Podcast Archives - The ClearOut

Underestimating Resilience and the Communication of Important Things – Episode 195

In this episode, Dara is looking at the value of letting others know what's important to you. How else are the people in your life meant to know what you care about? He argues that this can not only help to strengthen the relationships that matter most, but also mitigate against disappointment and unmet expectations. However, it is useful to keep those expectations fair and realistic.

Abdicating Duty of Care and Living in the Age of Comedy Evil! – Episode 194

In this broadly care-centred episode, Dara moves from inside to out. He wonders about the sense some people have of the world owing you something and decides a more worthwhile and potentially fruitful query is to ask what you might owe yourself. He reckons care, forgiveness and love are a good place to start. But they can be particularly difficult to effectively embed in one's internal landscape.

Reckoning with a Hustler, or What a Lucky Guy! – Episode 193

In this episode, Dara is totting up the wins in his life. There aren't many, considering his age, but maybe more than enough. A cat on a wet shack roof is not one of them. Nor is revisiting 'Bridget Jones's Diary', which he did in stealth mode. But the wins he does list are pretty cool, and some are just about the most important things in his life.

Speaking for Myself – The Challenge of Maintaining Focus – Episode 192

In this episode, Dara reflects on abandoning his recording session last week and admits to a loss of faith in the podcast. He reminds himself of a couple of the motivations behind starting the show 4 years ago and cites Bob Rafelson's brilliant New Hollywood film of 1972 - The King of Marvin Gardens - as being one of his sources of inspiration.

Lucky to be Here! Thoughts on Privilege, Doppelgangers, and the Unwieldiness of Emilia Perez – Episode 191

In this episode, once he has sorted one Deirdre from another, Dara is reflecting on the idea of privilege after attending the Holocaust Memorial Day event recently held in Dublin. He reckons it has something to do with gratitude and being permitted entry to a special group at a special time, even if it is just as a visitor.

Probing the Ancient Dark – Interview with Children’s Author Eilish Fisher – Episode 190

In this episode, Dara has an in-depth conversation with Eilish Fisher, the author of the brilliant 'Fia and the Last Snow Deer', a novel for older children. Written in blank verse, Fisher says it's the story she wrote for her ten-year-old self.

A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Exhibition, or The Ether has Spoken – Episode 189

In this episode, Dara recounts a series of unexpected events, incidents and coincidences that all occurred in a relatively compressed period of time. Something was obviously in the ether.

New Year’s Inventory – Clearing Out the Stockroom! – Episode 188

In this episode, Dara is reflecting on the year that was and acknowledging the tendency many have to do New Year's accounting. For him it is not only the start of a new year, but also his birthday - another prompt to do a stocktake. 2024 wasn't kind, and as he looks down the road of 2025 he wonders what tools are going to serve him best.

The 2024 Review – Top Movies, Documentaries, TV and Podcasts! – Episode 187

To kick off the new year, Dara starts with a 'listy' episode, recalling his top 10 movies of 2024. He follows this with a list of his top old or previously seen movies, including 1954's Rear Window and 1982's Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

The 2024 Christmas Special! – Episode 186

It's the 2024 Christmas Special! Pulling it out of the bag at the eleventh hour, Dara presents a very short, but somehow shaggy interview with his daughter Maeve, who gives a shout-out to Harry Styles, of all people. This is followed by this year's new Christmas story, 'Arrivals'. It follows a father who tries to honour his faith in his missing son by being at a certain place on a certain day every year. Will his faith be rewarded? A quiet and quietly rewarding story for the season that's in it.

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Underestimating Resilience and the Communication of Important Things – Episode 195

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Abdicating Duty of Care and Living in the Age of Comedy Evil! – Episode 194

Read More »

Reckoning with a Hustler, or What a Lucky Guy! – Episode 193

Read More »

Speaking for Myself – The Challenge of Maintaining Focus – Episode 192

Read More »

Lucky to be Here! Thoughts on Privilege, Doppelgangers, and the Unwieldiness of Emilia Perez – Episode 191

Read More »

Probing the Ancient Dark – Interview with Children’s Author Eilish Fisher – Episode 190

Read More »

A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Exhibition, or The Ether has Spoken – Episode 189

Read More »

New Year’s Inventory – Clearing Out the Stockroom! – Episode 188

Read More »

The 2024 Review – Top Movies, Documentaries, TV and Podcasts! – Episode 187

Read More »

The 2024 Christmas Special! – Episode 186

Read More »

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