xBy Eimear Deane

Better late than never! Ali Mather is back for a Marrakesh Spesh. On this episode, we recap on our trip to Marrakesh. Expect all the usual parts - Eimear's eyes & ears, Ali's local hero.By Eimear Deane

On this month’s episode, host Nicole Flattery is joined by writer Caoilinn Hughes to read and discuss Emma Devlin’s short story, ‘The Gift’ originally published in Issue 49 Volume 2, Winter 2023-4. This episode was recorded in front of a live audience as part of Cúirt International Festival of Literature 2024. Please note: there are some brief mome…

On this month’s episode, host Nicole Flattery is joined by writer Gavin Corbett to read and discuss Rebecca Ivory’s short story, ‘Arrivals’ originally published in Issue 45 Volume 2, Winter 2021-2. The story was written as part of the ‘One Night Stands’ project, curated by Thomas Morris, for which Rebecca and three other writers were asked to write…

In this weeks episode, we look back on our time in oaxaca city and Peurto escondido aka surfers paradise. Ali’s clothes continue to shrink and Eimear brings a new segment to the pod, with her weekly observations.By Eimear Deane

On this month’s episode, host Nicole Flattery is joined by Dean Fee and Emily Cooper to discuss their work as writers and editors of The Pig's Back. Read and discussed on the podcast are Danielle McLaughlin’s short story, 'Night of the Silver Fox’ originally published in Issue 23, Volume 2 of The Stinging Fly, and Mathew Sweeney's poem, 'Donegal', …

On this month with Voices Radio, we are going back to our time in Guadalajara, our day trip to Tequila with a tasting at El Tequileno. We talk food recommendations, clowns on buses and the simple, most delicious cocktail from Tequila called the Batanga.By Eimear Deane

On this month’s episode, host Nicole Flattery is joined by writer Claire-Louise Bennett to read and discuss Lucy Sweeney Byrne’s short story, ‘To Cure a Body’ originally published in Issue 35, Volume 2, a special Fear & Fantasy issue, guested edited by Mia Gallagher. You can access the story here. Claire-Louise Bennett grew up in Wiltshire and stud…

This month on voices radio, we look back to our journey from San Miguel de Allende through to sayulita.By Eimear Deane

This week's edition, we're talking packin in the drink for a month with the fabulous Kevin Charles WadeBy Eimear Deane

On this month’s episode, host Nicole Flattery is joined by writer Sheena Patel to read and discuss Oisín Fagan’s short story, ‘Triangle’ originally published in Issue 39, Volume 2 of The Stinging Fly. You can access the story here. Sheena Patel is a writer and assistant director for the film and TV industry. She is part of the 4 Brown Girls Who Wri…

Pack it up, pack it in is now LIVE on Voices Radio for a monthly podcast. Tune in monthly Voices Radio In this episode, we rewind back to the start of the adventure and revisit Mexico City. The start of our backpacking journey, two novice travellers in their 30's take on Mexico City on a budget. The learning - stick to the traveller's route! We cra…

A compilation of the best bits from Pack it up, Pack it in interviews in 2023. These nuggets of info will set you up for success in 2024. Thanks for all the support & love for the podcast so far, here's to next year!By Eimear Deane

This week, I chat with Chris Tanner, bar owner of Londons hottest new bar, Dram. Chris has worked in the hospitality industry for over a decade and he's finally taken a leap of faith to open his own bar with his two business partners. We talk about how he got started, what he's learned and the dedication needed to open your own business.…

On this weeks episode, I am chatting with Jo from Clutter Porch, who has her own thrift shop. She talks sourcing vintage, the truth about fast fashion, getting stuck in Guatemala during lockdown and her advice on setting up a sustainable business.By Eimear Deane

On this month’s episode, host Nicole Flattery is joined by writer Jan Carson to read and discuss Sheila Armstrong’s short story, 'Harlow'. Originally published on The Stinging Fly website in 2021, 'Harlow' is and available to read here. Jan Carson is a writer and community arts facilitator based in Belfast. Her first novel, Malcolm Orange Disappear…

On this week's episode, I catch up with Alice Carrol, co founder of Foxes Bow whiskey, who is now based over in Texas as she grows her brand in the US. She shares great tips on how to get started with your own brand, the highs and lows in her story so far and how Foxes Bow are disrupting the whiskey market.…

