This will be my first blog post here on The Wild Geese. Be gentle with me! I'm only part of this flock since October last year and am just about stretching my wings to fly now. To be honest, I have "flown" before. In the mid 90s I ventured to Herefordshire , England where I spent 3 wonderful years as a broadcaster for the local BBC Radio station as a presenter and producer. As an emigrant from the wilds of County Armagh, I was able to bring a modicum of culture with me and regained the airwaves with what the locals called a warm and welcoming brogue, or accent. Never thought I had one, to tell you the truth, but there you go.

I made the leap of faith to come Stateside to be a little closer to an older brother who is confined to convalescence in Marin County, just north of San Francisco. Since arriving into the Golden State, I've managed to create some documentary making, a little bit of writing and some social networking consultancy to pay the bills. I hope to create much more of the same in the coming months.

I have a strong interest in mental health and wellbeing issues. Having earned a t-shirt as I fought with depression a few years ago, I now regularly present a weekly radio programme on such matters in San Jose. I am a freelance writer for the area's Irish Herald, the Irish community's newspaper. Just to complicate my life a little more, I also present and produce a weekly podcast called "Irish Voices" which develops the diaspora conversation, primarily throughout the Bay Irish community, with the longer term intention to reach the wide world audience such conversation offers. I include a link to my regular podcasts. I anticipate you will listen to all. So certain am i that you shall, I shall be asking questions on the various episode, before you leave the Wild Geese website1

Thank you for passing by and taking time to read the first blog.

https://audioboom.com/users/3219919/boos