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VOICES OF GREYSTONES
The Greystones We Remember: Dave Robbie on Family, Community & a Changing Town
What happens when you grow up in a village where everyone knows everyone — and then watch that village become a thriving town?
In this episode of Voices of Greystones, Terry sits down with Dave Robbie, whose family's story in Greystones stretches back around 70 years.
Dave remembers a very different Greystones: playing football on Church Road when cars were few and far between, spending summer days swimming at the beach, travelling to school by train and growing up in a community where doors were left open and people simply walked into one another's homes.
His family became deeply woven into local life. His mother, Dorothy Robbie, produced the St Patrick's Players Christmas pantomime for more than 20 years, bringing generations of Greystones children together. Dave recalls the characters, the rehearsals, the Christmas traditions and even the time a famous singer appeared in the pantomime.
We also talk rugby, including Dave's brother Johnny's international career and eventual move to South Africa, as well as Dave's siblings Janie and Peter and the creative legacy that ran through the Robbie family.
But underneath all those stories is something much simpler.
People.
What they meant to one another.
What made Greystones feel like a village.
And what Dave hopes the town never loses as it continues to grow.
Towards the end, Dave shares a particularly touching memory of his mother and explains why, despite all the changes, he has never found another place that quite matched Greystones.
This is a conversation about memory, family, community and the places that become part of who we are.
🎙️ Voices of Greystones is produced by High Tide Studios in the heart of Greystones.
Listen to the full series and find the video episodes here:
Voices of Greystones — High Tide Studios
Every stone has a story. What's yours?
⏱️ Chapters
00:00 — Welcome to Voices of Greystones
00:44 — The Greystones that was once a village
03:38 — Growing up by the sea
05:25 — School, trains and a different Greystones
09:24 — Why the Robbie family came to Greystones
12:30 — Open doors and an open community
14:36 — Dorothy Robbie enters the story
16:19 — The Christmas pantomimes that brought Greystones together
18:11 — The woman behind the pantomimes
20:59 — How Dorothy Robbie changed the community
22:32 — Christmas in the Robbie household
24:37 — Life behind the pantomime curtain
27:30 — Why the pantomimes meant so much
29:06 — The village becomes a town
33:29 — Rugby, Ireland and Johnny Robbie
37:31 — The Robbie family's creative legacy
39:23 — “Don't forget the village”
39:49 — Where people gathered
43:16 — The Ormond Cinema and old Greystones
45:14 — What changed as Greystones grew?
46:48 — What should Greystones never lose?
49:20 — What did the Robbie family give Greystones?
51:06 — The story Dave will never forget about his mum
54:19 — What would Dorothy think of Greystones today?
56:17 — What should future generations remember?
58:52 — Every stone has a story
Voices of Greystones is a community podcast celebrating the people, memories and moments that make our remarkable coastal town unique.
Proudly produced at High Tide Studios in the heart of Greystones, every episode captures honest conversations that might otherwise only be shared around a table, over a coffee or on a seafront walk.
Have a story to share, or know someone whose voice deserves to be heard?
Take part in Voices of Greystones
https://hightidestudios.ie/voices
High Tide Studios
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Every Stone Has a Story. What's Yours?
