Keeping Track

Sober is a documentary about alcohol, sobriety, and what happens to your sense of community when you stop drinking. Beginning with one simple thought - the sudden feeling that it might be nice to have a pint with new colleagues - Dave Hackett explores what alcohol has come to represent in Irish life: friendship, confidence, masculinity, grief, escape, ritual and belonging. Through deeply personal testimony alongside voices from medicine, sociology, music, recovery and the Irish pub, Sober asks what we are really looking for when we reach for a drink, and whether the things we fear losing when we stop drinking might be found somewhere else. At its heart, it is less a documentary about giving up alcohol than about learning how to belong without it. CHAPTERS 00:00 — The Pint Why can the idea of “a pint” still mean something long after you stop drinking? 03:45 — This Is What We Do Growing up with alcohol, the unwritten rules of the pub, masculinity and belonging. 09:40 — What It Does For Us Confidence, escape, friendship, intimacy and why alcohol can become more than a drink. 17:10 — When It Stops Working Dependency, physical and mental health, loss and the moments that make people stop. 26:20 — Learning to Be Sober Recovery, counselling, mindfulness and learning to deal with emotions without escaping them. 35:20 — What Do We Keep? If drinking has been tied to friendship and community, what happens when alcohol is removed? 42:40 — The Pint Again What we miss, what we don’t — and what that imagined pint might really represent. CONTRIBUTORS (In order of appearance) Eoin Fray — Freelance researcher. Liam Mullaney — Owner of Myo Café in Cork. James Browne — Irish Actor. Keith “Smelly” O’Connell — Drummer with The Revolt and formerly Nun Attax and Five Go Down to the Sea. Kiera McMahon — Co-founder of Teetotal Cork. John O’Brien — Lecturer in Sociology and Criminology at University College Cork. Fergal MacGabhann — Publican and long-time operator of the Corner House in Cork. Dr Eric Kelleher — Consultant Liaison Psychiatrist. Ian Lynch — Musician and member of Lankum. Richie Egan — Musician, producer and songwriter. Bríd O’Donovan — Freelance photographer. Shauna Smith — Co-founder of Teetotal Cork. Professor Orla Crosbie — Hepatologist at Cork University Hospital. George O’Mahony — Alcoholics Anonymous facilitator. CREDITS Sober was presented, produced and edited by Dave Hackett for UCC 98.3FM. Original music composed by Dave Hackett. Made possible with funding from Coimisiún na Meán through the television licence fee. With thanks to everyone who contributed their stories, experiences and expertise.

In this bonus episode, we meet Julia Ehrhardt, an early childhood practitioner at Farmyard Kindergarten. Julia shares her journey into early years education, reflecting on her formative experiences and what led her to become a Kindergarten teacher. We explore the Steiner philosophy in a pre-school setting, how to know when your child is ready for pre-school, the daily rhythm of a playschool, and the unique challenges of working in early childhood education. If you're a parent of a baby or toddler and thinking about pre-school, this episode is full of valuable insights. Thanks for supporting local radio!

Rob Crowley runs Callanan’s Bar, a small pub on George’s Quay overlooking the south channel of the River Lee. It has been a family-run establishment since the 1930s with a loyal clientele. Callanan’s is more than just a pub, it’s a Cork institution. Now in its third generation of ownership, it continues to maintain its welcoming atmosphere while supporting storytelling, theatre, and music. Over the years, it has hosted intimate plays, events as part of the Sounds From a Safe Harbour Festival. We speak about the history of the pub and his family, his love for George's Quay, hosting different types of events in a small bar, the surrounding community, and much much more. Rob's love for his city and the people that frequent Callanan's really shines through. I hope you enjoy and thanks for supporting local radio :-)

Moray Bresnihan is the General Manager of Cork Community Art Link, a community arts organization focused on collaborative projects and participatory programs. His career includes work in arts programming, event production, and street theatre. He co-founded Goldie Fish Events, ran the DIY arts initiative Mutantspace.com, and served as Artistic Director for the Cork 2005 European Capital of Culture St. Patrick’s Festival. He also co-founded Bui Bolg Street Theatre Company, producing performances for festivals and corporate events. After working in the arts, he spent time running a bakery before returning to community-focused creative work. In this conversation, we discuss Moray’s early years in Vanuatu, Hong Kong, Mayo, and Galway, the value of trial and error, human connection, the realities of running a bakery, and Moray plays some fitting music to acompany our chat. This is a good one folks. I hope you enjoy and thanks for supporting local radio :-)

