Barbara is a quintessential Irish Mammy in all the best ways. I was greeted at her door in Dublin 7 with a big smile, a warm hug and offers of tea, coffee and biscuits (she’d even remembered I was vegan). She has a story that’s been echoed across Ireland for centuries, and one we’ll no doubt hear a lot of in this series. Her children have grown and flown the nest, landing in far away lands like Australia in search of better opportunities (and better weather).

When faced with an abundance of free time on her hands and as a means to stave off any loneliness in the now quiet house, Barbara picked up portraiture.

She kindly shows me around her home studio (which was her daughter's make-up business before she emigrated) and treats me to some of her stunning photos.

Barbara is insightful, compassionate and honest, all of which is reflected back from her imagery. She spends her time mostly photographing elderly people (her Mam included) and the local men’s shed, stressing the importance of connection within the community. - Ruth

Sin Scéal Eile - That's Another Story was hosted and created by Ruth Medjber, with sound by Ronan Lally. The podcast is produced by Dee Reddy at Poddle Audio with original music by Elaine Mai.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I met Charlie in the Big Romance on Parnell Street where he plays live jazz every Sunday. Our conversation was not what I was expecting. I ended up learning so much about him through his stories about his career as a music teacher in a prison. A job that you no doubt would need an awful lot of empathy, compassion and resilience for, not to mention a sense of humour. It seems like there were some guiding forces at work, ensuring he found the perfect role at just the right time. Ruth

Sin Scéal Eile - That's Another Story was hosted and created by Ruth Medjber, with sound by Ronan Lally. The podcast is produced by Dee Reddy at Poddle Audio with original music by Elaine Mai.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I met Marie almost by chance. I was interviewing her lovely daughter Barbara who mentioned that her 91 year old mother Marie grew up down the road from my family in Marino. Chatting with Marie is like having the opportunity to go back in time and listen to my own Dublin Nana chatting about her life. We hear about her youth and meeting the love of her life, Lauri Grennell. - Ruth

Sin Scéal Eile - That's Another Story was hosted and created by Ruth Medjber, with sound by Ronan Lally. The podcast is produced by Dee Reddy at Poddle Audio with original music by Elaine Mai.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, myself and Sean Smyth walk through the Botanic Gardens in Dublin. We chat about his late husband, Conor Biddle. Conor was a prolific lighting designer, world renowned and highly accomplished. Conor was my pal, we came up the ranks of the Irish music scene together and he’s dearly missed by so many. I’m honoured that Sean would share their beautiful story with me today. - Ruth

Sin Scéal Eile - That's Another Story was hosted and created by Ruth Medjber, with sound by Ronan Lally. The podcast is produced by Dee Reddy at Poddle Audio with original music by Elaine Mai.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.