LOI Central

By LOI Central

What's LOI Central about?

#LOICentral is a podcast with opinion, analysis and interviews on all the latest happenings in the League of Ireland, hosted by Johnny Ward & Dan McDonnell

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LOI Central episodes:

04.24.2024
S08E11: King's Coronation, Kosovo and the Chicken Fillet Debate
There's an eerie flashback feeling to Episode 11. The Dundalk news has stunned our two hosts with Dan doing all he can to avoid crashing his car when he hears that Noel King has been entrusted with Dundalk's survival. ...
04.16.2024
S08E10 FAI’s Hill To Climb & Getting To Know James Akintunde
As Mister Sun makes a rare appearance, we say goodbye to an FAI chief and look at mythical leaks and manager rumours doing the rounds. On the back of Bohs' two wins we talk to James Akintunde after his winning...
04.11.2024
S08E09 with Ciaran Kilduff
As Hildegarde whips up a storm in Leinster house, storms play havoc with pitches and we finally realise that 8 seasons of this malarkey is completely redundant in the face of the Damien Duff renaissance, there's a gloomy outlook to...
04.02.2024
S08E08 Easter Bank Holiday review with Barry Murphy
March of many weathers hasn't really lived up to its reputation and the constant rain has left sodden pitches countrywide for an Easter double header. While Duffer, once he gets out of Johnny's head, bemoans the state of said pitches,...
03.27.2024
S08E07 with Greg Sloggett and Liam Holton
As Dan hails the end of the international break, Johnny has gone on an international break of his own, dialling in from France after a star studded flight. The lads discuss the big issues of the week, and go over...
03.20.2024
S08E06 with Gary Cronin
TV or not TV, that is the question, well the question Johnny has for himself with the Red Zone now in doubt because the prospective host has decided the entire medium is irrelevant. We move on from that bombshell to...
03.11.2024
S08E05 with Mark Scanlon.
As Bohs start their hunt for a new manager, we bring in the league’s management to discuss the overall state of play with Mark Scanlon dropping by. Facilities, fireworks, Harry Kane's firestick and finance are on the agenda as positive...
03.06.2024
S08E04 Manic Monday and Johnny meets JC
It's antsy managers ahoy in episode four, as we trawl through the Zapruder film of the rainy nights in stadiums around the country. At Tolka, Johnny caught up with one of the less antsy ones, John Caulfield, after Galway United's...
02.28.2024
S08E03 with Padraig Amond & Eoin Doyle
This week, with Johnny's job count at 8 (or is it 7?), we reunited two old friends who met as teenagers with no idea of the journey that lay ahead. Padraig Amond was the hurler under a different name from...
02.21.2024
S08E02 with Barry Murphy & David McMillan
Now that we've gotten our first week of games under the belt, we tackle the sophomore episode, which can be a bit troublesome but not this time. We have two recently retired league stalwarts in studio. Barry Murphy, once keeper...
02.12.2024
S08E01 Season Preview @ Collar & Cuff
We are back. Seems like everyone has a fancy season launch these days so we decided to 'outstyle' the competition by recording our Season 8 opener in the salubrious surroundings of Collar & Cuff who put a roof over our...
12.19.2023
S07E- XMAS with Donner Dasher Dancer and Blitzen
Santas sack is full, Ireland isn't, but the stadiums are apparently. It's the LOI Central 2023 clip show. Remember when Dave and Maddie would spend an entire episode of 'Moonlighting' arguing about what happened in the past year and throw...
11.15.2023
LOI Central S07E40 PFA Ireland Award Announcements & FAI Cup Review
In the week where the cup final became 'cool' we decamp to the kitchen to end as we mean to go on and pore over the spectacle and the season whilst bringing you the PFAI awards nominations with Stephen McGuinness....
11.08.2023
S07E39 LOI Central Live with Roddy Collins, Trevor Molloy, Paddy Barrett & Keith Ward
It’s cup final week but there’s more than one show in town and we kicked it off with a special Episode 39 in Rascals HQ on Monday night. We brought together some of the liveliest members of the Irish football...
11.01.2023
LOI Central S07E38 It's Shamrock Rovers again
Welcome to Episode 38 with Johnny and Dan or is it Dan and Johnny? As Shamrock Rovers clinch their fourth title in a row, we speak to a victorious Lee Grace and Stephen Bradley, grade the Hoops season and debate...
10.25.2023
LOI Central S07E37 with Conor Kearns
So it's official, we've sold out. Not to the man, but our live show in Rascals Brewery on November 6th has sold out. On this week's podcast you can find out how to get your hands on the last few...
10.19.2023
LOI Central S07E36 Drogheda’s American Dream & Scholarships with James McClean
