Podcast
The Modern Warrior Podcast
Hosted by Gavin Meenan · EN
Welcome to the Gavin Meenan Podcast; where I'll share the strategies and principles to help you become a more confident and resilient man in the 21st Century!
17episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Episode #194 "Choose Your Madness” — Johnny Coyne on Adventure, Addiction, and Doing Good
Jan 301:04:30Tap to summarizeGavin Meenan sits down with adventurer Johnny Coyne to dig into the story behind the expeditions: how his dad’s illness and passing shaped his drive to “live a full life,” how adventure shifted from escape to purpose, and why “forced suffering” can bring up suppressed emotions. Johnny shares intense moments from the Ireland-to-Asia kayaking journey (including multiple arrests, hypothermia scares, portaging 380km, crossing the English Channel, and the final push into Istanbul), plus reflections on coming home, identity, and staying grounded. They also talk about Johnny’s visit to the West Bank/Palestine, fundraising, choosing smaller charities he can trust, and his next challenge: an Arctic race in March with sled-pulling, a survival course in Lapland, and a focus on mental health. Show NotesJohnny on early life, his father’s illness (MS), and how it influenced his desire to “live a full life.” Adventure as escape → vision → “counseling,” and why “forcing yourself to suffer” can be therapeutic. The Ireland-to-Asia / Dublin-to-Istanbul journey: border complications, arrests, and why “nothing we had planned… went to plan.” The Black Sea / Turkey border incident: cold, darkness, symptoms of hypothermia, surf landing, gear soaked, and being arrested. Getting kicked off canals in France and committing to a 380km portage on kayak wheels to reach the Danube source. Crossing the English Channel without permission and the risks of shipping lanes and broken radio comms. The final Istanbul push: permission issues around the Bosphorus, last-minute calls, and reaching the finish line under pressure. Johnny CoyneWest Bank/Palestine: visiting Aida camp, describing constant tear gas, and why he went to “show the good side, the bad side” and raise money. Fundraising: nearly €19,000 for Daisy Lodge; raising money related to MS; fundraising tied to Palestine support efforts. Alcohol, sobriety, and the “all or nothing” personality—plus using a new expedition as a reset. What’s next: March Arctic race (185km / 4 days), cardio-heavy prep, and a survival course in Lapland. Documentary vision (Netflix/Amazon Prime mentioned), production realities, and the longer-term goal of a travel/TV-show format. Where to follow: Instagram “Johnny Coyne C O Y N E” (with underscore mentioned) and a YouTube channel starting that week. Memorable Quotes (verbatim from the transcript)“Cycle of the sesh.” “Because when you force yourself to suffer, it brings out emotions you're suppressing.” “I don't want to go on a journey without purpose now.” “Just paying your taxes is just so important.” “We raised nearly 19,000 for Daisy Lodge…” “We need to choose your madness.” “Good news for you and bad news for you.” “185 kilometers, four days to finish it.” “I actually don't fully trust all the charities.” “I just want to continue to do good things for people that are less fortunate.” “I'm still young. I'm still 25.” “I just truly believe that I can do anything…”
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Episode #193 I F*ing Love Boxing”: Jason Quigley on Identity, LA, Fear, and Finding Purpose
Dec 2301:16:23Tap to summarizeJason Quigley joins Gavin Meenan on the Modern Warrior Podcast for a wide-ranging conversation about the “man behind the boxer.” Jason reflects on the early influences of his parents and his grandfather, how he first fell in love with boxing watching Marco Antonio Barrera vs Prince Naseem Hamed, and the impact of role models in local clubs. He opens up about discipline, fear, people-pleasing, and the pressure of identity being tied to boxing — including how Los Angeles became a major turning point, bringing lonely nights and hard conversations with himself. They talk about accountability, learning from losses, the mental and physical stakes of boxing, and how Jason began separating “the two Jason’s.” Jason also shares what life looks like now — routines, mornings, balance, and his current role in management/promoting — plus a fight night coming up on February 21st at the Fambale Center and why he wants young kids to be able to “see it, feel it, get that emotion” on their doorstep.ShownotesJason’s early influences: parents as “opposites,” and a grandfather who stayed calm and grounded (“nobody’s killed, it’s all right”). JasonFirst spark for boxing: staying up late to watch big fights; Barrera vs Prince Naseem Hamed and the “goosebumps” moment. JasonLocal inspiration: seeing success up close (Steven O’Reilly), and why “real life” examples matter. JasonDiscipline early on: training young, strict structure, and “fear of failing / fear of my father.” JasonThe identity trap: “Jason quickly, the boxer,” and learning you’re more than one role. JasonLA as a turning point: attention, loneliness, tears, and staying away from drink/drugs — with boxing as the anchor.Accountability and change: owning mistakes, trying to be better, and living by “is this