What’s the Story? Podcast

Elaine Burke is back! Tech journo, For Tech’s Sake host, broadcaster and Bohs fan... these are just some of the reasons we love having Elaine on WTSpod.  This time she’s here to talk AI hype, Elon Musk’s promises, the tech industry doing tech industry things, and the flood of AI-generated shite taking over our feeds. We get into how much of this stuff is actually making our lives better, how relia...

The dust has settled on the Ireland v Israel footballing fiasco, but there’s plenty to unpack. Football journalist David Sneyd takes us inside the media pen, where reporting on the facts, the football and the fans was anything but straightforward. From back pages becoming front-page news to yet another round of questions over the FAI, we look at how the story played out, the reaction from Israeli...

Aaron joined us to talk about the fight for disability rights — and why, in Ireland, getting the basics right still seems to be such a struggle. From changing facilities that are built but never opened, to major stadiums without the toilets people need, inaccessible public spaces and a government that struggles to follow through on its own legislation, Aaron explains what these barriers actually m...

Petesy Carroll is back on WTSpod and there’s plenty to catch up on. Petesy talks us through Katie Taylor’s incredible night at Croke Park, why she might be the greatest unifying force Irish sport has ever produced, and what it was actually like being there as she walked out in front of a packed stadium. He also gets into the changing world of MMA in Ireland, combat sports tribalism, and why coveri...

Actress Ruth Codd joins Danny & Mero to chat about wheelchair basketball, horse riding, cooking three-day Christmas dinners, and the joys of trying to navigate a world that still isn’t built with disabled people in mind. Ruth gets properly candid about her two amputations, accessibility on film sets, travelling in a wheelchair, influencers and festival frustrations, and why she’s finally stopp...

The lads chat summer gigs, the rise of Irish pop phenomenon CMAT, concert etiquette, and why some people seem determined to spend half a show queuing for pints instead of watching the band. Then the conversation drifts towards the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup — and whether either of them can muster much enthusiasm for it. From memories of USA '94 and Roberto Baggio, to modern football politics, FI...

The Enhanced Games, a bizarre cocktail of performance-enhancing drugs, elite sport, billionaire backed bullshit, and techno-utopian nonsense, landed in Las Vegas recently and delivered... well, not a whole lot. To talk about the spectacle we’re joined by Bruce Wardrop, Lecturer in Sports and Exercise Science at South East Technological University and specialist in performance physiology. Bruce hel...

This episode blurb was written by Chat GPT because Danny had no sleep and wasn't able to. Thanks.  No guest this week just Danny & Graham going full old-man-yells-at-cloud mode. 😅 From Trump grifts and culture wars to Bertie doorstep disasters, World Cup ticket madness, wrestling docs, The Boys, Eurovision burnout and why Pico Lopes making the World Cup is actually class… this one is pure ram...

This week we chat to rockstar Richie Malone.  Like a lot of kids growing up, Richie idolised his favourite band, but unlike most Richie actually joined them! For the last 10 years, he’s been carrying the torch for Status Quo’s legendary rock and iconic sound, stepping into the role left by his hero Rick Parfitt and bringing his own energy to stages around the world. We talk about the surreal momen...

Hilary McGann is back! And so is the chaos of the global news cycle... well, that never really went away did it? We catch up with Hil on all we can cram into an hour - from life as a new mum and the return of her Booked In podcast to the deepening instability in U.S. and Israeli politics, this episode covers a lot of ground. We dig into Trump, polarisation in politics and society, media pressure,...

This week we welcomed People Before Profit–Solidarity TD Richard Boyd Barrett back to WTSpod.  We spoke about returning to public life after cancer treatment, the reality of going through Ireland’s public health system, and why better access to cancer care still matters. We also get into the Cherrywood arena controversy, public spending priorities, Ireland’s neutrality, Trump, and the growing impa...

