Róisín Meets...: Recent Episodes
The Irish Times
In the final episode of the Roisin Meets podcast, Roisin chats to her mum Ann Ingle and legendary Irish race car driver Rosemary Smith about the latter's biography, ghostwritten by Ann. Expect tales of rallying across continents, love affairs with the likes of Oliver Reed and why, in the depths of despair, Rosemary looked over the edge but decided to turn back and give life another shot.
Stay tuned for details of Roisin Ingle's brand new podcast in 2019.
For over 20 years, Ziauddin Yousafzai has been fighting for equality - first for Malala, his daughter - and then for girls all over the world. On this week's podcast, he talks to Róisín about the roots of his activisim in Pakistan's Swat Valley, his Nobel Prize winning daughter and his book, Let Her Fly.
In his first children's book Niall Breslin has written a story that encompasses a mindfulness technique to help children explore difficult emotions, face their fears and return to the present moment. Illustrated by Sheena Dempsey, Bressie hopes The Magic Moment will help to encourage children to feel the fear and jump in anyway. He talks to Róisín about the book, about his mindfulness studies and why music is still an important outlet for him.
Game Changer, Cora Staunton's autobiography, is the first from a female GAA player. In it the Mayo woman documents her sporting journey, from her childhood home of Carnacon, to her 67 Championship games over 23 seasons in the Mayo jersey. Her inter-country career game to a bitter end this year and she talks to Róisín Ingle about the controversy that brought her there. She also talks about the woeful under-resourcing of women's sport in Ireland and about her mother, who died when she was a teenager.
Auschwitz survivor Dr Edith Eger came in Ireland for the first time to speak at the international Safe World Summit, hosted by Safe Ireland. The 91-year-old psychologist’s best-selling memoir The Choice recounts her time in the concentration camp and her struggle to be free of the survivor’s guilt and shame that followed her as she made a life in America.
She arrived at the camp in May 1944, one of more than 10,000 Jewish people from her hometown of Kosice, Hungary, who were rounded up by the Nazis.
Eger went on to become a psychologist and for the past several decades has worked in America with people struggling to overcome traumatic events in their lives – from violent relationships and child sexual abuse to post-traumatic stress disorder and addiction.
Roisin Ingle interviewed Edith on stage at the summit, which addressed gender equality and ending gender-based violence.
In five years selling at farmers' markets and hosting dining events, James Kavanagh and William Murray's food business Currabinny has grown a huge fanbase. The pair are boyfriends as well as business partners and in this podcast they talk Róisín about their meeting on Grindr, why James has William to thank for his 'influencer' status, how their mothers have influenced their love of food and their gorgeous debut publication, The Currabinny Cookbook.
Róisín talks to one of Ireland's best-loved broadcasters, Mary Kennedy, about her 40 year RTÉ career, getting the Eurovision presenting gig on the third go and why she loves working on Nationwide. They also speak about her Catholic faith and how she reconciles that with her own beliefs, the Rose of Tralee, and her new book, Home Thoughts from the Heart.
With her 10th book, Martina Devlin salutes the trailblazing women who drove change in Ireland. 'Truth and Dare' tells the stories of incredible Irish women including Countess Markievicz, Anna Parnell and Hanna Sheehy Skeffington. On this week's podcast Martina talks to Róisín Ingle about the book, about the peculiarity of writing personal testimony and about her early journalism career on London's Fleet Street, and an assignment that saw her dispatched to Parkhurst prison to interview the notorious criminal Reggie Kray.
Bestselling authors and best friends, Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen, talk to Róisín about The Importance of Being Aisling, googling 'how to write a screenplay', the origins of their friendship and their delight at being envied by the great Fintan O'Toole.
Virgie Tovar is an author, activist and a leading expert and lecturer on fat discrimination and body image. She is the founder of Babecamp, an online course designed to help women who are ready to break with diet culture, and she started the hashtag #LoseHateNotWeight. Virgie talks to Róisín about her manifesto, You Have the Right to Remain Fat, the link between gender and fat shaming and the silent epidemic of women living in fear of food and their bodies.
On today's show, Róisín meets Su Carty, the first female representative to be appointed to the World Rugby Council. Su talks about her late start and fast rise in rugby, her work in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and the fourth annual “Get Up and Go” inspirational conference, where Su will deliver a talk this weekend.
www.getupandgoevents.com
Caitlin Moran talks to Róisín Ingle about her razor-sharp new novel How To Be Famous, which tracks one young woman’s riotous journey through a world where men hold all the power. Nothing is off the table in this chat, which was recorded in front of an audience at the National Concert Hall in Dublin as part of the International Literature Festival Dublin’s Off The Page series of events. Expect meditations on life, sex, politics and lots of laughs.
HEALTH WARNING: This podcast contains lots of cursing and buckets of feminism.
After David Gillick's career in athletics came to an end, he entered a dark period of his life and contemplated suicide. His new book Back on Track shares the techniques he used to pull himself out of despair, including a healthy diet and exercise. He talked to Róisín about his journey.
Stars of the musical Wicked, currently running at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre in Dublin, Amy Ross and Helen Woolf chat to Róisín Ingle about the rarity that is female-led theatrical productions, about being women in musical theatre and why Irish audiences are the best.
It's the final installment of the 2018 edition of Music Month on Róisín Meets. This week it's Éna Brennan, or Dowry as she goes by on stage. Brussels-born to an Irish mum and Danish dad, Éna is a woman who wears many hats: multi-instrumentalist musician, composer, multi-media designer and costume designer, to name a few. She talks to Róisín Ingle about growing up in Brussels, the 12 Points festival 5-8 September and her musical collaborations with Paul Noonan and Lisa Hannigan.
Songs in this episode:
- Flutter
- In E.
Mongoose are this week's Music Month guests, a band of four women who combine exquisite vocal harmonies with great instrument-playing and songwriting. Molly O'Mahony, Ailbhe Dunne, Muireann Ní Cheannabháin and Cara Dunne are currently crowd funding to help get their second album over the line and you can help out by visiting www.gofundme.com and searching for Mongoose Make An Album. In this podcast they speak to Roisin Ingle about that fundraising, an upcoming collaboration with the Irish singer Mary Coughlan for a piece in the Dublin Theatre Festival and about some of their upcoming gigs, including one at the Irish centre in Paris later this year.
Songs in this episode: Motionless, Sister and Bullseye
The 2018 edition of Music Month continues this week with Pillow Queens, a four-piece who came together in the autumn of 2016 on a basketball court in a Dublin city park. Cathy plays guitar and sings. Rachel plays drums and also sings, while Pam and Sarah swap guitar, bass and lead vocal duties. They talk to Róisín about feminist themes in their music, the challenges facing young people living in Ireland today and they explain the "not very PC" meaning behind their name.
Songs in this episode:
- Wonder Boy
- Rats
- Favourite.
In the first installment of the 2018 edition of Music Month, Róisín sits down with Morgan MacIntyre & Gemma Doherty, better known as Saint Sister. The duo, who started making music together in 2014, mix Celtic harp, 60s folk and electronic pop to create their unique sound. They talk to Róisín about their mentor Lisa Hannigan, touring with Arcade Fire and share the inspiration behind the three songs they played live in studio on the day this podcast was recorded.
Songs in this episode:
- Causing Trouble
- Corpses
- The Mater
Playwright Phillip McMahon, co-founder of theatre company THISISPOPBABY and co-creator of RIOT, talks about his current show in the Abbey Theatre. Called Come on Home, it's a play about "faith, family, place and desire".
'Lifeshocks' happen to all of us. They are those moments that floor you, devastate you and leave you wondering how you'll move on. Sophie Sabbage knows what it's like to be hit by multiple lifeshocks. The bestselling author is living with terminal cancer, she has overcome bulimia, a petrol bomb was planted at her family home as a child and she was raped in her 20s. In her latest book, Lifeshocks and How to Love Them, Sophie offers guidance and support on how to deal with similar unwanted events. She talks to Róisín Ingle about her life and how she learned to respond to lifeshocks positively.
Ahead of the annual Music Month on Róisín Meets next month, we bring you one from the archive. In 2016, Lisa Hannigan spoke to Róisín Ingle about the breakdown of her working relationship with Damien Rice, her third album At Swim and how working with The National's Aaron Dessner was the help she needed to get out of the rut she'd been stuck in. She also played three songs live in studio from that record. In a few weeks time we'll kick off the 2018 Music Month with music from Saint Sister, who have toured with Hannigan and count her as a mentor.
Liza Donnelly is an American cartoonist with The New Yorker and resident cartoonist of CBS News. She is also the creator of digital live drawing, a new form of journalism using a tablet to literally live-draw news and events, including the Oscars and the 2017 Presidential Inauguration. Liza was in Dublin recently and spoke to Róisín Ingle about live-drawing, how she got into cartooning, the Charlie Hebdo attacks and sexism in the industry.
Last year Caroline Foran's book, Owning It: Your Bullshit Free Guide to Living With Anxiety, was a runaway hit, becoming a best seller, surprising even her. Caroline was doing well – she’d overcome crippling anxiety, written a book about it and people had liked it. But the stress of promoting the book got to her and she realised she still had a long way to go in terms of confidence. She talks to Róisín Ingle about once again facing her fear and turning it into something positive with her new book, The Confidence Kit: Your Bullshit Free Guide to Owning Your Fear.
Arnold Thomas Fanning has written a searing personal account of mental illness in his book Mind on Fire. Recently he spoke to Roisin Ingle at the International Literature Festival Dublin about his illness, the depths he sunk too, shame and living to tell the tale.
American singer and performance artist Amanda Palmer was in Dublin the week Ireland voted to remove the 8th Amendment from the Constitution. As someone who has had three abortions and who has spoken publicly about those experiences, Palmer was overjoyed at the result and could be seen around Dublin in her REPEAL sweater in the lead up to the vote. She spoke to Róisín Ingle about the referendum, abortion and women's rights. They also spoke about life in Trump's America and Palmer sang Róisín's favourite song of hers, In My Mind.
In 2006, 12 years after they had fled the Rwandan genocide, 18-year-old Clemantine Wamariya and her older sister were reunited with the rest of their family live on US TV on the Oprah Winfrey show. On today's podcast, Clemantine speaks to Róisín Ingle about her memoir, The Girl Who Smiled Beads, which describes a childhood brutally disrupted by the genocide in 1994.
