It's a Friday afternoon in mid-February in Abu Dhabi, when we seat ourselves on the terrace of Ma Buckley’s, an Irish-owned bar and restaurant, where Garron Noone will display his array of talents over the weekend.
Upon first meeting him, Garron exudes a friendly energy infused with humility. Best known for his viral videos and comical content capturing the essence of Irish life, I look forward to tapping into a more serious side.
Over the past few months, the Dublin-born, Mayo-raised man has spoken openly and bravely about his struggle with agoraphobia, a type of anxiety disorder that involves fearing and avoiding places or situations.
According to the HSE, the physical and cognitive symptoms of agoraphobia can be similar to those of a panic attack. The fear of being in certain spaces can lead sufferers to avoid crowded places and public transport or even remain housebound.
On New Year’s Eve, a time when many people on social media share their lives in highlight reels, Garron posted a meaningful video that stood out from the rest. With almost a million views, it is a reminder that the vessel is as important as the message, made even more effective when shared from his perspective.
In the video, Garron expressed gratitude to his 1.6 million followers for transforming his life, while also sharing that two years ago, he was predominantly confined to his house and barely able to go outside.
While 2024 had been an incredibly successful year for him, he wanted to share the full picture to provide hope for others experiencing mental health difficulties. When I start our conversation by asking him if there are any specific tools he uses to manage his mental health, he is equally open and sincere.
"It's about telling yourself you can do things, even if they are challenging, and if it doesn’t go well, it is still better than not doing anything at all," he says.
At age 30, Garron describes himself as being in the expansion mode of his life, where he purposely does things he finds difficult, which in turn helps him to build confidence. He has done this so much that he happily admits that public events no longer make him nervous.
This is a remarkable turnaround, given the fact that just a few years ago, he was effectively housebound. A stark contrast to the man sitting before me, who has travelled to the Middle East to entertain hundreds of people.
"I think there are a lot of unrealistic expectations around mental health as well," he notes. "People think they can cure themselves of things, when really it is about management. It is better to be realistic about the fact that things can pop up, rather than believing that you can only be cured or broken, and those are the only two states you can exist in."
He encourages others to have patience with the process, that progress is slow but improvement will happen incrementally, and that can only be a positive thing.
He remarks that life is perfectly worth living when managing things. When I ask him about any advice he might be able to offer other Irish men, he shares the following with trepidation:
"To a certain extent, it’s about walking into things knowing you are not going to feel good and allowing that to wash over you. It’s better to learn that you can go through things rather than constantly going around them."
When I ask Garron if it would be helpful to remind yourself that feelings are temporary, he agrees, but interestingly adds, "you can make them pretty permanent if you give into them constantly".
"You can make your world smaller, where they cave you in, but that feeling of permanence is only in your own head. The minute you start stepping outside of that, you realise that you can get some context of the situation you find yourself in."
As we discuss whether Irish men in general are comfortable talking about their mental health, Garron acknowledges that there has been progress, but possibly on a superficial level. He encourages people to talk about what is going on in their lives and resist the urge to immediately pathologise.
"When people speak about what they are feeling, they realise that it’s perfectly normal to feel that way; there is often a valid reason for it."
Garron recalls helpful advice that he received: "I heard somebody say once: when you see potential in another person, that potential doesn't actually exist; it’s just what you would do in their shoes, and it's very true."
He concludes, "I think I have a better outlook because I have dealt with mental health issues."
Considering his wide reach (he got shout out on stage from Stevie Nicks at her recent concert in Dublin), how does it feel to know that he makes an impact on so many people? "I don’t think I realise it that often until I meet people in person," he reflects.
Due to the reclusive nature of agoraphobia, it seems that it is rarely spoken about, and the comic says he has garnered a huge response since sharing his story: "I have had about ten thousand messages from people who have made a change in their lives because they have heard me talking about it, and it is absolutely the most important thing that I have done with my platform, that is for sure, so I am thrilled about that."
The food reviewer and podcaster regularly reminds us that he is 'delicious', but after chatting with him, I can think of a number of other adjectives to add to the list: vulnerable, resilient, articulate. His willingness to be open, honest, and brave makes him all the more relatable.
"A lot of people are trying to put up a facade, and I try not to do that," he adds with a chuckle, "I'm probably a very below-average person; do you know what I mean?"
"I think it’s important to just express yourself, the world is a better place when we’re seeing each other as we are."
If you have been affected by issues raised in this story, please visit: www.rte.ie/helplines.
