Secret Phone Notes

by Barry Taylor

Season 1

Ep 17: Molly's Secret Phone Notes / Dirty Girl Fridays, Mongolian massage, dreamy Sligo

Episode 17 and I'm joined by Molly Keane: 00:25 — Intro / meet Molly / Sligo, photography, trail running, sourdough donut discourse 03:22 — Note 1: Barry / Something overheard on the Crete flight home between a creepy guy and his seat partner 12:44 — Note 2: Molly / Oldest note: a shopping list that reveals a decision she made about herself → Dirty Girl Fridays → pineapple pizza → candied pineapple toasty on the Tour de Mont Blanc 27:05 — Note 3: Molly / A dream from April 2022 involving someone unlikely being fearless → recurring childhood nightmare → Tenet, Inception, and why Molly is a serial rewatcher of Little Miss Sunshine 36:40 — Note 4: Molly / A New Year's Eve note that asks one big question and leaves it completely blank → Paris Marathon, strength training, running podcast recs 44:45 — The Mongolian massage: a forty-five minute education, a gas station inflatable man, a lit rollie, and €50 Barry didn't see coming 51:37 — Mongolian throat singing, Tilly the dog's review of it, and Barry's DART claim that didn't survive five seconds of scrutiny Molly is a photographer, trail runner, and all-round outdoor enthusiast based in Sligo. But that's only a small portion of our convo. We'd met exactly once before this. You can find Molly at @mollykeane_photo on Instagram and @molly_wanders on TikTok, where she documents everything about the northwest of Ireland with her rescue dog, Tilly, and her wonderful fiance Garth. We cover...A note I took on the flight home from Crete that I probably shouldn't publish but absolutely am. Molly's oldest note — a shopping list from 2021 that brings us onto Monty Python. A dream she wrote down in April 2022, which opens up into a proper conversation about recurring nightmares, Christopher Nolan, and Little Miss Sunshine. And a single question jotted down on New Year's Eve with absolutely zero follow-up — which then leads to the most honest conversation about marathon training, patience, and why runners hate hearing about strength training. That bit was written by AI. So sue me. It's really late. And then at the end, because we went about twenty minutes over and I couldn't stop myself, I told Molly about the time I booked a Mongolian massage in Berlin through ClassPass. Forty-five minutes of massage history. A scarecrow. A gas station inflatable man. A lit rollie. A calcium deficit diagnosis. And a €50 surcharge on what I thought was a free session. I don't have many regrets in life, but. The podcast's instagram: https://www.instagram.com/secretphonenotes/ My website + contact: https://barrytaylor.co/ Cheers!

S1 · E18

Aug 11, 2026

56:51

Ep 16: Daniel's Secret Phone Notes / 4,200 (!), the SNL of sustainability, Philip Seymour Hoffman