The Happy Pear twins, Stephen and David Flynn, are famous for their hand-standing, health-living ways, but on today's episode they reveal to Róisín Ingle that they were once Ross O'CK-style, beer swilling, rugby playing, jocks. They speak to Róisín about what it's like to be mirror-twins, there's also talk of time spent living behind a waterfall in Costa Rica and first encounters with a lentil. They also speak about their family-friendly event Playstival, aimed at getting kids off their screens and into the outdoors. It's in association with Laya City Spectacular and takes place at Airfield farm in Dublin on Aug 11th and 12th. Find out more here: https://www.playstival.ie/
Julia Kelly is the author of two novels, 2011’s With my Lazy Eye and 2014’s The Playground. Her third book, Matchstick Man, is a memoir about her former partner the artist Charlie Whisker and his Alzheimer's. She talks to Roisin Ingle about the book, which is a heart breaking and, at times, an uncomfortably honest account of the mental disintegration of a brilliant man and its effect on his family.
Former All Black rugby player and pundit Brent Pope and psychotherapist Jason Brennan join Roisin Ingle to talk about their new book - Win: Proven Strategies for Success in Sport, Life and Mental Health.
Louise O'Neill has re-imagined the Little Mermaid through a feminist lens for her latest book, moving the action to the Atlantic Ocean off the Irish coast. The Surface Breaks is her second new book in as many months, following on from her third novel, Almost Love, and comes just a few weeks before the stage adaptation of her award-winning second book, Asking for It, debuts at the Everyman Theatre in Cork. She talks to Roisin Ingle about the joy of seeing her book come to life on stage, the trouble with people confusing her writing for works of non-fiction and why she will never be tempted to publish two books in two months again.
The woman at the centre of the CervicalCheck cancer screening scandal, terminally ill Limerick woman Vicky Phelan, speaks to Róisín Ingle about the situation, calling it “disgraceful, saying it’s an absolute national scandal”. Vicky tells Róisín that the buck stops with HSE director general Tony O'Brien and that she doesn't understand how he could “have the balls to stay in the job at this stage”. Vicky explains why signing a non-disclosure agreement in her High Court case over her false negative smear test result was never an option and why despite being told she has between six and 12 months to live, she doesn't think she is going to die.
On the latest Róisín Meets 'Queen of Teen' Juno Dawson chats to Roisin Ingle about her new book Clean, feminism and why undergoing gender transition to live as a woman was like taking off a disguise she had been wearing her whole life.
After the discovery of an unsent teenage love letter, David Nadelberg began asking people online whether they knew anyone who wanted to share their hideously embarrassing childhood writings on stage. It went viral and Mortified was born. 15 years later, it's been a podcast, a stage show, a 2013 movie and now a Netflix show. There’s a Dublin Chapter of the movement and recently David was in town for a show. He spoke to Róisín Ingle about the teenage crush that spawned the movement, and lots more.
Vicki Ashman was a senior partner in an international law firm before selling off her part in the business and taking an early retirement in her forties. She tells Róisín Ingle why she swapped legal briefs for luxury knickers, Scrumpies of Mayfair. She also talks about the pros and cons of running a business with her husband Ian, how a chance encounter with a taxi driver saw her up sticks for a job in the Cayman islands, and what it's like to live in a house once occupied by one of Ireland's most powerful Catholic leaders, Archbishop of Dublin John Charles McQuaid.
Lying in Wait author Liz Nugent talks to Róisín Ingle about her new crime novel set in the Cote d'Azur, Skin Deep. She also talks about her life, the fall she had aged 6 and a half that nearly killed her, her husband Richard, why she's glad they chose not to have children, and lots more.
Skin Deep, by Liz Nugent, published by Penguin Ireland, is out now.
Camille O’Sullivan has been treading the boards around Ireland and beyond for many years. As she returns to the Gate Theatre with Shakespeare’s The Rape of Lucrece this week, she speaks to Róisín Ingle about the production. She also talks about the life-changing car accident that saw her ditch architecture for a career as a singer, her boyfriend the actor Aidan Gillen, how her four and a half year old daughter Lila has changed her, and lots more.
So far this year there have been more than 30 mass shootings in the United States, including the school shooting in Florida last month which killed 17 people and injured nearly 20 others. Last year, the U.S. saw a total of 346 mass shootings.
This weekend protests will take place in every state calling for better gun control as part of the March For Our Lives. In this podcast, Róisín Ingle speaks to Mary Farley, an Irish-based American activist with Moms Demand Action, who are holding a sister rally at the U.S. embassy in Dublin this Saturday afternoon.
U.S. defence lawyer Dean Strang shot to fame when he provided legal representation for Steven Avery, twice convicted of murder in Wisconsin, who featured in the Netflix documentary Making a Murderer.
In the past few weeks he has been in Ireland for a guest lecture series at the law department of the University of Limerick and has given a number of public talks on the role of the defence lawyer, including one entitled ‘How Can You Defend Those People?’
He speaks to Róisín Ingle about the latest developments in the Steven Avery case, how he came to be a defence lawyer in the first place and just what is wrong with the US justice system.
Tara Westover grew up in on Buck Peak, a beautiful mountain in rural Idaho, in a household that was in a perpetual state of preparation for the End of Days.
Her family didn't talk about the summer, it was ‘canning season’ to them, a time spent furiously preserving peaches and other foodstuffs to stockpile for the inevitable End of Man.
Westover’s father, a Mormon Survivalist, lived in fear of the ‘feds’ throughout her childhood, but with a divine belief that everything that happens in this world – good or bad – is God’s will.
She wasn’t registered for a birth certificate until she was old enough to ask for one and because her father didn’t believe in doctors or the public school system, she had no medical or educational records by the time she left home at 17.
On the first Róisín Meets podcast recorded in front of a live audience at The Gutter Bookshop in Dublin, Tara Westover talks to Róisín Ingle about her memoir, Educated.
It tells the story of her childhood and explains how she went from bare minimum home-schooling in an isolated part of the U.S., to earning a PhD at the elite Trinity College, Cambridge in Britain.
Nora Twomey will find out this weekend whether she and the Irish animation company Cartoon Saloon have won their first Oscar for their film (which counts Angelina Jolie as an executive producer) The Breadwinner. The film is based on Deborah Eilis's novel of the same name and tells the story of 11-year-old Afghan girl Parvana. Nora talks to Róisín Ingle about the film, her entry into animation, working with Jolie, and much more.
Tony Blair’s former director of communications Alastair Campbell talks to Róisín Ingle about Brexit, Northern Ireland, #MeToo, his new book Saturday, Bloody Saturday, and lots more.
Canadian singer Johnny Orlando is a pretty big deal. When he was 8 years old, his big sister asked their parents if she could put a video of Johnny singing a song on YouTube. Fast forward a couple of years, and Johnny, who turned 15 last month, has amassed a following of over 10 million fans across his social media accounts, and there are tens of millions of listens on all of his songs on YouTube. He is frequently joined on his songs by Mackenzie Ziegler and in December the pair of them played a sold-out show at the Academy in Dublin. Róisín Ingle went along to see what all the fuss was about - she spoke Johnny and Mackenzie, as well as Johnny's dad Dale Orlando about his son's extraordinary fame.
Susie Q has played at the Electric Picnic and Body&Soul festivals, and she once opened for the Dalai Lama. This year she will release her debut album Into The Sea, which was written in northern California, in Spanish Point in Clare and at her home near Bull Island in Dublin. The first song to be released off of the impending LP, Home, has garnered a lot of attention online with its emotive video evoking images of the refugee crisis and immigration. Susie talks to Róisín Ingle about the song, keeping your head in a chaotic world and the well-being organisation she co-founded with Niall "Bressie" Breslin, A Lust For Life.
“Organising, for me, is another skill that can be learned,” says Sarah Reynolds, who has made a career out of helping other people become more organised in their own lives with her company Organised Chaos.
On the latest Róisín Meets podcast, she tackles Róisín Ingle’s disorderly desk and gives her a pep talk on how to become more organised without getting stressed about it.
Sarah also talks about her debut book, Organised, her Oprah Winfrey “A-HA!” moment and how after being trained by her hero Julie Morgenstern, she became Ireland’s first professional organiser and has been helping clients all over Ireland find their hidden organisation skills ever since.
Twenty-one years ago, Vince Cullen poured his last can of beer and promised himself that he would never drink alcohol again.
Soon after, he began working with the Wat Thamkrabok monastery in Thailand and Buddhist-oriented drug and alcohol recovery centre, helping other addicts and alcoholics.
On the latest Róisín Meets podcast, Cullen speaks to Róisín Ingle about his life as an Irish boy growing up in England, finding Buddhism and teaching meditation.
Also on the podcast, Cullen speaks about buying 'The Hilltop’ pub in Carrigahorig, Tipperary and his plans to turn it into a residential mindfulness meditation centre, renamed ‘Nalagiri House‘; a pub with no beer serving mindfulness to those with a thirst for true happiness.
On February 10th, Cullen will hold a one-day retreat at Ennismore (St. Dominic's) Retreat centre in Cork. You can find out about it here: http://hungryghostretreats.org/
It’s the middle of January and Jo Spain has just overseen the publication of the first of three books she has coming out this year. The crime writer says she has always been a nerd, but growing up on Dublin’s north side, she was “smart enough not to let people know how smart I was.”
Spain talks to Róisín Ingle about happily leaving behind her decade-long career working with Sinn Féin at Leinster House to take up writing fulltime, after finding success with her Detective Tom Reynolds series of novels. She also talks about growing up poor in Belcamp, a part of Dublin that the Celtic Tiger missed, being one of the only people with a north side accent at Trinity College and her writing technique, which enables her to “bang out” the first draft of a novel in four weeks.
After his mother died when he was 12, Charlie Landsborough went off the rails and embraced a life of petty crime, spending two months behind bars when he was 18. He learned his lesson and turned his life around, embracing music, though he didn't find fame until much later. An appearance on RTÉ's Kenny Live in 1995 launched his career in Ireland and hi song What Colour is the Wind became a hit here. In this podcast, Landsborough speaks to Róisín Ingle about his almost famous moments with The Beatles and Roy Orbison. He also talks about spirituality, booze and why he is glad he didn't find fame until his 50s. Landsborough tours Ireland every year and is hitting the road here again next week, beginning in Derry on January 15 and ending in Drogheda on the 28th.
It's January, so that means it's time for Róisín Ingle to sit down with Padraig O'Morain to talk about mindfulness, kindness & self-compassion.
Hotelier, author, RTÉ presenter and National Treasure, Francis Brennan chats to Róisín Ingle about life, his new book Francis Brennan's Guide to Household Management and why you won't see him on Dancing with the Stars. He also reveals that the secret to being an organised person is... you're born that way.
