LOI Central

In 1966 Bob Dylan told Columbia Records that he felt the quality of the material he had recorded for ‘Blonde on Blonde’ was too good to compress onto a single long playing record. Columbia agreed and the double album was born. This weeks podcast continues in the spirit of that seminal masterpiece. Well it’s long.

Kevin Kilbane, Preston North End’s 73rd ranked past player and Ireland’s third most capped player joins us in studio mid bagel. On that 1966 record, one song, ‘Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands’ was so gut wrenchingly honest and poignant that it took up the entire side of one of the discs. Kevin’s opinions on the Declan Rice affair are as necessary listening in this arena as Bob’s Arabian drums where back then. We also have Daryl Horgan on the phone after his switch to a ‘Cabbage and Ribs’ diet, and Greg Bolger of Shamrock Rovers fresh from the victory over Dundalk. There’s lots to savour in this weeks episode, hot or cold balls, the redundancy of signposts, podcasts as torture methods, and Jamie O’Hara…Jesus Christ! So Sikh and you shall find, before we’re all living under a capitalist umbrella in a world screwed by climate change….

In place of an absent Paddy Kavanagh, and in these times of religious tumult we present one Darragh Markey who has embodied the struggles of his native land as he describes his odyssey from the consecrated halls of the seminary in Maynooth to the beckoning lupine financial jungles via a sporting detour in Inchicore. Is this the man 'who’s dark hair would weave a snare that Johnny might one day rue’? The 'Wolf of Thomas Davis Street' talks with our Haribo divided hosts about fixture congestion and repeat exams, Cork City, European disappointments and the FAI Cup. From the stoney grey soil of Donegal we have a decidedly rustic phone connection to Ollie Horgan for a chat as optimistic as dry black bread and sugarless tea. All of this plus the usual predictions, our second curse word, in depth analysis, wedding ring collections and quick….Close.Close.Close.Close.

The craic was flying in the studio this week or maybe it was just the crackly phone line as we heard from new Bray owner Niall O'Driscoll about trying to start from scratch and get the local public back on board and Sligo Rovers midfielder Lee-J-Lynch on the squad decision to forfeit a portion of their wages following their FAI Cup loss to Longford. But the real shock of the weekend was Drogheda's win over Shamrock Rovers and their manager Tim Clancy popped in to discuss the joys of management, 87th minute phone calls from Spain and plans to add to his squad both at home and at work.

The taxi lights were off for an hour with Johnny McDonnell and Ger Rowe joining Johnny and Dan to discuss their football history, stranded strikers in Newry and modern coaching. Dundalk's stalled European campaign is dissected, and the lads examine how Cork City might fare against Rosenborg. Ger gives the lowdown on the FAI Cup underdogs plotting to cause the biggest upset since Johnny Mc was passed over for Diego Costa. Cobh boss Stephen Henderson phones in to discuss his journey back to sobriety following their EA Sports Cup heroics.

It's an early edition this week with Johnny in studio with his bags packed for Galway and Dan bound for Cyprus. The lads hear from Paul O'Conor on changes at Bray and Tim Clancy on stadium news at Drogheda. Dundalk's Europa League chances are discussed, in addition to Johnny's achy steaky heart - he won't be able to bring one of Shanahan's finest on a night out. Sister Assumpta, Tesco Express & all of the weekend's games get a mention in a pod that's wrapped up before half-time.

Johnny and Dan are joined this week by debutant Robbie Benson and LOI Weekly regular Ger O'Brien. Robbie talks all things Dundalk including THAT goal by Michael Duffy, Stephen Kenny's European focus, and his belated decision to commit to life as a professional footballer. Ger reacts to this week's disappointing news on the Richmond Arena proposal and offers an update on the St Patrick's Athletic plan from here. We also answer some of your Twitter questions and debate if last week's European results were actually worth celebrating. And there's a shocking twist in the race for the steak dinner

Dan is back!!! The two lads are reunited and we also welcome PFAI General Secretary Stephen McGuinness into studio to update us on all of the goings on at both Limerick and Bray Wanderers. Over the course of the hour Stephen answers many of the burning questions that LOI fans have been asking over the past 7 days. We also discuss Cork's Champions League elimination and look ahead to the Europa League Qualifiers tomorrow night.

A European 'Detente' is called as we pour whisky on an old toothache and make it a 'Dent-ente' perhaps. Yes, Hostilities are eased and Damien Lynch googles into the top floor of LOI Towers to analyse a miffed (yes, miffed) Dan's 'Postcard from the East' which looks to the west for the most underperforming team in the league. Nice guy Ronan Finn takes a break from disassembling IKEA furniture to talk wunderkinds in Tallaght and European nights. Multitasking Ruaidhrí Higgins gets a proper corporate title as he casts an eye over Dundalk's opposition on Thursday and you'll never guess who Damo thinks will win the league! Yeah you will...

Our cool byline writer is off in Portugal consoling those who believed the Ronaldo hype in his inimitable Kerouacesque way. Portugals gain is LOI's loss, not least with the theme tune, but we've cobbled together a pretty kick ass show with Shane Keegan and Johnny and Sam Verdon talking about printing and Galway and lone strikers and eight month olds and lots lots more, and we'll have our regular skewed view of all things football next week when we get our boy back from the Iberians....but this weeks show might be a classic!

So Dan has exiled himself to Mother Russia for the World Cup exactly 44 years ago to the day when we had the biggest break up in pop history. Yes, that was the day Cher finally said Noka to Sonny and ran off with an Allman brother. The Herald’s Aidan Fitzmaurice may not be a master of that swampy southern sound but he speaks fluent Russian and Polish so he’s exactly the kind of squad depth you need to get through a World Cup, especially in this confounded heat! Yes, this week we get all pessimistic about the clubs chances in Europe, we look forward to the big one between Dundalk and Cork with a surprise caller from the dugout, those darn Saudis get a mention again, and there’s the usual predictions and analysis. So while they keep on saying we’re young and we don’t know, we kinda do…..Babe!