We have a very special episode celebrating Ireland's patron saint St Patrick with the acclaimed Armagh tour guide Donna Fox who share the myths and history of Ireland's most legendary saint. Donna also talks about the holy city of Armagh where Saint Patrick built his first church. Armagh is recognised as the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland and holds a unique connection to St. Patrick. It was here that he established his first stone church in 445 AD, and it remains the only city in the world with two cathedrals named in his honour. The city celebrates his legacy year-round, but particularly ..read more

My guest today is debut American novelist Barbara Boyle who tells us all about her new book Pinch Me: Waking Up in a 300-Year-Old Italian Farmhouse. The author writes in her debut novel about her journey from a busy American life to an idyllic one in northern Italy where she started a new life in Monforte d'Alba, a picturesque town in Piemonte restoring a centuries-old farmhouse. So if you, like me, loved “A Year in Provence” then this book about travel, moving abroad, cultural immersion, food and personal transformation is for you. We chat about the dream of retiring to a village in ano ..read more

Welcome to my winter activities in Gstaad and Interlaken special with the Irish travel journalist Ed Finn. I always say the Swiss Alps are not just for skiers to enjoy. This stunning country has much to offer with snow covered mountainous landscapes, picturesque old world villages, delicious cuisine and activities like show-shoeing, hiking, kayaking and raclette rafting at nighttime and all of these activities are there to be enjoyed by non-skiers and skiers alike. Listen to Ed Finn as he transports us to the wonderful towns of Gstaad and Interlaken in Switzerland and regales us with all this ..read more

Listen to Rob “Robsski” Rees tell us all about skiing in the wonderful Swiss ski resort of Gstaad. Gstaad is long associated with the glitz, glamour of 5 star hotels like the fairytale Disney like castle Gstaad Palace and celebrities like Hemingway, Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and most famously Julie Andrews. The town has an understated classy charm but the real treasure is its stunning, magical Alpine landscape and nature and some of the best skiing in the Alps. Check out part 2 next week when Irish broadcaster of the year Ed Finn tells us all about the wonderful winter activi ..read more

I’m delighted to say that Irish travel journalist Conor Power returns to tell us all about his recent trip to the Maldives – a place he calls “paradise". Conor paints a magical picture for us on what it is like staying in those over tropical water villas in two hotels – the Kandima Maldives https://kandima.com and Nova Maldives https://nova-maldives.com. You can see pictures of these exquisite resorts on my @traveltaleswithfergal Instagram page. This is the 5th year and 7th season of this podcast and for any new listeners, I would point you to over 80 great episo ..read more

As the 2025 Austria Alpine ski season begins, I interview travel ski journalist Cian Byrne about our recent December trip to the towns of Maria Alm in the Hochkonig region and Bad Gastein in the Gastein region, which are both part of the huge 760km ski area of Ski Amade near Salzburg. Visit https://www.skiamade.com/en for tips, trips and deals. If you haven’t already, I'd ask you to give me a follow on whichever platform you listen to your podcasts and you will be the first to get a new episode. Fergal O’Keeffe is the host of Ireland’s No.1 Travel Podcast Travel Tales with Fergal which is now ..read more

I’m delighted to say my guest is the esteemed Irish travel journalist from print, radio and television Ed Finn and we discuss our recent trip to Zaragoza, the capital of Aragon in Spain. Zaragoza is the fifth largest city in Spain. Zaragoza has impressive sites like the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Pilar, the Cathedral of the Saviour, known as the SEO and the Aljafería Palace, the northernmost Spanish-Moorish palace in Europe. Zaragoza is home to Aragon's Mudejar architectural treasures, which were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021, including the SEO and the Aljafería. Zara ..read more

My guest travel writer Conor Power shares his experiences from our recent trip to the wonderful region of Extremadura in south west Spain on the border of Portugal. We chat about the Ribera del Guadiana Wine and Cava Route, in the region of Extremadura and its wine-growing tradition and exquisite regional gastronomy, historical Roman and Moor heritage, archaeological sites, monasteries and castles. This area is where the Spanish go on holidays for a cultural and food fix. It is in a way an idealised version of Spain with open planes of fields of vines and olive oil as far as the eye can see t ..read more

In celebration of the 4th anniversary of this podcast, we have a US Election Special with Daniel Gilmore, a Republican and Sean O’Neill, a Democrat who discuss the current state of America in the lead up to one of the most anticipated elections in US history. They give a topical, informative and entertaining insight into the Trump v Harris campaigns, exactly 4 years after their last two episodes before and after the 2020 election. If you haven’t already, I'd ask you to give me a follow on whichever platform you listen to your podcasts and you will be the first to get a new episode. Fergal O’K ..read more

Porto is gaining a reputation as one of Europe’s coolest cities both as a holiday destination and as a gateway to northern Portugal. I explore this great city and the Minho region above Porto with lush green hills and Vino Vert vineyards and the stunning medieval towns of Braga and Ponte de Lima. I also talk about the areas below Porto including the Douro Valley, the Arouca region and the River Paiva which is great for rafting. Check out my Instagram for more detailed info on the trip. If you haven’t already, I'd ask you to give me a follow on whichever platform you listen to your podcasts ..read more