BOLD with Joe McGucken

EPISODE 5: The First Irishman To Climb Everest With No Oxygen

James MacManus is a Tipperary man with an extraordinary goal: to summit Mount Everest without oxygen! Twice he’s attempted this near-impossible feat, and twice he’s been turned back by the sheer brutality of the mountain. But undeterred, James is gearing up for a third attempt at one of the most dangerous and demanding challenges in human history.
Only 229 people have ever accomplished this, while many others have tried with a large percentage ending in tragedy. So, what drives someone to take on such a monumental risk? I sat down with James to ask him... WHY?

EPISODE 4: The Irish Pub In Uganda

There's something special about Irish pubs when we're on holiday. They’re our little piece of home from home. No matter where we go, from Salou to Timbuktu, we're always sniffing out the Molly Malones, or Danny Boy. But what happens when you try to create that magic in… Uganda?
This week, I talk to Nigel Sutton, an Irish entrepreneur who decided to bring the craic to Kampala. In 2003, after Mulligan’s in Drogheda shut its doors for good, Nigel bought the contents of the entire pub. Bar stools, doors, rails, the works. And shipped it all to Uganda to build his very own Irish pub named Bubbles O'Leary's. But as you'd probably expect, It wasn't easy, fun, or profitable.
From power cuts and dodgy scams to government interference, theft, and some seriously shady police antics, Nigel’s dream of pints in paradise quickly turned into a cautionary tale. But there’s plenty of laughs, madness, and unexpected twists along the way.

EPISODE 3: Irish Mad Lad Goes To War

Imagine having zero military experience, a slight drinking problem, and deciding to head straight to the frontline of the war in Ukraine... for the craic. That’s exactly what self proclaimed Lord Mayor of Leixlip did.
In this episode, I sat down with this absolute mad lad in the corner of the only pub in Leixlip where he’s not banned. We got into his wild story: from his controversial GoFundMe campaign to almost getting blown up on his first day, losing friends on the battlefield, and eventually coming back home.He joined the foreign legion as a civilian, which is rare. He soon realized he was placed in a Nazi unit and swiftly transferred to a new unit consisting of Latino soldiers. He learned Spanish drinking with Colombians. After 18 months he climbed the ranks and begrudgingly accepted the position of commander. He also earned himself 3 medals along the way for his bravery.Well I now bestow upon him a medal for the Maddest Bowzie in the whole of Ireland!

EPISODE 2: Pursuit Of Happiness

Michael Zervos is an American film director currently attempting to break a world record by travelling to every country in the world in the fastest time. Along the way he has been interviewing people from every country and asking them one question - "What is the happiest moment of your life"During his brief stop in Ireland I caught up with him for this episode. Anyone who knows me will know how miserable I can be. So I thought this would be an interesting person to discuss the concept of happiness with, and hopefully pick up some tips on how to achieve it.

EPISODE 1: Bold Santa Claus

In this festive episode of BOLD, we sit down with Michael J Sullivan, a Dublin actor who steps into the big red suit every Christmas to become the man, the myth, the legend - Santa Claus!But there's a lot more to Michael's story than I expected from when I first sat down to interview him.