Co Clare musician Sean O’Malley’s song Snow is the perfect Christmassy, winter tune to get you in the festive mood. He came into studio to perform it for Róisín Ingle, accompanied by his father Martin on guitar.
Irish author Deirdre Purcell tells Róisín Ingle why she will never say no to an opportunity if there's a 50-50 chance that she might succeed.
Purcell, who has worked for Aer Lingus, been a professional actor, a travel agent and a journalist, before she came to writing books, speaks about taking risks and why she never looks back with regret.
Her 15th novel, A Christmas Voyage, is out now.
She once had a date with Prince, she made (or destroyed) people's nights at The Ministry of Sound nightclub in London and she gave The Killers their big break. Now, Síona Ryan makes beautiful handmade chocolates with her company Coco Fan. She talks about her delicious treats with Róisín Ingle and lifts the lid on her bizarre date with The Purple One in Dublin in 1995.
Illustrator and comedian Aoife Dooley’s work centres on her affectionate parodies of fiery working-class Dublin women, which are informed by her own experiences growing up on the northside of the city and started out as a web series before her first book How to be Massive was published.
The central character is the irrepressible Nikita who is never seen without her ‘hun bun’, dressed head to toe in Penny’s gear and loves a good spice-bag. She is back in Dooley’s latest book, How to Deal with Poxes and she came into studio to explain her world to Róisín Ingle.
Neil Delamere has been a comedian for more than 15 years now, having first caught the bug as a computer applications student at DCU after seeing Dara O’Briain, Deirdre O’Kane and Eddie Bannon perform at the student bar.
Since then, he’s made a name for himself as a stand-up at home and internationally at the likes of the Edinburgh and Melbourne comedy festivals, he’s frequently on the telly on comedy panel shows lie BBC’s The Blame Game and he also has his own radio show, Neil’s Sunday Best on Today FM.
He is just about to head off on tour with his latest show, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Pensioner which is inspired by a day spent delivering meals on wheels with his father, and came into studio to chat to Roisin Ingle before he hits the road.
Writer and broadcaster Maia Dunphy speaks to Róisín Ingle about her new book, The M Word: For Women who Happen to be Parents, her unconventional living arrangements with her husband Johnny Vegas, working with Podge and Rodge, scooping up orangutan poo and peeling bananas in Borneo in her 20s, and lots more.
In 1989 Miss Saigon debuted on Broadway. The musical, based on Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly, tells the tragic tale of a doomed romance involving an Asian woman abandoned by her American lover, set in 1970s Saigon during the Vietnam War.
The show is currently at the Bord Gais Energy theatre in Dublin and two of its stars, Ashley Gilmour and Red Concepcion, joined me in studio to talk about why it is that Miss Saigon resonates with audiences, how it depicts the reality of the horrors of war and why it is as important now as it was in 1989.
Miss Saigon continues at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre in Dublin until November 18th http://bordgaisenergytheatre.ie/index.php/artist/miss-saigon
When Joanne McNally developed anorexia and bulimia, she didn’t just lose weight - she lost jobs, friends and fellas - but she didn’t care because she could wear bangles as belts and that’s all that mattered.
Then one day, over her morning carrot, Joanne realised she’d lost her mind.
Trying to entice it back became the hardest, funniest, greatest and weirdest time of her life, during which she began to write comedy.
Her show, BITE ME is the result of that creative period and Joanne is currently touring the country with it. She took a break from her nationwide jaunt to come into studio and tell Róisín Ingle all about it.
What do you do when both of your daughters have been diagnosed with autism, your wife is depressed and your job has been made redundant? If you’re Aidan Comerford, then you become a comedian.
After years of feeling like he was losing at life, he crowned the winner of So You Think You re Funny? at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2014, joining previous winners such as Peter Kay, Dylan Moran and Tommy Tiernan.
This was his big break. But back in Ireland, on the same day, at a remote country cottage near a lake, Aidan’s wife Martha was searching for their young daughter who had gone missing.
He’s written a book about what it’s like to make big plans, only for life to get in the way. It’s called Cornflakes for Dinner.
On Thursday April 20th 2017, Mark Earley’s life changed completely.
His wife, Liane Deasy, died suddenly in her sleep at their home in Glasthule Co. Dublin, from nocturnal epilepsy. He was away in Australia at the time.
Soon after Liane’s death, Mark began a blog called There Are Words, which he says is an attempt for him to understand her passing, to share his grieving process and to find something in such a tragedy.
Liane loved sea swimming and Mark has found solace in it since her death. He speaks to Róisín Ingle about that in this podcast. He also talks about Liane and the kind of person she was, how the loss of her is still so raw for him and what he does to try and get through it.
https://therearewords.com/
"Really, quite nightmarish," is how Emily Hourican recalls overcoming "second novel syndrome" for her latest book White Villa. In this podcast she talks to Róisín Ingle about the darkness of her time recovering from cancer and how she found the light again in her writing. She also talks about her upbringing as the daughter of an EU Commission employee in Brussels and how that has informed her writing, her fascination with friendship and how writing her cancer diaries in the Sunday Independent opened her up to the kindness of strangers.
Paul Carrack is one of pop’s best kept secrets. Not everyone knows that the Sheffield-born musician’s incredible 40-year career has included working with legendary artists including Elton John, Eric Clapton, Squeeze, Roxy Music, the Eagles, Diana Ross, The Smiths and Nick Lowe.
He came into studio, armed with his guitar, to chat to Róisín Ingle ahead of his show at The Olympia in Dublin on October 18th. He spoke about the different artists he has worked with, the bands he has been in and why he’s glad he was never mega-famous, but he wouldn’t have minded being filthy rich at the same time.
Aonghus McAnally has been with RTÉ for decades from Anything Goes on Saturday morning when he had this mad big hair and shoes that didn’t match, to series producer of Joe Duffy's Liveline. Here he talks to Róisín Ingle about his career, living with his Dad actor Ray McNally and he gives us his verdict on that Secret RTE producer on Twitter everyone is talking about. He also talked about his friendship with singer Christie Hennessy ahead of his tour Celebrating Christy Hennessy - The Platinum Collection, which begins next Friday 6th October in Cork.
The Commitments, Red Water and now Acceptable Risk star Angeline Ball speaks to Róisín Ingle about poetry, growing up in Cabra on Dublin’s north side, being Imelda Quirke, and much more.
In 1944 Edith Eger was a 16-year-old Jewish girl living a normal life. That all changed when she and her family were sent to a concentration camp. She tells Róisín Ingle about Auschwitz, the death march, losing her parents in the Holocaust and about finding the joy in life once again.
Ciara King and her radio husband Chris Greene host the 2FM night time show, Chris and Ciara every Sunday to Thursday starting at 10 pm. Her readings of her “teenage diary” are often a highlight and after years of sharing the inner thoughts of her fictional teenage self, Ciara has published them in a book, Ciara's Diary: Sense and Shiftability. She tells Róisín Ingle all about it and reads an extract in which she wears the face off Bill Clinton.
"On 14 April 1984 a woman’s identity was shattered to pieces. 33 years later we are still trying to piece it back together."
More than thirty years ago two tragedies set off a chain of events leading to the Kerry babies case, gripping national attention and putting the spotlight on the place of women in Irish society, sexual mores and the conduct of An Garda Síochána.
Longford theatre-maker Luke Casserly is the director of a show which will be part of the Dublin Fringe festival this month called Efficacy 84. It aims to ask questions about the limitations of art and how we can, as a society, begin to engage with an event, and an Ireland, that seems so far away from us today, in the context of the Kerry babies story.
Additional reading: www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/the-case-of-the-kerry-babies-1.1759242 www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/state-papers-garda%C3%AD-grossly-negligent-in-kerry-babies-inquiry-1.2479669 www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/harrowing-treatment-of-joanne-hayes-at-kerry-babies-tribunal-condemned-1.2479657
In the final installment of Music Month 2017, Róisín Ingle talks to Co. Clare singer Síomha Brock. Her jazzy, blues vocals and guitar speak to influences from her time in Nashville, Memphis and Austin. In this podcast she plays three of her songs live in studio: Why Did We Fall In Love?, Fly and July Red Sky.
On the latest Music Month podcast, Róisín Ingle meets Sallay Matu Garnett, or Loah as she goes by on stage. Loah released her EP This Heart earlier this year and performs three songs from it in the episode. A pharmacist by trade too, she has been writing music for years and has a co-writing credit on her ex-boyfriend Hozier's song Someone New.
Farah El Neihum, otherwise known as ‘Farah Elle’, is a singer and pianist with an alternative pop sound influenced by everything from hiphop to R&B, to ska, with Arabian echoes from her Libyan background.
She chats to Róisín about music, growing up Muslim in Ireland and her "rock 'n' roll ninja" mum Dr. Fatima Hamroush who, as minister for health, tried to help rebuild Libya after the Gaddafi regime was overthrown.
In this podcast you will hear Farah Elle perform four songs: Rajeen, Sunblock, Holiday and Laundry.
Dublin roots five-piece I Draw Slow have been on tour in the U.S. 15 times in the last four years and earlier this year were signed to Compass Records on Nashville's iconic Music Row, through which they released their fourth album Turn Your Face to the Sun last May.
Siblings Louise and Dave Holden are the band's singers and they dropped by The Irish Times studio the day after their album launch at Whelan’s in Dublin to perform as part of the annual Róisín Meets Music Month.
In this podcast you will hear them perform three songs off the new album: Carolina, Honeymoon and Garage Flowers.
We dip into the archive again this week to present one of our favourite Róisín Meets interviews.
When he was a young boy, Ringu Tulku Rinpoche was forced to flee Tibet along with his family. Tied to his horse so he wouldn’t fall off it when he slept, he eventually made it to India. In 2015, 60 years later, Róisín Ingle spoke to Rinpoche while he was on one of his regular visits to Ireland teaching Buddhism and meditation.
This week we are dipping back into the archive and presenting a couple of our favourite Roísín Meets interviews. This time it's our 2015 interview with the actor Richard E Grant. It was one of the more unusual Róisín Meets, during which the Withnail and I star called Róisín Oprah, let her smell him and flipped the interview tables on Róisín by asking her some personal questions about her own life.
For the next three weeks we're dipping back into the archive and presenting a couple of our favourite Roísín Meets interviews. This week it's our 2015 interview with the one and only Gay Byrne. The veteran broadcaster talked about his support for same-sex marriage and his Meaning of Life interview with Stephen Fry.
Actor and singer talks to the Róisín Meets podcast about starring in Orphan Black, new music and directing her first film.
