Ready To Be Real by Síle Seoige

Topics covered: Online safety, childhood, parenting, smartphones, social media, gaming, Roblox, algorithms, manipulation, digital autonomy, grooming, sextortion, exploitation, CSAM, pornography, harmful content, suicide, sharenting, digital literacy, boundaries, notifications, screen time, peer pressure, parental responsibility, online reporting.CONTENT WARNING: This episode includes discussions of child sexual abuse material, sexual exploitation, grooming, sextortion, pornography, suicide and other disturbing subjects. It is intended for adult listeners and is not suitable for children.My guest in this episode is Mick Moran, CEO of Hotline.ie, Ireland's national reporting centre for suspected illegal online content, particularly child sexual abuse material (CSAM).He spent 34 years in An Garda Síochána before joining Hotline.ie.Recorded during the summer of 2026, this is a frank and, at times, deeply unsettling conversation about the online world we're living in and what it means for our children.A significant part of our conversation focuses on parenting. When should children get their first smartphone? Are we putting them at a disadvantage by delaying access? How can we prepare them for what they might encounter online before they ever have a device of their own?This isn't about judging parents or pretending there are easy answers. As a mother of two young children, I'm very aware that many of these decisions are ahead of me too.Resources and supportHotline.ie - Irish Internet HotlineIreland's national reporting centre where members of the public can securely, anonymously and confidentially report suspected illegal online content, especially child sexual abuse material.https://hotline.ieCyberSafeKidsAn Irish charity providing research, education and practical online safety resources for children, parents and schools.https://www.cybersafekids.ieSmartphone Free Childhood IrelandA parent-led movement supporting families and school communities who want to delay children's access to smartphones and social media.https://smartphonefree.ieWebwiseIreland's online safety awareness centre, offering information and educational resources on social media, gaming, cyberbullying, privacy and digital wellbeing.https://www.webwise.ieISPCC / ChildlineConfidential support for children and young people, including those affected by harmful online experiences.https://www.ispcc.iehttps://www.childline.ieChildline: 1800 66 66 66 (24-hour support).National Parents CouncilAdvice, education and support for parents, including guidance on children's online safety and wellbeing.https://www.npc.ieIrish Safer Internet CentreHotline.ie is a member of the Irish Safer Internet Centre alongside Webwise, ISPCC Childline and the National Parents Council. Together, these organisations provide reporting services, education, guidance and support to help children and families navigate the internet more safely.https://hotline.ie/safer-internet-centre/The 4 Cs of online riskMick refers to the CO:RE 4 Cs framework, which identifies four broad categories of online risk to children:Content - Exposure to potentially harmful or inappropriate online material.Contact - Harmful interactions with others online, including grooming and unwanted contact.Conduct - Harmful online behaviour involving children, including cyberbullying, harassment and harmful peer interactions.Contract - Commercial and transactional risks, including scams, fraud, data exploitation and manipulative marketing.Books mentioned :The Anxious Generation - Jonathan HaidtExplores the impact of smartphones, social media and changes in childhood on young people's mental health and development.The Amazing Generation - Jonathan Haidt and Catherine PriceA companion book aimed at children aged approximately 9-12, encouraging healthier relationships with technology and more freedom, connection and adventure in the real world.

In this week's Real Take, Majella O'Donnell shares her personal experience of the ten weeks she spent as an inpatient in St John of God Hospital in 2024, when she became seriously unwell with depression.She speaks about the fear and vulnerability she experienced, and she also discusses medication, treatment and the practical tools she learned during her time in hospital, including recognising anxiety, understanding her body's fight-or-flight response and finding ways to support herself.This is just one part of a much wider conversation. In the full episode....Majella O'Donnell: Completely Herself, we also explore her childhood, her first marriage, motherhood, meeting Daniel and their life together, and how she continues to manage her mental health today.Support and resourcesIf you're struggling with your mental health, please reach out. You don't have to face it alone. Your GP is a good place to start, and the following organisations offer support in Ireland.AwareSupport and information for people experiencing depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder, and for their loved ones.Freephone: 1800 80 48 48Available daily, 10am–10pmwww.aware.ieSamaritansConfidential, non-judgemental emotional support, available 24 hours a day.Freephone: 116 123www.samaritans.ieText About ItFree, confidential text support, available 24/7.Text HELLO to 50808www.textaboutit.iePietaSupport for people experiencing suicidal thoughts or self-harm, and those affected by suicide.24-hour crisis helpline: 1800 247 247Text HELP to 51444 (standard message rates apply)www.pieta.ieHSE Mental Health ServicesInformation about mental health difficulties, treatment options and accessing support.www2.hse.ie/mental-health/If you need urgent help :Contact your GP or out-of-hours GP service. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 112 or 999 or attend your nearest Emergency Department.A note about medication and treatment :Majella shares her own experience of psychiatric care, including changes to medication during her hospital stay. This conversation reflects her personal experience and is not intended as medical advice. Please speak to your GP or treating clinician before making any changes to prescribed medication.

