA-nominated composer from Belfast known his global, award-winning work on drama series and documentaries alike. From scori...
#153 Connecting The Northern Irish Diaspora (With Anne Beggs from NI Connections)
09 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Incredibly excited to announce a new mini-series we're launching in collaboration with Northern Irish Connections where we’ll be sharing the story o...
#152 Brian John Spencer: Artist (Featuring 7-year-old son Henry)
06 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Brian John Spencer is an artist from Belfast, Northern Ireland. After going down the grammar-school track of studying law, Brian decided to take th...
#151 Joan Henderson: The Power Of Outdoor Play
29 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Joan Henderson is an Educational Mentor focusing on helping schools across Ireland tap into the developmental power of outdoor play in young children....
#150 The Power Of Celebrating Local
24 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
BONUS EPISODE. I was interviewed recently for another podcast and ended up talking about Northern Ireland the whole time. Thought there was some...
#149 Conor & Tom McLaughlin: Red Bay Boats
22 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Red Bay Boats is a family business in Cushendall that has built over 1000 boats and 'shipped' to 30+ different countries around the world. After re...
#148 Daniel Crawford: Axial3D, The Human Body 3D Printing Start-Up
15 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel Crawford is the Founder & Chief Strategy Officer of Axial3D; a 3D printing company that creates medical models of a patient's organs, bones and...
#147 Claire McLaughlin: Junior Doctor & Rugby Player
08 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Claire McLaughlin is a 28-year-old junior doctor from Bushmills and a professional rugby player. After admittedly not being any good at sports as a...
#146 Jon Bradford: “The Godfather Of European Accelerators”
01 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Jon Bradford is “doer of many things (badly)” — at least that’s what he sent through when we asked him for a short bio. However, a quick Go...
#145 Hugh McGauran: The 75-Year-Old Wheatgrass Salesman
28 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Hugh McGauran is a stroke-surviving, set-dancing, wheatgrass and ionized water salesman from Northern Ireland. He claims that homegrown wheatgrass ...
#144 Janine Kane: The Publican Behind The Spaniard, Muriels, The Jeggy Nettle & More!
25 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Janine Kane is the publican behind bars some of Belfast’s most beloved bars, including The Spaniard, Muriels, Pablos, Panama, The Jeggy Nettle and m...
#143 Terry Doherty: Post-Man, Music-Lover, Storyteller
21 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Terry Doherty is a postal worker, music-lover and storyteller from Larne, Northern Ireland. In this easy-listening episode, he shares a treasure tr...
#142 The Power Of Creating Daily with Dillon Osborne
18 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The King of Instagram Stories returns! (You can check out our first interview with Dillon here to get the backstory). In today's episode, we cha...
#141 James McClurg: Sky's Startup Investment & Partnerships Team (VC)
16 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Jame McClurg leads Sky’s Startup Investment and Partnerships team. Since joining the team when it started in 2013 he has been investing in and...
#140 Aidan Larkin: The World’s First Bitcoin Auctioneer
14 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Aidan Larkin is the former Asset Recovery Director at Wilsons Auctions. (In other words, he sells the stuff seized by the police from criminals). T...
#139 Colin Davidson: Artist & Painter
11 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Colin Davidson is an artist from Belfast, Northern Ireland. Since 2010, Colin's focus has been on painting scale portraits which have received wide...
#138 Jawbox Gerry Returns!
09 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Joined today again by Belfast's favourite barman: the one and only Gerry White. Founder of Jawbox Gin, ex-manager of The John Hewitt and all-round ...
#137 Alison Clarke: ACA Models & Miss NI
07 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Alison Clarke is the founder of ACA Models: Northern Ireland's longest-running modelling and promotion agency. After growing up on a farm in County...
#136 In The Green Room With Zoe Salmon
04 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Zoe Salmon is back — and this time we’re kicking back in the digital green room with a light-hearted catch-up. (With a bit of seriousness spr...
#135 Tony Carson: Entrepreneur & Investor
02 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Tony Carson is an entrepreneur and investor from Belfast, Northern Ireland. He's one of those guys who not only has a fascinating career, but also ...
#134 Brenda McMullan: Halifax Foundation For Northern Ireland
30 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Brenda McMullan is Grant-Maker from West Belfast, Northern Ireland. After originally starting her career off in IT, Brenda is now the Executive Dir...
