LOI Central: Recent Episodes
LOI Central
LOICentral is a podcast with opinion, analysis and interviews on all the latest happenings in the League of Ireland, hosted by Johnny Ward & Dan McDonnell
Johnny is on a well earned break this week so Dan holds the fort after another Shamrock Rovers home win in Europe to check in with Conor Kearns and Padraig Amond who give their view on the Hoops before discussing the rollercoaster of emotion they have both endured in 2026. Conor discusses the torment of a long term injury and reflects on his transition from Shels to Dundalk, while Podge tries to put his finger on the factors behind the Graham Coughlan inspired turnaround at the RSC. Dan deals with some James McClean queries in a busy mailbag that deals with the European fallout at a period of the season where a number of clubs appear to have reached a crossroads. As ever, we are pointed in the right direction with thanks to Collar and Cuff, Future Ticketing, Chido and Planify
Dan is back in Ireland and making an unexpected appearance on the pod after a few last minute changes in the wake of another disappointing away day in Europe in Shamrock Rovers. Can they turn it around? That’s just one talking point of a football show which, ironically enough, debates if there is just too much football. Were things better in the old days of basic coffee, clean air and blank Augusts? John Russell must yearn for the era before Kerry FC, one element of a mailbag that touches on betting business, more crowd chat and a brief rundown of the European state of play. All of this in association with our friends at Planify, Collar and Cuff, Future Ticketing and Chido
Cuff, Planify.ie and Rascals while we take you towards the real summer which everyone knows only starts when the leaving cert does!
Cuff, Planify.ie and Future Ticketing. Oh and the big lad from Alkmaar they couldn't remember? That was Wout Wegorst.
Cuff, O’reillys Sportswear and Future Ticketing are firing episode 12 straight into your headphones!
Cuff as well as O'Reilly's Sportswear and Planify.ie! It's episode 11 and it's available now!
It's St Patrick's Night and Dan and Johnny are just two fortysomething dads recording a pod and debating the mechanics of the passing of time. They spend less than a hour of their existence picking over the talking points of the double header with Johnny enthused about his Galway PALS and Dan wondering if Dublin dominance is an inevitable consequence of a season where supposed regional powers are underperforming. We hear a snippet of Derry City's Tiernan Lynch who is struggling to get fans on board but did get a 12th man on the park on Monday. There's birthday shoutouts and Waterford's Blues in a relatively serene mailbag with all this philosophical fun brought to you by our friends at Collar and Cuff, Rascals Brewery, Planify, O'Reilly Sports and Future Ticketing
Cuff, Planify, O'Reilly's Sportswear and Future Ticketing all conspired to help create. It's episode 5 and it's all yours!
Planify and we now have a new partner on our roster with O'Reilly Sports added before the close of the transfer window. If you're with a sports team or club and want to get some new gear for your team then go to oreillysofficial.com and quote JD15 for a special LOI Central discount.
This is not a podcast apparently, its just a preview of the preview show that's coming to you live on Sunday! That's right we're back, and we've a competition for tickets to Sundays show.
Cuff, Future Ticketing, Rascals Brewing and Sport Cosanta. We'll be back with a live show to kick off 2026 in February but in the meantime have a Kool Yule!
Cuff this week where League of Ireland Director Mark Scanlon joined us to reflect on the 2025 season and look ahead to the plans for 2026. In a wide ranging discussion, we discussed fixture lists, financial plans, facilities issues, Foyleside fan issues and some other things that start with f before we eventually got to the league's future within the FAI. We hope the conversation answers some questions you have about the general state of play. Before that, we do have an abridged mailbag with Jack Byrne discussions, Galway United exodus concerns, and reflections on European events both on and off the park. All of this tailored discussion was brought to you in association with our hosts Collar and Cuff and our friends at Future Ticketing, Sport Cosanta and Rascals Brewing
Cuff, Sport Cosanta and next Monday’s live show hosts Rascals Brewing. We have a handful of tickets left but get this week’s trivia question right and you could be joining us. Cue rimshot!
On a week where skeletons are being found lying around all kinds of closets, a squeaky clean Kevin Doherty stops by Oliver Ireland for an international break chat on the highs and lows of 2025 – so far. While hedging his bets on talented non-Drogheda players, he is quite clear about his priorities and ambitions for his current crop of Drogs as well as his plans for a guaranteed Premier Division run again next season. Inside the hand-stitched Collar & Cuff mailbag is a lot of Saint Pat’s disillusionment as Stephen Kenny’s reign comes under scrutiny. There’s the obligatory Damien Duff mention, the overlong intro monologue, and a teaser date for the next live show. It’s all a bit hectic this time of the year and the adrenaline-fuelled banter is brought to you by Future Ticketing, Collar & Cuff, Rascals Brewing(ery) and Sport Cosanta. Oh – and didn’t we mention Cork City are in the cup final?
The finishing line is in sight for everyone apart from Shamrock Rovers and Shelbourne as the closing stretch of the league clashes with the beginning of European league phase excitement. Dan and Johnny convene to discuss a busy week on a variety of fronts; and return to the familiar theme of Shamrock Rovers levels and Shelbourne’s 2024 standards, discussions that might just happen more frequently than Waterford changing managers. Our mailbag listeners do ask us to go there in the search to put respect on names, while there’s also talk of Damien Duff sightings, ungentlemanly transfer speculation and Derry dramas amongst other things. Johnny hears from Cork City’s Seani Maguire ahead of a big weekend for the final four in the FAI Cup. We couldn’t do this without our fab four; Collar & Cuff, Rascals Brewing, Future Ticketing and Sport Cosanta.
The boys are back in Oliver Ireland for a quickfire review of a double header that could prove very significant come the end of the season. Johnny has Galway’s woes on the mind, while Dan debates the potential legacy of this Shamrock Rovers side before we hear from Andrew Quinn and Joey O’Brien about another Drogheda v Shelbourne meeting where possession equals defeat. On top of that, we’ve got a mailbag searching for new words on Mason Melia, some worries about Waterford’s slump and a call for European predictions that the lads skilfully manage to swerve before Dan changes course with a big call for 2026. All of these definitive guesses are brought to you in association with Future Ticketing, Collar & Cuff, Sport Cosanta and Rascals Brewing.
We are back after an international break to forget and savouring a weekend to remember in the FAI Cup unless you happen to be from Connacht. Kerry FC's heroic exploits take top billing, but there's a heavy Sligo Rovers angle to that drama too while Johnny was down at Richmond Park to hear from Kian Leavy and John Caulfield after St Patrick's Athletic got the better of Galway. Dan details a dramatic night in Drogheda and there's a bit of Derry chat too in a crowded mailbag that includes TV statistics, Israel, the DUP and why the difficult child has become the FAI's favourite distraction. In a week of 4-3 wins, we remain grateful to our four sponsors who make this happen consistently - our friends at Future Ticketing, Rascals Brewing, Collar & Cuff and Sport Cosanta
It was a week of mixed emotions for everyone involved in Irish football with news of Ollie Horgan's final farewell coming through ahead of a historic ‘going electric’ night on the pitch for Shamrock Rovers and Shelbourne. We try and cover both bases here with Dave Webster joining to offer his reflections on the joy of working with the late, great Galwegian with Ollie also coming up in the course of Johnny's chat with Stephen Bradley about another landmark achievement for the Hoops. In addition to that, there's saunas in Saints territory, the perils of football addiction, Celje throwbacks, and a come and get me plea to Dubai property buyers. All of this above board fun is brought to you in association with Future Ticketing, Collar & Cuff, Sport Cosanta & Rascals Brewing. Safe travels Mister Horgan.
The lads take stock as Shelbourne and Shamrock Rovers are both tantalisingly close to group stage football after a quite incredible night on Thursday. Dan relays his trip to the Azores, where some locals were more interested in the staff in the chip van than whether the Rovers performance was different gravy to other LOI wins in Europe. The lads discuss that point but there is no debate around the emotional moment of the week. We're recording from JW's apartment for sale, but his last cup of tea in the old place is about as satisfying as the pitch in Drogheda, while he's alarmed at Galway's squad disintegrating in the off-season. Dan discusses the joys of a global transfer story, with the size of Victor Ozhianvuna's fee just one of the discussions arising from a crowded mailbag which includes something even more precious than the sweet taste of a jaffa cake - an actual quote from a referee! All of this and more is brought to you with our friends at Collar & Cuff, Sport Cosanta, Future Ticketing & Rascals Brewing
Our LOI family full of eccentrics is back this week, a little hoarse ten years on from a fine day involving a horse. Did Oasis hit the FAI Cup crowds? Did the Mrs. Browns Bohs fans at Oasis even know they were out of the FAI Cup? Is Liam Gallagher really just a poor man's Sean Malee? The lads butt heads on this and more before we hand the mic over to another forthright front man with Patrick Hoban dialling in to discuss the miserable end to his time at Derry and what the club needs to do to graduate from supporting act to headline artist. There's also a packed mailbag with Rory Gaffney love, the return of Dalymount doom, a five a side angle with a twist and at least one reference to Alphaville. May we stay Forever Young with the help of Rascals Brewing, Collar & Cuff, Sport Cosanta and Future Ticketing. Say it loud and sing it proud today.
It’s a two part show this week as Johnny and Dan kicks things off on location in Tolka Park, picking through the bones of a near miss for Shelbourne that sends them to the European last chance saloon. After the Shels wrap, we go back in time to Oliver Ireland for a catch-up with Conan Byrne that – amongst other things – touches on the pros and cons of punditry and coaching as he embraces a new football life. We also hear about his follow-up meeting with Patrick McEleney after THAT dive in Derry, a topical segue into a mailbag dominated by refereeing rage with a side of VAR that turned out to be a window into the very near future. Throw in another game of Bohs jersey watch, a bad Brandywell bet and an unexpected war on winking and it’s another packed show with thanks to our never late and always great friends from Rascals Brewing, Collar & Cuff, Sport Cosanta and Future Ticketing. Hopefully this isn’t a waste of your time..
It’s another remote session this week with the lads rattling through the talking points of the week and some discussion starters that have very little to do with anything from the last seven days. Can Shels, Pat’s and Shamrock Rovers extend their European adventures? What’s the story with the way Dan says Lithuania? Have European competitions become too bloated? What’s the right way to say protagonist? You can decide what the important questions are but we do look forward to more UEFA sanctioned fun – with some words over Zoom from Joey O’Brien and the nodding Evan Caffrey – before deciding that the race for Europe 2026 is going to dominate the rest of this league campaign. Our mailbag covers Drogheda delays, ticket price theories, and one listener’s exhaustive jersey search at All Together Now. All of this stopstart fun is brought to you in association with Sport Cosanta, Future Ticketing, Collar & Cuff and Rascals Brewing
We are back in Oliver Ireland this week, with the steady hands of Barry Murphy adding depth to our conversation. European matters take second billing behind a dramatic Friday night that has left a legacy of regret and recriminations. Cork City’s demise is analysed and there’s a bit of Galway United stress too before a packed mailbag is dominated by fraught events in Derry that raise big questions about the operations at the Brandywell. There’s also late transfer deals, Barry’s audacious Oasis-Dublin Marathon swap plans, recurring players to watch and an ode to the joys of Leisureland. We’re available on more than two channels and we wouldn’t be going for gold without the help of Future Ticketing, Collar & Cuff, Sport Cosanta and Rascals Brewing.
We’ve reached that glorious point of the year where the evidence of one tie makes us experts on the levels of teams from Lithuania, Azerbaijan and wherever else the European dice rolls. Chris Shields wasn’t guessing about Shelbourne when the Champions League set up a cross border clash and the Linfield midfielder dials in to give us his reflections and regrets before a bit of general LOI chat. The cup didn’t do a huge amount to float our boat this week, although Dan was still flagged for pirating offences, a prelude to a mailbag with more Cork based concerns, crisp dilemmas, and the return of the Oriel Park pitch review. Thanks as ever to Future Ticketing, Collar & Cuff, Sport Cosanta and Rascals Brewing for keeping our ship afloat.
Johnny is out of the building this week but we’ve got solid foundations visiting Oliver Ireland absence with a representative from the construction industry and an architect – neither of whom identify as ex-footballers. Paddy Kavanagh and Dave McMillan do have experience of several of the themes we discuss this week; confident attackers, the psychology of European ties and the ingredients that are needed to challenge for a title. We talk Bohs form, Sligo Rovers v Derry implications and the second leg task facing Shelbourne and St Patrick’s Athletic before there’s a slight diversion towards angry Falkirk fans and Florent Malouda’s Turkish entourage. Thanks to Collar & Cuff, Future Ticketing, Rascals Brewing and Sport Cosanta for keeping the show on the road. If you’re ever struggling to do the same, Dan can recommend a fella in Clontarf…
European football is here, a chance to learn about new teams, unknown players and exotic places. And then there’s Shelbourne v Linfield. The first section of this show is taken up by discussion of Wednesday night with a bit of Mark Coyle, Joey O’Brien and David Healy audio thrown in. Have Linfield staff attended more FAI Cup finals than your average Irish tourist in Cambrils? This week’s show might just provide the answer. We also discuss St Pat’s, the Streisand effect and the goal return in Inchicore being similar to the alcohol content in Johnny’s beverages of choice. In a crowded mailbag, we have a bit of podcast to podcast action, Dermot Usher analysis, the inevitable Derry City title race discussion and much more besides. All of this 24 hour partying is brought to you in association with Rascals Brewing, Collar & Cuff, Future Ticketing and Sport Cosanta.
Won’t somebody think of the football? After a day dominated by the latest Bohs jersey launch and another famous face performing an acting masterclass at the Cross, Dan and Johnny try to merge Tuesday’s box office activity with the oft forgotten events on the pitch. This wide-ranging session brings us from Oasis to Odubeko, and from Keane to Keena while there’s also enough there for the obsessives – be they journalists or non-Shels fans – who can still hear the sound of Duff. We hear from Joey O’Brien about a relationship that will live forever, while John Caulfield tells us the story behind Moses relocating half the world away and the lads also analyse the reasons behind Douglas James Taylor just yesterday morning letting Drogheda know he was gone. All these shoehorned song lyrics are brought to you in association with our friends at Sport Cosanta, Collar and Cuff, Future Ticketing and Rascals Brewing. Lame jokes? Yes but, by now, you should have somehow realised what we were going to do.
We've had a double header in both divisions since our last show but there's only discussion point on the agenda today; what about those goalscoring Lomboto brothers? They have their own God but our main talking point, naturally enough, is how the League of Ireland will cope without its sometime messiah Damien Duff, who interrupted the regular Sunday service to make a shocking exit to a Simply Red tune. We'll hear bits from his last press conference before pondering the chain of events that few saw coming - not even from the grassy knoll. It's not just a Duff show - contrary to predictions - as there's a bit of Bohs brilliance, and Alan Reynolds talking about a return from the dead over Easter that appears to be attracting a growing number of devotees. Johnny took his microphone to Inchicore to catch the thoughts of an under-pressure Stephen Kenny and also hear a few words from Derry's Tiernan Lynch and Liam Boyce. We also have pizza tales from Ballybofey, Hurley as Moleman, missed messages, the context to crazy scenes in Cork and Moses stepping out of line. Your weekly sermon of football opinions interspersed with Simpsons, Father Ted and Only Fools and Horses references comes to you in association with Rascals Brewing, Sport Cosanta, Future Ticketing & Collar & Cuff, all of whom will be back next week, but Damien won’t, or will he?
We are back in Oliver’s offices to discuss a week that delivered an unwelcome twist for Drogheda United with the excitement of the European draws leaving the Boynesiders with a bitter aftertaste. Dan gives the lowdown on the story in a crowded mailbag that also features the content king that always delivers - an outraged Damien Duff. We talk dressing room songs, tinfoil hats, relentless Rovers and much more before we dial up our old pal Ruaidhri Higgins who discusses life in Coleraine, scotches a ‘lazy’ transfer rumour and then gives us the rundown on Shels v Linfield before we finish the show with the Grok/Athlone/Ulysses mash up that nobody wanted. This beefy effort is brought to you in association with Collar & Cuff, Rascals Brewing, Future Ticketing & Sport Cosanta.
AS most of the League of Ireland heads for the departure lounge, our co-hosts are back via arrivals to take their regular perch in Oliver Ireland for our mid-season review. We make it there with the help of a stopover on the turbulence of media relations in a small world, before ascending to broader discussions around Josh Honohan’s public feedback, the beauty of Galway’s defensive formations and Seani Maguire speculating on how far Cathal O’Sullivan can go. This is interspersed with general musings about the futility of our existence, the reasons in favour of a mid-season break, the absence of granny killers in the league, and a Crowded House diversion that is nothing to do with stadium capacities and everything to do with the pre-professionalism haze of the Viper Room sometime in the 2000s. Confused? Soon, we’ll all be asking what the Grok is going on. There’s nothing artificial about the support we receive from Collar & Cuff, Sport Cosanta, Rascals Brewery and Future Ticketing that makes it all happen.
Episode 16 took all the patience of Collar & Cuff, Future Ticketing, Sports Cosanta and Rascals Brewery to make it to the finish line. Recorded over two nights due to rural broadband shenanigans we eventually got Conan Noonan, on loan at Waterford from Shamrock Rovers, and Johnny Kenny, who was on loan at Shamrock Rovers from Celtic last season, into a virtual room to meander upon girlie haircuts, the Kennedy Cup, and their bullish future ambitions. They go back nearly a decade in terms of interaction and our guest co-host Graham Gartland has the Zelig like qualities of being a gym buddy and a quiz question this week. There's a usual stuffed mailbag, a whirlwind look at the state of the table and do we all agree the title race is over? Tune in for a great episode and apologies for the sound quality, we were up against it!
There’s a faint whiff of chaos (and maybe vomit) in the air at Oliver this week, as the usual anchor is missing and the reins are handed over to Johnny and special guest Garry Doyle — manager of the SFAI Under-14 Cup champions. Together, the lads in hats stumble cheerfully through a maze of partitionist football nostalgia, Stephen Kenny-induced anxiety, grassy knolls, lawnmowers, the Rovers revival, and the age-old question: is the league actually done and dusted?The mailbag is in fine form too, curated by Johnny, Garry, and everyone’s favourite ball-playing centre-half — St. Mochta’s Director of Football, Colin Hawkins — who drops in to throw his lot in with your hot takes from the past week.It’s chaotic. It’s passionate. It’s an hour of football chat that runs the full emotional spectrum.Brought to you by Collar and Cuff, Sport Cosanta, Rascals Brewery, and Future Ticketing — this is Episode 15, and it’s not one to miss. Buckle up.
The boys are back in Oliver, alive and croaking in Dan’s case, to pick through the bones of another dramatic League of Ireland week. It’s Moose’s world and we are all just living in it. Why do people relate to his story? How talented is his bum? And what does this all mean for Jimmy Keohane? Johnny has been battling with his airpods to get on the interview circuit, bringing back a chat with Colin Healy who – like Tim Clancy – is a former manager of Cork City. We discuss Clancy’s departure and what it says about where the club is. Johnny also speaks to Moses Dyer; we sincerely hope that the wife-to-be of Galway United’s Kiwi striker is not a regular listener. All of our marital advice masquerading as football chat is brought to you in association with Collar & Cuff, Rascals Brewing, Future Ticketing and Sport Cosanta.
After another double header of what ifs and if onlys, the lads convene to try and make sense of it all. We go from a rear of the year update to allegations of crawling up the backside of a prominent manager as we analyse Damien Duff's woes, the unexpected spat with the omnipresent Stephen Bradley and the aborted Aviva experiment. There's Galway recriminations, another happy week on the Bohsometer, some old and young men to watch and and another unfortunate bout of accidental blasphemy. We then go north to Derry to listen to Mark Connolly explaining why a bit of team bonding helped a season that was in danger of going south. All of this sanctioned fun is brought to you in association with our friends at Collar & Cuff, Rascals Brewing, Sport Cosanta and Future Ticketing.
It's another socially distanced production this week, and Bohs fans are partying like it's 2021 as they bask in the glory of an unexpected sequence of victories. In a jam packed show brought to you by our friends at Rascals, Collar & Cuff, Sport Cosanta and Future Ticketing, we reflect on a dramatic night in Dalymount, a testy affair in Tallaght and ask what goals from the prophet Moses can do for Galway. Another crowded mailbag brings the lads down a road of Reynolds revisionism, media-manager relationships, underage potential, selective best elevens and astute if anonymous Athlone analysis. Dan just didn't realise that the road would end with Johnny setting an unusual Shelbourne selfie challenge before confirming that if Galway can't do the business at the top, they'll always have Jimmy Keohane's bottom. Confused? This episode might just make sense of it all.
We almost needed 90 minutes to get through a weekend where every club played 180 minutes in a league that is going the full 360 in terms of storylines. Since our last show, we’ve had several open letters, one managerial departure, two injury time goals for the ages and the death of a pontiff. And that’s before we even get to Marc Canham. We eventually manage to do that after hearing a little bit of John Caulfield and Damien Duff and more about the Galway United old lads Whatsapp group. There’s a bit of Mauro Picotto, the mandatory Father Ted nostalgia, a Jeff Bezos tribute in Drogheda and Louth being very proud. Throw in Johnny’s fine dining update and speculation about a managerial party that will never happen and this Future Ticketing, Sport Cosanta, Collar & Cuff and Rascals Brewing sponsored bonanza might just qualify for the good 15pc that makes the other 85pc of life worth it.
There’s a western flavour to this week’s show with the on duty Alan Keane dialling in to discuss the contrasting fortunes of Galway United and Sligo Rovers as the league table begins to take shape. We hear from Tim Clancy about why Cork City’s season has gone south, ruminate what Liam Boyce’s indiscipline says about issues up north before heading across the sea to discuss Dan’s analysis of Packie Bonner. Stephen Bradley hails Jack Byrne’s apparent rebirth before the lads discuss the apparent healing powers of Kevin Doherty’s Holy Springs where the price of redemption is sometimes as much as €10 per ball. If that doesn’t make sense now, it might do by the time you listen to this weekly catch up sponsored by our friends at Rascals Brewing, Collar & Cuff, Sport Cosanta and Future Ticketing. Listen quickly before John Delaney turns up for the publicity photo.
Paul Doolin and James Keddy have shared plenty of long car journeys in their time and, after several false starts, we finally convinced them to reunite in Oliver Marketing. They were team-mates at Derry City and Shelbourne before switching to a player-manager dynamic when James worked under Paul at Drogheda. We mull over whether Paul was ahead of his time, and if he was always angry or just misunderstood while James talks about his future managerial ambitions as he reflects on his time at Wexford. Before that we’ve a packed mailbag with all of the usual tit-for-tat with 10 v 12 team league, Waterford woe, Darragh Markey’s tigerish slippers and the joy of a stand behind the goal all featuring. It’s a pod that could have been sponsored by Friends Reunited but we instead thank Collar & Cuff, Rascals Brewing, Sport Cosanta and Future Ticketing
The sun has returned and the mood has definitely lightened in Oliver Marketing as the lads finally agree on something. No April Fools on this weeks show as we delve into a monster mailbag to dissect the goings on at Dalymount, VAR light versus VAR la carte, and of course for the week that’s in it..The Galway Oul Lads club. There’s a quick interview with John Russell, some commentary gold, WW2 and WWW, Cork City cogging, Coffee Angels and Devils, and isn’t Kevin Doherty terribly nice? This fun-filled 71 minutes of sunshine is brought to you by the good people at Future Ticketing, Sport Cosanta, Rascals Brewery and the double-stitched reinforced Collar and Cuff mailbag, and like the insecure boyfriend we still can’t believe we’re doing this!
The boys are back in Oliver Marketing for a combination of a discussion of Dan's week on the road and a stranger trip down memory lane. A reflective mailbag brings us back to Plovdiv in addition to spawning memories of a different time, an era of late night love letters on Galway Bay FM long before Johnny was whispering sweet nothings as a co-commentator watching his beloved Bohs and Galway. There's also a bit of chalice work, parental compassion, the hooligan collection box, the AI man makes another cameo, an unexpected diversion to Jordan and even some football conversation with Dan playing a small portion of Marc Canham's academy update. Is he the Chosen One? And why is it even pronounced that way? All of this senseless chatter is brought to you in association with our friends at Rascals Brewery, Collar & Cuff, Future Ticketing & the immaculately pronounced Sport Cosanta
With the Premier Division on a hiatus, Dan is in Bulgaria for an international break that is unlikely to live for long in the memory and the first part of this show centres in on the changing dynamics and relationships within Irish football. Where does the balance of power lie? Are we really headed for a civil war? And who is fighting who? Jonathan Corbett is a topical guest in that context, with the long serving Galway United director – who is stepping back from his front line role – speaking with Johnny about the lie of an ever changing land. Another crowded mailbag takes us in different directions with familiar Bohs angst, pitch discussions, upmarket dressing room eavesdropping and an unlikely Conan Byrne/JP McManus comparison on the agenda. With thanks to Rascals Brewing, Collar & Cuff, Future Ticketing and Sport Cosanta, here’s your weekly fix.
There’s a few equine analogies this week as Johnny checks in en route to England to talk about the only race that really matters in his mind – the title race. We discuss the exploits of the Drog whisperer Kevin Doherty, working his magic to consistently shock the blue bloods, before paying tribute to the weekend’s mane man Colm Whelan before galloping through a crowded mailbag that includes athletics and attendance trivia and questions around why Shamrock Rovers turned bodies away when there was room at the inn. After all this Collar and Cuff, Rascals Brewing, Sport Cosanta and Future Ticketing sponsored fun, we take a virtual trip south to check in on Kerry FC’s Conor McCarthy, the novice looking to develop into a thoroughbred manager. Have we flogged this horse enough? Let’s just hope it’s dead and not diving.
After another fantastic Friday, we had a manic Monday and the lads try to rattle through a crowded agenda of talking points. Is Alan Reynolds in bother? Is there a line referees should not cross? Is Derry City's strategy doomed to failure? Is it time for the annual 'are Shamrock Rovers out of the title race' chat? Is Captain Birdseye to blame for the LOITV debacle? There's all that and more in hastily assembled fun brought to you in association with Future Ticketing, Sport Cosanta, Collar & Cuff and Rascals Brewing
We’ve a busy show this week, with our mailbag more flooded than Tallaght Stadium as we pore over the conspiracy theories, stadium rankings, and all the other events of the past seven days. Barry Murphy, drops by to discuss Ed McGinty’s leaky European efforts and to a cast a broader eye over the main elements fuelling the start of a season where defences have been exposed to pressure from teams attacking on two fronts. The lads also hail Galway for subjecting Stephen Kenny’s Saints to a stormy trip west and ruminate on the winds of change that are accompanying the League of Ireland’s new popularity, even though Barry retains fond memories of his early Hooped days in the darkness. All of this weather beaten fun is brought to you outside of the mainstream media but in association with Future Ticketing, Rascals Brewing, Sport Cosanta and Collar & Cuff, and remember it’s still early in the season!
