Hiberno Stories is a quirky show hosted by Christine Mullaney from Ireland. Through storytelling in Hiberno (Irish) English, Christine shares whatever the wind blows through her and stirs in her soul to speak about. Tune in for stories about Ireland's ancient Gods and Goddesses, learn new Irish words from our myth and folklore, pick up neuroculture, mental health, and mindset nuggets, and whatever else comes up along the way.
David Keohan, The Tailteann Games and The Birth of Lú
Friday, August 1, 2025 • Duration 01:08:00
This week is a mish mash of magic! I birth my new podcast name - Hiberno Stories, and share the story of The Birth of Lú, Ireland's God of Light as mí na Lúnasa comes to a close. I also had the wonderful honour of speaking to David Keohan, better known by his Instagram handle, Indiana Stones - Ireland's first stone lifter in 60-odd years. We chat about the revival of the Tailteann Games at September Equinox (which I called Solstice), the ancient practice of Stone Lifting in Ireland, the Basque region, Iceland, and Scotland, and how a story by Flann O'Brien led David to discover an Irish tradition that might have completely died out if he had not gone stone searching on the islands off Ireland's West Atlantic Way. Oh, and my Substack is ready. Click the link below to access the story script and a glossary of the terms used in Lugh's story.
As the Kerry team win yet another GAA All Ireland final, beating champions over Meath, Donegal, on the weekend of the Lughnasa festival in Cloghane and Brandon, I share the story of Sam Maguire and the contribution he made to Ireland's 1916 Rising and ultimate semi-independence, his relationship with the "Big Fella" Michael Collins, and why Ireland's most prestigious Gaelic football trophy is named in his honour, despite his home county of Cork not winning it the year it was first presented. I also share a connection I made between Saint James, or Santiago de Compostela, the landing zone of Camino de Santiago pilgrims, Ireland's God of Light Lú, Croagh Patrick, and the Catholic Church. Substack coming soon. Stay tuned.
This episode offers a sample conversation you may have with an Irish customs officer upon landing in Ireland, using Hiberno English. I explain the meaning of the words, how you can use them, and share three of my favourite places to go in Ireland. I also teach you three Irish curse words and how to, or not, to use them.
How do you ask confidently for a point to be repeated if you have not understood it the first time around? Christine explains how to request clarification in a presentation, meeting or workplace setting without worrying about appearing stupid or incompetent, irritating your speaker or unnecessary procrastination.
CHRISTINE REVEALS:
The reasons why clarification is so important in the workplace.
The unseen advantages gained from confident clarification.
Why so many people, possibly even you, are afraid to ask for clarification.
Some priceless tips for clarifying with confidence.
Some secret methods to ask for clarification while simultaneously building your relationship and avoiding irritation or embarrassment.
BEST MOMENTS “Clarifying confidently is an essential skill. It can help you effectively communicate and avoid misunderstandings.”
“It can create psychological safety for newer or less experienced employees in the organisation.”
“The brain’s fear response can result in individuals fearing judgement or criticism when seeking clarification.”
“Use clear, concise and specific language. When you need clarification, the more precise and concise you can be, the easier it is for a person to understand what you need from them.”
“The key thing to remember is that clarifying is not a sign of weakness or incompetence; it’s a sign of commitment to clear communication, to shared understanding, to not wasting time, and to being effective in your work.”
This week asks some difficult questions about difficult questions. Christine offers you some answers that will prepare you for that gut-tightening moment during a presentation when you feel you are being challenged, perhaps attacked and maybe even put off your stride.
CHRISTINE REVEALS
How identifying a difficult question can be all about perception.
The reasons why people ask difficult questions.
The connection between difficult questions and your mindset.
5 ways to effectively manage difficult questions.
The Law of Optimal Performance.
BEST MOMENTS
“Somebody’s fired a question at you, you weren’t ready for it, it interrupted you in the middle of speaking, you’re just completely and utterly put out. “How dare they!”. Well what was the reason they might have asked?”
“In comparison to needing clarification, a person may ask deeper, more pointed questions because they want to gain more understanding and explore more deeply the topic that is being discussed.”
“Before the presentation, with a fixed mindset, we might say to ourselves “Am I able to do this? I don’t have the same level of expertise.” Whereas with a growth mindset, we might say “I’m not sure I can do this, but I’m going to do it and I can’t learn if I don’t try.”’
