Aran Island Discs is an intimate, Irish-hearted interview series in which host Rossa McDermott invites guests to explore the soundtrack of their lives. Inspired by the timeless tradition of storytelling and the wild spirit of the Aran Islands, each episode blends conversation, memory, and music into a vivid portrait of the person behind the public image.
Across candid, often deeply personal interviews, guests choose the songs that shaped them — the tunes that carried them through childhood, challenge, triumph, heartbreak, and homecoming. These musical choices become gateways to unexpected stories: the mentor who changed everything, the night everything nearly fell apart, the place they return to in their mind when the world gets loud.
Recorded with warmth, humour, and unmistakable Irish authenticity, Aran Island Discs celebrates culture, creativity, and the emotional power of music. Whether the guest is a celebrated artist, an athlete, a thinker, or a local legend, every episode offers a fresh perspective on the people who shape Irish life today.
Settle in. Take the ferry. Discover the stories that live between the notes.
The podcast presenter is Rossa McDermott, and the series is recorded at Dublin South Podcast Studios in Dundrum. The concept is devised by Dos Amigos, and edited by Peter Rice
#aranislanddiscs #podcast #podcastseries #nusic #rossamcdermott #acast #spotify #applemusic #ireland #inismor #inismeain #inismaan
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Aran Island Discs is an intimate, Irish-hearted interview series in which host Rossa McDermott invites guests to explore the soundtrack of their lives. Inspired by the timeless tradition of storytelling and the wild spirit of the Aran Islands, each episode blends conversation, memory, and music into a vivid portrait of the person behind the public image.
Across candid, often deeply personal interviews, guests choose the songs that shaped them — the tunes that carried them through childhood, challenge, triumph, heartbreak, and homecoming. These musical choices become gateways to unexpected stories: the mentor who changed everything, the night everything nearly fell apart, the place they return to in their mind when the world gets loud.
Recorded with warmth, humour, and unmistakable Irish authenticity, Aran Island Discs celebrates culture, creativity, and the emotional power of music. Whether the guest is a celebrated artist, an athlete, a thinker, or a local legend, every episode offers a fresh perspective on the people who shape Irish life today.
Settle in. Take the ferry. Discover the stories that live between the notes.
The podcast presenter is Rossa McDermott, and the series is recorded at Dublin South Podcast Studios in Dundrum. The concept is devised by Dos Amigos, and edited by Peter Rice
#aranislanddiscs #podcast #podcastseries #nusic #rossamcdermott #acast #spotify #applemusic #ireland #inismor #inismeain #inismaan
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Daniel Mulhall is a former Irish Ambassador to Malaysia, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Since his retirement from the diplomatic service, he has been Global Distinguished Professor of Irish Studies at Glucksman Ireland House, New York University, Parnell Fellow at Magdalene College, Cambridge and a Resident Fellow at the Institute of Politics, Harvard University. He is a consultant with the global
law firm, DLA Piper, Rockwood PR and the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation.
He is Brand Ambassador for the Carlichauns, an animated children’s entertainment venture based on Irish folklore. Throughout his diplomatic career, he has lectured and published extensively on Irish history and literature.
His most recent publications are Ulysses: A Reader’s Odyssey (New Island Books, 2022) and Pilgrim Soul: W.B. Yeats and the Ireland of his Time (New Island Books, 2023). He is a regular media commentator, columnist and book reviewer.
Aran Island Discs is an Irish themed podcast hosted by Rossa McDermott
Each episode features a guest who is invited to imagine themselves on the Aran Islands—a symbolic place evoking rugged beauty and Irish cultural heritage—and explore the soundtrack of their life. Guests choose songs that have shaped their personal journeys, sparking conversations about key moments, memories, and influences in their life.
The series is recorded at Dublin South Podcast Studios in Dundrum, produced and edited by Peter Rice, and distributed via platforms Acast, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. .
Sponsorship enquiries
contact@aranislanddiscs.ie
www.aranislanddiscs.ie
Instagram @aranislanddisc
FB @aranislanddiscs
X @aranislabddiscs
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Kevin Cullen is an author and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who has written for The Boston Globe since 1985.