To mark the return of your 90 minute weekly fix, we’ve got a pod of that same length, and the main reason is the leftovers from our live show chat with Eoin Doyle and Dave Webster, a colourful pair of cousins with a few stories to tell. Before all of that, we pick through one of the most interesting weeks in League of Ireland history with the help of a heaving mailbag as we discuss the Bohs-Rovers experiment, young Michael in Molde, the not so bright Friday night lights in Tolka, the pros and cons of the Virgin deal, Bradley's beef with Heimir and more. Like the LOITV app, we’ll be hoping for something closer to normal service next week, powered by the support of Collar & Cuff, Rascals, Future Ticketing and Sport Cosanta.
WE are back. The League of Ireland kicks off this week, but we’ve already got a competitive appearance under our belt after our big season preview at Rascals on Sunday. A packed mailbag was condensed for a studio audience as we discussed the talking points of an eventful winter before welcoming Ruaidhri Higgins to look back on his Derry City lessons before looking forward to the campaign ahead with the benefit of his informed knowledge. There’s title predictions, transfer revelations (the Mousset secret agent is unmasked) pitch battles and much more. All with the help of Rascals, Collar & Cuff, Lily’s Childcare & Future Ticketing.
It's Christmas! And before you count down to seeing what Santa has left under the tree, you need to check for free range pork under your car. All of this will make sense if you listen to our special show recorded at Oliver Marketing as the lads convene to discuss the events of the last four weeks and look ahead to the possibilities of the next 12 months. There's Vienna tales and images of idyllic December evenings as the lads talk Rovers in Europe, manager speculation, transfer rumours, senseless Aviva gripes and much more besides before we dig into our hamper and pull out the best bits from our chat with the lesser seen Mark Quigley and the often heard Keith Ward from our live show. It's a good combination on and off the pitch. That's our cue to hop in a San Sebastian sidecar and head off into the festive haze, all with thanks to our friends at Rascals Brewing, Future Ticketing, Collar & Cuff, Toir Performance and Lily's Childcare. See you in the 2025.
We are nearing the end of another season in the Oliver Marketing building and start this week’s show with a burning question - have Drogheda United recovered from their cup final hangover quicker than Johnny? We reflect on a final packed with storylines and debate what the result says about the respective protagonists and there’s a bit of Kevin Doherty and Ruaidhri Higgins audio too. Beyond that we’ve a packed mailbag discussing cup final crowds, transfer speculation and budget business as our ageing co-hosts fondly recall the innocent days of internet cafes, hybrid barber shops and Matlock! For the 40th time this season, we, unlike Gemma O'Doherty, are shouting out from the rooftops to our sponsors Collar & Cuff, Rascals, Future Ticketing, Lily’s Childcare and our new friends at Toir Performance. We’ll be back before Christmas with our Santa lists on a three and a half inch floppy disk!
It's Episode 39 and it was live. If you missed out on our Monday night in Rascals, this pod will give you a flavour of the best bits. Like the title race, there was twists and turns in putting our show together and Shelbourne's dramatic success in Derry was the catalyst for a weekend of tracing down prospective guests. We left it late but Sean Boyd answered the SOS to join live show staple Keith Ward on stage to tell us about Mourinho messages, Duff magic and much more with the help of some underrated Shels friends in the audience. Then we give the floor to a pair of pals from Ringsend with prolific title winner Sean Gannon and his injured mate Daniel Kelly opening up on their shared background, Dundalk days and the radically different end to the season for their respective employers. All of this revelry wouldn't have been possible without our friends at Collar & Cuff, Future Ticketing, Toir Performance, Lily's Childcare and our friends at Rascals. Nothing beats being there but hopefully this pod is an enjoyable second best.
Here we go! There's touts in Inchicore as the title race, our beloved title race has its Joey Tempest mullet stapled on as it faces the camera in leather pants. Yes, episode 38 is our ‘Final Countdown", as we prepare to rock Friday night with the boys pouring over the angles that could decide the destination. Can Shels hold their nerve? Will Rovers steamroll Waterford? Where are Derry’s heads at? Is this as good as it gets? Paddy Kavanagh drops by to offer his take and we also get predictions from friends of the pod. In addition to that, there’s a downbeat Dundalk chat with John Mountney, Dan’s vain search for a ghosting Temple, and your chance to get the final two tickets for our manic Monday. Oh and we’ve made a new signing too with Toir Performance joining Future Ticketing, Collar & Cuff, Lily’s Childcare and Rascals Brewing in partnering us as we stand tall on our stroll to the finishing line. Will things ever be the same again?
It’s Jerry Maguire time in the League of Ireland and before we run away with ourselves it’s also awards time as the Premier Division team of the season as voted by the players is revealed by Stephen McGuinness on his annual trip into the Oliver studio. He’s brought a happy Mark Coyle in with him and we chat about his journey to recognition before we dust down the phone line to dial up some other team members. Around all of that we jibber jabber about the greatest run in of all time, fights in Oriel, Damien Duff on muddy ice, Galway’s trip to Rascals, and THAT goal in Drogheda in front of THAT housing estate. There’s a guest reveal for the sold out live show, news on how you can compete for the two final tickets, and a broader debate with Stephen about the financial landscape of our league. Thanks, as always to Collar & Cuff, Rascals Brewery, Lily’s Childcare and Future Ticketing for bringing us this far. It’s episode 37 and we hope it gets your vote.
Ahead of the most anticipated night of the year - our live show in Rascals on November 4 of course - Johnny and Dan are in studio to also look ahead to a vintage LOI Friday, which might be overtaken next Friday and overtaken again the Friday after that. The best season ever? Certainly it’s the busiest mailbag ever with Derry angst, Bohs anger, Pat’s excitement and Breslin at 1.5x. Johnny briefly caught up with Alan Reynolds before an extended reunion with Stephen Kenny ahead of the do or die showdown in Richmond that should cut the title field from five to four. We couldn’t do any of this without our fab four, Rascals Brewery, Future Ticketing, Collar & Cuff and Lily’s Childcare, the facilitators for an hour that also features a bit of prison speculation, treble barreled adulation and whether the away end in Oriel is the least romantic place on earth? It’s episode 36 and it’s more lovable than the ex wife!
After a manic week, we’ve got a Monday show for you as Barry Murphy and Dave McMillan dial in to join Dan to review league, European and FAI Cup matters as most of the league takes a little breather ahead of the final stretch. Once again, it’s a show packed with questions. Who wins the league now? Have Shels actually bottled it? Where now for Bohs? Can Drogheda win the cup? Where’s Johnny? We do have the answer to one of those questions – our co-host is on a working trip to Kerry but he does send us a note to address the Galway not beating Dundalk sized elephant in the room. In addition to all of that we’ve got trivia teasers, Stephen Kenny’s magic powers, UEFA cash chat and more, all with the help of Rascals Brewery, Future Ticketing, Collar & Cuff and Lily’s Childcare. As Susannah and the purple one might say, "It's just another Manic Monday......"
We are so back. After fears that we were enduring our worst ever season, a Tolka Park game for the ages has filled the glasses to half-full and posed so many questions. Was it the best ever TV game? Are St Patrick's Athletic the best team in the country? Is anyone out there not actually involved in the title race? There's so much to unpack and that's before we get to the mailbag which is full of Shels strife and Saints standards. With all of this excitement, you could be forgiven for forgetting that Shamrock Rovers start a European group stage campaign on Thursday and there's two FAI Cup semi finals to be decided over the weekend. Johnny dusted down the microphone to catch up with Ciaran Coll, Douglas James-Taylor and Ethan Boyle while managing slip a Frank Drebbin reference to gambling completely over Dan's head. In a show supported as ever by our friends at Collar & Cuff, Future Ticketing, Rascals Brewing & Lily's Childcare we take the quiz in a new direction but don't fret it isn't a mystery voice return. So enjoy it while you can because the Galway United title celebration party could end us all.
Dermot Keely denies and then agrees that he was better without the ball but we are certain this podcast makes an argument that your life would be better with his new book. Dermot dropped into studio with the Irish Sun’s Neil O’Riordan, his long term partner in prose, to discuss the many strands of his life in the league he loves. It’s hard to summarise them under one heading so, just like a player in his dressing room or a student in his classroom you just need to strap in and see where the journey takes you. Before that there’s a wrap of the weekend that was at the top and bottom of the table and there’s also a getting to know you interview with St Patrick’s Athletic’s Romal Palmer, all facilitated by our friends in Future Ticketing, Lily’s Childcare, Collar & Cuff and Rascals Brewing.
Who'd have thought we could do such a weather dominated show without Johnny? Our spiritual leader is absent but there's plenty to rabbit on about this week, with Graham Gartland stepping in to shoot the breeze with Dan about the dark clouds that hovered over Dundalk. In a Dundalk dominated mailbag, Dan warns that the future forecast remains uncertain. Then, we go Stateside for some hailstorms, or to the manager of Northern Colorado Hailstorm to be precise with Eamon Zayed dialling in for his LOI Central debut to discuss his new life in the USA, and a stormy relationship with Garts during their Hurricane Doolin years. Beyond that, there's a few drops of Damien Duff and the closest thing to Malen Head to Mizen Head in terms of guest representation with voices from Derry, Sligo and Waterford drizzled across a busy show that we couldn't do without being under the umbrella of Lily's Childcare, Rascals Brewing, Future Ticketing & Collar & Cuff. It's episode 32 and the wind is crying Mary, or at least that's what it sounds like!
Interesting standards of rabbit pulling and random phonecalls a-go-go, as episode 300 takes you on a seat of your pants ride through the last eight years of football on this fair isle. The honeymoon period feels definitely over as middle age approaches and our hosts get showered with accolades from all walks of footballing life, well in Johnny’s perfect world they would. But in this imperfect topsy turvy world it would be remiss not to turn our attention to the Dundalk crisis and FAI Cup matters amongst other things with the help of some special guests and old friends who we dial up Ryanline style. On a growth curve from banana sambos to Uno Mas , we’ve touched on ring tone interpretations, getting sacked, lobsters, horse fighting and Brendan Gleeson’s next big role as a midfielder. Confused? The great people at Future Ticketing, the awestruck Collar & Cuff , Lily’s Childcare and Rascals Brewery certainly hope you make enough sense of whats happening here so we can go on for another 300. It’s a whole different show and it’s almost two hours!
In a week of reunions this is really the one you’ve been waiting for. A surprisingly energised Dan returns to clean up after Johnny’s ‘you let Dougal do a funeral’ interim stint in charge. Amid the wreckage, we lament Northern accents, misinformed ministers, analogue opinions, and Larne before Dan tries to bury some inaccuracies in the interminable TV and standards debates. In our Galway United segment, Johnny gets hold of Ollie Horgan to discuss their top four chances amongst other things and with the financial fair play committee still looking at Collar & Cuff, Lily’s Childcare, Rascal’s Brewery and Future Ticketing as we approach episode 300, we ask why oh why should football be still dealing deals like its 1981. Yes folks, it’s episode 30, it’s 90 mins, it’s early so just Roll with It!
It’s a double act this week but not the usual one. Taciturn northerner Garry Doyle joins our normal “fan with a typewriter” Johnny Ward as we trawl through the week’s news which is not too harsh on Pats, but harsh on RTE and rugby fans. But isn’t rugby a popular sport? Not before 1987 apparently and Andy Farrell raises some questions too. Back with the roundy ball and we dip into the U19 league which has a Drogheda team flying, and United Park (or is it Weavers?) gets a thumbs up from the lads too, even though Sky don’t like it. But even with the increased depth in the Premier Division we ask is it the coaches and the coaching that has generated the most fascinating league in recent memory? We reign Johnny in on Tangets, refuse to rule out Shamrock Rovers, and is Waterford the story of the season? All this and much much more as Collar & Cuff, Rascals Brewery, Lily’s Childcare and Future Ticketing bring you episode 28 of a season that may be getting longer!
It’s hosts with notes this week as Johnny is overwhelmed by the sheer professionalism of his co-hosts who ably step in for a paternity left Dan McDonnell in the sunny surroundings of Oliver Marketing. Yes, it’s a full studio this week as Johnny is joined by the Robin to Dan’s Batman in Sean O’Connor, a fledgling journalist who’s more than finding his feet in this years league press boxes. Alongside Sean is another Boy Wonder in Keith Treacy who’s commentating skills were pushed to the limits this week and still had the energy to tackle the show that delved deeply into the European saga, RTE gates, the beauty of a lumping Galway, air raid sirens at Lincoln, stag parties in Phibsboro, the Waterford 9, and another mailbag heavy with Bohs woes. We also cut away to Harry Kenny and Paul Doolin for a tribute to the late great Jim McLaughlin who sadly passed this week. All of this bumper, bumper, edition is brought to you by the ever forgiving and always encouraging Future Ticketing, Rascals Brewery, Collar & Cuff and Lillys Childcare. Yes the sponsors are getting value for money this week. Pray for traffic jams on your commute because it’s episode 28 and it’s a marathon!
Reunited for at least the second time, the veterans of not one but two lengthy group-stages European campaigns join a solo Johnny and a stand in producer for the 27th episode of season 8 from a sunny Oliver studios. First in the door is Ciaran Kilduff, who might be a tad irate about the perception of the women’s game, while his old teammate Ronan Finn has his ideas about what a club should be about: winning matches. Even though his student days are behind him and maybe his coaching days in front of him, the veteran midfielder still has ambitions with UCD. But the big debate today is why does nobody want to win the league? In a Bohs heavy mailbag, there’s also room for some Shamrock Rovers debate and the extreme contrast in styles between Michael O’Neill and Stephen Kenny. There’s Cork splashing the cash, commercial versus football success, and no, the podcast won’t be cancelled should Dundalk go down. The business end of the season approacheth and we’ve Collar & Cuff, Lilly’s Childcare, Rascals Brewery and of course, Future Ticketing to thank for getting us this far. Its an early edition, presenter light, episode 27 and it’s here now!
It's not a standard show, as we record on Monday night after Shels scoreless draw with Derry City and it appears that the burning question is - what is the standard? Owen Heary, a multiple league winner with Shels, dials in to offer his take on the panache free situation at the top of the table and mull over what happens from here. There's plenty of love for the League of Ireland from Luke Dennison, the Drogheda United goalkeeper from California, who chatted with Dan after their draw with Bohemians. Aside from those chats, we've got a busy mailbag with more Stephen Walsh jibes, Dublin bias, and a lively instalment of ref chat. Be warned: there's a few questions about the standard. What we have no doubts about is the standard of our sponsors with Rascals Brewing, Lily's Childcare, Collar & Cuff and Future Ticketing giving us the consistency we need to keep this show on the road.
The boys are back face to face in Oliver after a weekend of mixed emotions with JW mourning Galway disappointment and Dan energised by a casual Friday of tram and pram pushing in Dalymount. After a giddy reunion featuring urinal banter, the perils of pissing money down the drain, and tales of wrong weddings and inaccurately named children, Paddy Kavanagh stops by to talk football, agents and modern wages before offering his two cents on the state of the game. We’ve also got the return of Pat’s chat to the mailbag, Drogheda artistic impression analysis and the Stephen Walsh Olympics question that needed answering. All of this is facilitated by our friends in Lily’s Childcare, Future Ticketing, Collar & Cuff and Rascals Brewery so bí ciúin and yes, there is a bar in Dalymount!
We are in peak LOI in Europe time, which means the annual state of the nation debates about our league although this week’s pod veers off into a discussion on the state of several other nations. Dan has declared Derry’s defeat to Bruno’s Magpies the most damaging in recent league history but Johnny thinks the pub talk will disappear from memory and wonders if some of these UEFA countries should do the same. Conan Byrne stops by after watching Shamrock Rovers lose to Sparta Prague to offer a slightly surprising Hoop themed end of year prediction before we enter the thorny topic of wage inflation – with a bit of St Pat’s nostalgia thrown in - and ask if any of our clubs are really getting bang for their buck. We hope that our friends at Future Ticketing, Collar & Cuff, Lily’s Childcare and Rascals Brewing never find themselves asking the same question. It’s episode 24 and its worth Kuwaiting for.
The boys are sort of back in town, if not in the same room, as post-Euros Dan reflects on the contrast between the glory of Germany and the survival instincts of Shamrock Rovers in Tallaght on Tuesday night. Johnny was there for the great escape, catching words with Johnny Kenny, the hero of the first half hour, before waking on Wednesday to confirmation that Galway United have eventually tempted one of their wild geese back home. Johnny talks European ambitions with Greg Cunningham and the difficulties of the chase with John Caulfield. In a busy week of storylines, the lads discuss new signings, increased spending, grappling with teams from Gibraltar and whether lawyers or League of Ireland players represent better value for money. All of this is wrapped into a cost effective hour or so with the help of our friends at Collar & Cuff, Rascals Brewing, Lily's Childcare and Future Ticketing.
The boys are sort of back in town, if not in the same room, as post-Euros Dan reflects on the contrast between the glory of Germany and the survival instincts of Shamrock Rovers in Tallaght on Tuesday night. Johnny was there for the great escape, catching words with Johnny Kenny, the hero of the first half hour, before waking on Wednesday to confirmation that Galway United have eventually tempted one of their wild geese back home. Johnny talks European ambitions with Greg Cunningham and the difficulties of the chase with John Caulfield. In a busy week of storylines, the lads discuss new signings, increased spending, grappling with teams from Gibraltar and whether lawyers or League of Ireland players represent better value for money. All of this is wrapped into a cost effective hour or so with the help of our friends at Collar & Cuff, Rascals Brewing, Lily's Childcare and Future Ticketing.
It's just after the final whistle in Iceland, and no, not the one Mum's go to, so we look at the game with old friend Barry Murphy who married his debs date and ain't happy with certain goalkeeping pundits. We've also got a Derry double act with Hoban and Higgins and Dan stops by from the semi to pose a perplexing quiz question. No Collar & Cuff mailbag this week because our announcer is too busy writing Bob Dylan's liner notes, but we do have the saves of the season so far, the Caoimhin Kelleher question, Stephen Kenny's rebuild from number 1 up, keepers and beauty queens, and how good is Ed McGinty? All served up with a hanky in your pocket by Collar and Cuff, Rascals Brewery, Future Ticketing and Lily's Childcare. It's episode 22 and it's under an hour.
A title race!? In July!? With no Shamrock Rovers!? With THEIR reputation! No, it's not Roly from "The Fast Show" but our two regulars who are joined by sometime RTE co-commentator and very busy all rounder Paul Corry to discuss, dissect, analyse and eulogise the demise of the Shamrock Rovers title challenge. Is it goalkeeper problems? Where's the manager's head at? Transfers? And is their best chance this season in Europe? All of these questions in the hand-stitched mailbag are pondered by our crew. Dan, who arrived almost on time to our virtual studio, takes time out from his busy sightseeing schedule to cast his eye over the games from his brief return home while Johnny's co-commentating is analysed by our listeners. It's a Rovers-heavy show with both Sligo and Shamrock featuring heavily but we do get to the other contenders and Corry nails his colours to the mast while Johnny looks optimistically at third place. We've made it to July and all because Collar & Cuff, Future Ticketing, Lilly's Childcare and Rascals Brewery continue to throw us enough magic beans that we hope to someday grow a beanstalk. It's the hope that kills you, it's episode 21 and there's no party in Tallaght!
"Parenthood", "Strangers On A Train", "Four Weddings and a Funeral", "Family Guy", and "The Saint". No it's not the films leaving Netflix this month, rather it's the topics of discussion on this week's brief, disjointed, somewhat chaotic, trans European pod. With Dan dialling in from a substandard German hotel room with tales of darts players and sharing Paul Cook anecdotes on a train, we remember Tommie Gorman and Joe Heron, analyse the European draws, and listen to Johnny mull over the League of Ireland journeys that fatherhood will bring him on . Our "Usual Suspects" of Collar & Cuff, Future Ticketing, Rascals Brewery and Lilly's Childcare continue to support a show with hotter takes than Padraig Amond's face after an afternoon on the sunbeds. So buckle up for a quickfire blast of stream of consciousness podcasting, yes, it's episode 20 and it's pure Hollywood!
It's horses for courses this week as we have our final show before our midterm break. As the European election posters come down, we embark on our own leadership debate with a review of the season so far with the help of studio guest Graham Gartland. We discuss inappropriate trips to Croatia, Rovers goalkeeping woes, the secrets to Shelbourne’s defensive success, and the battle at the bottom. And, yes, we even do title predictions. Dan also checks in with the lesser heard Keith Long to chat about the lesser seen Dublin media amid Waterford’s brilliant start to a new campaign. Beyond that, there’s talk of hairy babies, scorched press boxes, and the merits of sending dead or alive horses to the European parliament. As usual we cater for all tastes with Collar & Cuff, Lilly's Childcare, Rascals Brewery and Future Ticketing all providing the platform for the mayhem. It's episode 19 and it's time for a break!
It's a laid up Dan with an unexciting back story that leads us in to episode 18 on the back of astro wars, Pat's problems, Baby stories, Metallica funerals, the perfect 10 and who's season will the cup save. It's hard to call a bottom 2 but not as hard as Galway's 10 defenders or being sent to Sligo like Reece Hutchinson, or the male Reese Witherspoon as he's now known. We chat about his cool intentions as he walked the line in Derry, and life in a dressing room packed full of kids who are legal to be blonde and not much else. We chat about his unlikely exit from England to find stage left in Sligo and the life of an Englishman that's almost halfway to New York. The mailbag was chock full of a lot of worried Pat's correspondence and some Bohs ones too and we were asked for predictions for player of the season so far and debated the merits of a ten team league. It was Collar and Cuff, Future Ticketing, Lilly's Childcare and Rascals fuelled mayhem this week as we officially head to summer and episode 18.
Episode 17 sees Johnny flummoxed by a 'Legal Blonde' from a Sunday night on the northside that plunges him into a Monday morning Big Brother dystopian reality. Unlike Clough and Taylor, it's a big week for Damien Duff and his football wife as they keep on keeping on to stay ahead of the posse at the top of the league, we discuss can they stay there and try not to keep mentioning Galway. We welcome Dundalk legend Jurgen Klopp - sorry it’s Dane Massey - into our Oliver studios to ask where his 2016 team would finish in the 2024 table, analyse the state of his former club and take a trip down memory lane ahead of a Kenny v Caulfield reunion. There's cycling in Kerry, pints on the over 35 circuit, Portuguese training camps with Cork City, and a mailbag that includes Shamrock Rovers' loan policy, LOI Central’s erratic social media strategy, and a fresh slant on Johnny's inability to haggle in a designer store. All of this bumper episode is brought to you under the supervision of Future Ticketing, Collar & Cuff, Rascals Brewery, Lilly's Childcare and not any overpriced, over-marketed, over hyped designer label. Overhyped, is just something we wouldn't do!
We've a warchest of stories and an infusion of intellectual capital in this weeks episode. Johnny introduces the right shoe diaries to Damien Duff in between bouts of cat strangling orgasms and earth burning Gaza rants on short lived marriages. Dan ruminates on what a world would look like if football was golf, introduces Shelabrations to a new world lexicon and takes Louth Dad jokes to another level. A not quite sexagenarian Johnny McDonnell drops by our Oliver Studios to weigh in on the Stephen Kenny at Pats story and why O'Donnell at Bohs is a logical move. There's the usual mailbag dissections and presidential ruminations and although none of our sponsors do custom made laptop bags, the good people at Collar & Cuff, Future Ticketing, Lilly's Childcare and Rascals Brewery do, to their utmost credit, make all of the chaos seem a little bit ordered. It's episode 16, it's nostalgic, it's giddy and, as always, it's striving for relevance.
It's Saint Stephens Day and he's back on the grass. Our unexpected Episode 15 captures the events of the last 24 hours with analysis of the Stephen Kenny appointment, his opening press conference and badly photoshopped send ups of a certain Independent sportswriter. There's old magazines, more Brian Kerr chat, Stephen O'Donnell not in the nip, the importance of big personalities and the pressure that extra attention brings. It's a hastily produced bitesize episode here to feed your news addiction with the help of Future Ticketing, Rascals Brewery, Collar & Cuff and Lilys Childcare. Hopefully it makes your Friday at work a little less difficult.
So where do we start? The lads reflect on the maddest week of League of Ireland news since last week, with the Stephen Kenny flirtation with a League of Ireland return prompting a review of our St Patrick's Athletic perceptions. Noel King's 25 day stint as Dundalk manager is over, but the legacy of the day may be a tweet that the internet will never forget. In another bulging mailbag, there's talk of political football and Dail visits, the saving of Tolka Park, a new spate of ten match bans and the mystery of Aurora Borealis - and no you won't find him on Wyscout. We then divert to a man who lit up the league before his departure last year with Jack Moylan dialling in to discuss Damien Duff, LOI watch parties in Lincoln & the truth about League One. As Collar & Cuff, Rascals Brewery, Lilly's Childcare and Future Ticketing scramble their lawyers to pore over the transcripts, our advice is to listen now before something else happens or everything is deleted!
Dan is back, although he's been outdone by producer Derek on the travel front as we attempt to sprint through the events of another manic week but find the path blocked by some substantial news hurdles. What does Jon Daly's departure say about St Patrick's Athletic? How will Stephen O'Donnell function as Alan Reynolds assistant? Is it 'Noel King's Dundalk' yet? We also have Johnny's chat with Ollie Horgan after a big win at Bohemians, with an unexpected Lionel Richie cameo. Beyond that, we have a packed mailbag with all the usual spin-offs. There's the great Stephen Walsh goalscoring debate, an irrational attack on GAA intercounty 'stars', relegation predictions without the predictions and much more. So with thanks to Rascals Brewery, Collar & Cuff, Future Ticketing and Lily's Childcare, the time has come, to raise the roof and have some fun, let the podcast play on, play on, play on.
Like Eric B. and Rakim, Sonny and Cher, and The White Stripes, all good duets must come to an end, if even only for a week. Don't fret listeners as soon as the sponsorship cash rolls in Dan will be back strumming harder than Garfunkel in Central Park next week. So for one week only Garry Doyle steps into the virtual studio to mull over the season so far, the always growing Damien Duff phenomenon and his formative years as an Arsenal fan in the six counties. The Collar and Cuff mailbag is bursting with opinions from Galway for Europe, Roblox LOI, and whether or not Dalymount is more political than Kildare Street. Johnny gets feedback on his stance on chicken rolls, and his quality of football tips, and we have a chat with Finn Harps chairman Ian Harkin on the new stadium plans that were just announced. At just over an hour we're certainly not the never ending story and if you've any complaints please direct them to the lovely people at Collar and Cuff, Future Ticketing, Lilly's Childcare and Rascals Brewery. It's an even dozen and it's live!
