Eoin Egan has a unique, husky, Irish-sounding voice that could be comparable to an age-old whiskey - there's not too many of his type left. Join me for his performance of 'The Boys of Barr na Sráide' written by Irish poet Sigurson Clifford as well as Bob Dylan's classic 'Don't Think Twice.'

Eoin Egan shares his Irish folk music!

Good friend and local musician, Eoin Egan of Shannon Harbour, Co.Offaly joined me a for another very pleasant evening of music.

Eoin sings from the heart and you can feel the connection he embraces with each of these songs. He is a man of great empathy, and music enables him to allow you into his soul.

Eoin first covers a Marcus King song 'Goodbye Carolina.' 

"I wrote Goodbye Carolina from the perspective of a dear friend we lost in 2017. "Carolina" represents whatever you have the hardest time saying goodbye to." -Marcus King

Eoin then covers a Bruce Springstein classic, 'I'm on Fire.'

The lyrics in this song are wonderfully honest and encapsulate the turmoil of a torn heart and a wounded mind.

'At night I wake up with the sheets soakin' wet
And a freight train runnin' through the middle of my head' - Bruce Springstein

Eoin Egan - Big Voice, Big Heart!

23 year old James Boothes spent 9 months in the Rockies in a self-made cabin using the wood, soil and moss from his surroundings. The cabin had to be strong enough to withstand heavy snow fall and be compact enough to hold enough heat to keep James alive in sub 40 degree conditions. 

He lived among the moose, the wolves, the bears and the bees. He encountered the most fearful of animals during his time there, yet James doesn't quite see it like that. He became very much a part of nature and he respected the power of the animals that he met.

During this chat with James he plays 2 songs he wrote himself and the music is and song is as real as you could imagine.

This is a tale of strength, human resilience and dedication to following your heart.

 Side note:  It was absolute pleasure to meet James and after the interview I went camping with him along the banks of the broad, majestic Shannon, the longest river in Ireland. 

We caught fish from the river and cooked them over a beautiful, slow-burning fire. We picked nettles, mint, and spruce and used them to make tea. We carefully picked mushrooms and threw them on the pan over the fire. We chopped a lot of wood and played a lot of music in the company of the night.

He was my mentor and I learned of the world.

Hope you enjoy this episode!

James Boothe - 9 months in the Rockies in solitude in a self-made cabin!

Fionn O Cearbhaill is a man with a heart the size of a lion's. 

The 28 year old Birr-native has cycled 5,313km across Europe with his bike and tent, climbed Mount Blanc and The Matterhorn with virtually no experience, rowed across The Mediterranean and is now embarking on a rowing expedition across the Atlantic Ocean from Portugal to French Guiana in pursuit of a world record.

If you were to meet Fionn for the first time you would never put the easy-going, calm persona of this young person with the remarkable achievements of putting the self to the absolute test. He is a remarkably humble individual and bears a beautiful appreciation of time. His challenges fill him with purpose and allow him to feel like life is rewarding him for his mindset.

I learned a great deal from this local man.

Go n-éirí an bóthar leat, a chara!

Fionn O Cearbhailll - Life as an Explorer - The Highs, the Lows and the Juggling of Life and Death.

Irish white boy talks to black woman about life in America.

 A couple of nights before I had this chat with Wendy, I had a very heated argument in a bar and it got me thinking about how we debate topics these days. It seems to me there is very little room for debate anymore as people are all too quickly to defend their stance in a passive, aggressive manner. I feel this is a massive loss to our society and it takes power from the people.

During this chat I was second- guessing myself as to what questions I could ask without being offensive...but you have to trust - trust that the person will understand where you're coming from.

We now live in a world where political correctness is putting people under pressure and the art of having an open conversation is being lost. People are afraid of causing controversy by stating their minds and freedom of speech is constantly under threat as people try to circumnavigate their directness in order to express their meaning. It's a case of thinking about how you are going to say something before you say it, which can be obviously mean you may not offend somebody, but it also comes with a real price, and often that price is the truth.

No Dogs, No Blacks, No Irish - an Inside View into Systemic Racism for a Female in America.

I am at the strange age of 29. I'm just about, and I mean just about, settling into adulthood. Does it take everyone this long? Join me as my podcast explores people who have done interesting things in their short time on this planet. Come in and shut the door, it's getting cold out there!

I love people and each conversation bears it's own unique blend of connection and authenticity. Can you tell I am part of the coffee-enthused millennial generation?

Thetalkingislander

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