Clare FM - Beyond Belief: Recent Episodes
Beyond Belief
Marian Maloney is a member of the Galway Visually Impaired Activity Club and talks to Stephen Fletcher about how blind and visually impaired people can enjoy cycling and tennis. She also talks about how important her faith has been throughout her life and how she qualified to teach Irish Dancing at the age of 18.
Originally broadcast on Beyond Belief on Clare FM on Sunday 24th April 2022
The West Clare Christian Fellowship has been meeting in the former Methodist Chapel in Kilkee for the last 25 years.
They have been able to use the chapel due to the generosity of the Methodist Church. However, after 2 years of not meeting in the chapel due to Covid they are now having to find new ways of worship as the building is no longer available to them.
Mary Hamilton talks to Stephen about a new vision for ministry in West Clare Christian Fellowship and also gives an update on the former Lighthouse Keeper's house the fellowship owns on Scattery Island which they are developing as a quiet space for worship and reflection.
Broadcast on Beyond Belief on Clare FM on Sunday 27th March 2022
Click HERE to listen to the Full Programme
The Catholic Diocese has been training 24 Lay Ministers over the last 3 years and as they prepare to be commissioned during Holy Week by Bishop Fintan, Stephen Fletcher speaks to Maureen Kelly from the diocese and also two of the new Lay Ministers, Bernie Torpey and Brid Meaney about how they came to decide to put themselves forward for training and what that training consisted of.
Broadcast on Clare FM Beyond Belief on Sunday 27th March 2022
Click HERE to listen to the Full Programme.
Stephen Fletcher talks to Noirin Lynch from the FCJ Spirituality House about the events and programmes they are planning for the Summer.
This interview was first broadcast on Clare FM Beyond Belief on 13th February 2022. You can hear the full programme HERE
You can find out more about the work of the FCJ Spirituality House here
Fr Gerry Kenny talks to the President of the Clare Branch of the Society of St Vincent de Paul about the SVP Christmas Appeal.
Joanne talks to Noreen Lynch about the FCJ Spirituality House in Spanish Point, Co Clare.
Broadcast on Beyond Belief on Clare FM on Sunday 5th December 2021
Christine Hoctor talks to Beyond Belief about her work as a prison chaplain in Limerick prison.
Broadcast on Beyond Belief on Clare FM on Sunday 28th November 2021.
(Due to rights reasons the music which originally formed part of this interview has been edited.)
In this Beyond Belief Podcast Stephen Fletcher discusses Faith and Football with a lifelong football supporter and priest in the St Albans Diocese Revd Peter Crumpler. Peter Concludes with the Footballer's Prayer by Paul Cookson.
Originally broadcast on Beyond Belief on Clare FM on Sunday 4th July 2021
Revd Peter Crumpler can be found on Twitter at @PeterCrumpler
See http://paulcooksonpoet.co.uk/the-footballers-prayer from @paulcooksonpoet
Stephen Fletcher talks to Aidan O'Sullivan from the Church of Ireland community in Spanish Point about plans to repair and refurbish the 12th century cathedral in Kilfenora, which has been a place of worship since the 5th century.
Stephen Fletcher talks to Maureen Kelly and Dr Sue O'Brien from the Diocese of Killaloe about the initiative to bring the Stations of the Cross to the streets of Ennis during Holy Week.
First broadcast on Beyond Belief on Clare FM 21st March 2021.
Stephen Fletcher talks to Anne Brady, a traditional music singer, who grew up in West Clare and now sings at weddings and funerals. She talks about her musical journey starting with her training in Ennis as a young girl to working in London and sharing a stage with Daniel O'Donnell to returning to the West Coast and singing in churches here.
You can contact Anne at annebradychurchsinger.gmail.com
Originally broadcast on Beyond Belief on Clare FM on Sunday 28th February 2021
Olive Halpin talks to Fr Brendan Quinlivan about the work of the charity the Ray of Sunshine Foundation in Kenya and how the pandemic has affected their work.
Joanne O'Brien talks to Arlene O'Sullivan who is training to be a teacher at Mary Immaculate College in Limerick. The pandemic has meant that she hasn't been at college for over a year as all teaching is now online.
Stephen Fletcher and Fr Brendan Quinlivan discuss an Ecumenical Holy Week initiative to bring the Stations of the Cross to the streets of Ennis.
Stephen Fletcher talks to Maureen Kelly about a new initiative for families to celebrate Ash Wednesday at Home.
Originally broadcast on Clare FM Beyond Belied on Sunday 14th February 2021. You can listen to the full programme HERE
Stephen Fletcher talks to Dr Gladys Ganiel who is a Lecturer and researcher at Queens University Belfast in the Senator George J Mitchell Institute for Global Peace Security and Justice.
