The Mario Rosenstock Podcast

Sophie Morris has become one of Ireland’s most influential voices on food, with more than 650,000 followers watching as she picks apart supermarket claims, exposes questionable marketing and recommends the products she believes are actually worth buying. But Sophie knows the food business from the inside too – she trained in Ballymaloe Cookery School and then built her own food company, turning down an investment on Dragons’ Den, and the supposedly dream supermarket deal that became one of the most stressful experiences of her life. We chat about the booming business of “high protein” foods, the psychology behind supermarket marketing, the surprising power Sophie now has to send sales of a product soaring and why she won’t take money from food brands, and her serious concerns about the food being served to Irish children through the school meals programme. Sophie also talks about her new RTÉ One series, How to Shop Well Now, airing October 5th and 12th. COMEDY – after a terrible few days, Ed Sheeran is still facing difficult questions, but he’s playing the answers characteristically safe! Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

Donald Trump’s visit to Ireland last weekend certainly gave us plenty to talk about. In the space of 48 hours, he backed a united Ireland, promised to remove tariffs on Irish whiskey, met President Catherine Connolly, and reignited all the familiar arguments about Trump and his presidency. So I invited two people with very different perspectives into the GoLoud studio to thrash out a few of the big talking points - Journalist Marion McKeone, who lived and worked in the US for many years, and American-born entrepreneur and commentator Karl Deeter. What follows is a lively debate about Trump’s Irish visit, Catherine Connolly, Gaza and Iran, MAGA, tariffs, Canada, American power, 9/11, and whether Donald Trump actually understands economics. I enjoyed chairing it and I hope you enjoy listening! COMEDY – Michael D Higgins, Paschal Donohoe, and Michael O’Leary have a few things to get off their chests about Trump’s visit. Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

It has only taken Rory O’Hanlon 20 years to become an overnight success. Having spent two decades grafting in comedy clubs, open-mic nights, and corporate gigs, it was a quick piece to camera in the persona of a stereotypical D4 character that suddenly shot him into the big leagues. D4 guy is very confident, mad into rugby and golf, has no clue about GAA, and is obsessed with what school you went to. And he’s very, very popular online - Rory now has over 150,000 followers on Instagram and 1.3m likes on TikTok and his viral videos led to his first Irish and UK tour last year. So I was delighted to welcome Rory into the GoLoud studios to chat about the many years he spent years learning his craft, dealing with rejection and keeping on grafting until things really hit the big time for him. And of course, he took me deep inside D4 guy’s world and what he’s all about. Check out Rory’s tour dates HERE COMEDY – A very popular Gift Grub from this week… With Donald Trump's visit to Ireland fast approaching, Micheál Martin is getting a bit nervous about a potential run-in between the American President and our own Catherine Connolly. He decided to try to give her a few pointers, but they weren't received very well. Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

Ryan Tubridy and I go back quite a long way. I appeared as his guest many times on The Late Late Show; I had enormous fun doing it and, as he admits on this episode, so did he. And as it happens, this very podcast was launched on the Late Late, just over five years ago! I haven't seen Ryan for ages but, like you, I've been keeping an eye on what he's been up to and had loads of questions for him, including some elephants in some rooms. So I was delighted that I finally managed to get him onto this podcast to have a proper catch up and get stuck into areas like the RTE controversy, reforming the Late Late, his new life in London, therapy, the changing world of broadcasting, and where he wants to go next. There’s also old Late Late memories, Gay Byrne, Russell Crowe, Tommy Tiernan, Sinead O’Connor, Michael Flatley, Brendan O'Connor, and lots of other areas that we strayed into. It was great to have a proper catch up with Ryan and I hope you enjoy the conversation. COMEDY – for the episode that’s in it, we replay a classic Gift Grub from earlier this year about how RTE executives are planning to modernise The Late Late Show. Ryan has a couple of ‘Book Shelf Live’ shows coming up in the Pavilion Theatre this December. Check out paviliontheatre.ie for all the details Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

Elaine Crowley was generous enough to join me in the studio to record this episode on her birthday! And we had so much fun. Elaine has finally bought her own home after years of renting, so we get into the madness of the Irish housing market, the realities of buying on your own and the relief of finally having a place to call your own. We also talk about life on Virgin Media’s Ireland AM, why Elaine believes live television is in better health than people might think, the future of TV and if Martin King really is as sounds as he comes across on the show. Elaine and I also discover that white wine turns both of us into demons, I teach her some highly questionable Irish courtesy of Dáithí Ó Sé, and we chat about the unforgettable occasion Elaine was described as “the robust one” by a journalist. Elaine is honest, hilarious and completely herself. Enjoy the chat. COMEDY - The Healy-Rae brothers are starring in a brand new blockbuster movie, and its one you do NOT want to miss Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

