Episodes
-
Today, I’ll be chatting with Conor Mangan. Conor is a current professional American Football player based out of Toronto, as well as an accomplished Real Estate Agent. A proud Cork man, he moved to Canada in 2013, playing professional rugby before transitioning to football. Conor earned several Special Teams and point scoring records in the last two years in the Indoor Football League (IFL), and has multiple president club awards for real estate in Ontario.
-
Today, I’ll be chatting with Cathal O’Neill. Cathal is the Irish Language Instructor at Memorial University in St. John’s, Newfoundland. He is in the middle of his second stint as the ICUF scholar in St. John’s. ICUF, being the Ireland Canada University Foundation.
This is the Irish language portion of our episode. You will find the English language episode on the same feed as it was released at the same time.Tá súil agam go mbainfidh sibh sult as an gcomhrá a bhí agam le Cathal. Is sár-fhear é agus táim chomh buíoch gur labhair sé liom ar an bpodchraoladh inniu. Cloisfidh sibh cé chomh tábhachtach is atá an Ghaeilge i saol Chathail agus tá sár-jab déanta aige ó tháinig sé go Ceanada agus go Talamh an Éisc, ach go háirithe.
-
Episodes manquant?
-
Today, I’ll be chatting with Cathal O’Neill. Cathal is the Irish Language Instructor at Memorial University in St. John’s, Newfoundland. He is in the middle of his second stint as the ICUF scholar in St. John’s. ICUF, being the Ireland Canada University Foundation.
This is the English-language portion of our episode. The Irish-language version is located on the same feed.
In this episode, Cathal speaks about what it was like to move to Newfoundland last year and how he has settled in. He speaks about his Irish classes, the social life in St. John’s and the traveling opportunities presented during a year with ICUF. At the end of our chat, Cathal provides some tips on how best to approach the application for ICUF, for anyone thinking of teaching Irish in Canada for a year or two. -
Today, I’ll be chatting with Gemma Ní Luain. Gemma is the Irish Language Instructor at Concordia University in Montréal, Québec. She is in the middle of her second stint as the ICUF scholar in Montréal. ICUF, being the Ireland Canada University Foundation.
This is the Irish language portion of our episode. You will find the English language episode on the same feed as it was released at the same time.
Tá súil agam go mbainfidh sibh sult as an gcomhrá a bhí agam le Gemma. Is sár-bhean í agus táim chomh buíoch gur labhair sí liom ar an bpodchraoladh inniu. Cloisfidh sibh cé chomh tábhachtach is atá an Ghaeilge i saol Gemma agus tá sár-jab déanta aici ó tháinig sí go Ceanada.
-
Today, I’ll be chatting with Gemma Ní Luain. Gemma is the Irish Language Instructor at the Concordia University in Montréal, Québec. She is in the middle of her second stint as the ICUF scholar in Montréal. ICUF, being the Ireland Canada University Foundation.
- what it was like to move to Montréal in 2019
-extreme weather Montréal receives
- issue of language with French being the official language in Québec
-staying in Canada as a permanent residentI would still encourage people to download the episodes and to share them with friends and family. Downloads are the easiest indicator for me to gauge how many people I am reaching with these conversations so I would really appreciate it.
-
Today, I’ll be chatting with Katie Kirkpatrick. Katie is from Saskatchewan but began taking beginner’s Irish with me two years ago here at the University of St. Michael’s College. Since then, she has gone on to win an ICUF Canadian Irish Language Award which enabled her to complete a four-week immersion course in Conamara in the summer of 2023.
In this episode, Katie speaks about her motivation for learning Irish. Her course of study at the University of Toronto requires her to be able to sing in four different languages and she chose Irish as one of those. In this chat, Katie speaks about her experiences learning Irish in Toronto and in Conamara, how singing in Irish has enhanced her studies and of her love for the art of sean-nós singing. In the final few minutes, Katie flips the script and asks me questions about my experiences teaching Irish and Gaelic games here in Toronto.
