Re:Energise from ESB

Can you turn a dead wind turbine into an outdoor bridge? Host Meghann Scully dives into the fascinating world of extreme repurposing and circular upcycling, proving that yesterday’s industrial waste is tomorrow’s ultimate "Grand Design." In this mini-episode of the ESB Re:Energise podcast, we discover how Irish innovators are breathing spectacular new life into massive structures: Patrick Bradley – Renowned TV architect, breaking down the incredible realities, challenges, and design secrets of building high-end homes using recycled shipping containers. Angie Nagle (BladeBridge) – Explaining the revolutionary green engineering project transforming decommissioned wind turbine blades into public bridges, furniture, and infrastructure. Gordon Hickey – Local café owner, sharing his firsthand experience of using creative, sustainable design to build a unique business space. Discover how the circular economy is reshaping Irish construction, why traditional bricks and mortar are being replaced by eco-friendly ingenuity, and how to rethink the spaces around us. 🎧 Loved this short clip? Search "ESB Re:Energise" on your favourite podcast player to listen to the full-length episode!

Is our digital obsession fueling the climate crisis? Host Meghann Scully takes a hard look at the technology we use every day, exploring whether the rise of artificial intelligence, gadgets, and data centres will save the planet—or push it over the edge. In this mini-episode of the ESB Re:Energise podcast, we weigh the environmental risks and green solutions of tomorrow's tech with two top Irish broadcasters: Elaine Burke – Leading tech journalist, commentator, and broadcaster, who breaks down the hidden sustainability complexities behind our daily digital habits. Phil Smyth – Renowned scientist, TV presenter, and educator, discussing the critical importance of STEM education and how the next generation will use innovation to solve global challenges. Discover the truth about your digital carbon footprint, how tech can revolutionise green energy, and why future innovations are essential for a net-zero world. 🎧 Loved this short clip? Search "ESB Re:Energise" on your favourite podcast player to listen to the full-length episode!

How do we translate climate activism into real, measurable corporate and political action? Host Meghann Scully dives deep into how everyday citizens and major industries can work together to tackle environmental apathy and shape a sustainable future for Ireland. In this mini-episode of the ESB Re:Energise podcast, we map out the true path to systemic change with two leading sustainability experts: Dr. Tara Shine – Globally recognized environmental scientist, international climate policy advisor, and co-founder of Change by Degrees. Sharon McManus – Group Head of Sustainability at ESB, breaking down how one of Ireland's largest energy companies implements massive climate action from the boardroom. Discover how to transition from individual green habits to systemic global change, what the biggest challenges facing climate engagement are today, and how to find your voice in the green transition. 🎧 Loved this short clip? Search "ESB Re:Energise" on your favourite podcast player to listen to the full-length episode!

Are extreme storms in Ireland getting worse? Host Meghann Scully looks at the terrifying reality of Storm Éowyn—the historic cyclone that broke 80-year-old national wind records—to uncover what role climate change is playing in our changing weather patterns. In this mini-episode of the ESB Re:Energise podcast, we map the human impact and the monumental response to Ireland's worst storm in decades: Dr. Noel Fitzpatrick – Weather researcher and science communicator, who breaks down the hard science behind escalating global climate trends. Neil and Maura – Limerick residents who share their firsthand, harrowing experience of what it was like when Storm Éowyn directly hit their home. Siobhan Wynne (ESB Networks) – Provides an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at the massive emergency power restoration efforts that followed the destruction. Discover what it takes to protect and repair the Irish power grid during a red weather alert, and how communities can build resilience against severe weather futures. 🎧 Loved this short clip? Search "ESB Re:Energise" on your favourite podcast player to listen to the full-length episode!