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5. Sharon Felton: Hope, Strength & the Power of Community
01:04:30||Ep. 5What happens when the person who is always there for everyone else suddenly needs people to be there for her?For Sharon Felton, community has always been a huge part of life. A mum of two, Special Needs Assistant and someone who is rarely far from the next idea or community project, Sharon has spent years helping people around Greystones.But in 2023, her own life changed.In this deeply honest episode of Voices of Greystones, Sharon talks about discovering a lump, receiving her diagnosis and facing treatment while trying to keep life as normal as possible for her children. She talks openly about fear, uncertainty, losing her hair, the loneliness that can come with treatment and the determination that helped her keep moving forward. But this isn't simply a conversation about illness.It's about people.Sharon tells Terry about the strangers, friends, family, neighbours and local community who helped her when she needed it — including the lifts to and from treatment that made an enormous difference to her family. And then she explains why receiving that support made her even more determined to give something back. That led to the creation of the Pink Ball, a local fundraising event which has raised around €37,000 across its first three years for Greystones Cancer Support. Sharon also shares the story of how years of emails, persistence and one rather memorable radio interview eventually helped bring an official Darkness Into Light event to Greystones. And then there's Take That. ❤️A lifelong fan, Sharon tells the story of how an unexpected campaign by friends and the wider community led to her meeting the band during her treatment — and why music became such a special part of that period of her life.Towards the end, Sharon reflects on what life looks like now, what she has learned about strength, and why hope has become such an important word for her.This is a conversation about difficult moments, but it's ultimately a conversation about people, kindness, family, community and hope.Every stone has a story. What's yours?Chapter Timings00:00 – Introduction to Voices of Greystones00:31 – Meet Sharon Felton: Life in Greystones and Working as an SNA03:39 – Deep Roots in Community & Lessons from Her Parents05:46 – The Tuesday Night That Changed Everything: Finding the Lump08:49 – Family History: Remembering Her Parents’ Battles12:56 – Approaching Treatment: Entering Survival Mode & Facing Chemo16:04 – Everyday Resilience: Keeping Routine for Her Children18:13 – Understanding the Isolation and Hardest Parts of Treatment20:25 – The Moment of Overwhelming Fatigue at the Hospital23:13 – Signs of Hope: Chemo Results and Ringing the Bell25:33 – Standing at the School Gate: A Milestone Moment for Her Daughter29:42 – Giving Back: Greystones Cancer Support & Creating the Pink Ball40:10 – Bringing Darkness Into Light to Greystones43:39 – What Community Support Really Means in Difficult Times45:25 – Take That, Late Late Show, and Music as Healing54:23 – Living Life to the Fullest After Recovery58:25 – Advice for Anyone Facing a Difficult Health Diagnosis01:00:39 – Final Thoughts on Community and Hope
4. From Addiction to Peace: Jimmy Lewis on Survival, Recovery, and Hope
40:59||Ep. 4In this episode of Voices of Greystones, host Terry sits down with local resident Jimmy Lewis for a deeply candid conversation about survival, mental health, and the path to recovery.Growing up between Zimbabwe, France, and Greystones, Jimmy spent over a decade living behind a façade while silently struggling with severe distress, addiction, and psychiatric hospitalisations. He shares how substance abuse completely hijacked his life, the moment his perspective shifted from utter despair to safety, and how he finally found freedom and purpose.Jimmy reflects on his mental health support app, Please, the profound impact of serving others, and his vision for community-led support in Greystones, including the idea of a dedicated "Community Bench".Chapter Timings00:00 – Content Warning & Welcome to Voices of Greystones01:11 – Who is Jimmy Lewis? Moving from a Façade to Peace02:12 – Growing Up: From Zimbabwe and France to Greystones04:21 – Early Internal Struggles and Childhood Distress08:00 – The Onset of Addiction and Losing Control12:31 – The Impact on Personal Relationships and Mental Health15:30 – Reaching the Turning Point: Entering a 12-Step Programme19:35 – Finding Safety, Sobriety, and Living Free22:05 – The Challenges of Rebuilding Life One Day at a Time23:54 – What Recovery Teaches About Selfishness and Service25:00 – The Person Jimmy is Today: Finding Joy in Everyday Life27:34 – Creating the Please App to Help Others31:24 – Community and Connection in Greystones33:37 – Improving Mental Health Conversations: The "Community Bench" Concept34:59 – Jimmy’s Message to Anyone Currently Struggling38:23 – What a Good Life Looks Like Now