Terry Waite spent four years in Lebanon as a hostage of the Hizbullah. Now he is an author, lecturer and humanitarian. He talks to Roísín Ingle about his extraordinary life.
Ahead of Dublin Pride this weekend, Róisín Ingle meets Fabian McGrath and Philip Kennedy from the Dublin Gay Men's Chorus to chat about singing, coming out, and what it means to have a gay Taoiseach.
Today is Father’s Day and for many families it is a happy occasion, but for those who have lost a child, it can be a very difficult day.
Ken Walsh’s third child Caoimhe was stillborn after he and his wife Linda were told during the pregnancy that their daughter had Edward's syndrome, a life-limiting condition.
After the birth, the family were helped through their trauma by the charity Feileacáin, who say it’s important that men are encouraged to speak about their feelings about the loss of a child.
Róisín Ingle spoke to Ken about losing Caoimhe, how Feileacáin helped them and why it’s important for bereaved fathers to know that they don't always have stay strong.
http://www.feileacain.ie/
Supporters of equality in this country will have been saddened to learn of the death of Ann Louise Gilligan. In this June 2015 interview Ann Louise and her wife Katherine Zappone, then a senator, talked to Róisín Ingle about marriage equality, education, spirituality and the importance of having fun as you get older.
In 1946, at the age of 18, Veronica Dunne sold her pony and moved from her family home in Dublin to Rome to learn how to sing opera. There, she would sing alongside such talents as Maria Callas.
In 1961, she left her singing career behind and began teaching. In the decades since, she has been responsible for fostering the talents of countless young Irish singers.
Now, with her 90th birthday approaching this August, Veronica is still teaching every day at Royal Irish Academy of Music and will be honoured by them at The Great Music in Irish Houses festival which runs from the 13th to the 18th of June.
Ahead of that, Veronica met Róisín Ingle and shared some stories from her extraordinary life.
Louth musician David Keenan went viral a few years ago when a taxi driver in Dundalk posted a video of him singing his song El Paso to YouTube. The 23-year-old counts Yeats, Behan and Wilde among his influences and you can hear it in his lyrics. Keenan doesn't sound like anyone else, and that's a good thing. He took time out from working on his debut album to stop by for a chat with Róisín Ingle and he also performed three of his songs - including a brand new one.
Min Jin Lee is a Korean-American writer whose work frequently deals with Korean American topics. Her latest novel is Pachinko, a page-turning saga about four generations of a poor Korean immigrant family as they fight to control their destiny in 20th-century Japan, exiled from a home they never knew. She talks to Róisín Ingle about the book, which was almost 30 years in the making, what Japan is like for Koreans today and why she is still happy to call herself an American citizen, despite Trump.
Since her early 20s, journalist Caroline Foran has been dealing with a sometimes crippling anxiety. Her book 'Owning It: Your Bullshit Free Guide to Living With Anxiety' explores exactly what anxiety is, its triggers and the various treatments - from CBT, acupuncture, diet and the often debated role of medication. She tells Róisín Ingle how she learned to cope with her anxiety, what worked for her and why it's not always a bad thing.
26-year-old playwright Eva O'Connor talks to Róisín Ingle about her new play, Maz and Bricks, currently running at the Project Arts Theatre in Dublin before heading to the Belltable in Limerick next week.
It tells the story of two very different young people who meet and become friends over the course of a day in Dublin, Maz on her way to a ‘Repeal the 8th’ demonstration and Bricks, played by Stephen Jones, to meet the mother of his young daughter.
You can catch Eva O’Connor and Stephen Jones in Maz and Bricks until this Saturday, 13th May at the Project Arts theatre in Dublin and at the Belltable in Limerick from 17-20th May.
RTÉ presenter and author of three books, Rachael English, talks to Róisín Ingle about accidentally writing a novel reflecting the news headlines of the day.
English’s voice will be familiar of thousands of people who tune into Morning Ireland every day, but she has many strings to her bow and has just published her third novel, The American Girl.
It tells the story of 17-year-old Rose Moroney from Boston, who is smart, spirited and pregnant.
She wants to marry her boyfriend but her parents have other ideas and ship her off to their home country of Ireland, to a Mother and Baby home where Rose is expected to give up her baby.
This podcast was recorded a couple of weeks ago, as the controversy was starting to erupt over the Sisters of Charity’s ownership of the new National Maternity hospital and just a few months after the horrors of what happened at the Tuam mother and baby home hit headlines.
Irish singer and composer Sue Rynhart plays three songs off her new album 'Signals' and chats to Róisín Ingle about what inspired her new material.
Sue is joined in studio by Dan Bodwell on Double Bass and Eamon Sweeney playing the 17th century Theorboed guitar.
If you like what you hear, then you can catch Sue Rynhart tonight, Friday 28th April for the launch of her album Signals at Fumbally Stables in Dublin.
Sue is also performing at Tower Records in Dublin this Saturday April 29th and at the Drogheda Arts Festival in Beaulieu House on bank holiday Monday. You can find out more about Sue’s upcoming gigs on suerynhart.com
“I could have died and I’m not thinking about that, but I did think about it and I was really down about it,” says Irish singer Mary Coughlan on the latest Róisín Meets podcast.
Not long after her 60th birthday last year, Coughlan began keeping a diary cataloguing the symptoms she was experiencing as a result of severe chest pain that forced her to cancel a number of shows.
She tells Róisín Ingle how, after being misdiagnosed with lung problems and leaving one hospital with “ninety Solpadeine” and anxiety medication, she was told by a consultant that she had multiple blockages in two of her arteries and would have to have stents fitted to her heart.
Also on the podcast, Coughlan speaks about working on her mental health with the psychiatrist Ivor Browne, making peace with the past and her plans for a “huge musical extravaganza” with the theatre company Brokentalkers.
Mary Coughlan performs live in concert on Saturday, 13th May 2017 at Vicar Street in Dublin. Tickets are on sale now.
Giovanna Fletcher is a best-selling British author, actor, blogger and vlogger. She joined Róisín Ingle for a chat during a recent trip to Dublin on the promotion trail for her latest book on motherhood – Happy Mum, Happy Baby.
It’s not your typical parenting book – it’s a really honest account of the ups and downs of being a mother with chapters dedicated to the realities of miscarriage, breastfeeding and the pressure to lose weight after having a baby.
They also spoke about loads of other things, including her very lovely husband, the musician Tom Fletcher, who she met when she was just 13.
Kevin Rowland tells Róisín Ingle why he's grateful for Dexy's Midnight Runners' biggest hit, Come On Eileen, but you shouldn’t expect to hear him play it any time soon.
Nearly thirty-five years on, Come On Eileen still gets played on the radio, but Rowland said he rarely hears it unless somebody is trying to provoke him.
In a wide-ranging discussion he speaks about his former career as a hairdresser, his parents who came from county Mayo and the time he spent there as a child, why he is not bothered that he is not rich, and said he feels, “more at peace these days than I ever have.”
MEN WANTED: The Game needs you to explore the act of buying sex. On this week's podcast, Róisín Ingle talks to two of the women behind a radical piece of theatre, The Game.
Grace Dyas and Lauren Larkin aim to portray the realities of prostitution through their stage piece, which was devised with the help of former prostitutes including Rachel Moran and Mia deFaoite, as well as some women who are still involved in sex work.
They tell Róisín Ingle what the show is all about and why they felt it was important to tell this story.
Five male volunteers are needed to take part each night and they've put the call out for willing participants for their upcoming Irish shows.
If you're interested in taking part email WENEEDMEN2017@gmail,com
Showband legend Dickie Rock talks to Róisín Ingle about infidelity, forgiveness and his enduring addiction to performing.
Irish playwright Enda Walsh talks to Róisín Ingle about indulging in a moment of "oddity" while working with David Bowie, having Roddy Doyle for a schoolteacher and falling in love with Cork and its language.
The Dubliner was back home from London where he now lives, to oversee the run of his play Arlington recently at the Abbey, his first production on the theatre's main stage.
Róisín Meets is a weekly podcast presented by Róisín Ingle and produced by Jennifer Ryan.
There's spoken word and new music in the latest episode of Róisín Meets, with young artists Natalya O'Flaherty and Katie Laffan.
Both are taking part in the St Patrick's Festival's Young Blood: The Beats and Voices of Our Generation concert at the National Concert Hall in Dublin next Saturday 18th March and the talented Dubliners popped in to see Róisín ahead of that show, along with organiser Aoife Woodlock of Other Voices fame.
16-year-old Natalya impressed with the keen observations on modern life in her piece, The Irony of Entitlement, which she performed in studio, while Katie picked up her guitar and gave a rousing rendition of her song Tastemaker.
You can find more information on the St Patrick's Festival here: http://www.stpatricksfestival.ie/
Irish writer John Boyne has published his tenth novel for adults, The Heart’s Invisible Furies. He joined Róisín Ingle to talk about writing that book in the months leading up to the marriage referendum and why that was a dark time for him.
He spoke about his most famous book, The Boy in Striped Pyjamas, which sold nine million copies worldwide and was made into a film, and why he never minds answering questions about it ten years after it propelled him to literary super-stardom.
Boyne also talked about why he makes sure to write strong, independent female characters in his books and about life after the breakdown of his 11 year relationship last year.
It has been eight years since Valerie Francis released her debut album Dynamo Slow, which earned her a Choice Music Prize nomination.
She is back with new material and plans to release her much anticipated follow-up record by the end of this year.
On this week's podcast, Valerie gave us a sneak preview of what's to come playing three songs live during the episode.
She also spoke about her musical influences, the realities of making money from music and THAT surreal Kanye West shout-out.
You can catch Valerie at the RHA's Hennessey Lost Fridays, next Friday March 3rd.
He may not have found love on First Dates Ireland recently, but Paddy Smyth did win the hearts of the nation.
The 28-year-old trended on Twitter during, and after, the show and has since begun presenting a slot on TV3’s 6 o’clock show.
Paddy was already a star before all this though, having amassed a huge Snapchat following documenting his day-to-day life living with Cerebral Palsy with his now signature candour and humour.
On this podcast, Paddy told Róisín Ingle about his 'almost famous' moment, making it down to the last twenty for Big Brother during its heyday on Channel 4. He also spoke about dating with a disability, why it's important to highlight the fun aspects of being disabled, and why no gay teenager should ever come out to their parents the way he did.
For more #DisabledLife follow Paddy @paddyysmyth
The first person prosecuted and acquitted under Irish assisted suicide laws, Gail O'Rorke, talks to Róisín Ingle about why she has no regrets about trying to help her friend Bernadette Forde die as she wished.