Last week’s trivia might have been a failure but this week we bring you Trivela, the prospective new owners of Drogheda United who give us their first big interview since stating their intention to take over the Boynesiders. Benjamin Boycott...
10.11.2023
LOI Central S07E35 with Eoin Doyle
As we reach the business end of the season, we've got a cup final on the mind to distract Johnny from his title race addiction. Our hosts review the two semis and look forward to maybe a record breaking attendance...
10.04.2023
LOI Central S07E34 FAI Cup Fever in The Aviva - A Budget Special
It's semi-final week and will Johnny build bridges with Galway ahead of their clash with Bohemians? As part of Johnny's rehabilitation we sent him on a solo mission to the stadium formerly known as Lansdowne Road to meet with his...
09.27.2023
LOI Central S07E33 Melancholy Moods, Gary O'Neill and David Cawley
So Galway United return to the halcyon days of Premier Division participation after a win in Kerry that leaves Johnny channelling Sylvia Plath, Leonard Cohen and even an underweight Christian Bale. In a post Rascals Rocktoberfest haze our intrepid reporters...
09.20.2023
LOI Central S07E32 The Conspiracy behind the Western Shootout
Well, we've got it all this week. Western gunslingers taking on those boys back east, Cold War double agents crossing the border by bicycle in the rain, boyhood hero worship, misquotes galore and organic sausages. If, like Alan Keane, you...
09.12.2023
LOI Central S07E31 It's Fan-omenal Friday!
Alliteration is the thread on which we hang this week's show. Yes, episode 31 gets overly concerned with what type of Friday we have in store. Our two intrepid wordsmiths cajole, conjure and contrive to to describe the night on...
09.04.2023
LOI Central S07E30 with Ian Bermingham
Episode 30 gets an early check in but will it ever leave? Johnny has more toilet encounters in Longford, Dan finally gets recognised on the 14 bus and takes in the view from the stand at Tolka Park . There's...
08.30.2023
LOI Central S07E29 with James Clarke and Ruaidhri Higgins
After being stalked at every airport in Europe Johnny evaded the air traffic chaos to arrive unscathed in Glasnevin for episode 29. On this week's show we talk to James Clarke about his route from Meath to Rovers to Bohs...
08.24.2023
LOI Central S07E23 The one where Johnny was on holidays (with Graham Burke and Daniel Kelly)
We have a title race but we don't have the man who likes to call it so with Johnny AWOL in Bilbao or Belfield, we call in supersub Garry Doyle to pour over Derry's disappointments, the permutations of a fascinating...
08.16.2023
LOI Central S07E27 with Mark Connolly
It's an optimistic pod this week as August starts to slip away like a bottle of wine. Mark Connolly is on ahead of Thursday nights big game and we speak to him about his return from the great unknown...
08.08.2023
LOI Central S07E26 with Andy Myler & Conan Byrne
Episode 26 in the ClaireFontaine of podcasts tackles the era defining debate on whether we need a RedZone, a DMZ zone or a demolition of the Carlisle Grounds. As we look forward to Derry's adventures in Kazakhstan, Andy Myler, who's...
08.02.2023
LOI Central S07E25 with Stephen Rice
Back from our day trip down memory lane in Morton Stadium, Johnny wastes no time in getting Galway and climate change into the fray as we dwell on the wettest July on record and a wet blanket on Irish teams...
07.25.2023
LOI Central S07E24 with Mark Rossitter and Owen Heary
On our 24th lap of the season, we reunite two old teammates in the unlikely surrounds of Morton Stadium to discuss the circle of their football life. Owen Heary talks Dream Team, Dream Managers and Dream Tacklers and his new...
07.19.2023
LOI Central S07E23 Rovers Review and Chris Forrester
Rover and out. It's a late night reaction pod to start this week as the lads pour over Icelandic disappointment for Shamrock Rovers and the questions it raises before taking a trip back in time with Sam and Al to...
07.11.2023
LOI Central S07E22 with Gary Cronin and Ciaran Kilduff
It's summer in Dublin and we have just the cure for those rain soaked blues. From Icelandic encounters en route to what used to be JJ Smyths, to the race between the Dalymount evolution and Armageddon. The well dressed Gary...
07.04.2023
LOI Central S07E21 with Mark Ogden and Mark English
This week we are joined by an Englishman and an English as the summer brings us to new destinations. ESPN journalist Mark Ogden tells us about his quirky trip to Iceland to find out what lies ahead for Shamrock Rovers...
06.28.2023
LOI Central S07E20 with Georgie Kelly
It’s a value for money virtual podcast this week as the lads mull over the purpose of their existence in journalism if chatting rubbish for an hour doesn’t entitle them to a substantial six-figure salary from licence fee payers. Georgie...
06.21.2023