There's an eerie flashback feeling to Episode 11. The Dundalk news has stunned our two hosts with Dan doing all he can to avoid crashing his car when he hears that Noel King has been entrusted with Dundalk's survival. Our listeners have stuffed our Collar & Cuff mailbag fuller than something something as we try to digest the big news of the week without the help of a chicken fillet roll. Johnny talks to Ronan Boyce and Dan hears from Stephen Bradley about the sandy beaches of Tolka and the green fields of Kosovo. There's Derry safety, food ethics, free range wings, monetising goalkeeper stoppages, the Fleetwood factor, are Bohs any good and did Duffer go too far? Put on your Angela's Ashes filter, tune in to Blackboard Jungle and relive the glory days of cult podcasts with Future Ticketing, Rascals Brewery, Collar & Cuff and Lillys Childcare and yes, we obviously aren't golfers!
As Mister Sun makes a rare appearance, we say goodbye to an FAI chief and look at mythical leaks and manager rumours doing the rounds. On the back of Bohs' two wins we talk to James Akintunde after his winning goal and he tells us about hanging with his boys in Dunboyne. We delve into the Dundalk goal drought before heading to the chip vans around the grounds for Pot Noodles and reindeer burgers. There's underrated versus cult hero, Dan's holiday dilemma, the plight of small town clubs, and the subdued atmosphere at some of the grounds. On a weekend of big games ahead, it's Future Ticketing, Collar & Cuff, Rascals Brewery and Lily's Childcare you've to thank for this light hearted, therapeutic look at the league. It's episode 10 and we're in it for the ride!
As Hildegarde whips up a storm in Leinster house, storms play havoc with pitches and we finally realise that 8 seasons of this malarkey is completely redundant in the face of the Damien Duff renaissance, there's a gloomy outlook to this weeks pod. Ciaran Kilduff drops in to our Oliver Marketing studio to dissect the big news story of Stephen O'Donnell's termination as well as turning down numerous job offers from Johnny to stay at Athlone. Our Collar and Cuff mailbag is full of your opinions on pitches, Dundalk and the identity of our American continuity announcer who just released a new album. There's a 'best finisher' debate, institutionalism in dressing rooms, the value of an away fan and when public conversations should be private. All of the round ups and previews are in partnership with our sponsors who now have grown to include Lily's Childcare along with the stalwarts of defence, Future Ticketing, Collar and Cuff and Rascals Brewery. It's episode 9 and its a wee bit later than normal..
March of many weathers hasn't really lived up to its reputation and the constant rain has left sodden pitches countrywide for an Easter double header. While Duffer, once he gets out of Johnny's head, bemoans the state of said pitches, and threatens to produce his own "straight story" on his Da's ride on, there's a missing interview and a catch up with Jon Daly and Ruaidhri Higgins before we welcome Barry Murphy and his geometric geographical analysis of when a goalkeeper is not a goalkeeper and when 53 degrees north of the penalty spot isn't spot on. In the Collar & Cuff mailbag the lads discuss the biggest LOI crowd this century and explain why 'These Are Days' we'll remember even though 10,000 maniacs weren't in attendance and offer their take on O'Donnell and why Dundalk needed a UCD this season. As Future Ticketing, Collar & Cuff and Rascals Brewery continue to nonchalantly sign off on this pod we also ask whats more relevant than a Damien Duff nothing story, what's it like to be a number 2, and what is Bob Dylan whispering to Johnny's unborn child. The Times they are a-Changin' but episode 8 is just more of the same.
As Dan hails the end of the international break, Johnny has gone on an international break of his own, dialling in from France after a star studded flight. The lads discuss the big issues of the week, and go over some old ground from last week with the future of TV, Bohs and the FAI all on the agenda before we check in with Greg Sloggett to chat about the love story that brought him to League One. There’s also more than a word from our sponsors as Johnny chats with Future Ticketing’s Liam Holton about the growth of the LOI as we prepare for a league game to cross the 10,000 barrier this week. For the week that’s in it, there’s Easter egg analysis, mailbag homework, Treaty praise, Cronin reviews and Johnny breaking the news of his summer window arrival. With thanks to Future Ticketing, Collar & Cuff and our festival friends at Rascals Brewing, your weekly dose of confused chemistry is right here.
TV or not TV, that is the question, well the question Johnny has for himself with the Red Zone now in doubt because the prospective host has decided the entire medium is irrelevant. We move on from that bombshell to invite a central character from recent breaking news with ex Bohs assistant manager Gary Cronin joining us in the Oliver studios. Top of the agenda is what changed at Bohemians during the winter, the late transfer arrivals, the role of the assistant and the realities of losing your job at League of Ireland level. In the general mailbag, we talk Dundalk's foreign legion, the Shel-bourne inspiration, and contrasts between 2014 and 2024 that go beyond the social media cesspits that will make the next generation of Kent Brockmans redundant. In conjunction with Rascals Brewing, Future Ticketing and Collar and Cuff leave your pseudonyms at the door as we present the hot off the press, up to the minute, breaking news, topical episode 6 and we've even added sound effects!
As Bohs start their hunt for a new manager, we bring in the league’s management to discuss the overall state of play with Mark Scanlon dropping by. Facilities, fireworks, Harry Kane's firestick and finance are on the agenda as positive becomes the new interesting in a mailbag aimed at our FAI guest. The broadcasting picture, pitch battles and the obstacles to a red zone also feature. Before that we discuss the next step for Bohs after Declan Devine’s exit, shoeless presenters, and the demands for a Gavin Molloy appreciation society. It's long, it's early and brought to you by Rascals, Collar & Cuff and Future Ticketing.
It's antsy managers ahoy in episode four, as we trawl through the Zapruder film of the rainy nights in stadiums around the country. At Tolka, Johnny caught up with one of the less antsy ones, John Caulfield, after Galway United's narrow defeat to league leaders Shelbourne. Our Collar and Cuff mailbag comes chock full of conspiracy theories, manager angst, goalkeeping concerns and refereeing observations from a grassy Donegal knoll. Johnny got his goalkeeper fix in too when he caught up with Conor Kearns from Shelbourne. Before Dan considers if the uncertain climate around goalkeepers has been created by an uncertain climate. Not afraid of tackling the big debates we look at where our LOI stoppers might feature in the Kinder Bueno v Dairy Milk equation, speculate on new gigs for special treats Roddy Collins and Stephen Kenny and wonder if there are any Robbie Williams’ out there that wouldn’t improve Dundalk’s flaky rearguard. It's one of THOSE episodes that continue to be sanctioned by the good folk at Future Ticketing, Collar & Cuff and Rascals Brewery so even though the sky is a hazy shade of winter, put on your headphones in your room and enjoy what was a truly Manic Monday!
This week, with Johnny's job count at 8 (or is it 7?), we reunited two old friends who met as teenagers with no idea of the journey that lay ahead. Padraig Amond was the hurler under a different name from Carlow with football ambitions. Eoin Doyle was a ‘lunatic’ from Dublin with no idea that he could make a living from the game. But both these cats got the cream, one of them scoring versus Man City and the other playing for every club that wasn't in the Premier League. In our weirdest mailbag to date, the electronic telegrams are asking about the Pat Scully bus trip, Super Sundays with Paul Cook, flares of the non-trousered variety, and clock-watching on the pitch. The two lads delve into their formative years, from Crumlin days and Milk Cup adventures in the shadow of Anthony Stokes to learning the game with Shamrock Rovers and Sligo Rovers. There's a £25 million deal, a couple of dumb country fellas and the pros and cons of making it as a latecomer. Late developers may be on topic this week, but after listening to what we've gotten for you in conjunction with Rascals, Future Ticketing and Collar & Cuff, like the crowds so far, we're way ahead of the curve.
Now that we've gotten our first week of games under the belt, we tackle the sophomore episode, which can be a bit troublesome but not this time. We have two recently retired league stalwarts in studio. Barry Murphy, once keeper of both Shamrock Rovers & Bohemian goals, trades his Dundrum mailbag to give the lads a hand with a Bohs-heavy Collar & Cuff mailbag; and David McMillan, formerly of Dundalk, UCD and Saint Pat's, now plying his trade as an architect and is not very good at "The Chase". Pizza sceptic, Johnny continues where he left off with goalkeepers last season, there's the cost of LOI tickets compared to Ice Cream bars, the pathway to football, boisterous train drinking, and who will be the top scorer this year? As always we tip our indoor hats to Future Ticketing, Collar & Cuff, and Rascals Brewery for feeding the machine, so go ahead and listen responsibly to this year’s difficult second episode, Nevermind the Crooked Rain or The Bends... Everybody knows this is nowhere...
We are back. Seems like everyone has a fancy season launch these days so we decided to 'outstyle' the competition by recording our Season 8 opener in the salubrious surroundings of Collar & Cuff who put a roof over our head for the recording but that didn’t stop Johnny from keeping his hat on. Our first mailbag of the year seeks title race projections, Galway United mentions and the definitive ranking of players we’ve never heard about before. There’s also a Monaghan United anecdote from our sponsors with Declan Mahon and extended chats with Patrick McEleney and John Russell about their hopes for a better 2024. We wouldn’t be around for it without the help of Collar & Cuff, Rascals Brewing and Future Ticketing. Tuck in and enjoy it like your favourite brand of hummus.
Santas sack is full, Ireland isn't, but the stadiums are apparently. It's the LOI Central 2023 clip show. Remember when Dave and Maddie would spend an entire episode of 'Moonlighting' arguing about what happened in the past year and throw in 34 minutes of clips from the past season? Well we would never do that! Instead we throw in 10 mins of classics and another ten minutes of the Bootleg Series Volume 2023 where Roddy does his thing live in Rascals. a session so rare it has only been released on Record Store Day in Malaysia. How's that for a Christmas present? We also tinselled up the studio in Oliver and went hell for leather on the news and blues from the last few months and either accidentally or incidentally stumbled across Johnny's college chicken, Dundalk's crazy transfer rumour mill and every other clubs slot machine of hype. So there's a full hour of festivities for under your podcast tree from Rascals, Collar and Cuff and Future Ticketing. And you know what...It's actually not bad.
In the week where the cup final became 'cool' we decamp to the kitchen to end as we mean to go on and pore over the spectacle and the season whilst bringing you the PFAI awards nominations with Stephen McGuinness. We also have a chat with Jack Moylan about leaving Duffer for Lincoln and talk contrasting cup final emotions with Jonathan Afolabi and seasoned veteran Chris Forrester. It's the longest mailbag of the season, but who's in control of it? It's no country for old men, a successful season for Shamrock Rovers? Maybe, managers in waste management, tummy tickling, collecting rent from a Bohs fan and the circle of life. If that's not enough for our bumper end of year extravaganza with Collar and Cuff, Future Ticketing and Rascals Brewery, there's also a hint that there might be even more on the way, or is there?
It’s cup final week but there’s more than one show in town and we kicked it off with a special Episode 39 in Rascals HQ on Monday night. We brought together some of the liveliest members of the Irish football family for a show that sent producer Del into overtime in the editing chair. Our bleep button is out of contract and the F bomb count soared when Roddy Collins and Trevor Molloy arrived on stage so it’s not one for the school run. Before we hear from Roddy and Trevor, Paddy Barrett and Keith Ward joined us on stage to reflect on the season just gone and their 2021 cup final memories. Prior to that, we also play some of Dan’s chat with Paddy’s boss Damien Duff after Shels’ win in Drogheda on Friday. We’re not really sure how to summarise our chat with Roddy and Trevor but we’ve salvaged the bits that were suitable for broadcast and there’ll be more to come before the year ends. We’ve got Egypt winning the Euros, dinner dates with Pat Dolan, shoe shopping with Paul Byrne, and much much more. It's a seriously good ride from Future Ticketing, Collar and Cuff and our Monday night hosts Rascals Brewery. It might not be totally legal but it's here and its now!
Welcome to Episode 38 with Johnny and Dan or is it Dan and Johnny? As Shamrock Rovers clinch their fourth title in a row, we speak to a victorious Lee Grace and Stephen Bradley, grade the Hoops season and debate the importance of winning it with kids. Beyond that, we ruminate on the standing of the league's goalkeepers and goalscorers, discuss the merits of the Bohs staredown and sift through the wreckage of Dundalk's rumour mill. We also have Johnny's disregard for guard of honour controversies, a steadfast denial of Duffer's virus allegations, a thinly veiled come and get me plea to George the Greek and an unexpected letter from Poland! All of this as we count down to our live show with the help of our partners in Future Ticketing, Collar & Cuff and our hosts at Rascals Brewing. Never mind trick or treat. Get your trivia right and you could be joining us.
So it's official, we've sold out. Not to the man, but our live show in Rascals Brewery on November 6th has sold out. On this week's podcast you can find out how to get your hands on the last few tickets Johnny had stashed in an old overcoat at the back of the wardrobe. You can also hear from Shelbourne keeper Conor Kearns who touches on most things from Left-wing politics, to his dribbling stats to displacing a Love Island hopeful. As usual the mailbag deals with the old chestnuts, like the new stand in Tallaght, foreign benefactors, and Virgin versus RTE. We also look at what makes an assistant manager mentionable, why Shels is a proper place to play and who would go to an opera in Ferrycarrig? All as usual in conjunction with Future Ticketing, Collar and Cuff and the venue for our sold out live show, Rascals Brewery. It's into the final stretch now and this one's just over an hour!
Last week’s trivia might have been a failure but this week we bring you Trivela, the prospective new owners of Drogheda United who give us their first big interview since stating their intention to take over the Boynesiders. Benjamin Boycott and Wesley Hill dial in from the USA to discuss their plans with Dan, a long call with investors who say they're in it for the long haul. Johnny was dining with our sponsors at the ‘Aviva’ but as we try to move past the international window, we hear from James McClean on an initiative that should be relevant to both the LOI and the national team. Beyond that, we’ve got the usual mailbag japes featuring Canadian club names, political disinterest, Dan’s dodgy eyesight and Johnny’s attempts to diagnose if anyone involved with Shamrock Rovers is actually happy. Rascals Brewery, Future Ticketing and Collar and Cuff have all submitted affidavits that they were not responsible for the burning rice, but they were responsible for episode 36. Enjoy!
As we reach the business end of the season, we've got a cup final on the mind to distract Johnny from his title race addiction. Our hosts review the two semis and look forward to maybe a record breaking attendance at the final in the stadium soon to be known as The Dublin Arena. Dan, fresh from Switzerland has his own opinion on that and wonders if England will pay for our third tier! Guest wise, we welcome last years star of our live show, the million pound Eoin Doyle to talk about why he retired, his future in childcare, colonic irrigation, greasy agents, the madness of King Vincent, and why Jordan Pickford won't be on The Chase anytime soon. There's the ever popular mailbag, why away fans bans hurt everyone, unlucky Kacper, and a date for you to save in November. Yes, we're coming back into the arena because the good people at Rascals Brewery, Collar and Cuff and Future Ticketing demand it. It's episode 35 and it's a hoot!
It's semi-final week and will Johnny build bridges with Galway ahead of their clash with Bohemians? As part of Johnny's rehabilitation we sent him on a solo mission to the stadium formerly known as Lansdowne Road to meet with his people, a 66/1 Bohemian, the not so boring Cian Coleman and Jamie Lennon. In the week where Aertel finally get's the plug pulled we reminisce about page 222 and Roddy Collins keeping score. The bulging mailbag has everything from Bradley versus Duff to budgeting, refereeing schedules, fireworks in the gantry, and away fan allocations. There's a 'Deep Throat' source in Johnny's Whatsapp, Russian bots, trigger words, the death of the segue live on air and lots of dark web. It's a bumper edition today in association with Future Ticketing, Collar and Cuff and Rascals Brewery, and hold on, isn't that Martin Lawlor over there?
So Galway United return to the halcyon days of Premier Division participation after a win in Kerry that leaves Johnny channelling Sylvia Plath, Leonard Cohen and even an underweight Christian Bale. In a post Rascals Rocktoberfest haze our intrepid reporters cast their eyes over the Weekend's action where UCD won our hearts but Derry failed to capitalise. Referees were under the spotlight again, Shels penchant for dark arts is discussed in a busy mailbag with Cork misery and European permutations also on the agenda. After their morning sausage rolls it was a hasty retreat from Glasnevin to the Aviva to talk contrasting fortunes with Gary O'Neill and David Cawley. As long as Future Ticketing, Rascals, Brewery and Collar and Cuff keep us on the air we will continue to ask and answer the same questions, drink from half empty glasses and leave you with the confused feeling whether the show needs an extension or an extinction. All of this confusion and melancholy is all part of your regular scheduled dose of windswept broadcasting that is episode 33. It's not dark yet but it's getting there!
Well, we've got it all this week. Western gunslingers taking on those boys back east, Cold War double agents crossing the border by bicycle in the rain, boyhood hero worship, misquotes galore and organic sausages. If, like Alan Keane, you subscribe to the Galway United conspiracy theory then make sure you catch our mailbag which has more grassy knolls than an Oliver Stone film. As well as all this, we have late penalties in Derry, a Pat's crisis perhaps? Is Galway more attractive than Dundalk? And Dan finally sees the merits of 'the Red Zone'. All of this 'award nominated' mayhem is brought to you by Future Ticketing, Collar and Cuff and Rascals Brewery. It really is great to be "unwittingly very good at something", and that's a quote!
Alliteration is the thread on which we hang this week's show. Yes, episode 31 gets overly concerned with what type of Friday we have in store. Our two intrepid wordsmiths cajole, conjure and contrive to to describe the night on which Derry host Shamrock Rovers in the key game of the league season and four FAI Cup quarter finals are up for decision. 'Fabulous', 'Flowery' and 'Far Out', this Friday may give Johnny further chest pains and Dan may have to be drug tested. Kevin Doherty is on the line fresh from his and our mailbag to weigh in on the Ireland situation and whether he is next in line for the big job. He also has a little matter of a cup game on 'Fan-ominal' Friday! Throw in the usual Simpsons, Father Ted and Grunge references and it could very well be 1995 again. As the year slips away from us and the Indian Summer draws to a close we can still rely on Future Ticketing, Rascals Brewery and Collar and Cuff to keep the lights on in Glasnevin. So throw your Xg in the bin and settle down to 64 minutes of poetic licence on this Wonderful Wholesome Witty Wednesday!
Episode 30 gets an early check in but will it ever leave? Johnny has more toilet encounters in Longford, Dan finally gets recognised on the 14 bus and takes in the view from the stand at Tolka Park . There's another bus of ould fellas in the midlands, and would you go all the way to Laois to see The Saw Doctors? Joining the instantly recognisable hosts this week is the solid Ian Bermingham who, on his testimonial week, talks about his Richmond days, why he didn't go to Stockport and his new gig as Football Partnerships Manager in Inchicore. There's a mailbag full of Duff celebrations, a Keating hat trick, Sligo Rovers' troubles, and Johnny's financial portfolio. If you want to find out if Ronaldo went to Mallow, the definition of "making it" or who gets a pass? There are definitely easier ways than this, but Future Ticketing, Rascals Brewery and Collar and Cuff beg to differ as they present to you a very very 'solid' segue into the International break!
After being stalked at every airport in Europe Johnny evaded the air traffic chaos to arrive unscathed in Glasnevin for episode 29. On this week's show we talk to James Clarke about his route from Meath to Rovers to Bohs and how he's likely to celebrate if he scores in this weekends big game. Dan caught up with Ruaidhri Higgins after a 2-2 draw in Dalymount and a topsy turvy season for the Candystripes. A deep dive into the mailbag reveals Finn Harps and Bray angst, we ask will Drogheda march on despite their obviously substandard stadium, we compare the league with similarly ranked leagues across Europe, there's Fine Gael rugby wall charts and after 3 years of Brexit, we audit whether it was a good thing or a bad thing. All of your Midweek listening would be impossible without those good people at Future Ticketing, Collar and Cuff and Rascals Brewery who have probably made the best decision ever made. Its just over an hour and it's raring to go!
We have a title race but we don't have the man who likes to call it so with Johnny AWOL in Bilbao or Belfield, we call in supersub Garry Doyle to pour over Derry's disappointments, the permutations of a fascinating race to the finish and why LOI fans should channel their inner Free Presbyterian. Dan also brought his microphone to Virgin Media studios to catch up with Graham Burke and Daniel Kelly about European woe and the weight of their respective clubs' recent history. Beyond that there's a busy mailbag, cup final preferences, Storm Betty's new club and an Ollie Byrne impression from the highest level. All of this with thanks to our friends at Collar and Cuff, Rascals Brewing and Future Ticketing
It's an optimistic pod this week as August starts to slip away like a bottle of wine. Mark Connolly is on ahead of Thursday nights big game and we speak to him about his return from the great unknown against the team whose name we are struggling to remember, and stealing from his child to pass the time. Ticket prices and Cork City's college woes are topical as we delve into a mailbag filled with talk of a Bohs windfall from a Gary Lineker inspired transfer that may or may not spark another twitter spat. There's more than enough to keep your conversations going well into school uniform shopping season and it's all thanks to Future Ticketing, Collar and Cuff and Rascals Brewery, and if there's a body in the room, well, then it really is time to clean the house. Episode 27 is here to answer all your lingering doubts.
Episode 26 in the ClaireFontaine of podcasts tackles the era defining debate on whether we need a RedZone, a DMZ zone or a demolition of the Carlisle Grounds. As we look forward to Derry's adventures in Kazakhstan, Andy Myler, who's not as knowledgable on Kazakhstani football as you might think, takes a break from party pooping and reunites with another ex student Conan Byrne to explain the future of the UCD model, and offer neutral opinions on the developments at the top of the table. Conan gives his take on the negative influence of stats and our mailbag takes in Longford gripes, Bohs optimism and the usual Galway tangents with the continued support of Future Ticketing, Collar and Cuff and Rascals Brewery. If home is where you're weaned it's also where your potty trained. It's episode 26 and its fresh as a daisy.
Back from our daytrip down memory lane in Morton Stadium, Johnny wastes no time in getting Galway and climate change into the fray as we dwell on the wettest July on record and a wet blanket on Irish teams in Europe. Ireland chief scout and analyst and ex Rovers and Bohs midfielder Stephen Rice drops by to bedazzle Johnny with his attention span and takes a deep dive into our European challenges. In a multiverse of Milhouses, we pore over alternate futures for GAA players, marching in the rain, top goalscorer stakes, and all the rest of your e-lec-tronic letters with Future Ticketing, Rascals Brewery and Collar and Cuff still signing the cheques to make sure we keep delivering this kind of quality, in depth, edge of the seat, cutting edge broadcasting without ever having seen a hurling match! It's episode 25 and it's still raining.
On our 24th lap of the season, we reunite two old teammates in the unlikely surrounds of Morton Stadium to discuss the circle of their football life. Owen Heary talks Dream Team, Dream Managers and Dream Tacklers and his new found passion for running as he catches up with his old pal Mark Rossiter - fresh from a positive knee episode - to go over old arguments and pick through the details of the last week and the broader European picture. We dodged a few javelins to get to the bottom of who's posting our social media, who took the most famous television penalty, where the youngsters are coming from and whether Longford needs a bar or not? It’s neither a marathon nor a sprint, so stick with us, Collar and Cuff, Future Ticketing and Rascals Brewery until we cross the finish line.
Rover and out. It's a late night reaction pod to start this week as the lads pour over Icelandic disappointment for Shamrock Rovers and the questions it raises before taking a trip back in time with Sam and Al to earlier in the day to deal with your mailbag queries and emerge from the overpriced coffee houses of Inchicore to do some work. After reflecting on the enormity of turning 40, the lads ask Chris Forrester about turning 30 as the start point for an open chat about his relationship with football. Beyond that, there's FAI Cup chat, ruminations on Dan's uncoached football career, Galway pub tips, another twist in the Roddy Collins book saga, and more handwringing about departing players and unfinished stadiums. Take the quantum leap with us into this seventy minute journey with Collar and Cuff, Rascals Brewery and Back to the Future Ticketing!
It's summer in Dublin and we have just the cure for those rain soaked blues. From Icelandic encounters en route to what used to be JJ Smyths, to the race between the Dalymount evolution and Armageddon. The well dressed Gary Cronin brings us some current affairs while Ciaran Kilduff delves into his bank of European memories while Johnny struggles to remember what is even happening next week. We have KD Lang v Sinead O Connor, fantasy five-a-sides, the age old TV debate and a group of sponsors still willing to support this malarkey. Yes, a big shout to Collar and Cuff, Future Ticketing and Rascals Brewery for making it to episode 22 and a bigger one to Johnny for remembering it!
This week we are joined by an Englishman and an English as the summer brings us to new destinations. ESPN journalist Mark Ogden tells us about his quirky trip to Iceland to find out what lies ahead for Shamrock Rovers and what Champions League football means to the minnows. Then we head west to talk with Michael English about Mayo FC’s attempts to break into the Irish mainstream. Aside from all of that we’ve got the usual mailbag chat featuring Bohs angst, Pat’s kids, Peak6 taking over Twitter and RTE’s value for money. Available under the Freedom of Information Act you will find that this entire production is funded by the barter accounts managed by Future Ticketing, Rascals Brewery and Collar and Cuff, and Johnny's fee does not include any form of bus pass. It's episode 21 and it's blackjack!
It’s a value for money virtual podcast this week as the lads mull over the purpose of their existence in journalism if chatting rubbish for an hour doesn’t entitle them to a substantial six-figure salary from licence fee payers. Georgie Kelly is a real national treasure, the late developing Donegal man dialling in from pre-season training in Rotherham to discuss his old love rival Pat Hoban, his respect for the mentality of the real love of his life, and the climate of football in England – not the climate chat that JW wanted. As usual there’s a mailbag with a bit of Damien Duff and a bit of Mayo sandwiched between title talk discussion and we hear from Pico Lopes and Ruaidhri Higgins after Tallaght on Monday. Unlike Westlife, this is one band that always sticks together...
Dan's back but his memory of Antalya isn't. He'd also like to forget about Ireland's Greek tragedy but can't and neither can Paul Corry as the old friend of the pod returns with two phones and a new love to analyse what went on in the Mediterranean last week and we take a live look at the European draws as they come in. Johnny, fresh from his first festival of the year, reckons stabbing a crustacean in the brain is better than boiling it alive but can't get the last look the twitching lobster gave him out of his memory and apparently Evan Ferguson won't reach 100 caps before the doomsday clock strikes midnight. If all this is a bit too weird for you, blame Collar and Cuff, Rascals Brewery and Future Ticketing for continuing to support this ridiculousness and ask yourself is the "Pat McDonnell" Dan may or may not be related to, the lad from Father Ted or the annoying paint ad on the radio. So sit back and eat your lobster as the world burns and be thankful we're under an hour this week.
No Dan this week as he's away on International duty so we left it up to Johnny to round up the guests. Wembley wonder with Coventry and back at Burnley, we have Premier League defender Luke McNally, who's back in the country where he reminisces about his days at Enfield, the NECSL, marking a 16 year old Evan Ferguson and his fortuitous move to Drogheda where he hooked up with our second guest, none other than ex manager of Drogheda and Pats, Tim Clancy, who speaks candidly about his time at Pats, the fanciful ambitions in Inchicore, the culture of social media, why there are fewer and fewer easy games and Kevin Doherty's success at United Park. The format may be different but the chat is still red hot and all of this is thanks, as ever, to Collar and Cuff, Rascals Brewery and Future Ticketing!