Ms Forde suffered from Primary-Progressive Multiple Sclerosis, meaning her health was never going to get any better. Gail O'Rorke was her cleaner, but became her best friend and carer in the years before her death.
When Ms Forde's health had deteriorated to a point that she felt she could no longer go on, O'Rorke made a failed attempt to arrange for them to travel to Dignitas in Switzerland where she could take her own life.
In 2011, Bernadette Forde successfully procured a lethal drug over the internet and died in her home.
In this podcast, Gail O'Rorke talks to Roisin Ingle about her friend's death and why despite the ordeal she went through in the aftermath, that she would do it all over again.
Crime or Compassion?: One Woman’s Story of a Loving Friendship That Knew No Bounds, by Gail O’Rorke, is published by Hachette Ireland
Author of 20 bestselling books, including A Village Affair and The Rector’s Wife, Joanna Trollope joined Róisín Ingle for the Róisín Meets podcast this week.
Joanna spoke candidly about the literary snobbery she has been on the receiving end of in the past, and why it doesn't bother her. She also talked about why, at the age of 73, she has no intention of quitting writing and how there are big advantages to finding success later in life.
Also on the podcast, Joanna spoke about growing up in the Cotswolds, wanting to look like Jane Fonda and her friend, the late Maeve Binchy.
Martha Wainwright says her new album, Goodnight City, is a farewell to her youth, marking the end of one era and the beginning of another.
On this week's Róisín Meets, she told Róisín Ingle why turning 40 has been great and how becoming a mother has softened her - but only a bit.
She talked about the late Leonard Cohen, who was big influence in her life, and how he was classy to the very end.
Also on the podcast, Wainwright said the death of their mother seven years ago had a profound effect on her and her older brother Rufus, and has brought them closer than they have ever been.
As well as the chat, Wainwright also played three songs for the podcast - including one dedicated to Donald Trump...
Last year, Irish activist Brendan Fay led the first LGBT group permitted to march under a banner at the 255-year-old St. Patrick's Day parade in his adoptive home of New York City after a 25-year battle.
This week, we bring you the chat he had with Róisín Ingle at the Transatlantic Connections Conference in Bundoran, Donegal recently.
Brendan spoke about how it felt to march with pride in the 2016 parade in New York, what it was like to lose his job as a teacher at a Catholic high school for taking part in the 1991 parade, and what is to be done about Trump.
How do you stop yourself from getting stressed by the news? Can you go on a news blackout? Mindfulness expert Padraig O'Morain says that's okay, to a point, but we can't shut the world out just because we don't like it.
Stay informed, but just don't wallow in the really bad stuff for too long, he told the Róisín Meets podcast this week.
He also discussed Donald Trump's narcissism, how some Irish politicians could do with a dose of mindfulness and gave tips on how to start the New Year in a positive space.
Irish-Canadian author Ed O'Loughlin talks to Róisín Ingle about what motivated polar explorers to embark on perilous adventures into the unknown, the importance of making literary prize lists, and not being "worth it" for Twitter trolls.
The former Irish Times foreign affairs correspondent was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2009 for his first novel, Not Untrue & Not Unkind, and his third novel, Minds of Winter, was published last August.
Irish singer Paddy Casey and his daughter Saoirse joined Róisín Ingle this week to help ease you into the New Year with a bevy of tunes.
Paddy spoke about his upcoming new album and took a look back at his career, playing his new song Everything Must Change along with his biggest hit Saints and Sinners.
His daughter, 20-year-old Saoirse Casey, sang two of her own songs during the podcast and talked about her plans to release an album some time in 2017.
The spotlight is on Santa this week on Róisín Meets. Mathematician Hannah Fry explains The Indisputable Existence of Santa Claus, while Róisín's daughters Joya & Priya report back on their trip to meet the man in the red suit at home in Lapland. And, as if that wasn't enough, we also have a festive ditty from Paddy Casey to get you in the mood for Christmas.
There's Christmas cheer aplenty as the Piccolo Lasso choir sing carols on the Róisín Meets podcast. Listen to the children's renditions of Deck the Hall, Joy to the World and O Holy Night, led by choirmaster extraordinaire, Ite O'Donovan.
You can catch the Piccolo Lasso choir on December 18th at St Kevin’s Church, Harrington Street, SCR, Dublin 8, where they will also perform with a mini orchestra on Christmas day.
On this week's Róisín Meets, music memorabilia dealer and founder of www.popicons.com Laurence Carpenter talked to Róisín Ingle. He told her how selling Michael Jackson memorabilia kick-started his business and how he caught the 'collecting' bug from his father. He also spoke about some of the items currently in his collection, including a bag of underwear belonging to Bob Dylan fans, and revealed how he made $140,000 in one night, clearing his debts in the process.
On this week's Róisín Meets the cast of the play Murder of Crows tell the Róisín Ingle why Irish theatre needs more youth productions. Katie Honan, Amilia Stewart and Aisling O'Mara talk about why teenagers don't go to the theatre and how productions with young actors can help. They also talk about Waking the Feminists, Can't Cope, Won't Cope, and perform two extracts from Murder of Crows.
Cyberpsychologist Mary Aiken is this week's guest on the Róisín Meets podcast. She tells presenter Róisín Ingle that the internet is not fit for purpose. She explains why young children should not be allowed online, the dangers of teens getting caught up in Dark Nets and how science needs to catch up with developments in technology.
On the latest Róisín Meets podcast, singer Cathy Davey tells Róisín Ingle why children need empathy lessons. She talks about returning to music with new album New Forest after six years building the animal rescue she founded with her friends, My Lovely Horse Rescue, and how she got into trouble for writing dirty poems at school. Cathy also plays two songs - Thylacine off the latest album and All of You, from her second album Tales of Silversleeve.
British perfumer Jo Malone talks to the Róisín Meets podcast this week about her autobiography Jo Malone: My Story. She tells presenter Róisín Ingle what it was like growing up with her unique sense of smell and how she created a global brand from her kitchen. Jo also talks about being told she may not survive an aggressive form of breast cancer when her son was just two years old and how years later after leaving the company she founded, she started all over again with her brand Jo Loves.
Roddy Doyle is this week's guest on the Róisín Meets podcast. He talks about his latest children's book, Rover and the Big Fat Baby, The Commitments and writing for Roy Keane. The author also talks about the free children's writing workshops he co-founded, Fighting Words, and reveals he has a new book for adults on the way next September.
Mike McCartney talks to Roísín Ingle about life in the shadow of his Beatle brother. He is joined by journalist and Ross O'Carroll Kelly creator (and friend of the show) Paul Howard. Paul has written a new book about McCartney's friend, the Guinness heir Tara Browne, who died in 1966 at the height of the Swinging Sixties.
Former Coronation Street actor Kevin Kennedy and his The Commitments Musical co-star Andrew Linnie are this week's guests on the Róisín Meets podcast. The actors talk about getting their big breaks in the business, working with Roddy Doyle and Kennedy tells presenter Róisín Ingle about getting sober 18 years ago.
Author, columnist & playwright Michael Harding is this week's guest on the Róisín Meets podcast. He tells presenter Róisín Ingle that he never fails to spare, "the gory details of this sad eejit," in his writing and talks about the importance of authenticity. Harding discusses his new book, Talking to Strangers and he explains how an evening of storytelling can get "flirtatious and dangerous".
The stars and the director of Mattress Men talk to Roisin Ingle about the documentary on this week's Roisin Meets podcast. Michael Flynn, better known as his YouTube persona Mattress Mick is joined by the man who help create the character, videographer Paul Kelly, and director Colm Quinn to talk about the film.
Leo Moran and Davy Carton from the Saw Doctors joined Róisín Ingle for this week's podcast. They talked about going back on the road after a three year break, glorifying the mundane and writing new songs. The lads also played some of their greatest hits and their song Everyday, which featured in The Women's Podcast recently.
Irish author and writer of the Oscar winning film Room, Emma Donoghue, talks about her latest novel, The Wonder, on this week’s Róisín Meets podcast. She also talks to presenter Róisín Ingle about the “relentless” partying in the film world, meeting Cate Blanchett and stealing ideas for her stories from her children.
Cook and new author Sophie White talks eating your way through the bad times with her book Recipes for a Nervous Breakdown on this week’s Róisín Meets podcast. She also talks to presenter Róisín Ingle about her own mental health problems, her father’s Alzheimer's disease and being OK with bad parenting.
Derval O'Rourke, one of Ireland's greatest ever sprint athletes and now a best-selling cookbook author, meets Roísín to talk about honest, healthy food (with not too much kale), Pat Hickey and the OCI ticket scandal, who really deserves to fly first class to the Olympics, and the unwelcome circus that surrounds athletes every four years.
This week Roisin Ingle meets Seana Kerslake the star of newly released and already highly acclaimed Irish movie A Date for Mad Mary. The 24-year-old Dubliner from Tallaght got her first break in experimental movie Dollhouse by Kirsten Sheridan and is now being talked about as the new Scarlett Johansson. We just think she's the new Seana Kerslake. She talks to Roisin about growing up, acting and feminism.
Country music royalty Carlene Carter is the final Music Month final on the Róisín Meets podcast. She talks about growing up with Johnny Cash as a stepfather, battle addiction and finding love again. Carlene plays three songs live, including her version of Cash's hit, written by her mother June, Ring of Fire.
It's week 3 of Music Month on Róisín Meets and Tipperary singer Gemma Hayes joins Róisín Ingle to talk about rebelling against music industry pressure to be sexy, the power of femininity and the upside of being dropped by her record label.
Irish singer-songwriter John Spillane joins Róisín Ingle for Music Month on Róisín Meets. John tells Róisín about the inspiration behind some of his best-loved songs, he talks about his upcoming book and plays four songs live.
Lisa Hannigan joins Róisín Ingle for Music Month on Róisín Meets. Lisa talks about the breakdown of her working relationship with Damien Rice, her third album At Swim and working with The National's Aaron Dessner. She also plays three brand-new songs off the record, which is released 19th August.
Today FM presenter Alison Curtis joins Róisín Ingle this week, to talk about why she doesn't feel represented on Irish radio and says it's time to hear more female voices on the airwaves. The Saturday & Sunday Breakfast host also talks about the impact losing her mother at a young age has had on her own parenting style and how she feels a longing for Ireland whenever she goes back to Canada.
Author and Irish Times columnist, Hilary Fannin, talks to Róisín Ingle about aging happily, regrets and her memoir Hopscotch on this week's Róisín Meets podcast. Fannin also speaks about her family, her father's affair and why she's never been happier than she is now in her fifties.
