TheCity

Author: Daniel Keegan

  • Strength in Every Step: How Runner Defies Diabetes on the Road to Clontarf Half 

    Strength in Every Step: How Runner Defies Diabetes on the Road to Clontarf Half 

    By Daniel Keegan 

    The half marathon. 21 kilometers of grit, determination, and sheer endurance. Many people compete in Ireland’s several half marathons each year, but even for the fittest individuals, the thought of running such a distance is daunting. 

    For type 1 diabetic, Aisling Ní Aogáin, she not only has to worry about running, but she also must worry about regulating and managing her chronic illness. 

    She describes how she began running not long after her diabetes diagnosis, which came at age 11. 

    “My parents used to take me to my local parkrun on Saturday mornings when I was about 12 and I really enjoyed them,” Ní Aogáin said. 

    “As I got older, I started running more. I progressed by doing 10k’s and then during the 2021 lockdown me and my sister trained and ran our own half marathon and then in 2023 I completed the Clontarf half marathon which I really loved and enjoyed,” she added. 

    On November 30, she will take part in her 2nd Clontarf half marathon. For her it’s much more than just the distance – it’s a statement showcasing that she can do incredible things regardless of her health misfortunes. 

    However, this isn’t her first phenomenal feat as a diabetic endurance runner. Her most remarkable race came in October 2024 when she completed the Dublin City Marathon in aid of Diabetes Ireland.  

    “In 2024 I decided I wanted to do a marathon. So, I applied for a charity spot and raised €1,500 for Diabetes Ireland and the whole experience of running the marathon was amazing,” Ní Aogáin said.  

    Although she thoroughly enjoyed the experience, she explains the struggles that came with managing her illness with the stress of training and running her first marathon. 

    “It was very difficult alongside diabetes trying to manage blood sugar and making sure I was well enough to run. If I had very high blood sugar levels, I would feel lethargic, ill and lack energy. If I had low blood sugar levels, I would feel very weak and faint and it would be dangerous for me to run,” Ní Aogáin said. 

    “For most of the run [marathon] I had high blood sugars because I was fearful I would have to stop and treat a low blood sugar, and I really didn’t want to interrupt the good momentum I had,”, she added. 

    She describes how having diabetes can make her feel lonely at times, but she is continually reminded that she is not alone in her quest to manage her condition while accomplishing other goals and accomplishments in her life. 

    “When I’m finding it difficult balancing life, running and diabetes it’s nice to remind myself that I’m not alone even though it can feel very lonely,” Ní Aogáin said. 

    “I follow a lot of people on social media with type 1 diabetes who run, so it’s a nice reminder that even with all the odds stacked against me to keep going,” she added.  

    The Clontarf half marathon is held twice annually in November and July. However, this year’s November race did not go according to plan. Aisling and fellow participants are left to wait an additional two weeks to complete the race as severe weather conditions from the arrival of storm Claudia resulted in the race being postponed. 

    The original race was due to take place on November 15. 

    Aisling didn’t let the poor weather dampen her spirits and is still eager to break her own personal records in the upcoming race. 

    “I chose to do the Clontarf half this year again because I know the route and the last time I did it, I didn’t really train for a time. So, this time I wanted to do a sub-2-hour half marathon,” Ní Aogáin said. 

    “Even though the race got postponed, I’m still really looking forward to trying and pushing my limits this time.”  

  • ‘The Dublin Sparky’: Wiring Up Social Media, One Job at a Time

    ‘The Dublin Sparky’: Wiring Up Social Media, One Job at a Time

    By Daniel Keegan 

    Known on social media as ‘The Dublin Sparky’, Eoghan Ó Conghaile is a Dublin-based electrician who has merged two of his biggest passions to propel his career.  

    With the use of modern technologies, he creates content that consists of sparky tips, product reviews, and video themes, such as “A Day in the Life of an Electrician,” all of which are intended to educate apprentices while showcasing his passion for content creation. 

    In just three months, he has amassed an audience of over 10,000 followers across various social media platforms, with some of his videos gaining over 100,000 views.

    (Credit: YouTube – The Dublin Sparky) One of Eoghan Ó Conghaile’s videos 

    A key aspect of Ó Conghaile’s filming process is the use of Meta Ray-Bans. These glasses appear to be ordinary Ray-Ban glasses; however, they are equipped with tiny built-in cameras that record footage at eye level. This allows him to capture what it’s like to be an electrician. 

    Ó Conghaile explains how his inspiration to purchase the glasses came while travelling. He was in Australia when he heard of someone recording themselves playing golf with the glasses and posting their videos on social media. The idea of using the technology in his working environment came to him immediately – this was the moment ‘The Dublin Sparky’ was created. 

    “I bought them in Australia, and at the time that I came back to Ireland, I don’t think you could buy them. So, I think I was the first person in construction to have them”, Ó Conghaile said. 

    After he came home and resumed his job, he started recording his activities while ‘on the job’. He describes how simple the technology is to use and how quickly he can create and edit his videos. 

    “The footage goes straight into your phone, and then you put it into a video editor, chop it up, and send it out. I’m so quick at it. I can get through a video in half an hour leisurely”, he said.

    (Photo Credit: VisionExpress) Meta Ray Ban Glasses 

    He has received largely positive feedback since posting on social media, especially amongst younger apprentices and fellow electricians. He laughs that his phone is becoming bombarded with electrical queries from apprentices and others involved in the trade. 

    “I get electrical questions all the time, and it’s getting to the stage where I have to turn my phone on ‘do not disturb’ when I’m going to bed,” he said. 


    “The apprentices I work with love the videos. They watch what I am doing and learn something because the content tries to be educational,”, he added. 

