The Lagan Stream Podcast

Belfast Media
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Welcome to the Lagan Stream, which explores the key issues in the great city of Belfast. On each edition of this podcast we will spotlight the bridge builders, peacemakers and leaders who are promoting Belfast, Ireland as a modern tech city with unlimited promise. In particular, we'll provide a platform for voices from our global Irish family, drawing heavily on events and conferences hosted by our sister organizations, Aisling events, Belfast Media and in New York, Irish Echo. Music by Antoni Veresano

Episodes

  1. Feb 4

    ParkRun Jim no longer obsessed with records but still putting in those miles

    To lose a few pounds, Jim Clinton took to the treadmill as his 50th birthday approached. From there, he graduated to the first ParkRuns in Ireland. Having been biten by the bug, he went on to become the first person in Ireland to run 500 ParkRuns. Today, while acknowledging that he is no longer obsessed with his ParkRun record — others have overtaken him on the listings — he remains a tireless advocate for the individual benefits of running. A pacer at more SPAR Craic 10Ks then he might care to remember, Jim will be back in the fray this March 17.

    22 min

  2. Feb 4

    Gladys Ganiel on a life on the run

    A lecturer at Queen's University Belfast, an author and a homemaker, somehow Gladys Ganiel finds time to go to the gym, train young athletes and run up to 85 miles a week. Ahead of the 2026 SPAR Craic 10K, Máirtín Ó Muilleoir chats with the native of Maine in the USA who is best known locally as a champion road runner. (Just to note, while marathon master Meb Keflezighi and Ganiel were at high school in the US at the same time, they weren't at the same high school - contrary to what I suggested. MÓM)

    22 min

  3. Feb 4

    Six decades-plus on the go: Davie Seaton on a life well run

    Ahead of the 2026 SPAR Craic 10K, we speak with legends of the running scene in Belfast. Today, Davie Seaton, a former Chair of Athletics NI and the Belfast Marathon, recalls his formative experiences at Inst college and with the North Belfast Harriers. Davie, who has six decades-plus of activity in the world of running under his belt, was in at the very birth of the SPAR Craic 10K back in 2015.

    19 min

  4. 07/07/2025

    Michael McAdam, founder Movie House, on an epic journey

    Michael McAdam shares his epic journey in the world of movies with Máirtín Ó Muilleoir for the latest Lagan Stream podcast ahead of his guest appearance at the West Belfast Small Business Roundtable on 5 August. Tickets are available on Eventbrite.  The Ratchoole native  believes in dreams - even if they are the very stuff of movies. In fact, especially if they are the stuff of movies. For his own fascination with the silver screen — he was certainly the only Ratchoole teen  with a Super Eight cine recorder in 1973 — helped him dream beyond the peace walls and petrol bombs of seventies Belfast. "Education didn't really do it for me," says Michael, who left school with a couple of CSEs. But what he lacked in academic certificates, he made up for with a work ethic inherited from his postman dad who would come home drenched mid-morning, his shift done, throw on a change of clothing and head out again to take on the run of faint-hearted (and dry) colleagues.  You can read more on the Belfast Media site.

    29 min

  5. 06/05/2025

    Gail Cook, Director of Marketing at Artemis, joins Máirtín Ó Muilleoir

    Gail Cook, Director of Marketing for eFoiler® Vessels at Artemis chats with Máirtín Ó Muilleoir on the Lagan Stream Podcast. Veteran marketeer Gail will be the guest speaker at the West Belfast Small Business Roundtable on 24 June. Artemis is the most exciting company in Belfast today with the potential to make ship and boat building the catalyst for the revival of manufacturing in the city. Anyone who has seen the Artemis battery powered ferry in action — and it was given a glowing review the FT travel section just this weekend — has witnessed the sustainable future of maritime travel. The company's hallmark innovation is the patented Artemis eFoiler® propulsion system, which integrates a high-power electric drivetrain with an autonomously controlled hydrofoil. This design lifts the vessel's hull above water at speed, significantly reducing drag and enhancing energy efficiency. The eFoiler® system enables vessels to achieve up to 90% lower fuel costs compared to traditional ferries. Artemis will also be represented at the upcoming New York-New Belfast conference by co-founder David Tyler. Tickets for the Small Business breakfast Roundtable are available on Eventbrite.

    22 min

  6. 04/23/2025

    Emer Hinphey, Entrepreneur, People Person and HR expert, in conversation.

    Ahead of the April 2025 West Belfast Small Business Roundtable, guest speaker Emer Hinphey, a native of Dungiven, Co Derry and a Partner in AAB,  joins Máirtín Ó Muilleoir for the Lagan Stream podcast. Emer was co-founder and CEO of Think People Consulting, an award-winning business consultancy specialising in People and Culture which was acquired by AAB in 2023. "My childhood was played to the soundtrack of the Sunday Game and Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh ," she says. "My christening, family legend has it, was canceled a couple of times for hurling matches. That's just how it was but in retrospect what a great way that was to grow up." A passionate camóg, Emer is a Chartered Member of the CIPD and sits on the committee of IOD, NI. She is a previous external member of the Central Procurement Department advisory commitment and board member of Ortus and Positive Life.