I would still encourage people to download the episodes and to share them with friends and family. Downloads are the easiest indicator for me to gauge how many people I am reaching with these conversations so I would really appreciate it.
-
Today, I’ll be chatting with Clíodhna Ní Chorráin. Clíodhna is the Irish Language Instructor at the University of Ottawa. She is in the middle of her second year of her ICUF scholarship. ICUF, being the Ireland Canada University Foundation.
This is the Irish language portion of our episode. You will find the English language episode on the same feed as it was released at the same time.
Tá súil agam go mbainfidh sibh sult as an gcomhrá a bhí agam le Clíodhna. Is sár-bhean í agus táim chomh buíoch gur labhair sí liom ar an bpodchraoladh inniu. Cloisfidh sibh cé chomh tábhachtach is atá an Ghaeilge i saol Chlíodhna agus tá sár-jab déanta aici ó tháinig sí go Ceanada.
-
Today, I’ll be chatting with Clíodhna Ní Chorráin. Clíodhna is the Irish Language Instructor at the University of Ottawa. She is in the middle of her second year of her ICUF scholarship. ICUF, being the Ireland Canada University Foundation.
In this episode, Clíodhna talks about her experiences teaching Irish abroad, both in the US and in Canada. She is very honest when she speaks about initially wanting to go to Toronto but making it work in Ottawa and ultimately having a fantastic experience in the nation’s capital city. We discuss Clíodhna’s ambitions for the future which may involve settling in Ireland but not before a stop somewhere else along the way.
Clíodhna and myself had never spoken in English before this conversation but I felt it necessary for the majority of the listenership of this podcast. We did record a supplementary conversation in Irish which was released at the same time as this episode so you should find it in your feed.
I would still encourage people to download the episodes and to share them with friends and family. Downloads are the easiest indicator for me to gauge how many people I am reaching with these conversations so I would really appreciate it.
-
Today, I’ll be chatting with Vanita Jassal and Kevin McAnena. This was the first ever live episode of Irish in Toronto and I would like to thank Daniel Patton for making it happen. Daniel is the Development and Engagement Manager for North America for Queen’s University Belfast. This event was about allowing members of the Queen’s alumni to share their stories of what brought them to Toronto.
In this episode, you will hear from Dr. Vanita Jassal who has been in Toronto for around thirty years. She shares her story of growing up as a visible minority in Belfast during the Troubles. Her success in Toronto has been remarkable and she shares how this was achieved, as well as the more honest negative experiences she has had. Kevin McAnena, from Co. Tyrone, has been living in Toronto for close to a decade now. He shares the curiosity that led him here and how he has managed to maintain strong links with Ireland.
I would still encourage people to download the episodes and to share them with friends and family. Downloads are the easiest indicator for me to gauge how many people I am reaching with these conversations so I would really appreciate it.
-
Today, I’ll be chatting with Com de Fréine. I know Colm through our love of the Irish language. He is a member of the committee of the branch of Conradh na Gaeilge which we established here in Toronto. Such is our love of the language that this chat will be in Irish. If you are inexperienced with listening to Irish, I would still encourage you to keep listening. Colm and I had a great chat about his coming to Toronto in 1985, leaving behind a Dublin where there wasn’t much work to go around. He speaks about the opportunities he has received here in Canada. We talk about travel, family, reading, having two citizenships and our love of Irish.
I would still encourage people to download the episodes and to share them with friends and family. Downloads are the easiest indicator for me to gauge how many people I am reaching with these conversations so I would really appreciate it.
-
Today, I’ll be chatting with Ciara Ní Lúing. Ciara left her beautiful hometown of Dingle, Co. Kerry for the big city of Toronto eight years ago. I got to know Ciara through our work with Conradh na Gaeilge here in Toronto where we organise events for Irish speakers to meet up and use the language. This has been an invaluable experience for me in Toronto and I am grateful to Ciara for the effort she has made with the group.
