PodcastsHealth & WellnessReady To Be Real by Síle Seoige

Ready To Be Real by Síle Seoige

Síle Seoige
Ready To Be Real by Síle Seoige
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272 episodes

  • Ready To Be Real by Síle Seoige

    M​isan Harriman : Real Take

    18/05/2026 | 6 mins.
    Today’s Real Take comes from a powerful conversation I recorded in October 2024 with photographer, filmmaker and activist Misan Harriman.

    Misan is Chair of ​cultural hub, the Southbank Centre, an ambassador for Save the Children, and one of the most compassionate and courageous voices speaking up about injustice and inequality in the world today. Through his photography, filmmaking and activism, he has consistently used his platform to amplify voices that are too often ignored​; especially concerning children​.

    Over the past number of weeks, Misan has been the target of what many believe is a deeply disturbing smear campaign by sections of the UK press.
    I stand with Misan.
    If you would like to support him, please consider adding your name to th​is ​​Petition

    To listen to the full conversation with Misan from October 2024, search ​'Misan Harriman: Bridge Building​' wherever you get your podcasts.
    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
  • Ready To Be Real by Síle Seoige

    Brian Pennie : The neuroscience of addiction

    14/05/2026 | 42 mins.
    Topics covered : Addiction, shame, awareness, compassion, recovery.

    In this week’s episode of Ready to Be Real, I speak to Dr. Brian Pennie - neuroscientist, podcast host and former heroin addict.
    I first met Brian back in 2020 when his memoir Bonus Time was released, and I remember being completely blown away by his honesty and insight. Since then, life has continued to evolve for Brian. He’s now living a very fulfilled life with his partner Natalie, continuing his work in neuroscience, delivering talks, hosting his own podcast and helping people better understand addiction, behaviour and recovery.
    Brian spent 15 years addicted to heroin before getting clean in October 2013. In this conversation, we explore addiction from both a neuroscience point of view and through Brian’s lived experience - what happens in the brain when addiction takes hold, why recovery can be so difficult, and what can genuinely help somebody who is struggling.
    Following on from last week’s conversation with Tony O’Reilly about gambling addiction, this feels like a really important companion episode.

    You can find Brian online BrianPennie.com – Change is Possible and through his podcast Change is Possible.
    And as always, thank you so much for supporting the podcast.
    If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, rate and review Ready to Be Real wherever you get your podcasts - it really helps.

    Watch Brian's documentaries :
    Hooked: How Addiction Hijacks Your Brain - RTE Player

    Other episodes to listen to on addiction : Tony O'Reilly, Nikki Hayes and Gavin Meenan.

    Books :
    Bonus Time - A true story of surviving the worst and discovering the magic of every moment by Brian Pennie
    In the realm of hungry ghosts by Dr. Gabor Maté
    Dopamine Nation by Dr. Anna Lembke
    Tony 10: The Astonishing Story of the Postman Who Gambled €10,000,000…and Lost It All

    Resources & Support
    If you’re concerned about yourself or someone you love, please know that support is available and you are not alone.
    Support links:
    Samaritans Ireland
    ​Ireland helplines and hotlines
    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
  • Ready To Be Real by Síle Seoige

    Tony 10 : Real Take

    11/05/2026 | 22 mins.
    This is The Real Take and in this snippet, Tony O’Reilly — co-author of the bestselling book 'Tony 10: The Astonishing Story of the Postman Who Gambled €10,000,000…and Lost It All' — speaks about the point where his gambling addiction escalated into stealing €1.75 million from An Post while working as a branch manager.
    It’s a shocking and deeply heartbreaking insight into the reality of gambling addiction and the lengths a person can go to when completely consumed by it.

    Tony now works as a gambling addiction counsellor and psychotherapist, helping people whose lives have been impacted by gambling harm.​
    You can connect with him here:
    Tony O' Reilly - Gambling Addiction Counselling & Workshops

    Ireland is in the grip of a gambling crisis that many people still don’t fully recognise.
    Gambling addiction is insidious because it can remain hidden for years, devastating lives behind closed doors.
    If you or someone you know is struggling, please know that help is available and you are not alone.

    Resources & Support
    If you’re concerned about yourself or someone you love, please know that support is available and you are not alone.
    Support links:
    Extern Problem Gambling - Free Counselling for Problem Gambling
    Gamblers Anonymous Ireland
    Home - Cuan Mhuire
    Samaritans Ireland
    ​Ireland helplines and hotlines

    Follow the pod on Instagram
    @readytoberealpodcast

    To hear the full two-hour conversation with Tony O’Reilly, listen anytime now.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
  • Ready To Be Real by Síle Seoige

    Tony O'Reilly : Gambling €10 million and losing everything

    07/05/2026 | 2h 5 mins.
    ​Topics covered: insecurities, psychology of addiction, secrecy, manipulation, shame, suicide ideation, finding meaning.