As Johnny's Saudi past comes back to haunt him, the boys wonder if Galway United saying no was the catalyst for our oil overlords to bring sporting domination to another level. Irish football could do with cash to build some stadiums and Pat Fenlon joins us in studio to talk about the FAI infrastructure plan, his new job at Bohemians, and how transfer windows work. St. Pats' Dean Lyness chats with Dan about living away from family as the daddy of his teammates in a new country. Beyond that there’s the big "Love Island" mystery, Dan’s bird troubles and all the big stories from the main event of the double header weekend - Enda’s wedding. Tallaght Stadium’s Coppers like status, fire drills in Cork and more recurring anecdotes from Johnny’s private life are brought to you in conjunction with Future Ticketing, Collar and Cuff and Rascals Brewery. It's episode 17 as we head towards an International break.
Journeys. That's todays topic. Whether it's the Kerouac-esque 'On The Road' lift bumming Johnny Ward or the Tallaght to Cobh goalkeeping journey that Lee Steacy takes, we've a restless road feeling to todays show. Our guests, from the first division, talk openly about their journeys, even if Shane Keegan is driving, how their clubs may fare in the premier division, and how all work and all play for an Irish footballer could be more lucrative than the alternative. We also look at the red cards a go-go from the weekend, Johnny's fascination with CJ, the best goal songs played at stadiums, who's wedding will be the new Fyre festival and whether the Wisconsin postal votes means anything at all! As usual we rely totally on the steadfast support of Future Ticketing, Collar and Cuff and Rascals Brewery to allow us all to decide whether or not Mark Knopfler marks a goal better than a Monkees song on repeat.
The seven year itch remains unscratched and, as the bromance dwindles, talk turns to goalkeepers, fixing the FAI Cup draw, the Irish 2023/24 clubs in Europe, bouncy castles and cursing with Crowley. If that isn't enough to pique your curiosity we also have a chat with Garry Buckley about fatherhood, injuries, Sligo Rovers and the amazing story of two brothers. There's also cameos from Declan Devine and Kevin Doherty as we cast our eye over the week that was. As usual we owe it all to the good people at Future Ticketing, Collar and Cuff and Rascals Brewery for making all of our dreams come true every single week. It's heating up out there so put on plenty of sunscreen before you plug in...
This week we blur the lines between sports and politics as we welcome in Aodhán Ó Ríordáin to the pod. On the back of Damien Duff's crusading comments about the league, Aodhán talks candidly to us about how and why football is where it is and faces an uphill struggle while Johnny faces a downhill struggle despite his penchance for the hills. There's Viper Room nostalgia, hypocritical oaths, Stadiums with no respect and a whole host of the usual Collar and Cuff, Future Ticketing and Rascals Brewery fuelled deep dives into why this game of football continues to define us. It's here, its a tad late but it's episode 14 and, trust me, its as good as it gets..
It’s Eurovision week and while Ireland’s Wild Youth fell at the first hurdle, this week’s show looks at how our young footballers are beating the odds to compete on the European stage. Academy heads Mike Geoghegan (Waterford) and Craig Sexton (Bohs) drop by to discuss funding difficulties, staff shortages and the differences between Dublin and the rest of the country. Johnny Logan is on the menu at Rascals but our own Johnny is back in the virtual house with a viral Dan to discuss Galway rising, managerial clobber and the innocence of tunnel blocking teens. All with the usual undying support of Rascals Brewery, Collar and Cuff and Future Ticketing.
In Johnny's absence this week we have guest presenter Garry Doyle from The Star joining Dan in studio for a wide range of topics which includes a look back on the double header with interviews from Richie Towell and Ruaidhri Higgins, the breaking news departure of Tim Clancy from Pats and the continuing debate on funding from government gambling revenue. Brian Gartland, the new Head of Football Operations for Dundalk also joins us to discuss the plans for community integration, signing policy, and his opinions on the trajectory of the league as a product offering. There's a lot covered in a pod with a small smattering of Galway Utd and not a mention of The Simpsons or The Coens! With the usual help from Future Ticketing, Collar and Cuff and Rascals Brewery, it's Episode 12 and it's jam packed!
The pod finally makes it to the 21st century this week and embraces AI, but not the East Galway interpretation. As well as kinky kebabs, the Bohs singles charts, Galway's lack of sustainability and Johnny recast as the lone ethical ranger (almost) we had veteran goalkeeper Barry Murphy in studio to look back on his career, the complicated emotions of retirement and the litany of characters he met along the way from Magnum Mondays with Roddy to preparing for TNS with Mike Tyson. On the serious side, Dan gives us the lowdown on his story on the state funding for horse and greyhound racing and the discussion it should provoke. All this busy week in sport is in conjunction with Collar and Cuff, Future Ticketing and Rascals Brewery who have a big festival weekend ahead. It's episode eleven and its a banger.
It's a giddy mood in Glasnevin where we host Drogheda manager Kevin Doherty and Dundalk's Keith Ward fresh from the post round and the training ground respectively. The lads pick up where our referee debate ended last week as well as chipping in on the great 2023 Astro Debate! They also find time in our extended edition to touch on Daire Doyle's gas meters, landlord Enda Stevens, post-wedding friendlies, and European balls! Like we said, it's a giddy affair as our hosts recount toilet adventures with The Monk, the bus who wants to be Roy Keane, confectionary cooking tips and a lot of TLAs. It's episode ten with Collar and Cuff, Future Ticketing and Rascals Brewery and think El Duderino, if you're not into the whole brevity thing!
It's gotten to the stage where we needed a referee for the podcast and we found the ideal candidate in Tomás Connolly, an experienced whistler turned administrator who has now turned 'to the dark side' by becoming an assessor. We brought him in to answer the many queries we've faced on yellow cards, relations with managers, grief from players and the overall standard of our men and women in the middle. Damien Duff has been vocal on the issue and he spoke to Dan after the Easter Monday games brought down the curtain on a busy double header. Our mailbag allows us to analyse the Virgin pilot, a bad weekend for Derry and Dundalk, Wispa comebacks, transgender pronouns, French accents, the market for Johnny and Dan's men's health pod and Enoch Burke's quest for Dave Rogers! All overseen and adjudicated by our good friends at Future Ticketing, Rascals Brewery and Collar and Cuff. It's another great pod interview and just like a ref, we can't believe he's given it!!
Back in studio for this week's show and the lads are joined by League of Ireland legend and Malaysian Marvel, Colin Hawkins. Colin talks for the first time about his recent life changing illness and the journey he's been on since that fateful diagnosis earlier this year. On his road to recovery he continues to find time to check in on the league and gives us his views for the year ahead. Meanwhile we have the usual hodge podge of regular features, the newly stung Collar & Cuff mailbag, our Rascals Brewery 'Quizness', coleslaw and curry, Craggy Island VAR, goalkeepers daydreams and a weird man with glasses hanging around outside. Thanks as always to Future Ticketing et al for making it all worthwhile. It's episode 8 and it's not raining!
Another late breaking news story tries to bamboozle us but as usual we got the kids to bed early and get to the story of the day as Keith Long is named as the new Waterford manager after Danny Searle's abrupt exit. Who'd be a manager? It turns out that Ciaran Kilduff is very open to going down that route and the former Dundalk striker joined us this week to catch up with his good pal and ex-teammate Robbie Benson who is now open minded to dabbling in that business in the future. We discussed their old manager Stephen Kenny's week, the changing face of League of Ireland dressing rooms, and the challenge of navigating boardrooms...and board games. There's a first date with Virgin, Johnny's alternate reality as a well groomed Kent Brockman, a very stylish Collar & Cuff mailbag with a new theme tune and of course a tip of the hat and a chink of the glass to Rascals Brewery and Future Ticketing. Forget Succession. This is the new episode you've been waiting for.
Its episode 6 and with our hosts being at opposite ends of the country means we're zooming again. It's Premier League break time as we digest the season so far. We also check in on Kerry FC with Billy Dennehy on managing expectations and Jonathan Hannafin on achieving a dream that means much more to him than a chance meeting with Johnny in a Dublin pub last year. Our ever expanding mailbag touches on artificial pitches, recurring referee questions and when Shamrock Rovers start becomes a crisis. There's chance encounters with fast food at 2am, Johnny's fake social moustache, 15 year old Bohemian stars, and an extended look at the first division. All of this cross country repartee comes courtesy of Future Ticketing, Collar & Cuff and Rascals Brewery. Its episode 6 and its a bit on the early side...
It's the third anniversary of the CoVid lockdown and we're back on Zoom as Johnny almost heads to Cheltenham for his annual week of work. There's all kinds of zany on this weeks show as we ask if Shamrock Rovers lost the killer instinct and whether it’s good for fans and players to talk. Johnny and Dan caught up with Rory Gaffney to talk Tolka, title races and… Tuam slang. Later, Sligo Rovers (or Rovers) manager John Russell dialled in to discuss recruitment, management stress and the inevitable Galway United related tangents. Our bumper Collar & Cuff mailbag deals with the usual diverse and eclectic mix of the sublime, the ridiculous, and whether St. Pat's are in crisis. All this Saint Patrick's week malarky is because of the continued and staunch support of Future Ticketing, Rascals Brewery and Collar and Cuff even if Johnny thinks its Easter already! So put away the creme eggs for now and tune into episode five. It's not like you've work in the morning!
In an airport themed show, Johnny flies in from London to eventually find Dan and catch up with our old pal Sean Boyd, the Shelbourne striker, who jets to the UK this week to solve his injury problems although he explains that the ailment didn’t prevent him from standing by his men in the Oriel tunnel on Monday. We get the lowdown on Shels life, cup regrets and the opponents that have impressed. Dan was in Dalymount to chat with Freddie Draper, the Englishman in Drogheda with good words and golf clubs in locker. Beyond that our mailbag discusses Saints woes, the ups and downs of the Rovers (both Sligo and Shamrock) and the inevitable pressure on JW to declare the title race over. Be sure to use Future Ticketing and Collar and Cuff for all your travelling needs and enjoy a Rascals Beer on board. So its final call for this turbulent flight, that inevitably will be late arriving.
It's episode 3 and we may have peaked! Do NOT miss our interview with Derry City's, Mark Connolly. From his Gaelic Football roots to a heart wrenching story about returning home, Mark gives us an open and honest reflection on his career and life to date. After Zooming with Mark we invited the table topping Bohemian manager Declan Devine in to cast his eye over the opening weeks. He tells us about his Craig David week, the squad, his thoughts on Pat Fenlon, the Dalymount ambitions and where and when his fiftieth will be. We dig deep into the Collar & Cuff mailbag to explore your thoughts on dodgy boxes, empty seats, the wheels on the bus, and why we don't broadcast twice a week. All of this couldn't be done without Future Ticketing, Rascals Brewery and Collar and Cuff on hand to keep the electricity on. Its episode 3 and its a banger!
Where do you start with the Week 1 review? We had Hulk Hogan style walkouts in Wexford, Norma Foley and Niall Quinn seeking out VIP paparazzi in Kerry, Athlone's new Bayside High class and the morals of LOI Season Pass on your dodgybox.After the new improved silk lined, hand stitched Collar & Cuff mailbag David McMillan and Ollie Cahill stopped by. McMillan, the European award winning goalscorer, who for so long has been the architect at Dundalk exclusively announces that he's retiring from the game to be an, erm, architect! He casts his eye over his career and his architects eye over Oriel!Ollie weighs in on LOI marketing, his campaign for an LOI Red Zone, and almost gives us an answer on the GOAT question Shels or Dundalk. It's a high octane, Future Ticketing powered deep dive into the excitement around the games being back and Rascals Brewery are showing our lucky quiz winner around their class brewery and a few tasters as well. Put down that Nutella, its Pancake Day LOI Central, and it's as tasty as a cold Rascals brew.
It's the 7 year itch! We scratch the surface of the upcoming season in episode 1 - 'The Return of the Pod' . After Johnny's winter in the lingerie section of Brown Thomas and Dan's Qatari World Cup adventure, not much has changed on Planet Pod. Johnny still has high hopes for Galway, Dan still reckons this is the biggest season ever, and 90's goth-pop and R&B makes the inevitable return. But to help the dynamic duo get back down to the reality of what's coming up we've asked Mark Rossiter and John Martin to help with an analysis of the comings and goings over the last few months to help predict how this season of all seasons will pan out. We swipe right on transfer tinder and the saga of Dundalk's multiple logins, we ask "Can Derry take Rovers?", we look at the return of 'older' managers to challenge Johnny's favourite law firm, and there's the Mono Stand, cash wages, a bumper bumper mailbag and an almost-epic Collar & Cuff competition.As usual by the end of the hour in studio there still isn't a concrete answer and nothing is indeed delivered. We'd bring you the truth but we reckon you couldn't handle it so you'll have to make do with the rest.It's a Future Ticketing, Collar & Cuff sponsored, rascal of an opening night and other than Galway winning the First Division you'll have to make up your own mind.
Right before Dan goes to Qatar and Johnny loses another laptop we've gathered for the last dance. Regular sideman, Pat Fenlon is joined in studio by the man who once saved his job! Yes, none other than Eoin Doyle, who scraped over the Mendoza Line by half a goal this season but will be fresher next season after dragging his heart around Saint Anne's Park in the off season trying to remember who Stevie Nicks is. Alan Reynolds is f*cking live from Derry were low key celebrations and pre season planning is well under way following the minor distraction of a game last weekend. As 40 year old Johnny prepares for his one man crusade against Galway Utd next season, Dan has an insight on how to wear flares, the mailbag has the LOI drinking game (had to happen), and the lads in studio cast their thoughts forward to next season. All of this is subject to the continued and rather frivolous use of a marketing budget by Future Ticketing, Collar & Cuff, Porterhouse Brew and Malone Financial Services. They think it's all over.....
It's the second to second last episode of the pod and cup final fever is intertwined with Johnny's playoff sickness in a colourful episode. Our roving Galway reporter took a break from venting his frustration to make the unfamiliar trip to the Aviva Stadium where he interviews Ruaidhri Higgins without impersonating him and finally gets up close and personal with his old mate Damien Duff, who is in reflective mood and content to let sleeping giants lie. We also hear from Luke Byrne and Brandon Kavanagh for a player perspective on Sunday's showpiece, while Dan expands on the new minimum wage, Shels investment and the other big stories of the week in a packed mailbag. In this exciting time for fans of big events, we also talk Dylan (McGlade), (Joe) Kendrick Lamar tickets, and muse over what the Finn Harps show will be like without Ollie Horgan. All this because Future Ticketing, Porterhouse Brewery and Collar and Cuff have stuck with us through thick and thicker. It's not dark yet....but it's getting there!
This episode takes us from Dundalk to Dubai. You might think this brings us to discussion of carefree spending in a controversial environment and we do that before getting to the Dubai part. Yes, Andy Boyle chats with Dan about the exhilaration of qualifying for Europe after living through a rollercoaster of emotion at Dundalk as he reaches the end of a contract handed out in the calm before the storm of the Peak6 era. Will he stay or will he go? Our other guest, Sean O'Shea, was willing to pack up his stable existence in Dubai last month and relocate to Dalymount but his ambition to take over Bohemians didn't come to pass. We hear from Sean about why working in Ireland was an attraction and what Shamrock Rovers can expect in Sweden after his time there. On top of that, we've got John Caulfield, dangerous Galway optimism, windy Johnny, quiz controversy and giveaway shirts and beer as the winter draws in. Get warm and join us.
This week's show takes us from Two Stars to the Lone Star State, from Tallaght to Texas, with the confirmation of three leagues in a row for Shamrock Rovers the natural starting point. With his ears burning from repeated mentions, Pico Lopes dialled in to reflect on his central role in the Rovers rise to their 20th title, the surreal nature of winning it while sitting on the couch and a crazy year which will live long in his memory. We didn't get to ask where appearing on this pod ranked in comparison to AFCON in Cameroon, buying a house, getting engaged and turning 30. After your mailbag thoughts on playoffs, Brayoffs and Johnny's anti-Supermacs agenda, we go Stateside to check in with former Sligo Rovers midfielder Richie Ryan about a storied football life that was reignited by a slap in the face at just the right time. We also get to the bottom of the age old Vegas or Sligo debate? Tune in for the definitive answer
Title race? Anyone? Anyone? Well this week we are joined by two lads who know a thing or two about them. Mark Rossiter and Colin Hawkins join us for a healthy dose of nostalgia and bad knees. There are four sided stadiums, badly planned birthdays, Jose Duffrinho, and self confessed shouty man from Donegal, Aidan McNelis, telling us how Finn Harps are hoping to upgrade their stadium. As usual we've to thank Future Ticketing, Collar and Cuff, and Porterhouse Brewery for the non stop roller coaster ride that won't be going on all day!
As the Bohs search for a new manager continues, we bring two together on this week's show with Colin Healy in Cork and Gary Cronin in studio talking First Division matters, playoff games, future plans and the difficult business of knowing when it's time to say goodbye. We also get a bit of FAI Cup insight, evidence that Paul Doolin once admitted he got something wrong and much more besides. On top of that, there's carbon footprints all over the studio, soundalike competition winners, the big Rovers in Europe debate, and Dan's breakdown of breaking Bohs news. The one thing we do know is that Future Ticketing, Porterhouse Brew, and Collar & Cuff keep on keeping us on. Enjoy the ride folks, it's fun while it lasts!
While Dan is in Molde with Shamrock Rovers, which is basically a colder Craggy Island where Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could be wearing an "I Shot JR" t shirt, Johnny hooks up with footballer/publican John Mountney who discusses Stevie, dodgy knees, and JW’s quest for a free pint. We also have Brian Maher on size being irrelevant, the pain of Israel and the joy of being the most obvious keeper in Derry since that nice lad in Derry Girls. There's the finest cakes in all of humanity for the niche Richard E Grant fans, the early finishes at Oktoberfest and all of the shenanigans are courtesy of Collar and Cuff, Future Ticketing, Malone Financial Services and Porterhouse Brew. You want it here and you want it now...
In a turn of events more unexpected than Armenia's comeback at the Aviva, Keith Long came to join us this week for a discussion on Bohs and much more besides. We discussed the all-consuming nature of management, the highs and lows of his Dalymount era and discuss his difficult departure, the emotions of 2022 and the lingering what ifs after eight years in charge. Keith also grapples with our mailbag questions and suggests he might even make this more than a one-time appearance. Before that, we have Johnnys 40th birthday scheduling conundrum, alternative uses for hoovers, Rovers' mini slump, and blazer watch. As usual you can blame Future Ticketing, Collar & Cuff, Porterhouse Brew, and Malone Financial Services for putting you though all of this silliness!
The boys are back in town....but only at the right time. Luke Byrne and Sean Boyd join us in studio after Shelbourne's defeat of Bohemians on Sunday to reflect on the big win, Boyd's rebirth, Damien Duff's video making skills and the pre-season training rules that brought the old pals closer together. We also hear from Tommy Barrett about Treaty United's unlikely cup run, and a jibe about the Galway flavour in the dressing room that leaves Johnny even more hot and bothered than when he wore his Collar and Cuff blazer to Greece. The lads debate Shamrock Rovers' European concessions, a pub debate that could just as easily take place in a jacuzzi. We find out that Sean and Luke know where we can get one as quick change Johnny sports a Christian prayer group, jacuzzi-ready look. Future Ticketing, Collar and Cuff and The Porterhouse Brew are at least partly responsible for this 87 minutes of your life that you'll never get back!
In a week where a nation mourned the passing of its royalty, our LOI royalty went on holidays! This week, Dan and Johnny and a huge carbon footprint come together to bring you the second instalment of our Lost Lane Livecast with Chris Shields, Dave Webster and Eoin Doyle. During a night of high spirits we talked about stealing FAI cups and jollies to Scottish ones, the reflex action to fill the petrol tank on deadline day, religious flip flops, sirloin steaks, and which one of our panelists was a sliding door away from playing up front with David Villa for a season? All of these shenanigans would not be possible without Future Ticketing, Collar & Cuff, and Porterhouse Brew. Listen responsibly, there may be the odd swear word!
After 6 podcast seasons, an aborted season of TV shows, 3 studios, 3 producers, half a dozen engineers, and a bucketload of flat whites, Dan and Johnny have made it to the big time! Recorded before a live audience in Dublin 2 at Lost Lane on a Sunday evening, Ireland manager Stephen Kenny joins the LOI community for a memorable chat from Tallaght Town to Serie B, from best players to adapting formations to Longford Town and everything in between, even Johnny gets "managed". On the couch alongside the Dundalk legend is another legend of the north east, Chris Shields and between the two of them they field a host of questions from our audience. It's all in association with the Porterhouse Brew, Collar & Cuff, Malone Financial Services and Future Ticketing. It's almost live and it's here now!
It's live show week - please come and join us this Sunday (tickets are here https://eventlist.store/loicentral/leagueofirelandcentral?ftredirect=1) - and while live podcasting isn't as risky as live radio, we learned that it can get complicated this week with Bohemians parting company with Keith Long AFTER we had recorded our show and our chat with Pat Fenlon about affairs at Dalymount. Fear not; we come to you with podcast version 2.0 with the instant reaction to the Long news from Dan and Johnny inserted into our wide ranging chat with Pat about Linfield regrets, the scope of the Shamrock Rovers revolution and all the other news of the week. We hear from Patrick McEleney post-Derry and reflect on Dan's 40th as we prepare to test that theory that life does really begin at that age - you'll find out the answer in Lost Lane this Sunday
Why is Lorcan Fitzgerald so angry? We try to get to the bottom of that question this week but Johnny just wants to hear about our studio guest’s favourite trip to Galway back in the day when he was just a player and not a player/coach wondering what the future holds for him. We were delighted to have Lorcan pop in ahead of Wexford’s big cup date with Dundalk and the only disappointment is that the clock defeated Keith Ward’s injury time text to Johnny. Dan also recounts his trip to Hungary, and we hear Rory Gaffney’s extremely modest theory on the areas where LOI clubs struggle on their travels. Meanwhile, Drogheda United chairman Conor Hoey drops in via Skype to discuss the reaction to his article declaring the club should go pro. And we debate if fitting a GoPro to a LOI player would result in some horrible misdeeds coming to light. As usual there's the mailbag and the Porterhouse Brew quiz, the live show update (tickets on sale Thursday folks!), and all of this comes thanks to our great friends at Future Ticketing and Collar & Cuff. Summer’s almost over and we've still got lots more to come...
For fear of being sued for adapting a Nobel Laureate's lyrics, we're coming out of Como and Budapest. Radio signal, clear as can be expected, as we check in with Cesc Fabregas' team mate Liam Kerrigan in Como who is holed up indoors before 4pm and will be looking for Johnny's English girl approximately under the leaning tower. Liam also fills us in on his years at UCD and his relationship with Marc Bircham, and the joys of Italian arm waving. Dan looks forward to the Rovers Hungarian trip, out of Dublin, there's a full mailbag, a dispute over an article in the Sunday papers, and a St Pats Euro analysis as well as full league lookahead and a quiz with Porterhouse brews. Plus! Save the date, buy a hat, book a taxi, because we're giving you a day out! All of this is with Future Ticketing, Collar and Cuff and Porterhouse Brews. So stay on the road, follow the highway sign, it's all going down in a lost lane.
As we bask in the summer heatwave drinking Ice-T, Stephen Bradley's Shamrock Rovers bask in European glory after 'routinely' disposing of Shkupi Shkupi Dog Dog. We hear from the manager of the victorious team from Tallaght as well as welcoming another Tallaght native into our studio. Graham Gartland returns to the pod to cast his assessment of Bradley's performance, a look ahead to Saint Pats big game, the young talent at Rovers, Johnny's apparent development of ADHD, stock car racing in the 80s, and Paul Doolin's inside legs. On top of that Johnny gets new shorts from our very good friends at Collar and Cuff, there's an article that Dan may or may not have written, a Porterhouse Brew quiz prize, and let's not forget the good people at Future Ticketing for making all of this malarkey possible! Oh, and if you've spotted the Father Ted reference give yourself an extra star!
By all accounts this week's pod takes 'interesting' to a new level. This weeks mistakenly identified guest is John Martin, who didn't play as a number 10 for UCD in either 1999 or 2000, but did play in midfield and was assistant manager with Longford Town. John drops by LOI towers to talk about the business of sport, CEO training, the FAI's strategy plan, his experiences as a player and a coach, and the exploits of his football family. The dynamic duo also have time to discuss what was the best Irish goal in Europe, inflationary croissants, the Dalymount saga, and why we should play Scottish teams in every round! There's the usual Porterhouse Brew competition, the mailbag, look ahead to the weekend and as usual a detailed examination of how Galway United are going to win the cup. Thanks, as always, to Future Ticketing, Collar and Cuff, and Porterhouse Brew and by all accounts, thats it!
This week, Didi and Gogo are unaccompanied in studio as the pod takes a darker turn. Suitably dressed in all black, our accidental heroes ruminate on life, death, and European competitions. With voices from far flung lands, like John Russell from Sligo, Jamie Lennon and Jon Daly from Saint Pats and Gary O'Neill from Shamrock Rovers, our protagonists try to see the bright side of the week's adventures while fondling bread and lamenting the fiver coffee. There are lighter moments to this weeks tragi-comedy, like Pat Dolan's Celtic Tiger shirts, pint prices in 1988, not so ironic anagrams and extra Porterhouse Brews. "One day we'll go deaf, one day we were born, one day we shall die", but not before we thank our good friends at Future Ticketing, Malone Financial Services, and Collar and Cuff. Danger here.....
On the anniversary of his Real Madrid debut we talk in depth with Chris Ronaldo's best friend over the last thirteen years. Yes, ex Rovers defender Pajo Flynn, whose relationship with Ronaldo has blossomed since their first meeting on that Tallaght pitch over a decade ago bares his soul in a no holds barred interview that details his part in Ronaldo's rise, that famous Coca Cola bottle controversy, defending Del Piero free kicks, the similarity of arses in League of Ireland, coaching the under 14s, and, in a world exclusive, finally reveals his most hated adversaries. We look forward to the European games to come this week and back at a disappointing night for Shamrock Rovers as well as discussing Alan Mannus and the third leg of the tie. All thanks to Future Ticketing, Collar and Cuff and there's beers to be won from Porterhouse Brew.
European football is a Ciaran Kilduff time of year and he dropped into studio to reflect on magic memories with Johnny and Dan and talk about his plans to make some new ones in management. His old team-mate and rival Colin Healy is living that life right now and he dialled in from Cork ahead of Friday's big game in Turner's Cross to talk about the transition to the dugout and dismiss mind games from our in-house Galwegian. We also hear about Ciaran's brief but memorable spider heavy stint on Leeside where the blind quite literally ended up leading the blind. Beyond that, we hear about Shamrock Rovers' Euro exploits from Stephen Bradley and look ahead to a big Sligo Rovers night with the help of John Russell and Aidan Keena. And your mailbag brings us down an unusual path towards suspiciously cute animal videos and the eternal question of whether an elephant actually forgets. This is all brought to you by our good friends at Collar and Cuff, Future Ticketing and Porterhouse Brew.