Topics covered: Childhood, family, fear and safety, motherhood, relationships, depression, psychiatric care, medication, ADHD, breast cancer, ​mental health​, identity​, vulnerability, recovery, love, marriage and life with Daniel.My guest in this episode is mental health advocate and TV personality Majella O’Donnell, in what is her very first podcast conversation.Majella is a mother of two and grandmother of four, and she has been married to singer Daniel O’Donnell for almost 24 years.In this conversation, Majella speaks with extraordinary honesty about her life and, in particular, her experience of living with depression.She reflects on her childhood and ​in particular her relationship with her father, describing an upbringing in which she lived with fear and, as she now understands it, in an almost constant state of fight or flight.We talk about motherhood and the times she struggled, relationships, her cancer diagnosis, and the love, humour and independence at the heart of her marriage to Daniel.At the centre of our conversation is the severe depression Majella experienced and the ten weeks she spent as an inpatient in St John of God Hospital​ in 2024.She describes what it felt like when depression took away her ability to function and make even the simplest decisions and what led her to seek professional help.Majella also speaks openly about medication and the process, under medical care, of changing treatment and eventually finding a combination that worked for her.One of the striking things about her experience is that depression didn't only appear when life was difficult. She talks about becoming unwell at a time when she was happy, loved and grateful for the life she had​...a powerful reminder that mental illness doesn't always have an obvious explanation.Today, Majella is in a much better place. She has a greater understanding of herself and what she needs to protect her mental health, and she is using her own experience to encourage more honest conversations about depression.This is a deeply personal conversation about childhood, fear, love, illness, identity, getting help and finding your way back to yourself.And above all, it's Majella​...completely herself.A note on this episode​ :Majella discusses her personal experience of antidepressant medication. This is one person's lived experience and should not be taken as medical advice. If you have questions or concerns about your own medication or treatment, please speak to your GP, psychiatrist or another appropriately qualified healthcare professional. Do not stop or change prescribed medication without medical guidance.Support and resources​ :If anything discussed in this episode affects you, support is available.Samaritans IrelandFreephone 116 123, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.Email: jo@samaritans.ieConfidential, non-judgemental emotional support for anyone who is struggling to cope.Text About ItFree-text HELLO to 50808, 24 hours a day.A free, anonymous text service for anyone experiencing a mental health or emotional crisis.PietaFreephone 1800 247 247, 24 hours a day.Text HELP to 51444. Standard message rates may apply.Support for people experiencing suicidal thoughts or self-harm, and for those bereaved by suicide.AwareFreephone 1800 80 48 48, seven days a week, 10am-10pm.Information and support for people experiencing depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and other mood-related difficulties, as well as family and friends.HSE ​- Your Mental HealthFor information on mental health services and supports in Ireland, contact the Your Mental Health information line on 1800 111 888 or speak to your GP.If you or someone else is in immediate danger or needs emergency medical assistance, call 112 or 999 or go to your nearest Emergency Department.Please reach out. You don't have to struggle alone.

In this short extract from my conversation with eco-builder and author Harrison Gardner, he talks about the systems we rely on every day, why convenience so often wins, and the value of having a backup when the systems we take for granted, don't work as expected. The full conversation,​ Harrison Gardner: How Prepared Are You?, is available now wherever you get your podcasts.

