How to be Irish
Episodes
What we used to eat, with Irish food historian Regina Sexton
12 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Support this podcast / buy me a coffee!In this episode, I chat with Regina Sexton, Ireland’s leading food and culinary historian, all about the hist...
What do we not understand about the North of Ireland / Northern Ireland? with content creator Gemma McSherry
05 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Úna Harty interviews Gemma McSherry, a journalist, author and content creator from the North of Ireland. They discuss Gemma's up...
Growing up mixed race in Ireland, with activist and author Leon Diop
28 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Úna speaks with Leon Diop, about his experiences of growing up in Tallaght as a mixed race. We cover race, ethnicity, family dynamic...
Understanding Irishness through our most iconic pop culture moments, with journalist Kate Demolder
21 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this lighter episode of How to be Irish Úna welcomes freelance journalist Kate Demolder to explore iconic moments in Irish pop culture from the 19...
The idiosyncrasies of Irish politics, with Dr Theresa Reidy
14 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Independents, referendums, the single transferable vote - a few of the idiosyncrasies of the Irish political system that we sometimes take for granted...
How and why the Normans conquered Ireland with Storytelling Guide Duane Fitzsimons
07 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we explore the rich history of the Lecale Peninsula with guest Duane Fitzsimons, who delves into the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ...
Exploring Cork through Cónal Creedon's eyes
31 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of How to Be Irish, Cónal Creedon, an award-winning novelist and filmmaker, shares his deep connection to Cork and how it has shaped ...
How we used to live, Irish social history and heritage with Deirdre O'Neill
24 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"We walk past remnants of our past every day without noticing." Our ancestors left echoes of themselves all around us, if we only know where...
Writing women into Irish history with Clodagh Finn
17 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever heard of Clothilde Graves? What about Sister Concepta? Roesia de Verdun? Or how about Lady Ranelagh?These are just some of the Irish wom...
Reviving Irish historical stone lifting with Andy Downes
10 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the last four years, a quiet revival has been taking place: the revival of Irish stonelifting. Andy Downes is one of those who has helped to bring ...
Can we decolonise the Irish language through music? with singer-songwriter Amano Miura
10 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of How to be Irish, I sit down with Amano Miura—a multidisciplinary artist, songwriter, and sean-nós singer from Killarney, Co. Ker...
How recession reshaped Ireland’s culinary identity, with food writer Sian Conway
03 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, I’m chatting with Sian Conway, an award-winning Dublin-based food writer, TikTok creator, and freelance content queen. Sian brings her u...
Reeling in the Year: Ireland’s Top News Stories of 2024, with Reporter Sheila Naughton
20 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this special end-of-year episode, I’m joined by RTÉ reporter and broadcaster Sheila Naughton as we reflect on Ireland’s most impactful news st...
Has modern life disconnected us from nature in Ireland? Rewilding our Irish identity with Soil Boy
13 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why is Ireland’s biodiversity in such a dire state? Are we projecting an incorrect image of our green nation? What would happen if we re-introduced ...
What does it mean to belong in Ireland? with Social Psychologist and Social Entrepreneur Mamobo Ogoro
06 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Belonging is a fundamental human need—but how does this concept play out in the context of Irish society? In this episode, I’m joined by social p...
What do the young people of Ireland want? General Election special with Jenny Maguire
29 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What is important to our young people as we head to the polls for the General Election? Jenny Maguire is the President of Trinity College Dublin Stude...
Faeries, Druids, Tombs and Stone Circles: The Magic of Ireland with Bobbo the Bard
22 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What does an interaction with an Irish fairy look and feel like? How do we connect with Ireland’s Neolithic and sacred sites? Were our ancestors sup...
Has the decline of the Irish language led to a loss of Irish identity? with Saoirse Garet
15 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why did the Irish language start to decline? Why should we be interested in learning Gaeilge? How can you go about bringing more Irish into your every...
Are the Irish still battling intergenerational trauma? Our deep sadness with The Mindful Physio Caoimhe Gibney
08 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Are the Irish repressed emotionally? How has our history impacted our soma? How are the young people in Ireland working to heal themselves for their f...
How much has Irish Society changed since the 1950s? with Feminist and LGBTIQA Campaigner Ailbhe Smyth
01 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why did Ireland undergo so much societal change in the 1990s and 2000s? What was it like to be a young woman or a member of the LGBTQ+ community in Ir...
What if Ireland was never colonised? Irish Mythology and Ancient Irish People with Emilie O'Driscoll
25 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Who are the people of Ireland? How did they spend their days hundreds and thousands of years ago? How were they perceived and what beliefs did they ha...
Healing through Creativity with Writer Daragh Fleming
18 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
TW for this episode: Suicide, Mental Illness Daragh Fleming is a multi-award-winning poet and author who uses his art to explore and heal mental healt...
Why are the Irish Obsessed with Emigration with Hannah Nash
11 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Hannah Nash is the host of Greener Fields, a podcast about the realities of life in your 20s and 30s, a time often associated with emigrat...
From Palestine to Pallasgreen, Building a Better World with Rob O'Donnell
04 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Rob O’Donnell is an exciting new voice on the Irish political scene. He’s a Green Party candidate for Limerick County. In this episode, we chat ab...
Irish Republicanism, the Art of Storytelling and Guinness with NYC Cabbie John McDonagh
27 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
John McDonagh is quite the character. He’s an Irish-American born in New York, went to school and lived in Donegal for periods of his life and had b...
Climbing the Mountain of Life with Explorer Pat Falvey
20 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Pat Falvey is a world record-breaking Irish explorer, having been the first person to climb the highest Seven Summits of the world, twice! His journey...
What is 'How to be Irish?' (Intro)
18 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
To be Irish, is to be from the island of Ireland. Or so Google tells me. But have you ever considered what Irishness means to you? I’m your host, Ú...