Joanne is “over the moon” to do podcasts
WORLD IS IN FOR ‘NO LIMITS’ BROADCASTS FROM GIFTED GABBER
SHE has the gift of a gab and certainly lights up a room.
Now Millstreet’s Joanne O’Riordan will have her own podcast series. It really is a match made in heaven.
Joanne, who was given the accolade of ‘Outstanding Young Person of the World’ and is a noted disability rights activist, will now have her own podcast, which is supported by Cork’s Red FM. Joanne is one of only seven people worldwide living with a rare medical condition, Total Amelia – meaning she was born without any limbs.
Joanne said she was “over the moon” at her new adventure.
The idea for the podcast was mooted back in 2018, when Joanne approached Red FM with the concept. Since then, Joanne has been working hard developing the theme for her podcast series.
Joanne said: “It’s crazy, but you know what, I’m excited. It is a big step forward in my career, and I hope people like it. I wanted to do something whereby I could put my own stamp on it. We don’t see many people with disabilities behind a radio mic in Ireland, and this podcast allows me to do my own thing and speak to an audience I want to engage.”
The Joanne O’Riordan Podcast interviews are released every Friday afternoon, and topics vary from week to week. Speaking ahead of the launch, Ruairi O’Hagan, Sports Editor at Red FM, said: “Joanne’s story is an inspirational one, and we are thrilled to help launch her broadcasting career. Joanne has been a pleasure to work with over the last number of months, and I look forward to that continuing.”
The first podcast interview is with Cork sporting legend and 18time All-Ireland champion Rena Buckley. Joanne is a huge GAA supporter, and she readily admitted to being a big fan of Rena’s.
“I wanted to ask her about life after sport. We see people like Rena and others appear on our screens every weekend. They commit so much of their time and life to a game that asks a lot of them... physically, mentally and emotionally. For this particular interview, I was interested in talking to her about life after sport.”
In total, there are six interviews for the first podcast series. These include Tracey Kennedy, the second female chairperson in the GAA; Mary O’Connor, holder of 21 All-Ireland medals for county and club; and Niamh McCarthy, Paralympian silver medallist and European Discus record holder.
“For this series, I focus on women in sport,” Joanne said, “but that doesn’t mean the podcast will be one dimensional. I’m obsessed with gender equality, women’s rights, disability rights and politics too. I’m sick of hearing and seeing interviews that have no depth or personality attached to them. I want to create and develop a podcast that is humorous, challenging but above all engaging. I believe the first set of interviews delivers that. I’m already looking at potential interviews for my next series, and let’s just say we have a few interesting people lined up.”
The Joanne O’Riordan Podcast will debut on RedExtra.ie, iTunes and Spotify on Fridays at noon, and every subsequent Friday at the same time.