How can technology and kitchen creativity solve Ireland's food waste problem? Host Meghann Scully chats with three experts who are tackling food waste from three completely different angles—from artificial intelligence to professional sports nutrition. In this mini-episode of the ESB Re:Energise podcast, we get an exclusive look inside the kitchens changing how we eat: Maurice McGeehan – Head Performance Chef at the IRFU, sharing behind-the-scenes insights into food education and the exact meals that fuel Irish rugby players. Liam Murphy – Country Manager at Positive Carbon, explaining how cutting-edge AI food waste monitors are helping businesses track and slash their waste in real time. Niall Sabongi – Chef, restaurant owner, and founder of Sustainable Seafood Ireland, breaking down what it actually means to eat responsibly from our oceans. Discover how smarter technology, pro-athlete habits, and ocean conservation are reshaping our food futures—and how you can cut your own waste at home. 🎧 Loved this short clip? Search "ESB Re:Energise" on your favourite podcast player to listen to the full-length episode!

Want to break free from the fast fashion trap? Host Meghann Scully dives into the massive environmental cost of textile waste and explores how the future of style can be ethical, circular, and incredibly successful in Ireland. In this mini-episode of the ESB Re:Energise podcast, we meet two major figures rewriting the rules of the Irish clothing industry: Aoife McNamara – Founder of her own luxury clothing brand and Ireland’s very first B Corp-certified fashion house, sharing how to create premium garments without hurting the planet. Cian Charlton – Owner of 35 Vintage on Fade Street, Dublin, charting his incredible journey from selling his own clothes online to running one of the capital's top pre-loved stores. Discover what "sustainable fashion" actually means, how to build a timeless wardrobe, and why vintage and ethical choices are dominating the future of retail. 🎧 Loved this short clip? Search "ESB Re:Energise" on your favourite podcast player to listen to the full-length episode!

Can Ireland achieve a 100% clean energy future? Host Meghann Scully sits down with one of the country's leading energy experts to explore how we can look back at a massive historical milestone—the building of Ardnacrusha power station in Co. Clare nearly 100 years ago—to solve our modern climate crisis. In this mini-episode of the ESB Re:Energise podcast, we are joined by: Dr. Paul Deane – Senior Lecturer in Clean Energy Futures at University College Cork (UCC). Discover what it will actually take for Ireland to reach its net-zero climate goals, how we can secure a self-sufficient and clean power supply, and what these massive renewable energy shifts mean for local communities and your electricity bills. Loved this short clip? Search "ESB Re:Energise" on your favourite podcast player to listen to the full-length episode!

Feeling overwhelmed by the climate crisis? Host Meghann Scully dives into how to beat climate anxiety and apathy by using the unexpected power of comedy, stand-up, and the arts to find genuine hope for a sustainable future. In this mini-episode of the ESB Re:Energise podcast, we discover why laughing through the despair might actually be the key to saving the planet: Colm O’Regan – Acclaimed Irish comedian, author, and self-declared "climate worrier," who shares how navigating his own environmental failures is far more honest (and funnier) than perfect sustainability claims. Jessamyn Fairfield & Katy Schutte – Creators of the interactive comedy show We Built This City on Rock and Coal, explaining how they use humor and audience interaction to make climate action feel local and personal. Discover why perfection isn't required to make a difference, how community resilience is built through storytelling, and how to stay motivated when the news feels hopeless. 🎧 Loved this short clip? Search "ESB Re:Energise" on your favourite podcast player to listen to the full-length episode!

Could you throw away 90% of your possessions to live in a tiny home? Host Meghann Scully explores how living with less can solve our housing headache and open up space for an affordable, sustainable future in Ireland. In this mini-episode of the ESB Re:Energise podcast, we meet two experts who abandoned the traditional property ladder to rethink our living spaces: Paul Lawford – Founder of Small Change, who shares his incredible story of quitting his job, selling his belongings, and building his own DIY Tiny Home with zero construction experience. Aidan Gately – Decluttering specialist, certified KonMari consultant (Joy at Home), and the resident expert on RTÉ’s hit TV series Home Rescue. Discover the radical mindset shift behind minimalism, how downsizing can dramatically reduce your waste, and why intentional living can transform your mental health and your wallet. Loved this short clip? Search "ESB Re:Energise" on your favourite podcast player to listen to the full-length episode!