Aoife Barry is an award-winning journalist, writer, and broadcaster. She is the author of the acclaimed non-fiction book Social Capital and has written for major publications such as The Sunday Times, The Irish Times, The Business Post, and The Journal, covering topics from literature and music to the impact of social media on our lives. Beyond writing, Aoife is a seasoned moderator, workshop leader, and broadcaster. She regularly shares her insights on RTÉ, Today FM, and Newstalk and previously hosted her own radio show, Sweet Oblivion, on RTÉ 2XM. In our conversation, we discuss following your passion, the life of a freelance writer, working independently, moderating live discussions, meeting your heroes, and what makes a great interview. Aoife also shares insights on her book Social Capital, online harassment, recording an audiobook, staying on top of current affairs, and offers valuable advice for aspiring journalists. I hope you enjoy the conversation and thanks for supporting local radio! :-)

Stevie G is a highly regarded DJ and broadcaster with Red FM. Since the early ’90s, he has been a key figure in Cork’s music scene, performing at iconic club nights such as Sweat at Sir Henry’s, Mor Disco, Free La Funk, Yo Latino, and Jam, at venues like the Savoy and the Pavilion. Beyond DJing, he contributes to The Evening Echo and The Irish Examiner and is deeply involved in youth work. Through music workshops, he fosters creativity and expression among migrant communities and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in Cork. In our conversation, we discuss his time spent learning to mix records in an empty nightclub, the mechanics and culture of pirate radio in Cork, direct provision, the importance of arts and cultural spaces in a city, streaming, and much more. I hope you enjoy and thanks for supporting local radio!

Lucy Kenefick started in investment banking before pivoting in 2012 to open a CrossFit gym in Cork, which later became Obodo, a space focused on fitness and well-being. In 2023, she experienced perimenopausal symptoms and was frustrated by the lack of support. Determined to help others, she founded the NuMe Collective, a space for education, support, and empowerment for women navigating menopause. In this conversation, we discuss opening a gym with her brother Chris, the unexpected challenges of perimenopause, common misconceptions about menopause, how women and their partners can navigate this stage of life, the impact of menopause in the workplace, feelings of isolation, and much more. I hope you enjoy and thanks for supporting local radio! :-)

Debbie Godsell is an artist who holds an MA in Art from the Crawford College of Art & Design in Cork. Her lens-based work spans two-dimensional pieces, sculpture, and video, exploring themes of identity, belonging, and historical relationships with land. She delves into cultural clashes in history, tradition, and ethnocultural identity. We talk about her formative years, how she began to look at her identity, her current exhibition which questions the lineage of the Church of Ireland, colonial settler language, convergent and divergent ways of thinking, hope for the future, and a lot more. I hope you enjoy and thanks for supporting local radio :-)

Laura Russell is a physicist, a flying instructor, a commercial pilot, and an aerobatic pilot. She flies air buses for Aer Lingus to Europe and the East Coast of the U.S. She is on a journey to becoming Ireland’s first female Unlimited level aerobatic pilot. In her spare time she used to be an artist working with watercolours and pencils but now focuses that side of her creativity on web design for ad hoc customers. We talk about pulling G whilst doing aerobatics in a plane, working in the precarious industry of commercial flying, mother nature, physics and much much more. I hope you enjoy and thanks for supporting local radio :-)

Lilly Higgins is a content creator, acclaimed food photographer, and award-winning food writer. She grew up in a family of ten, spending her childhood in Cobh with a spell in Zimbabwe. Before embarking on her culinary journey, she studied design and dabbled in street art. Over the years, she carved out a career in the food industry, including teaching at the prestigious Ballymaloe Cookery School, contributing as a weekly columnist to The Irish Times for an impressive 10 years, and as a TV Chef for Virgin Media Ireland & RTE. Her Instagram following of over 140,000 is a testament to her personality and passion for what she does. She has also used her platform for advocacy, becoming a prominent voice in highlighting the Palestinian cause. We talk about her formative years, her career, writing books, following your gut, the importance of the solidarity weekly marches for Palestine and much much more. I hope you enjoy and thanks for supporting local radio :-)