Talking Bollox Podcast

If you listened to Part 1 of our interview with Sam Millar, you know that we first heard his story from our producer Eoin, who was working on a documentary called Unusual Suspects. That series won Silver at the New York Festival Radio Awards and we think it's worth giving you all a chance to listen to it before the rest of the interview is out tomorrow so here it is! ** On an icy night in January,...

We went all the way to Belfast for this episode and nearly missed our train home because we couldn't stop talking to Sam. Sam Millar is a former member of the IRA, having joined when he was just 15 after Bloody Sunday and seeing the brutal murder of his best friend for being Catholic. Sam spent 8 years in the H Blocks on the blanket and no wash protests and he told us what it was like to live thos...

We've made a trip outside Dublin to record a podcast for the first time ever and it's gone very well. So well we weren't back in time to send it to you at the usual time. BUT fear not! To make up for it we bring you next week's bonus episode early so sit back and enjoy Calvin's game changing revelation about traffic lights. We hear their Spice Girl names and if you're listening in Leitrim, you mig...

Things get competitive as Terence announces he will never, and could never, lose a spelling bee – and is quickly forced into backing up his big talk. We end up in a sudden death spelling scenario, with deceptions, threats and ice cream. Calvin has been waving at gardai – or maybe it was the other way around – but either way Terry isn’t letting him away with it. Terry wears out his battery while ou...

Comedian and self proclaimed 'culchie' Tom O'Mahoney joined us this week for a few laughs. We got distracted right off the bat by Tom's moustache and Terence's concern that his wet jacket was a result of a leak rather than the rain he'd been outside in. Tom told us about his experience in the world of posh Dub's, having both famously played one on hit show Damo and Ivor and marring a woman from Da...

We have a special bonus episode for you this week, with a lot of it recorded from the stage in Vicar Street as we prepared to begin our live show on Sunday. There's a lot of chaos around us as we try to answer a few listener questions, from superstitions to trademarked catchphrases and an unfortunate fall. We then bring some unreleased classics from the archives, including the options of supreme i...

This week, we sit down with Mike Perez, a Cuban cruiserweight boxer whose journey is nothing short of extraordinary. Mike reveals the harsh realities of his upbringing in Cuba, sharing heart-wrenching stories of survival and resilience. He takes us through his incredible journey from being bullied in the orphanage to embarking on a perilous escape from Cuba involving the Mexican cartel. With tales...

Terry comes out swinging, demanding some competitive quizzing – but he may have bitten off more than he can chew, and is soon tripping over questions about German car manufacturers and the various colours of a popular sweet. We have a story about sticking to a bet at a funeral, and Calvin completely loses his composure over the game of golf. And he’s left deeply wounded by the news that Calvin got...

Dermot Whelan, author of Busy and Wrecked, and formerly of Dermot & Dave joined us this week - And Calvin only called him Dave by accident once which is a win! Dermot explained how he went from being an altar boy to dreaming of being Indiana Jones, to where he is now. For years, Dermot suffered with anxiety and didn't understand it - But he didn't let it stop him from getting on stage for stan...

The bizarre and fascinating world of mobile cinemas enters the Talking Bollox universe this week, as a listener’s questions sends us into a whole new world, and has us ringing around every culchie we know as we hunt down more info on this peculiar beast of Irish rural entertainment.   We also ask what’s the best invention ever, and we ask if you can put in the miles for self-improvement if yo...

Kyla Cobbler is not her real name, but what is real are the laughs we had with her in this episode. She told us how lying to Italian men on dating apps led to her new name and how she went from hating school to getting head hunted by Dolce & Gabbana and is now living the dream now working as a comedian. It's a chaotic episode that goes from Azealia Banks to Coolio's demands for sparkling water...

We enter a world of twists and deception this week, as the caterpillar saga grows legs. Terry gets a tip off that he thinks has him closer to discovering the identity of his anonymous tormentor, but has he just dug himself into a deeper hole? Calvin wonders if we’ve entered a story more layered that Shutter Island, or more treacherous than The Departed, and we find out that the one true ban in the...

