James Kavanaghan and William Murray said goodbye to Dublin over a year ago to set up shop in Kilkenny.
It was a big move, with James telling us, “In hindsight it was a bit of a mad move.” Dealing with social anxiety and moving to place where you know no one is also certainly a choice. But within a few days, James and William were waking up to deliveries on their doorstep from their neighbours.
It is their little slice of paradise. And as they embark on the Three Ireland No Strings Attached podcast tour, they talk about having a nose inside other people’s houses, finding community and why they’re loving the freedom of a doer-upper.
Talk to us about moving out of Dublin, nearly a year, how is life in Kilkenny going?
William: I always said to myself I would know if it was the right thing to do in a years time, and lucky we are a year and half now, and we are still discovering new little parts and places to go and, meeting interesting people, it’s a creative part of the country, meeting interesting artists and food producers, we are about to embark on the renovations on the house which I am so excited about.
James: We will look back at this time with fondness because it’s part of the journey living somewhere that isn’t quite done and putting up with the freezing cold winter and huddling around the fire. It’s just part of the journey, we moved into an unfinished project, I think now we will have so much more love for the house because of this journey.
We know you mentioned loving having a nose in other people’s houses. Were you surprised, though, about how excited people were to take a look inside your house via your podcast?
J: Most people who live in the city or grew up in the city, always have that dream in the back of their minds about wanting to run away to the country, and I think this podcast shows this. We started it in Dublin, and then seeing that transition to the country and realising that there is no Deliveroo, realising you have to drive everywhere, we have a septic tank, we need to get heat, we even have a well for example, so there is loads of things that you have to consider. We get a lot of messages from younger couples who say “I have worked and lived in the city for years, I am sick of it and want to run off.” They’re curious about the realities.
W: We have a local pop-up bakery, and its where everyone goes every week to get the gossip. We have met other couples who found this area as well, and there is so many of us. Not one of us has regretted it, there is so much to be said for it. One of the biggest things you have to do when you move to a rural place is you have to get out there and meet people and put yourself out there you have to make the effort. Join a group, or anything.
Talk to us about the local groups!
J: There is this local group of these ladies who make lace, and they keep trying to get me to join. I absolutely will its so cute
W: There are swimming clubs that go swimming in the river. You just have to join in and get into it, it’s a really exciting thing, and you don’t have to be in a city to experience community or culture, it’s happening all around the country.
The countryside is really where it’s all happening!
J: It does sometimes take those who moved out when they were younger to Dublin or London to come back and bring new ideas with them. We need that! We need people in the countryside to bring these ideas with them!
And you’re bringing the podcast on a very unique tour!
J: It’s perfect if you love a nose, like me and William. We did a house hunting show last year, looking for a house, and going to look at people’s houses was the best part! This is the No Strings Attached podcast tour, and it’s us and some other podcasters going on tour. People may love to listen to our podcast in their ears, or they may want to sit beside us and watch and listen. The best thing about it is you get to meet your favourite podcasters and get to get a real-life moment. Especially because a lot of these things are online, and we are escaping into such a digital-heavy era, it’s really lovely to have these real-life moments. I love the campaign and am happy to be a part of it.
W: It will suit our podcast quite well, and from the feedback that we have gotten, people feel like they are sitting in a sitting room with us and having a conversation with us! So this was that brought to life. Sometimes we do have little arguments and disagreements, so I hope it all doesn’t kick off in someone’s living room.
Have you felt moving out of the city has benefitted your mental health?
W: We want to live our lives through a slow life, and it’s perfect for us! But the reality is you have to hustle in the country, like you do everywhere else. I think if you put yourself into that thinking of, “Oh everything is going to be slower and more relaxed,” and in some ways that might be true, but you also have to work harder down here than you do in a city. You are not in direct contact with your employer or have that network of communities, you have to find that and opportunities yourself.
J: When we were in Dublin, we were both working different shifts, we were like ships in the night. We didn’t get a chance to cook and we relied on Deliveroo and fast ways to eat, like going to a restuarant. Now we have to plan this and cook, and I won’t take all the credit William does a lot of it. So you are working harder but in a nicer sense. We call the podcast The Simpler Life, question mark, because we wanted to find out, and in a lot of ways its not but it’s a nicer life and more wholesome. We got a real bite for the country life during COVID when we were staying in Cork at his house for a good few months. I found my whole nervous system was a lot more relaxed. I suffered dreadfully with anxiety I couldn’t leave the house, it was a bit of agoraphobia going on. I found my nerve system was so much better. What William was saying is correct that you do have to work hard, but I do just love opening that window in the morning and hearing that bird song, and however cliché that is, it does just heal your brain that quietness, and seeing different animals. The other morning William ran after a lamb that hopped into our garden, things like that are just gorgeous!
You both mentioned dealing with social anxiety but having to force yourself out there to connect with people in the countryside. How have you been handling that side of things?
J: William’s from Cork, I’m from Dublin, no connection to Kilkenny, so in hindsight it was a bit of a mad move, not one friend down here. I would open the front door down here and there would be gifts of eggs, lettuce, homemade brown bread. Neighbours had heard we moved here and were dropping up gifts and cards and saying welcome to the area, so we made friends in the first two weeks so that really eased us in.
W: Our friends come to see us a lot and they love having somewhere they can go. It’s great for our friendship group and we have always had people coming to see us and it’s so nice, it’s rare a week we don’t have someone coming down.
If you could go back in time and give yourselves advice before moving down here, what would that be?
W: I found that I struggled sometimes finding work or finding regular things to do. I wish I had more of a game plan, at first it was a struggle. I am perfect now but initially I was panicking thinking what if I never get a job down here. I am quite bad at being self employed, I am good when I have a boss, which is now often times James. I find that when I am the one who has to get myself up in the morning or I am the only one accountable, but I would have had to learn to do that myself.
J: Mine would be save more! [Laughs] I really underestimated that, if you are moving into a doer upper, you need to thin,k do I really need that Louis Vuitton coat, or would I rather spend that on that bathroom?
The No Strings Attached Podcast Tour features some of Ireland’s most-loved podcasts: The Simpler Life? with James Kavanagh and William Murray will bring their rural adventures to a fans home; How To Gael with Doireann Ní Ghlacáin, Louise Cantillon and Síomha Ní Ruairc promises plenty bilingual fun while The Lovely Show with Justine Stafford and Kevin McGahern will wrap up the series with their trademark ‘i’ll-informed, rambling nonsense’.
To enter, comment #ThreePodcastTour on one of the podcast tour posts on Three Ireland’s Instagram page.
