Hands up if you remember the era of Irish pirate radio? Me neither but I heard it was a thing. Thankfully all things radio have moved into the year 2017. The humble podcast is so much more open due to the lack of restrictive regulations on the internet, for now anyway. Podcasting allows chat radio on its own terms, and it’s probably for that reason and that reason alone that we have some of the best podcasts around coming from our shores. While podcasting in itself is a relatively new concept around Ireland we are finding more top quality shows every day so we have decide to share with you a few of our favourite Irish podcasts to help you through those long morning commutes or evening dog walks:
Second Captains
First off the mark is the Second Captains Podcast. Unlike all of the other podcasts this is actually created by a media production company in Dublin and they team previously produced and presented the Off The Ball show on Newstalk radio for eight years, winning a record nine PPI national radio awards. Psst they are also the guys behind the RTÉ 2 show by the same name.
Unsurprisingly these are the big boys of the Irish podcast scene, they go back as far as 2013 and they actually launched with the support of the Irish Times so as you would expect they quickly became the most popular podcast in Ireland, winning the iTunes podcast of the year in 2014. It remains Ireland’s most-listened to podcast.
If you haven’t guessed by the Off The Ball reference, this podcast has to do with everything sport, both on an Irish and International stage. Combining banter, sports and a keen interest they are everything you could ask for and more when looking to get the latest in sporting news. Oh and course due to their sheer size some of the guest speakers are legends of Irish sport, which is always great to hear their insights without the fear of retribution that standard radio would bring. So whether you want to know more about Katie Taylor’s upcoming fight or Ex Everton Legend Neville Southall speaking about his career in detail, these are your guys.
Those Conspiracy Guys
Now honestly I’m a bit biased writing this because this is a podcast both myself and Deano adore. Those Conspiracy Guys is exactly what it says on the tin, a weekly podcast based on all types and genres of conspiracy theories with just the right dash of Irish humour added to the mix. Want to know more about CIA assassinations, Bigfoot or the many behind the Boogeyman, than these are your guys.
“NO TOPIC IS TOO DELICATE OR OUTLANDISH (EXCEPT THE ONES WITH THEÂ REALLYÂ GOOD LAWYERS) AND WE WANT TO MAKE IT PALATABLE FOR EVERYONE FROM BEGINNERS TO EXPERTS.”
What I love about these guys is although the humour and banter is clearly obvious and great craic, it’s the knowledge and research that sets them apart. Dropping the tinfoil hat nonsense Gordo and the gang delve deep into the internet to bypass the crap and bring us real information on conspiracies that you have heard about and more that you haven’t. In their own words they run their ironclad bullshit detector over the range of misinformation that exists online and deliver the real information in a style that is both informative and fun in equal measures.
“WE ARE BUT A PAIR OF HUMBLE IRISHMEN WITH A PROPENSITY FOR CRITICAL THINKING AND COMMON SENSE, BUT WE ALSO HAVE AN THIRD EYE SQUINTED OPEN FOR THE STRANGENESS OF TRUTH.”
So if you ever have a curiosity about the stories around 911 or have ever watched the news thinking ” Hmm that doesn’t seem right to me” well then this is the podcast for you. Me and Dean have easily spent a drive from Limerick to Dublin listening to Those Conspiracy Guys. You won’t be disappointed.
Mindfully Fit
Again this is a biased opinion but with good reason. Paul Dermody, one half of this dynamic duo actually used to be a housemate of mine back in the ole college days. So when this lad talks about where he came from to where he is today it’s the gods honest truth, trust me I was right there with him. Eating waffles, talking football and half arsedly going to the gym between constant injury problems.
Nowadays Paul and Orlaith endeavor day in,day out to become the Gary Vee’s of the saturated Irish fitness scene. Whether it’s a nightly Q&A or Facebook Vlog the talented pair behind Mindfully Fit are the most approachable and honest people I have witnessed on the scene, cutting the crap and the look at me mentality of other fitness folk. Paul and Orlaith want to help you reach your maximum potential when it comes to real world fat loss and general health.
Look, each and everyone of us want to be a better version of ourselves. Whether that is from a fitness, mental or personal level and having listened to the Mindfully Fit podcast I can hand on heart say their is something for everyone from beginner to gym junkie.
“To inspire, educate and empower people to live their healthiest and happiest lifestyle”
They regularly share helpful and valuable tips for better habits , mindsets along with real world strategies and principals to help you apply them to your life . With collaborations from world – class guests in their own fields. By they way apart from a full social media assault they are both personal trainers in Galway who offer face to face and online training.
The Irish Pubcast
What is more Irish than talking cobble in a pub? It’s probably the most Irish thing in the world to be fair. The Irish Pubcast is basically just that, Wayne Talbot, Ciaran Marcantonio and Darren Fahey are the brains behind this Dublin based podcast.
They record in a series of random pubs around Dublin City talking about a range of topics such as on pop-culture topics, including films, comics, horror and comedy. Mainly they talk geek, so if you’re into Comics, Game of Thrones or anything along these lines this could be the podcast for you. These guys have been doing this for years in 2011 and again in 2012 they won the award of “Best Comic-related/featured Podcast”. Just think of all the pints these guys have downed over the years. Can someone say best job ever?
An Irishman Abroad
Sure we couldn’t have an article on the best Irish podcast’s without mentioning An Irishman Abroad.Over the last few years this brilliant podcast has developed a bit of a cult following, mainly due to the host himself. Jarlath Regan is an Irish comedian living in London who has been on a number of comedy shows down the years, namely The Panel and The Rumour Room.
Over the last years Regan has placed himself as one of our most recognisable comedians and it was in 2013 An Irishman Abroad began. We Irish have been the biggest emigrants down the years, in fact as a nation we are known for moving away to pastures new. So each week we get a different Irish person speaking with him about their lives to give us an insight into the experiences of our people on their travels.
Guests down the years have included people like Dara Ó Briain and Sonia O’Sullivan, but the most interesting episodes for me are when the guests are successful but not particularly famous, but have a story to tell. To be honest it’s one of the most intriguing and entertaining podcasts I have listened too down the years.
But don’t take my word for it, Paul Campell of The Gaurdian after hearing the episode with Munster hero Jerry Flannery had this to say:
“every single young person reading this should go download this podcast and listen to it every week for the rest of time”.
Grab the earbuds and get listening
So there you have it, the best and brightest of the Irish podcast scene in one handy list. It’s great that some of the most engaging online content available online is coming from people like you or I, it just makes things so much more accessible and understandable.
Have we missed any of your favourites? Should the Goos3D team dig the mic out and get talking? Let us know in the comments.