#133 Gary Lightbody: Snow Patrol
27 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Gary Lightbody is a singer-songwriter from Bangor, Northern Ireland and the lead singer of Snow Patrol. Across their 25-year journey, Snow Patrol h...
#132 Rebecca McKinney: Radio Presenter & Fashion Stylist
23 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Rebecca McKinney is a Radio Presenter and Fashion Stylist from Belfast, Northern Ireland. After originally studying law, Rebecca pivoted into PR & ...
#131 Lockdown Extension Update
21 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Thanks for an awesome month of monthly episodes! Switching to two episodes a week (Monday & Thursday) going forward. Say hello: +447873636003 ma...
#130 Gerry Flynn: Footballer Turned Entrepreneur (Live From Murcia, Spain)
20 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Gerry Flynn is a footballer and entrepreneur from Belfast, Northern Ireland. Prior to moving to Spain 10 years ago, Gerry played professional footb...
#129 Sam Halliday: Two Door Cinema Club
17 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Sam Halliday is a musician from Bangor, Northern Ireland (and a part-time footballer for his local team). After starting a band with some friends f...
#128 Adam Cree: Former Belfast Giants Star Turned Entrepreneur
16 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Adam Cree is the Chief Revenue Officer of 3EN Cloud Ltd, located in Holywood, Co. Down. Having spent the first part of his working life in professi...
#127 Paddy Raff: Comedian
15 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Paddy Raff is a comedian from Belfast, Northern Ireland. After working in a call-centre before joining a wedding band, Paddy has exploded onto the ...
#126 Patrick Quinn: International School Principal (Live From Changshu China)
14 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Patrick Quinn is a 37-year-old International School Principal from Belfast currently living in Changshu, China. After initially working in fashion ...
#125 Claire Moore: Sports, Marketing & Brain-Surgery (Live From Hong Kong)
13 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Claire Moore hails from Jordanstown, Co. Antrim and is currently based in Hong Kong after an eight-year stint in Dublin. She works in sports market...
#124 Oliver Jeffers: Artist & Author
10 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Quarantine Phone Call. Oliver Jeffers is a visual artist and author from Belfast, Northern Ireland. His critically acclaimed picture books have...
#123 Noel Allen: Noisy Snacks
09 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Noel Allen is the founder and CEO of NI based food start-up Noisy Snacks. Noisy Snacks is the award-winning innovative snacks company behind tasty,...
#122 Emer Maguire: Science Communicator, Comedian, Broadcaster, Musician & Speech Therapist
08 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Emer Maguire is a multi-talented comedic, musical, public-speaking, broadcasting, science communicating legend from Strabane, Northern Ireland. She...
#121 Rabbit-Hole Conversations with Mark Todd
07 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Had the absolute pleasure of chatting to friend and previous guest Mark Todd... an insanely good conversationalist, storyteller and talented architect...
#120 Ian McLernon: Remy Cointreau — Manhattan, NYC
06 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ian McLernon is the CEO of Remy Cointreau Americas, a family-owned spirit business that dates back to 1724 best known for their cognacs Rémy Martin a...
#119 Conor Houston: Solicitor, Connected Citizens, The Irish Times & Much, Much More
03 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Conor Houston is a... Well, he's a lot of things. Director at Houston Solutions Ltd, a bespoke leadership advisory company. Founder of Con...
#118 Leanne Ross, Live From The Lockdown In New Zealand
02 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Leanne Ross is a marketing director, author, trainer, lecturer and former Belfast blogger who emigrated to Dunedin, New Zealand in 2016 (homeland of h...
#117 Peter Dickson: The Voice Of X-Factor, Britains Got Talent & 30,000 Commercials
01 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Peter Dickson is the legendary voiceover artist behind The X-Factor, Britain's Got Talent, the London 2012 Olympics and 30,000 TV/Radio commercials an...
#116 Sly Guy Dave Elliott: Comedian & Podcaster
31 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Dave Elliott is a comedian and podcaster from Bangor, Northern Ireland. He hosts two weekly podcasts: Sly Guy and Boy Town. In today's episode...
#115 Pete Snodden: Cool FM, Broadcaster, Speaker & Event Host
30 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Pete Snodden is a broadcaster, speaker and event host from Bangor, Northern Ireland. He's the voice of one of the nation's most popular radio spots...