beneficial… is this right?”Boxing mindset: “going to war,” the risks, and how approaching fights changed his personality.Holding back in the ring: fear of losing, people-pleasing, and not “letting myself go 100%.”First loss and perspective shift: Palm Springs, Venice Beach, and realizing it “wasn’t the end of the world.” JasonLife now: routine, mornings (no snooze), purpose shifting, and the transition out of fighting into management/promoting.Sponsor mention: Full Circle Roastery “Christmas blend.” JasonUpcoming event: first ever professional boxing night on February 21st at the Fambale Center; doing it so young kids can experience pro boxing “on their doorstep.” JasonMemorable quotes“I fucking love boxing.” Jason“The biggest turning point in my life was I fucked up a few times…” Jason“LA changed me big time… it brought me to the darkest places I’ve ever been in.” Jason“There was nights I was in tears crying, just missing home, lonely…” Jason“Boxing was my drug… and in a good way and an unhealthy way because it was my only identity.” Jason“If you’re not [honest], you’re living a lie.” Jason“We have the answers… the answers are inside us.” Jason“Nobody else matters because at the end of the day, you’re the only person getting into that ring and you’re putting your life on the line.” Jason“I did my absolute best, but… I didn’t just let myself go 100% and be like, ‘fuck this, let’s just have a fucking go at it.’” Jason“I want young kids nowadays to be able to see professional boxing on their doorstep… see it, feel it, get that emotion…” Jason
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Episode #192 Initiations, Divorce, and the Body’s Truth — Noël Ellie on Healing, Being Seen, and Sacred Union
Dec 2301:01:31Tap to summarizeNoël Ellie joins Gavin Meenan on Modern Warrior and shares the “initiations” that shaped her—her mother’s stage four cancer journey, her own diagnoses (fibroid tumors, Lyme disease, mold toxicity), and the unraveling of an 18-year marriage that became a divorce. They discuss self-abandonment, learning to listen to the body and intuition, “being seen” in relationships, why fixing isn’t the same as holding space, and how anger can be expressed with an open heart. Noël also speaks about dating after divorce, values check-ins, integrity as a mirror, and her view on manifestation, including mirror work and affirmations.Show notesNoël’s Ireland trip: co-hosting Sacred Sisters with Caulifs of Moore; time spent in Galway, Dublin, and Scotland NoelThe “initiations” Noël describes:Her mother’s stage four metastatic cancer and a five-year journey beyond an initial three-month prognosis NoelNoël’s healing journey: over 13 fibroid tumors, Lyme disease, and mold toxicity Noel“We’re only as sick as our secrets”: honesty, infidelity, and the removal of secrecy in marriage NoelSurgery, plans for a baby, and “giving birth to a divorce” NoelSelf-abandonment, image-holding, and not knowing what she was “allowed” to want or say NoelEating disorder history and generational patterns NoelParts work / Internal Family Systems and tending younger wounds NoelDating after 18 years and discovering attachment dynamics NoelVulnerability on social media, oversharing, and courage in real-life conversations NoelSensuality, grief, triggers, and projection Noel“Guru culture is dead” and teachers being human NoelWhat it means to be “seen” without fixing NoelPolarity, containment, and expressing anger with consent and presence NoelGrowth, values check-ins, and fear of outgrowing a partner NoelSeparation, dysregulation, compounding life events, and hindsight reflections NoelManifestation, belief, mirror work, and affirmations NoelWhere to find Noël: Instagram Noël_Ellie, sacredsistersretreats.com, and upcoming class “Alchemizing Anger” NoelMemorable quotes“I’ve been through many, many, many initiations throughout my life.” Noel“You have to be your own advocate for your body.” Noel“We’re only as sick as our secrets.” Noel“My womb literally said, he cheated on you.” Noel“Instead of giving birth to a baby, we gave birth to a divorce.” Noel“I choose to live an authentic, radiant, liberated life.” Noel“May the cycle of suffering end with me?” Noel“Dating is the wild wild West when you haven’t dated in 18 years.” Noel“Guru culture is dead.” Noel“Intimacy, true intimacy, is into me see.” Noel“You can say anything to me, as long as it’s rooted in love.” Noel“Love is truth. What is truth? Authenticity.” Noel“What if it doesn’t end? What if you get closer?” Noel“I will never, ever, ever accept breadcrumbs when I give a feast.” Noel“We will see it when we believe it.” Noel“There’s power of life and death in the tongue.” Noel“It is done.” Noel“You are glowing. What are you doing?” Noel
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Episode #191 From Farm Girl to “Dating with Dern”: Doireann O’Connor on Letting Go, Sobriety & Starting Again