LOI Central S07E19 with Paul Corry
Dan's back but his memory of Antalya isn't. He'd also like to forget about Ireland's Greek tragedy but can't and neither can Paul Corry as the old friend of the pod returns with two phones and a new love to...
06.13.2023
LOI Central S07E18 with Tim Clancy and Luke McNally
No Dan this week as he's away on International duty so we left it up to Johnny to round up the guests. Wembley wonder with Coventry and back at Burnley, we have Premier League defender Luke McNally, who's back in...
06.07.2023
LOI Central S07E17 with Pat Fenlon and Dean Lyness
As Johnny's Saudi past comes back to haunt him, the boys wonder if Galway United saying no was the catalyst for our oil overlords to bring sporting domination to another level. Irish football could do with cash to build some...
06.01.2023
LOI Central S07E16 with Chris Lyons and Lee Steacy
Journeys. That's todays topic. Whether it's the Kerouac-esque 'On The Road' lift bumming Johnny Ward or the Tallaght to Cobh goalkeeping journey that Lee Steacy takes, we've a restless road feeling to todays show. Our guests, from the First Division,...
05.23.2023
LOI Central S07E15 with Garry Buckley
The seven year itch remains unscratched and, as the bromance dwindles, talk turns to goalkeepers, fixing the FAI Cup draw, the Irish 2023/24 clubs in Europe, bouncy castles and cursing with Crowley. If that isn't enough to pique your curiosity...
05.18.2023
LOI Central S07E14 with Aodhán Ó Ríordáin
This week we blur the lines between sports and politics as we welcome in Aodhán Ó Ríordáin to the pod. On the back of Damien Duff's crusading comments about the league, Aodhán talks candidly to us about how and why...
05.09.2023
LOI Central S07E13 with Mike Geoghegan and Craig Sexton
It’s Eurovision week and while Ireland’s Wild Youth fell at the first hurdle, this week’s show looks at how our young footballers are beating the odds to compete on the European stage. Academy heads Mike Geoghegan (Waterford) and Craig...
05.03.2023
LOI Central S07E12 with Garry Doyle, Brian Gartland and Richie Towell
In Johnny's absence this week we have guest presenter Garry Doyle from The Star joining Dan in studio for a wide range of topics which includes a look back on the double header with interviews from Richie Towell and...
04.25.2023
LOI Central S07E11 with Barry Murphy
The pod finally makes it to the 21st century this week and embraces AI, but not the East Galway interpretation. As well as kinky kebabs, the Bohs singles charts, Galway's lack of sustainability and Johnny recast as the lone ethical...
04.19.2023
LOI Central S07E10 with Kevin Doherty and Keith Ward
It's a giddy mood in Glasnevin where we host Drogheda manager Kevin Doherty and Dundalk's Keith Ward fresh from the post round and the training ground respectively. The lads pick up where our referee debate ended last week as well...
04.12.2023
LOI Central S07E09 with Tomás Connolly
It's gotten to the stage where we needed a referee for the podcast and we found the ideal candidate in Tomás Connolly, an experienced whistler turned administrator who has now turned 'to the dark side' by becoming an assessor. We...
04.04.2023
LOI Central S07E08 with Colin Hawkins
Back in studio for this week's show and the lads are joined by League of Ireland legend and Malaysian Marvel, Colin Hawkins. Colin talks for the first time about his recent life changing illness and the journey he's been on...
03.29.2023
LOI Central S07E07 with Robbie Benson and Ciaran Kilduff
Another late breaking news story tries to bamboozle us but as usual we got the kids to bed early and get to the story of the day as Keith Long is named as the new Waterford manager after Danny Searle's...
03.21.2023
LOI Central S07E06 - International Break Debrief & Kerry’s Story So Far
Its episode 6 and with our hosts being at opposite ends of the country means we're zooming again. It's Premier League break time as we digest the season so far. We also check in on Kerry FC with Billy Dennehy...
03.14.2023
LOI Central S07E05 with John Russell and Rory Gaffney
It's the third anniversary of the CoVid lockdown and we're back on Zoom as Johnny almost heads to Cheltenham for his annual week of work. There's all kinds of zany on this weeks show as we ask if Shamrock Rovers...
03.08.2023
LOI Central S07E04 with Sean Boyd & Freddie Draper
In an airport themed show, Johnny flies in from London to eventually find Dan and catch up with our old pal Sean Boyd, the Shelbourne striker, who jets to the UK this week to solve his injury problems although he...
03.02.2023
LOI Central S07E03 with Mark Connolly and Declan Devine
It's episode 3 and we may have peaked! Do NOT miss our interview with Derry City's, Mark Connolly. From his Gaelic Football roots to a heart wrenching story about returning home, Mark gives us an open and honest reflection on...