#114 Julian Simmons: The Legendary UTV Continuity Presenter
29 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Julian Simmons is the legendary UTV Continuity Presenter known for his sharp-tongued transitions between TV shows like Coronation Street and Emmerdale...
#112 The May McFettridge/John Linehan Origin Story
27 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
May McFettridge is one of Northern Ireland’s most recognisable and loved faces. But what about the man behind the character? John Linehan is t...
#111 Geraldine Hughes, Live From The Lockdown In New York
26 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We hopped on the phone with legendary West Belfast actor Geraldine Hughes (Rocky Balboa, Gran Torino, Harry Potter on Broadway) to catch up and see ho...
#110 How ESTHER Is Getting Financial Support To Those In Need During COVID-19
25 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
If you would like to donate directly to someone in need in Belfast you can do so at https://app.esther.org.uk/ ESTHER is a pocket-to-pocket giving...
#109 The Nonsense Show With Sarah McBride
24 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
An episode where we don’t talk about the C-19-word. Stick the headphones on and get lost in a series of ramblings about living in NYC, social med...
#108 Andrew Trimble Interviews Matthew Thompson (Live From The Bunker)
23 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
You guys asked for it. Here's what was suppose to be "episode 101" where Andrew Trimble turns the tables and gets me on the other side of the mic. ...
#107 Live From The Lockdown In Italy With Cordelia McKinley
22 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s Quarantine Phone Call we hopped on WhatsApp to talk to Cordelia McKinley, a Northern Irish writer/English teacher currently living in Ita...
#106 Shane Todd Returns (With Listener Questions)
21 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Would you swap your Twitter Blue Tick for a Nandos Black Card? Do you take red sauce or brown sauce in a sausage bap? What is Jeeves from Ask Je...
#105 Nurturing Our Inner-Child with Kevin Young
20 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Hopped on a phone call with one of the most insightful people I know when it comes to our emotional and spiritual well-being. Kevin is a Results...
#104 Building Our Immune System with Scott Riley
19 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How can we take care of our physical and mental wellbeing during the lockdown? Out of everyone I know and have interviewed, Scott Riley is the o...
#103 Mash Direct's Plan To FEED THE NATION
18 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Worried about food during the lockdown? Don't be. In this bonus episode, I caught up with the legendary Jack Hamilton from Mash Direct for a quick p...
#102 DADcast with Colin Geddis
17 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to first and only episode of DADcast with local comedian Colin Geddis where I let slip I haven't listened to his podcast for six months... ...
#101 COVID-19 Update (Live From My Garden Shed)
16 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Just because we isolated doesn't mean we are alone. [email protected] +447873636003
#100 David Harbinson: Firefighter, Station Commander, Cancer-Survivor
15 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
David Harbinson is a Station Commander for the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service in Belfast. After joining the service at a young age, David...
#99 Andrew Cuthbert aka “Rocketman”: Innovation Maven, Polymath, Father
09 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Andrew Cuthbert is a polymath from Northern Ireland. So far he’s been involved in research trips to Madagascar, human rights campaigns, setting...
#98 Clodagh Dunlop: Locked-In Syndrome Survivor (ft. Partner + Carer Adrian Simpson)
02 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Clodagh Dunlop is a detective for the Police Service of Northern Ireland. In April 2015, her life was turned upside down after suffering a brains...
#97 Dr Mano Shanmuganathan: Neurosurgeon + Bear Grylls ‘Treasure Island’ Survivor
24 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Mano Shanmuganathan is one of the only pediatric neurosurgeons in Northern Ireland. He also survived being stranded on a desert island for 30 days ...
Liam Neeson Update, Episode 100 and Q&A Episode
20 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Quick wee update for you guys as we approach episode 100 and an invitation for you to be a part of it.
#96 Claire Dowds: Ormeau Baths, Community-Building, & Treasure-Seeking
17 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Claire Dowds is the General Manager of Ormeau Baths, a coworking space right here in the heart of the city centre where she spends her time building a...
#95 Colin Anderson: The Godfather Of Advertising In Northern Ireland
10 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s interview is the fifth episode in ‘The Disruptors’, a mini-series presented in collaboration with Fleet Financial where we sit down ...
#94 Reuben Skinner: Videographer at Canva, Sydney, Australia
03 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Reuben Skinner is a Belfast born and bred videographer currently living in Sydney Australia with his wife Estelle and three kids to Dora-Rose, Toban a...