“Different people hear, see, perceive the world in different ways. Different brains have different capacities to hear, perceive and see the world.”
“The most important part of presentation preparation is speaking to your audience’s objective, not to yours.”
“In many cultures, pausing indicates a lack of knowledge. Speakers often fear being judged negatively for pausing, but pausing confidently creates authority.”
“When we stop forcing the brain to think about a thing we reduce the pressure on the brain and Bop! We remember.”
How do you introduce a guest speaker while energising and engaging audience? Often overlooked, tasks such as introducing speakers, giving votes of thanks, and emceeing events are key responsibilities many professionals are delegated. Using examples, Christine explains how to approach these tasks with the right tone, brevity and knowledge to avoid losing the audience before the speech has even begun.
CHRISTINE REVEALS:
That introductions are not about making your own “mini speech”. Your goal is to create interest.
A secret reading technique inexperienced emcees can use with cue cards.
The importance of researching the guest speaker in advance.
How to stimulate interest, before giving away the speaker's identity.
A useful mnemonic for structuring an introduction: Welcome. Introduce the title. Intrigue. Notches (achievements) and finally Speaker - Always aim for the "WIINS".
BEST MOMENTS
“Many people who decide to work on their public speaking or presentation skills often only focus on, to be quite frank, themselves.”
“It’s important that you don’t overshadow the speaker in any way.”
“When introducing a speaker, it’s important not to be a slave to the notes. You want the delivery to sound spontaneous, not stilted or robotic.”
"Many of you will remember the 2018 communication scandal which resulted in Starbucks closing 8,000 stores to retrain 175,000 employees."
“This example is somewhat of a formal introduction, but there is still a hint of humour and ease to its presentation. It’s made to target the audience member who is not familiar with the speaker.”
“The degree of formality will change greatly depending on the tone of the event, of course. Make sure you check this in advance.”
CONTACT METHOD Email: christine@languagecouragecoaching.comJoin us on Zoom: Website : Training:
E12: How to Introduce a Presentation
Season 1 · Episode 12
Monday, May 1, 2023 • Duration 24:33
Christine explains techniques on how to introduce a talk or presentation. The kinds of methods used depend on the situation, the culture, the person, the relationship, and the listener. Find out how to get your audience fully engaged from the outset of your presentation with consideration for the ambience of the room, first impressions, a powerful opening, and the emotional buy-in of your listeners.
CHRISTINE REVEALS
How the COVID lockdown has decreased people’s confidence in speaking to a live and present audience.
That first impressions matter and you should consider the room, background, and ambience before you begin.
The importance of understanding your audience.
That your first two lines are of critical importance.
The secret behind ‘hooks’ and how to use them to gain emotional buy-in.
The importance of being mindful of cultural references and jokes.
That creating relevance of the topic to your listeners is paramount.
That timetabling time for questions can deal with challenging hecklers.
BEST MOMENTS
“One of the most important aspects of a talk or a presentation is its opening. How you open makes all the difference, not only to your audience, but to your own confidence and speaking success.”
“When I was an English teacher I used to put scented bags of essential oils on the radiators before my students came to class to help them feel calm.”
“In with the hook, always backup your data, it’s very important, especially if you want to be credible to an audience.”
“Conviction in your voice, belief in your content and capacity to deliver it, and strategic phraseology cast a spell that commands attention. Respect them, sometimes playfully, but with absolute clarity.”
If you're looking to impress executives with a presentation, you won't want to miss this episode. Christine shares ten essential tips to help you prepare, structure, and deliver a compelling executive presentation that effectively communicates your solution to their problem. Her guidance covers all stages of the process, and she uses real-world examples to make it easy to apply. Listen in to learn how to make your next executive presentation a success.
CHRISTINE REVEALS:
Generally, leave the jokes to the comedians.
When preparing a presentation, look out, not in. Present for your audience and resist the temptation to showcase yourself.
Use social media to gain insight into who the key members of your audience are. Include a few comments in your presentation that connect with their world view.
You are presenting to powerful people, be ready to hand the power back to them when you need to.
Manage your blinks. The more you blink the less you are believed.
Answer the executives’ questions and show them that you have the solution to their problems.
If someone tries to undermine you during the presentation, rise above it.
BEST MOMENTS: “One of the golden rules in presentation, especially across cultures and countries, is not to start with a joke.”
