The Mario Rosenstock Podcast

You have probably heard a lot of interviews with Minister Paschal Donoghue on radio and on TV, but I’m pretty sure you will not have heard one quite like this. My plan is going into this particular interview was, not to talk about all the usual topics you’ll hear the minister talk about in the media and in the Dail, but rather to get behind all of that, to learn about the person, not the politician. And thankfully, Paschal was well up for having that kind of conversation. You are about to hear a whole different side to Paschal Donoghue in this episode of The Mario Rosenstock Podcast.COMEDY  - Kevin Bakhurst, RTE Director General, has just introduced a salary cap for presenters – and they’re not happy. We got exclusive access to his voicemails. Produced by Patrick Haughey of AudioBrand

This chat with Al Porter was genuinely one of the most enjoyable conversations I have had on this podcast series to date. Not only is Al totally hilarious, he is also deeply intelligent, self aware, and has a very powerful personal story to tell. He has just come out the other side of an incredibly difficult few years where he was, by his own doing, completely out of the public eye, having been very much in it for many years. But now he’s back on tour, selling out venues again,  and he joined me in studio to share his story and tell me about how it feels to be back in action.This is part two of that conversation, and just like part 1, we have a real treat in store for you. For details about Al’s new tour, check out alporter.ie COMEDY – Bruce Springsteen is back again and tickets are pretty hefty! Produced by Patrick Haughey,  AudioBrand

A few years ago Al Porter was one of Ireland’s most rapidly rising stars in the entertainment world. He had become the youngest headliner in Vicar Street’s history at 21, his award-winning stand up was receiving rave reviews from critics, he had his own TV and radio shows, and big plans in motion for the USA. And then, as he says himself,  it “all fell apart”. For reasons that we cover in this episode, Al suddenly stepped back from all of his public work and spent the next few years living at home, eating and drinking heavily, and mentally not in a good place. But now, after several years of self-reflection and analysis, and some serious work on himself to get sober, Al is back. He’s selling out venues with his new stand up show, supporting great comedians like Reginald D Hunter, and he’s off the booze and looking and feeling great. We met up in the studio earlier this week and over the course of almost two hours, Al told me the full story about the last few years he has spent out of the public eye and how he has got himself back on track. This is part 1 of that conversation.  COMEDY – Johnny Sexton has hung up his boots but his career is far from over- we get exclusive access to his voicemails and hear who’s been getting in touch Produced by Patrick Haughey of AudioBrand

Rachel Allen needs very little introduction. A very familiar face on our screens and a best-selling author, Rachel has carved out a highly successful career for herself in the culinary world both in Ireland and abroad. But did you know that her grandfather escaped from a concentration camp? Or that she has very strong views on veganism that might surprise you? Or are you aware of what her favourite curse words are?! Rachel and I get into all that and more on this episode of The Mario Rosenstock Podcast.COMEDY - Michael D Higgins is in hot water again for his outspoken views on topical issue. He's been getting some very interesting voicemails, and we got exclusive access!Produced by Patrick Haughey of AudioBrand

It’s not easy being a TV weather forecaster in Ireland, and Joanna Donnelly knows this first-hand. She regularly gets blamed for actually creating bad weather, not just forecasting it. But despite all this, Joanna loves what she does. Having studied Mathematics and Meteorology, Joanna has worked with Met Éireann and RTE for over 28 years, and has just published her latest book, From Malin Head to Mizen Head, A Journey Around the Sea Area ForecastWe chat about all sorts of stuff, including why she loves her job, life in the public eye, her views on climate change, and challenging times she has gone through in her own family life.  COMEDY – David McWilliams reminisces about childhood Halloweens on ‘the mean streets of Dalkey’ Produced by Patrick Haughey of AudioBrand

I have heard some fascinating life stories in my time, but Terry Prone’s is up there with one of the best. Terry is a writer, an actor, a journalist, a broadcaster, an advisor to successive governments, a communications expert, a PR pioneer, the list goes on and on - and after already writing 30 books, she has finally written the one that tells her own life story.Its called Caution to the Wind: A Memoir - and it is simply a fascinating read. Terry talks as well as she writes and in our chat she shares some brilliant stories about the love of her life, the late Tom Savage, who was a priest when they first met; her close working relationship with Gay Byrne, coaching politicians,  the secret to powerful communications, and lots more.COMEDY – The Mario Rosenstock Podcast hotline has been busy this week, we've got messages from Leo V, Brian O'Driscoll, and the government's money men, Paschal and Michael. Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

Have you ever hear a Tánaiste and former Taoiseach doing an impression of Muhammad Ali? Well, you're just about to. In this second and final part of my interview with Micheál Martin he nails an impression of his sporting hero, and we also talk about freedom of speech, violent protests, the housing crisis, the presidency, Murphy’s vs Beamish, and which Irish politician he’d most like to get in to the boxing ring with!Comedy -With the Budget just around the corner, I can only imagine just how in demand Paschal Donohoe and Michael McGrath are right now, getting lobbied from all directions. We got exclusive access to their voicemails…

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

Senator Michael McDowell has been a TD, Tanaiste, Minster for Justice, and the country's Attorney General; he’s currently a barrister, a senator, and a columnist for the Irish Times. How he found the time to join me for an hour-long chat for this podcast I’ll never know, but Im very glad he did because we got through some great topics, including how broken a state Ireland once was when the tax rate was at 77% and the state owned absolutely everything, why the UK legal system allows for people like Russell Brand to be splashed all over the papers before being found guilty, his distrust of Sinn Fein, and why he knows the words to several Wolfe Tones songs!

 2023 has been a year of wildfires, extreme weather, and record temperatures – is it all down to climate change? To answer that question we invited climate commentator John Gibbons back to the studio for a conversation that I think you’re going to find very interesting ( and probably alarming). John Gibbons has been researching, campaigning and consistently appearing in the media about the climate crisis for over 20 years and even though it’s often a thankless job, his passion and resolve are stronger than ever.  This episode probably isn’t typical of the series, its not exactly a barrel of laughs, but it’s a topic I strongly believe needs to be out there more and John is one of the clearest and most passionate climate commentators in this country and is well worth paying attention to. COMEDY - We’ve managed to get access to Patrick Kielty’s voicemails. He’s going to be presenting his very first Late Late show this week, and so as you can imagine, his phone has been hopping… Produced by Patrick Haughey of AudioBrand