Bosnian war diarist and documentary filmmaker, Zlata Filipovic, talks to Róisín Ingle about Europe's migrant crisis and her own experience fleeing conflict during the siege of Sarajevo. She also talks about her work as a documentary producer and how journalists visiting her in Sarajevo inspired her to tell other people's stories.
MD of the Tipperary Boutique Distillery, Jennifer Nickerson, gives Róisín Ingle a taste of the first whiskey from her stills, The Rising, on this week’s Róisín Meets podcast. The 33-year-old from Scotland talks about growing up loving the smell of whisky, how she came to make whiskey in Ireland and what effect Brexit may have on her business.
Acclaimed Irish writer, Jennifer Johnston, joins Róisín Ingle this week to talk about her latest novel, Naming the Stars. Johnston is happy with the book, which she says is “rather good”. On the Róisín Meets podcast, she says writing again at the age of 86 feels like she is “winning”. She also talks about her life growing up in Dublin, writing the ‘great Irish novel’ and the joys of her grandchildren.
Inspirefest founder, Ann O'Dea, speaks to Róisín Ingle about the technology, science, design and arts, conference at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre next week. With 75% of the event's speakers women, Inspirefest is about disrupting the ‘male pale’ tech conference calendar and was borne out of the Silicon Republic founder’s frustration with the usual 9:1 male to female ratio at such events.
Author and radio presenter, Louise McSharry, joins Róisín Ingle to talk about her memoir, Fat Chance: My Life in Ups and Downs and Crisp Sandwiches. She also talks about how cancer and pregnancy taught her to appreciate her body more and how her birth mother, Dee, gave her book the seal of approval before she died.
Journalist and social justice campaigner, Dil Wickremasinghe, joins Róisín Ingle to talk about her life - from privileged beginnings in Rome, to preaching in Sri Lankan train stations, before ending up in Dublin with the family she always wanted.
On this week's podcast, Róisín Ingle meets Dana’s nieces and nephew from band The Rua, to talk about making music together and being extras in the Harry Potter films.
In 2002 Mary Reynolds became Ireland's first (and the youngest ever) gold medal winner at the Chelsea Flower Show. Back then her Celtic Sanctuary garden broke with Chelsea convention, winning acclaim. But since then she has radically reassessed her approach to gardening, and to life. Her new book reveals her to be the "the nut that I truly am", but she doesn't care anymore, she tells Roísín Ingle.
On this week's Róisín Meets podcast, author Declan Lynch joins Róisín Ingle to discuss his gambling themed latest novel, The Ponzi Man. He also speaks about Ireland's betting culture, the lives being destroyed by it and what can be done to tackle it.
On this week’s Róisín Meets podcast, Cavan singer-songwriter Lisa O'Neill joins Róisín Ingle to talk about her third album, Pothole in the Sky. She also speaks about what it was like to work with her heroes Billy Bragg and Kevin Rowland, and how she tried to like All Saints music, but just couldn't fake it.
On this week’s podcast, Luka Bloom joins Róisín Ingle to talk about his latest album Frugalisto which he takes on the road later this year. He also performs three songs live with some special-guest vocals by Róisín on the track Sunny Sailor Boy.
Described as "evoking the likes of Joni Mitchell, Joanna Newsom and Kate Bush," musician Róisín O released her debut album The Secret Life of Blue in 2012 and is back with a new single. She sat down with Róisín to play her distinctive music and discuss her evolving style and famous family (her mother is legendary singer Mary Black, Danny O’Reilly of the Coronas is her brother).
Roisin releases her latest single ‘Give it Up’ (produced by Eliot James who's worked with Two Door Cinema Club, Kaiser Chiefs and Noah & the Whale) in Whelans on May 14.
People Before Profit TD Bríd Smith sits down with Roísín Ingle to tell a little of her life story, from fruit picking in Ballyfermot to taking her seat in the 32nd Dáil. She talks about her parent’s influence on her activism, the gruelling campaign and recount, and the slightly disappointing scale of the Dáil - not only the building, but the personalities too.
Limerick-born singer songwriter Mick Hanly is in studio to talk about his career in music, the long search to find his voice, his forthcoming album Homeland. And he treats us to some live renditions of his songs, including 'Past the Point of Rescue', made famous by Mary Black.
On this week’s Róisín Meets podcast, Derry-born actress and singer Bronagh Gallagher talks about making her third solo album, Gather Your Greatness, and the “monastic” lifestyle that fuels her creativity.
On this week’s Róisín Meets podcast, Heathers on writing their third album, working together and growing up as twins. The duo also performed two of their latest songs, November and Loosen Up.
On this week’s Róisín Meets podcast, adventurer and spinal cord injury campaigner Mark Pollock talks about rebuilding his identity after both blindness and paralysis. The Run in the Dark founder’s new mission is putting the topic of paralysis on the global agenda.
On this week’s Róisín Meets podcast, Róisín talks to Ross O’Carroll-Kelly creator Paul Howard and actor Rory Nolan about their upcoming production of Breaking Dad. The futuristic play is set in 2022, in the midst of an unexpected economic boom, with Bertie Ahern set to become Taoiseach again at age 71. Ross O’Carroll-Kelly’s teenage daughter arrives home one night with the captain of the Blackrock College rugby team, a younger version of himself.
Breaking Dad is on from March 14-26 at the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin and from March 29-April 2 at the University Concert Hall, Limerick. Tickets are on sale now from Ticketmaster outlets and The Gaiety Theatre box office.
On this week’s Róisín Meets podcast, actor Olwen Fouéré talks about her open marriage, Waking the Feminists and how wandering the wilds of Connemara as a child has informed her work. She describes the inspiration behind Riverrun, her award-winning adaptation of the voice of the river in Finnegan’s Wake.
Fouéré stars in Survivalist, the film about three survivors carrying on as society crumbles, which is in cinemas now. She will perform in the Imagining Home series at the National Concert Hall on April 3rd. Full details about the series can be found at https://www.nch.ie/Online/Imagining-Home
“Standing for public office is not for the faint-hearted.”
This week on the Róisín Meets podcast, RTE broadcaster Miriam O’Callaghan talks to Róisín about her live election coverage. Now that the votes have been cast, she says she can stop being “tough and mean”.
On this week’s Róisín Meets podcast, Keith Duffy talks about reprising his role in Big Maggie, earning his acting chops and having a second go at fatherhood.
Big Maggie is on at the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin until 12th March. Tickets are available from Ticketmaster and the Gaiety Theatre box office.
Mary Black talks to Róisín about one of her passions: promoting home-grown Irish music on the radio. She tells Róisín about her upcoming Last Call tour in Australia, her last tour abroad. And they talk about her musical family - daughter Roisin O and son Danny O’Reilly, lead singer of rock band The Coronas.
She has many upcoming performances, including one in Vicar Street, Dublin on 16th April and at the Millennium Forum in Derry on 23rd April.
Brendan and Declan Murphy, the brothers behind The 4 of Us, talk to Róisín about the inspiration behind their upcoming album Sugar Island. The autobiographical record is named after a spot in their hometown – Newry, Co Down, and the brothers play new single Birds Eye View and old favourite Mary.
The band will perform songs from Sugar Island at the Spirit Store in Dundalk on 27th February at 8pm.
Róisín talks to midwife Philomena Canning, one of the key figures behind the new organisation Midwives For Choice. They talked about Canning’s experiences as a midwife in Saudi Arabia and the Australian outback and her thoughts about Ireland’s first National Maternity Strategy.
Broadcaster Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh sits down with Róisín to talk about something that many women suffer from, often in silence: urinary incontinence. They chat about speaking Irish, starting college for the first time, and Bláthnaid Libh, Ní Chofaigh’s new show on RTE Raidio na Gaeltachta Saturdays at 11am.
Broadcaster Louise McSharry sits down with Roísín to talk about why she decided to present the Operation Transformation radio show on RTÉ 2fm, and follow the show’s health and fitness plan herself, despite being “very critical” of the diet industry.
She will be presenting Op Tran with Karl Henry, one of the show’s trainers, on 2fm on Saturday mornings from 9-11am.
Her memoir Fat Chance will be published by Penguin this spring.
Chloe Agnew, the former lead singer of Celtic Woman who joined the show when she was just 15, sits down with Roísín to talk about growing up in the spotlight, her famous parents Twink (Adele King) and oboist David Agnew, and her career as a soloist, songwriter and actor.
She returns to the stage on January 16th for her first major Irish concert at the National Concert Hall.
If you feel the urge up to turn over a new leaf or two on New Years Day, one bad habit you should consider ditching is excessive self-criticism. That's according to counsellor and Irish Times columnist Padraig O'Morain, who speaks with Roísín Ingle about "self compassion" on this week's podcast.
Padraig explains how facing a challenging personal situation helped him realise that his own harsh self-criticism was preventing from taking action.
"It occurred to me that what was making me so nervous was the sense that maybe I will not do this thing right, maybe ill come into criticism," he said. "Then I realised that the critic I was fearing most was myself."
Padraig also leads a short mediatation. Happy New Year from the Roísín Meets team.
Earlier in December Roísín met with the conductor and young singers of the Palestrina Choir who performed a few tunes and chatted about changing voices, their challenging Christmas schedule and how singing is good for the soul.
Happy Christmas from the Roísín Meets team.
Broadcaster Mike Murphy sits down with Roísín to talk about his upbringing, his academic failures and his career trajectory from stage actor to one of the country’s most popular broadcasters. He returns to television screens later this month to present the new quiz show Play It By Year, based on Reeling In The Years.
Play It By Year will premiere on RTÉ on 27th December at 7pm and will air for four consecutive nights.
Friend of the show Mario Rosenstock returns to The Irish Times, dodges Conor Pope and Fintan O'Toole in the elevator and sits down with Roísín to talk about his new live show, his ever-expanding cast of characters and much, much more. PLUS: hear Counsellor Hugh McElvaney's new song.
Mario Rosenstock Live will premiere in Cork Opera House on March 23rd 2016 before touring the country and finishing with five nights in the Gaiety Theatre from April 26th.
Christmas makes it presence felt for the first time this year as comedian, panto star and extremely likeable young man Al Porter visits Roísín in the Irish Times studio.
Later in the show his panto co-star Dustin the Turkey makes an unexpected entrance.
Freezin' - The Story of the Snow Queen is on at The Olympia Theatre from Friday 18th December 2015 to Sunday 10th January 2016.
One year on, Father Peter McVerry returns to Roísín Meets to report on the escalating homelessness crisis.
