Ireland Talks Podcast

Send us Fan Mail Join Kevin Byrne as he chats with: 🪨 Mark Feeley – master stonemason and stone sculptor from County Roscommon, exploring traditional craftsmanship and the art of working with natural stone. 🦉 Sean Byrne – from Kildare Wildlife Rescue , discussing the vital work of rescuing, rehabilitating and protecting Ireland’s wildlife. 🌸 Fionnuala McAuley – founder of the Institute of Flowe...

Send us Fan Mail In this edition of the Ireland Talks Podcast , we speak with music journalist and author Jon Bernstein , whose writing has appeared in Rolling Stone, The Guardian, GQ, and The Village Voice . Jon joins us to discuss What Do You Do When You’re Lonesome: The Authorized Biography of Justin Townes Earle , a deeply researched and compassionate portrait of one of the most compelling voi...

Send us Fan Mail The Chieftains may be no more, but Kevin Conneff, the man whose voice and bodhrán have been a mainstay of the band’s sound, is carrying on the tradition with the customary spring in his step.  The Dublin Trio is a brand new ensemble featuring Conneff, guitarist Tony Byrne, and piper, whistle, and accordion player Joe McKenna.  All three have strong pedigrees, and this collaboratio...

Send us Fan Mail In this addition of the Podcast , Kevin sits down with Eamon Brady — a gifted singer-songwriter, producer, sideman, and lecturer — to talk about his musical journey and the stories behind his upcoming debut album, Half-Light . Eamon opens up about what it means to balance creativity with collaboration, how teaching shapes his songwriting, and what listeners can expect from Half-Li...

Send us Fan Mail A New Sculpture Park For Ireland Opening 2026 The Doherty Sculpture Park promises a one-of-a-kind immersive cultural experience, featuring a world-class collection of sculptures that span from modern to contemporary art. As Ireland’s first initiative of its kind, the park will host rotating outdoor exhibitions, continually refreshing its artistic offerings. This ground-breaking mo...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode of Ireland Talks Podcast , I sit down with one of the most distinctive voices in Irish folk music today — Daoirí Farrell . Hailing from Dublin, Daoirí has carved out a reputation as a powerful interpreter of traditional ballads, breathing new life into old songs with honesty, heart, and an unmistakable voice. We talk about his musical journey, the influence of Iris...

Send us Fan Mail Recored in Nashville TN August 2024 Fran Breen is a polished and veteran drummer who has played with such notables as Lucinda Williams, Nanci Griffith and The Waterboys plus many more  Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Ger Wolfe is an established Irish singer songwriter, a multi-instrumentalist and a poet who composes and performs ”carefully-crafted vignettes of song to all who come to listen” (Irish Times). Releasing nine full albums of his own original work on indie label ‘Raggedy Records’ “Word & Rhyme” (1998), followed by ‘Ragged Ground’ (2000), ‘Heaven Paints Her Holy Mantle Blue’ (2002...

Send us Fan Mail Growing up in Dundalk, Ireland, Finnian has carefully honed his songwriting slowly and with care. Since 2015 His music is honest, concise and textured in a way that is grounded and speaks to his inner conviction. Never afraid to draw on his influences and using the medium of live performance in a studio context, Finnian’s nods to his musical past have been hailed as refreshing in...

Send us Fan Mail Robin James Hurt was born in Belfast, raised in Scotland and lived in Dublin for many years. More recently he has settled on the coast of County Wexford in the south east of Ireland. He is a consummate, captivating, highly popular live performer, playing regularly in Dublin and around Ireland at both more intimate venues and larger festivals, as well as all across Europe and beyon...

Send us Fan Mail ABOUT ALEX  Alex Miller came to the attention of global audiences during American Idol, Season 19. While still coming to terms with the changes that experience brought to his life, Alex is now embracing the lessons he learned from the show – and its superstar coaches. “One thing I really took away from it all is that I need to keep challenging myself,” the young entertainer reflec...

Send us Fan Mail Kevin chats to Phelim Drew the celebrated Son of Ronnie Drew  Support the show

Send us Fan Mail When Irish singer-songwriter Francie Conway received a photo of a demolished Ukrainian apartment, wherein everything was destroyed except for a guitar, he was inspired to create a song that would find a seam of hope in the face of appalling devastation. His drive to make a statement about what was happening in Ukraine was cemented by the an edition of The Late Late Show which was...

Send us Fan Mail Francie Conway started his recording career with RCA Records, London with notable hits including ‘To The Edge Of Time’ & ‘One Night In Amsterdam’, with notable gigs including ‘Paleo’ festival, Nyon, Switzerland with 4,000 expected but 25,000 attending thanks to the popularity of ‘To the Edge of Time’ and with notable song covers including ‘Striking It Rich’ recorded by Stevie...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the podcast Kevin travels to the Medyka border in Poland where he spoke to the volunteers on the ground involved  with the humanitarian Aid effort for Ukrainian refugees.  Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Dublin City Council refused permission for the proposed development, citing four reasons largely relating to the size and impact on historic structures. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail When Eddie Lenihan appeared in Irish national television's 12-part series 'Storyteller' in 1986, most of those seeing and hearing him were doing so for the first time. However, two further series titled 'Ten Minute Tales' in 1987 and 1988 changed all that for good. But what viewers did not know was that he had already by then 6 books behind him, as well as...

Send us Fan Mail In episode 9 of the podcast Kevin travels to County Clare to chat with singer/songwriter Steo Wall.  Steo Wall  BIO Steo Wall is an emerging talent on the Irish music scene, a striking wordsmith with a unique musical style. His live sets have been described as pure alchemy. Steo has an eclectic taste to his music which shines through the multi-genre array of songs at his disposal....

Send us Fan Mail Kevin Chats with special guest Liam Ó Maonlaí Beidh mé fhéin ag tabhairt aire do mo shuíomh fhéin! I feel its time for me to keep you updated myself  I have felt the privilege of food on the table , shelter  and good health these days . As a result it has been a golden time . Nurturing a positive frame of mind and feeling excited about life and the infinite possibilities.  Tá cumh...

Send us Fan Mail I had the great pleasure of chatting with Ger out at his fantastic Glenburnie Stables just outside Trim in County Meath.  Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Joining me on this episode of the Podcast is singer Eleanor Shanley from  County Leitrim in the North West of Ireland,  renowned for her unique interpretation of Irish and Roots songs. She has been at the top of her profession since her first appearance as the singer with traditional group De Danann, she has toured and recorded with  the great Ronnie Drew, Christy More, Dolores Ke...

Send us Fan Mail Joining me on the podcast today is Stephen Rooney who recently had some wonderful adventures in the Mourne mountains, he is also an Artist painting in watercolor and oils he’s a lover of photography hiking and wildlife.  He featured on BBC Chronicles of the Mournes.  Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Singer songwriter Mike Hanrahan joins Kevin in this episode where he talks about music, food and about his great pal Ronnie Drew and more. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail John Spillane chats to Kevin about where it all began and about his new album 100 white horses among other things. For more on John Spillane visit johnspillane.ie  Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Where did it all begin, join me for episode 2 of the podcast where i chat with singer/songwriter Jack O Rourke about where his musical career began, reminiscing about his first gig and his thoughts on Vinyl too.  Support the show