Topics covered : Housing, shelter, self-building, self-sufficiency, security, agency, sustainability, consumerism, capitalism, convenience, our reliance on systems, power cuts, extreme weather, energy, practical skills, DIY, community, climate change, preparedness​ and taking back control.Harrison Gardner is an eco-builder, author and broadcaster who lives in Co. Clare with his wife Erin and their two daughters, Inari (6) and Islita (3).Having spent more than 15 years designing and building conventional, sustainable and off-grid homes around the world, Harrison's work now centre​s on helping people develop the skills and confidence to become more capable and self-sufficient.He is the co-founder of Common Knowledge, a non-profit social enterprise based in the Burren that teaches practical skills for sustainable living, from building and DIY to growing food, making furniture and mending clothes.His latest book, ​Heat, Shelter, Water, Food: How to Be Ready for the Unexpected, looks at the basic systems we rely on every day and asks a simple but increasingly important question: what happens when those systems stop working?From storms and power cuts to food and water security, this conversation is ultimately about knowledge, skills and agency, and why becoming a little more capable can help us feel a lot more secure.Harrison also authored ​Build Your Own and ​Our Homes and presents ​RTÉ's Build Your Own Home.Find out more about Harrison and his work:​HARRISON GARDNERAnd if this conversation resonated with you, you might also enjoy these episodes from the Ready to Be Real archive:Mark Boyle: The Moneyless ManKenneth Keavey of Green Earth Organics: The True Cost of Cheap FoodRaeeka Yassaie: Climate in CrisisYou'll find all three in the Ready to Be Real archive wherever you get your podcasts.

If you enjoy this snippet, check out the full conversation with Kyla, anytime now!

Topics covered : Gratitude, self-belief, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, mother-daughter bond, coercive control, patriarchy, beauty standards, ageing, women’s cycles, strength training, healthy love, taking up space.This week’s guest is comedian and now author Kyla Cobbler.Kyla and I sat down in Galway just as her first book, 'Happy, Thank You, More, Please' was released. We talk about the five-word mantra that has stayed with her since she was 21, her difficult experience of school, the unwavering support of her ​Mom, and her journey towards trusting herself and taking up space.We also talk about coercive control, finding healthy love with her husband Simon, life under the patriarchy, beauty standards, ageing, honouring women’s cycles, strength training, and learning to appreciate the life you have while still being brave enough to ask for more.'Happy, Thank You, More, Please' is out now, available in all good bookshops and as an audiobook and it is brilliant!

​Topics covered : Rest, nervous system regulation, connection, guilt, awareness, balance, parenting, burnout, self compassion​.For my final episode before the summer break, I'm joined by chartered clinical psychologist, author and psychology lecturer, Dr Malie Coyne.Why do so many of us find it so difficult to rest?​Malie explore​s our relationship with rest and why, in a world that celebrates busyness, so many of us struggle to switch off.Malie lives in Galway with her husband, Pete, and their two daughters, Jessica (14) and Aimée (12) and she first joined me on the podcast during the pandemic, helping us navigate one of the most uncertain periods of our lives.If you enjoyed this conversation, you might also like previous episodes with Dermot Whelan and Alan​a Kir​k.As always, thank you for listening. If this episode resonated with you, please consider following the podcast, leaving a rating or review, and sharing it with someone who might need to hear it.​To connect with Malie :Dr. Malie Coyne | Clinical Psychologist, Author, Lecturer at NUI GalwayShe is the co-author for the 'A Lust For Life' primary and secondary wellbeing school programmes and is also on their mental health advisory panel.Book mentions :'Love in, Love out : A compassionate approach to parenting your anxious child' Dr. Malie Coyne'Rest is Resistance : Free yourself from grind culture and reclaim yoiur life' Tricia Hersey

In this week's Real Take, I'm sharing a short snippet from my conversation with professional home organiser and founder of The Home Reset, Hazel Burton.Hazel explains why asking simple questions can be a game changer when it comes to reducing clutter and creating lasting organising habits at home.If you enjoyed this episode, you'll find my full conversation with Hazel Burton wherever you get your podcasts.​To connect with Hazel :thehomereset.iehazel@thehomereset.ie