In all his years covering crime, Paul Williams says he has rarely, if ever, seen a public reaction to a story like this one. The horrific crash on the M9, involving a car carrying a group of teenage joyriders travelling the wrong way down the motorway, has provoked an extraordinary level of anger. It seems to have tapped into something deeper too - a growing frustration about repeat offenders, the safety of ordinary people going about their lives, and a feeling that something in the system simply isn’t working. So I asked Paul Williams, Special Correspondent with the Irish Independent, to come in and talk me through what happened and why this particular story has struck such a nerve. We discuss who these young offenders are, why they appear to feel untouchable, the role social media plays in encouraging increasingly reckless behaviour, and what can realistically be done about it. We also get into Garda resources and pursuit training, deterrence versus rehabilitation, and Paul’s argument that Ireland urgently needs a juvenile justice system that is actually fit for purpose. COMEDY - Students all over Ireland are getting their Leaving Cert results, and David McWilliams, as always, has a unique economic take on it on the David McWilliams podcast

Some people lead extraordinary lives, and Frank Diamond is certainly one of them. Growing up on a farm in South Derry with Gaelic football in his blood, Frank won an All-Ireland club medal with Lavey before taking his life in a very different direction and becoming a missionary priest. He spent nine years working in Africa, living in remote communities without electricity or running water, contracting malaria eight times and having experiences that would profoundly shape his outlook on life. And remarkably, throughout his years as a priest, he also managed to keep playing competitive Gaelic football. Frank eventually made the huge decision to leave the priesthood and start again. On this episode of The Mario Rosenstock Podcast, we chat about religion, marriage and fatherhood, his daughter Laoise's extraordinary story, and finding a new purpose through his work in mental health and suicide prevention. COMEDY – Donald Trump plans to ‘Make Ireland Great Again’ during his State visit in September. He’ll invest billions, but only if Micheal Martin agrees to a few important requests… Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

Frances Black is one of Ireland’s best-known singers, born into one of Ireland’s best-known musical dynasties. Nanci Griffith famously called her ‘the sweetest voice of Ireland. Frances also successfully reinvented herself as an Independent Senator, building a reputation as one of the Seanad's strongest advocates on addiction, mental health and social justice. We recorded this episode just one day after the tragic and untimely passing of Glen Hansard, and in our chat we pay tribute to Glen and Frances shares some lovely stories about him. She also talks about her upbringing in the tenements of inner city Dublin, using her position as a senator to fight for social justice, and why she thinks that a woman’s heart may have been the inspiration for the Spice Girls! COMEDY – it’s ‘'The Kids Are Driving Us Absolutely Mental In The House Handicap Hurdle'! Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

John Gibbons is one of Ireland’s most vocal climate commentators - he has a weekly slot on Matt Cooper’s Last Word on Today FM and his articles are regularly published across print and online media. He has also joined me here on the podcast several times over the last few years as I like to stay up to date on whats happening in this area – and right now there’s an awful lot happening. So we invited John back on to the show to chat about everything from the wildfires raging across Ireland and Europe, and the increasingly baffling anti-environmental policies of the US government, to rising world temperatures and the speed at which we’re adopting renewable sources of energy. COMEDY – So it seems EVERYONE is from Mayo this week. With the Mayo football team’s historic win over Kerry, the tributes have been pouring in to the Mario Rosenstock Podcast hotline, from well-known people with Mayo roots

It was an email out of the blue from one of the world’s biggest book publishers that completely changed the course of Vicki Notaro’s career. Having spent over 15 years as a journalist and managing director of a magazine group, Vicki suddenly got the chance to turn a long-held dream into reality, and become a fiction writer. Fast forward four years, and Vicki has already had two best-sellers on the shelves; her latest novel, Anywhere But Here, has just been published; and she’s already working on the next! On this episode of The Mario Rosenstock Podcast, Vicki and I have a great chat about life before and after that life-changing email from Penguin Ireland, what makes a book become a best-seller (hint – sexy dragons), trying to crack international markets and get optioned by the big streamers like Netflix, and her love of romantic comedies and her podcast about them, called ‘You Had Me At Hello’. COMEDY - Crime World investigates: Hosepipe Mobsters Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

Paul Cullen is one of Ireland's best-known journalists, having spent more than 30 years at The Irish Times covering health, politics, education and public affairs. But despite having a successful career and a happy family, Paul always felt like an outsider, like he didn’t really belong anywhere. This feeling stemmed from his adoption at the age of three, and knowing nothing about his parents, why they had sent him into institutional care as a baby, and what happened to him during those first three years of his life. While climbing Germany’s highest mountain, Paul had a serious fall and as he lay injured in the snow he promised himself that , if he survived, he would face up to all of these questions and to find the answers. What happened next is a fascinating story of discovery, captured in Paul’s recently published memoir called ‘Outsider’, and he joins me on this episode of The Mario Rosenstock Podcast to share his full story. COMEDY- Speaking of memoirs, Joe Duffy, formerly of RTE’s Live Line, is about to publish his. As you might imagine, every broadcaster wants to be the first to interview him. We got exclusive access to Joe’s voicemails… Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