In this chat, we discuss Ciara’s experiences living in Japan and New Zealand before moving to Toronto. We discuss her reasons for leaving Corca Dhuibhne and how she settled on Toronto. Ciara speaks about her life here in Canada, including her core group of friends, her love of concerts and basketball and her journey learning Spanish over the past few years. Ciara also speaks candidly about her desire to not have children in the future and I really appreciate her honesty here.
I would still encourage people to download the episodes and to share them with friends and family. Downloads are the easiest indicator for me to gauge how many people I am reaching with these conversations so I would really appreciate it. -
Today, I’ll be chatting with Ken Tracey. Ken arrived in Toronto in 1989 on the first ever direct flight from Shannon.
I got to know Ken through his work presenting ‘Ceol agus Craic’, a Saturday morning Irish radio show here in Canada, which he presents with his good friend, Mark O’Brien. ‘Ceol agus Craic’ is a great vehicle for the Irish to have their voice heard and spread the word on particular events that are happening in the community. It airs every Saturday morning from 10AM – 12.30PM on www.mixlr.com/ceolaguscraic. All the shows are made available on the website and they have some great playlists on Spotify.
This is a great chat with Ken who opens up about why he came to Canada, when he realised he would stay here long term and how he got so busy in Toronto that he even forgot his own birthday. -
Today, I’ll be chatting with Sharon Nolan. Sharon left Ireland 18 years ago and has been in Toronto for the past 12 years. Originally a PE teacher, she is now studying to be a psychotherapist. We discuss topics such as distractions, dissociating and being comfortable in one’s own company. I feel this conversation will help a lot of people and hopefully encourage them to take advantage of any opportunities they have to see a psychotherapist.
We of course also discuss the typical contention of most Irish expats living abroad; whether to settle or to move back home. Sharon has some interesting insights into this issue which I am sure will help a lot of people.
I want to thank her for taking the time to sit down with me and to chat about her life in such an honest and authentic manner. She certainly helped me navigate some of the issues which are going on in my life. -
Today, I’ll be chatting with Shane Firus and Carolane Soucisse. Shane and Carolane, hailing from British Columbia and Québec respectively, have represented Canada in ice dance. However, due to Shane’s Irish roots, the pair now ice dance for Ireland. In this episode, they talk their trials and tribulations as ice dancers, the decision to ultimately represent Ireland instead of Canada and what the future holds for them, the possibility of representing Ireland at the Winter Olympics.
I would still encourage people to download the episodes and to share them with friends and family. Downloads are the easiest indicator for me to gauge how many people I am reaching with these conversations so I would really appreciate it.
-
Today, I’ll be chatting with Shaun Ruddy, one of the greatest characters in the Irish community in Toronto. Shaun’s father emigrated from Donegal to Canada and Shaun was very aware of his Irish routes from a young age.
Among many things, Shaun is well known as the Chair of the St. Patrick’s Parade Society, where he organises the most diverse St. Patrick’s Day Parade in the world, right here in Toronto. Shaun’s history with the parade dates back much earlier than when he started chairing the organization behind it. He marched in the city’s first St. Patrick’s Day parade in 1988, after it stopped being held due to violence in 1878 between Protestants and Catholics. He has organised the parade for the last eight years and it now has up to 5,000 participants, an illustration of the tremendous work Shaun has done.
I would still encourage people to download the episodes and to share them with friends and family. Downloads are the easiest indicator for me to gauge how many people I am reaching with these conversations so I would really appreciate it.
-
Today, I’ll be chatting with Alan McConnell. Born in Larne, County Antrim, Alan moved to Vancouver as a young boy in 1973, admittedly with little interest in Irish affairs at the time. Following his teenage years in British Columbia and his studies in both Québec and Ontario, Alan became more politically aware which led him to where he is today, a lawyer in Toronto and the President of the Friends of Sinn Féin (Canada).