This week Barry is joined by Danny, an Ecuadorian musician-turned-entrepreneur based in Guayaquil, Ecuador for a roulette through his notes apps. Daniel spent eight years as a musician in Germany, fronting Ponte Pilas. Now he's back in Ecuador running Pulso Verde, a sustainability startup that communicates climate action through comedy and sketches - their self-declared moonshot: to become the SNL of sustainability. They get into the challenge of building a green business in a country where sustainability is, in Daniel's words, still in nappies, and what it actually looks like when individual impact becomes measurable. Also: a 2014 note about an album cover involving two blocks of ice, a one-line note on human conviction that doubles as a perfect summary of climate inaction and gastritis pizza relapses, the Ecuadorian expression "el mundo de los sin zapatos" (the world of the shoeless), the Philip Seymour Hoffman hair-pulling story from the set of The Master, Jake Gyllenhaal's eyebrows in Nightcrawler, and Barry's 35 before 35 list. (I'm sorry, AI summarised this. I am too too tired). 00:23 — Introduction 04:57 — Note 1: Barry / Camino hiking shopping list → peach loops, sweaty Camembert, and morale management on long trails 11:06 — Note 2: Daniel / oldest note (2014, Bremen) → "You and I, we're gonna live some more" → Ponte Pilas origin, music background, parents who wanted to be musicians ~18:00 — Note 3: Daniel / "El mundo de los sin zapatos" → creativity and discipline → the Berlin park "temple" → Bismillah album, Peter Kat Recording Company 31:31 — Note 4: Daniel / "The condemnation is that we know what to do and we don't do it" → sustainability parallels → gastritis and the pizza relapse 36:09 — Pulso Verde deep dive: the SNL of sustainability, the talk show, team of 13, no greenwashing 41:01 — The man who brought his reusable cup / what measurable impact actually feels like 43:37 — The Studio (Seth Rogen) / Hollywood making fun of Hollywood / the actors who said no and are now calling back 45:10 — Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Thomas Anderson, and the hair-pulling story / Jesse Plemons / Jake Gyllenhaal's eyebrows in Nightcrawler 50:20 — Barry's 35 before 35 list / acting class as the litmus test of fear / sign-off / "el mundo de los sin zapatos" Practicing your Spanish? Listen here: Pulso Verde: https://www.instagram.com/pulso__verde/?hl=en Pulshow: https://www.instagram.com/pulshowww/?hl=en More episodes etc: Secret Phone Notes: https://www.instagram.com/secretphonenotes/?hl=en

S1 · E17

Jul 28, 2026

54:20

Ep 15: Sara's Secret Phone Notes / Grandma's IRA medals, Abbey Road sessions, Japan at Christmas

This week Barry is joined by Sara Louise — Sydney-based brand strategist, singer, musician, and author — for a roulette through her notes app. In the last thirteen months, Sara has recorded an album at Abbey Road Studios, written and released her debut single "Buen Hombre", and self-published May the Road Rise, a book tracing her Irish family roots back to the Cork flying columns and the War of Independence. Her grandmother was a member of Cumann na mBan, awarded IRA medals, and was involved in printing illegal propaganda with Erskine Childers in a cottage outside Kilnamatra, Macroom. Also: working in Tokyo and why KFC is Japan's Christmas tradition, singing "My Way" in Spanish at a Bolivian celebration of life, Barry's overheard Bray prom conversation that doubled as a commentary on Ireland's cocaine statistics, and what it means to carry your grandmother's DNA a hundred years after she left Cork. Links: https://www.saralouise.me/ https://barrytaylor.co/ https://www.instagram.com/secretphonenotes/ Email: barrytaylor1993@gmail.com 00:00 — Intro / meet Sara 04:57 — GUEST RANDOM NOTE 08:18 — Japan: KFC Christmas and NYE traditions: Shinto New Year, Yoroshiku Negaishimasu 14:14 — RANDOM HOST NOTE: Ireland's cocaine stats → Jameson whiskey → the Boston deathbed story 22:51 — GUEST RANDOM NOTE singing at a Bolivian funeral → Irish songs and grief → dream of singing in Irish 37:54 — GUEST RANDOM NOTE Coke for Vinnie → Sri Lankan food in the Hunter Valley → what is jaggery 46:17 — Irish family history: the flying columns, 8th Battalion, Cork ambush sites 52:20 — Cumann na mBan → grandma's IRA medals 56:41 — Erskine Childers, illegal propaganda, TB, and leaving Cork in 1925 1:00:09 — Wrap-up: May the Road Rise book, the album

S1 · E16

Jul 21, 2026

1:01:30

Ep14: Niamh's Secret Phone Notes / Oklahoma storm chasing, shooting boygenius, queer representation