Derry Clarke has been in the restaurant business for three decades. His restaurant l'Ecrivain has seen boom times and recessions come and go and all things in the business change, from the food to the diners' clothing, from the era of the long business lunch to the scourge of smartphone use at the table.
He has also had his share of tragedy and sadness. On today's podcast he tells Roísín his story of survival over the years.
LauraLynn Children’s Hospice is named for the two daughters of its founder, Jane McKenna. Laura (4) died of a heart defect. Her older sister Lynn (15) developed leukemia while Laura was in hospital and died less than two years later.
On this week’s podcast, Jane talks about the memory of her late daughters, dealing with grief, and how she set up LauraLynn to provide Ireland’s only dedicated palliative care service for children.
Activist Grainne Healy was one of the leaders of the Yes Equality campaign, and along with Brian Sheehan and Noel Whelan she has written a book about what went on behind the scenes.
She explains the book's purpose, and how she came to be so intimately involved with the historic marriage equality movement.
Ireland Says Yes: The Inside Story of How the Vote for Marriage Equality was Won is available now.
Joe Duffy's three year trawl through census records and archives has resulted in a book, The Children of The Rising, that tells the untold story of the forgotten young victims of the 1916 rebellion. On this week's podcast the veteran broadcaster describes how researching the book became a “total obsession”
He also talks about his early life, getting into Trinity and how he almost turned down the chance to work with Gay Byrne .
Children of the Rising: The untold story of the young lives lost during Easter 1916 is available now
Author Cathy Kelly is one of a number of Irish women whose literary output ensures we punch above our weigh on global bestseller lists. But there's no rivalry between herself, Marian, Cecelia and the rest, she insists - the problem is with people who dismiss their kind of writing.
Still on a high from watching Ireland beat Germany at the Aviva, actor and comedian Deirdre O'Kane dropped in to The Irish Times studio to tell Roísín about her starring role in Fiona Loony's new play Are you there Garth? It's me Margaret.
After that she opens up about her career choices, trying to crack London as an actor and the isolation of being a standup comedian.
Are you there Garth? It's me Margaret is running from 13th – 25th October 2015 at The Gaiety Theatre.
This week Roísín meets radio presenter and Newstalk author Seán Moncrieff, whose new book The Irish Paradox looks at the nature of Irishness. The paradox, he says, is that we can hold two contradictory views simultaneously and believe both of them.
Sean tells Roísín about his transplantation from England to Ireland at the age of 12 and how that might put him in the right place to examine Irishness. He also explains why Ireland must be the worst country on earth to conduct an extramarital affair.
The Irish Paradox: How and Why We are Such a Contradictory People is published by Gill and Macmillan.
On this week's podcast Roísín meets Mary Coughlan, a singer who "emotes, purges, atones, reminisces, eulogises and laments". Mary tells Roísín about her urge to go and help the refugees on Europe's borders, her own sometimes painful life story, taking part in something called a "F**k it Retreat" and recording a new album.
"Truth is very powerful... there's a great freedom in being truthful about everything".
Mary's new album "Scars on the Calendar" is available now.
Upcoming shows:
October 2nd: Sirius Arts Centre, Cobh 8.00pm Octboer 9th: Purty Ktichen, Monkstown, Dublin 8.00pm
Laurence and Ian are best known from their roles as Elmo and Deano in RTÉ's hit drama Love/Hate. But that's behind them now and they are buzzing after last night's opening of The Night Alive, the "very dark and very funny" play in which they both star.
In this roller-coaster interview, Laurence talks about his tough upbringing, Ian relives his Game of Thrones bit-part and the possibility of another season of Love/Hate is debated.
The Night Alive runs from 22 September - 4 October at The Gaiety Theatre.
To mark the beginning of the Rugby World Cup, Roísín welcomes former All Black and popular rugby pundit Brent Pope. As he is one of Ireland's most well known immigrants and someone who has been outspoken about his mental health problems, it should be no surprise that Brent is interested in something called "outsider art" and is even hosting an upcoming RTÉ series to showcase some of Ireland's outsider artists.
"Some people call it naive art, other people call it brute art. I like art that's uncooked by culture" explains Brent. "Nobody else apart from them and their families have ever seen it."
Brent also tells Roísín about his difficulties with anxiety and lack of confidence and how he has come to terms with his mental health problems. "People need to know out there that despite people being out and about in public, they can still hurt" he says.
And not forgetting about rugby, he gives his predictions for Joe Schmidt and Ireland's chances.
To further mark the start of the Rugby World Cup, Paul Howard aka Ross O'Carroll Kelly pops into the studio with information about an Irish Times Roísín Meets competition to win a case of special limited-edition Ross O'Carroll Kelly Heineken bottles.
Follow the link below to enter the competition. Entrants must be over 18 years of age!
http://www.irishtimes.com/competitions/ross-and-roisin
As a young boy Ringu Tulku Rinpoche, along with his family, fled Tibet. Tied to his horse so he wouldn't fall off when he slept, he made it to India. Today, 60 years later, he is a regular visitor to Ireland, teaching Buddhism and meditation.
He tells Roísín about his unusual life and times, his friendship with the Dalai Lama, the 'strange and special' belief in reincarnation and why he refers to himself as 'the lazy lama'.
The recent visit of Ringu Tulku Rinpoche to Dublin was organised by Bodhicharya Ireland (http://bodhicharyaireland.blogspot.ie), the Irish arm of Bodhicharya International(http://bodhicharya.org/), a not-for-profit educational and cultural association. The organisation is raising funds for the Rigul Trust Fund to assist those affected by the recent earthquakes in Nepal. To find out more, or to donate, go to http://www.rigultrust.org/.
Further information about Ringu Tulku Rinpoche is available: http://bodhicharya.org/ringu-tulku/.
This week Roísín welcomes back Niall Breslin, Bressie to most of us, whose new book Me and My Mate Jeffrey has just been released. In the book, an excerpt of which you can read in The Irish Times today, he explains his problems with anxiety, panic attacks and self-harming and the steps he took to overcome them.
For the final installment of Music Month Roísín is joined by Liam Ó Maonlaí of Hot House Flowers. Wielding his whistle and a bodhrán, Liam performs four songs. He also tells Roísín how he's only just beginning to grow up .
Setlist: Siobhan ni Dhuibhir Big Fat Heart Don't Go Amhrán na Féidearthachtaí
You can catch Hothouse Flowers live:
Friday, 28 August at Páidí Ó Sé's Pub in Ventry, Co. Kerry,
Saturday, 12 September at Iur Cinn Fleadh Festival, Newry,
Friday, 18 September at Monroe’s, Dominick St, Galway.
Seo Linn are Stiofán, Keith, Daithí, Cathal, Kevin and Conor. These five young men are passionate about the Irish language, music and education. They've combined these passions in Seo Linn. Through their spirited Irish-language interpretations of popular music they want to bring music as gaeilge to classrooms, workshops and festivals (they'll be on the Oxfam stage at Electric Picnic next month).
The whole band crammed into The Irish Times' rather small studio to record three songs. In between, Stiofan and Keith chat with Roísín about the Seo Linn project.
Stiofán Ó Fearail: Glór/ giotár Keith Ó Briain: Glór/ giotár/ djembe Daithí Ó Ruaidh: Glór/ méarchlár/ sintéiseoir/ maindilín Cathal Ó Ruaidh: Giotár dord/ cúlghlór Kevin Shortall: Bosca ceoil/ bodhrán/ cúlghlór Conor Moore: Drumaí/ cúlghlór
seolinn.com/
Music Month continues with singer-songwriter Sinéad White. She's performed at Knockanstockan, Longitude and Electric Picnic and has been described as 'a rising talent on the Irish music scene' by music blogger Nialler9.
You can catch Sinéad live at Electric Picnic, where she'll perform at midnight on Saturday on the Oxfam stage in association with Abner Brown's Barbershop.
Her debut album 'Finally' was released in May.
Music Month continues with Sue Rynhart, a singer-songwriter with an ethereal voice, backed by Dan Bodwell on the double bass.
Praise for Crossings, Sue's debut album:
“An excellent Irish album from a rare talent.” – John Kelly, RTÉ
“Full of striking songs and vivid ideas” – Jim Carroll, The Irish Times
“Rynhart's excellent debut release” ****- Cormac Larkin, The Irish Times
“Music unclassifiable really, perhaps coming out of the jazz tradition with nods to improv and the experimental” – Bernard Clarke, Nova, RTÉ lyric fm
August is Music Month on Roísín Meets, and to kick it off Roísin met Ron Sexsmith, the veteran Canadian singer-songwriter. He tells Roísín about his life, work and influences, and performs songs from his back catalogue and his new album Carousel One which is available now.
This week Roísín meets actor and writer Kate Beaufoy, best known to many for her turns in Bracken and Glenroe as Terry, and to others as the voice of Ulster Bank, Eircom and Pantene. She recalls how her storylines in Glenroe brought her some dirty looks, and how she launched her writing career. She also talks about her new novel Another Heartbeat in the House.
This week Roísín meets Niamh Ní Dhomhnaill, whose ex-boyfriend was convicted of raping her in her sleep. His fully suspended sentence was widely regarded as lenient. Niamh tells Roísín the story of her relationship with Magnus Meyer Hustveit, how she learned of his crimes and the difficulties of pursuing a prosecution. She also tells how the response to her story has been empowering.
This week Roísín is joined by the singer and actor Maria Doyle Kennedy, who shares her approach to her art, two new tracks, and the tale of a clever ruse her husband used to get her attention at the start of their relationship.
This week Roísín meets and greets author, academic and noted feminist Emer O'Toole. They discuss how Emer has strived to shrug off some of the world'd expectations of her as a woman, and how the world has responded. They also discuss the many slang terms for breasts.
To mark the Dublin Pride Parade, Roísín meets prominent gay rights campaigners Senator Katherine Zappone and Ann Louise Gilligan to talk about life after the Yes Equality campaign, their role in the gay rights movement, and Katherine's decision to run for a Dáil seat. They also have some advice for older gay people.
Actor Gabriel Byrne is a contributor to a new book published by The Hospice Foundation that celebrates the relationship between fathers and sons. On this week's podcast he speaks about how his own father struggled with social and economic changes in his lifetime, and the personal experiences behind his support for the hospice movement. He also refuses to back away from his controversial remarks on The Gathering, and worries about his daughter becoming an actor.
In honour of festival season Roísín welcomes Body & Soul founder Avril Stanley to talk about her long and storied career in putting on memorable events, from 300 people in Yosemite National Park to the 10,000 attending the sixth year of Body & Soul at Ballinlough Castle next weekend.
