Spencer Matthews to headline FREE Dublin habit-stacking event designed to help people master 2026

British extreme endurance athlete, Guinness world record holder, entrepreneur and TV personality Spencer Matthews will headline a once-in-a-lifetime, FREE public event in Dublin next week, focused on how tiny daily habits can lead to extraordinary long-term results.

Hosted by Newstalk’s Clare McKenna and supported by Benecol, the intimate panel will explore the concept of habit stacking, the science-backed idea that new behaviours are more likely to stick when they are attached to existing daily routines. And ultimately how mastering the simplicity of habit-stacking can have truly profound effects on mastering our lives and achieving our goals. 

Joining Matthews on stage will be the IRFU’s senior men’s performance coach Gary Keegan, who works with Ireland’s top athletes and CEOs to build consistency under pressure, and beloved Irish Social Media Star James Kavanagh, who will share his personal experience of managing high cholesterol through daily habits.

Caroline Dermody, the Community Nurse Lead with Croí, the Irish Heart & Stroke Charity, will also take part, noting that high cholesterol affects 1 in 2 adults in Ireland*. She will underline that one of the simplest solutions is not dramatic change, but small, consistent actions that become part of daily life. So, something like Benecol should be an easy win for your daily health journey. 

A unique, intimate & inspiring event

The event will be hosted in the breath-taking Smock Alley Theatre in central Dublin city, the FREE EVENT will be a mix of invited press, PR guests and members of the public. Public attendance is by application only, with places allocated at random via an automated system to remove human influence.

Hopeful applicants can register their interest here and will be contacted on Monday January 19th to confirm their attendance.

Why habit stacking matters

Spencer Matthews, a Guinness World Record-holding endurance athlete who has taken on many extreme challenges, including an ultra-distance event this winter to Antarctica, had learned that extraordinary achievements are built on ordinary habits repeated every day.

Gary Keegan works daily with the Irish rugby team at the highest level of performance. At this panel event he will explain how the same discipline, systems and routines used to deliver consistency on the pitch can be applied to everyday life for all of us, particularly when it comes to health habits people often struggle to maintain.

James Kavanagh will discuss how making cholesterol management part of his daily routine helped him take control of his heart health. Benecol contains plant stanols, which are clinically proven to lower cholesterol by reducing its absorption in the gut when consumed daily as part of a healthy lifestyle.

Together, the panel will offer a rare, honest look at what really drives long-term success. Not just motivation, talent or willpower, but the small habits we repeat every day.

Designed to leave attendees informed, inspired and practically equipped, this one off event promises an intimate and energising start to 2026. Offering simple ideas that can be applied immediately, long after the lights go down at Smock Alley Theatre.