An intro specifically for my new Substack friends.
Every month I send an email to friends and family about what I’ve been up to each month. I thought I would try sharing it with my Substack community to inject a bit of personality to my account and to show that I’m a real person in a world of AI uncertainty. Let me know if you like this and want more or if you feel this isn’t very Substacky and want less. I enjoy constructive criticism so don’t worry about offending!
After permanently deleting all personal social media, this is an email I send to keep in touch with friends and family I don’t see regularly, to share a bit about what I’m up to each month. You’re receiving this email because you signed up to my blog or because you’ve asked me to manually add you. You can unsubscribe at any time, I won’t get notified and I’ll never know you left.
July 2026
July has been fairly busy. Kids are off school for the Summer so we’ve tried to take any days we can to spend time with them. It’s frustrating that we have to send them to childcare during the Summer holidays but such is life when we’re both working.
Mary and I had a weekend away in Dublin. First up was the All Ireland Semi Final between Dublin and Kerry. Technically I was a neutral so it should have been a relaxed afternoon but I had my Kerry colours on and as it turned out, the same feelings kicked in as if I were supporting my own Armagh. Thankfully they got over the line in the end after a great game of football and will face Mayo in the Final.
For those not familiar with Gaelic football, according to folklore, Mayo have been cursed that they won’t win an All Ireland Final until the last member of the previous winning squad dies. They last won it 75 years ago and have lost 11 finals since. This year however, the last of that 1951 winning team has died. Could this be their year? Many say it is a load of nonsense, which might be true in the literal sense, but in the psychological sense, it is as real as anything. The final is on 26th July so I will update you with the result at the end of this letter. . .
No sooner had the hooter gone than we were out the gates on our way to our second stadium of the day for Dermot Kennedy in the Aviva. I’m not a huge fan, this was Mary’s part of the day, but I really enjoyed it. We squeezed our way up to the front and I must have picked up a lot of his music through osmosis when Mary listens because I found myself singing along to most of the songs. A guest appearance from The Cranberries for a ‘hairs on the back of your neck’ rendition of Zombie was the cherry on the cake. We headed back into town for a couple of drinks and some pizza before calling it a night.
We took the kids to Newcastle one Friday evening to surprise their Aunty Caroline who was running a 5K. We missed her at the start line but made it to the finish in time for the kids to jump in front of her and run the last 200m with her. She shed a few tears, I’m not sure if it was because she was happy to see them or because dragging three children 200 meters ruined her PB!
I took the 3 kids and Holly for a bike ride on the towpath. In hindsight, this would have been easier with two parents, but we survived. We stopped for a picnic under a graffiti’d bridge which Grace calls her favourite bridge ever. I can think of a few nicer bridges but if she is happy then I’m happy
.
Saorlaith and I (and Holly of course) climbed Slieve Gullion last Saturday Morning. It’s not the most challenging mountain to climb but it’s not easy either. Saorlaith smashed it. We had a picnic at the top before making our way home. It’s always nice to get some one on one time with the kids, and Saorlaith enjoyed a few hours away from her siblings I’m sure.
What I’m watching:
I’m not embarrassed to admit we’re watching Love Island at the minute. Absolute trash reality TV but it’s an easy watch to unwind before bed.
What I’m reading:
I haven’t lifted a book in over a month so nothing to report for July. I have a list of books lined up but haven’t made the time to read any of them. I promise to have read at least one by the end of August!
What I’m listening to:
I’ve listened to two audiobooks this month, both similar themes.
Becoming Forrest by Rob Pope and Cycling the Earth by Sean Conway.
Rob emulates Forrest Gump’s epic 15,621 mile run, 5 times across the United States while Sean cycles 16,000 miles across 5 continents in an effort to break a world record. Both just ordinary guys trying something extraordinary. Very inspiring stuff and now that I’m approaching 40, I’d love to try a version of my own, just maybe not as extreme as either of those!
House update:
Going through a very frustrating phase where I can’t get tradesmen to come when they say they will. The delays over the last month have made our already tight schedule of moving in this year unlikely. We will keep pushing but it’s not looking good. First fix electrics have been completed and joinery and plumbing have been started. Next up will be plastering then pouring floors. We’ll get there eventually.
Whats coming up next month?
A week off with the kids in August. We had our family holiday in April this year so this week off will be local. We’re doing the same as we done last year, we all get a day where we choose what we get to do. The kids loved it last year and it really feels like a holiday despite staying in our own beds every night. No one has committed yet but the whispers I’m hearing are the Zoo, an Aquarium, a Theme Park and a swimming pool. Mary and I then pick the remaining days based on budget and energy levels after the kids choices!
I can’t forget about Mayo.
Maybe there was some truth to the curse because despite being massive underdogs on the day, Mayo beat a brilliant Kerry side by 3 points in an enthralling game of football to lift the Sam Maguire for the first time in 75 years. Speaking from experience after Armagh’s win in 2024, there won’t be a cow milked in Mayo for the next fortnight.
Substackers, don’t forget to leave a comment about whether you think this is a useful addition or not, or anything you would like more or less of. Thanks for reading.
I really liked your local week holiday plan, that’ll be in our future.
Also enjoyed ‘shed a few tears’ for the last 200m 😅
I never post anything on social media myself, and neither do any of my friends, most of which live nowhere close to me, so this kind of email update would've been great if everyone did it!
I'm sure your friends and family appreciate these family updates 🙌🏻