She also welcomes journalist and blogger Louise Bruton, who campaigns for better wheelchair access in public spaces. She rates Body & Soul highly for accessibility and together with Avril has come up with some solutions to make festivals less hostile places for wheelchair users. Now all they need is some nice weather.
This week Roísín meets novelist Marian Keyes, whose latest novel The Woman Who Stole My Life is at the top of the UK bestsellers chart. They talk about being grateful in life, trying and discarding self-help techniques, and Marian's obsession with upcycling furniture. It's all about the knobs, apparently.
Marian also reveals some information about two upcoming books.
This week Roísín meets devout twin sisters Gemma and Triona King on the occasion of their 60th birthday. Gemma and Triona, or G&T as they are sometimes known, are consecrated virgins. They tell Roísín about what led them to that decision, the intensity of their twin bond, and what they have made of the challenges to the Catholic Church in recent years.
On this week's show Roisin meets Tal Ben-Shahar to talk about that most elusive of states: happiness. Along with his colleague Daniel Philbin Bowman, Tal tells Roisin about his lifelong investigation into the attainment of a positive mental state, and the simple things that people can do to be more content.
Tal Ben-Shahar is a Harvard lecturer in positive psychology, an author of several books on happiness and the founder of Potentilife, a 9-month leadership development program.
This week Roísín meets the legendary American singer-songwriter Don McLean. He tells her how he was at odds with his family over his choice of career, how the success of "American Pie" came with a price, and the problem with modern songwriting.
This week Roisin meets Sinead Burke, who also goes by the alias Minnie Melange when competing in (and winning) the Alternative Miss Ireland contest. Sinead is a primary school teacher, phd student in education and fashion blogger, and in her Extraordinary Women series she has interviewed a series of inspirational people. She tells Roisin about how being a little person has not hindered her life and they discuss whether her unusual height has given her a special understanding of other minorities.
This week Roisin is joined by Richard E Grant for a somewhat unorthodox interview, in which the extremely charming interviewee turns the tables on The Irish Times' answer to Oprah. They discuss the dark and the light in their family histories, Richard's lucky breaks, and his new fragrance Jack which is available now in Browne Thomas.
This week Roisin meets Brian and David, who have been together for 21 years and want to get married. Brian has recently been diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, a "treatable but incurable" form of cancer.
They also talk about what it was like to be gay in Dublin when they met back in "the Jurassic period", and how gay children should be considered too in the debate about family that surrounds the marriage referendum.
This week Roisin meets novelist Julian Gough, who shares the news of his new publishing deal with Picador for his "brilliant, insightful and remarkable" novel for the first time. He tells Roisin about the novel, his life, how the Universe can give you what you need, and that new socks and underwear will be the only extravagances from his new deal.
This week Roisin meets TV presenter Angela Scanlon, fresh from her stint on The Voice. She talks about how she found her way to success and having to harden up along the way. She also explains what a 'bullet-proof coffee' is.
This week Roisin meets PJ Gallagher and Joanne McNally, two comedians with a bond. Both were given up for adoption as babies and reunited with their birth mothers later in life. They've created a show that explores that shared history. They also tell Roisin how their partnership had a rocky start.
This week Roisin meets Paula Hawkins, author of hit bestseller The Girl on the Train. They talk about her rapid rise to success, past life as a writer of romance novels, and growing up in Zimbabwe. Paula also reads an excerpt from The Girl on the Train.
This week Roisin meets Liz O'Donnell to talk about life after politics, using her column as an outlet, and her role at the helm of the Road Safety Authority.
To celebrate St Patrick's weekend, this week's show features new music from Conor O'Brien of Villagers, Lisa Lambe backed by a cappella group the Keynotes, and more from Cerys Matthews.
Cerys Matthews was in town last week to entertain the crowd at the British Embassy on the occasion of St David's Day. Róisín caught up with her there for a chat and recorded her lively performance to share in this podcast.
This week Roisin is joined by Ross O'Carroll-Kelly's creator Paul Howard and the multi-talented Lisa Lambe to talk about about their lives on stage, page and screen.
Róisín meets Lynn Ruane, President-elect of Trinity College. They talk about her upbringing in Tallaght, becoming a mother at 15 and her career in addiction services. Lynn explains why she got angry all over again when she went to University.
This week Róisín meets former politician and novelist Liz McManus to talk about her new novel "A Shadow in the Yard". Liz tells Róisín that she doesn't miss politics, but gives her views on homelessness, abortion rights, gender quotas and the bus pass.
This week Roisin Ingle meets Gay Byrne. They discuss life, gay marriage, Stephen Fry and sex.
This week Roisin meets the legendary Eddi Reader and discusses singing, music careers and change.
This week Roisin meets the author of Run Fat Bitch Run, Get your Shit together and Cut the Crap to discuss life management.
This week Roisin Ingle meets Fr. Peter McVerry and hears about his work with homeless people.
In this week's show Roisin Ingle discusses the practice of mindfulness with Padraig O'Morain.
This week Roisin meets Una Mullally and discusses writing and her new book In the Name of Love.
This week Roisin meets 'Sarah', a young woman who became homeless after suffering from abuse throughout her childhood and addiction as an adult. She speaks of the helplessness and fear she experienced on the streets, and how a charity, Daisyhouse, has helped her to recover and move on.
Daisyhouse is 'a space where homeless women can recover from the trauma of their experience, feel safe and secure and, in time, move forward in their personal development and lives'. It is running a photography exhibition, 'Faces of homelessness', in the Powerscourt Town House until December 13th.
http://daisyhouse.org/
This week Roisin Ingle meets Kate McGrew, the star of Connected, to discuss television, family and sex work.
This week Roisin Ingle meets Rory O'Neill and discusses Panti, family and Pearl Harbour.
This week Roisin meets Tara Flynn and hears about her new book You’re Grand: The Irish Woman’s Secret Guide to Life.
This week Roisin meets Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin and hears about her academic career, Maths and life outside work.
The new Rose of Tralee Maria Walsh talks about her win, her life in Philadelphia and being the first Rose to come out.
This week Róisín meets Eoin Colfer, author of the Artemis Fowl series of children's books. They discuss his new musical comedy show, how hard it was to be a disco fan in Wexford in the 1970s, and his recent appointment as the Children's Laureate.
Roisin Meets is a weekly podcast presented by Roisin Ingle and produced by Sinead O'Shea.
This week Roisin meets Fiona Coghlan, who captained the Irish Women's Rugby World Cup team to victory over the All Blacks. They talk about her life in sport, how rugby didn't appeal at first, and how important it is for kids to be active.
Roisin Meets is a weekly podcast presented by Roisin Ingle and produced by Sinead O'Shea
This week Roisin Ingle meets Kathleen Turner and hears some beautiful songs and about her musical family.
This week Roisin meets Brian Kennedy. They sing songs and talk about Brian's work and life.
For this edition of Music Month Roisin Ingle meets Ashley Tubridy, the 11 year old singer songwriter. Ashley plays some songs and describes where they come from.
This week Roisin meets Maeve Higgins. They discuss comedy, feminism and New York.
Roisin Meets is a weekly podcast presented by Roisin Ingle and produced by Sinead O'Shea.
This week Roisin Ingle meets Claire Byrne. They talk about life changing decisions, family and RTE.
This week Roisin Ingle meets Eleanor Tiernan. They discuss comedy, the civil service and sausages.
Roisin Meets is a weekly podcast presented by Roisin Ingle and produced by Sinead O'Shea.
This week Caitlin Moran meets Roisin Ingle to discuss feminism, growing up and masturbation.
Roisin Meets is a weekly podcast presented by Roisin Ingle and produced by Sinead O'Shea.
This week Róisín meets Kitty Holland and hears about growing up in a well known family, her work as a journalist and her involvement in the Savita case.
This week Roisin meets the incomparable Michael Harding.
Roisin Meets is a weekly podcast presented by Roisin Ingle and produced by Sinead O'Shea
14-06-14
This week Roisin meets Norah Casey. They discuss food - Baked Alaska, the Westport festival and getting to know people.
This week Roisin meets Evanna Lynch. The Termonfeckin native discusses her love for her Harry Potter character Luna Lovegood and her extraordinary journey to make the part her own.
She is joined by her Mum and they chat about the challenges of life now in L.A. and her recent work in the Phillipines for UNICEF.
Roisin Meets is a weekly podcast presented by Roisin Ingle and produced by Sinead O'Shea
In this week's show Róisín meets Anna Nolan the former Big Brother contestant who is now presenting The Great Irish Bake Off.
This week Roisin meets Bressie and hears about his work with mental health issues, his experiences as a Leinster rugby player and musician and his plans for the future.
Roisin Meets is a weekly podcast presented by Roisin Ingle and produced by Sinead O'Shea.
This week Joe O'Connor discusses his writing with Roisin Ingle and shares advice on how best to achieve writing success.
He also talks about his decision to travel to Nicaragua following the death of his mother and his ongoing commitment to music.
Roisin Meets is a weekly podcast presented by Roisin Ingle and produced by Sinead O'Shea.
This week Roisin meets... Gordon D'Arcy.
They chat about his rugby career, his plans for the future and his passion for pilates.
This week Roisin Ingle meets... Rosanna Davison.
They discuss how Rosanna came to win Miss World, her relationship with her father Chris de Burgh and her plans to change how nutrition is viewed in this country.
This week Roisin meets Paul Howard, the man behind Ross O'Carroll Kelly.
They discuss how his working class childhood has informed his writing, his encounters with rugby culture and Blackrock College and his new play Breaking Dad.
Roisin Meets is a weekly podcast presented by Roisin Ingle and produced by Sinead O'Shea
19/04/14
This week Roisin meets Louise McSharry.
Louise has recently replaced Dave Fanning as the evening presenter on 2FM but her journey to radio stardom has been challenging.
At the age of seven Louise was living with her little brother and alcoholic mother in a caravan outside Chicago. She was no longer going to school.
She tells Roisin how she made it out of there.
Róisín Meets is a free weekly Life & Style podcast presented by Róisín Ingle and produced by Sinead O'Shea.
Why not subscribe to the show or downloaded individual episodes via Soundcloud?
This week Roisin Meets Dawn O'Porter.
They discuss Dawn's struggles in Los Angeles and her sadness that the start of her relationship with Chris O'Dowd was overshadowed by that time. Dawn also tells Roisin about her new book Goose and her sense of new found resilience.
Roisin Ingle meets Emma Donogue in this first episode of her new podcast series, Roisin Meets...
In this podcast Roisin hears about Emma's new book Frog Music. Emma explains how she writes while walking on a treadmill and describes the experience of being part of a two mum household.