As the giddy July evenings of European football take hold, Paddy Kavanagh joins us to speak of his vision for beauty, love and truth or maybe it was just Bohs. Either way, we went on an entertaining journey through his career, from character building Leinster Senior League days to the Belgrade bomb squad and a thriller in Turkey before he found his happy place scoring in front of the Dalymount Park chip van. Culinary issues dominate the mailbag as we find the one subject that prompts a 'no comment' from Johnny while we also hear from the evergreen Ronan Finn about his European goal and Riga expert Ruaidhri Higgins about Derry City's next test. All this and a trip to Collar & Cuff for a suit for a young Perry Mason, a question of four Porterhouse brews and thanks as always to our friends at Future Ticketing.
Is it just us or is the whole world looking for the next South Dublin coffee house? Well you won't find it here. We've got cheesy chips, curry chips, and Stephen Bradley, who wasn't bad at chips in his day. As Bradley's team gets ready for the ex British colony of Malta and their high temperatures, we narrowly avoid an international incident of the Kay Burley variety, when talking with Gianluca Lia of the Maltese sporting press. He tells us about the weird impact Irish refereeing is having on the upcoming Rovers v Hibernian tie. We also have a cameo from Tim Clancy on the transfer window while there's cats and dogs in the mailbag, cryogenically frozen actors, the entire first division team narratives, and not a falcon in sight. So, with thanks to Future Ticketing, Porterhouse Brew, Malone Financial Services and Collar and Cuff, this really is the stuff that dreams are made of.
This week's special guest is Trevor Croly. Over a decade and a half in coaching, he talks about his time as manager of Shamrock Rovers, what he learned, the Bohs bus-inspired jersey, their up-and-down season and a lot more besides. We also hear from John Caulfield ahead of Alex Murphy's move to Newcastle, much to Johnny's sadness. And Dan is off to Berlin – after an admission that the lads had a something-other-than-ten out of ten performance last week. All this and much more with thanks to Future Ticketing, Collar and Cuff, and Porterhouse Brew.
It's another remote-arama podcast with Johnny going nineteenth century on the Blaskets and Dan just back from his eastern European International duty. We have Stephen O'Donnell checking in along with Greg Bolger as we anticipate the big European nights for the LOI clubs in the coming weeks. It's all in all not quite as good as a Nathan Collins wonder goal but not quite as bad as a George Best hangover. Yes, it's somewhere in the middle but it's available now! Thanks to Future Ticketing, Porterhouse Brew and Collar and Cuff.
It's another roadshow of sorts this week with Johnny in Kinsale and Dan back from Yerevan and we return from our non Galway-Cork related mid-season break to speak about the planned LOI expansion into Kerry with Billy Dennehy speaking with Johnny about what's going on down in the Kingdom and where it might go. The lads discuss the potential, wonder how long it is before US tourists in Killarney are LOI groundhopping and ponder the irony of Saudi Arabia finally doing something for Galway. Derry slumps, John Russell's Sligo Rovers appointment and wedding suit reviews also feature in a show that is a tight fit by our standards
On Bob Dylan's 81st birthday we have a show with absolutely no reference to the poet laureate of Rock 'n Roll but do have the poet laureate of LOI, Brian Kerr, giving his views on the Liam Buckley dismissal. Whilst Dan dials in from Europe, Johnny finally get's a Long(ish) chat with Keith before a discussion on the SARI promotion of it's work and a chat with Europe bound, teenage sensation James Abankwah. As usual the mailbag is stuffed and the Porterhouse brews are flying out the door. And yes, you guessed it, Collar and Cuff and Future Ticketing are along for the ride as usual. Episode 15, my friends, is blowing in the wind!
Johnny's fantasy of being in a forensic cop show came a step closer to being realised as the Operation Brookweed news broke just before going into studio. Dan and Johnny discuss the match fixing story as well as religious bookstores and relics before welcoming noted author, actor, topless model and entrepreneur Brian Gartland in to discuss his new book and his story so far. There's Ray Charles, Hotel Shenanigans in both Portugal and Abbey Street, that rivalry with Cork, Love Hate and away games with Ireland. You can also win a signed copy of Brian's book to read along with your Porterhouse brews, Johnny's Collar and Cuff suit is still in the news and Roy Keane even gets in on the action. All thanks to Future Ticketing, Porterhouse Brew, Malone Financial Services and Collar and Cuff
This week we welcome first-time caller, long-time listener, Padraig Amond, who made the trip from Carlow to Exeter and he tells us about life in league one with The Grecians, getting papped at a Florida airport and how he might not be playing at Galway United next season. Johnny talks to Stephen Bradley about quadruple substitutions in an effort to manoeuvre around a large bleached mastodon that may have been in the room at the time before chatting to Liam Buckley about how good or otherwise the pitch was. Music this week comes from Dr Alban, Haddaway, Picotto and the Shels supporters. There's a birth name reveal and how a Duncan became a Bob, Johnny gets his suit stretched out a bit, and the boys lose touch with the kids. As usual we have to thank Future Ticketing, Collar and Cuff and The Porterhouse for allowing us to create more tangents than a Raymond Chandler novel. I'll stop talking now and let the rest of it float in the air.
There's only one talking point to discuss this week. It's the big news that stopped us in our tracks. Did Johnny really go for a curry with Alan Patchell instead of a day at the races with Dan? Oh, there's also the whole Stephen Bradley to Lincoln thing, which the lads discuss in depth at the top of the show. We get the thoughts of Rotherham hero and exam student Georgie Kelly, the footballer who doesn't want to be known as a footballer and a friend of many pods but the only player to give an on-air review of this one. Johnny catches up with Countdown's Dinny Corcoran about his 100 goals and the ales that cost him a few more.
We've got a doozy of a show for you this week as we welcome back Mark Rossiter to the show and this time he brings Drogheda's best bearded northsider with him. Yes, in a wide ranging chat, Gary Deegan helps Johnny exorcise the ghosts of cup finals missed, reflects on how a brush with death changed his perspective on life and opens up on the fake and fickle nature of the ruthless football industry over the water. He also explains why nutsacks don't mix well with carpenters' tools and the practical reason he used to bring his dog to training. There's the demise of the mystery voice because you said so, designated flare operators, and a whole lot of other stuff in an extra long episode brought to you by Future Ticketing, Collar & Cuff, Porterhouse Brewery and Malone Financial Services. You wanted it easy, and it couldn't be any easier.
The gloves are off this week and Nancy Reagan's continuing war on drugs means that Bradley, Higgins, and O'Donnell are retained for their thoughts on what happened over the weekend. As we stumble into the middle age of this season's pod and lose touch with the kids Dan speaks to English born, Drogheda based, Scottish U-21 international Sam Long & Johnny catches up with Kildare raised, Oxford based and likely future Ireland international Luke McNally. And if that's not confusing enough we also have a message from the future (and not talking Future Ticketing) about the demise of Ian Morris at Waterford. Roads!, where we're going we don't need roads. It might not be 1985 Nancy but Roy Keane wasn't always a pundit kids. Episode 10 with our bare hands!
Just before Jesus rising time we've got a Shelbourne Special for you. It's a biblical tale of hateful revenge turning into brotherly love for Mark Coyle and Aodh Dervin - two new disciples of Damien Duff's gospel at Tolka. They talk about getting the call from the Messiah and what it means to go full time as well as spreading the good news via on field chats. There's loaves and chicken, excited mothers, mysterious text messages, a postman, scientist, the big bag of Mail, the voice of God and monk brewed Porterhouse. Collar and Cuff are tasked with a suit for Johnny's wedding at Canaan and if that's not enough bible for you there's always the church of LOI with two rounds of games this weekend! All thanks to Future Ticketing.
In this week's carbon neutral pod we travel forward in time to chat to Tom Grivosti of St. Pats and virtually welcome Derry and Ireland Under 21 Assistant Manager Alan Reynolds back to the pod to talk about handshakes, housewreckers, headcases and a small bit of football. There's the continuing saga of the mystery voice, the new Johnny Ward voice of advertising, the increasingly popular mailbag, the usual legal wranglings of O'Donnell, Clancy and Higgins, and a milk run gone wrong. All of this over a few laughs and a coffees in our Oliver Ireland studio and of course thanks to our usual sponsors, Future Ticketing, Porterhouse Brewing and Lou Feringo's favourite tailors, Collar & Cuff!
What's the difference between X-Factor and X-Rated? It's not quite a PC discussion but we do have a PC to join us this week with Paul Corry dropping in along with Pat Fenlon to discuss the relationship they could have enjoyed, Troy Parrott's development, the coaching of Irish midfielders and much more besides. Johnny's favourite young managers get a mention but there's credit for some old dogs too. Don't do a Corry on it and leave before the end.
Sun's out and Johnny's out, well out from the cloud of CoVid and back in studio for episode 6. Guitar hero, winged wonder and ex PFAI executive Ollie Cahill, joins us for a chat about Dan's dubious predictions, Away days in Kyiv, "The Gaza Strip" in Abbotstown, Paul Doolin, the other 'Ollie' at Shels and a whole heap of miscellany too random to work into this piece. All of this plus a roundup of the weekend games, Dan's twittering, the ever popular mailbag and the Porterhouse mystery voice. All of this as ever is brought to you in conjunction with Collar & Cuff, Future Ticketing and Malone Financial Services, so fire up the outdoor grill and tune in!
This weeks show is brought to you by the letter 'C'. C is for Cheltenham, CoVid, Clattering, Custodians and Chunes. With Johnny isolating, Dan grabs words with Stephen O’Donnell and the Irish sounding German Leon Pohls after Dundalk v Shamrock Rovers before the separated duo joust over mystery voices, echo chambers, double week of fixtures,and season passes. Topically there's a Ukraine Charity Match with excellent Guinness on the northside. You get all this without the usual all American Patty's day palaver that goes with this weekend, so turn your porterhouses green, tune in, drop by and you might get a winner!
A downright giddy pod has Johnny shoulder dancing with GAA players, those Kiwi gypsies who apparently rejuvenated a championship winning team, and should you get a player sent off? If that wasn't enough we have a very special guest as Ireland Under 21 manager Jim Crawford drops by for a lengthy chat. As well as the upcoming Sweden game and the lowdown on the current class of '22, there's tackling a cheeky little Bordeaux, the granny rule, eligibility drama, marking the pitch in Harolds Cross and the Shels connection. Throw in the mailbag, the mystery voice with the Porterhouse, losing your shirt at Cheltenham with Collar & Cuff, and the mystery of the missing winner and you have all you need to get warmed up for another double fixture week!
It's episode 3 and Mark Scanlon, the League of Ireland Director, drops by the pod for an extended chat about the big issues. There's third tiers, women's leagues, season tickets, LOI TV, Stadia, rankings and everything in between. As well as all that we have your mailbag questions answered , a sprinkling of Damien Duff, and our new and improving Mystery Voice competition where you can win beer if you're not off it for Lent, and if you want to drink it in a nice suit, our friends from Collar & Cuff will look after you. Yes, your 40 days and nights of sacrifice begins right here!
On the day the national underage league launches, we have a fascinating talk with two people employed full time to run an academy in Ireland. Cork City's Liam Kearney and Shamrock Rovers' Shane Robinson drop by the studio to look at how the underage game has developed and hopes to develop in light of Brexit and the new European football landscape. Also on this weeks captivating episode Dan delves further into the Cork City story and Johnny offers a spellbinding insight into the Russian situation and Vlad the Impaler. There's a mystery voice winner draw, a new mystery voice that's slightly less mysterious and the usual enthralling look at the weeks action. All of this and not one mention of the 'I' word!
It's a brand new season but with some old favourites. Johnny's ankle is fixed after his cup final cliffhanger and his first two legged assignment is to welcome Damien Duff to his world of young management. Johnny McDonnell drops in on his way back from Karachi to explain the St Patrick's Athletic/Pakistan/Michael Owen alliance which raised more eyebrows than Johnny's winter move to the FAI. Dan isn't sure if he really, really wants our new mystery competition and we catch up with Derry's Ronan Boyce for a supervised interview ahead of the 2022 campaign. There's also a club by club preview, a Troy McClure impression and a pod you may remember for such partners as Future Ticketing, Malone Financial Services & Porterhouse Brewing Company.
For our 2021 swan song we have cup winning captain Ian Bermingham in studio to talk new season, new contract, new manager and new baby! We also have some of his old manager's press conference as Johnny poses a few questions to Stevie O'Donnell. Georgie Kelly zooms in and explains why he had to strike while the iron was hot. Johnny and Dan discuss the big news stories over the last week and Aisling Fennin from Future Ticketing looks ahead to what Johnny is so very very very excited about. Ask any taxi driver!
Unlike a book of Charlie Haughey's broken promises we do return for a penultimate show with Johnny the one legged wisecrackin' reluctant beer drinking sidelined journalist and Dan, the Woodstein of the current breaking news week in his own version of 'All the Presidents Men' where Michael D has tape recordings of this week's guests Shane Supple and Ian Morris in compromising conversations. Probably not about breaking in to any offices or in Ian's case getting awards and then getting taken out of office! Lots and lots of chat about the year that was, the year that could be, who's going, who's staying and whether Johnny will avoid CoVid before the last show! It's episode 39 and its a humdinger.
After perhaps the craziest ten days in the history of the League of Ireland, Shels keeper Brendan Clarke and Pulitzer candidate David Sneyd join the lads to talk a crazy managerial merry-go-round, the FAI Cup final, Marc Bircham's Waterford demise, and UCD's playoff win. Our penultimate podcast of the year had to be recorded on Zoom because as Dan was breaking stories, Johnny was breaking his ankle. What did the lads make of the FAI Cup final, and how did it all end like this for the winning team and their manager?
On this week’s super special extra bonus party golf club pod we have PFAI awards nominees Georgie Kelly and Ross Tierney from Bohemians who completely break the mould and stereotypes of footballers as they delve into heartfelt discussions of family, personal loss, mental health, sustainability and economics. They do mention football once or twice too. And on cup final week we also hear from St Patrick’s Athletic star, the award nominated Chris Forrester, who shirks his iconic Ian Curtis lookalike status for a more workmanlike Michael Carrick comparison and talks about how football is giving him joy again. Looking ahead with Dan and Johnny to the cup final, he's bullish about the youngsters at Pats and how they look to cause a bit of an upset. But not as much of an upset as Johnny was feeling after his encounter with the mannequins during the week. Stephen McGuinness helps us to set the scene for the awards and details his own battle. This is episode 37.
Dan is back from the Grand Duchy after watching Ireland turn a corner and negotiate a tricky road. Unlike Johnny who ended up in an ambulance trying to do the same. Dundalk’s Brian Gartland stops by with an old team mate, Dane Massey of Drogheda United to talk about the seismic Oriel Park takeover, the restoration of class and dignity, Mexican nightclubs, 2016 memories, Brian’s book and the Galway Under 14s. Or was that Johnny....I think it was Johnny...
Even if you were at The Beatles in the Adelphi in '64, U2 at The Dandelion in '79, Green Day in The Attic in '90 or Bob Dylan in Vicar St. in '00, unless you were also at the Galway United Under 14 Cup triumph last week your passport is missing a vital stamp. So much so we invited Will Clarke, the FAI League of Ireland Academy Development manager, to join this week's pod where he talks about the plans for developing our young players and clubs as well as his affiliation with Shelbourne. Dan also nabbed Garry Buckley from Sligo Rovers for an extended chat after their 3-0 win against St. Pats on Friday. All this, the latest rumoured Dundalk management trio, The young managers law firm updates and a little bit about Galway.
D Day today! Duffer is in, Doolin and Doyle are out! Amid all the comings and goings, we welcome Shamrock Rovers defender Roberto 'Pico' Lopes to studio to reflect on the title win for the Hoops and give us sketchy details on a weekend of celebrations. The only Crumlin man in the Cape Verde squad has tales of African airports and incarceration in a Santry hotel as well as the low down on today's big news, Damien Duff as Shelbourne's new manager. We have a bit of Damien from his press conference and Paul Doolin on the phone to Johnny lamenting the M50 traffic that caused him to end his spell at Athlone. All this and the usual crossed wires, Galway United trivia, and long lost cousins on the Green Cape.
As Johnny returns from his stopstart trip around Europe, Ireland chief scout Stephen Rice dropped by on his way to Dublin Airport and another week of planes, trains and automobiles for the sake of his country. We talked about his Irish role, playing style and directors box style and managed to fit in a bit of Brexit implications and young manager bingo. Ricer also reflected on his favourite memories of managers although there was a tactical blank when it came to one former boss. Beyond that, we have an FAI Cup review, Walsall trivia and Lithuanian wedding throwbacks so sit back and let Episode 33 take flight.
Allez oop! With Johnny donning his Maillot Jaune in the south of France and dishing out geography lessons from a hotel lobby we return to a more normal running time after last week's Doolothon. Dan is in studio A with Killian Brennan and Mark Rossiter. Old team mates who share stories of crowd chants, hairdryers, dressing room bust ups and silly yellow cards. There's also time to reflect on Stephen Kenny's tenure to date, the cup semi finals, and brothers in football. All of this and squeezed into just over an hour!
Last May, the stars of 'Friends' reunited for a marathon two hour special to reflect on the good times with the added bonus of lining their pockets. This week on the show, Paul Doolin and Graham Gartland came together for the price of a cup of coffee to reflect on their days at Drogheda where the tough taskmaster boss - who is now back in the game with Athlone - kept a dressing room which included Gartland on their toes. Why didn't they get on? Why doesn't Paul pick up the phone? Is tough love the best kind of love? Are they on a break? We get to the bottom of all these questions and more in a discussion that goes to unexpected places for a bingeworthy 2 hours with no ad breaks, no plastic surgery and more laughs than that 'other' reunion.
School's out for Wexford manager Ian Ryan who joins Shelbourne's Georgie Poynton during a free class with a Baku-bound Dan and a Covid-free Johnny. The lads reminisce on their favourite dressing rooms, the Dundalk conundrum, influential managers and Johnny bingo! There's an extra tricky Four Star Pizza question, a truncated fixture review and extra kebabs in Azerbaijan. It's a day early this week and just in time for the last bell.
When Tom Petty ditched the heartbreakers to record the seminal "Full Moon Fever" back in 1989 he actually ended up using most of the band on separate tracks. So as Johnny goes solo this week he zooms Dan in for the first half, where he discusses todays big news as well as the avalanche of reaction to last weeks RTE debate. Then after leaving Dan to enjoy his 5 star hotel and dodge bank tellers he welcomes in studio, Jason McGuinness to discuss his new role as an education pioneer with Shels and Gary Cronin, who's Bray team is competing in a strong and very competitive first division. The lads discuss education as part of the game, the Stephen Kenny saga, the changes within the game, phones in dressing rooms and lots lots more. Oh and there's a Rovers' themed anniversary Four Star Pizza draw all the way from the Kingdom. It's episode 29 and it's early.....
It's showtime this week as RTE Group Head of Sport Declan McBennett steps into our Glasnevin studio to discuss the station's coverage of the League of Ireland in a wide ranging discussion that covers a lot of bases after a fractious summer centred around the absence of European games from the screens. The issues and challenges of the past, present and future are debated in a robust manner. Meanwhile, the undercard features quick hits with Ian Bermingham and Eoin Toal after their weekend games and there's also a pizza to be won from a brand new box of eighties undiscovered gold.
Early and late this week. Missing keys, Cork mountains and a tardy Johnny who cant stop talking mountains even if they're in the flattest country in europe. Joining himself and Dan is Ciaran Kilduff, who drops by on his way to spy on Bohs in Donegal and tells us why Maynooth was the right choice for him. Longford manager, Daire Doyle keeps Ciaran company and weighs in on Longford luck, referees, Stephen Kenny and the Dundalk story. With Four Star Pizza, the cup, sideline parents and timekeeping all mixed into an early treat of a podcast it's time to put on the headphones and enjoy! Think of it like having a curry chips on a Monday...
So this week, we have, to the tune of 'We Didn't Start The Fire'.. "Stephen Kenny, Gavin Bazunu, Ireland's got a draw again. Pat Fenlon, Tommy Barrett, Wedding Bells and Futsal Old Irish Magazines, Treaty have a better team Pizza Draws, previews, angry men on sidelines..."
Yes, it's always been burning right here on LOI Central, for more than four years now
We're out earlier than usual this week with Dan en route to Portugal where he hopefully doesn't pull a Johnny Ward and end up on the beach when he realises the game is on. Johnny did make it to Dalymount eventually where the lads caught up with Andy Lyons after a breathless Dublin derby before he scooted off to his own Irish adventure. Lyons reflected on a rare strike with his left, which some would say is a tribute to Bohs' political leanings. Johnny certainly had Bohs on the brain after a night where he went from Des Kelly to Luke Kelly with the company of Damien Dempsey. We also asked where Shamrock Rovers go from here and reflected on the rest of the cup games
You can’t always get what you want but on this week’s pod we reflect on Rovers disappointment in Estonia and the challenge ahead with some words from Stephen Bradley. We have former Rovers keeper turned fireman Craig Hyland and the sun loving gym instructor and born again footballer Mick Daly in our ultra modern new studio to discuss the FAI Cup tie they both have with Saint Mochta's. Paul Doolin is back and the Galway United Press Officer caught up with him after a welcome victory for Athlone. It all goes Sergio Leone too, with the Good (Man City's Michael Johnson), the bad (Dundalk's partying regime), and the ugly (decide for yourself). All this and the usual pizza question and analysis. Sadly we've had a few losses this week in the league and in the world of music. Rest easy all you who've gone.
On this week's reboot of the pod Dan McDonnell separates Finn Harps' electric tattooed forward Sean Boyd who's lounging around our brand new hipster studio humming 'Flower of Scotland' from former Shamrock Rovers darts target and soon to be Presidential aide de camp Johnny Ward. Sean now boasts a burgeoning film career, with a debut performance in "The Cave" premiering at Galway Film Festival but don't get over excited because it's not the one about the daring rescue of the Thai youth football team. We're not clear what Sean's role is and we're not sure his mother or girlfriend know either. There's more Joey O'Brien cameos, a house renovation, a possible road trip to the Aras, and an "An Post" ad that no one can remember. Throw in your usual Four Star Pizza question and some analysis and what've you got? The same old story... but now with Dolby Atmos!
After discovering they had no culinary skills during the kitchen episode a few weeks back, Johnny and Dan have moved to a Santry diner where the recently retired, unlikely arthritis victim Karl Sheppard, steps in like a character out of a Tom Waits song. The striker, formerly of Shamrock Rovers and Cork City, is adjusting to the real world where it's easier to get a mortgage and harder to get fired up and angry. Set to a background of fully vaccinated 'Nighthawks at the Diner', there's chat about his past life and his future plans and we also pour over the lessons of another big European week ahead of a super Thursday for Bohemians, Shamrock Rovers and Dundalk. Thankfully no one got hurt during the recording except for a couple of eggs that got beat up and a cup of coffee that wasn't strong enough to defend himself against a hard ass Four Star Pizza question.
Fresh from going on holiday by mistake Johnny doesn't make the kitchen but a great show zooms onto the airwaves. Joey O'Brien talks Guinness with Gary Speed and Nightclub assassinations in Eastern Europe. Keith Long gives the post Bohs review and his thoughts on footy on the telly. Alessio Abibi on Dundalk's big match, a Big Sam Four Star Pizza question that isn't "What's the capital of Celtic?" and lots more on a huge week for Irish football.
It's bye bye to zoom as the kitchencast begins in earnest. St Patrick's Athletic manager Stephen O'Donnell shows up for a cuppa and talks about signing players over zoom, those big tackle cheers and fatherhood. In between kettle boils there's "The Big Barrett House", needless texts, Brian Kerr's sideline antics in an empty ground, and Jessie's Giants 5 a side team. There's also a European preview where Bohs' Keith Ward shows he can be as entertaining off the pitch as on it and we also talk red list countries, cup draws, top of the table clashes and the latest update in the red hot Four Star Pizza scandal. Tune in, turn on...whatever!
Well whaddya know, ahead of another big week in Europe, we were joined by the well travelled Gary Rogers who dropped by to tell us about Zoom calls in Vienna, the impact of off field distractions and who his favourite keeper is right now. Chief bottle washer Dan McDonnell talked to the Dundalk camp ahead of their Estonian battle while the other half of the odd couple chipped in with his thoughts on the boy Devoy and what comes next for Bohs. It's a jam sambo packed episode 19 filled with all cup ties and European fondu with a big fat pizza question to boot . It's just a bit weird that no one mentioned this weeks Bob Dylan livestream event, but that's football...(and now you know who wrote this weeks pod description)
On this weeks eccentrically pronounced episode we have, St Patrick's Athletic academy chief Ger O'Brien discussing why government needs to get serious about player production, while clubs have to lead the way in their decision making. His old boss Liam Buckley on European progression with Sligo Rovers young guns, and while Johnny contains his excitement at a certain cup tie he catches up with the erudite Andy Lyons and the guarded James Talbot ahead of Bohs' big night at the Aviva. The lads also pick over the wreckage of a frustrating Champions League exit for Shamrock Rovers and try to deflect from another Galway United Four Star Pizza win. All this and more on your slightly later than normal LOI Central
European fever hits the show this week as we reflect on a tough night for Shamrock Rovers in Bratislava , and look ahead to Icelandic dates for Bohemians and Sligo Rovers. We get the professional view from Iceland, and some insight from an ever youthful Keith Long. Johnny also puts a few questions to Vinny Perth ahead of Dundalk's Covid affected clash with Newtown. Dan tries hard to remain undefined by his 'Square United' experience. There's a nineties supermodel getting frisky on a beach whilst pondering a Four Star Pizza question and finally..who will be the anti-Schillaci on Sunday.... you know what I mean!
Fact! Dolly Parton wrote one of the greatest country songs of all time in an afternoon and then went and wrote 'I Will Always Love You' in the same afternoon. This weeks pod took double that length of time to record but it too has a distinct Country and Western theme to it and despite Johnny's best attempts it's not all about Galway. St Patrick’s Athletic’s Mayoman John Mountney talks about fresh starts, Dundalk memories and his statue ambitions before we go to Sligo to hear from Bit’O’Red youth guru Conor O’Grady about their academy fuelled success and the broader state of play in Ireland. On top of that we’ve got a Sligo flavoured quiz question, title race thoughts, European speculation and a special rewrite of that very same Dolly Parton hit. Yes it's vaccine…vaccine, vaccine, vaccinnnnee
We welcome back our old pal Shane Supple to the show this week to reflect on a dramatic derby win for Bohemians over Shamrock Rovers. Several big questions on Bohs get an airing. How will they cope if Georgie Kelly gets injured? Why did Keith Long snap at Johnny's opening question on Monday? Will Bohs management be out shopping for cats in the coming weeks? We also promise not to talk about Dundalk but still talk about Dundalk as Chris Shields exit raises questions. Johnny checks in with John Caulfield and the lads also spin tales of European train journeys, LOI sibling spotting and art of the perfect nickname. It's a hell of a Manic Monday but who did the better version? Prince or The Bangles? Oh and that's not the Four Star Pizza question this week...
