Armagh I Podcast

How Harvard-educated Ric Dyer went from fighting HIV pandemic to distilling gin in Benburb

It's been a road well-travelled for one local gin distiller who has enjoyed a remarkable career; one which once had him at the forefront of the battle against the HIV pandemic. 
Nowadays, you can find Ric Dyer distilling his beautifully crafted gin in a lab in Benburb.
It's been an unconventional route for Ric, but his Symphonia Gin is fast becoming a household name in a saturated gin market; his story, like his liqueur, is a unique one.

Chernobyl Aid Newry needs help for Belarus more than ever

The casualties of war are often unseen and that’s never been more apparent than in poverty-stricken Belarus.
The country, tied up with Putin’s Russia, is ruled by dictator Alexander Lukashenko and its poorest and most vulnerable citizens are locked away in abysmal conditions in institutions and orphanages out of sight hidden in forests throughout the country.
Belarus was the country most affected by the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster and the fallout continues, as the  children –  who never grew old, watched their children suffer on with illness, disability and poverty.
Chernobyl Aid Newry was founded in 1997 to support the  neglected children and families of Belarus.
Jacinta Curran was a pharmacist when she happened upon the charity when one of its founders came in for supplies to take to Belarus. Her medical knowledge was requested and she joined Chernobyl Aid Newry in 2001. They work tirelessly helping the Institutions, orphanages and asylums, providing them with whatever they require.
Before Covid the charity travelled bi-annually to Belarus with medical and food  supplies, clothing, money and they even built a half-way house – in poignant circumstances -  for a group of men who had been institutionalised since birth.
While all of our focus is naturally on the Ukrainian people right now, things have gotten even worse for the poor in Belarus. Any meagre amount of funding these state-run institutions receive will now go to the military for Lukashenko’s support for Putin.
For this week’s podcast Jacinta tells Armagh I just what it’s like in the forests of Belarus and all of the work that Chernobyl Aid Newry does to alleviate the suffering.
The stories are harrowing but the urgency and genuine distress and love Jacinta feels for these people is palpable when you listen to her speak.
 

TaeKwon-Do Master Cathal Fegan teaches girls bigger isn’t better

Half-way up Chequer Hill in Newry sits an unassuming building that around six years ago was just a shell. Since then the space has been transformed into the hub of one of the most successful martial arts clubs in the country, with Northern Irelands TaeKwon-Do Master, Cathal Fegan at the helm.
His Dojang training Centre is the epicentre of clubs the fourth Dan Black belt runs – from Dundalk to Silverbridge - with around 200 students of all ages.
Cathal has been involved in martial arts since he was five years old and it didn’t take him long to discover that TaeKwon-Do was the discipline for him.
The walls of the Newry club are covered in pictures of founders, masters and inspirational leaders, alongside words of wisdom in Korean – the country where Tae Kwon Do was born.
The Silverbridge man is passionate about spreading his knowledge throughout the community. He found his own way of giving back during the first lockdown by teaching classes to NHS workers and teachers to help with their mental health.
Cathal is the current  world and 10-time All-Ireland Champion, and although it took him 10 years, he finally convinced the council to set up free introductory self-defence classes for girls on the back of  Ashling Murphy’s tragic murder.
Spirituality and building a more peaceful world is at the heart of martial arts. It’s about technique and skill rather than physical size.
For this week’s podcast, Cathal tells Armagh I all about the origins of Tae Kwon-Do, it’s place in our society, the success of his club and his students and how he hopes to expand the sport and spread the word.

Kieran Quinn of Playr-fit – the Co Armagh sporting goods brand making waves in the market

For this week's podcast, I spoke with Culloville's Kieran Quinn of Co Armagh sporting goods brand 'Playr-Fit'.
Kieran, alongside his business partner and friend Steven Burns, from Lurgan, started the brand having worked together for a number of years prior to the launch. It was a punt; a leap of faith that, despite Covid, has produced some serious results since. 
A pandemic and an exiling of spectator sport did not stop the in their tracks; in fact, they grew bigger and stronger, against the odds.
By chance, the pair brought in Monaghan GAA goalkeeper Rory Beggan, when they weren't planning on hiring...that was the catalyst for further growth. Three years later and a 15-strong team later, there are big plans in the pipeline..
 
