The Mario Rosenstock Podcast

I’m pretty sure that you will not have heard an interview with Tánaiste Micheál Martin quite like this one before. The man is great craic, full of funny stories and banter – it’s a side to him that we rarely get to see in the Dail and on current affairs shows, but we certainly get a taste of it in this episode. We talk about his love of impressions, and he even does a few for us! He tells me what he thinks of my Gift Grub caricature of him, he also talks about his relationship with Leo Varadkar behind the scenes, time he spent in the north trying to understand the unionist perspective, the return of Bertie and his rumoured bid for the Presidency, getting into bed with Sinn Fein, and and lots more. We actually stayed in studio chatting for over an hour and a half and so we’ve decided to break the conversation up into two parts, the first of which you’re about to press play - and if you'd like to hear part 2 afterwards, jump back to Oct 2023 on this menu. I hope you enjoy what I think is a very different kind of interview with one of Ireland best-known politicians. Comedy – Eamon Dunphy and John Giles discuss the massive cocaine haul off the Irish coast this week. Produced by Patrick Haughey of AudioBrand

This is one of my favourite interviews from last year. I’ve always noticed that rugby players, in particular retired rugby players, have brilliant stories to tell. There’s so much craic and mischief going on behind the scenes in the changing room and when they’re off on tour and then you and I are lucky enough to hear all about it, when a sufficient amount of time has passed and its safe to share the stories!Tommy Bowe is one of those great former rugby internationals who also happens to be a brilliant storyteller, so I was delighted when he agreed to join me as special guest here on the Mario Rosenstock Podcast. I got some juicy behind-the-scenes stories and gossip which I think you’ll enjoy, but we also talk about his childhood growing up in a border county when the British army very much still a presence there, how he very nearly did not become a professional rugby player, his new career as a TV presenter (known for regular hilarious gaffes – 10 siblings, anybody?), and his successful clothing company XV Kings which has just turned 10 years old.COMEDY - David McWilliams reminisces about causing trouble on ‘culchies shopping day’ on 8th December in his youthProduced by Patrick Haughey of AudioBrand

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to ride a motorbike alone from the bottom of South America to the very top of North America? My guest on this episode did just that. Peter Murtagh, having retired from the Irish Times after decades of doing the work he loved to do, hopped on his motorbike, and spent eight months travelling 45,000 kms alone through deserts, mountains, jungles and cities, and he joins me to tell me about the places he saw, the people he met, and what he has learned about himself and the world.Check out Peter’s book about the whole experience: 'Tip to Top: The Journey of a Lifetime, From Chile to Alaska'.COMEDY – whats the story with the Irish ‘Summer’ this year? The Mario Rosenstock Podcast hotline has been hopping with messages from well-known voices.Produced by Patrick Haughey of AudioBrand

In the 12 months since Tony Kelly was on this podcast, his life has completely transformed. The comedy character that he created at a house party over ten years ago, is now the central character in a feature film that has gone global, streaming on Apple TV and Amazon Prime. So Tony is back on the pod to tell me all about how it all happened and where to next. We also talk about his personal struggles with alcohol and drugs and how that side of his life has been going for him since the very dark times he went through not so long ago. COMEDY – Tony gets voicemails from Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Brendan O’Connor, and the great John Mullane!!

I am a tennis nut. I have been playing and loving the sport since I was ten years old and continue to love it to this day. So I’m delighted to be joined on this episode by the best tennis player ever to come out of Ireland. Conor Niland played for many years at a professional level, he was coached at the tennis academy run by legendary coach Nick Bollettieri, and he even qualified for Wimbledon, one of the only Irish players ever to do so.He has also met and played some of the tennis greats and on this episode he takes me behind the scenes of this fascinating world. Conor has just published a fascinating book called ‘The Racket: On Tour with Tennis’s Golden Generation – and the other 99%’, and he tells me all about it in this episode of The Mario Rosenstock Podcast.COMEDY – Taylor Swift is in Ireland and her phone is hopping! We got exclusive access to her voicemailsProduced by Patrick Haughey of AudioBrand

Professor John Crown is one of Ireland’s best-known and accomplished cancer experts. He has spent his entire career trying to improve outcomes for patients and fighting to improve the way Ireland’s health system works, so it was no surprise that, recently, John was crowned with the Outstanding Contribution to Cancer Medicine and Research Award from the Irish Association for Cancer Research.In this episode of The Mario Rosenstock Podcast we talk about John’s fascinating background, what inspired him to become a cancer specialist, what we all need to do (and stop doing) to live longer, healthier lives, where the health system has gone wrong and how John believes it can be fixed.COMEDY – we throw back to one of my favourites: RTE boss Kevin Bakhurst has just introduced a salary cap for RTE presenters – his voicemail box is hopping!Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