For decades, Hot Press has been at the centre of some of Ireland's most challenging conversations around drugs, consistently questioning whether criminalisation is the best way to tackle addiction, organised crime and public health. Now, that conversation continues through its new podcast series, Dealing With Drugs: A Hot Press Podcast The show is presented by deputy editor of Hot Press Stuart Clarke, who joins me as my special guest on this episode of the Mario Rosenstock Podcast. We chat about everything from why Portugal's model of decriminalisation is working and why Ireland's model of criminalisation isn’t, to organised crime, music culture and why honesty may be the most important starting point for any meaningful debate about this issue. COMEDY: It’s the most popular gift Grub Sketch that I have written years – I channel my inner Bob Dylan and sing about the number of England players with Irish roots in the World Cup! Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

Mike Hanrahan has spent over forty years writing, performing and championing Irish music. He spent fifteen years with Stockton's Wing, writing hits such as Beautiful affair and Over the Moors, which was the theme tune for Joe Duffys radio show for over 40 years until recently (and Mike has a very strong opinion on the decision to drop it) He went on to spend ten years writing and performing with the legendary Ronnie Drew with whom he became a close friend; He has also supported Michael Jackson in Páirc Uí Chaoimh, appeared in Jim Sheridan’s The Field, alongside Richard Harris, Sean Bean and John Hurt; performed for Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Junior; he even spent years as a professional chef in kitchens across Ireland. And we have a great chat about all of these stories and more in this episode of the Mario Rosenstock podcast

Lucy Kennedy’s hit TV show ‘Living with Lucy’ has been a huge success and so much of that is down to Lucy’s disarmingly relaxed and authentic style of interviewing – in fact it doesn’t even really feel like an interview, more of a very causal chat, which is why the celebs she moves in with are so open and honest with her. As well as being a tv presenter , Lucy is also the co host of the breakfast show on Ireland’s Classic Hits Radio, alongside Colm Hayes; she has written several children’s books, and now she can add adult fiction writer to her CV. Her debut novel is called The Mini Breakers and we chat about that – and a whole lot else in this episode of the mario Rosenstock podcast. Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

My conversation with Greg Allen continues, with more great stories and sports insights in this episode. Greg has spent over 40 years covering golf and athletics on RTE, and in this part of our chat he shares early memories of watching Rory Mcllroy play, what he thought at the time, and where he thinks his career is headed now. We hear stories about his interviews with famous golfers including Jack Nicklaus, and I hit him with a quick fire round of questions about his favourite sportsperson, most memorable sporting moment, and lots more. COMEDY - its World Cup fever at the moment and David WcWilliams is doing what David McWilliams does best, on the David McWilliams podcast! Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

Greg Allen joined RTE’s sports department over 40 years ago and he intentionally decided to focus on two sports that weren’t particularly widely covered, so that he could develop a niche for himself and make his mark. He chose well, as Ireland has since become a global force in golf and athletics , and Greg has had a front-row seat to that remarkable transformation. He has covered 10 Olympic games, every World Athletics Championship since 1993 and each European Athletics championship since 1990, 90 major golf championships, 16 Ryder Cups , over 100 international events and domestic ones too – and in this episode he tells me some great insider stories about the big events, the sports stars involved, and the rise and rise of Irish sport on the world stage. COMEDY - As one of Ireland’s most recognisable sports commentators, there’s was naturally a lot of interest in this episode from other recognisable sports commentators, and they were eager to get in touch with Greg on the Mario Rosenstock podcast hotline. Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

Ever since he was a kid, all Jack Lukeman (aka Jack L) wanted to do was to write and perform music - and he has managed to make a very long and successful career out of it, with multi-platinum selling albums and thousands of gigs under his belt. And it certainly helped that he has one of the most recognisable voices in the industry. But as well as writing and performing music, Jack also thinks a lot about it – he’s fascinated by its history, the science behind it, and the impact that AI is having on music, and what that means for musicians and performers in general. So we have a deep and wide-ranging chat about all that, as well as Jack’s upcoming projects, including MC'ing on the main stage and performing at the upcoming Forest Fest in Co.Laois in July, a 'Northern Lights' church tour, and two consecutive nights at the 3Olympia in March 2027 COMEDY – Ray Darcy, Michael Healy Rae, and Ivan Yates remember what they got up to after they sat their Leaving Certs. Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

