The Irish Legacy Podcast presented by UCB Ireland: Honoring the Past. Investing in Ireland’s Future.
The Irish Legacy Podcast, presented by UCB Ireland, celebrates the rich heritage, faith, and spiritual legacy of Ireland. Join us as we explore stories of faith, culture, and the Gospel’s impact on Ireland—connecting listeners in the United States and around the world with the heart of the Emerald Isle and the hope found in Jesus Christ.
The Irish Legacy Podcast presented by UCB Ireland: Honoring the Past. Investing in Ireland’s Future.
Episode 2-God’s Goodness in Ireland: Spiritual Realities, Testimonies & Hope
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From ancient faith to modern revival-God is still writing Ireland's story.
In this episode of the Irish Legacy Podcast, UCB Ireland CEO Robbie Frawley and co-host Hannah Harris explore the spiritual landscape of modern Ireland — its challenges, stirrings of revival, and the enduring power of faith. Through candid conversation and moving testimonies, they trace God’s goodness across Ireland’s past and present, sharing stories of hope, transformation, and purpose. Tune in for honest reflections, encouragement, and a vision for what’s next for the Church in Ireland.
Links:
- UCB Ireland - Irish Christian Heritage Tour
- UCB United Christian Broadcasters
- UCB Ireland
- UCB Ireland Facebook
Hashtags: #UCBIreland #UCB #Ireland #RobbieFrawley #ChristianRadio #Testimonies #IrishHistory #IrishHeritage #Podcast #Podcasting #PodcastCommunity #PFCAudioVideo
Sponsorship:
The Irish Legacy Podcast is proudly sponsored by Zeta Saddles-— engineered for comfort, performance, and the ride ahead. Learn more at zetasaddles.com
Welcome to the Irish Legacy Podcast, presented by UCB Ireland. Honoring the past. Investing in Ireland's future. Whether your family name traces back to the hills of Carey, the streets of Dublin, or the rugged coastlines of Donegal, this podcast is for everyone who carries a piece of Ireland in their heart. Here on the Irish Legacy Podcast, we'll explore the stories, traditions, and Christian faith that have shaped generations of Irish families around the world. So, whether you're listening from Ireland, America, or anywhere else across the globe, welcome home. Here now are your hosts, Robbie Frawley and Hannah Harris.
SPEAKER_00For many, it's heritage, family roots that stretch across the ocean. But what if Ireland is more than just where your story began? What if it's where God is still writing one? Once known as a land that sent missionaries around the world, Ireland today is facing a very different spiritual reality. And yet, right in the middle of that shift, there's a quiet, powerful movement of hope through voices, through stories, through media. Today, we're stepping into that story. This is the Irish Legacy Podcast. In this episode, we're exploring why Ireland's spiritual story isn't finished and why it might matter more than you think. Joining me once again is my co-host from America, Hannah Harris. Hi Hannah, welcome to the podcast.
SPEAKER_02Oh, hey there, Robbie. How's life across the sea?
SPEAKER_00Do you know what? It's it's been a bit blustery, it's been a bit windy, yeah. We've had a bit of rain, but you know, spring has sprung. There are daffodils in the front garden. That's a good way to say that spring has sprung. So we're good. All good.
SPEAKER_02Oh, that sounds lovely. You know, I live in the state of Colorado, and I would call the state of Colorado a little bipolar, up and down and hot or really cold. So yeah, but I'm looking forward to seasons changing, that's for sure.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, we kind of get four seasons in one day here, so that's okay. We're used to that. It's it's it's pretty cool. We're we're okay with that. Hannah, you know, in the last episode, we discussed at the end of the last episode that I was gonna teach you some Irish phrases, okay?
SPEAKER_02I know, and you kind of embarrassed me a little bit, but it's okay. I didn't know. It's okay.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so I'm gonna teach you. Do you like dogs?
SPEAKER_02I love dogs. Okay. I'm a dog lover.
SPEAKER_00So here you go. Okay, the Irish for dog is modra.
SPEAKER_02Madra?
SPEAKER_00That's it. Madra.
SPEAKER_02Oh my gosh. That's it. Madra.
SPEAKER_00Madra. That's okay. But the phrase I want to teach you today is very simple. Cade Mila Fulcha.
SPEAKER_02Cade Mila Facha.
