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Big News Coming Soon Podcast

Big News Coming Soon with Alan Clarke


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  • 8. 'The Suspicious Death of Liam Farrell" - Brendan & Bernie Farrell

    01:04:24||Season 8, Ep. 8
    'The Suspicious Death of Liam Farrell" - Brendan & Bernie FarrellThe Garda Commissioner is to appoint a senior officer to carry out a peer review of the garda investigation into the death of Liam Farrell.The 87-year-old who lived alone in Rooskey, Co Leitrim, was found by his daughter slumped on his back at the back door of his home on Sunday 13 January 2020.He was covered in blood, his shoes and socks were removed, his watch was broken and he had bruising to his left eye and his feet.Resuscitation efforts were not successful and the family believe he may have been attacked.Gardaí said they carried out a full investigation into the circumstances of Mr Farrell's death and that an investigation file was submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions, but no prosecution was directed.Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said the peer review is being carried out "with an investigative view in mind".He said a fresh investigation was "not practically possible" and that gardaí "can't start again at day one".I spoke with Brendan & Bernie Farrell who say their only focus is to get justice for Liam. They said if it happened to anyone else, Liam would not stop, so they won't stop until they get answers. If you have any information please call the Garda Confidential Line: 1800 666 111

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  • 7. Paddy Cunningham "The Skinny Jab"

    02:04:55||Season 8, Ep. 7
    This weeks podcast is Paddy Cunningham's account of using the weight loss drug Munjaro. It goes without saying but I’ll say it anyway, please consult with your GP & Pharmacist if you're considering taking a weight loss drug and PLEASE do your own extensive research.Do not buy counterfeit versions of these medicines online or from other unregulated sources, as they may be falsified, counterfeit, contaminated, improperly stored and transported and this poses a significant risk to the health of those who used them.Paddy is a qualified PT and has struggled with weight loss his entire life. He has even competed on the reality TV Show “The Biggest Loser UK” to try and get his weight under control but that also failed.This is a very venerable and honest conversation and I thank Paddy for being brave enough to share his entire life with me today.

  • 6. Geraldine Lavelle - "When the apple is ready it will fall"

    01:24:25||Season 8, Ep. 6
    This weeks guest is another amazing and inspiring person. Geraldine Lavelle’s life changed “in a heartbeat”. That was in October 2013 when she was left paralysed from the chest down following a collision with a lorry.The Mayo native had become accustomed to enjoying an early-morning cycle before work, until the accident cycling on the Longford-Mullingar road changed life for the then 27-year-old. The collision left Geraldine, a graduate of NUI Galway where she gained a first-class master's degree in neuroscience, with life changing injuries.Since then, Geraldine has spent over ten years in an institution and has been become a very well known and highly respected disability rights campaigner. Her victory eventually came to pass recently when the HSE finally provided her with the 56 hours a week of care support she needs to live independently in a specially-adapted home of her own, like any other 30 something-year-old. Geraldine Lavelle is an amazing woman, an author, writer, advocate and resilience speaker.

  • 5. Frank Forde "Isn't it a privilege to feel good about yourself"

    01:24:20||Season 8, Ep. 5
    Frank Forde and I would cross paths at various gigs and I've had the pleasure of sitting down with him for a chat backstage in Green Rooms around the Country. I've always found him warm, engaging and knowledgeable without being condescending or sounding like a know it all. A man who always had time for a chat with no ulterior motive, and that's rare these days. Frank has been a comedian and impressionist for decades and I find it fascinating that he has had such a fantastic career without the help of a fancy website, social media pages or a "hot-shot" manager. I was honored to sit with Frank in his beautiful home and chat about life in general. We touched on many different topics and I really admire his outlook on life. Frank is a man I could talk to for hours and hopefully we will have him back on the podcast before too long. This is a real easy listening podcast and I hope you enjoy it.

  • 4. Hayley Coleman "Just be sound"

    01:18:41||Season 8, Ep. 4
    LISTENER DISCRETION IS ADVISED. Some people may find this podcast difficult to listen to.This week I sit down with the talented Hayley Coleman, a wedding make up artist based in the west of Ireland. Hayley's honesty and bravery completely blew me away and this episode is going to help so many people. We talk about Hayley's journey to becoming a successful Wedding MUA but we also talk about some very difficult topics. Hayley was in a serious car accident in 2002 and she shares her story of recovery both mentally and physically, she also talks about the PTSD from the accident and living with survivors guilt. More recently Hayley and her husband are dealing with grief after a miscarriage just before Christmas. Hayley didn't want to share the news on her social media page at the time for fear people would assume she was looking for attention, but today she bravely tells her story in the hope it will remove the stigma around miscarriages and help people to open up more about it. Never looking to be the center of attention, Hayley is one of the bravest and most inspiring people I've spoken to. It was a honor to host her and I really appreciate Hayley sharing this difficult story with us all.

  • 3. Stephen Cowboy Kelly - "Creamers & Catfishes"

    01:40:11||Season 8, Ep. 3
    Stephen Cowboy Kelly dropped in this week for a catch up. Another honest and refreshing chat about the reality of social media. Stephen discusses his emotions after his latest fundraising efforts, plans for a worldwide tour and a hilarious first date gone wrong story. Please donate to Stephens "5 Marathons in 5 Days" with 100% of the funds going to Cancer Fund For Children & Daisy Lodge Conghttps://www.idonate.ie/fundraiser/3BucksLeft15

  • 2. Liam Glynn "Knowing is half the battle"

    01:07:58||Season 8, Ep. 2
    Gambling and drinking are rampant in Irish culture and could have a negative impact on the nation as a whole.That's according to a recovering gambling addict and alcoholic, Westmeath's Liam Glynn, who is about to celebrate is second year in recovery. He shares an honest story about developing a gambling problem while working in a bookies. Liam tells of how he tried to mask his addiction and hide it from loved ones, and even crashing his car failed to make him realise he actually had a problem.