This is the second part of my chat with Craig Doyle, and we’ve kept some of his best stories for this episode. Craig talks about how ITV’s This Morning survived the Phillip Schofield saga, the time when he played football with Diego Maradona and many other top players, and the recent Geoff Parling viral video in which Craig played an unfortunate starring role. COMEDY – Roy Keane, Patrick Kielty, and Brendan O’Connor leave messages for Craig on The Mario Rosenstock Podcast Hotline Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

If you ask Chat GPT about Craig Doyle, one of the things it will say is: Craig gives off “good bloke who accidentally wandered into television and stayed there” energy. And when I put this to Craig he didn’t disagree! Because even though he has presented some of the UK’s most-watched shows, a career on camera was never really part of Craig’s grand plan. And the story of how it all happened is a great one. Craig shares so many great stories from his career and his childhood, he tells me about encounters with characters like Jeremy Clarkson, Jimmy McGee, Phil Lynott, Robbie Williams, and playing soccer Diego Maradona! And I also learn all about the production company he runs with former rugby international Brian O’Driscoll and some of the fascinating sports documentaries they have made together. But it hasn't all been plain sailing, and Craig also tells me about when and why he almost gave it all up to pursue a totally different career, and what happened next. COMEDY – Ryle Nugent, Donal Lenihan, and Brian O’Driscoll phone in and leave messages for Craig on The Mario Rosenstock Hotline Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

A couple of episodes back Gerry Mullins told me the fascinating story of Jonathon swift, author of Gulliver’s Travels, which is still by far the most successful book ever published by an Irish author. It was full of dangerous political commentary, so Swift was never able to put his name to it during his lifetime. Today we have cancel culture, but back then people were ‘pilloried’ – tied up in wooden stocks, publicly shamed, and sometimes had parts of their body cut off, a fate that Swift ran the risk of meeting. It’s a fascinating story and if you haven’t heard that episode be sure to check it out. But Gerry also shared some other eye-opening pieces of history with me – about my own family. Stories about my German grandfather, my Irish grandmother, what they went through during WW2, and how their experiences may have had an impact on my own upbringing. This was all new information to me and in this episode you’ll hear me learning some very poignant facts about my family, for the very first time.

Did you know that RTE’s Late Late Show is longest running chat show in TV history? For over 60 years it has been an institution in Ireland - entertaining huge audiences, reflecting societal changes, challenging the status quo, and setting the news agenda. But the show now seems to have reached something of a turning point – there are a lot more TV shows competing for our attention, numbers are falling, and some say that its not as as relevant as it once was. On top of all that there’s a big question mark over who will be the host of the next series, as Patrick Kielty has not signed a contract to do it, and we’re not sure if he will. I’ve been on the Late Late many times and I’m really interested in its past, present and future, and so we invited two guests on to this episode who are equally as interested and who know a lot about the show and TV entertainment formats in general. Former journalist Larissa Nolan has been a guest on the show and has written a lot about it, and Paddy Cullivan was a weekly fixture on the Late Late for 10 years during Ryan Tubridy’s tenure, fronting up the house band the Camembert Quartet. Larissa, Paddy and I reflect on the highs and lows of the late late over the years, we try to figure out what’s gone wrong, whats gone right, and what its going to take to save the Late Late and get it back to its glory days… COMEDY - when I put it out there on my social channels that we were going to be chatting about the Late Late its future, a few well-known people got in touch, and it seems they have their eye on the big job on the show..

She’s one of Ireland's hardest working and best-known performers, and her honesty and sense of humour is an absolute tonic, making Linda Martin a great podcast guest. Linda started singing professionally when she was just 16 yrs old and still in school, and she has pretty much been performing regularly ever since. During that 50-year career, Linda has been a nine-time National Song Contest contestant, a Eurovision winner, a chart-topping singer, a mentor, a TV host, a stage actor – the list goes on! Linda tells me some great stories about her life in music, the hey day of the Irish showbiz scene and what she has learned from some of the greats that she has worked with. We chat about her love of animals and her beloved Dublin Dog Hub sanctuary. And she also lets off some steam about modern day celebrity and work ethic, why politics and music should never mix, and why there’s no such thing as mega artists any more. COMEDY – Tommy Tiernan, Marty Whelan, and Ronan Keating have some interesting ideas about how to revive Ireland’s Eurovison glory days… Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

You’ve heard of the book Gulliver’s Travels, but did you know that it’s by far the most successful book ever published by an Irish author? And that it contained such dangerous political commentary that Jonathon Swift was never able to put his name to it during his lifetime? Today we have cancel culture, but back then people were ‘pilloried’ – tied up in wooden stocks, publicly shamed, and sometimes had parts of their body cut off. These are just some of the fascinating things I learned during my conversation with writer, performer, and former political strategist, Gerry Mullins. Gerry has become something of an expert on Swift (he literally wrote the musical!). He describes Swift as ‘the original Irish satirist’ and even though he was around 300 years ago, so much of what he talks about feels familiar today. In this episode, Gerry and I talk about the remarkable life he led, his complicated love life, freedom of speech (or the lack of it) back then and today, Trump, cancel culture, and Swifts incredible contribution to mental health in Ireland. COMEDY – It’s the most hotly anticipated movie in years – its Michael… (Healy Rae!) Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand.