At the Globe, he served on the Spotlight team, as well as a local, national and foreign correspondent before becoming a columnist.
Kevin initially worked as the newspaper’s law enforcement correspondent, and won the Livingston Award for his 1987 portrait of an East Boston hoodlum. He spent several stints on the Spotlight Team, the Globe’s inestigative unit, and was part of the team that first exposed the mobster James “Whitey” Bulger as an FBI informant in 1988,
Cullen spent more than 20 years covering the conflict in Northern Ireland, and in 1994 was honored by the Overseas Press Club of America for interpretive reporting from Northern Ireland. In 1997, he was appointed as Dublin bureau chief, covering the peace process in Northern Ireland full time, the only American journalist who did so.
He was described by The Irish Times as “the most informed American journalist on Irish affairs,” while the media critic at The Independent of London called him “the most astute observer of Irish affairs in the American media.”
After a year in Dublin, he moved to London to serve as chief European correspondent, covering war in the former Yugoslavia. He reported from more than 20 countries across Europe.
In 2001, after four years abroad, he returned to Boston and joined the Globe’s investigative team which won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service in 2003 for exposing the coverup of sexual abuse of minors by Roman Catholic priests.
The team also won many other awards for those exposes, including the Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting, the George Polk Award for National Reporting, and the Selden Ring Award for Investigative Reporting.
In 2007, he was promoted to metro columnist and the following year won the Batten Medal, from the American Society of Newspaper Editors for a selection of columns on people down on their luck.
in 2013. In 2010 and 2014, he was named best columnist by the National Headliners Awards.
His columns highlighting the suicide of a 15-year-old girl who was bullied by schoolmates won the top award from the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma at Columbia University in 2013.In 2013, the American Society of Newspaper Editors awarded him the Batten Medal again and is the only person to win the award twice
In 2014, Cullen won the Mike Royko Award as best columnist chosen by the American Society of Newspaper Editors and was part of the team that was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for breaking news for coverage of the Boston Marathon bombings. Separately, he was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in commentary.
Cullen has been a frequent commentator on National Public Radio, the BBC, and RTE, Ireland’s national broadcaster. His work has appeared in The Irish Times and Sunday Independent in Ireland. He also appeared weekly on Newstalk radio’s “Lunchtime” programe in Ireland.
He is co-author of “Betrayal: The Crisis in the Catholic Church,” and was a contributor to the book, “Britain and Ireland: Lives Entwined II.” Also, co-author of the New York Times bestseller, “Whitey Bulger: America’s Most Wanted Gangster and the Manhunt That Brought Him to Justice,” which was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. He wrote the opening chapter for the Houghton Mifflin anthology, “Our Boston,” to benefit victims of the Marathon bombings.
A Boston native, Kevin Cullen graduated from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, attended Trinity College in Dublin, and was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University.
An Irish-themed podcast presented by Rossa McDermott.
In the podcast invited Irish guests share stories, life experiences, and other key moments that resonate in ther life, ending with a musical choice that has accompanied them through that journey.
The conversation is about what Irishness, and what that means and any influence it may have had over their years. An understanding and of resilience and how is that a cultural ruggedness is part of our Irish makeup.
Aran Island Discs ☘️ is recorded at Dublin South Podcast Studio. Hosted by Rossa McDermott
Producer is Peter Rice
Sponsorship enquiries
contact@aranislanddiscs.ie
W www.aranislanddiscs.ie
Instagram @aranislanddisc
FB @aranislanddiscs
X @aranislabddiscs
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aideen McQueen, one of Ireland’s most remarkable female stand-up comedians. Her meteoric rise in the comedy scene began when she reached the final of the esteemed “Funny Funny” comedy competition after only her third gig. Since then, she has been captivating audiences all across Ireland, performing at renowned clubs such as the International and The Laughter Lounge.