SPEAKER_00Fulcha.
SPEAKER_02Fulcha.
SPEAKER_00There you go.
SPEAKER_02Cade Mila Fulcha.
SPEAKER_00Any idea what that means?
SPEAKER_02Um, I love dogs.
SPEAKER_00No. It means a hundred thousand welcomes.
SPEAKER_02Oh, that's wonderful.
SPEAKER_00So the next time you see somebody go, Cade Milafa, and they'll look at you very strange. Yeah, there you go. There's your Irish for today. We'll do more of this as the time goes on. We'll do more of this and get a bit more difficult each and every episode.
SPEAKER_02Okay, I love it, Robbie. Thank you. But I also I'm gonna I'm gonna throw one at you. All right, for all of us Gen Zers out there. Right. Okay. If someone says to you, well, spill the tea, what does that mean?
SPEAKER_00Spill the tea. Now I spelt I did that today. I spilt the tea today on the staircase in the office. But I I reckon it's kind of like spill the beans, tell the story.
SPEAKER_02You you nailed it. You nailed it. Come on. That's it. That's it.
SPEAKER_00I'm a Gen Zer at heart.
SPEAKER_02Uh yes, you are. I think I need to get some tougher phrases for you to figure out. So that's I think that was an easy one.
SPEAKER_00I'm not sure I like where this is going.
SPEAKER_02It's all good. You know, I'm just so excited for this episode, Robbie. Um, when most Americans think of Ireland, you know, and you you were just teaching me some phrases and some words. It's amazing, you know, they picture not just some of the phrases and the words that you guys just taught me, but it's fun. And your awesome accent, by the way. Thank you. They picture history. Yeah. But what's the spiritual reality that Ireland sits in today?
SPEAKER_00It's a really good question because uh everybody outside of Ireland sees Ireland in many ways as the little backward country with all the sheep in the streets and you know, all the tractors going up and down and the and it is that, but actually, it it's a real thriving cosmopolitan nation. It's you know, Dublin is a financial center of Europe. It's not just on the outskirts. And because of that, you end up with a situation where the nation and people of the nation kind of become self-sufficient. They get to a stage where it's like, well, I've got my 100,000 a year in my pocket. That's what I earn every year. I've got a great car, I've got a nice job, got a nice family, I'm all right. And you you assume that people just go to mass as a Catholic, you know, for high days and holidays. But there is a move of God here that isn't even underground anymore. There is a there's a beginning and a thriving of what God is doing here in this land. So, yes, we have a situation where people might say Ireland is very liberal. Yes, it is. But God is doing something really, really special with people up and down this island. It doesn't matter what part north, south, east, or west you come from, God is doing something, and churches are growing. Sometimes you have a church of 50, you might have a church of a thousand, but people are beginning to return to an authentic gospel. And that's the word authentic. You've got to have the authentic gospel of Jesus. And we're seeing that more and more. There's a there's a move of God that is quiet, but it's happening.
SPEAKER_02You know, I love the verse in the Bible that says, be a light in the darkness. And that is very much what we're called to do, right? And in the previous episode, we kind of talked a little bit about our hair, your heritage and the history of Ireland and how it came about. I would say that you guys are tiny but mighty. And going along with that, why does Ireland still matter in the global story of faith? You guys are being a light in the darkness in your country of Ireland, but you guys have a global story of faith as well.
SPEAKER_00And that's a really I like that tiny but mighty. You know, it's not about the size you are, it's about the impact you bring. And uh this little nation, as we've spoken before, is a nation that it believes in itself, not in arrogance, but it believes in itself and it believes it has something to say. And the Irish will put always put themselves out there, whether it's uh music or industry or creativity or music, whatever, they will always put themselves out there because they believe in themselves. They don't take themselves too seriously, but they believe in themselves. So why does Ireland still matter in a global story of faith? It still matters because, as I said just a moment ago, there is an authenticity within Ireland that says, if God is God, then I'm gonna believe in him. And for those people who get to a stage where they move from a knowledge of who God is in their head to a relationship of who God is in their heart, then that drive that is in you as an Irish person moves people to make a difference. And I believe personally that you can't quietly talk about the gospel. And I don't mean you rant and rave or you protest, I'm not talking about that, but you can't live a life in faith in Christ Jesus that's timid. You can't live a life in Christ that is, oh, I'm okay, I'll just sit here in the corner. And the Irish don't do that. So when the Irish bring a message of faith, when as a nation we go out to do something or to say something, there's a passion. A passion that ignites. If you've ever seen a real Irish preacher go for it, I mean, there is a passion on a platform that ignites individuals. And it's that passion, I think, that the world needs. It's not the Ireland isn't the only nation that does this, but if we have a passive Christianity, then it doesn't move very quickly.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00So I I don't know whether I've answered that correctly or not. I don't know whether I'm getting that across, but it's a passion that drives people, and because of that, that's what's needed across the world, the passion of the gospel.