What does your home reveal about you? Celebrity architect Dermot Bannon’s new show, Celebrity Super Spaces, brings us inside the front doors of well-known people where we learn something different about them. Because I guess our homes reflect our personalities, whats important to us, and maybe what we want people to think about us. Dermot tells me about visiting the homes of people like Joanne McNally, Vogue Williams, Andrew porter and a few others, and what he learned about them during his time there. He also talks about growing up in Cairo in Egypt and how that experience shaped who he is today; he rants about our obsession with modular homes as the solution to the housing crisis when there are far bigger things we should be focussing on. Dermot also tells me about a recent major health scare that could have been fatal for him, and how it’s affecting his day to day life now. And we also talk Gift Grub and my impressions of him! COMEDY – its seems that everyone wants to get their house done by Dermot, including some very well-known people, who left messages for him on the Mario Rosenstock Podcast hotline this week.. Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

Russell Watson and Gary Barlow have something in common – they both started their careers in Workingmen’s clubs across northern England, playing to audiences that were very hard to win over. They other quality they share is grit and determination, and so fast forward to today, and Russell is selling out concerts globally, he has performed for the Queen, the Pope and US presidents, topped the charts in the UK and US for months at a time, and sang at major football and rugby finals all over the world. He has also been a contestant on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! UK in 2020. In this episode Russell tells me so many great stories about the tough crowds he’s played to, the celebs he has met and performed with, and the secret to his ‘overnight success’ (“that was a very long night!!”) Russell will be in Ireland very soon for some shows in Wexford, Limerick and Dublin – check out russellwatson.com for all the details. Lots of news around this week but one of the stories that have cause a bit of a stir is the news that RTE boss Kevin Bakhurst is getting a €20k pay rise. We got exclusive access to his voicemails – press play to hear them! Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

I just love talking about music and songwriting, so when I had the chance to interview Grammy-nominated singer songwriter, RuthAnne Cunningham, it was never going to be a short conversation! So we divided out our chat across two episodes and this week its part 2. Having written songs for some of the world’s biggest performers, including Niall Horan, Britney Spears, Westlife, Niall Horan, Martin Garrix and One Direction, Ruthanne has so many great stories to share and so much to say about the music industry and how it all works. In this episode Ruthanne and I talk about the role the social media plays in the modern industry - and why she’s not too happy about it – she tells me how things work when it comes to royalties and how songwriters get paid, and we talk about why a legend like Bruce Springsteen wouldn’t be a success if he started out today. COMEDY - The fuel protests and blockades are dominating the news this week, and Michael O’Leary and Paschal Donohoe let their opinions about it be known on The Mario Rosenstock Podcast Hotline. Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand.

RuthAnne Cunnigham has written songs for some of the world’s biggest performers, including Niall Horan, Britney Spears, Westlife, Niall Horan, Martin Garrix and One direction. She is a Grammy-nominated singer-song writer with multi-platinum global hits totally over 10bn steams and collaborations with greats like Diana Ross and John Legend. RuthAnne joined me on the Sunday Roast radio show on Today FM a few years ago to tell me the story behind 'Nice to meet ya', which she co-wrote with Niall Horan, a song that went on to be a huge hit. So we asked her to come back for a chat about all of her other hit songs, collaborations and her own successful career as a performer. She has some amazing stories to tell. Check out RuthAnne’s new book ‘Its not just a song’ COMEDY – the Sauna craze sweeping Ireland has now made it into the hallowed halls of Leinster House! Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

Ireland has produced a lot of sporting greats, but none quite like Roy Keane. He’s not just a footballer, or a pundit, or even a national obsession at this stage, he’s practically a genre of Irish conversation. And he’s someone that has been a big part of my career for many years, in particular with Radio Roy on Gift Grub. Dave Hannigan has just published new book called We Need To Talk About Roy in which he takes a fresh and fascinating look at Keane - not just the man himself, but what he tells us about Ireland, ambition, class, celebrity, masculinity, football, and fame. And this isn’t just a great piece of journalism – Dave is from the same part of Cork as Roy, they are roughly the same age, and they even played against each other a few times!!! In this chat Dave and I chat about Roy’s early days in Cork, why Saipan still has such a grip on people, how Roy became such a huge media figure, and why he may actually be more culturally relevant now than he was in his playing days. COMEDY - its Michael O’Leary’s birthday this week – he’s decided to throw himself a big birthday bash, in true Ryanair style… Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