On this week's bumper Summer Special Shane Keegan and Neal Horgan have an extended chat about the rise and fall of two of the league's most famous clubs, Cork and Dundalk. In a week where pints on the side of the road are back, Ollie Horgan talks points on the road with a zoological Dan Mc Donnell. The return of Vinny Perth to Oriel, European ties, cheap flights to Bratislava, our best wishes to Christian Eriksen and we never find out why Johnny was at the Four Courts. All this and a Four Star Pizza quiz in our best value episode to date!
In this weeks sepia tinged episode we cue the Hovis music as our old eir Sport pal Shane Dawson dons his flat cap and denies plastering northside Dublin lamposts with “Save Tolka” posters but does explain what the campaign is all about. Johnny joins us from surviving a seal infested swim on an island and breakfast with the stars while Liam Holton from Future Ticketing gets us all excited about the return of fans. All of this prompts a debate from the likely lads about the demographics in the stands and the changing face of Irish football. Johnny finally reveals his favourite player in the league and there’s a pizza to be had for anyone who can remember the Ollie Byrne era . So grab your Marietta and Bovril for some good old wholesome analogue entertainment
In this nostalgia filled week, we take every club in the top two divisions and analyse them more than Ross and Rachels on again off again who cares again courtship. Talking courtships and nostalgia, our main guest is Ruaidhri Higgins who opens up on his transition to management and how Derry nostalgia played a part in him taking the gig. All of this, the Four Star Pizza draw and the first time we kept the Galway United Media Officer under an hour, means there's a lot more to celebrate than some botoxed Hollywood has beens crying about their lost youth. You wouldn't see the Derry Girls at it....
There's a Brummie theme to this week's show as Jordan Gibson tells us about his new sense of duty to Sligo Rovers even if he can't find a way to watch Line of Duty. Jordan showers praise on Liam Buckley and Greg Bolger, delivers an insight into the cold world of the lower reaches of English football, and explains how fate sent his career in a different direction. We also hear audio dispatches from Athlone Town boss Adrian Carberry and his Galway United counterpart John Caulfield in addition to ruminating over the issues that matter and a good deal more which don't after a week of drama. Like most ill-advised rambles, this episode ends up in the urinal.
There's a Scottish theme to this week's show as Drogheda boss Tim Clancy reflects on his playing days there and opens up on his managerial ambitions, including his desire to escape the double jobbing life that has made his exploits in Louth all the more impressive. Meanwhile, Aaron McEneff joins us to discuss his winter move to Hearts and a lifechanging start to 2021 with a nod back to some happy memories at Shamrock Rovers. The lads reflect on the lessons of the last week, bemoan their short lived TV career, daydream about their stadium wishes and both ask and answer the question for our pizza giveaway.
On this week's 'must win' podcast we do something different as footballer turned agent Jonathan Douglas recounts his journey from Monaghan to an eventful life in the UK and gives us his take on what players from these shores need to do to succeed. . Galway United media officer Johnny overcomes another loss by speaking to Gary Cronin. There's art deals gone wrong, Covid breaches, Waterford managers, missing accents and title race declarations. All of this, a pizza draw, Tony Holohan, and the definitive discussion on what constitutes a ‘hard place to go’. It's really all about the roads..
Exclusive! Revealed! No not the Sheedy and Newell replacements, this is much more important! Dan's past comes back to haunt him in a series of confessional pieces that cast him as a failed coke addict tennis prodigy, the star of the famously unreadable "Infinite Jest", who sidled into a journalism career alongside Johnny, a failed teenage website administrator whose only real guest was this weeks star man Kevin McHugh. Kevin pays tribute to the late Alan Keely and details the support that is needed to bring the Finn Harps academy to the next level. Meanwhile, his onetime goalscoring rival Andy Myler regales us with Billy Bagster stories and speaks about the differences between the UCD team he manages and the one he came into in his teenage years . We have Stephen Bradley, Daniel Kelly and Jim Magilton on Monday's action, the Four Star Pizza question and an even bigger talking point. Did Dan ever prank call the Ardee Police Station just to giggle at "Ardee Gardai"...?
Later today a Corkman will indicate to us when we can go to a match again and until Micheal puts us out of our misery it's time for your favourite similarly depraved matey partnership of Dan and Johnny who take a look inside the dugouts and ask, are the youthful managerial class of 2021 bringing on a renaissance? Either way, there's definitely a renaissance of sorts at Derry City and we have the soon to be star of Johnny's new "Monkey Tennis" style documentary and the yet to be conceived "Derry Lads" pilot, Daniel Lafferty to help us understand what's going on at the "title contenders". Also on the pod, Cork City's Steven Beattie and his old roomy, Finn Harps' secret defender Johnny Dunleavy talk about coming home, getting older, the differing fortunes of Cork and Harps, and how being 21 points clear and having a teetotal flatmate affects your social life.As always, there's the Four Star Pizza question, the results roundup and a look forward to the Bank Holiday fixtures. "The summer will be outside", said the Taoiseach, let's hope there's a ball getting kicked around!
In a week that saw no involvement of John Delaney in the demise of a European Super League, we talk people power with Daniel Lambert and Tommy Higgins and ponder if dogs hold the key to the post covid LOI world. We’ve got the latest news from the pizza draw tribunal, a midweek review with Johnny talking to both Stephen O'Donnell and Kevin Sheedy whilst Dan hears from Drogheda assistant Kevin Doherty and discusses the latest Dundalk twist. Plus the shameless exaggeration of Bray Wanderers' role in European Football history and Johnny brings up the S word!
This week as the sun finally comes out Johnny and Dan reflect on Graham Burke's moment of magic and we hear from League of Ireland legends Pat Fenlon and Alan Reynolds on the best goals they witnessed, Shels and Waterford memories, coaching dynamics inside and outside the dressing room, Pat's Pro Licence gripe and why having a cat in the engine room is normally a bad idea. Finn Harps' Adam Foley gets booksmart on his academic endeavours to explain why he's suddenly come to prominence aged 31 and Johnny's media officer alliance provides us with a brief Mark McChrystal snippet as Derry toil. All of this and your chance to win a Four Star Pizza in the country's most compliant raffle. As long as you read Dan's Ezine that is....
As the dog chews on the lamb bone, the lilies wilt and the last creme egg causes a slight dry retch, we leave Easter behind with Brian Murphy and Mark Rossiter's reflections on Bohs, Red Bull regrets and a dressing room that was no place for young men. We also ask Murph about the challenges of coming home to Waterford, life as an understudy in England and hear how the sleep patterns of Neil Warnock's wife influenced team selections. The Galway United media officer talks to Adam Wixted, we reflect on the President's dubious taste in terrace chants and we also set the challenge for the weekly Four Star Pizza treat! Where else would you get all this with extra cheese?
On this weeks epic widescreen shaggy dog story of a show, Johnny and Dan look back on an International break that still feels hungover. New kid on Drogheda's block, Ronan Murray talks about his east coast adventure, the Covid dose and Roy Keane missing him at Cobh. The Paddy Barrett show gets piloted today as Saint Pat's defender Paddy talks Killing Fields in Cambodia, Killing Time in Lockdown, and Killing a packet of Digestives when sharing a house with his manager! Daire Doyle weighs in on Longford's weekend and don't forget about our Four Star Pizza quiz. Say what you like about LOI Central, at least it's an ethos Dude!
On this weeks algorithm run robotic pod we have Tommy Barrett from Limerick, Colin Healy from Cork, and Greg Bolger and Conor McCormack from Nomadland. There's also Titus Bramble, Bob Geldof, Pixie Lotts and Dexys Midnight Pizza Question, all this and a snazzy new theme tune....On this weeks algorithm run robotic pod we have Tommy Barrett on a new beginning at Treaty United, Colin Healy on his proper start at Cork, and our main chat is with nomads Greg Bolger and Conor McCormack who tell us about how football has programmed them to never get too comfortable anywhere. There's also Titus Bramble, Bob Geldof, Pixie Lotts and Dexys Midnight Pizza Question, all this and a snazzy new theme tune....
Tunnels, lights, injections… Remember when these used to be football terms. Well let's take them back. With the help of our friends at Future Ticketing, we're back with a whole new fresh look at a brand new season from Jack Byrne, sunning himself in Cyprus, Keith Long doing his Teresa Mannion impression, and Gary Rogers all weighing in on the season to come. Jack also reflects on the lessons he learned and the best players he encountered during his time in the league. Dan and Johnny are still a virtual presence but thank heaven for small mercies. Oh and there’s free pizza….seriously!
We've reached the end of the road for 2020 and a 30 episode journey from the studio to the sitting room. Ireland chief scout Ruaidhri Higgins and good friend of the show Johnny Dunleavy join us to reflect on Dundalk's cup final joy, their Europa League ending and to ask if they can push Shamrock Rovers in 2021. Even Johnny Ward agrees that might be possible, although his Dundalk friends may not believe him. Paul Corry, Mark Rossiter, Conan Byrne and Shane Supple also send in their brief reflections on the year as we wonder aloud if 2021 will be any different--
We’re back after Dan went MIA to present our annual PFA Ireland awards special and we have Roberto Lopes, Danny Grant and Mark Doyle with us to discuss their nominations for the various awards. ‘Pico’ looks ahead to the cup final, and tells us some Zlatan and Cape Verde tales while Danny discusses his future career plans and Mark explains his late development. PFAI chief Stephen McGuinness also calls for clarity on the 2021 season and a say for players in what happens.
After a league season like no other, Finn Harps avoid the drop, Shelbourne face into an anxious playoff against Longford and Sligo somehow finish fourth, despite losing half of their games, and are very likely to be playing European football next season. Dan has the week off but sends in his appraisal of each of the Premier Division teams' campaign, with Pat Fenlon in the house to talk about what was a truly bonkers 2020 season. Pat is joined by Ollie Horgan to discuss perhaps Harps' greatest escape, Daire Doyle talks about Longford's chance of beating Shels and a somewhat tired and emotional Garry Buckley dials in from Sligo just before heading out for training.
Management is a big theme of this week's show. Drogheda manager Tim Clancy joins us after leading his side to promotion and explains the 24/7 commitment of dealing with the role and trying to fit real life around it. Alan Reynolds talks about his own transition and reflects on his dramatic year that started at Waterford, veered to Dundalk and has brought him to the Ireland U21 backroom team working with an exciting generation of players. We hear from John Caulfield after their massive win against Bray last weekend and look ahead to their Premier Division finale with Longford, while asking where all the goalscorers have gone.
Shamrock Rovers are champions and we are joined by their manager Stephen Bradley for a wide ranging chat about Rovers plans for the future, the lessons of the recent past, Jack Byrne, the overall direction of Irish football and much more (22:00). We also look ahead to Dundalk's big date with Arsenal with the help of Lilywhites midfielder Greg Sloggett (1:23:30) and hear from the Drogheda camp after they prevailed in the dramatic First Division finale (1:45:50). The lads also discuss the Finn Harps revival, trusting Galwegians and the other burning issues of the week
We talk to Joe on this week's show, with Cork City legend and former assistant boss Joe Gamble following up on his request for a right to reply to last week's pod (35:00). He explains the struggles faced by himself and Neale Fenn, the budgetary complications, recruitment lessons and the logic behind Daire O'Connor's abrupt exit. Prior to that, we look ahead to Dundalk's big European date with Molde with the help of Norwegian football expert Ben Wells (10:48).
There's a Wicklow theme to this week's show with Arklow's Daire O'Connor giving us the lowdown on his abrupt exit from Cork City, his relationship with Neale Fenn and his plans for the future (10:55). We then hear from Bray Wanderers boss Gary Cronin on their promotion charge, his early season fears, and the process of rebuilding the club after a turbulent era(52:00). The lads also discuss Rovers' imminent title party, more batshit goings on at Dundalk and a look back to the summer of 1995
We're bringing people back together on this week's show as former team-mates Robbie Benson and Stephen Folan reflect on days gone by at Dundalk and their current missions with St Patrick's Athletic and Finn Harps respectively. Stephen travelled around the world in 2020 whereas Robbie was stuck at home during lockdown but they were both grateful for the return of the League of Ireland for their own reasons. There's also a bit of Stephen Kenny chat, Johnny and Dan's take on Filippo Giovagnoli's week, breaking news at Cork and Galway and a farewell to Kris Twardek
‘We didn’t start this year with plans of interviewing a Faroese football expert come September but this is 2020 and we look ahead to Dundalk’s big date with Ki Klaksvik with the help of Kasper Neesgaard who tells us what we can expect from the underdogs (19:00). Daniel Kelly gives us a flavour of the mood in the Dundalk camp (11:30). We then go back in time and also look to the future with the help of LOI legend Colin Hawkins who discusses assisting players with the next step in their career, the lessons from his experience and his hopes for Stephen Kenny and Irish football’s future (45:00).
It’s a Graham themed show this week with two for the price of one. Graham Gartland and Graham Cummins crossed paths in Scotland and they are reunited on the show to discuss their careers in football, European experiences, the Scottish culture, adjusting to becoming an older player and all of the challenges that come with it. We also discuss Cork’s struggles, Rovers ambitions, Dundalk’s European opportunity and there’s the mandatory Galway reborn interview with Shane Duggan.
It’s a role reversal this week as Johnny is on the working beat and Dan is traversing the country ahead of a historic Europa League tie in Tallaght. We hear from Stephen Bradley, Jack Byrne and Graham Burke ahead of Shamrock Rovers v AC Milan and Italian based Irishman Mark Doyle gives us the lowdown on the guests. We also discuss Dundalk’s European date in Andorra, John Sheridan’s Waterford farewell and Kerry’s untapped potential.
This surreal season is another twist in the lengthy League of Ireland careers of our two guests, both of whom have been around the block New Galway United manager John Caulfield joins the show to discuss his fresh start, the end of his Cork City adventure and coping with the likes of Johnny Ward. Ronan Finn discusses a hard fought derby win, the experience he hopes to bring to the title-run in and the change of position and change of off-pitch focus that has come hand in hand with his graduation to senior status. We also discuss Stephen Kenny's Irish start, Royal Rumble style entrances and the age old 'Is Finland in Scandinavia?' debate.
After a week with a news cycle dominated by European ties, Stephen Kenny's new dawn and bizarre goings on at Dundalk, we welcome two guests with some experience of all of the above. Mark Rossiter and Ciaran Kilduff discuss the Kenny factor, what Dundalk have lost, and how the Shamrock Rovers players will feel about their AC Milan opportunity. Killer also discusses life at Shelbourne and shared experiences with Gary Deegan, while Rossi breaks down Sligo's improvement and also reflects on his role in the Bohemians and Wolves friendly that set Matt Doherty off on the road towards stardom.
We're back after a week of high drama and Paul Corry joins Johnny and Dan to pick through Dundalk's journey from Perth to Italy, the lessons of the European results so far and what we can expect from Rovers and Bohs tomorrow. Dan talks with Andre Wright about Bohs' trip to Hungary, Johnny wrestles with his emotions around John Caulfield's Galway arrival and we hear snippets from the League of Ireland's Big Fil - Filippo Giovagnoli - about what he's got to offer during his kamikaze mission
Dundalk's Champions League campaign ended abruptly at the first hurdle and Johnny and Dan pick through the bones to ask what their exit says about where the club stands right now and where they go from here. We also have a lengthy chat with Alan Bennett about Cork's upturn in fortunes, the buzz of watching youngsters develop on their potential and the dynamic of being a 38-year-old veteran in a young man's league. Johnny also hears from Tim Clancy in the aftermath of a Drogheda win that prompted more upheaval at Galway.
This may be a year of restricted travel, but there's a global feel to this week's show. Sligo Rovers' South African born New Zealand international Ryan De Vries tells us about Japan, love, life, his roundabout route to The Showgrounds and his uncertain future (54:13). Conor McCormack reflects on almost a decade in the LOI, his Italian adventures and his favourite European experiences ahead of Derry's jaunt to Lithuania (25:30). And Dundalk's Patrick McEleney discusses his relief at getting back on the pitch ahead of a Champions League tie in Hungary against Slovenian opposition (09:02). There's all of that and the review and preview of a big week for Shamrock Rovers with a bit of live FAI Cup draw reaction thrown into the mix.
We've a busy show after a lively return to action. Dundalk's (sort of) new signing Dave McMillan joins us to discuss returning home from Scotland and opens up on the lessons of his time away and the differences between football in the two countries. Pain loving Gary Deegan talks to Dan in Donegal and we hear from Declan Devine on Derry's up and down resumption. There's also FAI politics fatigue, streaming reviews, Cork's loud suffering and whether it's too early for Johnny to call the league yet.
The LOI is back and LOI Weekly is weekly again. With our new sponsor, Lottoland, coming on board, we're returning to our audio roots for the rest of a season which has turned from a marathon into a sprint. Georgie Kelly joins us to discuss his move from Dundalk to St Pat's and Daire O'Connor (Cork), Rob Cornwall (Bohs) and Luke Byrne (Shelbourne) share their enthusiasm about the short road. Johnny and Dan are back under the same roof to discuss football without fans, the LOI's pandemic politics, new LOI directors, Euro dilemmas and a lot more besides.
We're back for another double header length episode, and two guests who had very different plans in mind at the start of the year. Ruaidhri Higgins joins us after the mid pandemic move from Dundalk's coaching team to Ireland's backroom staff and explains his special relationship with Stephen Kenny, the specifics of his new brief and why he realised early in his career that his top level ambitions would likely only be realised as a coach. Meanwhile, Padraig Amond joins us ahead of a round of golf with his season at Newport County over. The League of Ireland export reflects on Shamrock Rovers and Sligo Rovers memories and encourages today's generation of players to be open to markets beyond England.
We're still in limbo about whether the League of Ireland 2020 season will return and the FAI's interim deputy CEO Niall Quinn is central to the attempts to try and make it happen. He joined the lads to discuss the health challenges, the financial risks, and the search for support to remove the concerns of clubs who feel they won't be able to afford a behind closed doors return. We hear about UEFA's stance, the First Division position and why waiting until 2021 could pose serious problems for the league's short and long term future. We also discuss the FAI's broader vision for the league, Ruud Dokter's role, the national underage leagues, All-Island league plans and more...
We're back with another bumper show, longer than your average FAI Cup final with the standard extra-time and penalty shootout, to pass away some lockdown time. Dan explains the thinking behind his Irish Indo list of the top 50 League of Ireland players 2000-2020, with Johnny offering his brief take on each selection before we bring in our special guests. Conan Byrne runs through the results of his poll on the all-time greats and puts forward flaws in Dan's thinking and admits the Covid-19 crisis could have an unexpected impact on his career. Then we are joined by high ranked stars Paddy McCourt and Stephen O'Donnell to discuss comparing eras, the attributes of the best players they encountered, and also get the lowdown on Stephen Kenny and Ruaidhri Higgins based on their shared experiences. We also discuss if it's possible to open minds to closed doors.
‘It might be a while before we are on the road again but we were joined for our latest lockdown production by Eoin Doyle who gave us an entertaining account of his journey through the League of Ireland en route to his career in England. Bus trips with Paul Cook and Pat Scully feature heavily and he also explains why plans to move home are on the backburner for now. We also catch up with referees Paul McLaughlin and Alan Patchell to learn what attracted them to the lifestyle and what they would change about it. Johnny and Dan also discuss Dundalk statements, Trump press conferences and much more besides.
It's the LOI Weekly Easter special which means a feast of words about Stephen Kenny's appointment as Ireland manager. We hear a portion of Kenny's virtual press conference (17:58), break down some of the commentary around what his promotion represents and mull over how things might go before speaking to three people who were given a front seat view for sections of his journey. Alan Murphy reflects on the Longford days (37:13), and the passion of the young manager that convinced him to go there. We have a fantastic chat with David Forde about Kenny's role in his Irish ascension (1:02:26), a wide ranging discussions which takes us to unexpected places. Mark Rossiter talks Dundalk and his reservations about the speed of the handover (1:42:18). It's basically a Kenny show but we also ponder when football might return, amongst other things, in this bumper edition. Like an Easter egg, you may not want to devour it all at once. Just space it out and make sure to remember to come back to it.
We don't know what the future holds but we got through the past and the present on this week's show. Dundalk manager Vinny Perth joined us on the line to discuss the challenges presented by the Covid-19 crisis and the encouraging response of the club's owners. He also helped the lads down memory lane as they picked their teams of the 21st century - with terms and conditions that complicated the selection process. Cork City's Declan Carey also offered us an update on where the Leesiders stand following a turbulent period. We also discuss Setanta Cup nostalgia, haircut dilemmas & the next socialist portrait for the Bohemians boardroom.
No make-up, no lingering looks to camera, no Facebook likes. The coronavirus has sent LOI Weekly back to its roots with an audio only Skype special broadcast from designated bunkers around Dublin. We discuss the serious business of what the Covid-19 crisis means for Irish football and the uncertainty over what happens next. We hear Niall Quinn discuss the LOI's position and managers Tim Clancy and Alan Reynolds offer their take on their club's response to the unprecedented situation. A posse of players let us know how they are keeping busy, while listeners questions takes us down some strange paths. Tune in as we try to keep you company.
It's week five and Johnny phones in from Cheltenham, a sporting event that is continuing uninterrupted in spite of Covid-19, but it's unlikely that we will be saying the same about the League of Ireland. Shane Dawson takes the chair to discuss with Dan about what it all means for the league after the first FAI meeting on the subject. We break down what it could all mean. Ger O'Brien joins the lads to discuss the St Patrick's Athletic structure, the league's best winter signings, and the weekend's games. They might be our last ones for a while.
It's episode four. Or episode phwoar as we digest the Jordan Flores wonder strike and a thrilling game in Tallaght that showcased all that is good about the league. Pat Fenlon joins the lads to digest what the game says about Shamrock Rovers and Dundalk and what the gap between the top two and the rest says about the league today. We also discuss pitch battles, politics and Jack Byrne's royal seal of approval.
It's week three and friend of the show Johnny Dunleavy returns to studio to discuss a tough start to the season for Sligo Rovers, the sudden decline of his old club Cork City and the ups and downs of the League of Ireland and Las Vegas. We touch on some of the big issues of the week; Shamrock Rovers v Dundalk, grass v astroturf and fan owned models v private investment. And there's the obligatory Cheltenham references too.
It’s week two and safe pair of hands Shane Supple joins the lads to review an opening weekend that was low on goals but high on talking points. We talk Brian Murphy, the derby debacle, overseas recruits, Cork concerns and First Division predictions. Send us your thoughts and we might even read them out.
We’re back, and this time it’s visual. Season 4 is here in full colour on Eir Sport and YouTube but the audio experience lives on too with Paul Corry joining Dan and Johnny to preview the 2020 season. Who wins the league? What about the people running it? What has Nigel Farage done for it? We cover that and more on this week’s show.
It’s Christmas Eve, and what better present than an LOI Weekly Christmas podcast. Shane Supple and Brian Gartland joined the lads for a special televised edition of LOI Weekly to look back on the year that was, as well as casting a glance towards 2020.
Emotional times here at LOI Weekly HQ as it’s the concluding episode of season three, with an appropriately high-profile guest to close out our 40th episode of 2019. Dundalk head coach Vinny Perth joins us in studio for an in-depth chat about a trophy filled season, European lessons and disappointments & a cheeky hint about upcoming developments both on and off the park. He also reveals what episode of the pod he turned off after listening for just ten minutes. We also have Johnny's exclusive and surprisingly intimate chat with PFAI team of the year member & Derry City striker David Parkhouse (and his girlfriend). The off-season officially begins in 90 minutes time.
After ending Shamrock Rovers 32 year wait in the FAI Cup, we were joined by their manager Stephen Bradley & the clubs sporting director Stephen McPhail in studio to give their accounts on how it all unfolded. As well as discussing the game, tactics & regrouping after Dundalk’s last second equalizer, ‘Bradser’ discussed how he once hated football as a teenager, how he knew he wanted to coach from a young age & how his career path is similar to one Jack Byrne. McPhail talked about how LOI clubs must back themselves at the negotiating table & also expressed his distrain for the idea that Ireland doesn’t have the players to play attractive football. The lads also wrap up the playoffs, as well as look ahead to Dundalk FC’s Unite the Union Champions Cup tie with Linfield FC.
It's FAI Cup final fever in the House of Eir as Dan and Johnny discuss at length their predictions and aspirations for Sunday's decider. Dan hears from Dundalk's Dan Cleary and Shamrock Rovers' Sean Kavanagh before we throw open the Whatsapp lines to a collection of regular guests from across the season who send in their predictions for the big game. Managers, ex-players and current players all give their two cents. Who needs Twink and Logan when you've got Derek Pender and Neal Horgan? This finally trails off into a debate about the most famous LOI personality, Johnny Logan or President Michael D Higgins…It’s a good debate & an even better pod.
It’s the PFAI awards special with Stephen McGuinness in studio to reveal the identity of the Premier Division team of the year and the player of the year shortlists. Nominees Sean Gannon and Dano Mandroiu are in studio and we also hear from St Pat’s boss Stephen O’Donnell
It's a Shels Special this week! Well kind of! We hear all about "Life after football!". Does it exist? who's fault is it anyway if it does? We give free reign to Johnny this week as he decides if Shane Dawson is a worthy successor to the Swiss Skyped Six Day absentee Dan McDonnell, who's in hiding from a Swiss chambermaid over a fifteen minute checkout breach. Spilling turkey salad all over his rather natty suit on his lunch break, is one time goalkeeper and now time corporate recruiter Shane Supple, and he is joined on our leather couch by Shels manager Ian Morris to debate, the Irish team's lack of performance, the European run in, and the collegiate life. Karl Sheppard dials in from Cork and Johnny doesn't mention Galway once. But can Ian Morris name every single player who's going to be at Shels next year? Can he? It's episode thirtysomething and whaddya know, there's no sign of Ken Olin.....
With the title race wrapped up and the relegation battle devoid of drama, we covered a few bases this week. Ireland U19 boss Tom Mohan joins us to discuss an interesting squad selection, but finds that Georgia bound Johnny really only has Galway on his mind. Dan reminisces with St Patrick's Athletic board member Alan Mathews about his days on the front line of management. Neal Horgan has written books about that kind of thing and he dials in to discuss his latest effort as Irish football quite literally approaches a crossroads. Beyond that, there's mini leagues, Sideshow Bobs and ticket giveaways all set to soundtrack of Johnny's life. If you're looking to while away an hour waiting for the new "Breaking Bad" movie to pop up on Netflix...You could do worse--
1985 Ahoy! Bus pass carrying Pat Devlin cranks the podcast DeLorean up to 88mph and revisits the roots of all evil in the upside down world of Opel sponsored candlelit stadia. The big number 5 from Donaghmede, Lee Desmond, lights his own candle for the under performing Saints and the 'signing on' generation of pre Brexit, post Delaney semi pros. Johnnys taxi drivers go back to Milltown and Dan ends up on page 3. It really is 1985, so put this cassette in your walkman and just press feckin' PLAY
Dundalk are Premier Division champions once again & we hear from their Head Coach John Gill on his journey & on the pressures of success at Dundalk. Paul Corry joins Johnny in studio as does Dan via Skype to discuss Dundalk’s dominance, their treble chase & Johnny’s famous declaration. Sligo Rovers Canadian winger Kris Twardek also joined the show to discuss how he ended up in Sligo, his career in England & what making the FAI Cup in the Aviva Stadium would mean for the town.