Brendan Ogle is one of Ireland’s best-known activists and trade unionists. Having fought Margaret Thatcher and her plans to privatise the railways in the UK, Brendan returned home to Ireland in the early 90s and has been fighting for workers’ rights and social justice ever since.He has now decided that its time to move from protest to politics, and to try to effect change as a member of the European Parliament. Brendan is always a compelling podcast guest – he’s a real character, he’s got loads of war stories from the decades he has spent in the trade union movement, and its clear that he has plenty of fight left in him yet.COMEDY – Donald Trump’s phone has been hopping ever since he was found guilty of falsifying his business records. Check out the messages he has been getting from some well-known Irish peopleProduced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

Laura and Rob are from very different worlds. Laura is a stand-up comedian and actress, best known The School and Bridget and Eamon on RTE. Rob is one of Ireland’s most successful Olympians, competing in five different Olympic games, and winning a gold medal at the Moscow World Championships.But together they present a very successful podcast called Red Raw where they talk very openly about their lives and share stories about body image, trying to conceive, Rob not hitting puberty until he was 17, and Laura being a virgin into her mid 20sNothing is off the table when it comes to their podcast – and nothing was off the table when it came to our chat too.COMEDY – with 2fm losing some of its biggest stars, some of Ireland’s favourite podcasters audition for their roles…Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

When Niall Boylan joined me here a couple of years ago we had a fascinating conversation about his 30-yearr career in radio, his reputation as a so-called ‘shock jock’, and his incredible life story. But recently Niall decided to put his lifelong radio career on hold so that he can run as a candidate in the Dublin constituency in the upcoming European elections.  Having spent so many years as a phone-in radio presenter Niall believes that he has a unique  understanding of Irish voters and the kind of representation they need at a European political level. In this very open and honest conversation about some of the big issues facing this country right now, Niall explains why he’s the man for the job and what he plans to do.COMEDY – Niall’s hosting a phone-in about OnlyFans, and some very familiar voices call in to express their opinions..The Mario Rosenstock Podcast is produced by Patrick Haughey of AudioBrand

A story like Israel’s war on Gaza naturally gets wall to wall news coverage. But sometimes blanket coverage over a prolonged period of time can start to lose its power, we start to get inured to it and its impact decreases. So in order to keep getting the message out there, you need a new angle - and comedian and writer Tadhg Hickey certainly has that angle. Tadhg has become very well-known over the last few years for unique brand of comedy, which highlights  global political issues in a very fresh and accessible way. He has always covered the Israel / Gaza conflict but over the last few months he has doubled down on it. Tadhg joined me earlier this week for a very interesting conversation about this terrible conflict, how and why it all started, why it might sound the death knell for Zionism, and how he’s trying to do some good through comedy.Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

We hadn’t planned to talk about it, but the tragic situation in Gaza and the failure of well-known people in the wellness industry to speak out about it, was one of the highlights of my chat with broadcaster and podcaster Sile Seoige. It’s a subject about which Sile feels incredibly passionate right now and she explains why in this episode.But of course we talked about all sorts of other things in the hour we spent together, like Sile’s hugely successful podcast Ready to be Real, some of the tough personal episodes she has been through , and what she has learned from them , and that recent controversy about the Irish language, stirred up by Sile’s former Newstalk colleague Ivan Yates! Comedy – Daithi O’Se, Ivan and Matt, and Blindboy leave voicemails for Sile on the Mario Rosenstock Podcast Hotline. Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand.NEWS: GIft Grub Live 25 (Brand new show celebrating 25 years of Gift Grub on the radio) @3ARENADUBLIN - ON SALE HEREhttps://www.ticketmaster.ie/mario-rosenstock-tickets/artist/2188743

Something that has always fascinated me about former State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy  is how she could have one of the toughest, most serious and emotionally impactful jobs in the country and yet be so upbeat and positive outside of the job. In a way maybe that’s the only way one can successfully do it. Marie and I get in to all of that in our chat, as well as what its like being a pathologist, why she wanted to become one, the famous case that made her decide it was time to go, and lots more.Check out Marie's GoLoud Podcast HEREThe Mario Rosenstock Podcast is produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrandNEWS: GIft Grub Live 25 (Brand new show celebrating 25 years of Gift Grub on the radio) @3ARENADUBLIN - ON SALE HEREhttps://www.ticketmaster.ie/mario-rosenstock-tickets/artist/2188743

Lots of people THINK about running for election, lots of people TALK about it, but very few actually do it. Having spent many years loosely involved in politics, Cormac Lucey has now decided to go all the way, and he has just thrown his hat into the ring of the local elections in June.Cormac is a Sunday Times columnist, a lecturer in Finance in Trinity College, and a very familiar face and voice on media. I wanted to know what makes somebody like him, after years on the fringes of politics, decide to enter the fray – and he had a lot to say about it.Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrandNEWS: GIft Grub Live 25 (Brand new show celebrating 25 years of Gift Grub on the radio) @3ARENADUBLIN - ON SALE HEREhttps://www.ticketmaster.ie/mario-rosenstock-tickets/artist/2188743