I am a huge football fan, and I love the history of football too. I’m fascinated by the best players we’ve had the privilege of watching over the years, my all-time favourite being Diego Maradona , and also by the great managers like Alex Fergusson and Jose Mourinho – many of whom I’ve caricatured on Gift Grub over the years. And that’s why I was delighted when I received a copy of a new book about one of the most interesting and successful football managers of all time - and you’ve probably never heard of him! I certainly hadn’t anyway. His name was Helenio Herrera , also known as HH, and what a life story he has. Born into poverty, he went to become an ok football player but incredibly accomplished, wealthy and famous football manager - he’s also credited with inventing the modern style of football management. Barcelona-based Irish football writer Richard Fitzpatrick has just published a fascinating profile of this man – its called HH: Helenio Herrera – Football's Original Master of the Dark Arts, and he joins me on this episode of the Mario Rosenstock Podcast to tell me all about it. COMEDY - As this episode is all about great football management, we put a call in to some of the great footballers and managers, and asked them to reveal which manager they most admire… Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

Larissa Nolan, who you may know from previous episodes of the show, got in touch the other day about a story that she really wanted to talk about, and she wanted Karl Deeter , another friend of the show, to join the conversation too. The story was about an incident that happened at the recent BAFTA awards on the BBC, where an actor with Tourette’s syndrome, whose life story inspired the award winning film ‘I Swear’, shouted out the N-word when black actors Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo were on stage to present an award. Naturally this caused a major stir - but the reaction was actually quite nuanced, with some very different viewpoints emerging. So Larissa, who has OCD, and Karl Deeter, who has Tourette’s, joined me to get into this issue. We chat about what it’s like to live with Tourette’s and OCD and how both conditions are actually quite similar in some ways. They also give a great explainer about this BAFTA’s story and the nuanced outcry it has caused, and they share their own opinions about it. Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

Joe Conlon first walked on to the stage of the Gaiety Theatre at the age of 13 and he knew immediately that that’s where he wanted to be. Fast forward to today and Joe has become synonymous with Panto and theatre in Ireland. He spent 15 years as the iconic Gaiety panto dame, Nana, and has been in countless productions in that role and many others besides. Joe has now decided to hang up his panto boots to concentrate on other projects, including focusing on his own drama school, which he has been running for many years. So we thought it was a great time to sit down with him and chat about his many decades on stage, the importance of drama and drama schools for building confidence in kids, Ireland’s phenomenal acting talent, working with Brad Pitt, and lots more. COMEDY – Is RTE paving the way for the return of Ryan Tubridy? Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

I have to say that I was genuinely moved by Brian Kennedy’s recent appearance on RTE’s Dancing with the Stars. In the last few years Brian has really been through the ringer - he has had cancer, a massive heart attack, and quadruple bypass surgery. He literally had to learn how to walk again three times after surgery – and then he goes dancing on national television. That takes guts and resilience and a whole lot of positive mental attitude, and I found him so inspiring to watch. Brian has an incredible life story – raised on the Falls Road in Belfast at the height of the troubles, Brian had a difficult, even traumatic childhood. But he went on to forge a very successful music career, performing in venues like Madison Square Gardens with legends like Van Morrison. He has represented Ireland at the Eurovision, sang at George Best’s funeral, and was a coach on The Voice of Ireland. Brian is also a great storyteller and serious craic, as you’re about to hear. COMEDY - Lots of people enjoyed listening to financial planner Eoin McGee on the last episode, but now they all reckon they’ve got great money advice to share. too. Check out some of the message’s we’ve been getting from the great and the good. Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

Eoin McGee is one of Ireland’s best-known financial advisors, he’s also a TV presenter and an author. His latest book is called 'How to Achieve Financial Freedom – create enough wealth to stop working’ in which he shares advice about how we can all take more control of our wallets and become a lot more financially independent as a result. In this episode of The Mario Rosenstock Podcast, Eoin tells me about the book, but we also talk a lot about our attitudes to money in Ireland and why it isn’t particularly healthy, certainly compared to places like the US. He shares a very personal story from his childhood, about a difficult situation that made him want to be a financial advisor when he got older; we talk about the importance of being in the moment, why working longer can be better than retirement, and lots more. COMEDY – the non-stop rain is causing consternation across the country, and Simon Harris is taking matters into his own hands. Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