SPEAKER_02But I also gather within your culture that you guys are very proud of your culture. So when it comes to Christianity, you're proud to share the gospel. You're proud to move that mission forward. And there's a boldness behind that. Ireland was once known for sending missionaries around the world. What has changed?
SPEAKER_00I think we've we've just dropped the term missionaries. It kind of went through a phase of being very vogue. You know, in the when I was a kid, when I was growing up in school, uh, we would have little money boxes, and our teachers would say, now save all your pennies for the for the little babies in in Africa. And of course, we were missionaries then, weren't we? Because we were told that we were saving our money for the for the people who didn't have any food. And there is a huge move across Ireland of charities that reach out to people who don't have enough, that reach out to people who need more than they have for clean water, for food, for education, for medical supplies. I don't think it's changed that much other than the fact that we don't call ourselves missionaries anymore. We just believe that we're doing the will of God and the call of God. And people think that you've got to go on this mad, great. Um, I'm gonna go on mission to the other side of the world. Well, what if you went on mission to the other side of your street? That's good. Now let's change the narrative here and let's change the dynamic of what this is. There are churches up and down Ireland, and I'm sure across America as well, they've got food banks in them. So they're providing food to people who can't feed themselves. Is that mission? There are people up and down. I've got a neighbor here who walks by my house every day, and if there's if my bins are still out, he puts them in because he sees my car's not on my driveway, so he brings them into my house. People might say, ah yeah, but but hey, he's doing something for me. We need to see that mission is the everyday move of what God calls us to do, rather than please hear me right. Some people are called to mission to go, and I get that. But we're all called to mission. We're all called to act out what God said. And when Jesus left, here's the thing: when Jesus left this earth, when he was leaving his disciples and going to be with his father, he didn't talk about the biggest conspiracy in the world. He didn't talk about the biggest miscarriage of justice in the world, he didn't talk about how the cross really hurt him. He didn't talk about the fact that the biggest miracle has ever happened and the biggest cover-up because I'm raised from the dead and they're trying. He didn't talk about, he said, go. So that's mission. In this island, we go, we see, we go, we do. And if that's in our locality, that's in our locality. If that's in another nation, that's another nation. But as we said earlier on, it's about passion. If you take the passion of the gospel with you, then you're going to be infectious wherever you go.
SPEAKER_02I really like that. My sister, um, she went on a mission trip here in the United States to West Virginia. And I remember her heart was missions. She wanted to go across the seas, and which is all great and fine. But I remember my dad saying to her, What about our neighbors? What about our states over? So I agree with you on that. A lot of the times our mission work is just your neighbor. Do they need some bread? Do what do what do they need?
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_02What are the people in Ireland searching for right now spiritually, would you say?
SPEAKER_00Honesty. We, like every nation, have had moves of God across our nation where people have been on fire for God. And if you watch a Gen Z generation, they're not interested in the fluff anymore. All they want is the truth. Tell me the truth. Don't fluff it up so it looks good or it sounds good. Tell me the truth. And I think that's that's what people need. People in Ireland need that. They need to know the truth of the gospel. You know, I was talking with somebody earlier on today, and they were talking about how people are hurt. People you know, we're talking about marriage for a moment and how some in some cases, sadly, marriages break down. And you end up with two divides, you end up with two families effectively, two sides. And as a church, what do we do with that? Do we care for those people or do we judge those people? And I thought that's very interesting. So, what do we do? And what do people want? They want to be accepted, not for the sin that they have, but they want to be known that God loves them right where they are.
SPEAKER_02Amen. Amen.
SPEAKER_00And that's the message that we bring in truth, simplicity, authenticity of a message of hope in Christ Jesus. That's what this country needs.