Title music by NEW HORIZONS by Lesion X | https://soundcloud.com/lesionxbeatsMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.comCreative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licensehttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US

The world according to Zeke goes viral on TikTok

There’s something magical about discovering the world through the eyes of a child, but capturing that essence is rare.
Take two videographers, their adorable two-year-old son, a mic and the video-sharing platform TikTok though, and it’s a different story.
Dan and Hannah Gillespie wondered what ‘chatterbox’ Zeke was saying when out of earshot as he explored the park on family days out, so, while out and about on a holiday, they stuck a mic on him and listened.
Zeke’s musings were so sweet, his parents decided to share some of those moments with the world, so they posted a video of Zeke at play on TikTok around four months ago and the clip went viral.
Since then, the Gillespie family videos have amassed over 7000 followers and over a million hits. As videographers the quality of Dan and Hannah’s content reflects that, with beautifully produced videos that their followers can’t get enough of. Add five-month-old baby sister Eden and their dog Buddy, who has yet to feature, and you have the Gillespies...
 

Alex Clifford and Aaron McNeill of getactiveabc on FREE borough-wide programmes

Spring is around the corner, the restrictions have lifted and there’s a sense of optimism in the air.
The outdoors beckons and there have never been more opportunities to get moving and start leading a more active life.
And it’s not exclusive to the young and healthy either.
For this week’s podcast Armagh I was back in South Lake Leisure centre speaking to Alex Clifford and Aaron McNeill about the ABC council’s MUGAS (Multi Use Games  Areas) FREE programmes available across the Borough.
The community based grassroots project takes an informal approach to getting people active but it’s a whole lot more than that.
Alex is the council’s Community Sport Development Officer and he explains how MUGAS work and how kids can make use of them in any way they choose, be it for basketball, football, tennis or any activity they feel in the mood for.
There are also free coaching programmes in open spaces, community centres, community halls and leisure facilities that include activities such as street soccer, and even a gaming bus to keep those less interested in sport engaged.
Aaron is the council’s Multi Sports Coach who tells us about the programmes he’s involved in such as girls football, coach to 5k, disability programmes and walking football where you can simply come along and join in.
While walking football might sound counterintuitive, it’s anything but, as Aaron explains.
And the community-based project not only serves to get people active, young people who come through the programmes can then get involved in coaching which can be added to a CV or university application and even lead to a career.
More information can be found at Community Engagement (MUGAS) www.getactiveabc.com
 

Armagh City Men’s Shed - doorway to a whole new world

Retirement or redundancy can be a lonely place for men, but in 2011 Stiofan McCleirigh got involved in a movement that would change his and many other lives in for the better.
The Men's Shed movement began in Australia and it arrived in Ireland in 2009 with the first shed set up in Tipperary. When Stiofan got wind of the concept he excitedly set the wheels in motion to bring one to Armagh.
He got the funding in place, found a premises on English Street and began knocking on doors to recruit members.
It worked, as Stiofan and fellow Shedder Dessie can attest to, with around 34 members at present enjoying everything the shed has to offer - from woodwork to projects, workshops, and even a choir that performed for Irish President Michael D Higgins, who became patron to the Irish Men's Shed Association in 2013.
The grassroots community-based, non-commercial organisation is a lifeline for men who just need a place to call their own, where they can learn new skills and make friends in an environment that isn't the pub or the bookies.
There are over 400 sheds registered with the Irish Men's Shed Association and at least 12,000 men visiting a shed every week.
Some of those sheds have been inspired by the work that goes on in the Armagh City Men's Shed, as Stiofan and Dessie explain... 
 

Fun and Games with Football For All

Sometimes when a new concept or innovation is brought to life, you wonder why it hasn't always existed.
Football For All is one of those things that really should be far more widespread than it is. The concept that 'every child wants to be part of a team' has become the motto for Warrenpoint GAA's newest Football For All team, which celebrates children with special needs and allows them to participate in games and training with their very own team.
Decky and Helen Carville's 12-year-old son Michael has special needs. The family are all members of St Peter's GAA Club in Warrenpoint, but over the years it became increasingly difficult for Michael to participate, on an equal footing, with his teammates. That was when Decky and Helen put their heads together and came across Football For All, which a scattering of clubs nationwide had introduced.
There was, and still is, nothing like this for children with special needs in Armagh or Down, but since the couple brought the idea to their chairman and the club welcomed it warmly, Football For All has taken off in Warrenpoint.
The children train and even play matches, alongside their peers, every Sunday morning and the joy it brings to them, their families and the volunteers who help out is palpable when Decky and Helen talk about their experiences since they started the programme last July.
Helen and Decky spoke to Armagh I for this week's podcast about how Football For All came about in Warrenpoint and their hopes to expand across Northern Ireland and with that maybe set up a small league.
MLA Justin McNulty is a big fan and Ulster GAA have taken an interest too. Everyone from anywhere is welcome to join in. The more the merrier.