This week I sit down with Niamh Barry a Cork-born, Dublin-based photographer and documentary filmmaker and we roulette her phone notes app. Niamh's debut documentary Something in the Air, officially selected for Galway Film Fleadh 2026 and GazeFest, follows Raychel Sanner, a storm chaser and trans woman living between Oklahoma and New Mexico. Just last month it won Best Short Documentary at the BAFTA-qualifying Manchester Film Festival. https://www.filmsomethingintheair.com/donate https://www.niamh-barry.com/189a7061fd-content We get into Tornado Alley, anti-trans legislation, what surprised Niamh about the LGBT community in Oklahoma, and what it took to finally photograph boygenius, including a last-minute visa scramble and a flight to Philadelphia. Amongst other things, we kick off with Barry's (me, host) (not Niamh) awkward opener involving a dermatology appointment and the SH:24 free STI testing service (get checked, folks). Chapter list is below. as well as other links! Chapter list: 00:00 – Welcome & introducing photographer and filmmaker Niamh Barry 03:40 - FIRST HOST NOTE (RANDOM) 04:20 – An awkward first phone note: skin checks, STI tests & Irish healthcare 09:40 - FIRST GUEST NOTE (RANDOM) 10:20 – The notes behind working with Irish band Sprints 15:45 – Flying to Philadelphia to photograph Boygenius 20:45 – Queer representation in music photography 24:45 – SECOND GUEST NOTE (RANDOM) 26:20 – Making Something in the Air 30:10 – Storm chasing, Oklahoma & meeting Raychel 33:45 – What Hollywood gets wrong about tornadoes 36:50 – Will & Harper, empathy & travelling across America 44:00 - THIRD GUEST NOTE (RANDOM) 44:50 – The Irish Photography Prize & photographing community 50:30 – Barry's accidental photography exhibition 55:20 – Wrap-up Social links: https://www.instagram.com/narryphotographyvids/ https://www.instagram.com/secretphonenotes/ Thanks!

S1 · E15

Jul 7, 2026

55:39

Ep 13: Chris's Secret Phone Notes / Biomimicry, Irish polar bears, Tom Crean

Ready to roulette a stranger's notes app? Today I'm joined by Chris Barrett, an adventurer who is known for sharing stories of Irish and Arctic nature. He's also a woodworker, conservationist, designer, and many other things. He's worth a listen. It's one of my fave chats so far. Anyway, let's see what we find in his notes app. Secret Phone Notes Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/secretphonenotes/ Chris Barrett's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/chris_barrett_photo/ Rough overview and chapter list below: A citizen science Arctic expedition off Svalbard, a year bike packing through Patagonia, Bolivia's salt flats and the Atacama Desert, and a near-miss on Bolivia's death road all come up through the notes. So does an autonomous fertilizer ball, a gecko-inspired glove built for his college thesis, and the Trinity College research linking polar bears back to the Irish brown bear. Plus: Tom Crean, translucent polar bear fur, and why biomimicry has 3.5 billion years of R&D behind it. 00:00 – Welcome & introducing Chris Barrett 01:20 – RANDOM HOST NOTE 02:00 – Colour blindness, whiskey ads & Coca-Cola myths 04:50 – Coca leaves, altitude sickness & hiking in Peru 06:50 – Bikepacking Patagonia, Bolivia & traveling light 09:15 – The Pacific Crest Trail & ultralight hiking culture 12:30 – RANDOM GUEST NOTE: the autonomous fertiliser ball 16:55 – Nature restoration, farming & rural Ireland 20:05 – Biomimicry: how nature inspires better design 24:55 – Gecko gloves, shark skin & everyday invention 28:10 – RANDOM GUEST NOTE 31:20 – Cycling the Bolivian salt flats & drunken drivers 36:20 – RANDOM GUEST NOTEBoxing inventions → Arctic photography 37:30 – Polar bears, climate change & photographing the Arctic 41:55 – Svalbard expeditions & a life-long obsession with the poles 44:20 – Tom Crean, Shackleton & Ireland's greatest explorer 48:35 – Wrap-up Thank you for listening!