This week, I chat with the hilarious Killian Sudermann on rising to Instagram stardom during lockdown, getting started as a comedian and what's on the cards for him for 2024.By Eimear Deane

This week, I catch up with Jade Laurice a London based designer, fashion blogger and model who has worked with brands like Adidas, Puma and Fenty Beauty. We talk about how she set up her own brand, how she promotes her brand and the highs and lows of being your own boss.By Eimear Deane

On this week's episode, I chat to Collette Cooper, a musician from London who has also acted in the likes of Coronation Street. She's had an incredible career and her personality is unmatchedBy Eimear Deane

This week, I sit down with Irish actor and playwriter who is just about to debut his play 'The Manny' next week in the Smock Alley Theatre in London. We talk about the resilience needed to persevere in a career in acting, taking a leap of faith and his time as a male nanny in London.By Eimear Deane

On this month’s episode, host Nicole Flattery is joined by writer Colin Barrett to read and discuss David McGrath’s short story, ‘The Untameable Donkey’, originally published in our All New Writers issue, Winter 2022/23. Colin Barrett grew up in County Mayo. His stories have been published in The Stinging Fly, Granta, Harper’s and the New Yorker. H…

On this weeks episode, I catch up with Ciaran Gaffney, founder of Seanchoiche, to talk about the Irish story telling night that has become the hottest ticket, not just in Ireland, across the world! We talk about living abroad, the need for human connection in a post Covid world and everything in between!…

This week, I catch up with Katie and Luke from the Ungraceful Guide, who are an Irish family travelling full time around the world. We talk about their journey so far, how they manage backpacking with a 2 year old, work on the road and how they got started on their journey!By Eimear Deane

What started as a journey of two thirty somethings quitting our job and 'packing it in' to travel Central and South America has now turned into a podcast interviewing those who have packed in a conventional lifestyle to pursue their passions!By Eimear Deane

On this month’s episode, publisher and founding editor Declan Meade is joined by poet Annemarie Ní Churreáin who has just been announced as The Stinging Fly’s next poetry editor. Annemarie will take over the role from Cal Doyle in November. Here she talks about her own work as poet and editor, and reads recently published poems by Paula Meehan and …

On this month’s episode, host Nicole Flattery is joined by writer Kevin Power to read and discuss Eimear Ryan’s short story, ‘Body Clock’, originally published in our Winter 2009/10 issue. Kevin Power is the author of two novels, Bad Day in Blackrock (2008) and White City (2021), as well as a book of criticism, The Written World (2022). He is the w…

2 months back post travel - what a journey it has been! We reflect on our time away, our misconceptions about travelling, what we've learned and how we have been immersing back into reality...By Eimear Deane

On this month’s episode, host Nicole Flattery is joined by writer Sophie Mackintosh to read and discuss David Hayden’s short story, ‘Leckerdam of the Golden Hand’, originally published in our Summer 2016 issue. Sophie Mackintosh is the author of three novels: The Water Cure, Blue Ticket and Cursed Bread. Her debut novel was longlisted for the Man B…

On this month’s episode, host Nicole Flattery is joined by writer Lucy Caldwell to read and discuss Niamh Prior’s short story, ‘Peter and Jane’. ‘Peter and Jane’ was originally published in July 2021 as part of our online fiction series. Lucy Caldwell was born in Belfast in 1981. She is the author of four novels, several stage plays and radio drama…

Our final week travelling! and we've gone full bouj. We finished our week in Medellin and stayed in Laurelles, close to the football stadium were we watched a (pretty average) match. We decided to treat ourselves in Bogota and stayed in a hotel, that Pablo Escobar had put his family into when he was on the run. We had a B.N.O with some pals we met …

Eimear's bday week kicked off with a great start with a tasting menu at Carmen in Medellin and a night star in the boujiest hotel! We visited Communa 13, once the most dangerous place in the world and explored the buzzy city. We took a day trip to Guatuape and climbed the infamous rock with the most incredible views and spent a few days away from t…

A mix of city and countryside vibes this week! A few sketchy situations, including a near death motorbike experience in Minca. We got the party started with karaoke in a Mexican restaurant and we finally spotted a toucan!By Eimear Deane