Luke Byrne joins us, not quite fresh from promotion celebrations but happy to reflect on a morale boosting year at Shelbourne. We also hear from his manager Ian Morris and check in on two other bosses experiencing a different range of emotions right now - Limerick’s Tommy Barrett and Waterford’s Alan Reynolds. Cup draws, cup wins and the now customary Galway tangent also feature on the show.
After a massive week in Irish football & a week full of famous debuts, Eir Sport reporter & lifelong Shels fan Shane Dawson makes his debut on Episode 31. Shane joined Johnny in studio as Dan dials in from his so called ‘holiday’ to discuss the buzz around the U21’s, the FAI Cup semi final draw & Dundalk’s pursuit of the elusive treble. We also hear from Jack Byrne who spoke to Shane following his international debut on Tuesday night, as well as Derry City manager Declan Devine who spoke ahead of their EA Sports Cup Final this Saturday against Dundalk.
Former UCD boss Collie O’Neill & St Pat’s Director of Football Ger O’Brien joined the lads in studio to discuss the recent upheaval that has affected both of them. Collie expands on the reasons behind his departure from UCD and discussed where the club stands going forward. Ger outlines his position at St Pat’s after Harry Kenny’s abrupt exit and Stephen O’Donnell’s arrival.
Paul Doolin is our studio guest, discussing his career and future in light of four managers losing their jobs in the space of just over one week in the League of Ireland. He talks about being snubbed for jobs, his belief that the game is populated by spoofers and also reflects on his time as Irish u19 boss - including his reasons for excluding Jack Byrne. Derry City boss Declan Devine talks about the positives of the Cup defeat to Dundalk, while the two lads discuss cup results, Cork’s week and why Shamrock Rovers could really do with beating Bohs on Friday.
We go FAI Cup crazy this week, with Drogheda United goalkeeper/goalkeeping coach Paul Skinner coming in to talk about his strange days at Celtic and the art of goalkeeping coaching, ahead of their trip to Tallaght on Friday. Also on Friday Cork City make the trip to Eamonn Deacy Park to face Galway United, whose manager Alan Murphy attempts to set the record straight in regard to some of Johnny's comments this season. Dan battles with a cold to clarify some of the debate about our clubs' progress in Europe last week, while the lads also discuss two shocking developments: Dan Carr's move to Cyprus (and Stephen Bradley's remarks) as well as the dismissal of Collie O'Neill at UCD.
Johnny is on tour again but we have another Johnny on tap as Johnny McDonnell joins us along with LOI legend and Shamrock Rovers U19 boss Stephen Rice to reflect on Dundalk’s European exit and discuss what our top teams need to do to reach the next level.
Johnny and Dan are back on home soil this week, but we go to Bratislava to get the view on the ground from Dundalk’s man in Slovakia Donal Greene ahead of another big European night. Shane Supple dials in to discuss where the league stands in Europe and to look ahead to Friday night’s Dublin derby at Dalymount. Keith Cowan speaks to us about the Finn Harps revival. Bucket theft, banana skins and slanted pool tables also feature in our review of the week.
This week's pod comes to you 5000km from home as Dan and Johnny are in Baku ahead of Dundalk's big Champions League tie with Qarabag tomorrow. The lads talk local customs, travelling & Ringsend matters with Sean Gannon and Daniel Kelly. Local journalist Oqtay Atayev gives us the Azerbaijani perspective on the game and two of Dundalk's local press contingent - Adrian Taaffe and James Rogers - give us their take on the match. We also discuss anthem whistling, cosy airport chats and also preview Shamrock Rovers' big tie with Apollon Limassol. 
Episode 24 is here and as Johnny takes his monthly holiday, Dan is joined in studio by former Galway manager Shane Keegan and has his say on the Baku or Ballybrit debate. LOI stalwart John Sullivan was also in studio with St.Josephs Boys & Bray Wanderers Academy Director Will Clarke to discuss the U19’s success in Armenia, the skills of Tom Mohan and the impact that coaching philosophies and LOI structures will have on Irish football’s future. We also look ahead to a big week in Europe.
The second week of Europe is here and as usual that means Dan is somewhere else on the continent, this week its Latvia and from their capital Riga, Dan gives his thoughts as well chatting to Robbie Benson (in a busy Dublin Airport) about what lies ahead for Dundalk on Wednesday. With Dan away Aidan Fitzmaurice is back in the hot seat with Johnny to delve into the other 3 teams in Europe’s chances of progression on Thursday as well as the pros and cons of an All Island League. While PFAI General Secretary Stephen McGuinness & newly appointed Player Development Manager Emma Connaughton joined us in studio to discuss a new role within the association swell as some potential positive momentum within Irish football.
European week has arrived and Mark Rossiter joins the lads to run through the games and take us on an entertaining journey back through the highs and lows of his own career - from the compassion of Mick McCarthy at Sunderland to the unique approach of Stephen Kenny at Dundalk and the business life he was developing on the side. Latvian journalist Edmunds Novickis gives us the rundown on volatile Riga FC ahead of their Irish date while Cork City chairman Declan Carey gives us the state of play on Leeside after a turbulent spell. And we also find time to discuss the merits of whiskey, steak and Supermarket Sweep.
It's our 100th episode and we mark the occasion with the presence of two former Irish internationals, Kevin Kilbane and Irish 21s assistant Keith Andrews. The lads talk coaching standards, League of Ireland standards, Stephen Kenny, Sam Allardyce, Gary or Phil and Liam or Noel. We've also two tickets to give away -- it is, after all, our 100th episode.
Andy Boyle is in studio after his return to Dundalk to discuss the challenge of trying to prove yourself in a different football environment. He talks us through the highs and lows of life in England and Scotland and explains his reasons for coming back to a club that has changed quite a bit since his departure. Talk of a cross-border league has added to the debate around Irish football and the lads also check in with Gerard Lyttle to try and find out what the response has been in Belfast circles.
We're quick off the block this week in reaction to the Champions League and Europa League draws, with Paul Corry – who curiously never played European football – coming in to chat about the draws and reaction to the Bohs-Rovers game over the weekend. As well as discussing that man Mandroiu, Corry discusses how life is going post-footballl but this show is mainly about the European action ahead. We talk to Ruaidhri Higgins on skype and get reaction from Stephen Bradley, John Cotter and Harry Kenny.
We were joined by two advertisements for the UCD production line on this week's pod. Shelbourne's Ciaran Kilduff discusses his move home from the US and reflects on his career in the league while offering some insights into life under Stephen Kenny and the European doors it opened. Current UCD winger Neil Farrugia should be with Kenny in Toulon this week but the 20-year-old joins us to discuss his longer term ambitions, his European hopes, and there's also an unexpected diversion into the tactics of hockey and the merits of Spanish wine. He's no ordinary footballer.
LOI WEEKLY S03 EP17 with Oscar Brennan
It's a quiet time in the League of Ireland Premier Division, with games cancelled due to Toulon, but Oscar Brennan comes in to discuss the First Division with his new club Shelbourne now top after beating Longford on Friday. Oscar has some strong views on coaching standards in Ireland at all levels, while he reveals his new part-time job, which does in-fact involve craft beer. The lads have some thoughts on Shane Ross, the Sports Minister's forum last Friday and some of the reactions to Niall Quinn's propositions. We also talk Ireland about a great start in Toulon & about the upcoming trip to Denmark.
It's a union of central defenders this week as Dundalk's multiple league winner Brian Gartland comes into the studio, joined on Skype by Bermuda captain and Sligo Rovers fans' favourite Dante Leverock, who is slowly recovering from a painful trip to Dalymount Park last Friday. Dante tells us about life in Sligo, his plans to help Bermuda create history in Costa Rica next month, and how his girlfriend's wedding planning service could help his team-mates. Gartland talks title battles and European memories, and discusses Niall Quinn's plans – and his own ideas – about the future of the league.
With Dan away on International duty, Johnny was in studio to mind the house. Dan did dial in from the Ireland camp in Portugal as the league season enters the halfway stage. Bray Wanderers boss Gary Cronin, fresh from the win over Galway, comes into studio while the man with 'BOSS' on his t-shirt, Jack Byrne, lives up to the moniker. In a packed show, betting expert Julian Canny comes in to discuss extremely worrying gambling trends in the First Division. And Jack also weighs in about the twist and turns of his career and puts the issue to bed as to what his best position is.
We went a different direction by going Stateside this week with ex LOI all-rounder Kieran Foley, who has made his way in the business world and was central to the growth of the Caribbean Cricket League, outlining his vision for football in Ireland. He is part of Niall Quinn’s group that is plotting a new vision. We also review and preview the latest games with more than a nod to Pat Mustard
Longford assistant Daire Doyle joined the lads in studio to talk about his football career, a journey which took him from talented team-mates in Tallaght and Coventry to the pint and payment culture of the English non-league and then back home to build towards his new life as a coach working with Neale Fenn. Neal Horgan also dials in to discuss Cork's changes, John Caulfield's future, and his desire to kickstart a debate around an All Ireland League.
Following the news this morning of John Caulfield's departure from Cork City, Dan & Johnny give their quick reaction on the end of his incredibly successful reign with Cork & what lies ahead for the club.
Yes we are a day early, but Punchestown Is calling. After another eventful 72 hours Dan & Johnny delve into two more busy rounds of the L.O.I, although Johnny isn’t that busy in truth. Luke Byrne was in studio to discuss why two old employers in Rovers & Bohs are sitting pretty at the top of the Premier Division, even though Dundalk have made an ominous return to form. He did also tell us about a very interesting encounter in Cobh, one that showed how the First Division created an unlikey offer to 'see the light'.
Brendan Clarke and Robbie Benson drop into studio to join the lads and digest the lessons of the Dublin Derby spectacle for the league as a whole - with Johnny's unlikely bromance with David McWilliams adding some audio to the discussion. We also get the lowdown from the lads on ongoing matters at St Patrick's Athletic and Dundalk as Johnny admits that the league race might have some life in it yet. The merits of a smaller Premier Division and the importance of facilities are also discussed.
It has been a momentous few days for Irish football and Dan takes a quick break from the madness to recap on what has been going on with the FAI and what is likely to happen in the near future as the game begins to ready itself for a life post-John Delaney. Our star guests are Dundalk goalkeeper Gary Rogers and ex-goalkeeper Shane Supple, both of the PFAI, with Gary the first guest ever on the show to bring his thesis in with him. All four discuss thoughts on the FAI's turbulent few weeks, the future and an exciting title league campaign so far. Johnny also spoke to Derry City Assistant Kevin Deery after they defeated St.Pats in Inchicore on Monday evening to go 2nd in the League Table.
Dan comes in – fresh or otherwise – from Wednesday's Oireachteas committee proceedings and gives his take on a potentially seminal day for football without a ball being kicked. We hear from Ger O'Brien after St Patrick's humbled champions Dundalk but our two studio guests are Owen Heary and Gary O'Neill. Heary reflects on a frustrating end of his Shelbourne reign while Gary is still on a high after UCD's recent win over Waterford and discusses his future as his time runs out at Belfield.
We could have spent all day talking to Ireland coaches Tom Mohan and Jim Crawford – but unfortunately Dan had to jet off to attend an Oireachtas Committee – as you do. Mohan, Ireland under-19s supremo, discusses his managerial career so far, and recalls his playing days & memories of Derry City playing Finn Harps ahead of the northwest derby this weekend. Ex-Newcastle United midfielder Crawford recalls Shelbourne's 2004 European odyssey, discusses what it’s like working with Stephen Kenny & looks ahead to the under-21s' Toulon tournament in June. The lads also give their views on the league season so far, while Mohan makes a plea for more improvements that can be made in a league he predicts is going to improve dramatically.
We couldn't find an Executive Vice President this week but we do have St Patrick's Athletic manager Harry Kenny, who explains how he made some new friends in his search for a dressing room en route to the studio. Harry talks about the Saints' sluggish goalscoring start to the season, and the all consuming reality of life as a full-time manager. Dan discusses the FAI mess, while the lads also discuss the win over Georgia.
Johnny McDonnell and Greg Bolger joined the lads in studio to talk about talented midfield players after Jack Byrne's call into the Ireland squad. Greg tells us about the physical changes that have contributed to an upturn in his performances with top of the table Shamrock Rovers - but says that nobody in Tallaght is getting ahead of themselves despite the best attempts of the two Johnnys to tell him that this could be Rovers' year. Gibraltar weather, Giovanni Trapattoni's boat to Athlone and the mandatory Galway reference also get an airing on this week's show.
No Ward no problem. Dan holds court in studio as Johnny is away on Cheltenham duty, but don't worry he still gives his thoughts on LOI proceedings & on Countdowns highest rated show ever. Six time league winner Stevie O'Donnell joined us in studio to discuss his new career off the pitch with his new club Dundalk, while PFAI Player Executive Ollie Cahill and his five league medals were also in attendance. We also caught with Derry City fan & player Ciaron Harkin, while reminiscing about European nights, Paddy McCourt and of course, "Weso".
Alan Reynolds and Johnny Dunleavy both make long trips to our Dublin studio for episode four, with "Rennie" discussing recent tensions with Cork City and his theory on why he was brought in to work with John Caulfield back in 2016. “JD” also reflects on his years at Turner's Cross but is revelling in his new role at Sligo Rovers. The lads also discuss the joys of coaching courses and the challenge of integrating overseas recruits to LOI dressing rooms. All the while, an under-par Dan struggles through the show as Johnny talks up the health of the First Division.
3 is the magic number, yes its an early pod, but only a few hours after losing a lead and the game away to champions Dundalk, making it three defeats from three games, UCD manager Collie O'Neill still comes into studio to chat to the lads about the season so far. Johnny catches up with Shane Supple after Bohs win another Dublin derby, while the lads discuss revolutionary new statistical data that managers have access to – as well as the second and third round of games. Aaron Greene red card, yes or no?
Belvedere boys Sean Kavanagh and Jake Hyland are reunited for this week's pod to reflect on their childhood penalty shootout heartache and the grown-up reality of football in England and Ireland. Sean discusses the loneliness of his final days at Fulham and the lift he received from coming back to Shamrock Rovers. Drogheda skipper Jake opens up on his horrific hospital experience after breaking his leg last October. We also hear from Limerick boss Tommy Barrett ahead of the First Division's big kickoff and St Patrick's Athletic stalwart Ian Bermingham discusses their opening win over Cork City.
Third season syndrome is upon us & LOI Weekly is going strong....somewhat so at least. Dan & Johnny return with a strong opening act as the new Shels boss Ian Morris & Bray's new recruit Paul Keegan join the lads in studio, while we also hear from Dundalk's Sean Hoare about life without Stephen Kenny & Derry City's new manager Declan Devine about his return at the helm.
It's the final show of the season and two of LOI Weekly's most consistent performers, Shane Supple and Ger O'Brien, joined the lads in studios to reflect on the year that was and outline their hopes for the year ahead. Are Dundalk streets ahead of the pack? Will the FAI repeat the same fixture mistakes? Why can't everybody just get along? Ger talks changes at St Patrick's Athletic and the challenges facing younger players who have reached a crossroads. Shane outlines his frustration at another exodus from Dalymount Park after a season that hinted at so much promise. We also discuss the early transfer business with a new addition to Johnny's wardrobe setting him up nicely for the winter.
Ger Lyttle, whose time at Sligo Rovers came to an end recently, calls to the studio to discuss his time in the League of Ireland and his future plans – including a job in the league that appeals to him. He also discusses the FAI Cup final with Dan and Johnny as the three guys agree on who will win the 2018 decider. Dane Massey speaks about the baby boom at Oriel Park and the reason to be excited about another game with Cork, Dan implores football fans in the southwest to get out and watch Paddy McCourt for the last time.
It’s awards season on LOI Weekly with Stephen McGuinness from the PFAI in to reveal the candidates for player of the year, young player of the year and the team of the year - as voted by the players themselves. Waterford’s Bastian Hery discusses Irish weather and why the League of Ireland climate is not attractive to some outsiders. And Bohs flier Daniel Kelly discusses his speedy rise from amateur football
'O amor está no ar’, which is Portuguese for ‘Johnny ain’t here’. He’s a long gone Johnny and he’s left Dan with the extremely capable if somewhat Aviva weary Aidan Fitzmaurice from The Herald. No goals in two games at Lansdowne but we have Dundalk assistant manager and serial head nodder Vinny Perth to agree again with Stephen Kenny and why shouldn’t he? Dundalk are top of the pile again and probably would’ve given Wales a better game. Bray’s John Sullivan juggles working in a Ben Dunne gym with a playing career, and Bohs marketing director Daniel Lambert on the plans for Dalyer 2. All this and no 4 minute hangover spiel from a lovesick racing hack. They’ll be all over twitter looking for it now, wait 'n see….
From the bowels of eir Towers comes episode thirty five-five-ive. Shane Keegan, once of Galway United but now a scribe of the gin swilling, trenchcoat wearing fourth estate, lists all the players he tried to sign and mostly failed to. Kevin Doherty from Drogheda takes the M1 south to the Dublin 8 postcode and 'delivers' his verdict on an All Ireland league as well as life as a postman. Our anchormen Dan and Johnny report on Gypsies in Cork, Theresa May and Boris Johnson, Dundalk Success and Waterford taking their place in Europe. No, it's not the Six One News, it's journalism, but not as you know it...
The gloves are off today when Shamrock Rovers defender and Andros Townsend stand-in Roberto Lopes talks tackles, derbies, past misdemeanours and Cape Verde. The gloves go back on when Johnny gets sent to Coventry and talks about the International setup with all round Portsmouth nice guy Ronan Curtis. We keep it brief this week, and with just over an hour played we finally put to bed the latest FIFA bribery scandal that was really all our own doing. Happy Birthday Sligo and it was never a peno!
Leaves get browner, evenings get shorter and teenage boys start to glaze over, because every autumn we do an outside broadcast and EA Sports launch the annual upgrade of their FIFA game. Wounded gunslinger, Johnny Ward, gets the miranda rights from twitter over last night’s Hobangate on the wireless while Sheriff Dan does verbal high fives with Sean Gannon after Dundalk all but secure this year's title and maybe next year’s too? We nab Ian Bermingham to get his two cents on the departure of manager Liam Buckley, Darragh Leahy on the greatest Bohemian revolution since the 1989 Velvet Revolution in…Bohemia (look it up) and David Cawley on the season in Sligo, which, by the way, was never in Czechoslovakia. We have Rovers' revival, the Dutch Gold Cup, LOI lunatics, RTA premonitions and the big semi final on Sunday! Oh, and go and do a better review than this and you may end up getting your digital arse handed to you by 10 year old Ronaldos. Yes, “It’s in the game”!
Dan’s back from the east and there’s a storm a brewing. Considering a second career as a tennis umpire after his 17th rehabilitation and nearly as many podcast appearances, compulsive score checker Stephen O’Donnell becomes the first player to endorse a marriage preparation type course on the pod whilst screaming for new balls please in Derry. Fresh from his celebratory glass of Pinot Noir, Drogheda native Collie O’Neill is settling into his new south Dublin persona as he steers a triumphant UCD class of 2018 to the First Division title. We have audio from Neal Horgan as Cork self destruct in Dalyer and a post match interview with another of last weekends winner's, Kenny Shiels from Derry. There’s the last days of Romanian Dictators, Keepers taking penos, the Johnny Ward proposed 16 team league and Whats a WhatsApp Wolf Whatsapping in the Week? Try saying that three times with a can of Dutch Gold Dinny….
They say that Journalism is a craft that takes years to learn. It's like golf. You never get it right all the time. It's a game of fewer errors, better facts, and better reporting. Well, that said we have two Johnny Caddys in eir Towers today. Johnny McDonnell picks the clubs and Johnny Ward yells ‘fore’ for 9 handicapper and grade 2 jockey Eoghan Stokes, who sometimes plays for Bohemians as a side gig. We have WhatsApp audio from Derry maestro Aaron McEneff on the week they play in the EA Sports Cup Final. We ask if managers should be allowed tog out in shorts, discover how pester power from a 6 year old can result in a debut for Leeds, and tee up the great LOI Weekly Golfing Challenge. All this and Dan on the phone from Poland to discuss the recent shenanigans in the Irish camp. At least no one was left in Newry this time…..
Following Dublin’s win on Sunday we have more missing persons than a 1970’s milk carton. Paddy Kavanagh is still AWOL and so is our Location Manager. You’ve heard of the Old Ronaldo and the new Ronaldo, well this week we have the Underestimated Ronaldo who sometimes turns up at UCD and calls himself Gary O’Neill. No, not THAT Gary O’Neill! The one from Kerry, where he was the only soccer player in the village. Not that there’s anything wrong with that! Luke Byrne ankled it into the ground floor studio to weigh in on the Declan Rice affair, Johnny quizzes Dinny Corcoran from Bohs on the Irn-Bru cup and when THE big question is answered we get all gastronomical about Dutch bastard cousins and pretentious pale ales before Dan’s day gets ruined when he finds an expired 'Fosters Dollar' in an old sock drawer. Oh and there’s some football in there somewhere too….
In 1966 Bob Dylan told Columbia Records that he felt the quality of the material he had recorded for ‘Blonde on Blonde’ was too good to compress onto a single long playing record. Columbia agreed and the double album was born. This weeks podcast continues in the spirit of that seminal masterpiece. Well it’s long. Kevin Kilbane, Preston North End’s 73rd ranked past player and Ireland’s third most capped player joins us in studio mid bagel. On that 1966 record, one song, ‘Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands’ was so gut wrenchingly honest and poignant that it took up the entire side of one of the discs. Kevin’s opinions on the Declan Rice affair are as necessary listening in this arena as Bob’s Arabian drums where back then. We also have Daryl Horgan on the phone after his switch to a ‘Cabbage and Ribs’ diet, and Greg Bolger of Shamrock Rovers fresh from the victory over Dundalk. There’s lots to savour in this weeks episode, hot or cold balls, the redundancy of signposts, podcasts as torture methods, and Jamie O’Hara…Jesus Christ! So Sikh and you shall find, before we’re all living under a capitalist umbrella in a world screwed by climate change….
In place of an absent Paddy Kavanagh, and in these times of religious tumult we present one Darragh Markey who has embodied the struggles of his native land as he describes his odyssey from the consecrated halls of the seminary in Maynooth to the beckoning lupine financial jungles via a sporting detour in Inchicore. Is this the man 'who’s dark hair would weave a snare that Johnny might one day rue’? The 'Wolf of Thomas Davis Street' talks with our Haribo divided hosts about fixture congestion and repeat exams, Cork City, European disappointments and the FAI Cup. From the stoney grey soil of Donegal we have a decidedly rustic phone connection to Ollie Horgan for a chat as optimistic as dry black bread and sugarless tea. All of this plus the usual predictions, our second curse word, in depth analysis, wedding ring collections and quick….Close.Close.Close.Close.
The craic was flying in the studio this week or maybe it was just the crackly phone line as we heard from new Bray owner Niall O'Driscoll about trying to start from scratch and get the local public back on board and Sligo Rovers midfielder Lee-J-Lynch on the squad decision to forfeit a portion of their wages following their FAI Cup loss to Longford. But the real shock of the weekend was Drogheda's win over Shamrock Rovers and their manager Tim Clancy popped in to discuss the joys of management, 87th minute phone calls from Spain and plans to add to his squad both at home and at work.
The taxi lights were off for an hour with Johnny McDonnell and Ger Rowe joining Johnny and Dan to discuss their football history, stranded strikers in Newry and modern coaching. Dundalk's stalled European campaign is dissected, and the lads examine how Cork City might fare against Rosenborg. Ger gives the lowdown on the FAI Cup underdogs plotting to cause the biggest upset since Johnny Mc was passed over for Diego Costa. Cobh boss Stephen Henderson phones in to discuss his journey back to sobriety following their EA Sports Cup heroics.
It's an early edition this week with Johnny in studio with his bags packed for Galway and Dan bound for Cyprus. The lads hear from Paul O'Conor on changes at Bray and Tim Clancy on stadium news at Drogheda. Dundalk's Europa League chances are discussed, in addition to Johnny's achy steaky heart - he won't be able to bring one of Shanahan's finest on a night out. Sister Assumpta, Tesco Express & all of the weekend's games get a mention in a pod that's wrapped up before half-time.
Johnny and Dan are joined this week by debutant Robbie Benson and LOI Weekly regular Ger O'Brien. Robbie talks all things Dundalk including THAT goal by Michael Duffy, Stephen Kenny's European focus, and his belated decision to commit to life as a professional footballer. Ger reacts to this week's disappointing news on the Richmond Arena proposal and offers an update on the St Patrick's Athletic plan from here. We also answer some of your Twitter questions and debate if last week's European results were actually worth celebrating. And there's a shocking twist in the race for the steak dinner
Dan is back!!! The two lads are reunited and we also welcome PFAI General Secretary Stephen McGuinness into studio to update us on all of the goings on at both Limerick and Bray Wanderers. Over the course of the hour Stephen answers many of the burning questions that LOI fans have been asking over the past 7 days. We also discuss Cork's Champions League elimination and look ahead to the Europa League Qualifiers tomorrow night.
A European 'Detente' is called as we pour whisky on an old toothache and make it a 'Dent-ente' perhaps. Yes, Hostilities are eased and Damien Lynch googles into the top floor of LOI Towers to analyse a miffed (yes, miffed) Dan's 'Postcard from the East' which looks to the west for the most underperforming team in the league. Nice guy Ronan Finn takes a break from disassembling IKEA furniture to talk wunderkinds in Tallaght and European nights. Multitasking Ruaidhrí Higgins gets a proper corporate title as he casts an eye over Dundalk's opposition on Thursday and you'll never guess who Damo thinks will win the league! Yeah you will...
Our cool byline writer is off in Portugal consoling those who believed the Ronaldo hype in his inimitable Kerouacesque way. Portugals gain is LOI's loss, not least with the theme tune, but we've cobbled together a pretty kick ass show with Shane Keegan and Johnny and Sam Verdon talking about printing and Galway and lone strikers and eight month olds and lots lots more, and we'll have our regular skewed view of all things football next week when we get our boy back from the Iberians....but this weeks show might be a classic!
