With Pat Dawson, CEO Irish Travel Agents Association
Pat Dawson is a well known voice on radio in his position as CEO of the ITAA (Irish Travel Agents Association) and this timely chat includes his insight into how the Irish travel business has been decimated by the pandemic and the work going on behind the scenes to make travel possible once restrictions are eased.
Pat’s viewing recommendation is Dad’s Army – the series which is available on Amazon Prime and BBC player (if you are in the juristication).
He also recommends Barack Obama, Dreams from my Father as a good read.
June Shannon is a medical / health journalist who has helped many of us stay sane over the last year with her live tweets of the briefings by NPHET and Government. She has distilled down figures and words into easily understandable tweets and has regularly burned her dinner in the process.
June’s book recommendations are:
A Light That Never Goes Out by Keelin Shanley
Psychiatrist in the Chair – Biography of Anthony Clare by Brendan Kelly & Muiris Houston
Seamus Heaney 100 Poems
Barbara’s recommendation is Sinead Moriarty’s new novel which will be published in summer, called About Us.
June’s TV/Netflix Recommendations are the soaps – which seem to have been largely forgotten today. June is an avid viewer of both Corrie and EastEnders
June also recommends The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society movie which is on Netflix and Barbara recommends the book too.
Dil is a mental health professional, an activist, a journalist and former broadcaster who presented Global Village on Newstalk.
Along with her partner, Anne Marie Toole they founded and run Insight Matters, a counselling, psychotherapy and wellness centre offering affordable and accessible mental health support, in Dublin.
The book recommendation this week was my suggestion and is the Dublin City Libraries One City One Book choice for 2021 and is the beautiful, gentle tale of Leonard and Hungry Paul by Ronan Hession.
And the TV/Movie recommendation was The Morning Show – available on Apple TV
Rory O’Neill is an entertainer, a drag queen, a publican and an activist and I was delighted to welcome him to the webcast. Our conversation meandered around the decimation of the arts and live entertainment, living in a very quiet city to how Rory will be very safe in the aftermath of the apocalypse. You will enjoy this one.
Rory’s book suggestions were:
Healing Back Pain, The Mind Body Connection by John Sarno
Dr Tom Clonan is a columnist, broadcaster, security analyst, feminist and advocate for disabilty and a retired Army Captain. A calm and reasoned commentator, his take on where we are in this pandemic might just cheer you up.
He also has some cracking book, podcast and viewing recommendations which are listed below. Enjoy. And if you do, please share.
Tom’s recommended read : The Gustav Sonata by Rose Tremain
Tom’s podcast recommendation : The Nobody Zone by RTE and Louis Theroux podcast, Grounded especially the episode with Ruby Wax
Tom’s viewing recommendations : Deuthscland ’86 available on All Four.
Mary Coughlan is one of Ireland’s most respected singers with a worldwide reputation. She joined me and talked about her journey to heal and to find confidence through connection with the land and being a medicine woman. Mary is the embodiment of a wise crone. You will enjoy this….
Steve Cummins is a comedian and resident host of The Laughter Lounge. He is currently one half of the very successful Zoom Party providing events virtually. See zoomparty.ie
This episode is great fun with references to my arse and a rude story about monkeys. If you need cheering up, this just might do it for you.
Oh there were some book and podcast recommendations too (listed below).
Enjoy!
Steve’s Book recommendations..
Nikki Sixx (from Motley Crue) The Heroin Diaries
Stephen King – The Dark Tower Series
Lee Child – the Jack Reacher novels
Podcast – No Such Thing As A Fish from the makers of QI.
Steve also recommended PodBean a free app for your podcast listening.
Columnist and broadcaster, Sarah Carey joined me this week for my How To Stay Sane Webcast.
She had some cracking book suggestions along with interesting radio programme suggestions too. And yes, of course, we talked about Bridgerton.
We didn’t get to all Sarah’s book suggestions but she kindly sent them on and here they are:
Non-fiction
East West Street by Philippe Sands,
On Identity, Violence and the need to belong by Amin Mahlouf
Dominion, How Christianity Shaped the Western mind by Tom Holland
The Varieties of Religious Experience by William James.
