Host Tara Reese welcomes Claire McInerny Brown, President/acting CEO of the Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce, to discuss Claire’s career from life sciences into outsourced CEO roles and economic development, including her work with Trade Bridge connecting Georgia and Ireland.

They compare chamber structures and emphasize chambers’ roles in networking, advocacy, and representing diverse members, with Kilkenny’s voluntary board and paid CEO role and Savannah’s larger membership operation. The episode highlights how Trade Bridge expands beyond Wexford to additional Irish counties, positioning Ireland and Georgia as gateways to the EU and US, and stresses that relationships and introductions drive trade.

Claire outlines Kilkenny’s major black-tie business awards with 20 categories plus special board-nominated honors. The show closes with sponsorship and listener support messages, including the Irish Pub Company.

FOLLOW US:

The Savannah Irish Podcast on Instagram

The Savannah Irish Podcast on Facebook

GUESTS & RESOURCES

Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce | Advancing Business Together

SPONSORS

World Trade Center Savannah – Trade Bridge A program connecting businesses and organizations in Georgia and Ireland to strengthen trade, investment, and economic relationships. Learn more: TradeBridge - World Trade Center Savannah

Irish Pub Company Learn more about Irish Pub Company: The Irish Pub Company | Pub/Bar/Restaurants Interior Design Company

The Savannah Irish Podcast is an Heirloom Voices LLC production, proudly recorded and produced by Dee Daniels Media, Podcast and Audiobook Production.

FIND A FAVORITE SPOT IN THIS EPISODE:

00:00 Podcast intro

00:37 Meet Claire Brown

02:46 True crime catchup

03:55 Claire career journey

06:56 Chamber roles today

09:36 How chambers work

13:33 Trade Bridge explained

15:50 Tourism and Kilkenny

18:03 GAA and shared ties

20:28 Relationships drive trade

21:42 Trade Bridge Expands

22:20 Diaspora Links Unearthed

22:56 Honoring Dr Keely

23:43 Inside Chamber Awards

24:05 Categories And Judging

27:07 Glam Awards Night

27:51 Smithwick Brewing Legacy

28:29 Sullivans Craft Beer

30:32 Taproom Banter

31:06 Rapid Fire Questions

33:04 Chamber Networking Advice

35:07 Exporting Savannah Bee

35:58 Closing Reflections

37:26 Sponsor Message Irish Pub

39:36 Reviews And Support

Host Tara Reese welcomes Don Faulk of Savannah GAA to discuss his experience competing in the 2026 GAA World Games in Waterford, Ireland, and the exciting news that Savannah and Pooler GAA are officially merging into one club. Faulk shares how the combined club will strengthen its roster, expand opportunities for players, and help Savannah compete at the highest levels of hurling and Gaelic football.

The conversation explores the Southeast’s impressive performance at the World Games, the international community of Gaelic sports, and the preparation, teamwork, and camaraderie that made the tournament unforgettable. Faulk also reflects on representing Savannah in Ireland, the growing popularity of hurling, and how GAA builds friendships and community that extend far beyond the pitch.

FOLLOW US:

The Savannah Irish Podcast on Instagram

The Savannah Irish Podcast on Facebook

GUESTS & RESOURCES

Don Faulk Savannah GAA Learn more about Gaelic games and local opportunities to get involved through Savannah GAA.

SPONSORS

World Trade Center Savannah – Trade Bridge A program connecting businesses and organizations in Georgia and Ireland to strengthen trade, investment, and economic relationships. Learn more: TradeBridge - World Trade Center Savannah

Irish Pub Company Learn more about Irish Pub Company: The Irish Pub Company | Pub/Bar/Restaurants Interior Design Company

The Savannah Irish Podcast is an Heirloom Voices LLC production, proudly recorded and produced by Dee Daniels Media, Podcast and Audiobook Production.