Aideen’s unique style sets her apart as a shining star among the new generation of Irish comics. Her wit is sharp, her persona is sassy, and her delivery is irresistibly funny. With her saucy and captivating stage presence, Aideen leaves audiences in stitches, ensuring an unforgettable comedy experience.
Not only a rising star on the stage, Aideen has made regular appearances on esteemed platforms such as RTE, TG4, BBC Northern Ireland, and BBC Radio 4. As one of the resident comperes at the prestigious International Comedy Club in Dublin, she has shared the stage with comedy legends like Sean Hughes, Reginald D Hunter, Ardal O’Hanon, Dylan Moran, Johnny Vegas, Phil Kay, and Frankie Boyle.
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An Irish-themed podcast presented by Rossa McDermott.
In the podcast invited Irish guests share stories, life experiences, and other key moments that resonate in ther life, ending with a musical choice that has accompanied them through that journey.
The conversation is about what Irishness, and what that means and any influence it may have had over their years. An understanding and of resilience and how is that a cultural ruggedness is part of our Irish makeup.
Aran Island Discs ☘️ is recorded at Dublin South Podcast Studio. Hosted by Rossa McDermott
Producer is Peter Rice
Sponsorship enquiries
contact@aranislanddiscs.ie
W www.aranislanddiscs.ie
Instagram @aranislanddisc
FB @aranislanddiscs
X @aranislabddiscs
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Redmond O'Donoghue is as near to being a Waterford man as you can get without actually being born there. As it happens, he was born in Cork but his bank manager father quickly moved down the coast to Waterford.
The family lived ``over the shop'' and O'Donoghue tells how he trotted through the branch each day en route to Waterpark, the city's rugby-playing school.
How proficient he was at the game is not known, but a passion and recognised skill at tennis was handed down from his mother, Mickie, who once took on her sister in the final of the Irish Open at Fitzwilliam.
Indeed, it was through tennis that he met his wife Anthea, who went on to represent Ireland at all levels of the game. On leaving school, O'Donoghue went to UCD and studied for a B Comm.
Bank managers' sons had a habit in those days of following in their fathers' footsteps. Luckily, O'Donoghue had a bit of pull with Harrington Goodlass Wall, the Cork paint maker, and entered its sales department.
In 1968, he joined Ford in Cork and spent 18 years with the motor company, moving to Bristol before becoming marketing director of Ford in Spain, a huge car market.
in 1985 He moved back home joining Waterford Crystal (or Waterford Glass as it was then known) at the behest of Paddy Hayes, his former boss at Ford in Cork, who had only recently moved to the company as executive chairman.
Given some of the challenges the company had been facing l, O'Donoghue said he saw Dr O'Reilly's involvement as ``the critical turning point''. It was the lifeline which allowed the executives to concentrate on developing what was one of Ireland's very few brands.
More recently as Chairman of the Board of Management at Newtown School, he has overseen its strategic planning and business development. He had also Chairman at the Confederation of Golf in Ireland for over a decade.
Redmond has held senior roles at esteemed institutions, including Good Food Ireland, Failte Ireland, IBEC, Waterford Institute of Technology, Greencore, Waterford Wedgwood Plc, The Marketing Institute, and Ford Motor Company
His academic background is rooted in business marketing, with degrees from Harvard Business School and University College Dublin.
Being a native of Ireland, he holds a deep understanding of the local market and economy
Courtesy of the Irish Examiner
An Irish-themed podcast presented by Rossa McDermott.
In the podcast invited Irish guests share stories, life experiences, and other key moments that resonate in ther life, ending with a musical choice that has accompanied them through that journey.
The conversation is about what Irishness, and what that means and any influence it may have had over their years. An understanding and of resilience and how is that a cultural ruggedness is part of our Irish makeup.
Aran Island Discs will broadcast from February and is recorded at Dublin South Podcast Studio. Producer is Peter Rice
Instagram @aranislanddiscs
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Writer, musician, art historian, Eamon Carr’s artistic career began when, inspired by the Liverpool Scene, he set up the Tara Telephone collective with Peter Fallon in 1969.