Can sports save the planet? Host Meghann Scully dives into the future of sports sustainability in Ireland, looking at how the world of sport can advocate for and implement major climate action. In this mini-episode of the ESB Re:Energise podcast, we are joined by: Sean McCabe – Head of Climate Justice and Sustainability at Bohemian Football Club (Bohs) Oscar Carolan – Sustainability Consultant and Co-Founder of Green & Blueprints Discover how Irish sports clubs, fans, and athletes are moving past token green initiatives to tackle the climate crisis head-on—and how local communities can do the same. Loved this mini episode? Search "ESB Re:Energise" on your favourite podcast player to listen to the full-length episode!

Welcome to Re:Energise, a brand new show that looks at sustainability in all its forms, and what we can do to shape a clean energy future. Host Meghann Scully explores sustainability from all sorts of angles, asking the difficult questions, and providing practical advice to change the way you live and influence the world around you for the better.

Think of Dingle, in Co Kerry, and you might be picturing breathtaking scenery, green farmland and sandy beaches, pubs and tourism, ice-cream and Fungie the Dolphin. What you may not be picturing is a Sustainable Energy Community and hub of activity and innovation, focusing on smart agriculture, sustainable transport, rural regeneration, and bioenergy. So on this, the final episode of the season, Meghann heads to Dingle to chat to three people who are at the forefront of Dingle’s sustainable future. Deirdre de Bhailís is the General Manager of The Dingle Hub. It’s a non-profit, community enterprise that connects people and organisations to develop cooperative approaches to the challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss. Dinny Galvin is a dairy farmer who describes himself as an engineer at heart. He’s been leading the way on sustainable agriculture since first getting involved with the ESB Networks Dingle Project, and the Dingle Hub. And finally Rose Spillane, also a member of the ESB Networks Dingle Project, has been working to make her bar and restaurant as energy efficient as possible.

The many benefits of cycling - for your health, for the planet, for your pocket - are very clear. And yet Ireland is not a country of cyclists. On this episode, Meghann chats to two people who are advocating for a better society by embracing cycling and sustainable travel. In Waterford, lecturer and activist Sadhbh O’Neill has completely ditched her car and fully embraced cycling. She talks through the practicalities of car-free life in Ireland with Meghann, and looks at how we can get more people into active travel. In Dublin, Stephen McManus runs the Bike Hub, a social enterprise that uses cycling to promote inclusion, healthy lifestyles and sustainability. He works with local communities on all sorts of fantastic bike-related projects, from maintenance courses and refurbishing bikes for people in need, to cycle safety for kids and promoting active lifestyles for the over 60s. Out on the streets of Dublin, Meghann finds out how reliant people are on their car and whether they could get rid of it completely. And finally, inspired by everything in the episode, non-cyclist Meghann tries out the new e-mobility hub in Galway city.

Repurposing and upcycling can be a great way to breathe new life into old objects, but on this episode, Meghann sits down with three people who are repurposing on a grand scale! Patrick Bradley is an architect based in Derry whose designs have reused shipping containers in incredibly creative ways. In fact, his own multi-award-winning house used four of them, and was voted as the “Grandest Grand Design” in 20 years of the Channel 4 show. Meanwhile, Gordon Hickey, the owner of a cafe in a shipping container in Dublin, has found his creative choice of building has led to all sorts of benefits. And finally, at a company called BladeBridge, Angie Nagle and her team are repurposing wind turbine blades into all sorts of products. You would be surprised at how incredibly adaptable they are! These are all incredible projects, demonstrating how we can take what would otherwise be waste materials, and apply design, engineering, and huge amounts of creativity.

We can’t escape technology, but how much do we really think about the tech we use every day? Is it repairable, recyclable, reusable? Is it second hand? Is it going to become obsolete with a software upgrade in a year’s time? On this episode, Meghann asks tech journalist and broadcaster Elaine Burke to walk us through some of the complexities when it comes to technology and sustainability. There are some huge issues to be tackled here, but there are also opportunities and new developments that could change how we live and how we use technology. Meghann also sits down with scientist and broadcaster Phil Smyth, to talk about his work with children – the scientists of the future – and how a whole new generation will use technology.