    My first guest of this brand new season of Ready to be Real is someone I’ve wanted to sit down with since the podcast launched back in 2019.
    Tony O’Reilly is the co-author of the bestselling book Tony 10: The Astonishing Story of the Postman Who Gambled €10,000,000…and Lost It All ​ - the extraordinary true story of how a one pound bet in his early twenties spiralled into a devastating online gambling addiction that completely consumed his life.
    Over time, Tony gambled more than €10 million and stole €1.75 million from An Post while working as a branch manage​r and ultimately losing almost everything: his job, his marriage, his peace of mind and very nearly, his life.
    But behind the sensational headlines is a​ real story.

    In this conversation, Tony speaks with extraordinary honesty about the psychology of addiction - the secrecy of online gambling, the lies, ​the manipulation, ​the fear and ​the chaos happening quietly behind closed doors ​- and the moments that still haunt him today.
    We also discuss recovery, accountability and understanding the “why” behind addiction, along with the enormous amount of work Tony has done on himself in recent years. He also shares how his teenage daughter has become his greatest motivation to stay on track and keep moving forward.
    This is a powerful and deeply important conversation about addiction, shame, and healing.

    Tony now works as a gambling addiction counsellor and psychotherapist, helping people whose lives have been impacted by gambling harm.​
    You can connect with him here:
    Tony O' Reilly - Gambling Addiction Counselling & Workshops

    Resources & Support
    If you’re concerned about yourself or someone you love, please know that support is available and you are not alone.
    Support links:
    Extern Problem Gambling - Free Counselling for Problem Gambling
    Gamblers Anonymous Ireland
    Home - Cuan Mhuire
    Samaritans Ireland
    ​Ireland helplines and hotlines

    Book :
    Tony 10: The Astonishing Story of the Postman Who Gambled €10,000,000…and Lost It All

    Documentaries​ :
    ​​All bets are off​/RTÉ
    All Bets Are Off Baz and Tony
    ​Finné/TG4
    ​Finné Sr 2 Ep 2 Tony O'Reilly | TG4 | Súil Eile |
    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
  • Ready To Be Real by Síle Seoige

    ​Deirdre Nicole Hegarty : An adoption story

    27/03/2026 | 1h 20 mins.
    Topics covered : Mother and Baby home, adoption, grief, faith, taboo, shedding shame, transgenerational trauma, therapy, holotropic breathwork, motherhood, inner child healing, compassion.

    In the final episode of this season, I speak to psychotherapist Deirdre Nicole Hegarty, who shares her adoption story​ with us.

    Deirdre lives in Donegal with her husband Noel and their baby boy, Con​all.
    She was adopted at three months old from a mother and baby home, into a loving family where her adoption was always known and spoken about openly.
    But as she grew older​, and especially when she began searching for her birth parents​, her story became more complex.
    What she discovered challenged her sense of identity in a profound way. Her birth parents were ​first cousins​...something that carried deep layers of secrecy and shame.
    In this conversation, Deirdre speaks with great honesty about reconnecting with her birth parents, the emotional impact of those connections, and the confusion and trauma that unfolded.
    She also shares the work that has helped her make sense of her experience​, particularly inner child healing​, and how she’s come to understand the impact of transgenerational trauma, and the importance of breaking patterns and releasing shame.

    This is a deeply personal conversation, and I’m really grateful to her for sharing it so openly.

    ​​T​o connect with Deirdre :

    Email: [email protected]
    Instagram: @slanu_deirdrehegarty

    ​* This is the final episode of this season, but I’ll be back with a new batch of conversations on the 8th of May.
    In the meantime, you can dive into the archive and listen to over 200 episodes anytime and thanks so much for listening to Ready to be Real.
    Tá mé fíor-bhuíoch!
    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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About Ready To Be Real by Síle Seoige
In this podcast series, Síle Seoige chats to people of all walks of life; those who are well known, along with those who have extraordinary stories to tell and she also features topic lead conversations with a particular expert in their field.A skilled interviewer and avid listener, Síle’s warm approach encourages her guests to be as open and honest about their lived experiences as possible. This refreshing approach has made for some truly special conversations that she hopes will at times inspire, challenge, educate, comfort or simply entertain her listener.Please rate, review and subscribe if you like what you hear, thanks so much! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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