Fiction
What Sarah called her ‘Spinster Lit’ recommendations
She recommends all the books of Barbara Pym, Muriel Spark and Anita Brookner
She also recommends Nancy Mitford who she says is a hoot.
Other favourites are The Unseen by Roy Jacobsen which she says are one of the most beautiful poetic books I’ve ever read. And other poetry such as Lullaby by WH Auden and ‘What Auden Can Do For You’ by Alexander McCall Smith. And Heaney’s The Cure At Troy
Also recommend On Kindness by Adam Philips, the famous British psychonalyst
Radio and Podcasts
Backlisted podcast – Brings new life to old books. It’s a joy.
Drama on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 4 Extra -right now listening to Hercule Poirot!
The Archers BBC Radio 4
Soul Music (BBC Radio 4)
In Our Time ( BBCR4)
Delusions (short series on BBC Radio 4 you should be able to find it)
Communications expert, author and commentator, Terry Prone joined me for the last of my How To Stay Sane webcasts of this year…. and what a great guest she was. Not only are there some really great book suggestions but you will learn of the many uses of WD40.
Click the link into YouTube to watch.
Terry Prone’s Full List of Book Suggestions:
Isaac’s Storm Eric Larson Vintage 1999
Working Stiff Judy Melinek, M.D., and T.J. Mitchell Scribner 2014
Painted Ladies Robert B. Parker Putnam 2010
Becoming Nicole Amy Ellis Nutt Random House
That’s What SHE Said Joanne Lipman Morrow 2018
Digital Minimalism Cal Newport Portfolio Penguin 2019
Holding Graham Norton Hodder&Stoughton 2016
The Pandemic Century Mark Honigsbaum Penguin 2019
Hidden Valley Road Robert Kolker Quercus 2020
Breaking and Mending Joanna Cannon Profile Books 2019 Published in association with the Wellcome Collection
The Beauty in Breaking Michele Harper Riverhead Books 2020
Group Think Christopher Booker Bloomsbury 2020
A Guarded Life Majella Moynihan, Aoife Kelleher Hachette 2020
Force of Nature Jane Harper Little, Brown 2017
Last Witnesses Svetlana Alexievich Penguin 2019
Here’s the Story Mary McAleese Penguin/Sandycove 2020
The Nothing Man Catherine Ryan Howard Blackstone 2020
The Psychiatrist in the Chair Muiris Houston/Brendan Kelly Merrion Press 2020
Outline Rachel Cusk Faber&Faber, 2014
Our Little Cruelties Liz Nugent Penguin 2020
Three Hours Rosamund Lipton Penguin 2020
Ghosts Dolly Alderton Penguin 2020
Monogamy Sue Miller Bloomsbury 2020
Invisible Women Caroline Criado Perez Vintage 2019
My guest this week is Bill Hughes, legendary TV Producer who has made over 1000 hours of music, arts, entertainment and documentary television since he began his career in the 1980s. He began his TV career in 1985 with the ground breaking MT USA which was the first music video programme in Europe. More recently, his company Mind The Gap Films was behind the very popular ‘Cutting Edge’ on RTE.
Bill had some really great recommendations for your entertainment in books, music and film. Enjoy.
Bill’s Book Recommendations:
The Hearts Invisible Furies, by John Boyne
That Glimpse of Truth – 100 of the finest short stories ever written, chosen by David Miller
Fabulosa – The Story of Polari, Britain’s Secret Gay Language.
And my book choice this week is Lady In Waiting by Anne Glenconner.
Bill’s Listening Recommendations:
The box set of The Collected Poems of Seamus Heaney from RTE
Jessye Norman – Four Last Songs
Passion by Stephen Sondheim
Bill’s Movie Recommendations:
Little Women – the recent version with Saoirse Ronan
An essay on the challenges of living in a house that has become a busy hub as we all work and study from home and have nowhere to go during this bloody pandemic.
From Sunday Miscellany on RTE Radio One, on Sunday 29th November 2020
This week’s guest is writer and commentator Felicity Hayes McCoy who joined me from her home deep in the heart of the Dingle Peninsula in Kerry. More great book suggestions and an interesting idea for your Christmas Tree.
