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 reliant we’ve become on technology (especially as cash becomes less common), and what happens when the systems we depend on stop w...

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 media and supporters, and what it was like trying to make sense of the madness when the football was only part of the story.

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 mean for disabled people and their families. Drawing on his own experience as a father and disability rights advocate, Aaron makes the case for more than box-ticking and good intentions. He wa...

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 covering Irish sport for an international audience can be a dangerous business. Plus England and the World Cup, 1916 Rising, Danny hate...

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 stopped being afraid to speak up when something isn’t right. We talk a bit about The Traitors, Ruth's TV experience and there's a lot of talk about doughnuts. 

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, FIFA, ticket prices, and the influence of figures like Gianni Infantino and Donald Trump, it's a wide-ranging discussion on how sport feels very different in 2026. Along the way there ar...

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 helps us unpack what the Games actually were, the science behind doping in elite sport, and the very real health risks tied to chasing marginal gains at any cost. We also get into the billionaire backing behind the ev...

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 rambles, rants and random tangents.

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 moment he got the call to join the band, what it’s really like on the road as a musician, how people reacted...

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, religion in the corridors of power, and why so much of the world right now feels like...

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 impact of toxic online culture on real-world violence.  

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 returned to Ireland. We talk about what living through a war actually feels like and the emotional toll it takes... not just on those there, but on the families watc...

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, wild, and wonderful. What else would you expect? 

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 comfortable, we have a two-hour magical mystery tour that winds and weaves from silly to serious, satire to scandal, with a special Christmas recipe you’ll absolutely want to try...

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, and why the Justice for Harvey march must be a turning point, not a one-off. Bernard also speaks honestly about burnout in activism, the strength of lived experience (including that of his daught...

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 Unreal.    *We're working on fixing Mero's audio and will have it sorted soon! 

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 and McMahon's resignation — John Laurinaitis flipping sides — The Ring Boy case — WWE’s reputation, locker room silence, and the “cult” of Vince — What comes next, and why arbitration could...