Ballyshannon producer celebrates Donegal with Spotify podcast release

A Ballyshannon radio producer said he wanted to “celebrate” and bring Donegal “to a wider audience,” as he prepares for the release of a new podcast series called North & South of the Gap.

Marc McMenamin, who has worked with RTÉ Radio One and has produced award-winning documentaries with Doc on One, has recorded a series, with the first episode due to be released on Spotify on September 5. 

The podcasts will be released every Friday and will be available on all platforms shortly afterwards. 

Guests during the first podcast season include Eurovision winner Charlie McGettigan, actor Sean McGinley, Johnny Gallagher from the Boxtie Band, and members of the 1992 All-Ireland winning Donegal GAA panel. 

Speaking to Donegal Live, McMenamin said: “At the back of my mind, I have always thought of doing something on Ballyshannon and Bundoran, where I grew up. I had the idea of doing this podcast. The initial episodes have been about Ballyshannon, Bundoran, and Donegal Town, but my ambition is to talk about the whole of the county. 

“I want to give people an essence of Donegal, to give people a sense of where I grew up. I have talked to people in Ballyshannon and Bundoran, who have gone on to do significant things in their lives.

“The history is Ballyshannon-centric. The ambition is to talk about the whole county. We are a bit South of the Gap at the moment.”

READ NEXT: Ballyshannon bar’s apartment renovation plans granted planning permission

When asked about the target audience of the podcast, McMenamin responded: “The podcast is aimed at people from the West and the Donegal diaspora, but also at people curious about the West. I have a lot of friends from Dublin and the East Coast. 

“I find that when I talk to people about Donegal, their eyes light up. People are accustomed to going to Galway, Kerry, etc, but they don’t go to Donegal because they have a perception that it is far away, which is really not true. 

“People enthuse about Donegal, about the beaches, the people, the food, the history, and the culture, and how welcoming the people are. They also talk about how talented people from Donegal are, in particular, excelling in sports, music, the arts, and business.

“I am aware of that, but it is bringing it to a wider audience. It is to give a bit of love to the county, too. I love where I am from, and it is a huge part of my identity. Everybody is proud of where they are from, but there is something special about being from Donegal. It is unique because we are the most northern county, yet we are located in the South.  

“Each part of the county is unique in its own way, and I want to celebrate that.”

McMenamin also called on people to “feel free to reach out” to him, to take part in future episodes.

He said: “People involved in all aspects of being from Donegal. You don’t necessarily have to be an A-lister, just somebody with a story to tell.”

Those who would like to contact Marc McMenamin for the podcast can do so at southofthegappod@gmail.com 

A link to the podcast is available at https://open.spotify.com/episode/2eRGZ6N4sDWZMV53fRexCJ?si=83w0QrhBRRqReIVqSWugkA