SPEAKER_02And unfortunately, all across the world, there has been church hurt. Yeah. You know, you talk about that a lot. Even churches talk about that a lot. We're like, hey, the church is imperfect. I mean, it we are of this world right now. You know, we're we're called to be Christ-like, right? And that's not to diss the church, but so many of us do have church hurt. So, how does UCB Ireland then reach people that churches often can't?
SPEAKER_00The beauty of UCB Ireland is we are available anywhere. You know, 90% of our nation, small that it is, has a smartphone. It doesn't matter what it does, and you've said it. Everyone, you know, there's a big survey here at the moment. I don't know whether what it's like in the States, but there's a big survey here that says actually, we don't think your newborn should have screen time. Duh. Yes. Seriously? Uh here's the reality. Okay. There's the reality. We're living in a time when everybody has access to everything. And our job is to make sure that we can provide the message of Christ Jesus right at your fingertips. With the word for today on our app, with prayer requests on our app, but also with our three radio stations on our app. And people say, Oh yeah, but I don't like listening on my phone. Well, when you get into your car every day, your phone goes Bluetooth just in case you get a phone call, so it goes through your car speakers, just like our radio station does. So we're partnering with churches. Our six words, Hannah, that describe the mission of UCB Ireland are serving the church, reaching the nation. That's it. Six words. And people say, well, what does it mean? Break it down. We're gonna serve the local church. How do we do that? We serve them by providing quality, good, safe Christian radio. We serve them by providing word for today. Every quarter, our daily devotional goes out to over 20,000 people across Ireland. We serve them with prayer line. We serve them with encouragement through web and social media activities and of course our posts. We serve them with interviews, we serve them with telling them about what's happening across the nation so they don't have to go look for it, they can find out where we are. And how do we reach the nation? When we partner with the churches, when we talk with them, when we talk to them, when we find out what they're doing, and we tell people of the love of Christ. And we don't have a wall to stop us doing that. We're not contained within a building. When I speak in the breakfast show on a Monday morning, well, that goes out across the world. That's how we're reaching the gospel. That's how we are affecting uh the nation, that's how we're we're touching people's lives with the message of Christ through our radio, Word for Today, and beyond.
SPEAKER_02Robbie, I gather that you wear many hats. You're the CEO of DCB Radio.
SPEAKER_00I do.
SPEAKER_02You're like, I'm the morning show guy as well. You know, you're doing this amazing podcast. I mean, what don't you do? And I'm sure being on the front lines of your industry, you're seeing, you're firsthand seeing God's work. And I'm sure that's beautiful. And I'm sure that's so fulfilling on your end, right?
SPEAKER_00It is the most incredible thing. I've been a broadcaster since I was 18 years of age. Uh, that's a long time ago. And uh, I'm not going to tell you how long, but that's a long time ago. And I remember starting out on that journey, and uh I did a one-hour show of gospel music on a very, very, very embryonic Christian radio station here in Ireland. It was called the Irish Christian Broadcasting Service. It was broadcasting without a license. It was also, it was weird. Ireland was going through a whole revolution of radio. And I was on this radio station and I did this, and there was something in me at the age of 18 went, that's what I want to do for life. I want to make a difference. Now, we all want to make a difference. I do what God's called me to do. I am privileged to do what I do. And it is, as I say time and time again, the greatest honor of my life to do what I do. To see people's lives changed, to hear stories about people's lives changed. That's remarkable. Uh, to hear about people saved because of the gospel, because of something that we've done. But also to hear people just going, I had an email from a guy overnight saying, Hey, really love the breakfast show today. Thanks for playing that song. It just blessed me. Really appreciate you, bro. God bless. Now, people might go, Yeah, where's the story in that? The story in that is that somebody has been encouraged where they are right now. Yeah, but they're a Christian. Yes, I know they are, but they're encouraged. So I get the opportunity to be part of that. I get the opportunity to frame that. I get the opportunity to work with really talented people across Ireland and around the world who help shape our message to deliver to this nation, the nation that I was born and raised in. What greater privilege could there be?