    Sitting back and sipping his tea, Ó Conghaile reflects on the ten years since he decided to pursue a career in electrical work. This journey has been filled with challenges, but it has also included experiences that he believes have been crucial to his success. 

    He says that getting a college degree or other traditional career options didn’t align with his interests and ambitions, so he decided to pursue a trade instead. 

    “I finished school and did an okay Leaving Cert. I then went to Maynooth for three weeks and knew straight away that college wasn’t for me,”Ó Conghaile said. 

    “I was doing computer science, and the first lecture was linear algebra. At that point, I knew I was going to be gone,” he added. 

    He chuckles about his life right after leaving college, working at a nearby supermarket, and unexpectedly receiving an apprenticeship offer through his uncle, who was working on a site. He adds that he had no intention of entering a trade.  

    “I never wanted to be an electrician. Never thought about it,” he said. 

    Fast forward to now: his career is thriving, and his social media following is only going one way. However, initially, not everything went to plan. Due to filming constraints on his previous employers’ work sites, ‘The Dublin Sparky’ channels were temporarily halted.

    (Credit: YouTube – The Dublin Sparky) A Day in the Life of an Electrician

    After being told that filming was not an option, he took a gamble by moving companies, as he was not willing to let his passion for showcasing his trade creatively be stripped away. 

    “My last company was like, ‘you cannot and never will do that [record] on any of our sites again’, he said.  

    “This led me to put up a post on TikTok looking for work, and because I built up a bit of a following, less than half an hour later, I had about 15 job offers.” 

    “So, I moved companies and now my new boss lets me do whatever I want. He’s getting free promotion, so he’s happy and pushes it, “he added. 

    It has proved to be a gamble that has paid off. Shortly after he began posting again, he received sponsorship offers from well-established electrical companies. 

    “CEF Tallaght were the first to reach out to me. Snickers Workwear also got in touch with me, so stay tuned for that,” he said. 

    Ó Conghaile’s passion for filmmaking pre-dates his ‘Dublin Sparky’ days, as he reveals that he has been making travel videos for several years. 

    “What a lot of people don’t know about me is that I’ve been making content for about five years. Every time my girlfriend and I go away, I make a travel video. There’s a whole bank of videos that no one knows about,” he said. 

    Additionally, he admitted that ‘The Dublin Sparky’ page is currently just a side hustle, but he hopes something greater could emerge from it and potentially become his primary job. 

    For now, though, he is delighted to continue creating content while working on his trade – scratching his itch for practical trades work and creative digital work. 

    “For me, this is the jackpot. This is the gold at the end of the rainbow,”, he said. 

    “I get to film what I’m doing at work, which I love anyway, and then get to blend it with making videos, which I love.” 

    “I’m getting paid to do it, but I would do it anyway,” he added.

  • Oktoberfest 2025 in photos

    Oktoberfest 2025 in photos

    By Daniel Keegan

    The 2025 Oktoberfest returned to the Theresienwiese public square in Munich this year. Monstrous beers and hearty Bavarian food filled each marquee table. The place was as loud as a rock concert with guests singing their hearts out to the many drinking songs.

    The 16-day festival took place from September 20th to October 5th and, according to organisers, attracted 6.5 million jubilant visitors, with around 30% coming from abroad. Additionally, they estimated that 6.5 million litres of beer were consumed.

    Each day began with the anticipation of the craziness that would inevitably ensue, and in ceremonial Bavarian style, the men wore their Lederhosen, and the women wore their Dirndls. The streets surrounding the festival were crowded, and the energy was high, as everyone eagerly approached the Oktoberfest.

    The first glimpse of the Theresienwiese, which showcases the towering amusements and monstrous beer tents, marvellously captures the ludicrous nature of the festival.

    Photo 1 – The early morning rush at Oktoberfest from above. Every morning at 10 am, a wave of attendees arrived. There was a mix of families deciding which ride to go on first and groups of friends swiftly trying to navigate the Theresienwiese to find which marquee to spend the next few hours in.

    Photo 2 – Once inside the marquee, folks quickly gathered at their tables and got settled. The waiters hurried to take their first orders of the hectic day. The excitement only grew from here.

    Photo 3 – The first round of the day was a moment of pure anticipation. Glasses were full, and the energy ran high. Everyone raised their glasses and clinked them together like tiny bells, followed by a chorus of ‘Prostttt’ from everyone in the marquee.

    Photo 4 – Each tent is owned and run by different beer companies, so the beer you receive varies from tent to tent. However, one thing always remains the same: you are served your beer in a large glass, which is called a Maß.

    Photo 5 – After about an hour of eating and drinking, a band arrived and started to play many traditional Oktoberfest songs. Initially, they focused on German Oktoberfest music, but later they raised the noise and played more internationally known songs such as Neil Diamond’s ‘Sweet Caroline’.

    Photo 6 – However, there was no song more important than ‘Ein Prosit’. Whenever this song was played, everyone raised their Maß and chugged. The song was played every 15 minutes throughout the entirety of the day.

    Photo 7 – After people had their fill of eating, drinking, and singing, they stepped outside to find a crowd of others at the outdoor activities. Many joined in and enjoyed some rides themselves.

    Photo 8 – Many of the taller amusements provided great scenery of the areas surrounding the Theresenwiese. Not only was a magical birds-eye view available, but from this ride, a view of the stunning St.Paulskirche was in full sight.

  • WorldSkills Ireland returns to the RDS

    WorldSkills Ireland returns to the RDS

    WorldSkills Ireland 2025 returned to the RDS Simmonscourt in Dublin from September 17th to 19th. More than 180 finalists competed in 35 skill areas ranging from engineering to culinary arts as thousands of spectators watched on. The event demonstrated how skilled jobs may influence Ireland’s future.