What's LOI Central about?

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LOI Central episodes:

S08E11: King's Coronation, Kosovo and the Chicken Fillet Debate

S08E10 FAI’s Hill To Climb & Getting To Know James Akintunde

S08E09 with Ciaran Kilduff

S08E08 Easter Bank Holiday review with Barry Murphy

S08E07 with Greg Sloggett and Liam Holton

S08E06 with Gary Cronin

S08E05 with Mark Scanlon.

S08E04 Manic Monday and Johnny meets JC

S08E03 with Padraig Amond & Eoin Doyle

S08E02 with Barry Murphy & David McMillan

S08E01 Season Preview @ Collar & Cuff

S07E- XMAS with Donner Dasher Dancer and Blitzen

LOI Central S07E40 PFA Ireland Award Announcements & FAI Cup Review

S07E39 LOI Central Live with Roddy Collins, Trevor Molloy, Paddy Barrett & Keith Ward

LOI Central S07E38 It's Shamrock Rovers again

LOI Central S07E37 with Conor Kearns

LOI Central S07E36 Drogheda’s American Dream & Scholarships with James McClean

LOI Central S07E35 with Eoin Doyle

LOI Central S07E34 FAI Cup Fever in The Aviva - A Budget Special

LOI Central S07E33 Melancholy Moods, Gary O'Neill and David Cawley

LOI Central S07E32 The Conspiracy behind the Western Shootout

LOI Central S07E31 It's Fan-omenal Friday!

LOI Central S07E30 with Ian Bermingham

LOI Central S07E29 with James Clarke and Ruaidhri Higgins

LOI Central S07E23 The one where Johnny was on holidays (with Graham Burke and Daniel Kelly)

LOI Central S07E27 with Mark Connolly

LOI Central S07E26 with Andy Myler & Conan Byrne

LOI Central S07E25 with Stephen Rice

LOI Central S07E24 with Mark Rossitter and Owen Heary

LOI Central S07E23 Rovers Review and Chris Forrester

LOI Central S07E22 with Gary Cronin and Ciaran Kilduff

LOI Central S07E21 with Mark Ogden and Mark English

LOI Central S07E20 with Georgie Kelly

LOI Central S07E19 with Paul Corry

LOI Central S07E18 with Tim Clancy and Luke McNally

LOI Central S07E17 with Pat Fenlon and Dean Lyness

LOI Central S07E16 with Chris Lyons and Lee Steacy

LOI Central S07E15 with Garry Buckley

LOI Central S07E14 with Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

LOI Central S07E13 with Mike Geoghegan and Craig Sexton

LOI Central S07E12 with Garry Doyle, Brian Gartland and Richie Towell

LOI Central S07E11 with Barry Murphy

LOI Central S07E10 with Kevin Doherty and Keith Ward

LOI Central S07E09 with Tomás Connolly

LOI Central S07E08 with Colin Hawkins

LOI Central S07E07 with Robbie Benson and Ciaran Kilduff

LOI Central S07E06 - International Break Debrief & Kerry’s Story So Far

LOI Central S07E05 with John Russell and Rory Gaffney

LOI Central S07E04 with Sean Boyd & Freddie Draper

LOI Central S07E03 with Mark Connolly and Declan Devine