One of her research interests is the role of religion on the Island of Ireland and last month saw the publication of her report on how Churches on the Island of Ireland have been coping and reacting to the pandemic.
You can read Dr Ganiel's full Report HERE
This interview was originally broadcast on Clare FM Beyond Belief HERE
Back in the Summer Stephen Fletcher spoke to Revd Annmarie Stuart and Revd Isabel Keegan, who had been Franciscan Sisters in the Roman Church, about their ordination in the Anglican Church. He updated the interview by talking again to Revd Annmarie about the the role she had played 40 years ago advising the Archbishop of Canterbury on the role of women in the early church.
Originally broadcast on Beyond Belief on Clare.FM on Sunday 10th January 2021
Stephen Fletcher talks to Revd Paul Fitzpatrick about the work of the Haven Hub in Limerick. The charity supports people who are self harming or contemplating suicide as well as those suffering from mental illness and depression .
The charity has seen an increase in people seeking their help since the pandemic.
You can find out more about the charity HERE https://havenhub.ie/
Their phone number is 085 2019 250
This interview was first broadcast on Beyond Belief on Clare FM Sunday 10th January 2021
Joanne O'Brien talks to June Curtin who created Snamhaisasta (Happy Swimmers) which is a community of swimmers who take the sea each day in Spanish Point in Clare.
Pius Murray runs Walks in the Burren and talks to Stephen Fletcher about his early life, his time as a teacher and how he came to set up Walk with Pius.
You can hear him talk about some of his walks HERE, HERE and HERE
Joanne O'Brien, the Director of Youth Ministry at the Diocese of Killaloe, talks to Stephen Fletcher about her work in the Diocese.
Originally broadcast on Beyond Belief on Clare FM 19JUL20.
Don O'Sullivan, Chair of the Killaloe Diocesan Pastoral Council, talks to Joanne O'Brien about the the work of the Diocesan Pastoral Committee and how they are supporting parishes as they reopen their churches. He is also a member of the Shannon Folk Group and talks to Joanne about the numbers of different choirs there are in Shannon and he introduces the signature song of the group, Precious Jesus.
Here is the Podcast version of Beyond Belief of Sunday 28th June 2020. For copyright reasons this is shorter than the broadcast programme and some of the music has been reduced.
Andy Rooney was an American Radio and Television writer who was best known for his weekly broadcast, ‘A Few Minutes with Andy Rooney’ as part of the CBS ‘Sixty Minutes’ News programme from the years 1978 to 2011.
He was well known for his great lines. Joanne shares with us some of the wisdom Andy Rooney learned from his 92 years on this planet.
Olive Halpin is from the Ray of Sunshine Charity which carries out work with volunteers in Kenya.
Olive is from Clarecastle and during a visit back home she spoke to Fr Brendan Quinlivin about the work the charity is doing.
You can find out more by visiting http://rayofsunshine.ie/
Broadcast of Beyond Belief on Clare FM on Sunday 17th May 2020
Pius Murray takes us on another walk in the Burren and tells us the story of Colman's Bed.
See more at https://walkwithpius.com/
Broadcast on Beyond Belief on Clare FM on 17th May 2020
Pius Murray tells the story of his walk in the Burren and his discovery of Iníon Baoith’s Holy Well.
Broadcast on Beyond Belief on Clare FM on 3rd May 2020
Fr Tom Ryan the Parish Priest of Ennis and Vicar of the Abbey Pastoral area talks with Fr Brendan Quinlivin about the consequences of the global pandemic on the way priests can contnue to serve their parishes.
Broadcast on Beyond Belief on Sunday 26th April 2020.
Padraig Casey, one of the leaders of the Mid-Clare Youth Council, talks to Stephen Fletcher about how their group is continuing to communicate with their members during the COVID-19 lockdown using social media.
Broadcast on Beyond Belief on Clare FM on 26th April 2020
This weeks Podcast features Cathal Browne & Doireann Kinsella, students in U.L & Arlene O’ Sullivan & Sarah Fox, students in Mary I, together with students David Mc Inerney & Ciara O’ Connell from St. Joseph’s Secondary School, Tulla in conversation with Joanne O’ Brien & Fr Brendan Quinlivan about The Meitheal Youth Leadership Programme.
Fr Gerry Kenny interviews Joe Searson, a Diocesan Advisor on Religious Education, and Carmel Coughlan Principle the Principal of Kilmihil NS.
They discuss the provision of Religious Education in the local Catholic schools in the Diocese of Killaloe.
Broadcast on Clare FM Beyonds Belief on Sunday 19th January 2020
Bishop Fintan Monaghan, the Bishop of Killaloe, talks to Brendan O'Brien about Safeguarding and his recent visits to see refugees settling in Co Clare.