#93 Carmel McKinney: Northern Ireland Fire And Rescue Service (NIFRS)
27 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Carmel McKinney is the Chairperson of the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS). After studying English and French at university, Carm...
#92 Nick Whelan: Dale Farm
21 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ok, so when I think of Dale Farm I think of milk, cheese, eating Joker ice lollies in the car. Tasty delicious, love it. But I always assumed it was j...
#91 James Leckey: Founder & CEO of Leckey Design
13 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
James Leckey is the founder & CEO of Leckey: a company focused on designing life-enhancing products for physically challenged children. After sta...
#89 Ciaran Sheehan: Clarendon Executive, Young Enterprise & Corcreggan Mill Holidays
30 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
I first met today’s guest when I was 16 while doing Young Enterprise at school and since then I’ve also known him to be incredibly passionate and ...
#88 Jonny Quinn: Snow Patrol (Drummer)
23 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Jonny Quinn is the drummer of Snow Patrol, an alternative rock band from Northern Ireland that has released six albums so far and sold over 13 million...
#87 Sarah McAnallen: Student Entrepreneur Behind The Award-Winning McAnallen Design
16 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
When Sarah was six-years-old her mum had a stroke — making everyday tasks difficult. It was out of this personal experience that McAnallen was born....
#86 Zoe Salmon: TV Presenter & Lawyer, Blue Peter
09 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Zoe Salmon is an award-winning television presenter from Bangor, Northern Ireland. In today’s episode, we talk about how she overcame childhood s...
#85 Philip Bain: Entrepreneur, Author, Philanthropist
02 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Philip Bain is the co-founder of ShredBank and the author of two business books: Start to Grow and Start to Lead. We talk about his exposure to ent...
#84 Lady Mary Peters: Olympian, Author, Legend
27 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Lady Mary Peters, LG CH DBE RNR OLY — or Mary P as her friends call her — is an Olympic Gold Medalist, member of the Order Of The Garter and autho...
#83 Cowfield Design: Exporting NI Landmarks To The World
25 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Cowfield Design is a father and son, creative design crafts business setup by Conor and Sean Kelly. After starting as a hobby they now sell a who...
#82 Tim Brundle: Ulster University
20 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Tim Brundle is the Director of Research & Impact at Ulster University (and much, MUCH more). In today’s episode, we cover Tim’s early career,...
#81 Eleanor McEvoy: Energy Entrepreneur, CEO, Dragoness
18 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Eleanor McEvoy is Northern Ireland's Ambassador for Entrepreneurship, RTE Dragons Den Star and the CEO of Next-Gen Power. In today’s episode, we ...
#80 The Priests: Singers, World-Record Holders, Priests
13 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The Priests are the fastest-selling classical group of all time. They’re also full-time clergymen… In this week’s episode, we chat about wh...
#79 Mark Todd: Architect, Artist, Conversationalist
11 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s conversation is my attempt of bottling the magic, curiosity and deep sense of calm I experience while talking to Mark and it’s unlike any ...
#78 Peter Dixon: The Man Who Brought Natural Gas To Northern Ireland
04 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
After leaving school at 16 without any professional qualifications, Peter Dixon worked as a gas fitter, a plumber and a welder. Against all the o...
#77 Claire Leese: Fashion Stylist, Game Of Thrones, Archive 12
28 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
After working in the music industry with artists like The Darkness and Lilly Allen, Claire returned to NI just in time to work on the pilot of Game Of...
#76 Max Mackin: Polio-Survivor, Entrepreneur, Movie-Buff.
21 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
As probably the last person in the UK to contact Polio, Max had a very short-lived school career. But at 18-years-old he moved to London to make ...
#75 Norman Surplus, First Man to Circumnavigate the World in an Autogyro
14 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Video game designer, wind-farmer, lifeboat captain, cancer survivor and most recently the first man in the world to circumnavigate the world in an aut...
#74 Nadine Patterson, Puppet-Maker
07 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Nadine Patterson is a puppet-maker from Northern Ireland. From making models as a child to working in the puppet hospital on a Tim Burton movie set, N...
#73 Colin Williams, Sixteen South
30 Sep 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Colin Williams is the BAFTA-winning children’s television creator, showrunner and writer behind Sixteen South — a production company that has prod...