S1 · E14

Jul 1, 2026

50:49

Ep 12: Maureen's Secret Phone Notes / Death is inevitable, slam poetry, ambassador of Milton Keynes

Ready to roulette a stranger's notes app? Today I'm joined by Maureen Onwunali, a Dublin-born Nigerian poet who is a lot of fun. And national slam poetry champion twice! We scroll, we stop, and we reveal what's hidden away in the swamp that is our notes app. Let's listen! Secret Phone Notes Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/secretphonenotes/ Maureen Onwunali's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/monwunali_poetry/ You'll find the chapter list below but tl;dr - Maureen was dscovered on stage (ish) at 14 by poet Joelle Taylor, Maureen talks growing up between Dublin, London and Milton Keynes, performing at the Irish Embassy for Bloomsday, and what her name actually means. Plus: a viral puffer jacket poem, 1,776 phone notes, and the ongoing campaign to dethrone Maureen O'Hara on Google. Stay tuned. Chapter list: 00:25 Introduction to Secret Phone Notes 04:01 Exploring the Roulette of Notes 05:22 RANDOM HOST NOTE 06:19 Diving into Maureen's Oldest Note 07:46 OLDEST GUEST NOTE 08:58 The Impact of Lockdown on Creativity 10:26 Maureen's poetry beginnings, aged 12 17:42 GUEST'S NEWEST NOTE 22:15 An Ambassador to Milton Keynes 25:10 Which city has shaped Maureen's writing the most? 28:10 The mandem don't cry enough poem 32:10 What is slam poetry? 35:00 Building a university poetry team from scratch 43:30 Nigerian heritage, language & oral storytelling 49:24 Maureen performs a poem 55:50 Closing notes

S1 · E13

Jun 23, 2026

56:17

Ep 11: Oisín's Secret Phone Notes / Cycling around the world, 4297 notes, where's home?

Ready to roulette a stranger's notes app? Today I'm joined by Oisín for the 11th (official) episode of Secret Phone Notes. We scroll, we stop, and we reveal what's hidden away in the swamp that is our notes app. Let's listen! Secret Phone Notes Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/secretphonenotes/ Oisín's amazing videos and prose - https://www.instagram.com/prendio2/ 00:00 Introduction to the Secret Phone Notes Podcast 04:08 RANDOM HOST NOTE 05:08 Oisín's ludicrous way of keeping notes 08:13 Creative Processes and Cycling Adventures 08:34 GUEST RANDOM NOTE 09:56 Life Lessons from Cycling around the World 14:47 SECOND RANDOM GUEST NOTE 22:06 The Journey Begins: Starting at Granny's House 25:15 Facing Challenges: The Reality of Long-Distance Cycling 28:59 WhatsApp group of Irish cyclists around the world 29:06 Dervla Murphy, cycling solo from Ireland to India in 1965 31:12 When do you feel most alive? 33:57 Cycling around the world: What has surprised you the most 34:16 Biggest surprises along the Way:? 39:58 RANDOM GUEST NOTE 44:44 Bikepacking accommodation: Where do you stay? 46:13 The Cycling Community and Female Bikepackers 47:40 RANDOM GUEST NOTE 47:47 Reflections on Home and Belonging 55:21 Final Thoughts and Reflections If you liked this, please send it to a friend/enemy or rate it or follow on Instagram or anything really that'll help push it to one more individual haha. Am I desperate? Yes. Additional notes: Bikepacking around the world, cycling trips

S1 · E12

Jun 17, 2026

56:13

Ep 10: Adrien's Secret Phone Notes / Making a Mandalorian x Burger King menu, Kevin Spacey crisis, trolling Nigeria

