Time to talk: stories from the heart of Ireland

When Michael Healy-Rae was a young boy he was given a piece of advice that has served him well: 'keep you mouth shut and your ears open'.

Michael quickly became a listener, an observer of human nature and local life, admiring its quirky characters and idiosyncrasies, where all the world can be contained within a mile of kingdom.

Years later, Michael learned the importance of talking.

The tragic suicide of an elderly local farmer made him realise how much talking means to people, and how it can even save a life.

He made a vow to himself to never stop talking, and to really hear what people were trying to say.