SPEAKER_02That's so good. That's so good. And making a difference. And, you know, Robbie, it's not just about evangelizing, right? To to the lost, to the one little sheep that went away, and then God's going out and finding the one, right? It is about the Christians as well. Like you just said, yeah, he's a Christian, he's listening, but it blessed his day. You don't know the story behind what he just said. Yes. No idea. You have no idea. Hey, thank you for playing that song. That was such a blessing to my day. But what's going on in his marriage? What's going on in his home life? What's going on in his work life? You just don't know. So why did it bless his day? There's a story behind every single person who listens to UCB.
SPEAKER_00Exactly. And to sit there, when I when I do training, Hannah, when I when I talk and I get people in and we're we're doing a whole batch of training for new radio presenters or whatever, they all want to know how long they're going to speak for. And I don't know whether you've gone through any of this in your line, but they all go, when I get to talk and I go, you're not there yet. And I go through the makeup of one hour of Christian radio. It could be one hour of radio. It doesn't matter what's made up in there. The fact that we're going to play 10, 11, or 12 songs, we've got God spots, we've got messages, we've got jingles, we've got framing, we've got eye dance, we've got all that. And when you put all that together, I say, now how many minutes do you think you're going to speak in this hour? And suddenly the penny drops. And most of the time, if we actually break it down, most radio hosts speak for an average of seven minutes in an hour. Seven minutes. So now suddenly we're not the star of the moment. But we are the link. And what we say matters. What we say when we say it matters, I'm not talking about preaching, I'm talking about the information the listener needs to know. The moment they need to hear something about Christ. What we say in those seven minutes throughout an hour matter. And also, it's not a right to be listened to. So I talk about the privilege of the seat. The fact that when we sit in that chair and we open that microphone, it's a privilege to be listened to. How are we going to respect that? And what are we going to do? And to see people run faster than me. Hannah, my desire is that one day somebody will come along to me and say, I want to do the morning drive show. And I go, Yes, please, you take it. And they run further and faster than I can. That's brilliant. And that's that's what really drives me.
SPEAKER_02So if someone wanted to be part of what God is doing in Ireland, they want to be like a Robbie Frolley making a difference. What does that look like?
SPEAKER_00Well, for us, we we we have uh different training programs, but we also have uh you you can volunteer at any level for UCB Ireland. You can volunteer in admin, you can volunteer with Word for Today, you can volunteer as what we call a county champion, which means you're putting your county on the map before you're putting us on the map. You remember I was talking about serving the church?
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00So we put somebody in County Cork and we'll say, okay, County Cork, what's happening in Cork? Tell us about it so we can tell the rest of the nation. Oh, and by the way, let us then serve you with Word for Today or anything else. We champion the county first. So you can do that. You can get into audio engineering, social media, you can get into editing, and yes, you can be a radio presenter. But not all people are called to be that. Without the incredible administration team, there's a team of 45 people at UCB Ireland. I was in the office today and there was only five of us in the building. It's a small building, but there's 45 across the nation. They all do different things, but they are all as important as each other. So you can do everything. So you get in touch with us first, check out the website, ucbireland.com or ucbirland.ie, and from there you can reach out to us. And people in America can still work with us. We could do lots of things with people in the States. No problem.
SPEAKER_02Changing the world and changing Ireland. Robbie, thank you so much for this all new, exciting podcast. And joining me on this adventure, I'm joining you on this adventure from across the sea. It's been fun so far.
SPEAKER_00It's been great. I've really enjoyed it so far, and I'm looking forward to what happens next.
SPEAKER_02Ireland isn't just a place on a map. It's a story. One that began long before us, and one that's still unfolding today. And maybe, just maybe, it's a story you're meant to be part of. Whether your connection to Ireland is through family, faith, or something you can't quite explain, there's something powerful about recognizing what God has done in Ireland isn't over. Not even close. In our next episode, we're gonna take that one step further because this isn't just about understanding the story, it's about stepping into it. This is the Irish Legacy Podcast. For Robbie Frolley, I'm Hannah Harris. Thanks for listening.
SPEAKER_01Thank you for joining us on the Irish Legacy Podcast. If you enjoyed today's episode, be sure to share it with friends and family who are proud of their Irish roots. And to learn more about the mission and ministry of UCB Ireland, visit UCB Ireland.com where you can discover more programs, resources, and ways to stay connected. Until next time, may the Lord bless you and may the legacy of Ireland continue to inspire faith for generations to come.