Broadcast on Clare FM Beyond Belief on Sunday 5th January 2020
On a recent visit to Ennis Fr Peter McVerry sat down and spoke to Brendan O'Brien about his childhood, his education and his campaigning for the homeless.
In this weeks podcast Brendan O'Brien talks to Norah Casey for Beyond Belief on Clare FM.
Norah may have a reputation for being a Dragon (the rarer female variety) from her appearences onm Dragons Den but as Brendan finds out she is much nicer in real life. You might also know her as a magazine publisher and in more recent years as a television presenter, radio broadcaster and author. But Norah is also a widow, a single mum, a former nurse and a passionate advocate for social change. She talks to Brendan about coping with grief, racial prejudice, homelessness, women’s rights and dying with dignity.
Stephen Fletcher tells Brendan O'Briens about some of the events happening in the Church of Ireland Parishes over Christmas.
Broadcast on Beyond Belief on Clare FM.
Fr Seamus Enright of the Limerick redeptorists talks to Brendan O'Brien about the Redemptorist Poor Campaign which is the social justice wing of their ministry and offers support to vulnerable families and individuals on a weekly basis. Fr Seamus talks about how they manage to provide thousands of food hampers to those most in need every Christmas and how individuals and companies can support this work.
Maeve Kilroy talks to Joanne O'Brien about the Celebration of New Life and Blessing of Expectant Parents event to be held in Ennis Cathedral on Wednesday 30th October at 8pm.
Broadcast on Clare FM Beyond Belief on Sunday 27th October 2019
After his Welcome Service as the new Rector of the Church of Ireland West Clare Parishes Revd Kevin O'Brien came into the Clare FM studios to talk to Stephen Fletcher about his new appointment and his connections with Ireland.
Originally broadcast on Clare FM Beyond Belief on Sunday 20th October 2019
The music has been reduced in this podcast for copyright reasons.
Following his appointment as the new Rector of the Church of Ireland parishes of West Clare Revd Kevin O'Brien talks to Stephen Fletcher on Beyond Belief.
This was originally broadcast on Clare FM Sunday 20th October 2019 on Beyond Belief.
The original music has been reduced on this podcast for copyright reasons.
This week Stephen Fletcher visits a new Christian community which was started in the 1980's in a turf shed in Kilrush by Mary Hamilton.
About 18 years ago they were given use of the former Methodist Chapel in Kilkee which is where the West Clare Christian Fellowship now meet.
Stephen met up with Mary Hamilton in Kilrush to hear the story of how she came to start her own church.
On Sunday 1st September Beyond Belief returned to the Clare FM schedule after its summer break with a conversation with Nigel Bridge from Clare Castle. Nigel is known throughout Co Clare and beyond as a pianist, organist, choirmaster and compare. He talks to Gerry Kenny and Stephen Fletcher about his early life and influences and chooses four pieces of music to accompany the converstrion.
Broadcast on Clare FM
Back from their trip to Taize, the pilgrims Fr Jerry Carey, Cllr Mark Nestor with Kirsten Szmidt and Doireann Kinsella talk about their experiences with Joanne O'Brien.
Broadcast on Beyond Belief on Clare FM on 28th July 2019
Fr Noel Hession the Prior of the Augustinian Community in Limerick talks to Stephen Fletcher about the Ostia initiative to provide Christian community living for universtity students in Limerick.
See more at www.ostia.ie
Stephen Fletcher talks to Peter Barley the Organist and Director of Music at St Mary's Anglican Cathedral in Limerick about a Concert being given in the Cathedral by the Choir of St Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin on 21st June at 7:30pm. Tickets are available from www.uch.ie or phone 061 331 549
Joanne O'Brien talks to Fr Albert McDonnell about the city of Rome and the recent Diocesan Pilgrimage there. Fr Albert is now the Co Parish Priest of the Radharc na nOiléan cluster consisting of four parishes: Ballynacally-Lissycasey, Coolmeen-Cranny, Kildysart and Kilmurry McMahon-Labasheeda.
Stephen Fletcher talks to Mary Hamilton the Pastor of the West Clare Christian Fellowship about their project to turn the former Lighthouse Keeper's house on Scattery Island into a centre for renewal, retreats and learning.
For information on Scattery Island see www.scatteryislandtours.com
Recorded 16APR19
Fr Brendan Quinlivan, Fr Gerry Kenny and Stephen Fletcher discuss Holy Week and review the Easter services in their churches.
Broadcast on Clare FM Beyond Belief on Sunday 14th April 2019
Fr Gerry Kenny welcomes Stephen Fletcher to the presenting team of Beyond Belief which is broadcast every Sunday evening on Clare FM between 9 - 10pm.
Joanne O'Brien talks to Stephen about his connections to Co Clare and his work with the Church of Ireland.