This week we're joined by Alex Brock and Niamh Foley — two humanitarians who have worked in conflict zones such as Ukraine, Palestine, Yemen, and Iran.  Niamh joins us from Kyiv, where air-raid sirens, power cuts, and sub-zero winters are part of daily life. But, thanks to amazing human resiliance, so are packed cafés, opera nights, and almond lattes. Alex shares his experience of having recently...

Just us this week as we catch up on the pearl-clutching over Bad Bunny at the Super Bowl and rant about billionaires being generally awful people. 

We're back! And so is Donnycarney's greatest export - Philip O'Connor.  Reporting from the arse-end of the Alps at the Winter Olympics, Phil gives us food for thought on the biathlon (skiing and shooting, because of course), Olympic logistics, Irish identity abroad, journalism, fatherhood, music, America's decline, and why standing up (even in Dublin Airport duty-free) still matters. It's weird, w...

We haven’t gone away, you know… We may be part-timers these days, but we were never going to let this Christmas tradition quietly fall by the wayside. In true WTS Christmas fashion, we’re joined by Botswanan icon and New York Times favourite Gary Mackle, alongside his sidekick — best-selling author, award-winning journalist, TV writer, comedy genius, man of the people, etc. etc. — Paul Howard. Get...

Disability rights activist Bernard Mulvany joins us to talk access, action, and accountability. From broken lifts to broken promises, he lays out how a system still locks people out — and how Access for All Ireland is pulling campaigners together into one loud voice. We get into the collapse of the “Green Paper,” what real consultation should mean, the brutal rise in poverty among disabled people,...

This week the lads bring it on down while chatting about what some might say were the best concerts in Croke Park history.   

Friend of the show, Elaine Burke is back! Elaine is the host of For Tech's Sake Podcast and is a regular national media journalist and commentator on all things science and technology. This week she helps us dive into AI hype, deepfakes, online culture and the fragile state of modern media. 

Summer holidays are over, and we're back for our latest batch of episodes!  This week we're joined by comedian, impressionist, and broadcaster Al Foran.  We chat with Al about what he has been up to recently, including trips to Washington D.C. and Saudi Arabia, the greatest Irish sportspeople of all time, will this year be better for Man Utd, and going behind the curtain on Netflix's new show WWE...

Writer and wrestling analyst Brandon Thurston joins us to break down the ongoing legal saga surrounding Vince McMahon. From shocking allegations and NDAs to shareholder lawsuits and potential fallout for WWE. This is arguably the biggest story to ever hit the world of wrestling, and its impact has changed the business forever.  On this episode, Brandon brings us through: — The Janel Grant lawsuit...

This week we're joined by two-time Paralympian Colin Judge.  Colin represents Ireland at Table Tennis and has set his sights on a third Paralympic Games in LA 2028.  Colin talked about his approach to the sport and the issues with classification in disability sport, coming up against his hero at the Paris games and, overcoming setbacks. 

Colleen Dulle is associate editor of America Magazine and host of the Inside the Vatican Podcast. She also contributes to ABC News in the US. Her book, "Struck Down Not Destroyed — Keeping the Faith as a Vatican Reporter," will be released later this summer.  With the white smoke cleared, Colleen joins us live from Rome to chat about the new Pope, conclave drama, the Church’s power struggles, and...

Philip O’Connor is back — and still allergic to bullsh*t. From trans rights in sport to media responsibility, fascism creeping into society, and what Sweden gets right (and wrong), this is one of those episodes when we sit back and enjoy the ride Phil takes us on!  

We're back from a few weeks off to discuss Danny becoming a Da, the Pope passing away, and the madness of Papal history. We also catch up on League of Ireland football and what desserts the lads are scoffing after this episode. 

Dublin, drink, and debauchery 🍻 Historian and host of the amazing Three Castles Burning, Donal Fallon is back for a great chat about the story of the Irish pub and Dublin’s early houses. We also chat about Dev, the Monto’s wild past of guns and sex for sale, and, as always, Donal shares some great nuggets from Irish history.