Joan Mulvihill has been a regular voice on all things tech for years– she was CEO of the Irish Internet Association, before working in Siemens for many years, and she was involved in a number of other tech-related organisations. But Joan is also a very accomplished artist and her great passion in life is working in the intersection between art and technology. We had such a unique and interesting conversation about things like Elon musk and the rise of the broligarchy, and how they have been colonising our lives like the colonial powers of old. We talk about the dangers of AI and why Joan doesn’t ask ChatGPT anything; art, grief and loss; why workplaces should be nicer to humans instead of trying to make robots that behave like humans, and lots more. COMEDY - It has been quite the week for the Beckham family following the explosive statement from eldest son Brooklyn. How will they react to the bombshell statement? Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

Mark Little has always been a few steps ahead, especially when it comes to technology and social media. He spent years at RTÉ, then made a jump that looked risky at the time (but turned out to be seriously smart) to set up a social media intelligence company called Storyful. A few years later he sold it to Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp and, after a short spell working for Twitter, Mark then set up his next company, Kinzen, which he sold to Spotify just a couple of years ago. In this episode Mark and I chat about things like the neck-breaking speed of technological change today and how our lizard brains are not set-up to cope with it, the massive generational divide when it comes to social media and why this was really exposed during the recent presidential election, the rapid return to the nostalgia of simpler times COMEDY – David McWilliams gets exercised about the rising price of a pint of porter. Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

While we’re on a short break we’re going back in to the vaults and replaying a couple of our most listened-to episodes of 2025 – enjoy! Niall Harbison was a very successful entrepreneur in Ireland, setting up and selling a social media marketing agency and the very popular and sometimes controversial ‘Lovin Dublin’ media brand. But a combination of burnout and partying too hard, too often, led him to cut ties with Ireland and start a calmer and healthier life in Thailand. But unfortunately things got far worse, and his addiction to drink and prescription drugs soon led him to wake up in a hospital bed, at the point of near death. Niall promised himself that things would dramatically change from that day on. It wasn’t easy, but slowly he turned his life around and today, Niall is the founder and mastermind behind Happy Doggo, rescuing and feeding as many of Thailand's millions of stray dogs as he possibly can. His work saving dogs has also saved his life. This is a conversation that I enjoyed so much, and I know you will too. Check out Niall’s latest bestselling book - Tina: The dog who changed the world. COMEDY - What would it sound like if RTE put some of its most popular sports commentators on Wimbledon duty?! Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

While we’re on our short Christmas and New Year break we’re going back in to the vaults and replaying a couple of our most listened-to episodes of 2025 – enjoy! As far as careers go, crime journalism is up there with one of the most, let’s say, ‘unique’. Its not for the faint hearted – you’re dealing with dangerous people who do terrible things, and your job is to make as big an audience as possible aware of the crimes they commit. So who’d want to do a job like that? Well, Nicola Tallant for one. Nicola is one of Ireland’s best-known crime journalists. After years writing about crime, she then started talking about it on a podcast she created called Crime World – which is now one of the most-listened to podcasts in the country. She also does live stage shows, writes a book every year and regularly appears in the media. In this episode of The Mario Rosenstock Podcast, Nicola and I talk about why she is so fascinated by crime journalism and what and drives her to work so hard at it. We also talk open and honestly about those characters we all seem to find so compelling, like Christy and Daniel Kinahan, Gerry the monk Hutch, and Conor McGregor. And there are also quite a few very funny moments. COMEDY - Rory MclIroy’s phone is hopping after his big win at The Masters. Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

Leon Diop is the founder of the Black and Irish advocacy group, he’s a podcaster, and he’s the author of two books – the latest of which is a memoir called Mixed Up: An Irish boy’s journey to belonging. Leon is mixed-raced and grew up in the 1990s in an Ireland that was far less diverse than it is today. He describes being the only brown boy in his school and naturally that attracted a lot of attention, not all of it welcome, and he experienced a lot of both overt and casual racism (and he describes the difference in our chat). Also, his father had addiction issues and they had a difficult relationship, so things were tough on the home-front too. But as you’re about to hear, Leon has grown up to be a resilient, successful, and very good-humoured guy who has managed to turn a lot of tough times into something positive. He has a fascinating life story and I hope you enjoy our conversation. COMEDY - its that special time of year when we give gifts and think about what’s most important to us . Mariah Carey tells us constantly what SHE wants for Christmas, so we asked some well-known people what they want… Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

If you enjoyed part 1 of my chat with Marion McKeone, you're going to LOVE part 2. This time we get stuck into some of the key characters in the crazy story that is the USA today – characters like Robert F Kennedy junior, the anti-vax US health secretary with a worm in his brain; Olivia Nuzzi, the machiavellian journalist that had an affair with RFK Jnr, the late Jeffrey Epstein who is having a major impact on US politics even several years after his death; Pete Hegseth, Howard Lutnick...the list goes on. We also ask some important questions, like really how intelligent is Donald trump ? Did a bullet actually hit his ear in the assassination attempt in Pennsylvania? And did Jeffrey Epstein really take his own life, or was he killed? Marion has been covering US politics and culture for decades – she’s been all over the country, attended scores of MAGA rallies, been in the white House press group, and met all the big players. COMEDY - its the Fine Gael and Fianna Fail joint Christmas party! Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