“C-level executives see the answer long before anybody else does. Prepare to be interrupted.”
“Would you believe your argument or your proposal? Executives value conviction.”
“In a second, an executive will spot a number that´s off, logical errors, content errors. Get an expert eagle eye to review your content.”
In this episode, Christine explains how the force, pressure or volume applied to a syllable, word or phrase can have direct effects on how your message is received in a presentation or conversation. Using some of the content from her Resource Library to define speaking power, Christine demonstrates how failing to understand stress techniques in English can result in a speaker's message being misunderstood or not being heard at all. If you work in English, but it's not your first language, this is an episode not to miss!
CHRISTINE REVEALS:
Power is also called ‘Tone Quality’ and is often referred to as ‘Stress’ by English language teachers.
How we weaken and strengthen sounds in English and link certain word combinations impacts how well an audience can understand what we say.
When speaking too softly, listeners can lose confidence in the speaker, or when too loud, a speaker can frustrate or alienate the audience.
A special technique the best orators use to take their audience on a journey as they speak.
How mastery of these techniques using Phenomenal Presenters can provide you with the engagement you desire when presenting or communicating in English.
BEST MOMENTS “A well-used punch of power vibrated within the resonators offers a delightful quality to a speaker’s overall tone.”
“Variability is key. Too soft, an audience may lose trust. Too loud and a speaker can appear overly dominant or emotional and push people away.”
“Languages use stress differently. Some apply the same degree of power to every syllable. Some apply the same degree of duration to every syllable, the same pace. Spanish and French are examples of that.”
“One of the most memorable speeches ever given and still one of the most famous speeches today draws on both of these techniques, three or more, the powerful rule of three when speaking, and on the building to a climax. Which speech, you ask? Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream”.”
E09: How to Nurture Natural Confidence
Season 1 · Episode 9
Monday, April 10, 2023 • Duration 27:41
Have you ever held yourself back when asked to speak or present? Christine addresses situations in which you can be tested or deliberately manipulated, including a personal story of her own, and examines how we can build our defences against negative influences, both external and internal and free ourselves to express with confidence in our abilities and knowledge. Take your first steps to become bulls**t resistant.
CHRISTINE REVEALS:
How advertising takes advantage of your vulnerabilities to sell to you.
How our formative years shape us with lessons to be embraced or unlearned to return to the confidence levels we are all born with.
How confidence is not only dictated by knowledge of the subject but by the perceived difficulty of the task at hand.
An invaluable piece of advice to help you nurture confidence.
How to sound confident in professional situations, even if you don’t feel like it inside.
BEST MOMENTS
“People are used to being made to feel afraid then convinced the fearmonger has the solution. It’s happened for decades, more than decades.”
“As we grow and develop in playgroups and preschool and before it, and throughout our lives, so too does our confidence and trust.”
“In approximately 50% of respondents, confidence was also reflected by the perceived uncertainty of the task at hand.”
“Confidence isn’t something we can simply change overnight. It’s as layered as the therapist's onion representing our emotions and our experience.”
“I am confident enough in my own learning and experience to share what I am sharing today. It’s helped me, my family members and my clients. I don’t need anyone else to validate its truth.”
ABOUT THE PODCAST Cultivate confident English-speaking skills with Connected Communication, the podcast series for anyone communicating in English as a global lingua franca. Join host Christine and expert guests as they explore effective cross-cultural communication, vocal mastery, and the intriguing interplay between communication and the brain. Transform your career with unique tricks and techniques. New episodes, challenges and quests every Tuesday. Listen on any device, and rate and review if you enjoy it. Communicate to connect today!
ABOUT THE HOST Christine Mullaney is a TEDx speaker, certified brain-based conversations and English neurolanguage® coach, cross-cultural trainer, and the founder of Language Courage Coaching, offering services in English Pronunciation and Communication, Public Speaking & Presentation, Intercultural Communication, and Personal Development Coaching.
Her content blends over 25 years of training and practice in speech & drama, English teaching, public speaking, and customer service with her new-found love, neuroscience. It is designed to pump your dopamine, unblock fear and shatter shame, while nurturing natural confidence, courageous beliefs and new behaviours.