We left the city of Cartagena on a high with a visit to one of the world's best cocktail bars and a soak in a 'healing' mud volcano. Then on to San Andres island with a 2 week hiatus from our usual 'back packing' life, chilling by the beach and soaking up the sun. Our pals Lisa and Emma came to visit, we befriended our air bnb host and her family a…

On this month’s episode, host Nicole Flattery is joined by writer Darran Anderson to read and discuss Mary O’Donoghue’s short story, ‘During the Russian Blizzard’. The story first appeared in the Summer 2014 issue of the magazine and was included in Stinging Fly Stories, 2018. It is one of twelve stories included in The Hour After Happy Hour, Mary’…

A jam packed week in Panama, we partied with locals in Chitre & visited Ron Abuelo distillery before heading to the cosmopolitan city of Panama. Ali nerded over the Panama canal & we partied the night away with our new 'travel fwend' Hattie before making our way to Colombia.By Eimear Deane

We finished off our Costa Rica trip in Puerta Viejo and then made our way to Panama, starting with Bocas del Toras. Ali had another trip to the hospital with a NASTY mosquito bite and Eimear enjoyed Margarita Monday.By Eimear Deane

This week, we explored La Fortuna, Monteverde & Manuel Antonio with our friends coming to join from London/Ireland! We were pure thrill seekers, taking on a Tarzan swing in MonteVerde, Ziplining across the Cloud Forest and White Water Rafting in La Fortuna. Pura Vida 4 LyfBy Eimear Deane

A very HOT week exploring Nicaragua with a homestay in Ometepe, a relaxing few days in San Juan de Sur and gazing into a live bubbling volcano in Granada We ended the week with a boozy Sunday Funday resulting in two ridiculous tattoos and a raging hangoverBy Eimear Deane

We've reached our half way mark! After 73 days living in each other's pockets, tensions were tight, with a 'volcanic' explosion from Eimear in a restaurant. Volcano boarding was added to the list of terrifyingly thrilling shit we've done & we joined a pub crawl with a load of 18 year olds ! An eventful week no doubt…

Legs still burning from our trek up to Volcano Acatenango and exploring all that Antigua has to offer! Great fun for Paddy's Day in the local Irish pub, Flora & Eimear got a bit ahead of themselves....By Eimear Deane

A jam packed week, clocking up nearly 30 hours on buses, staying in 6 different hostels and enjoying all that Guatemala has to offer. Special guest, Flora Stobart has arrived!By Eimear Deane

BEST WEEK EVER! An end to our 7 week trip around Mexico, finishing in Baccalar with it's crystal blue waters & finding paradise in Caye Caulker. Snarkling tour with Regga Sailing Aventures, trying Fry Jacks in our favourite brunch spot Paridiso Restaurant and drinking bucket loads of illuminious orange fanta YUM…

This week, we chilled in San Cristobal, Ali endured some terrible food poisoning and we explored the amazing canyons of Chiapas! We met some hilarious new people and ate some decent food tooBy Eimear Deane

This week we explored the amazing city of Oaxaca, with a walking tour around the city and an excursion to the petrified lakes! We then headed to the sunny South for a sunburn filled week in Peurto Escondido - find out more about our recommendations on PackitupPackitinPod on InstaBy Eimear Deane

On this week's episode, we explored Guadalajara, Tequila, Ajicic & just touched down in Oaxaca. We ate possibly the best meal so far in Mexico in a local market in Guadalajara at Super Tortas Lokas y Kalientes, and drank a Batanga in one of the World's Best BarsBy Eimear Deane

On this weeks episode, we look back on an epic week in Puerto Vallarta and Sayulita, celebrating Eimear's brother's wedding and enjoying the coastal towns. Lapping up the last bit of luxury before returning to backpacker life next week!By Eimear Deane

On this episode, we reflect on our week, right in the hustle and bustle of Mexico city. We talk best things to see and do, an awful air bnb experience, flirting using Spanish translation books and the booms & glooms of the week!By Eimear Deane

Our pre departure episode, chatting packing, itinerary planning (or not so much in Ali's case) and Eimear gets hypnotized!By Eimear Deane

Trailer for our travel podcast, Pack it Up, Pack it inBy Eimear Deane