Nov 2701:03:44Tap to summarizeIn this episode of the Modern Warrior Podcast, host Gavin Meenan sits down with Doireann (“Dern”) O’Connor, a self-described “party child” from a Laois farm, to trace her journey from the youngest of five on a busy family farm to a creative life built around music, performance, and following what actually feels true for her. They talk about growing up surrounded by older siblings with “massive personalities,” discovering a love for singing, dancing and musicals, and the tension between choosing a “pensionable job” in primary teaching and pursuing a more uncertain artistic path.Doireann shares how moving into a cottage alone during COVID, joining a wedding band, and later travelling solo through Mexico and Colombia helped her “come back” to herself. She talks candidly about giving up alcohol, learning to be fully herself in social situations without it, navigating other people’s judgments, and finding a new level, “neutral” sense of contentment. The conversation also explores dealing with gossip, being consistent without attaching to outcomes, the discomfort of the unknown, and her plans for a new podcast, Dating with Dern, where real single people share their stories about love.ShownotesGrowing up on a farm in Laois as the youngest of five, “the mistake of the family” with an eight-year gap to the next siblingBeing “spoiled” by older brothers and sisters and feeling like the “party child” and “little show pony”A creative, slightly “cracked” family: musical, theatrical parents and siblings who are expressive, into music and dance, and running their own businessesBalancing encouragement to “do you” with nudges toward a “pensionable job” and “cold hard cash”Studying music and dance in college, then primary teaching as a backup routeRealizing the impact of gossip and other people’s perceptions after leaving college, and how that led her to “dampen down” and “do the norm”Breaking out of people-pleasing, deciding “nothing matters, nobody cares” and making decisions not based on others’ opinionsThe importance of being uncomfortable, stepping into the unknown, and “consistency without expectation”Leaving teaching during COVID, moving alone into a cottage, being afraid of the dark, and learning to live on her ownAuditioning for “everything,” joining a wedding and events band, moving to Dublin when others were moving out, and gigging “nonstop” for yearsFeeling she was “ready to move on” from the band, still having the “itch to travel,” and heading solo to Mexico and ColombiaGiving up alcohol in October, getting “sick of feeling sad” after nights out, and deciding “I can actually not feel like this again”Experiencing social occasions, travel, and meeting people completely sober—and realizing she can “do anything now” without alcoholDescribing life without alcohol as having fewer extreme highs/lows and feeling more “neutral,” where “when there’s a high, you know it’s real”Not wanting to be judged differently for not drinking, and preferring people not even realize she’s sober on a night outTalking about external validation, attention, and how alcohol can be used to access parts of yourself you’re afraid to ownHer “eat, pray, love journey” feeling in Mexico and Colombia: rediscovering that she loves talking to people, remembering “who you are,” and seeing people with “nothing” who are deeply contentWanting contentment more than constant happiness and not attaching to either happiness or sadness when they ariseHer fears about plant medicines and drugs that “alter your brain chemistry,” and being afraid they might trigger something in herUsing time away, sobriety, and travel as a complete “breakdown and buildup” processCurrent projects and what’s next: social media content and launching Dating with Dern, a podcast for single people sharing real stories about love and datingWhere to find her online: Instagram @OConnorDerren and TikTok @DerrenOCMemorable Quotes“I think you can take the girl out of Leish, but you can’t take Leish out of the girl.” Doireann“I was the mistake of the family… eight years later, I’m like, ‘Let’s party.’” Doireann“Once a bugger, always a bugger, basically.” Doireann“Everything kind of teaches you something. I just don’t believe in leaving anything behind.” Doireann“Consistency without expectation… as long as you’re consistent doing something that you enjoy doing and not expecting really anything to happen… things will just naturally happen.” Doireann“The unknown, I feel, is where things happen… you need to feel that uncomfortable feeling in order to kind of move forward.” Doireann“Nothing matters. Nobody cares. Just do whatever it is you want to do, as long as you’re not hurting anybody else.” Doireann“I was too afraid to try because I was too afraid to fail.” Doireann“Without alcohol, I’ve just been so productive.” Doireann“There’s no extreme lows or there’s no extreme highs really, but you’re just level… neutral. But then when there’s a high, you know it’s real.” Doireann“You don’t need anything… and you’re just like, ‘This is grand.’” Doireann“I was so sick of feeling sad kind of from alcohol. I just said to myself, ‘I can actually not feel like this again.’” Doireann“It was dodgy enough without alcohol, to be honest… adding that on top of it, I was like, I don’t need this now.” Doireann“I was so exposed… it was just me there meeting people and then kind of falling back in love with myself.” Doireann“I’ve never felt more myself. I’m just like, I actually don’t care anymore. And what you see is what you get.” Doireann“I think happiness is an emotion, sadness is an emotion, but just to be content with where you are… and not attach yourself to either one.”