ABOUT THE PODCAST Cultivate confident English-speaking skills with Connected Communication, the podcast series for anyone communicating in English as a global lingua franca. Join host Christine and expert guests as they explore effective cross-cultural communication, vocal mastery, and the intriguing interplay between communication and the brain. Transform your career with unique tricks and techniques. New episodes, challenges and quests every Tuesday. Listen on any device, and rate and review if you enjoy it. Communicate to connect today!
ABOUT THE HOST Christine Mullaney is a TEDx speaker, certified brain-based conversations and English neurolanguage® coach, cross-cultural trainer, and the founder of Language Courage Coaching, offering services in English Pronunciation and Communication, Public Speaking & Presentation, Intercultural Communication, and Personal Development Coaching.
Her content blends over 25 years of training and practice in speech & drama, English teaching, public speaking, and customer service with her new-found love, neuroscience. It is designed to pump your dopamine, unblock fear and shatter shame, while nurturing natural confidence, courageous beliefs and new behaviours.
Cultivate confident English-speaking skills with Connected Communication, the podcast series for anyone communicating in English as a global lingua franca. Join host Christine and expert guests as they explore effective cross-cultural communication, vocal mastery, and the intriguing interplay between communication and the brain. Transform your career with unique tricks and techniques. New episodes, challenges and quests every Tuesday. Listen on any device, and rate and review if you enjoy it. Communicate to connect today!
ABOUT THE HOST Christine Mullaney is a TEDx speaker, certified brain-based conversations and English neurolanguage® coach, cross-cultural trainer, and the founder ofLanguage Courage Coaching, offering services in English Pronunciation and Communication, Public Speaking & Presentation, Intercultural Communication, and Personal Development Coaching.
Her content blends over 25 years of training and practice in speech & drama, English teaching, public speaking, and customer service with her new-found love, neuroscience. It is designed to pump your dopamine, unblock fear and shatter shame, while nurturing natural confidence, courageous beliefs and new behaviours.
Christine Mullaney is a TEDx speaker, certified brain-based conversations and English neurolanguage® coach, cross-cultural trainer, and the founder of Language Courage Coaching, offering services in English Pronunciation and Communication, Public Speaking & Presentation, Intercultural Communication, and Personal Development Coaching.
Her content blends over 25 years of training and practice in speech & drama, English
teaching, public speaking, and customer service with her new-found love, neuroscience. It is designed to pump your dopamine, unblock fear and shatter shame, while nurturing natural confidence, courageous beliefs and new behaviours.
How to present to executives PDF download - https://www.languagecouragecoaching.com/increaseexecutivepresence
ABOUT THE PODCAST
Cultivate confident English-speaking skills with Connected Communication, the podcast series for anyone communicating in English as a global lingua franca. Join host Christine and expert guests as they explore effective cross-cultural communication, vocal mastery, and the intriguing interplay between communication and the brain. Transform your career with unique tricks and techniques. New episodes, challenges, and quests every Tuesday. Listen on any device, and rate and review if you enjoy it. Communicate to connect today!
ABOUT THE HOST Christine Mullaney is a TEDx speaker, certified brain-based conversations and English neurolanguage® coach, cross-cultural trainer, and the founder of Language Courage Coaching, offering services in English Pronunciation and Communication, Public Speaking & Presentation, Intercultural Communication, and Personal Development Coaching.
Her content blends over 25 years of training and practice in speech & drama, English teaching, public speaking, and customer service with her new-found love, neuroscience. It is designed to pump your dopamine, unblock fear, and shatter shame while nurturing natural confidence, courageous beliefs, and new behaviours.
Cultivate confident English-speaking skills with Connected Communication, the podcast series for anyone communicating in English as a global lingua franca. Join host Christine and expert guests as they explore effective cross-cultural communication, vocal mastery, and the intriguing interplay between communication and the brain. Transform your career with unique tricks and techniques. New episodes, challenges and quests every Tuesday. Listen on any device, and rate and review if you enjoy it. Communicate to connect today!
ABOUT THE HOST Christine Mullaney is a TEDx speaker, certified brain-based conversations and English neurolanguage® coach, cross-cultural trainer, and the founder of Language Courage Coaching, offering services in English Pronunciation and Communication, Public Speaking & Presentation, Intercultural Communication, and Personal Development Coaching.
Her content blends over 25 years of training and practice in speech & drama, English teaching, public speaking, and customer service with her new-found love, neuroscience. It is designed to pump your dopamine, unblock fear and shatter shame, while nurturing natural confidence, courageous beliefs and new behaviours.
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