The group organised poetry workshops and published the small press Capella magazine, Book of Invasions broadsheet and began a series of collections under the Gallery Books imprint. The group also gave recitals and toured extensively.
One of Eamon’s initiatives was to team up with Che Guevara poster artist Jim Fitzpatrick for a series of poem posters. One of these, A Tale of Love, was included in the Tate Gallery, Liverpool, Summer of Love: Art of the Psychedelic Era Exhibition in 2005, which later toured to Vienna and Frankfurt.
In 1971, Eamon moved on to co-found Horslips, the pioneering folk-rock group in which he is lyricist and drummer. The group’s most recent release is More Than You Can Chew, a box-set of 33 albums.
A journalist and broadcaster, he presented Seeking Refuge, an exhibition of his photography documenting life in refugee camps on the Kosovo-Albania border in 1999, with music by Ken O’Duffy, as part of the Festival of Politics (2019).
In 2010, his five-poem cycle Ascension: Ireland was staged in the Walled Garden of the Pearse Museum by multi-media artist Daniel Figgis.
Artists whose work he brought to general release, through independent record labels he supervised, include Philip Chevron's The Radiators from Space, Agnes Bernelle, Light A Big Fire, The Golden Horde and the Stars of Heaven among others. His poetry and lyrics have been recorded by a number of musicians including Henry McCullough, Eamonn Dowd and Mike Brookfield.
A former recipient of the Sarah Purser Scholarship (The History of European Painting) at Trinity College, Dublin, he is a widely-published commentator on culture, arts and sport.
An Irish-themed podcast presented by Rossa McDermott.
In the podcast invited Irish guests share stories, life experiences, and other key moments that resonate in ther life, ending with a musical choice that has accompanied them through that journey.
The conversation is about what Irishness, and what that means and any influence it may have had over their years. An understanding and of resilience and how is that a cultural ruggedness is part of our Irish makeup.
Aran Island Discs will broadcast from February and is recorded at Dublin South Podcast Studio. Producer is Peter Rice
Instagram @aranislanddiscs
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Peter Murtagh is an award-winning, Irish-born journalist and author. He spent almost 40 years in newspapers (working for The Irish Times and the Sunday Tribune in Ireland, and the Sunday Times and The Guardian in the UK) before retiring formally in 2019. He held several management positions across all titles, including chief editor, foreign editor, news editor, opinion editor and managing editor. As a reporter, he specialized in long form investigative pieces.
“Take your chances and go and do it,” was a key lesson journalist Peter Murtagh took from his motorbike trip from the southern tip of South America to the northern top of Alaska.
I didn’t want to stop working; I loved the buzz of my working life — the daily excitement of chasing stories, engaging with people, finding things out and then writing it all up. But all good things must, if not end completely, then at least change somewhat. Old farts must make way for bright young eager beavers who want to make their own mark. So, OK, I had to retire from formal, full-time employment because, in the bigger scheme of things, it was the right thing to do.
I knew that I wanted to mark this enormous change in my life by doing a few big things. One of those was long nurtured plans to ride my bike, a BMW R1200 GS Adventure, from Tierra del Fuego to Alaska, to a place named, appropriately enough, Deadhorse. Which he described in his recent book, From Tip to Top, published by Gill (2024)
He has received the Award for Outstanding Journalism in Ireland (1983), Reporter of the Year in the UK Press Awards (1986), and the News Brands Ireland award for Investigative Journalism (2016).
He is the co-author (with Joe Joyce) of two books, The Boss – Charles J Haughey in Government (Poolbeg, 1983), and Blind Justice (Poolbeg 1984); The Rape of Greece – the king, the colonels and the resistance (Simon & Schuster, 1994), and, (with Natasha Murtagh), Buen Camino! – a father daughter journey from Croagh Patrick to Santiago de Compostela (Gill, 2011)
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Television presenter, creative writer, translator, and Irish tutor.
Postgraduate Certificate in Irish Translation Studies at the University of Galway, MA in Irish Folklore and Ethnology from University College Dublin and BA in Gaeilge + Journalism from the University of Limerick.