What a story we have for you on this episode. Nadia Adan was born in Somalia but had to flee when the war broke out, and after years of travel, refugee camps, and time in prison, she and her mum found refuge in Ireland, where they have lived happily for over 20yrs. Her passion for hard work and business have made Nadia very successful and she’s now Ireland’s only female car showroom owner, known for her unique approach to marketing on social media and her controversial stance on electric cars. In this chat, Nadia shares her amazing backstory, her entrepreneurial journey, and her opinions on electric cars, social media, and immigration.Comedy – Simon Harris’s phone has been hopping since he became Taoiseach, check out the voicemails!Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrandNEWS: GIft Grub Live 25 (Brand new show celebrating 25 years of Gift Grub on the radio) @3ARENADUBLIN - ON SALE HEREhttps://www.ticketmaster.ie/mario-rosenstock-tickets/artist/2188743

Anna Geary has a lot of strings to her bow: All Ireland-winning camogie captain, coach on RTE’s Ireland’s Fittest Family, radio presenter, former contestant on Dancing With The Stars… the list goes on. She’s also now an author, having just published her first book. It’s called Anna’s Game Plan and it's a practical toolkit to help people become more confident and be more in control. Achieving everything that Anna has achieved so far has taken courage, confidence, resilience, and the ability to handle that inner voice that can sometimes seem to work against us, and in this chat she talks about how she has done that, and how we can do it too. Produced by Patrick Haughey of AudioBrandNEWS: GIft Grub Live 25 (Brand new show celebrating 25 years of Gift Grub on the radio) @3ARENADUBLIN - ON SALE HEREhttps://www.ticketmaster.ie/mario-rosenstock-tickets/artist/2188743

With all the recent talk and speculation about politics, the next government and the future Fine Gael, we thought it was timely to repost this fascinating interview with Minister Paschal Donohoe. Published a few months ago, this is probably one of the most open, honest and personal interviews he has done, covering how and why he got into politics, what drives him to stay in a very demanding and often thankless job, his love of football and music, and what does to unwind on a Friday night!COMEDY  - Kevin Bakhurst, RTE Director General, has just introduced a salary cap for presenters – and they’re not happy. We got exclusive access to his voicemails.Produced by Patrick Haughey of AudioBrand

Pat Sheedy was released from prison just last August. He was there because of all of the scams he pulled to make money to feed his all-consuming gambling addiction – it ruined his life. And he travelled from Limerick to Dublin to join me here in the studio to tell his story. We talked about how and why he started gambling -  and why he couldn’t stop -  the crimes he committed in order to feed his habit, his opinions on gambling companies, and life during and after  prison, and lots more… COMEDY - There’s only one story this week – Leo’s shock resignation .Check out who has been leaving voicemails for him… Produced by Patrick Haughey of AudioBrand

As Liam Neeson would say, Kayleigh Trappe has a very particular set of skills.  She takes clips from TV shows and podcasts that have gone viral, and recreates them perfectly on camera. And her ‘victims’ are paying attention, earning her name checks from the likes of Peter Crouch, Louis Walsh, Vogue Williams and Joanne McNally and a few more leading lights.If you’ve never seen Kayleigh’s work, check it out on Instagram right now. And then come back and listen to this great conversation where she reveals how she does it, why she does it, how celebs have reacted to her sketches, and her decision to give up her full time job to dedicate everything to her unique talent.Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

Cathy Kelly is one of Ireland’s best loved and most prolific authors, with a very impressive 23 novels under her belt! Her latest one is called Sisterhood and Cathy joined me in studio to chat about her lifelong love of books and her writing process. She has also been receiving treatment for a very serious type of cancer over the past few months, and it has had a very big impact, leaving her very sick and very tired. However, Cathy is remarkably positive about everything, and during out chat she was full of energy, chatty, sparky, reflective, and a whole lot of fun.Cathy was a very popular guest with the callers this week - none other than Bertie Ahern, Roy Keane, Fintan O’Toole and Paul Williams phoned in to chat with herCOMEDY – Cillian Murphy has been getting calls from the good and the great of Hollywood ahead of this weekend’s Oscars and, yes you guessed it, we got exclusive access to his voicemail! Produced by Patrick Haughey of AudioBrand  

There’s a big referendum coming up this week, but how many of us actually understand what we’re being asked to vote on? Award-winning journalist Larissa Nolan has spent weeks studying this proposed change to the constitution and not only does she break it down for me in this episode of the Mario Rosenstock Podcast, she also lets fly about her very strong opinions about it. Larissa is always so interesting to listen to no matter what subject she’s talking about, so here’s a bonus episode that we hope will help make a bit of sense of this whole referendum business.