Built in Kilkenny

Luke O'Connor is a member of the Irish Freedom Party, based in Kilkenny. He has run for election both as an independent and for the party.In this episode of Built in Kilkenny, we start with a question I've never had a good answer to: I'm 38 and I've never voted, so why should I care? We get into why Luke thinks one vote matters, what it costs to run and why independents struggle, what an independent can achieve, and how a government gets formed. We also cover pensions and the budget, immigration and housing, the carbon tax, and whether Ireland should leave the EU.Recorded at Sullivan's Taproom, Kilkenny.https://sullivanstaproom.com/Chapters0:00 Why should I care about voting?1:31 Is Irish politics breaking apart?2:42 Why I've never voted3:30 Luke on Brussels and the EU5:04 EU money in and out7:05 Luke's background8:08 What it costs to run10:05 What can an independent achieve?13:03 How a government gets formed14:36 Tony Gregory's 1982 deal15:48 Where Luke is now17:08 The post that went viral18:48 What a Dáil vote means for me23:55 Luke's policy ideas27:30 Welfare and Britain29:49 Are young people voting enough?31:44 The one policy: carbon tax34:09 Should Ireland leave the EU?36:49 Anything we haven't covered42:12 Where to find LukeSources for everything discussed are in the YouTube description.Find Luke:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lukekilkennycity/X: https://x.com/LOCthedreamer2TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luke.o.connor7Follow Built in Kilkenny:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CharlieCookLiveInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/charliecookliveTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@charliecookliveNew episode every Monday at 8am. Follow the show so you don't miss one.Charlie Cook Live, Kilkenny, Ireland

Denise Murphy is a nutritionist and personal trainer based in Kilkenny, running Dee Murphy Coaching. She's worked with intercounty and club GAA teams as a performance nutritionist, lectures part-time at TUS on strength and conditioning and sports nutrition, and has built her business from a commercial gym floor to online coaching to studying for a Masters in Sports and Exercise Nutrition.In this episode, we open straight into the biggest misconceptions women have around weight loss, no intro, no warm-up. From there we get into the fear of getting "bulky" from lifting, protein and creatine for women, why the scale doesn't always tell the real story, the pressure to bounce back after having a baby, and the moment that actually changed the course of Denise's own life, a comment she overheard on a night out in Waterford that she's never forgotten. We also get into quick, practical snacks, fussy eaters, and what a genuinely well-balanced diet actually looks like.Denise is also hosting a new Wellbeing Hub as part of Savour Kilkenny this year, a full day of talks and classes at the old KBC Bank on the Parade, with speakers including Michael Fennelly, TJ Reid, and more.Find Denise:Website: https://deemurphycoaching.ieInstagram (Dee Murphy Coaching): https://www.instagram.com/deemurphycoaching/Instagram (DM Performance Nutrition): https://www.instagram.com/dmperformancenutrition/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/denise-murphy-41911132/Follow Built in Kilkenny:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CharlieCookLiveInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/charliecookliveFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61583677633009LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charliecookliveTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@charliecookliveBuilt in Kilkenny is a series where I sit down with people who've built something in Kilkenny and tell their story. New episodes weekly.Charlie Cook Live, Kilkenny, Ireland

Kate McGrath is a public speaking coach and speech and drama teacher based in Kilkenny. She started out as a primary school teacher, ran her own speech and drama school, Starburst, since 2013, and more recently began coaching adults after a father kept asking her, week after week, to give it a try.In this episode, Kate talks about building Starburst from eight kids in a room to a business with a waiting list, what actually happens in a child's brain and body when they freeze with fear, and why your brain reacts to a work presentation the same way it would react to a bear attack. We also get into her own confidence taking a serious knock in her early 30s, something she only really recognised while training as a mediator, and how she worked her way back from it.It's an honest conversation about confidence, fear, and the work of helping other people find their voice.Find Kate:Website: https://katemcgrathcommunications.comKate McGrath Communications Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katemcgrathcommunicationsStarburst Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starburstdramaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-mcgrath-4492aa24bFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1GnQtjWtPP/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kate.mcgrath.commuFollow Built in Kilkenny:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CharlieCookLiveInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/charliecookliveFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61583677633009LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charliecookliveTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@charliecookliveBuilt in Kilkenny is a series where I sit down with people who've built something in Kilkenny and tell their story. New episodes weekly.Charlie Cook Live, Kilkenny, Ireland

Tom Britton grew up daydreaming out the classroom window at CBS Kilkenny and failed his Leaving Cert the first time around. Years later, he earned his pilot’s licence at 17, only for a diagnosis of a lazy right eye to end his dream of flying commercially.That setback forced a pivot into the travel industry. After borrowing money to launch his first business in the 90s, Tom went on to found Marble City Travel in 2005.In Episode 13 of Built in Kilkenny, Tom sits down with Charlie Cook to discuss what happened when company revenue collapsed from €5 million to €500,000 during the 2008 financial crash, the reality of processing millions in customer refunds during COVID-19, and how a health scare in 2015 sparked a physical transformation to completing 49 marathons and the Ironman World Championship in Kona.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------CONNECT WITH TOM & MARBLE CITY TRAVEL:• Website: https://www.marblecitytravel.ie• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marblecitytravel• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marblecitytravel• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@marblecitytravel-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------CONNECT WITH CHARLIE & BUILT IN KILKENNY:• Website: https://charliecooklive.com• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@charliecooklive• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charliecooklive• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@charliecooklive-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------KEY TIMESTAMPS:00:00 - Introduction & Growing Up in Kilkenny01:42 - Daydreaming at CBS James' Street & School Struggles04:00 - Failing the Leaving Cert & Finding College Marketing05:36 - Working Bakery Jobs to Pay for Flying Lessons at 1508:10 - The Lazy Eye Diagnosis That Ended His Aviation Career09:31 - Pivoting into the Travel Industry13:22 - Borrowing Money to Launch His First Travel Business14:04 - Leaving Travel for Hotels & Realising He Was Unhappy15:11 - The Beginning of Marble City Travel (2005)15:29 - Why the Internet Didn't Kill Travel Agents19:02 - Petrol Bombs in Barcelona & Last-Minute Travel Disasters24:54 - Surviving 2008: From 5 Million to Half a Million Revenue29:10 - COVID-19: Refunding Millions & Double Bank Fees33:03 - The Post-COVID Travel Boom34:27 - Winning the TTG Awards & Building a Team Like an Orchestra36:43 - Expanding Marble City Travel into Carlow38:31 - Advice for People Who Don't Fit the Education System45:46 - Leadership: "If I Won't Do It, I Won't Ask The Team"47:47 - The 2015 Doctor Visit & Running a Marathon for His Dad50:44 - Reaching the Ironman World Championship in 202255:57 - Why Small Daily Incremental Gains Build Empires57:15 - Final Thoughts

Kilkenny pharmacist and OCARA Wellness founder Laura Hogan joins me for Episode 12 of Built in Kilkenny.Laura talks about life behind the pharmacy counter, why prevention matters as much as treatment, and what years of dealing directly with patients have taught her about our health.We get into the supplement industry, whether supplements actually work, why “natural” doesn’t automatically mean safe, and why Laura believes people should be careful about where they get their health information.Laura also discusses stress and anxiety, antibiotic resistance, neurodivergence and why greater awareness doesn’t mean these conditions suddenly appeared, as well as the gaps she sees in women’s health and menopause care.We also get into Laura’s own story: why she decided to start a business at 40, how OCARA Wellness came about, the leap of faith involved in creating its first product, and the feedback that made her realise something she created was making a difference.Built in Kilkenny with Charlie Cook.