So Dan has exiled himself to Mother Russia for the World Cup exactly 44 years ago to the day when we had the biggest break up in pop history. Yes, that was the day Cher finally said Noka to Sonny and ran off with an Allman brother. The Herald’s Aidan Fitzmaurice may not be a master of that swampy southern sound but he speaks fluent Russian and Polish so he’s exactly the kind of squad depth you need to get through a World Cup, especially in this confounded heat! Yes, this week we get all pessimistic about the clubs chances in Europe, we look forward to the big one between Dundalk and Cork with a surprise caller from the dugout, those darn Saudis get a mention again, and there’s the usual predictions and analysis. So while they keep on saying we’re young and we don’t know, we kinda do…..Babe!
Like a puzzle dumped out of a box we pick up the pieces of the week that includes a conversation with Jonathan Corbett from Galway on a positive vote for Saudi invasion plans west of the Shannon. The internationally renowned and dubiously clobbered goalkeeping Bohemian, Shane Supple makes a return trip to the unfurnished studio on the 7th floor of LOI Towers to shed light on the Watergate scandal in Turners Cross, Roy Keane’s new found allegiance to the Gypsies and much more. Dan tries to feign interest while constantly checking his Russian flight itinerary. Low key Johnny Ward struggles to contain himself during the 8:40 at Naas and there’s ne’er a preview in sight because as the droopy guy from 'Friends' so infuriatingly kept telling us during the nineties, “We were on a break!"
Hujum. That’s Arabic for attack and this weeks show is full of massive attacks. The arthritic Karl Sheppard picks up the phone to discuss Johnny's attacks on Cork, Alan Reynolds is alive, black and blue and mad as ever after his hujum. Johnny, like a big green bottle of fizz on a hospital bedside locker is 7 up on the predictions front and has news of the full on Arabian hujum down the Dyke Road. Dan, who’s dreams of getting a free steak dinner are crumbling like china in his hands, is in studio to temper Johnny’s giddy Galway excitement, and ‘No No’ we haven’t got a Pat Dolan impression or for that matter an anthem recital, but Homer's back and that makes episode 18 a World Cup tinged, truly global, must listen……and it’s not too long either.
This week we have an exclusive pitch side interview with Mike Treacy the American born Dundalk chairman who promises that there's no plans to change the spelling to 'Dundawk'. He doesn't disappoint in a very frank and in depth interview that should answer a whole lot of questions and even hurls a three word cliche into the mix much to Johnny's amusement who can't resist Tom Berengering him into some weird football version of The Field where Oriel Park is leased by a heavily bearded wino with a toothless idiot sycophant. Johnny, by the way was down south of our own Mason Dixon line nabbing post match interviews with Derry's Kenny Shiels and Cork's Colm Horgan over the weekend before catching Cobh and Galway. It's been 40 years since a league player scored in the green shirt and we look at Graham Burke's prospects of changing shirt numbers. Dan reveals he hates rating his work or is that his ratings work or is that hating his work. Anyway, its a solid "7" episode in the number 17 shirt even if it went into Stevie Bruce time...
A suspiciously overtanned Johnny McDonnell pops in to offer his unique wit and wisdom on the International team and suggests UCD may be adopting the laid back student ethos a little too much. Reports of Alan Reynolds' demise gets exaggerated. Alan Bennett joins us on the line from Cork with his take on that Ireland v France game, he also offers an intriguing new Freudian biscuit theory and takes on Johnny's continued case against Cork's style of play while Dan gets all analysis-isy with the fixture dates. So in the end, who gets the Ginger Nuts and who had the sunbeds? As if any of it really mattered....
In to celebrate Bob Dylan’s 77th birthday we have, Kevin Toner who apparently is the only player they come to watch at Richmond Park. Hailing from Little Finglas, JohnnyLoganville in County Meath, Kevin talks about Arsenal’s front three as well as playing left wing back against the Toon army. Ger O’Brien, coach at the very same club, keeps him company and weighs in on the League’s call ups to the International squad as well as the ordeals of players returning home from across the water. Johnny has another adventure in a bookie shop, Dan has a ways to go to catch up on the steak dinner stakes and you know something is happening here but you don’t know what it is, do you...Mister Jones? We should’ve really had a "Mister Jones" on the show to make that last line work.
After turning down 'opportunities' at corporate heavyweights Google and AIB, ex Sheffield Wednesday, UCD and Shamrock Rovers star Paul Corry took the 'opportunity' to critique a very hungover Johnny Ward's attempt at southside chic ahead of his trip to Cabinteely. Dan just beat the Ed Sheeran traffic from Bermingham and Brian Gartland took time out from Dundalk's busy schedule to drop by and discuss among other things, when a defender wants a 5-4 win scoreline and the importance of mental toughness. Johnny tries to cajole Saint Pat's captain Ian Bermingham to the pub, Rhys McCabe gets the Sligo Rovers Gaelic Football hazing and there really is nothing like wine in Wexford. Except maybe a heino in sockless shoes.
After failing to reboot the EI105 red-eye from New York, a totally unprepared and jetlagged Johnny Ward had Pat Fenlons recent guest appearance on the pod completely erased from his memory as he welcomed our ‘first’ Waterford guests of the season. Dave Webster and the veteran Paul Keegan joined Dan and Johnny from the relegation threatened Waterford FC to talk down their chances of remaining in the Premier Division. Along the way there were car shared detours into Doncaster pubs, alternative Belgian Eurovision entries, the benefits of characters over footballers in the dressing room, and does Pat Dolan even bother to read Johnny’s racing columns? If you want an honest appraisal of whether this year’s league is a two horse race, you won’t find it here...
Thoroughly modern manager Owen Heary drops by dressed in full Shels regalia to bat away insults about his weight and shed light on the new ownership and leadership situation at Tolka Park. The battle of Wounded Knee continues between one time serious footballer Des Curran and total pro Johnny Ward as he ducks the hard questions about the top four. Dan McDonnell is on hand to adjudicate and finally answer a question with one word. There’s two rounds of fixtures to look back on, Pats V Rovers amongst the previews, Student Scholarships, rugby pitches in Cabinteely and Johnny’s TV editing masterclass. Where would you get quality, professional, objective, compelling, informed, and most of all entertaining League of Ireland podcast gold? Answers on a postcard to…..
Total Podcasting this week! Comparisons with the Holland team of '74 will be justified as we present guest, or rather guest host, Pat Fenlon who takes to the pod like a Henrik Larsson parachuted in for January. It's the big two this week, and we have Jimmy Keohane from Cork and the controversially pronounced Patrick Hoban from Dundalk lighting up the phone lines. There's Pat's take on Rovers, Why he doesn't miss managing, behind the scenes at Waterford, a pink shirt and when not to tweet. All this from seven flights up in Dublin 7. Enjoy!
The length of this weeks pod is directly proportional to the number of fixtures, upsets, red cards and media training opportunities spurned by our studio guest Trevor Croly. Fresh from victory at the Dublin Derby and defeat in Derry, the Bohs number 2 talks about the 'Peoples Club', fixture congestion, Keith Long's recruitment and an underappreciated dress sense. Johnny takes up for an under fire Stephen Bradley and continues to miss goals, literally, at Bray and spends a windswept and interesting few minutes with Cork City’s Conor McCormack. King Kenny Shiels is on the phone from Derry because we won't pay his travel expenses and Dan is on the naughty step for using curse words at Bray. All this bookended by the best sig tune in all of Christendom!
In a breaking news episode we talk to Tom O'Mahony, the President of St. Patricks Athletic to discuss the plans for the new stadium complex in Inchicore and wonder what colour carpet will be in the upstairs bedrooms of the adjoining apartments. Limerick goalkeeper and Dublin 8 native Brendan Clarke gives us his 2 cents on the big news as well as secret records, goalkeeping howlers and eskimos in Oriel Park. There's a chat with Dundalk's Chris Shields, Ronan Finn on this weeks derby, an overtly ageist debate and who, if anyone, will think of the children? It's a bumper LOI weekly...and it's early!
This week sees Dan back from New York City to join forces with the two Johnnys. Yes, LOI Weekly ‘Hall of Famer’, Johnny McDonnell returns to cast his well schooled eye over the youth setup, the league, and whether Architects can build football teams with PowerPoint! There’s strip searches in Bray, Munster Derbies with Waterford manager Alan Reynolds, predictions galore and we try not to mention Fairyhouse. It's episode 8 and its here!
'Holy Thursday Batman, it's episode 7!' Rising again this Easter season is Conor Clifford who discusses his ban for gambling offences, boxing, and his quest for a new club. A less than penitent, Lee Grace after switching from Galway to Rovers is in studio to talk Galway exoduses and life with Rovers. We have all our usual banter and predictions in a three part format that dies, is buried and rises again as an all round egg-cellent Easter show. (Sorry about that last bit!)
It’s time for the LOI Weekly Saint Patrick’s Day parade! Johnny welcomes current St. Patricks captain and guest of honour Ian Bermingham alongside Grand Marshall Paul Doolin, former manager of Cork, UCD and Drogheda while Dan reports from the International parade in Turkey. Our guests discuss the recent Pats v Rovers game, as well as bouncers, ex girlfriend's weddings, the Irish abroad, just how good the league is, steak dinners and there's more fervent national pride than Cheltenham and that rugby crowd combined. It’s LOI Weekly for the week that was in it.
It's a multigenerational Podorama this week. While young Mister Ward casts his dedicated glare over the runners and riders in Cheltenham we welcome the silver tongued Des Curran, who’s age is a better kept secret than the Pod’s budget for coffee, alongside the regular of our two Dan’s this week. Our second Dan, the boy Casey, is the wunderkind from the heart of the Bohemians defence who chose football over Dublin GAA and Leinster Rugby when he was but a lad. In between Des and Dan’s war stories on knee surgery, we squeeze in Kenny Shiels on Derry’s return to the Brandywell, Dan talks to Saint Pat’s goalkeeper Barry Murphy after their result against Dundalk. We have predictions, tips, roundups and the view from the gantry. Des, Dans, Derry and Dundalk Draw. Anymore D’s and you'd think we had Johnny’s Leaving Cert results...
The snow has melted and so, apparently has the heart of oft injured Dundalk captain Stephen O'Donnell, who tells us he's getting married in November. After, of course, this intriguing new season is over! But it's far from over now and the big game on tele this week is Dundalk v Cork so to balance the books we bring in legal eagle Neal Horgan from the republic to cast a southern eye over the tie. Also this week, Dan and Johnny ask, is there such a thing as a player manager? How long is too long to spend in the toilets at a Lithuanian wedding? Who would Stephen like to be snowbound with? and are Bray suffering from a crisis of confidence? All this and not a snowflake in site, unless you count the producer!
Recorded over Skype, much to the chagrin of our perfectionist Professor of Sound, we soldier on through the arctic conditions. With the lack of bread affecting Johnny's mental sharpness and Dan huddled over a three bar SuperSer the comparisons with '82 are unavoidable. Be prepared for a polar affected pod where we ask Is Roddy Collins still at Athlone? Is Sean Connor back in the league? and are Snowballs at linesmen allowed under FIFA rules? We have Kenny Shiels dropping grenades, The Brandywell reopening, and our very first breaking news story. If you're sick of those bread videos on 'WhatsApp' then this won't help a bit...
A dead horse, a taxi driver with an unimportant name, a worst injuries competition, and a prodigal son. No, it’s not the script for the new Coen Brothers movie it’s just what happens when the two Johnnys are in studio. Joining Messers. McDonnell and Ward this week in our studio are Johnny Dunleavy of Cork City, and, only one letter short of a millionaire thriller writer, we have Tim Clancy, who’s one of the youngest managers in the league up in Drogheda. We have an interview with ex Cork City hero Sean Maguire and our long awaited preview of the first division. All this and some anthem whistling to boot!
We're back! An extended season opener featuring Ger O'Brien from Saint Pats in the original studio. We also have interviews with Shane Keegan, Raff Cretaro and Stephen McGuinness from the league launch on Tuesday. So, expect predictions, in depth analysis, steak house recommendations and lower level mathematics as well as a brand new theme tune all the way from Washington DC! Game on.
Remember when Roy of the Rovers Annuals gave you the chance to see what black and white weekly characters like Hot Shot Hamish and Johnny Dexter looked like in glossy colour? Well we've brought back two old favourites for the festive season. Glossy Paul Corry, ex-Shamrock Rovers, drops in to give us his 2c while the ever colourful James Chambers jets in from Philly to chip in his festive bon mots. It's all about the opening fixtures, the ins and outs of transfer deals and the greatest league in the world. Happy Christmas!
"Don't Look Back" screamed the Nobel Laureate back in 1965. Corks Crocked Captain Johnny Dunleavy didn't pay any attention as he swaggers into studio to take Johnny Ward to task for the sins of the past. Joined by Dan and Bohemian goalkeeper Shane Supple for a nostalgic look back at the season that was and a look at your votes for the team of the season. Shane also found time to push team mate Dinny Corcoran on his penchant for Dutch Gold and it took us only 38 episodes to work a Dylan reference into the description.
As Johnny sings the relegation blues in G minor, Ger O'Brien ex captain of Saint Pat's drops in to relive the great escape. He also regales us with tales of Owen Garvan's dressing room hopping and lack of singing ability. There's Dan's week of press trips, Kenny Shiels' bag of cans, and who's going to win the cup? We've got twenty quids worth of tickets to give away if you still care.....
In an attempt to curb the enthusiasm of Johnny and stem the 'Galway United Weekly' movement, Dan invited Dundalk manager Stephen Kenny into the pod this week. Dundalk's last game of the league season is proving crucial to Galway's season and it all makes for a pretty pretty pretty good show. Oh, and it sounds fantastic too!
Even after Ophelia toasted our studio, our equipment and our sound engineer we managed to rustle up two tin cans and an iString to record a highly entertaining if somewhat retro sounding Brian Kerr chat. Johnny McDonnell dropped in as well, so we went all out to recreate a Faroe Island commentary box audio feel. Apologies for the poor sound quality. Blame the wind....
In an unashamedly honest reflection on an injury blighted career, Shamrock Rovers' Paul Corry joins Dan and Johnny in studio to talk about his decision to retire from football at the age of 26. There's also a look back on Tuesday nights epic FAI Cup semi final replay and that Stephen Bradley incident, as well as predictions, impromptu host auditions and Johnny's explanation of Dan's genealogy.
As we near the "end of the line" for this season, ex Limerick manager Martin Russell drops by to see if "even the losers" will get lucky sometime and run down Johnny's Galway dreams. Lending a media trained "Southern Accent" to this weeks show while celebrating his miscellaneous birthday is Cork City's Alan Bennett, who plagiarises Alanis Morissette, and reveals that "The Waiting" is the hardest part. We have our say on the Kevin Doyle concussion debate as well as a feisty predictions round and a look back on the FAI Cup "Big Weekend". That's more than enough Tom Petty titles for one week, but he was definitely one of the good guys...
After an Italian honeymoon Dan is reunited with Johnny who comes up with some terrible excuses to explain away his unfaithfulness. Ironically this weeks liaison is recorded at an unnamed hotel as Dan’s first dalliance away from married life includes an illicit rendezvous with old team mates Raf Cretaro of Sligo and Gavin Peers of St.Pat’s to discuss the relegation battle and a certain memoir. Meanwhile Johnny plays away with Kieran Sadlier who is almost a champion with Cork City. Also up for discussion is the weekends semi finals, the expected attendances at the FAI cup final, Vietnamese cuisine, FIFA 18, and if anyone has any spare LCD Soundsystem tickets…..
The standard of men’s attire might be down this week but the quality of guests is pure Armani seersucker as the voice of eir sport, Des Curran, stands in for the sunbed roulette playing Dan McDonnell, who we think might be in Capri. We’ve got Brendan Clarke, the safest hands in Limerick, in studio to talk about their upcoming Munster derbies and relegation battles. On the phone from Dundalk we have a very happy cup winner in Sean Gannon, oh yeah and there’s a 99c sandwich that just won’t go away.
It's all very 'Dude' in Dan's prenuptial show. "Laid Back" Johnny Mc (Donnell) returns to bring his own brand of Sam Elliot knowledge to the relegation battle, the future of the International team, reverse defections from the USA to ex eastern bloc countries and his own brand of human trafficking. There's Johnny Ward's full on Lebowski impression and the usual analysis, previews and shameless plugging of mens outfitters. This is not 'nam, it's episode 29, there are rules....
"Guess who's back? Damo's back..." and while we're talking back, let's talk full backs. Because the debate will rage over who was better, Damien Lynch or San Fransisco born Neal Horgan, who's also back. Despite his best efforts Neal ends up talking again about crisis clubs and this time it's Athlone Town. Johnny gets all fanboy with Galway United's Ronan Murray who talks about their cup run and working with Roy Keane at Ipswich. There's the usual random degrees of separation from the Hitler Youth comparisons with Social Media to mass defections of Bray Wanderers players in Inverness....but the main thing is that Damo's back and he's got 1600 emails to answer!
On this week's show we welcome Ger 'Buzzer' Rowe from Crumlin to talk about their upcoming cup match against the reigning champions, and his fond memories of Shelbourne legend Ollie Byrne on the tenth anniversary of his passing. He also offers expert opinion on which ex pros make the best taxi drivers, little people kicking in his door in Mosney and how five a sides in the flats honed his skills from a very early age. If this wasn't enough for you, we have Shane Keegan from Galway Utd on the phone and the results of the piano man poll are in as to whether it's gonna be Ollie Horgan or Ollie Horgan who tinkles the ivories at Dan's Wedding! Goodness Gracious, Great balls of....
In between selecting Dan's Wedding Songs and appraising Dublin's formal menswear retailers, 'Smooth' Johnny Ward and 'Dynamic' Dan McDonnell, play host to Longford Town manager Neale Fenn, who tells us about his love of the job and his career to date. Ollie Horgan is back on the phone from 'Harps to talk through the end of season run in, we don't discover what Alan Cawley cooked for Johnny, and Johnny takes ten minutes to to come up with a pun for 'Chambers'! All this and more....Because you just keep giving us 5 star reviews!
This week we welcomed Bohs Duo Oscar Brennan and Shane Supple to the studio...well almost! Our transition year sound engineer insisted on recording the first half of Oscar's contribution in a corrugated iron roofed shed for effect. We abandoned this experiment after about ten minutes and instead focused on Bohs beating Cork, Stephen Kenny's new contract and The Shawshank Redemption - Gypsy Style
The boy genius Johnny Dunleavy takes the train to our studio just north of North Korea where he joins a stag weary Dan and a Galway Races weary Johnny for a humdinger of a show that tackles head injuries, the obvious observations of middle aged cork men, amnesia, Aaron Lennon's driving position, going Hurling with Hunt, and "How The Simpson's would do press releases". It's so good that this weeks episode would get 12 A's in it's Inter Cert, including Latin!
Dan returns to accompany Johnny after an 'Oh-So-Short' European adventure to analyze what went wrong for the LOI teams. Luke Byrne from Shamrock Rovers drops in to preview the upcoming Bohs-Rovers game and Alan Reynolds from Waterford talks hurling, tenors, and the cup run. Oh, and Vincent Browne somehow gets a look in.
Gary McCabe from Bray Wanderers gives us a frank and honest opinion about the situation at the club from a players perspective in one of the most revealing interviews we've broadcast thus far. Also as it's make or break time for LOI clubs in Europe, Dan McDonnell is in Rosenborg and joins Johnny and Aidan Fitzmaurice from The Herald on the line from Norway to discuss if "it's over now?". Oh and there might be a little 90's Nordic pop theme too..
We kick off the next week of European games Dan-less as he's in Louth for the big game in Dundalk but does manage to secure a telephone line to discuss the Rosenberg choice of accommodation as well as the big game. Johnny is joined by Alan Keane formerly of Dundalk and Sligo Rovers who's well used to European Football. Also dropping by is Shamrock Rover's goalkeeper Tomer Chencinski, the first Hebrew speaking guest on the pod. Tomer looks back on his career to date, his first brush with girls at eight years old, and life in Ireland. Oh, and he pushes Johnny's spelling prowess to it's limits! All this and the usual news and views on everything League of Ireland.
This milestone episode unfortunately concentrates on the current border town of despair just a few miles south. Bray Wanderers' current predicaments prompt Johnny and Dan to phone former Cork City footballer and author Neal Horgan for a detailed discussion on the latest crisis to hit the league. On a more optimistic note the current round of European games provide good news stories. We round up the weekends action with usual predictions and ask who will be the next addition to Sénor Ward's photo album? Answers on a postcard to....
This week’s bumper LOI Weekly is a truly trans global affair. Regular schemers Johnny and Dan are joined in studio by James Chambers, the star of Bethlehem who plays his soccerball stateside these days. There’s also European giddiness and a telephone chat with Derry Manager Kenny Shiels on their prospects in Hamlet’s old stomping ground. Plus for good measure we head north with The Herald’s Aidan Fitzmaurice going all "Bjork meets Sigur Ros” in Iceland. If you add to that, Johnny’s visa debacles via Iran and Dan’s attempts to bring Guinness etiquette to Russian visitors, all we would need is another 'Home and Away’ bit and we’d have covered more air miles than a FIFA delegate in the off season. Oh, and Cork will still win it though…The league that is.
Johnny's pronunciation skills are pushed to the limits as we look at the European draws and how they affected the clubs in the league. After eating poorly last week he is joined in studio by his regular eight dollar an hour co-host Dan McDonnell and regular studio loiterer Damien Lynch (37). Gary Rogers gives us the Oriel view on the phone, as well as the usual news, views and roundups from around the country. Oh, and love is in the air yet again!
In studio for this weeks episode, all the way from Inchicore is, "The Boy Towell", Richie that is, as he reflects on his LOI career with the Dundalk team he didn’t even want to sign for but ended up winning the league with anyway. On the agenda as well are his experiences with Brighton in England and the differences between Chris Hughton and Stephen Kenny while Johnny tries to talk him out of his favourite goal choice. Outside of football, he displays a distinct lack of knowledge of Damon Albarn led Brit Pop outfits, and after our 6 question quiz we don’t expect Johnny to be hosting Mastermind anytime soon. But staying with quizzes and this week’s burning question is, ‘Will Bray have Johnny eating pigs feet next week?' Intrigued? I’ve started so I’ll finish…
Dan and Johnny are stood up by Damien Lynch as they present their half term report on the League. The original odd couple present their mid term awards and deal with topics as haughty as Damo's jumpers, Brian Kerr's orange, Cunningham's goalscoring drought, and lots more. All this, plus, eloping to Italy, Ollie Horgan as an alarm tone, pizzas and Hamlet. To Jalepeno or not to Jalapeno? Shazam!
"Just the two of us....", Dan's in New York for the Ireland game this week so Damien Lynch anchors the show with Johnny as we welcome Owen Garvan to the pod. Once of Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town, Owen talks about his plans for the future and how the league might figure in them. On the phone from Cork we have John Caulfield who's not in the least bit complacent about his position in the league and all the way from a hotel in Manhattan we eventually make contact with Dan McDonnell who wasn't in Tiffany's and has little or no jukebox skills. Oh, and Johnny gets an "All righty!"
A quick Luas ride from Tallaght brought Shamrock Rovers' Sporting Director Stephen McPhail face to face with Dan and Johnny to discuss the Shamrock Rovers Project. As well as enlightening us on Damien Duff's exuberance for five a side games and Rovers' new Roadstone development, Stephen also told us about how well the league is doing compared to our European counterparts. On the line from Limerick, taking a break from house hunting was new manager Neil McDonald to give us his first impressions of the league and a brief overview of his career to date....Oh, and there may have been a "Home and Away" bit just for old times sake!
This week we break the new Limerick manager news as Neil McDonald takes the helm at Markets Field. The inimitable Ollie Horgan from Finn Harps joins studio guest Ger O'Brien from Saint Pat's to discuss all the latest news and results from the LOI.
Damien Lynch complete with man flu renews his tour of duty aboard the good ship LOIWeekly with regular swashbucklers Dan and Johnny. Athlone Town is again the big news and Cobh Ramblers manager Stephen Henderson is on the phone to talk about the impact on the first division and how Cobh is navigating the choppy waters of second tier football. Also on the line we have Cork City captain Johnny Dunleavy on their spectacular start to the campaign and his adventures with the fillies both equine and hominine. there’s the usual managerial escapades, controversial predictions and even a critique of premier league grounds for good measure. Football Ahoy! Sort of...
Dundalk's Brian Gartland drops in on the pod and Stephen Elliott returns to survey the first round of games as we reach week 11. Johnny and Dan also touch on the Athlone Town situation as well as the usual tweets and previews. Oh, and there's a pretty good Mick McCarthy impression as well...
Johnny McDonnell joins Dan and Johnny in studio to reveal his best elevens, his scars from playing centre half and fantasy taxi driver five a side teams. Also on hand is Gerard Lyttle, the new manager of Sligo Rovers to talk about his new job in the northwest. Plus a full preview of all the weekend action.
This week: Things Kenny Cunningham didn’t do! Score goals, form an iron clad defensive partnership with John Scales and eat the expensive crisps we bought for him! Our regular sunshine band are joined by KC as they weigh in on Stephen Kenny’s penalty gripes, Dalymount memories, the Ireland Under 19s and his hopes for the future of Irish football. Plus Bray’s Gary McCabe looks forward to his date with his old club Shamrock Rovers.
This week we talk LOI best elevens, preview the week ahead, Cork City's Alan Bennett joins Dan and Johnny and as it's 30 years since Rovers left Milltown and 'I' left Withnail we have Dermot Keely on hand to discuss. What else could you want in a podcast? The finest wines in all humanity? I want them here and I want them now...
Dundalk captain Stephen O'Donnell joins Johnny, Dan & Damo to explain how he turned his career around and engage in a lively debate about the battle to win respect for the League of Ireland. Martin Russell also joins the lads to discuss his departure from Limerick.
This week an offer you can't refuse as Brian Kerr, the godfather of Irish football takes his place alongside Dan and Johnny to profess his love for the podcast and get to grips with your tweets. Badda Bing!
Johnny and Dan discuss the late, great Ryan McBride with Derry fan and broadcaster Kevin McDaid, Simon Madden, Kevin McHugh and John Caulfield.
Dan and Damian are joined by Aidan Fitzmaurice and Bohemians' Shane Supple to discuss the double round of fixtures, manager interviews and the future of Dalymount Park. Derry's Nathan Boyle and Preston's Andy Boyle also join the lads, and Johnny gives us a Gold Cup tip live from Cheltenham.
Stephen Elliott and Damian Lynch join Dan and Johnny for this weeks pod, and fresh from FA cup exploits, Shaun Williams is on the phone from Millwall.
The bar at Galway United, Wes Hoolahan's eyesight, Dublin Derbies and Iran or Limerick? All of this and much more as studio guest Owen Heary joins Johnny Ward and Dan McDonnell for LOI Weekly.
Damien Lynch joins regular hosts Johnny Ward and Dan McDonnell in Studio to look forward to the opening weekend of the new season. The lads are also joined by Shane Keegan and Pat Fenlon.