I would still encourage people to download the episodes and to share them with friends and family. Downloads are the easiest indicator for me to gauge how many people I am reaching with these conversations so I would really appreciate it. -
Today, I’ll be chatting with Michael Barton who is a Regional Director at Invest Northern Ireland where he promotes Northern Ireland Trade and Investment opportunities here in Canada. Born in Antrim but reared in Greystones, County Wicklow, Michael and his then partner-now wife moved to Toronto in 2012 and haven’t looked back since. Michael speaks about their willingness to seek adventure in Canada as well as the difficulties getting settled in.
They are raising their three year old son, Hudson, in the city and Michael speaks very honestly and positively about raising a child in such an urban environment, a typical issue for many an Irish emigrant in Toronto. This is a conversation typical of this podcast, loaded with very real, practical elements about what it means to be an Irish expat in Toronto, from finding work to changing careers to raising a family to maintaining strong bonds with home.
I would still encourage people to download the episodes and to share them with friends and family. Downloads are the easiest indicator for me to gauge how many people I am reaching with these conversations so I would really appreciate it.
-
We have a more unusual episode for you today. I’ll be chatting with Poppy Keogh from Wicklow who has been living in Canada for the past five years, spending her first two years in St. John’s, Newfoundland and the past three years in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Poppy and myself arrived in St. John’s in the same month, August 2019. However she remained a fictional character to me. Our mutual friend, Axelle, from France, did her best to introduce us but it was not to be as Poppy had other ideas about hanging out with Irish people. Through another mutual friend, Alex Dawe, from St. John’s, we were finally able to meet each other last summer on a camping trip in Cape Breton where I made Poppy promise she would do the podcast as her penance for ignoring me in Newfoundland all those years ago.
Poppy is obviously not living in Toronto but this conversation is flush with references to being Irish in a different part of the world and Poppy has some unique insights into what it means to be Irish on the east coast of Canada.
I would still encourage people to download the episodes and to share them with friends and family. Downloads are the easiest indicator for me to gauge how many people I am reaching with these conversations so I would really appreciate it.
-
Today, I’ll be chatting with William Jenkins, Associate Professor in the Department of History at York University here in Toronto. I got to know William through his immense work with the Canadian Association of Irish Studies who have enabled me to present my own research at previous conferences and will do so again this June in Galway.
In this chat, we discuss how William came from Clondalkin to Toronto, touring North America to scope out the most suitable PhD in 1995, ending up at the University of Toronto before moving to Vancouver and the University of British Columbia for his post doc before returning to Toronto and York University where he now, through his own pertinacity, teaches a course in Modern Irish History.
Towards the end of our conversation, William discusses the typical emigrant’s challenge of living in two places at once.
I would still encourage people to download the episodes and to share them with friends and family. Downloads are the easiest indicator for me to gauge how many people I am reaching with these conversations so I would really appreciate it.
-
Today, I’ll be chatting with Emer Maguire. Emer is my colleague here in the Celtic Studies Program at the University of St. Michael’s College, having received an award from the Ireland Canada University Foundation to teach Irish in Toronto. Emer has been here since September 2023 and will be going back to Ireland before the beginning of the summer. I wanted to get Emer on the podcast to chat as in contrast to most of my other guests so far, she has a definite end date on her time here in Toronto and may provide a different perspective.
In this chat, we discuss Emer’s journey from Louth to Toronto, including a year as Fulbright Scholar at Elms College in Chicopee, Massachusetts. We discuss the importance of new experiences at a young age, the benefits and disadvantages of living in a city as large as Toronto and the challenges which every emigrant faces such as being far away from a loved one who may be unwell. Emer was extremely candid during our chat and I appreciate her for that.
I would still encourage people to download the episodes and to share them with friends and family. Downloads are the easiest indicator for me to gauge how many people I am reaching with these conversations so I would really appreciate it.
- Montre plus
