Made In Chaos with Ryan Curtis

People Are Quick to Judge the Flats. Very Few Ever Stop to Listen. Richie Power Is Changing That.


Richie Power grew up in the Liberties and created Chats in the Flats — the Instagram page showcasing a side of working-class Dublin that rarely makes the headlines: the humour, the talent, the grief, the pride and the sense of community behind the concrete. In a media landscape built on clicks and the worst-case story, Richie set out to show the everyday people instead.


Ryan sits down with him for a warm, wide-ranging conversation about community, identity, the power of the mind and the Dublin we're at risk of losing.


What we get into:


Growing up in the Liberties and only realising later how different it was Why he built Chats in the Flats one authentic take at a time, against the hook-and-chop grain of social media How the local credit union helped him get it off the ground Why the media only seems to notice the flats when something bad happens The accent as identity — and why he'll pronounce his words but never change how he speaks Old Dublin, and the fear that we're losing it block by block Why he keeps his focus local — self, family, community — before anything else The doctor's throwaway comment that changed how Richie's guest on the show, Ryan, thinks about the mind forever His late mother's words: "Let yesterday's news get you through this journey. Don't let this journey ruin yesterday's news" Why being Irish, and being proud of where you're from, is a kind of superpower


Ryan Curtis is a former Irish MMA fighter who was paralysed from the neck down and told he would never walk again. Made in Chaos exists to platform guests who've turned adversity into hard-earned wisdom worth sharing.


Follow: @madeinchaospod | @chaoscurtis | and Chats in the Flats on Instagram


️ Sponsored by The Ink Factory, Temple Bar — Ireland's highest rated tattoo studio. theinkfactory.ie | @theinkfactory

Why Do You Keep Repeating the Same Patterns Even When You Desperately Want to Change? One of Ireland's Best-Known CBT Therapists Explains.


Most people think their problems are stress, anger, anxiety, bad habits or overthinking. But what if a lot of the chaos in your life is coming from patterns you don't even realise you're repeating?


Enda Murphy is a psychotherapist, author and one of Ireland's best-known CBT therapists. He's spent decades helping people understand the emotional mind — why we react the way we do, why we avoid uncomfortable feelings, why we sabotage ourselves, and why so many people get stuck in the same cycles even when they want out.


Ryan sits down with Enda for a genuinely eye-opening conversation about how the mind actually works.


What we get into:


Why the way you describe yourself is almost never who you really are ADHD, neurodivergence, and why Enda calls it a difference, not a disorder How the emotional mind works, and why your feelings aren't facts Why you keep repeating patterns you consciously hate The real reason people avoid uncomfortable feelings Why trying to force happiness often backfires What anxiety actually is, and how to relate to it differently How to actually break a cycle instead of white-knuckling it Why self-awareness is the starting point for real change Practical ways to interrupt the patterns running your life


Ryan Curtis is a former Irish MMA fighter who was paralysed from the neck down and told he would never walk again. Made in Chaos exists to platform guests who've turned adversity into hard-earned wisdom worth sharing.


Follow: @madeinchaospod | @chaoscurtis


This conversation is for information and reflection, not a substitute for professional support. If you're struggling, help is available in Ireland — Samaritans are free, 24/7, on 116 123, or text About It on 50808.


️ Sponsored by The Ink Factory, Temple Bar — Ireland's highest rated tattoo studio. theinkfactory.ie | @theinkfactory

A Working-Class Poet Who Can Perform for Thousands But Struggles to Say How He Feels. Emmett O'Brien on Grief, Masculinity & Finding a Voice.


Emmett O'Brien is a poet, actor and storyteller from Cabra who's built a reputation for putting into words what so many people feel but never quite know how to say. He started writing at 13, after a 14-year-old friend was killed in a hit-and-run and a counsellor suggested he find a way to express it. What began as rap became spoken word, and it's carried him from ten people in a basement to stages across the world.


Ryan sits down with Emmett for an honest, wide-ranging conversation about creativity, class, masculinity and mental health.


What we get into:


Growing up in Cabra and why he was the "outlandish" kid Starting to write at 13 to deal with the death of his friend How rap became spoken word, and the artists who shaped him The working-class accent as identity, and being paid to write but not to speak Why he can perform for thousands but can't talk about his own feelings The one-man play about hitting rock bottom that nobody knew was about him Grief, his ma's passing, and the moment his emotions finally opened up Masculinity, the manosphere, and what a man actually is Why it's good men capable of violence, who choose not to use it, who matter Imposter syndrome, Damien Dempsey, Kelly Harrington and self-doubt Calculated luck, the 10,000 hours, and why sacrifice is the whole game Surrounding yourself with genuine people, not yes-men


Ryan Curtis is a former Irish MMA fighter who was paralysed from the neck down and told he would never walk again. Made in Chaos exists to platform guests who've turned adversity into hard-earned wisdom worth sharing.


Follow: @madeinchaospod | @chaoscurtis


If anything in this episode resonates with you, support is available in Ireland. Samaritans are free and available 24/7 on 116 123, and Text About It can be reached by texting 50808.


️ Sponsored by The Ink Factory, Temple Bar, Ireland's highest rated tattoo studio. theinkfactory.ie | @theinkfactory

He Built One of Ireland's Best-Known Estate Agencies, Lost Almost Everything in the Crash, and Came Back. Ray Cooke on Housing, Money & Sacrifice.


Whether you're trying to buy your first home, stuck renting, investing, or you're just convinced the whole system is broken, you have an opinion on the housing market. Ray Cooke has watched it all from the inside. He built one of Ireland's most recognisable estate agency brands, survived the 2008 crash when he couldn't afford to feed himself, and has seen firsthand how policy, interest rates and supply shape thousands of lives.


Ryan sits down with Ray for an honest, no-spin conversation that goes well beyond house prices.


What we get into:


Growing up in Rathcoole, dyslexia, and why hard work became his "superpower" Working in the pub at 11 and the money habit that shaped everything Setting up his business in 2005, then watching the 2008 crash nearly destroy it Viewing one house 82 times before it sold, and living on beans on toast The bank manager who ripped up his business plan three times and saved him Why 2008 won't happen again, and how lending has completely changed The truth about estate agents, ghost bidding and why they get so much abuse Whether the housing crisis is really the agents' fault, or the government's His honest, blunt take on sacrifice, saving and getting on the ladder What he'd change first if he woke up as housing minister How to build wealth starting with 20 grand The biggest money mistake ordinary people make without realising


Ryan Curtis is a former Irish MMA fighter who was paralysed from the neck down and told he would never walk again. Made in Chaos exists to platform guests who've turned adversity into hard-earned wisdom worth sharing.


Follow: @madeinchaospod | @chaoscurtis


️ Sponsored by The Ink Factory, Temple Bar — Ireland's highest rated tattoo studio. theinkfactory.ie | @theinkfactory