2. I Came Back to Find Home. I Had to Learn What Home Actually Was | Maxine Gallagher
36:29||Ep. 2What happens when you spend years longing for home — and then discover that coming home doesn't necessarily mean finding the place you imagined?In this episode of Voices of Greystones, Terry sits down with Maxine Gallagher, who moved from Berlin to Greystones with her husband and two children believing she was coming home.What followed wasn't quite the homecoming she had imagined.Maxine speaks openly about leaving a life she loved in Berlin, adjusting to a much smaller town, losing her job, the pressures of starting again, and the difficulty of finding her place and rebuilding a sense of community.But gradually, something changed.Not through one dramatic moment, but through small interactions — a conversation, a coffee, someone noticing her, a hug, joining a choir, basketball, swimming with the Ducks and simply continuing to turn up.Those moments began to change how she saw Greystones, community and herself.Along the way, Maxine talks about her family, creativity, writing, music and her growing desire to call herself an artist. And she reflects on something many people who have moved away from home — or moved somewhere new — may recognise:Perhaps home isn't always where you came from. Perhaps it's where you eventually feel safe enough to become yourself.The conversation finishes with Maxine performing her original song “Keep On Keeping On” — a beautiful ending to a conversation about persistence, connection and the small things people do for one another.This is a conversation about home, belonging, community, identity, creativity and finding your people.🎙️ Voices of Greystones is a community podcast from High Tide Studios, created to preserve the stories of the people who make this town what it is.Listen on Spotify and other podcast platforms, or watch the full episode at: hightidestudios.ie/voicesWe’re also delighted to have Greystones Wellness Hub as a community partner. The Hub plays an important role in bringing people and local initiatives together, and we’re pleased to help create another space for those stories and voices to be shared. It’s a simple collaboration built around community, conversation and creating something of value for Greystones.Check them out: https://www.thewellnesshubireland.com/Every Stone Has A Story! What's Your?Chapters00:00 — Welcome to Voices of Greystones01:18 — Life Before Greystones02:40 — The Idea of Coming Home04:14 — The Greystones She Imagined05:34 — When Reality Didn't Match the Plan07:44 — “What Have We Done?”10:11 — The Small Things That Changed Everything11:13 — Meet the Ducks14:23 — Learning to Put Yourself Out There17:01 — What Community Really Means18:56 — Finding a Different Version of Herself20:52 — “I've Always Secretly Wanted to Be a Singer”23:01 — Family, Berlin and Finding Perspective24:17 — Who Are We Supposed to Become?25:33 — “I'm an Artist”26:09 — Would You Make the Move Again?27:09 — What Greystones Has Taught Me28:43 — If You're New Here, Keep Turning Up30:31 — What Does “Home” Mean?31:53 — Maxine Performs “Keep On Keeping On”35:49 — End of Episode
1. Finding Home in Greystones | Fatima Alvarado
43:11||Ep. 1Every town has people who quietly help shape what it becomes.For the first ever episode of Voices of Greystones, Terry sits down with Fatima Alvarado — originally from Venezuela, now a Greystones resident, mother and community builder.Fatima shares the story of arriving in Ireland more than a decade ago, the unexpected path that brought her to Greystones, and the moment the town began to feel like home.She talks openly about belonging, family, faith and the simple decision to create something for the people around her. What began with a few free outdoor wellness classes grew into the Greystones Wellness Hub and, eventually, a wider vision for bringing people, businesses and community together.At the heart of the conversation is a simple idea: when we recognise what other people have to offer, something changes.This is a conversation about finding home — and then deciding to help make that home better for others.🎙️ Voices of Greystones is produced by High Tide Studios in the heart of Greystones, County Wicklow.Have a story to share, or know someone whose voice deserves to be heard?hightidestudios.ie/voicesEvery Stone Has a Story. What's Yours?Chapters00:00 — Welcome to Voices of Greystones01:09 — Growing Up in Venezuela02:45 — The Dream of Somewhere Green05:15 — Leaving Home08:25 — Finding a New Life in Ireland10:09 — Finding Greystones14:22 — When Greystones Became Home17:21 — The Idea That Started With a Few People19:20 — Bringing People Together21:06 — From Wellness to Community22:22 — Building Something Bigger25:23 — What Makes Greystones Special?27:42 — Faith and Purpose29:50 — Learning to Quiet the Mind32:34 — Choosing to See the Good34:55 — What I'd Tell My Younger Self36:23 — What Ireland Gave Me37:00 — A Vision for Greystones40:17 — The Greystones Quick Fire41:56 — A Final Thought42:31 — Every Stone Has a Story