On Valentine's Day, 1981, 48 young people died tragically in a fire that broke out in the Stardust nightclub in North Dublin. Emergency exits were blocked, the furnishings were highly flammable and the fire spread rapidly. Selina McDermott lost 3 of her siblings in the tragedy, Willie, George and Marcella. Her family was never the same again. She told us about her memories of that night, the chaos...

The listeners come for Calvin and his rules of the road, and we’re left with very few co-hosts who could pass a theory test. The risk of an unexpected dig is on offer for a cash reward, and a fate worse than Lucan awaits Calvin - while Terry's life on Manor Street takes on the feel of a sitcom. We have some sphere puns that inadvertently outrage Calvin, and strange beasts hidden in a shed. There’s...

Dara Ó Briain is one of Ireland's most successful comedians. Things get off to a rocky start as Terence arrives late, and Dara makes him pay for it. Once we have that out of the way Dara shares his journey from science to stand-up, revealing how he stumbled into comedy and how he knew instantly he was hooked. We delve into the nuances of heckling and the experiences that shape a comedian's approac...

We obliterate our own ban on animal content this week, as Terence questions the point of science and at the same time claims he can see heat. We ask AI for its opinion on Talking Bollox and we find ChatGPT coming for the producers of the podcast. Terence has a big problem with the naming of the Las Vegas Sphere, and the Pyramids, but he’s blown away by the Square in Tallaght. And a listener’s plea...

Mick Moran is a former Garda who works tirelessly to protect children from sexual abuse, both with the Guards, and Interpol and now as CEO of Hotline.ie . Mick explained where this child sexual abuse material is coming from and why he cares more about finding the child than the abuser. There’s a serious debate about the potential to rehabilitate a sexual offender and Mick gives his take on seeming...

In a sign of booming times, Terence has made a major purchase without working out every single angle – or any angles. There's concerns about being kidnappable, we learn C is for Savage, Calvin rages against a recent trend among young men in Dublin, and we get a heartfelt and touching message from a listener overseas. Send all of your questions and comments to talkingbollox@goloudnow.com

Comedian Justine Stafford came into us this week and quickly derailed the entire episode with talk of Banshee Bones, Joe Dolan and incels. She told us about her journey into comedy and attending two college courses at once, which makes sense when you consider how many points she got in her leaving cert. Her time at college did her no harm and gave her some much needed real life experience to avoid...

Calvin shows great mercy towards his subjects when granted god-like powers, and it inadvertently puts Terry in another surprisingly awkward spot. We hear about fake careers invented to impress a stranger and We get a surprisingly easy choice between a subbed toe and life on loudspeaker, Terence reveals the most cutting insult that could have been thrown at someone as a child, and Calvin gives a br...

Psychotherapist Richard Hogan joined us this week for a chat about growing up in a dysfunctional household and how the stories we tell children about themselves shape who they become. He also explained how his own negative childhood experience with psychotherapy led him to where he is now and why he has a problem with over-diagnosis of anti-depressants for children. There are a lot of challenges t...

We play number games with little success, and Terry almost slips up in the caterpillar cover up.   We hear vigorous arguments about the geographic locations of tracksuit hotspots, funeral traditions outside Dublin, and the spiritual home of eggs.   And the attic stories are back with a vengeance as one listener terrifies us with tales from the third floor. Calvin thinks a helpful ghost m...

Shane Todd, podcaster and comedian joined us for a chat about everything from nights out with Theo Von to how he could take a bear in a fight (if it’s ill). And if his stories from the soccer pitch are anything to go by – Shane takes no survivors. With dreams of one day hosting Saturday Night Live, Shane has expanded his career to include acting, taking on impressive roles like the main part in a...

The chaos, terror and absolute joy of collecting for Halloween comes flooding back for the lads this week, as a question sparks a trip through the memory banks and draws them back to one particularly notorious spot. Terry gets surprisingly uncomfortable around a couple of questions and inadvertently gives away how to spot when he’s lying. Calvin makes a vigorous defence of calling out people who d...

Ahead of their sold-out show at the 3Arena, Belters Only snuck away into the studio to chat with us. They told us about what performing at one of the country’s biggest venues means to them and gave us a look ahead to the show on Saturday night.  While it’s a testament to the lads to be able to perform at the 3Arena, they also spoke about the need for more night life in Ireland to nurture new...