Marion McKeone is one of Ireland’s best known journalists and commentators on the United States. She has been on Matt Cooper’s Last Word US slot, alongside Cal Thomas, every week for years now and her columns appear regularly in the broadsheets and online. I don’t need to tell you just how crazy and dysfunctional things are in the US right now – we hear about it every day in the news and on social media. But Marion brings a whole new level to the coverage – she lived in America for years, been part of the white house press group, knows all of the key players, and can give us an insight in to what the hell is going on and where its all going, like no one else can. COMEDY - Marion got a lot of messages on the hotline, from people like Matt Cooper, Cal Thomas, Paschal Donohoe, and even Donald Trump himself! Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

Keith Barry has been on our stages and screens for 25 years and he been all over the world performing his mentalism in all sorts of situations, including on the sets of Hollywood movies and in the homes of famous Hollywood actors . He shares some great insider stories about Morgan Freeman, Woody Harrelson, Keanu Reeves, and Kylie Minogue in this episode of The Mario Rosenstock Podcast. Keith is just about to kick off what might be his very ever last tour. ‘Unhinged - 25 Years Inside Your Mind’ will be dark, dangerous, and its also very personal for Keith, as he’s taking his late Dad’s ashes on tour with him. This was one of his Dad, Ken’s last requests and Keith tells me all about this and the relationship they had. We also talk about the qualities of a great magician, nightmare corporate gigs, and why AI is going to make you want to go to more live gigs COMEDY - There are some great Black Friday deals on offer this weekend, and from some well known people like Ivan Yates, Michael O'Leary, Ray Darcy and Michael D Higgins, who've just launched a new podcast together! Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

I’ve been watching Russell Howard on tv for years. He was a regular fixture on the hugely popular comedy show Mock the Week, he’s had Netflix specials, and of course his standup clips are all over social media. So Ive always known that he’s a very intelligent and funny guy. But having met him in person, I can also confirm that he’s a brilliant man to have a conversation with. He can talk at length about any topic you can throw at him, he’s got great stories, he’s funny, and our hour together just flew along. Jump in and take a listen. COMEDY – As Paschal Donohoe leaves Dail Eireann for the World Bank, we hack into his voicemails and find out who has been wishing him well. Produced by Patrick Haughey – AudioBrand

David Gillick is one of Ireland’s most successful athletes. He’s a track and field sprinter, a two time European champion and has set national records , some of which he still holds to this day. When it comes to successful and high profile people like David, we hear about the wins and the glamour, but we don’t hear about the other side of that life. The sacrifices you make for greatness , the eternal slog of training, constant threat of injuries, the financial and psychological impact of getting an injury. And in this episode of the Mario Rosenstock Podcast, David spills the beans on the realities of life as a world class athlete - the highs, the lows, and of course the behind the scenes stories. Check out David’s brilliant new book called The Race: The inside track on the ruthless world of elite athletics. Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

Dr Harry Barry is a medical doctor with a particular interest in mental health, and what lies behind the conditions that so many of us are familiar with, such as anxiety and panic attacks, phobias, depression, toxic Stress, and addiction. In this episode Harry breaks down the common causes behind these conditions, and explains some of the simple things we can do to break out of them. We also talk about the impact of social media on young minds, a fast fix for social anxiety, and why your frustration with other drivers on the road might be more serious than you think. Harry also tell me about his memoir called Beneath the Surface: A Doctor's Journey of Empathy, Healing and Self-Discovery. COMEDY – Matt Cooper and Ivan Yates have a heart to heart about their ‘break up’. Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

Michael Flynn, aka Mattress Mick, has a great story to tell – he’s a true entrepreneur at heart and thrives off the cut and thrust of business. He runs a very successful company now, but this wasn’t always the case - he has his fair share of very tough times, including when he had to sell his family home to pay his debts. In our chat Mick tells me about the highs and lows of his life in business, some of the hilarious guerilla marketing campaigns he has come up with, including of course where the whole idea of the character ‘Mattress Mick’ came from in the first place, the story of adopting his daughter from Russia, and loads more. Michael Flynn’s new book is called Bouncing Back: Memoirs of a Mattress Salesman. COMEDY - Mattress Mick is such a well-known guy that when I put it out there on my socials that he was coming in for a chat, the voicemails started to pour in from people like Matt Cooper and Ivan Yates, Michael D Higgins, and Miriam O’Callaghan. The Mario Rosenstock Podcast is produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand