The Mixed Bag Podcast: Recent Episodes
Niall Hannigan
This show really is a mixed bag as I'll be chatting with a variety of interesting guests that have a story to tell, discussing anything from entrepreneurship to sport, music to current affairs and everything in between! Listen in to the newest Irish podcast!
Extremely honest conversation with Founder and CEO of Breakthrough Maths! Get the inside scoop on life as an entrepreneur, where the passion stems from, overcoming challenges and blocking out the bullshit. Check out this fast paced episode to hear from a young driven Irish business man
Brilliant episode with Peter Wood, delving into the origins of his podcast, navigating the social media algorithm and his plans for the future for the platform. Was great to get an insight into his thoughts and ideas as a fellow host and how we could compare experiences! You won’t wan to miss it!
Liam has had a whirlwind 2 years from playing and studying at UCD to taking a leap of faith in progressing his footballing career in Como, Italy. We discuss how he has adapted to the style of play, culture and of course the weather in comparison to the north west of Ireland. Great insight into the journey to becoming professional, facing long term injuries, scoring on your debut and how he has dealt with the rollercoaster of emotions! He is also now best friends with World Cup winner, Cesc Fabregas!! Really enjoyed this one - so tune in!
Adam Leavy is a man of many talents, from gracing the field of play as a Rugby 7s Irish Olympian to being one of the founders alongside his brother, Dan Leavy, their father and a close family friend, of a new business, Ogham Whiskey. It was a pleasure to have him on the podcast! There was plenty to unpack in this one, speaking of his time in the Connaught academy, balancing this with two university degrees, getting involved with the Irish setup and Olympic qualification. We discover the origins of Ogham Whiskey, the ups and downs of the journey and the fine details that make this product so unique!
Really enjoyed this conversation and looking forward to seeing Adam and Ogham Whiskey go from strength to strength in the future.
Delighted to welcome Thomas Arnold on the podcast this week! This had been in the pipeline for nearly 2 years so we finally got the chance to sit down and get it recorded! We spoke about his company Fearless Media, his YouTube channel, where the entrepreneurial spirit came from and his goals for the future both personal and in business.
Thomas is a great role model and any chance you get to listen to him should be taken! Hope you enjoy this one!
Agus muid i mbun seachtain na Gaeilge, ní raibh am níos fear ann, chun an chéad eagrain as Gaeilge a dhéanamh de mo phodchraoladh ‘The Mixed Bag'.
Bhí me ag iarraidh seo a dhéanamh ar feadh tamaill agus is mór an onóir é a
dhéanamh le
Hugh Carr (cé go bhfuil blas níos fear aige)
Labhair muid faoi na deiseanna a chugann an Ghaeilge duit, tionchar Paul Mescal le déanaí agus an tabhacht í a choinneáil beo! Roinn Hugh linn, spriochanna s’aige sa todchaí agus go leor scéaltaí grannmhar ag rith tríd an phodchraoladh ar fad!
As we are in the Seachtain na Gaeilge, there was no better time to do an episode of my podcast 'The Mixed Bag' in Irish. I've been wanting to do this for a while and it's a great honor to do it with Hugh Carr (although he has better Irish than me).
We discussed the opportunities that the Irish language has given him, Paul Mescal's recent influence and the importance of keeping it alive! Hugh shared with us, his goals for the future and lots of funny stories throughout the whole podcast!
From playing down under in the AFL, lining out for Sligo GAA and setting up his own business alongside his day job, I had a lot to discuss with my guest Luke Towey. We chatted about his journey of being scouted for the AFL and his experiences working in a professional high performance environment. Luke's entrepreneurial spirit is on show in this episode as he speaks about his desire to have his own business, hence setting up Sabhna Saunas. He speaks of his goals for the future on the field of play and in the business world, while also sharing some important messages and key takeaways that are relevant for everyone throughout the episode.
On this weeks episode I was delighted to be joined by Stranorlar man, Darren Devaney, who is the Lead Performance Psychologist at Ulster Rugby! After reading the interview he did for the Donegal News back in July 2021 I was keen to get Darren on the pod to discuss everything from his early golfing days competing against Graeme McDowell and sharing the course with one Rory McIlroy to becoming Lead Psychologist for the Arsenal academy. We discuss the topic of psychology and its growth over the years, we gain insights into working with these high performance athletes and how stays sharp in his craft!
This chat was extremely insightful as we get a look behind the curtain of psychology in professional sports!
Tune in!
On this weeks episode we have professional Fifa player Cormac "Doolsta" Dooley, who is currently signed with New York Redbulls on the podcast. We met back in 2017 at the GAA Continental Youth Championships in New York and I just had to have him on! Hailing from Galway, Cormac moved to the States when he was 16 where he honed his skills to become a professional player.
On this episode we get an insight into the world of E-Sports and how he was introduced to the industry. We hear about how he balances playing Fifa professionally, studying at university and playing college soccer. He tells some stories of some of the players he has met throughout his journey (Rooney, Kaka, Ibrahimovic etc.) as well as how many controllers he has broken over the years.
He speaks of the psychology behind the game, how it is 95% mental and why finding the balance between training and playing is paramount.
Even if gaming or sports isn't your thing, there is something to take out of it for everyone! Tune in now!
On the return of the podcast, I was joined by the Founders and Directors of X-Lite Beverages, Oliver Feeney & Patrick Joyce!
After recently being featured in Ireland’s 30 under 30 we discussed the entrepreneurs’ journey from the classrooms of Trinity College Dublin to being the owners of one of Ireland’s most exciting alcoholic beverages on the market!
We discussed the lessons they have learned along the way, their first sale and how help from mentors was key for their development!
The Mayo men reminisce on their boozy stories of filling cans for the first time, share the magic behind their ‘Champions League’ format when choosing flavours and what their plans are for the future!
Tune in to find out more about one of Ireland’s top, up and coming companies! You won’t want to miss 💯
https://www.xlitesocial.com/shop
This week I was joined by the talented Irish international surfer, Ayesha Garvey!
Despite being from Tyrone, she holds Donegal close to her heart! 🙌🏼 😅
We spoke about how she got into the sport in the first place, her experience competing in various water sports over the years!
Being a fully qualified physio, working full time as well as balancing this with her surfing, it was great to get an insight into her schedule and what motivates her!
She speaks about some of her stories during competition and the opportunity she has had to travel because of the sport!
Make sure to tune in for a laugh 🏄🏻♀️🌊
The podcast is back and this week I’m joined by Killybegs man Evan Broderick!
We discuss his journey to starting his own personal training business! Having worked in recruitment for a year he realised he needed to follow his passion for helping people achieve their own personal fitness goals!
After overcoming his own injures he started the company back in January and has gone from strength to strength since!
Now living and working in Spain for the summer we chat about his experiences to date and his goals for the future!
On this weeks episode I had a great chat with Caraigh, a sports nutritionist!
We discussed the power of social media in today’s world and how this can effect people’s nutrition and outlook on healthy eating, changing to a vegetarian diet and making sure to enjoy food!
We chat about the improvements in the aspect of nutrition in all sport, her own experiences playing GAA for Donegal and how the funding and support for women’s sport has improved over recent years!
We also talk about her Instagram page that she set up @nutrition_lecaraigh , life in Liverpool and her experience working at England Rugby and nutrition X!
On this weeks episode I have the brilliant Ben Harkin on the podcast!
As the author of his book ‘Time nor tide: Ireland & Climate Change’ - we speak about some interesting issues that are arising in the world and how we can take action!
This is not your classic climate change interview as we have a candid chat about wider issues throughout the podcast!
Great listen and engaging pod!
On this weeks episode I have the brilliantly talented Conor and Micheal Murray from Falcarragh! The jazz players have an album coming out next month ‘Murray’s Law’ and this podcast gives an insight into their story and love for music! Some clips from their new song “Star Eyes” is included throughout the recording!
We discuss the early days of playing music their experiences in Scotland and the challenges of recording your own album!
They look to share their love for jazz across Donegal and Ireland and to play all around the world!
On this weeks episode I have former Donegal footballer and owner of O'Reilly Sports, Martin O'Reilly on the podcast!
The first half of the podcast we discuss his footballing career and his journey from underage Donegal football to winning an All Ireland! We talk about the ups and downs of inter county football as well as getting an insight into Jim McGuinness and his methods.
The second half of the podcast focusses on Marty's business with his brother Stephen and how it all came about. He speaks of the challenges of starting your own company, some stories around sourcing products and gives some advice to young entrepreneurs out there!
If you love GAA, business and a bit of a laugh this is the one for you!
The podcast is going international this week as we venture to Eglinton in Derry where I sat down with fellow Queens student and young entrepreneur Graham Curry!
We discuss his business start up ‘Handicaddie’ and its aim of revolutionising the caddying industry in golf!
“An Uber for golf caddies”
We chat about his own experiences in the sport, how the idea first came about and how he has developed it over the last year or so!
He speaks about some of the competitions he has entered, the highs and lows of starting a business and his goals for the future of the company!
Tune in for a really enjoyable episode and a bit of a laugh!
On this weeks episode, I sat down with the Astro JJ man, Caolan Irwin, to chat about his career on the bike!
We chat about how he first got into the sport, his first experiences at Red Bull events and the Gucci handbag lifestyle!
We discuss the challenge of building relationships with teammates, the mental side of the sport and his biggest career achievements 🥇
Tune in for a laugh - You won’t want to miss it 🙌🏼🔥
On this weeks episode, I sat down with young entrepreneur Conor, the founder of Masaalon!
We chat about his experience in America and his encounter with a US President! We discuss the current and future outlook of Tourism in Ireland particularly in Donegal and how the food industry may change over the next few years!
With his family working in the hospitality industry, he speaks about some of the highs and lows when starting up his own business during the pandemic!
If your looking for a laugh and some insight into business this is the episode for you!
On this weeks episode, I had a catch-up with Sam to see how he is getting on working over in Boston for DraftKings!
We chat about our school memories, the American school trip to St Louis in TY and how that motivated and inspired him to apply to college in the US!
He speaks about the application process, his experiences in American college and his goals for the future!
If your looking for and insightful conversation a bit of a laugh this is the episode for you!
On this weeks episode, I sat down with Ciara to discuss how she has balanced academics and elite level sport her whole life! We chat about her early sporting memories with Ballyraine, her experiences with the Irish underage and senior teams, some stories from her time studying Medicine at UCD (including a famous rower) and how she found her way back to Donegal GAA!
We touch on the developments in the women's game and how the 20x20 campaign is playing a huge role in this. Currently lecturing at the RCSI, while playing football for Shelbourne FC, Ciara is still on a hectic schedule!
It is fair to say that Ciara is a pioneer in women's sport and a role model for all men and women!
If your looking for some motivation and a bit of a laugh this is the episode for you!
On this weeks episode I sat down with the man behind Bambi & Bean, Matthew Johnston!
We have chat about his athletics days and how his passion for coffee grew from there! 🏅
He talks about how the business came about, some of the interesting characters he has met from the truck and why he now believes in ‘healers’! 👀
We also spoke about his enjoyment of selecting coffee from all around the world and the dive into the fair trade debate! ☕️
Tune in for a laugh! 👌🏽
On this weeks episode I sat down with our very own future superstar Oisin Nee!
Hear all about his experiences with his American label ‘EP Entertainment’ and how he found recording in the studio in LA! We talk about the art of songwriting, his inspirations and idols in the music industry and his goals for the future 🎤🇺🇸
Listen in to Oisin’s first podcast of many! You won’t want to miss it! 🎙🚨
On this weeks episode I sat down with the Letterkenny sisters (Anna, Lisa & Molly) behind Mask.Your.Face. Coming from an American background growing up with both their parents owning businesses, starting a company is something you would expect! However, with none of the sisters currently following a business career path in college, we discuss their motivation for starting the venture! Tune in to find out more about the passion they have for the product, hear about some of the media coverage they have received, what it's like working together as sisters and how the whole experience has helped their personal development! You won't want to miss it!
On this weeks episode I sat down with Adam Byrne, the man behind AB Perform. We reminisce on the old football days and how a serious injury changed his focus and direction in life. He dives into his motivations for starting the business and the goals he has for himself, the company and his personal brand! It's safe to say that he has diverted his drive and passion from football into his business and if your looking for a bit of motivation in a podcast, this is the one for you!
What a guest for the first episode! I sat down with the legend Wallace Tavares, the man behind Freshq Vintage, to chat about his experiences abroad, passion for fashion and his message of spreading positivity through his business. We discuss the challenges he has faced and how he has come out the other side! He lays out his plans and goals for the future, including taking over the Irish Vintage scene! You won't want to miss it!
Introducing 'The Mixed Bag Podcast', where I'll be chatting with a range of interesting guests from the world of sport, music, business and everything in between. Stay tuned for more episodes