From Cork With Love - by Paul O'Mahony

You hear Paul O’Mahony back from the Conference in Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland. A Toastmasters international annual conference. Surely Paul’s DNA cannot have been changed in three days by “Building Foundational Friendships”.

You hear Paul O’Mahony with Louis.  You also hear Paul making tea - mentioning that he buys the cheapest tea in SuperValu, his local supermarket. 

You hear sounds of Dublin city centre - plus commentary by Paul O’Mahony as he walks the streets.  

You hear Paul O’Mahony talking about a time when everything seemed to be going quite nicely.  Until he got a surprise invitation to do something quite nerve racking

You hear Paul O’Mahony very upset.  He was caught speeding.A big fine & three points on his licence 

You hear Paul O’Mahony talking about how he was pissed off by the way the day began. You also hear him talking about why it’s getting better and better.  Paul loves Dublin.

You hear Paul O’Mahony feeling the effects of interviewing & editing.   It’s taken more out of him than he realised

You hear Paul O’Mahony talking about the highlight of his Saturday. 

You hear Paul O’Mahony falling asleep on Saturday morning - after a day away playing golf. An experience to remember. 

You hear Paul O’Mahony asking listeners if they would like to go to a an unusual meeting. A meeting at which you hadn’t a clue what role you were to play until you got to the meeting.  Paul went to that type of meeting yesterday. He’d like to know how are you would feel about that.

You hear Paul O’Mahony talking about a talk he gave yesterday.  The talk was about John Bourke. John was one of the best Irish golfers ever. You hear what Larry thought of the speech and what he thought Paul could do to improve it.Larry’s opinion and recommendations were given at the May meeting of Toastmasters4Golf. 

You hear Paul O’Mahony hardly able to believe the rumour that the US government is contemplating imposing a tariff on the importation of the views of Pope Leo.Surely it’s a joke. 

You hear Paul O’Mahony making coffee in an energetic manner.  In kitchen, with a SAGE machine. 

You hear Paul O’Mahony  out walking with his dog on Sunday morning. Before the hailstones. Pol pleased that the blockades are being lifted. The oil refinery can go back to work.  Oil depots are open again. 

You hear Paul O’Mahony waxing lyrically about transcription provided by Voice Record Pro app.  “I almost forgot what I wanted to talk about.I wanted to tell you the story of what's happened to an app on which I use, almost every day, called voice record pro, sometimes called voice record pro seven.Something wonderful has happened.Out of the blue, I had no idea it was coming.Transcription comes.And it's fast, fast, fast.You can record your audio.Press the transcription, and it'll be there in seconds.Now, for years I've been using this app.And for years, the transcription's been no good.Okay, all transcriptions are inaccurate.But it takes forever, takes forever, up until what, 3 days ago or something like that?I tell you, there isn't a better app on which to record audio, and if there is in your opinion, something superb, something that you rate out of this world, please mention it.Please send me some kind of information about it.I would really like that because I'm fully prepared to give another app a go.Absolutely, fully prepared to download another app, try it out, give it a fair chance.But this is coming to you via voice record pro and I might even transcribe it and put it in the notes that go along with this podcast episode, which I'll put up on audioboom back to the studio.”

You hear Paul O’Mahony reporting on the latest situation“Hello and welcome to my kitchen, where I've been doing research.As far as I found out, the UK government is doing nothing significant to reduce the cost of fuel or diesel to compensate or support the businesses that are dependent on these. That means farmers, truck drivers and private bus drivers. There seems to be general societal peace, no roadblockages, no long queues outside petrol stations - nor fuel shortages.According to what I've been able to find out, via Internet, BBC News app, and artificial intelligence, all's well in UK.All is not well in Ireland.Big meeting this afternoon between government and 2 or 3 representative organisations.Probably, some spokespersons from those blocking roads will be at the meeting - if they were members of the Irish Farmers Association or Road Hauliers I had conversation this morning about how much it would cost the government to peg or reduce the price of fuel down to €1.90 per litre for diesel, and €1.60 for petrol.(Diesel is currently €2.10, petrol €1.95) -  but few can get fuel because protesters are blocking roads.One person said the government can't do that because it would cost a billion a week (or 1 billion a month).I went to sources, 2 artificial sources, DeepSeek sink &  ChatGPT.According to Deep Seek, it would cost the Exchequer €80-120 million for 3 months.Chat GPT said it would cost 300 million per year for petrol, for all diesel €275m -  €575m per year.Both went into detail on how they did their calculations.Chat GPT is estimating what the cost would be to the annual exchequer. The answer it comes up with is roughly €39m per year.Correction: Including excise duty, cost would be between €80 - 90m a year.ChatGPT is now offering information on a 25% reduction across the board. It says that overall -  when you include transport, farming, and home heating, you're talking nearly €2 billion a year.Divide by 52 to to estimate how much revenue the government will lose per week. How much less investment is available for roads, hospitals, schools, social welfare, et cetera. Ireland has a massive stash of money in some kind of escrow account which has been collected Google, Apple foreign direct investment. There’s no doubt the money is there. However  the consequences of releasing  money from that fund, we call the Rainy Day Fund, is beyond me to calculate.Here's the news update.There's a big meeting this afternoon, and goodness knows what will be the outcome of it”in relation to the protests, Road blockages, and fuel shortage in Ireland at 1 pm on 10th of April 2026.