Ready to roulette a stranger's notes app? Today I'm joined by Adrien for the 10th (official) episode of Secret Phone Notes. We scroll, we stop, and we reveal what's hidden away in the swamp that is our notes app. Let's listen! Secret Phone Notes Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/secretphonenotes/ 00:00 Introduction to Adrien 01:37 How we met, Barry's winning final goal 03:58 How the format works 05:23 RANDOM HOST NOTE 07:46 Experiences in Business Class and Celebrity Encounters 08:00 Barry's sole premium airline experience 08:33 Jameson First Shot and Barry in LA 10:20 The Kevin Spacey crisis 13:20 Superstitions and Personal Rituals 20:48 RANDOM GUEST NOTE 21:55 Adrien's Random thoughts: Bad whistlers 22:57 Adrien's Random thoughts: Americans and Their Cars 24:37 Designing Burger King menus 28:29 American vs. Italian Pizza 30:49 Warm shower thougths 33:56 Swiss Lifestyle and Swimming Culture 37:16 RANDOM GUEST NOTE 37:34 The Burger Boy and Culinary memories 40:08 Nostalgic Fast Food Memories 45:07 Cultural Roots and Family Background 51:23 Trolling England fans in a bar 53:35 Exploring Ivory Coast: A Cultural Perspective Links and stufff! The Burger Boy - https://www.instagram.com/the_burgerboy_/ The Burger Boy hiking the Alps for the ultimate burger - https://youtu.be/Y6KmqoU5jdE?si=ydH8DcS4ndDRr5GC Secret Phone Notes Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/secretphonenotes/ Barry's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/barrison_ford/ Barry's Website - https://barrytaylor.co/ Barry's email - barrytaylor1993@gmail.com Thanks so much!

S1 · E11

Jun 10, 2026

58:00

Ep 9: Lara's Secret Phone Notes / Marking a monk, Lebanese humour, personal growth goals

Ready to roulette a stranger's notes app? Today I'm joined by Lara for the 9th (official) episode of Secret Phone Notes. We scroll, we stop, and we reveal what's hidden away in the swamp that is our notes app. Let's listen! Secret Phone Notes Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/secretphonenotes/ 00:00 Introduction to Lara 03:29 HOST NOTE - SECOND OLDEST 03:30 Barry's Personal Growth Goals 09:10 Language and Cultural Identity 11:29 The Beauty of Arabic Dialects 19:03 FIRST GUEST NOTE 21:49 Letterboxd Favourite Four 22:33 Top Four Films Discussion 24:20 The Impact of 'The Tree of Life' 25:41 Terrence Malick's 'The Thin Red Line' Lore 31:00 Christopher Nolan's 'Dunkirk' 34:14 Reflections on Personal Growth and Experiences 38:04 Cultural Insights and Humor 39:25 Exploring Lebanon: A Journey Beyond the Cities 40:03 Beirut's Vibrant Nightlife 41:41 The Perfect Night Out in Beirut 42:25 GUEST NOTE - RANDOM 43:11 The Transition to Berlin: Parks and Public Spaces 45:35 Navigating Visa Challenges and Opportunities 45:35 Visa issues for non-EU citizens 47:20 Reflections on Privilege and Opportunity 48:10 Playing football with an angry monk 52:47 Final Thoughts Links and stufff! Secret Phone Notes Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/secretphonenotes/ Barry's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/barrison_ford/ Barry's Website - https://barrytaylor.co/ Barry's email - barrytaylor1993@gmail.com Thanks so much!

S1 · E10

Jun 2, 2026

53:46

Special Episode - Secret Phone Notes / Anonymous listener notes

Ready to roulette a stranger's notes app? Today is a special (and very brief) episode. Join me in the jazz corner where I read aloud the secret notes sent in by listeners. 00:00 Introduction 00:40 First listener phone note 01:20 Second listener phone note 02:40 Third listener phone note 03:40 Fourth listener phone note 05:10 Fifth listener phone note 06:10 Sixth listener phone note Want to get something off your chest? Send it in. We can keep it anonymous, both between you and I, too! Links and stufff! Secret Phone Notes Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/secretphonenotes/ Barry's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/barrison_ford/ Barry's Website - https://barrytaylor.co/ Barry's email - barrytaylor1993@gmail.com Thanks so much!

S1 · E9

May 26, 2026

7:29

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