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Episode #190 The Power of Being Over Doing — Ray Rolando Returns
Nov 1201:12:51Tap to summarizeGavin Meenan welcomes Ray Rolando back to the studio for a deep, grounded conversation on intuition, presence, service, and the nature of being. Together, they explore how sensitivity, awareness, and breath reveal who we really are beneath distraction and attachment. The discussion moves through faith, karma, past lives, and how to stay centred amid projection, success, and material desire.🧭 Show NotesReflection on their previous conversation and listener feedbackRay’s work facilitating retreats in Wexford and the idea of “listening to the field”Learning to notice signs and intuition from childhoodHow presence differs from planning and controlGavin’s practice of going to the forest to “sit and be”Discussion on stilling the mind and the illusion of controlThe question: “Who’s speaking when you say your own name?”Presence, distraction, and metaphors in films and scriptureThe yogi’s statement: “The point of the breath is service.”Exploring service, karma, and multiple lifetimesReligion, intuition, and the journey from fear to understandingThe difference between being a human being and being humanAttachments, loss, and redefining self-worth beyond roles or jobsTracking emotional origins and ancestral programmingMirrors, reflection, and neutrality — “not buying into either praise or insult”Perfection versus polish, and “moths to flame” as self-realisationLetting go of ownership: the Rolex story and attachment to timeThe practice of breathing and returning to the present moment💬 Memorable Quotes (verbatim from the text)“You asked me, what’s next? I don’t really know what’s next.”“We come here for deep work.”“Sensitivity is often deemed as a weakness.”“The power of being instead of doing.”“We use thoughts to distract ourselves from ourselves.”“They say returning to nature returns us to our own nature.”“I wonder what my next thought’s going to be.”“Who’s speaking when you say your own name inside your own mind?”“The point of the breath is service.”“God’s love was delivered with fear — I didn’t understand that messaging.”“There’s no wrong way to be spiritual.”“Are you a human being, or are you being human?”“Imagine your life without it — that’s how you know if you’re attached.”“The more you try to own something, the more it owns you.”“Start with this — take a breath for three seconds.”“Because of that, we’ve forgotten who we are.”
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Episode #189 James McCauley: Grit, Gratitude & the Long Road Back
Jul 23, 202501:12:20Tap to summarizeIn this episode of the Modern Warrior Podcast, I sit down with James McAuley—a man whose story is one of grit, growth, and radical personal transformation. From the hard edges of addiction to spiritual awakening and self-discipline, James lays it all bare.We talk about hitting rock bottom, finding hope in unexpected places, and what it really takes to rebuild your life from the ground up. James is real, raw, and deeply reflective—and this is one of the most powerful redemptive stories you’ll hear. Let’s get into it.Episode Summary – Key Points James came in with zero filters—and I loved that about him. From the first minute, he was open about the chaos, the addiction and the shame that marked his younger years.He spoke about how easy it was to get pulled into that life when there’s no direction, no belief, and no one holding you to a higher standard. By his teens, he was lost—on the streets, in trouble, and spiraling fast.What stood out was his humility and hunger for change. He didn’t romanticise his recovery. He was brutally honest about how hard it is to start again when you feel like you’ve already ruined everything.He found his way back through structure, faith, and fitness. He talked about how the small daily wins—getting up early, training, journaling—started to rebuild the trust he’d lost with himself.James was big on gratitude, and not in a cliché way. He’s genuinely thankful for what most people overlook: peace, presence, clarity, his son, his second chance.We explored how men often numb out rather than reach in. James believes the antidote is connection—to yourself, to a purpose, and to something higher than ego.His story is a reminder that recovery isn’t just possible—it’s powerful. And that discipline, honesty, and service are the real markers of success—not what’s in your bank account.I left this conversation feeling more grounded, more grateful, and more inspired to own every part of my journey—just like James is doing with his.
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Modern Mastery with Dan Koe
May 5, 2021Tap to summarizeDan is an online entrepreneur; who specialises in helping people to actualize their potential, break free from the mould, and live life on their terms. Tonnes of value to be taken from this episode. Let me know what you think! @thedankoe
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