The season of good cheer is upon us. A time of merry-making with friends and family, a time of carol singing with fellow bards, a time of anxious reflection on the tensile strength of ones belt and whether it can contain the inevitable expansion wrought by all those delicious mince pies and sausage rolls. Indiana Joneses will be watched. Brussels sprouts will be boiled. Many dinners will be eaten.

Andy treats us to his own renditions of some Christmas folk songs found off the beaten track. While Ed shares a recording of Carolan's Concerto on the tin whistle from one of the Westward Ho Heroes. And, as St Stephen's day approaches, the guys discuss The Hawkin' Twang tried and trusted method of hunting that pesky wren. Will they catch it this year in Mitchelstown? Does another Christmas miracle await? The answer to these and many other questions will probably be "one more pint please."

Happy Christmas and we'll see you all on the other side.

It's almost a year since the guys started the podcast and it looks like they have finally stumbled into their first full-blown Get Folked scandal: Andy has been operating a computer for over 20 years without obtaining a European Computer Drivers License. Honestly, this could sink them. Ed (a fully qualified European Computer Driving License holder) would be well advised to cut all ties with Andy, lest the fallout attach its stink to his stank.

But amidst all this controversy, Andy and Ed find time to share their respective cultural wanderings of this past week. Ed reflects on the awesome power of the G, C, and D Chords on the guitar when played as the stars of drunkenness, overly-aggressive dancing, and a session align. While Andy reveals insights into the world of contemporary hip-hop and provides tips on how best to torpedo a conversation which you would really like to join, but later wish you hadn't.

As usual, there's lots to learn this week on The Get Folked Podcast. It's just slightly unclear by whom.

"Better late than never" is the line for The Get Folked Podcast this week as Ed causes a 24 hour delay in recording, but rest assured dear listener that he has a very good excuse for his tardiness. "What excuse?" you might ask. Well, if a four-day-long naked sauna excursion doesn't qualify as a good excuse then . . . . . . mistakes may have been made.

Alongside this glorious mental image, (any actual images will be available behind a very high pay-wall) Andy presents live performance clips of the incredible Nina Hynes from her latest stage performance piece "I am the machine"; a Folk-Opera exploring the relationship between humans and the technology that we use. You can find a link to Nina's Instagram below this blurb and we highly recommend that you click it and follow her on the internet.

As well as all of that, Andy also throws a few "Would-You-Rather" dilemmas at Ed, challenging him to explore his true self in what must be considered a waste of time on a man who has spent the past four days fully nude. He has surely explored himself enough.

Come join us for all this and more on the latest episode of The Get Folked Podcast.

* Nina Hynes Instagram URL: https://www.instagram.com/nina_hynes_?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

Ed and Andy burn the midnight oil once more to discuss a range of hot topics.

Sporting prowess, revolutionary train rides, folk opera, pig wisdom, guitar accompaniment and, a brief glimpse into Bosco's bedroom lay the foundations for a half century of Get Folked.

This week finds Ed and Andy sitting at the same table in the wild countryside of North Tipperary. Despite the lack of podding equipment, there is no lacking in professionalism when it comes to getting folked. Well...

Airplane etiquette, bomb scares, golden wedding anniversaries and the showband era all gets washed down with a splash of Midleton whiskey as Ed and Andy share the stage for Episode 49 of Get Folked.

When does help become a hindrance? This week, Ed and Andy investigate various levels of public decorum regarding one's appearance, chat about Thanksgiving and if a film crew simply adds to the solemnity of the event, The Breath, BRÍDÍN, housekeeping,  giant worms and a full box of festive sweets to be shared with the whole family. Oh wait...they're all gone! Ed!!!!!!!

In this latest installment of The Get Folked Podcast Andy makes full use of his place in the capital of culture that is Berlin as he recounts his experience this past week at one of the greatest live performances he has ever attended. "Songs From The Holy Well" performed by Dee Mulrooney at The English Theatre Berlin and featuring Damien Dempsey, Wallis Bird, Nina Hynes, Sean Mulrooney and, of course, Growler, provides the central topic for the guys this week.

So, what did Ed do on this episode? The same thing anyone else would do when presented with this amount of insanely talented people, he sat back and listened. Well, mostly. He finds it difficult to stop talking for any extended period of time.

For your further cultural indoctrination you will find the links to the artists discussed during this week's podcast below.

- https://www.instagram.com/deemulrooney

- https://www.instagram.com/damiendempseymusic

- https://www.instagram.com/wallisbirdofficial

- https://www.instagram.com/seanmulrooneymusic

- https://www.instagram.com/growlerspeaks

- https://www.instagram.com/nina_hynes_

Ed discovers that he has become an old man as he questions the morality of using full-beam headlights around other drivers now that the evenings have closed in. This is serious old-man stuff. But his journey to old age has also been one of artistic discovery involving disappointing revelations about his facial features and at least one enthusiastically naked man.

Andy recounts being offered cosmetic surgery as a means to stave off being mistaken for a woman and fills the vacuum left by this week’s lack of music clips with some good old fashioned Riddles and a curated collection of "Would you Rather" scenarios to confound us all.

Also, a big shout out to Bird Alone Music this week whose music can be found at the following link:

https://www.instagram.com/birdalonemusic?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

Join us for the latest episode of The Get Folked Podcast.

You'll be happy to know that this week's episode thankfully contains no talk of Arnold Schwarzenegger (well, maybe just a teeny tiny little bit), and it also has a brand new song from singer-songwriter Al Reddan which, for the first time on The Get Folked Podcast, is played in full.

This past week has also led Andrew to explore his recent attraction to old men while Ed's family cinema experience leaves something to be desired. And, while it may come as a shocking revelation to discover that Andy and Ed were naughty boys in school, it might not surprise you to be told that a flatulating friend is something that a teenage boy will always find to be very funny.

Al Reddan's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/al_reddan/

Another look at Numerology is on the cards this week as Andy and Ed speculate on whether or not the universe sits in judgement of us mere mortals. Does she know? Does she care?

And sticking with the theme of tackling the big questions: What do you get when you remove the crotch from a Unitard? Avant-garde fashion immortality? Possibly. Frost bite . . . down there? Probably. A criminal record? Most likely.

As usual, the guys also compare notes on who did the worst job at explaining something complicated to their kids this past week (all while providing fresh mental scars of course). It's close, so we'll leave it to our infinitely fair-minded audience to call it. And though it comes in the latter half of the episode, Andy treats us all to his alluring rendition of Katie Daly.

This episode truly has it all*.

*Note: Episode 44 of the Get Folked Podcast may not, in fact, have it all.