Owner and founder of Bláthanna Fiáine Wildflower
Walks, Inis Meáin.
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Dick Spring is a former Deputy Prime Minister of Ireland and Minister for Foreign, elected Leader of the Labour Party in 1982.
During his 15 year tenure as Leader, the party participated in 3 Irish coalition governments, with Mr Spring holding the positions of Deputy Prime Minister (1982 – 1987 & 1993 – 1997), Minister for the Environment (1982 – 1983), Minister for Energy (1983 – 1987), and Minister for Foreign Affairs (1993 – 1997).
Spring was prominently involved in the Northern Ireland Peace Process, initially as joint negotiator with the Irish Prime Minister during the Anglo-Irish Agreement (1985) and subsequently as a negotiator during the Downing Street Declaration (1993).
He went on to co-chair the Anglo Irish Intergovernmental Conference (1993-1997) and led the Irish delegation to the All Party Talks in Belfast, which culminated in the Good Friday Agreement.
Dick was educated at Cistercian College, Roscrea, Trinity College Dublin and subsequently qualified as a barrister at The Society of Kings Inns, where he is now an Honorary Bencher.
Spring has also a number of Non-Executive Directorships including Goodbody Stockbrokers, Alder Capital, and the Diversification Strategy Fund, and is currently Deputy Chairman of Fexco Holdings and Chairman of the Foundation Board at The Institute of Technology Tralee.
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With a self-styled ‘wardrobe wellness’ brand and mindful approach to dressing, Annemarie helps people find their personal style.
However, in late 2021, her life took an unexpected turn when she was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s disease, a progressive neurodegenerative condition affecting movement and mental health.
She has since become an outspoken advocate for Parkinson’s awareness, sharing her journey to shed light on the realities of living with the disease including a five-part podcast series, Living Your Best Life.
In recognition of her commitment to bringing about social change, she won the Catalyst award at Irish Tatler’s Women of the Year 2023 and was featured by the Irish Examiner as one of 100 Women Changing Ireland, 2023.
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Phil Quinlan was 16 years old when he went up for a header in 1989 and came down to a life transformed.
A clash of heads with a schoolfriend left him in a coma.When he woke, he was paralysed down his right side. Over time, he got the use of himself again but the 34 years since – the anniversary is next weekend – have been filled with chronic pain, a signature limp and a constant battle with his legs and feet to find some small level of comfort.
The life he had was one of non-stop sport and activity. He ran cross-country for Meath. He played soccer with Parkvilla, he won county medals with his school. That whole side of his life turned to vapour in an instant and he’s spent 3½ decades since trying to get back on his feet.
Courtesy Makachy Clerkin
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Dwayne Woods is a Music Publicist and Artist Manager at Butter Wouldn’t Melt.
With nearly 20 years of experience in the music industry, Dwayne has honed his expertise across various fields, including Radio Broadcasting, Journalism, Events, PR, and Artist Management and Development. He currently manages musician and visual artist Meljoann.
Dwayne is currently on a break from the music industry for mental health reasons, but admits he misses radio deeply, finding anything related to radio or programming therapeutic. Originally from County Leitrim and now living in Drogheda, Dwayne has been on a journey of sobriety since 2022. He is also a dedicated mental health advocate, activist, and openly talks about living with ADHD.
Music has been a life-saving force for Dwayne, helping him through the darkest moments and shaping who he is today. Despite facing significant challenges, including eight months of homelessness, he credits music with giving him the strength to carry on and build his career.
Dwayne’s passion for music and mental health advocacy continues to drive him forward, embracing life’s challenges with resilience and courage.
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Niall O'Dowd is the Founder of IrishCentral as well as of Irish America Magazine and the Irish Voice Newspaper. He is also responsible for publishing IrishCentral.com community newspaper and The Irish Emigrant newspaper, in Boston. He founded the Wall Street 50 awards, the Top 100 Irish Americans, the Business 100 and more recently the Top 50 Women in Business and the Irish Legal 100 awards.