FIND A FAVORITE SPOT IN THIS EPISODE:

00:00 Welcome to Season Four

01:07 Heirloom Voices Launch

01:55 Sponsors and Supporters

02:34 Savannah GAA Soft Launch

05:34 Leadership and Logistics

07:16 Building a Hurling Powerhouse

10:26 Trade Bridge Georgia Ireland

12:42 World Games Intro

13:30 How World Games Works

14:22 Southeast Team Selection

15:13 Tournament Highlights and Results

17:59 Costs and Fundraising

19:58 Waterford vs Derry Experience

22:13 Training and Team Culture

24:50 How Divisions Are Set

26:42 Dairy Daddies Rivalries

27:55 Going Back Again

28:50 Savannah Ambassador Stories

31:45 Hurling Goes Global

34:10 Why Hurling Is Hard

37:15 How To Join Locally

37:57 Women In The Games

40:01 Best Moments And Pubs

42:32 Toughest Opponents

43:49 Surreal World Games

45:33 Community Over Sport

47:22 Wrap Up And Thanks

48:06 Sponsor Message

50:16 Podcast Outro

SEASON 4 of the Savannah Irish Podcast launches as an Heirloom Voices LLC production, focused on preserving stories connecting Ireland, Savannah, and the American Southeast.

In a Halloween special recorded at the Flannery O’Connor Childhood Home, host Tara Reese speaks with executive director Janie Bragg and Georgia Southern professor Meaghan Dwyer Ryan about Savannah-born (1925) Southern Gothic/Southern Grotesque writer Flannery O’Connor, her Irish Catholic roots (Wexford and Tipperary), Catholic themes of grace and redemption, and her continued relevance.

They discuss her books Wise Blood and The Violent Bear It Away, “A Good Man Is Hard to Find,” her childhood “backwards-walking” chicken film, later peacock symbolism, Depression-era upbringing, lupus and disability, and the complexities of racism in her fiction and letters. The episode also shares upcoming home events and visitor information.

FOLLOW US:

The Savannah Irish Podcast on Instagram

The Savannah Irish Podcast on Facebook

GUESTS & RESOURCES

Janie Bragg Executive Director, Flannery O’Connor Childhood Home Website: Flannery O'Connor Childhood Home | Savannah, GA

Dr. Meaghan Dwyer Ryan Associate Professor of History and Irish Studies, Georgia Southern University Faculty Profile: Meaghan Dwyer-Ryan - Georgia Southern University

Flannery O’Connor Childhood Home Learn more about the Home, its history, and upcoming events: Flannery | Visit

SPONSORS

Trade Bridge Trade Bridge is a World Trade Center Savannah program connecting businesses with international trade opportunities. Learn more: TradeBridge - World Trade Center Savannah

Irish Pub Company Learn more about Irish Pub Company: The Irish Pub Company | Pub/Bar/Restaurants Interior Design Company

The Savannah Irish Podcast is an Heirloom Voices LLC production, proudly recorded and produced by Dee Daniels Media, Podcast and Audiobook Production.

FIND A FAVORITE SPOT IN THIS EPISODE:

00:00 Podcast Welcome

01:05 New Production Chapter

02:41 Halloween Special Setup

04:55 Meet The Guests

06:52 Who Was Flannery

08:06 Trade Bridge Sponsor Break

10:24 Irish Roots In Savannah

12:55 Chicken Fame And Birds

16:47 Depression Childhood Home

18:51 Irish Identity And Parade

24:30 Faith Labels And Catholicism

31:36 Southern Grotesque And Race

37:23 Racist Language Context

39:22 Anti Racist Story Debate

40:05 Domestic Work Segregation

43:56 Cancel Culture Backlash

45:06 Integration Story Example

47:16 Iowa Changed Her World

49:08 Good Man Plot Breakdown

52:31 Grace Choice Catholicism

54:10 Revelation And Classism

56:08 Why Flannery Matters

58:35 Illness Disability Legacy

01:01:02 Humor And Absurdity

01:02:07 Flannery After Dark

01:05:04 House Events And Visits

01:08:09 Wrap Up And Sponsor