In this special bonus episode, recorded with a live audience at ESB Headquarters in Dublin, Meghann sits down with Marguerite Sayers, Deputy Chief Executive of ESB. They chat about Ireland’s changing energy industry and the innovations being rolled out to empower customers and help Ireland’s climate targets. As ESB prepares to celebrate its centenary, Marguerite gives an insight into what is required to power Ireland over the next 100 years.

How engaged are you with climate change and sustainability? What does climate activism look like today? How do we change the world around us as individuals, organisations, and communities? Plenty of big questions on this episode, but Meghann has some help answering them from two guests who have been exploring these issues for a very long time. Dr Tara Shine is a scientist, policy advisor and science communicator. She is the author of How to Save Your Planet One Object at a Time, a book that explores how we can change the world as individuals. Her company, Change By Degrees, tackles these same big issues, but for companies and organisations. Meghann also chats with Sharon McManus, who has had a fascinating career, from lieutenant colonel in the Defence Forces to Group Head of Sustainability at ESB. She too, is looking at the big questions around how we engage with the world around us to change the future for the better.

Earlier this year, Storm Éowyn left nearly one million homes without power, bringing widespread disruption to towns and communities across Ireland. It was one of the most powerful storms the country has ever seen, but was it a sign of what's to come? In this episode, we ask: are storms like this becoming more common, what role is climate change playing, and what might the future hold? Meghann chats with Dr. Noel Fitzpatrick, a weather researcher and science communicator, who breaks down what’s really going on with our climate, why we name storms, and if storms are really getting worse. We also hear from two very different sides of the storm. Limerick residents Neil and Maura share what it was like when Storm Éowyn hit their home. And from the other side, Siobhan Wynne (regional manager at ESB Networks) gives us a rare behind the scenes look at what happens when the well-known yellow vans are deployed, how teams prepare, respond, and restore power in the middle of a crisis.

Do you ever wonder how much food we as a country throw away each year? It’s easy to overlook what ends up in the bin after dinner or at the back of the fridge. But, with over 750,000 tonnes of food waste generated in Ireland annually, it’s clear we need to change how we think about food. On this episode, host Meghann Scully chats with three guests who are tackling food waste from three very different angles, through AI solutions, kitchen creativity, and by examining how we can eat more responsibly. Whether you're a home cook, a food lover, or just trying to waste less, there’s something in this conversation for you. Maurice Mc Geehan, Head Performance Chef at the IRFU, talks about the importance of food education and how using everything, from the main ingredients to the byproducts can make a difference He shares practical tips on food preservation and reusing leftovers, showing that reducing waste doesn’t have to be complicated. He also shares some behind the scenes insights into the type of meals that keep Irish rugby players fueled for the pitch. Liam Murphy, Country Manager at Positive Carbon, explains how AI food waste monitors are helping businesses track and reduce their waste in real time. He highlights the environmental costs of throwing food away and how technology is offering real solutions. Niall Sabongi, chef, restaurant owner, and founder of Sustainable Seafood Ireland, discusses what sustainable seafood really means. From eating the whole fish to choosing lesser-known species, he shares how we can all make more informed, responsible choices when eating seafood.

Fashion plays a huge part in climate change and staggering amounts of textile waste are created every year. It can be difficult to know where to start, and what will really make a difference, when trying to break out of the cycle of fast fashion and poorly made, disposable clothes. So, on this episode, Meghann is joined by two guests approaching sustainable fashion from different angles. Aoife McNamara is the founder of her own hugely successful fashion label, which was Ireland's first B Corp certified fashion house. Aoife’s clothes are made to last and sustainability is at the centre of what she’s doing. Cian Charlton runs 35 Vintage, a vintage clothes shop on Fade Street in Dublin. Cian’s business has grown from selling his own clothes online, to a shop in a former nightclub in Mayo, to his current premises in the centre of Dublin. Meghann chats to Aoife and Cian about their businesses, the future of the fashion industry, and steps we can all take to tackle textile waste and make fashion a far more circular industry.