    22 min

  7. 03/14/2025

    The Lagan Stream podcast with Dr. Hugh Cormican, CEO Cirdan

    Dr. Hugh Cormican is one of our most highly-regarded business leaders. Now heading up health diagnostic company Cirdan, he was a co-founder of West Belfast-based digital camera company Andor which floated in 2004. In this podcast, recorded ahead of his address to the West Belfast Small Business Roundtable on 25 March 2025 in An Chultúrlann, he tells how his decision to become a business founder was shaped by an Irish Development Authority official who told him — at the tender age of 16  — that he would be an entrepreneur. Though one doubts that even that far-sighted civil servant could have predicted that one day Hugh would aim to make his company one of Ireland's few unicorns (a business with a value of £1bn or $1bn). Born in West Belfast, physics grad Hugh spent his formative years in Newry, Co. Down returning to the city on the Lagan to go to Queen's. He's in business to save lives through improved and innovative healthcare solutions. Where Andor was about helping researchers do better, Cirdan is about helping the sick get better.  Hugh was speaking with Máirtín Ó Muilleoir, director of the Belfast Media Group.

    22 min

  8. 02/25/2025

    Irial Mac Murchú, Bunaitheoir & Stiúrthóir Nemeton TV faoi agallamh

    Bhunaigh Irial Mac Murchú Nemeton TV i 1994 - sular bunaíodh TnaG (TG4 ina dhiaidh sin) - le déanamh cinnte nach bhfágfaí Gaeltacht na nDéise ar cúl maidir le buntáistí na teilifíse nua de. Agus é ag pleanáil do chaint bricfeasta i mBéal Feirste mar chuid de Seachtain na Gaeilge i Márta 2025, dearcann sé siar ar bhlianta tosaigh Nemeton TV agus tugann sé comhairle don té atá ag brath gnó nua a bhunú. Máirtín Ó Muilleoir sa chathaoir, is i nGaeilge atá an comhrá seo. Irial Mac Murchú, founder and director of leading Irish language broadcasting company Nemeton, will visit Belfast on 4 March 2025 to address the next West Belfast Small Business Roundtable in An Chultúrlann. In a podcast released in the run-in to the Seachtain na Gaeilge event, the Waterford man describes how 'Gaeltacht na nDéise' effectively came back from the grave in the sixties — when just four or five families were raising their children through Irish — to the situation today where it is the only Gaeltacht in the country with a growing population. This podcast is in Irish.

    22 min

  9. 01/17/2025

    How the year of 1976 made 'Artistic Accountant' John Hannaway the man he is today

    Former Chartered Accountants of Ireland President John Hannaway chats with Máirtín Ó Muilleoir for the Lagan Stream podcast ahead of his presentation at the West Belfast Small Business Roundtable in An Chultúrlann on 28 January.  The first person from West Belfast to make partner in accountancy firm Coopers and Lybrand, John enjoyed a stellar career at PwC before leaving at the age of 55 to set up his own shop: HCA Chartered Accountants. The former St Mary's Grammar School boy boasts an eclectic client ledger, ranging from companies with £200m in turnover to fledgling start-ups. In his podcast interview with Máirtín Ó Muilleoir, John says he remains deeply proud of his West Belfast heritage and upbringing - and holds a special place in his heart for his dad who died in 1976 at the age of just 43.

    8 min

  10. 07/16/2024

    Attracting Companies Scaling Internationally

    This week on the Lagan Stream Podcast, were delighted to bring you a lively and captivating discussion from the Irish Round Table in the Valley, which was hosted by Aisling Events and Stanford University, California, on May 9th, 2024. In the chair is Chris Ehrlich, editor-in-chief of tech news publication VKTR, and our panelists are Andrea Haughian, Head of Americas with Invest Northern Ireland, Ivan Houlihan, head of the West Coast USA, and IDA Ireland, and Michael Madden, head of the School of Computer Science at University of Galway. The panel was rounded out by Giancarlo DiVece of Union Square, a company headquartered in Guadalajara but with offices across the Americas and in Belfast, Ireland.

    25 min

  11. 07/09/2024

    AI Disruption in the Workplace

    In this edition of the Lagan Stream podcast, we're bringing you another captivating discussion from the Irish Round Table in the Valley, which was hosted by Aisling Events and Stanford University on May 9th, 2024. Our topic is AI disruption in the workplace, and the chair is Ken Nim, director of CityBuild with the City of San Francisco, Julie Lind, executive officer of San Mateo Labor Council, Steve Morrow, CEO of Belfast based global company Options-I.T., and legendary fintech business figure John McDonnell of Phoenix Managed Networks.

    16 min
  12. Placing Bets: How to Assess AI Start-Up Investments

    06/26/2024

    Placing Bets: How to Assess AI Start-Up Investments

    Welcome to the inaugural episode of The Lagan Stream Podcast. This week we're bringing you a recording of a panel discussion at the Irish Round Table in the Valley, which Aisling Events hosted in Stanford University on May 9th, 2024. In the chair was Harley Semple of Options I.T. and her Bay Area based panelists are Gareth Keane, an investor with Promus Ventures, Rich Moran, an author and venture capitalist, Anna Patterson, founder of Ceramic AI, and Jason Devitt, CEO and co-founder of Compound Eye.

    21 min
  • 12 Episodes

About

Welcome to the Lagan Stream, which explores the key issues in the great city of Belfast. On each edition of this podcast we will spotlight the bridge builders, peacemakers and leaders who are promoting Belfast, Ireland as a modern tech city with unlimited promise. In particular, we'll provide a platform for voices from our global Irish family, drawing heavily on events and conferences hosted by our sister organizations, Aisling events, Belfast Media and in New York, Irish Echo. Music by Antoni Veresano

Information