You hear Paul O’Mahony introducing the clash between protesters and the Irish government.  Roads blocked.  Oil refinery blocked … 

You hear Paul O’Mahony practising a tall tale. A tall tale is a short story which may or may not be true. The best tales leave the audience wondering “ could this possibly be true?”Paul is going to tell this tale to an audience of Toastmasters today. 

You hear Paul O’Mahony getting ‘’back to normal” after recent life.  The problem Paul faces is that he end up with war. 

You hear Paul O’Mahony on a bicycle for the first time in 19 years.  Is it possible that Paul will take up cycling again?  Surely Paul won’t continue to be irritated by Greenways?

You here Paul O’Mahony on his way back from the funeral of Nick Chambers. 

You hear Paul O’Mahony reporting from Heathrow Airport - in his way to a funeral in County Dorset - and having coffee. 

You hear Paul O’Mahony moaning about how caterpillars attacked him with tiny hairs.  Urticating hairs that cause human skin to have a rash and become very irritating.  Almost unbelievable - to someone who has grown up seeing Caterpillars as lovely little harmless creatures 

You hear Paul O'Mahony speak shortly after he's been shocked by a podcaster - thanks to Sunday's episode of "The Story" podcast.  Paul suggests you listen to Episode 1 of "The Epstein Files" podcast.  Paul's hooked.  Listened to five episodes one after the other. 

You hear Paul O’Mahony remembering what it was like to visit the ships that Christopher Columbus used - before driving on to Faro Airport.  A fragment recorded in the car.

You hear Paul O’Mahony talking about how he feel after a lunch of black rice  & baby squid with Peter Williams. Rice blackened by squid ink.  Wednesday was a hot day in the car. 

You hear Paul O’Mahony celebrating his gin experience on the night he reached his destination Huelva in Spain. #MartinMiller I’ve & #Schweppes.  Plus the vibrant sound of Spanish conversations. #OmaniHuelva 

You hear Paul O’Mahony on his #OmaniHuelva to Spain via Faro Portugal.The adventure began in Cork, continued to Dublin Airport, and led on to this flight. 

You hear Paul O’Mahony tell a funny story.  You hear the advice Paul received from an expert yesterday. The sound of a small saucepan boiling.

You hear Paul O’Mahony making tea. Settling into a conversation with St Patrick about how he drove the snakes out of Ireland.Moving on to three requests for Patrick to wield his crozier. 

You hear Paul O’Mahony in a very worried state making a cup of tea on Monday morning.  He can’t find his passport. 

You hear Paul O’Mahony telling the story of how the outside of the shed took on a new lease of life.  Where the fresh paint came from.  Louis, Marina Market, and coffee.All on the day, Ireland and Scotland played a magnificent rugby match - the same day that England & France racked up a score which was more like a basketball score. 

You hear Paul O’Mahony running 300 yards for the first time in over 30 years - and vowing to run 301 yards tomorrow.  

You hear Paul O’Mahony giving his speech at the Area International Speech Final” in Garryvoe Hotel in East Cork.#Toastmasters

You hear Paul O’Mahony read two poems by Gerard Manley Hopkins and one by Coleridge.

You hear a train moving towards Cobh. PaulO’Mahony’s first short  journey from Glounthaune.  Ambient sound all the way - plus Paul’s chat about it. 

You hear about the first time Paul O’Mahony “prayed” in decades  #rugby 

You here Paul O’Mahony talking with the public relations manager for Toastmasters in Scotland (plus half of England, a bit of Wales & the whole of Ireland).

You hear Paul O’Mahony reciting his latest poem - and introducing itWalking May you walk into your futurewith a flower by your side.May you step on stones of lifewith joy within your shoes.As a heron stands in the rushing rivermay you weave your web with care. Between branches of your tale, there is mystery round your corner in the maze that is to come.As you taste the fragrance from the breeze,may the wisdom in your heart breathe beyond your deep blue sky

As he drives to his Monday morning “mental health walk” (where he’ll be walking with a group in Cobh, Co Cork) Paul O’Mahony talks about his feelings, thoughts & experiences of fragility. 

The shortest episode Paul O’Mahony has Ever recorded. 

You hear Paul O’Mahony admitting that he’s not as tough as he used to be.That once upon a time he lost a golf ball in the middle of a green that was covered in snow.That he’s going out for dinner tonight

You hear the sound of Paul O’Mahony’s Mother-in-law washing up in the kitchen.  Paul talks about how he feels awkward about publicising something he’s never done before.He has a splendid track record of losing speech contests, and also being disqualified. Tuesday and Wednesday of this week has been different.

You hear Paul O’Mahony reflecting on the experience he had yesterday, and learning from it.  “Toastmasters as Metaphor.”

You hear a perfect example of a sneeze, an Irish sneeze, brought on by Irish cold and damp.  If you listen carefully, you’ll hear the tinkle of a teaspoon on the side of a cup of second tea. 

You hear Paul O’Mahony  talking about the power of music.  How Maria Callas has moved into the house alongside his mother-in-law.  Together over a famous victory by Ireland in a rugby match with England.

This was recorded on the first morning Paul O’Mahony got back from Spain. You hear how surprised and pleased Paul is that the battery is still alive.Your hear Paul talking about how he wishes he could wear bright colours like women do. In the end, he reveals he has a blocked ear.