Niall was awarded an honorary doctorate by University College Dublin for his work on the Irish peace process, which was a subject of a book, "Daring Diplomacy" and a PBS Special, "An Irish Voice."
His book, An Irish Voice, is a remarkable first-hand account of an Irish emigrant who began as a part-time footballer and house-painter, and became a journalist, author, founder and publisher of two newspapers, a magazine and website, as well as a leading advocate for immigration reform for the ‘illegal’ Irish in the United States.
He played a pivotal role in the Northern Ireland peace process, securing a US visa for Gerry Adams in 1994 and acting as intermediary between the White House and Sinn Féin during a critical time in the peace negotiations.
He is also the author of Fire in the Morning, about the Irish at the World Trade Centre on 9/11 and an adjunct professor of journalism at Columbia University.
He was also a founder of the Irish Americans for Clinton campaign in 1991, supporting candidate Bill Clinton for president. He led an Irish American peace delegation to Northern Ireland after Clinton was elected and acted as intermediary between Sinn Fein and the White House at a critical period in the peace process. His role was featured in the book Daring Diplomacy by Conor O'Clery.
O'Dowd created the US Ireland Forum, a forerunner of the Diaspora forum held by the Irish government in 2009.
A native of Ireland, (his father was from Cillchuile, Ballydavid Co. Kerry, and lives in New York with wife Debbie McGoldrick and daughter, Alanna..
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Pádraig Ó Céidigh has had multiple careers. He’s been a teacher, an accountant, a lawyer, and an entrepreneur.
In 1993, he bought a tiny, failing airline and turned it into a thriving regional carrier with revenues in excess of $150 million. He went on to found and develop businesses across a range of sectors, including property, publishing, printing, and healthcare.
Pádraig is a former winner of Ireland EY Entrepreneur of the Year and represented Ireland at EY World Entrepreneur of the Year. He’s also found time to serve on various state and non-state boards and was a senator in the Irish parliament from 2016 to 2020.
An alumnus of the University of Galway and Harvard University, he is currently an adjunct professor of entrepreneurship and business at the University of Galway.
Pádraig lives in the west of Ireland with his wife, Caitlín. The Purposeful Decision Maker is his first book.
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Derek Daly is an Irish former racing driver, businessman and broadcaster, who competed in Formula One from 1978 to 1982.
Born and raised in Dublin, Daly won the British Formula Three Championship in 1977, before participating in 64 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting at the 1978 United States Grand Prix West. His 15 championship points made him the first Irish driver to score in Formula One, and remains the highest scoring; he also participated in several non-championship races. After Formula One, Daly moved to the United States to compete in CART and IMSA, where he led Nissan to the IMSA GTP Championship in 1990
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The story of how the Ryan family came back from the brink, and, in the process, brought low-fare airlines to the world is little known. Yes, people know about Ryanair, which transformed travel in Europe. But there is much more.
The family took the Ryanair template and rolled it out in five other low-fare airlines – making flying affordable to billions of people on four continents.
This is the story that became the book Aer Dogs. It is, of course, about Tony Ryan, who died in 2007, and the Ryan family. But it is also about other families few have heard of – names such as Carragher, Doherty, Maxwell, Mulvihill, Mason, Goode and Blaney.
These were the so-called “Aer Dogs”, people who took the Ryanair spirit and exported it around the world and the story is told by Tom Lyon’s in Aer Dogs, just recently published.
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Colm Hayes, is an Irish radio broadcaster and sometimes television presenter. He formerly presented weekend breakfasts on RTE2 FM, The Strawberry Alarm Clock and currently presents The Morning Show on Classic Hits with Lucy Kennedy.
Colm has just launched a new podcast with his brother, titled Brothers in Arms.
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Growing up in Dublin, Deb Grant was buying records from an early age and started DJing when she was just 15.
Her career has been a consistent pursuit of exciting opportunities to share her favourite records with a crowd ready to get down.
Deb now lives In Manchester, moving after being in London for many years, for her job as a presenter on BBC Radio 6 Music.
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