Chicago Irish Radio-The O'Connor Show. Portions of our some of our live broadcasts & long form pre-recorded interview/chats featuring all kinds of people!

Send us Fan Mail Ever wonder what live radio/live tv is really like?  It can be chaotic-bloopers galore! It's how you roll that matters.  Just keep going, just keep talking, embrace the ridiculousness! Tune in live some Saturday & you'll hear it.  It's real, real, real. This particular Saturday, marching day for St Patrick's in Chicago, green river and all, Darren Holden ta...

Send us Fan Mail The Saturday of 18th of October, 2025, Consul General Brian Cahalane visited the show that airs immediately before ours.  I caught him just as he was packing up to leave & asked if he would stay for "a few quick minutes" for my listeners.  He graciously agreed.  This is an excerpt from that show.  Listen to learn a little about Consul General Brian Cahalane. Tune in...

Send us Fan Mail Honestly.  I LOVE these fellas! Willie Joe Casey & Tom Dolan are both frequent visitors to the live radio broadcast. We've made plans to record their stories & things never worked out until this day.   The opening of the Chicago GAA Hall of History, an idea hatched by these two, has come to fruition at Chicago Gaelic Park.  The fellas were live on the radio show on th...

Send us Fan Mail Oh my goodness! We had so much fun on this day! Willie Joe Casey & Fr. Mick Madigan stop up for a visit and the STORIES flowed! Absolute gold. So funny and 100% REAL! All the music & MOST of the ads are stripped out of the recording of the live broadcast.  The rest is just real live radio.  Unvarnished. Raw. REAL.  Tune in some Saturday.  Our show runs from 11-1 CST, strea...

Send us Fan Mail Breege Rowley is a GEM! She shares her time so generously and eloquently discusses all the things about her film "All of our Yesterday's"   This is the full chat. the abbreviated was featured on the radio show November 15, 2025. You will truly feel you are eavesdropping on our conversation.  Breege is passionate about saving the social history of life in and around...

Send us Fan Mail This show has SO MUCH chat, it is a great one to share.  All music has been stripped out.  Meet Tom O'Connor, Dublin native & recent Northwestern Masters of Journalism graduate, our own Breege Looney, Brandi Barry Benson of Bach & Beethoven Experience, Kelly Doherty from iBAM, https://www.ibamchicago.com/ and an edited interview w/Breege Rowley talking about her docum...

Send us Fan Mail The production of Frank McGuinness's "Factory Girls" leads to Bridget Christianson sharing HER memories of working at a shirt factory in Ireland as a young woman.  Originally aired live October 5, 2024 Tune in LIVE each week, we broadcast around the world!   Saturdays, 11-1pm Central Standard Time. Go to www.1490.am to access the free stream!   We would LOVE to hear...

Send us Fan Mail Chat  w/Sinn Fein's Dáire Hughes He explains his role, the state of Armagh & we learn about strides forward to unify Ireland under one flag Dáire's biography Dáire Hughes is from the Meadow in Newry and is a graduate of Queen’s University, Belfast. Dáire is a former trade union representative and spent years working in the community voluntary sector locally. He joine...

Send us Fan Mail YES! This interview started live on-air and continued after.  Unedited-you get to hear ALL THE THINGS we discuss.  Tangents galore! Josephine Craven brought Mary up to the show to talk about her play "Clifden's Daughter"  which had it's first public performance at iBAM. Mary Santarelli is a writer.  She's a creative that has explored many avenues & byw...

Send us Fan Mail Super vintage!  The radio show was a little over 2 yrs old.  Mike O'Connor(the OG) w/a little help from Joe(last name unknown)  on this Friday night from the WOPA studios.  Featuring music by Brendan Furey(pipes), Connie Foley,  and more classic musicians.  Mike also gives his report & opinion on the recent visit to the US by then Taoiseach of Ireland Jack Lynch.   Tune i...

Send us Fan Mail Michael Londra-how to describe?  This world famous Tenor was principle singer for the original Broadway production of "Riverdance" .  He has gone on to produce musicals, created a hugely popular PBS show- Ireland with Michael,  and continues to tour several weeks a year w/a stage production of his tv program. Listen to hear about Michael's latest plans for his next...

Send us Fan Mail Siobhainn sits down with celebrated multi-faceted author Colm Tóibín and learns about his creative process, fun asides, and even a bit of a song.  He is a novelist, short story writer, journalist, and non-fiction writer.  In short, a fascinating person. Colm Tóibín's novels include the following, in no particular order: The South The Heather Blazing The Story of the Night The...

Send us Fan Mail Interesting few minutes of discussion of speculation on what will happen to border, etc. after Brexit Tune in LIVE each week, we broadcast around the world!   Saturdays, 11-1pm Central Standard Time. Go to www.1490.am to access the free stream!   We would LOVE to hear from you!  Shoot us an email info@chicagoirishradio.com, or contact us via FB-@chicagoirishradio Send requests or...

Send us Fan Mail Siobhainn & Breege-crazy crazy day. My guests this morning generously stayed on for the crazy ride of doing a live broadcast over YouTube.  Ba-na-nas! Great chat from Maida McQuinn Sugrue(Grandma, Tell Me a Story-https://www.amazon.com/Gramma-Tell-Story-Maida-McQuinn-Sugrue/dp/1956823182),  author Richie Piggott (Cry of a People Gone-available through RichiePiggott.com), Paul...

Send us Fan Mail Ursula Bielski, featured guest speaker at iBAM, sits down for a chat and exchange of ghost stories and happenings.    She is a wonderful story teller and a marvelous, generous guest. Ursula has written 12 books, including "Chicago haunts; Ghostlore of the Windy City", "More Chicago Haunts-Scenes from Myth and Memory",  "Haunts of the White City", &quo...

Send us Fan Mail Richie Piggott is a scientist, Irish trad music enthusiast, historian.....and more.  Siobhainn met Richie at iBAM(Irish Books, Arts, and Music) for a chat-winding around and about, as these things do.   Hear how he tracked down musicians that are featured in his beautiful coffee table book, his luck interviewing, and his experiences focusing on finding the joy of Irish trad music....

Send us Fan Mail iBAM-Irish Books Arts Music weekend at the Irish American Heritage Center in Chicago draws all that its title suggests!  Lucky for me, a few people had a some time for a chat.  This episode features actor/writer/spoken word performer Josephine Craven chatting about her main project- Lady Jane Wilde(mother of Oscar Wilde) aka "Speranza",  the toast of Society in her lifet...