There’s many things this pandemic has led to and in the media world it has accelerated change in both directions.
Newspaper sales may be continuing to decline rapidly but there has never been more content in more forms and from more sources.
Podcasts have been one of the areas that has absolutely exploded with every topic imaginable and many new shows and hosts from the non-traditional media providers.
That’s all good for the consumer.
While we’ve put in plenty of work over the past year in developing our own podcasts, we’ve also enjoyed plenty of others too.
Here we list off some of our favourites. It contains a wide variety – from news to business, history, politics, sport and comedy, local, national and international.
So pop in the earphones, head off for a walk or a run (a drive is no longer barely allowed!) and pick a topic you enjoy.
The High Performance Podcast
A podcast that incorporates sport, business and entertainment. BT Sports presenter Jake Humphreys presents every episode and is joined by organisational psychologist Damian Hughes as they chat to high achievers across a range of disciplines.
Some of those to have featured include Steven Gerard, Jonny Wilkinson, actor Matthew McConaughey and Kelly Jones from the Stereophonics.
BBC Coronavirus Global Update
We know, we know. There’s Coronavirus everywhere and a podcast should be a place to escape that. But this daily BBC show is generally no longer than five minutes and always has some interesting news from around the world.
Irish Times Inside Politics
Again, a podcast might not be the place you go looking for more politics talk when it is so widespread elsewhere but The Irish Times Inside Politics is one of the best out there.
The Tonight Show
If you’re an early riser and don’t like staying up late to watch Virgin Media’s Tonight Show with Matt Cooper, then you might enjoy the podcast version which is published the next morning and is still relevant.
Asking for a Parent
Dr Colman Noctor hosts a weekly chat with a well-known personality about the challenges of modern parenting.
Noctor has a lovely rapport with his guests who have included Derval O’Rourke, Newstalk’s Susan Keogh, Mairead Ronan and GAA children’s coaching guru Shane Smith.
Dadcast – Misadventures in Parenting
We all associate Off the Ball with sports broadcasting but some of the presenters have now also teamed up to chat about their parenting experiences on a weekly basis. Ger Gilroy, Dave McIntyre, Adrian Barry and Nathan Murphy provide an entertaining chat as they accept that parenting is tough but “also hilarious, annoying, brilliant craic, dangerous and soul destroying in small and sometimes big measures.
Architects of Businesshttps://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/the-architects-of-business/id1389398794
Though no longer producing episodes, the Joe.ie Architects of Business has a great back catalogue of success stories including Supermacs owner Pat McDonagh, Netwatch founder David Walsh and the story behind DoneDeal’s success.
The 2 Johnnies
The 2 Johnnies are everywhere and their Podcast regularly features towards the top of the iTunes charts.
Sometimes they’re talking pure nonsense, sometimes they’re bang on the money with their observations and ‘Noel’s News’ is just a straight-up brilliant segment.
Always entertaining, you’ll be guaranteed plenty of laughs.
Tommy, Hector and Laurita
Their bio describes it well. “Pure conversation, of the language loving storytelling variety. Unpredictable and funny, carefree and intimate. Join Tommy Tiernan, his school pal Hector O hEoachaghain and Mayo woman Laurita Blewitt as they sit around the table in a shed at bottom of a garden in the West of Ireland and just chat. “You’ll wish you were there to join in …”
No Bullsh*t Leadership
This series has only five episodes in total but with a title like that how could you not give it a chance?
Chris Hirst, who is global CEO if advertising group Havas Creative, hosts interviews with former England rugby world cup winning coach Clive Woodward, Labour MP Rachel Reeves, Beth Comstock, a former VP with General Electric and board member with Nike and Jimmy Wales, the founder of Wikipedia.
Laughs of your Life
Presented by Doireann Garrihy, she says she “aims to delve into the beauty of having a laugh … from first memories of laughter to being laughed at to ‘if I didn’t laugh I’d cry’ moments. Among her guests have been Donncha O’Callaghan, Marty Morrissey, Simon Harris, Paul Mescal and Mary Kennedy.
The Bloodied Field
An eight-part podcast presented by Sunday Times sports journalist Michael Foley on the Bloody Sunday massacre in Croke Park in 1920.
Contains incredible background on all those involved and weaves the story together brilliantly. A fine production that details so much of Ireland’s history. The nature of it makes it chilling in parts but it’s educational and informative and one that should be listened to in every school in the country.
GAA Hour
Hosted by Laois man Colm ‘Woolly’ Parkinson, the GAA Hour with Joe.ie is the leading GAA Podcast out there. Woolly’s witty style, good-humoured questions, top quality pundits and an endless list of great guests make it a consistently great listen.
A Hurler’s Life
Brian Carroll was a classy hurler for years with Offaly and his format is lovely and straight forward – a chat with some hurling greats about their career.
It comes out now every second week and its ever-growing back catalogue of interviews with the likes of Jamesie O’Connor, Sambo McNaughton, Ollie Canning and our own Cheddar Plunkett means you’ll never be stuck for a good quality hurling interview.
Inside the White Line
Another one with a local feel to it, hosted by Ballylinan native and former Laois GAA employee Tomas Moore.
There have been some great local interviews with the likes of Beano McDonald, Bruno McCormack, Chris Conway and Pat Critchley as well as some with a more national appeal – including Niall Morgan, Pat McEnaney and Brian McGuigan.
The Mike Quirke Podcast
The Laois football manager Mike Quirke was a regular contributor to various media outlets prior to getting the Laois job and since the latest lockdown has started his own coaching podcast where he interviews various coaches about their background and philosophies.
His chat with Dublin great Jason Sherlock is a must-listen.
Irish Examiner Sport
The Irish Examiner Sport Podcast has gone quiet since the end of last year but its hurling show, hosted by Anthony Daly with regular guests TJ Ryan from Limerick and Mark Landers from Cork was a brilliant listen.
Incredibly funny, great insight, passionate guests and the type of lads you’d like to sit down with at a bar counter and just talk sport for the night.
The42.ie – members club
The42.ie has created a subscription service of €5 a month or €42 for the year with a number of different podcasts that aren’t available for free.
Laois man Shane Keegan hosts a coaching one called How to win at Dominoes where he has had a series of great guests across a number of sports including Padraig Harrington, Paul McGinley, Stuart Lancaster and Paul Kinnerk. He’s currently on Season 2 where his chat with Cork’s All Ireland U-20 winning football manager Keith Ricken is absolutely hilarious.
Gavin Cooney also hosts a weekly chat with a sports journalist in Between the Lines and there are now over 60 episodes with reporters from across the world.
A weekly rugby podcast – Rugby Weekly Extra – with Murray Kinsella is also very good while there are a number of other topics also – including a six-part series – The Rise of Kenny – on Stephen Kenny’s career from Longford Town to the Ireland soccer manager’s job and two incredible GAA documentaries by Kevin Brannigan in Warriors – one on Wexford’s All Ireland final success in 1996 and the other on Leitrim’s Connacht football triumph in 1994.
SEE ALSO – Ranked and filed: Our selection of Laois’s Top 25 tweeters – 2021 edition
