What does it take to walk onto a stage with nothing but a microphone... and make strangers laugh? Claire Byrne has never done stand-up comedy. Al Porter has spent much of his life doing exactly that. 

From becoming one of Ireland's biggest comedy stars while still in his twenties to experiencing a spectacular public fall from grace, Al joins Claire for a candid conversation about confidence, shame, addiction, failure, forgiveness, and the strange power of humour. 

Why are comedians often at their funniest when talking about the worst things that have ever happened to them? Can laughter change the way we remember painful experiences? And is making fun of yourself an act of courage... or self-preservation? 

This is a conversation about far more than jokes. It's about what happens when your greatest material comes from the parts of your life you'd rather forget.

Does Claire have the courage to give it a go? 

Al’s show Algorithm will continue across Ireland throughout the autumn. His debut play, written with Karl Spain, The Kavanagh’s Married With Parents, will be staged at the Civic Theatre in Tallaght this September. He’ll also star in the 3Olympia Panto next Christmas.  

Poker is about far more than cards. It's about psychology, pressure, risk, and knowing when to trust your instincts. In this week’s episode, Claire meets one of Ireland's greatest poker players, Andy Black. From multimillion-dollar tournaments in Las Vegas to years spent living in a Buddhist community, Andy's life has been anything but conventional. 

With the World Series of Poker reaching its climax, Claire explores what it takes to make decisions when the stakes are high, why fear can be both a warning and a weakness, and whether taking a chance is ever really a gamble. 

Can Andy convince Claire to sit down at a poker table... for real? 

Email the show at [email protected].

What would happen if somebody put you under constant surveillance, deprived you of sleep, encouraged you to distrust everyone around you, and then broadcast the results to the nation? For most of us, it sounds like a nightmare. For Vanessa Ogbonna, it was a winning strategy. 

This week, Claire sits down with one of the stars of The Traitors Ireland to talk about what reality TV is really like once the cameras start rolling. Vanessa lifts the lid on the strange psychological experiment at the heart of one of Ireland’s biggest TV hits. 

Born in Nigeria and raised in Waterford Vanessa reflects on growing up in direct provision, finding belonging through football and the devastating setbacks that forced her to rethink her future. As World Cup fever takes a grip, she shares how football became an escape and an identity — and why losing it was one of the hardest challenges she’s ever faced. 

Together, Claire and Vanessa talk about what it feels like to be watched and judged by complete strangers. And of course, Claire asks the question many listeners will already be wondering: should she sign up for Celebrity Traitors? 

If you enjoyed this episode, follow the podcast, leave a rating, and tell a friend. And if there's a Never Have I Ever confession you'd like Claire to tackle, we'd love to hear from you: [email protected]. 

Never Have I Ever is the podcast where Claire Byrne explores things she's never done by talking to people who have. This week, she steps up to the front of the room. 

Claire's been to plenty of weddings and funerals, but she's never been the person leading the ceremony. So, in episode three, she meets Karen Dempsey, one of Ireland's best-known celebrants and the founder of Entheos Ireland. 

They explore what it means to be invited into people's most intimate moments. From weddings filled with hope to deathbed ceremonies and the funerals of babies and children, Karen reflects on the privilege and emotional weight of her work. Claire asks how anyone can carry those experiences, while Karen explains her mission to create spaces for people who feel excluded from traditional faith, including many LGBTQ+ people who still want spirituality to be part of their lives. 

And the big question: should Claire keep being a guest, or is it time she stepped up and became a celebrant herself? 

Email: [email protected] 

💒 Weddings, funerals, naming ceremonies and more — discover Karen's work and the story of Entheos at: https://entheos.ie/ 

Never Have I Ever is the podcast where Claire Byrne explores things she's never done by talking to people who have. This week, she enters the world of wigs, make-up, high heels, and larger-than-life characters. 

What does it feel like to transform yourself completely? To step into someone else's clothes, adopt a different persona and perform it in front of thousands of people? 

In episode two, Claire meets actor and drama teacher Rob Murphy, who every Christmas becomes one of Ireland's best-known panto dames – Buffy. 

Together, they explore the magic of performance, the freedom that comes with becoming somebody else, and how dressing up sometimes reveals more about who you really are. Rob reflects on growing up as a gay teenager in an all-boys school, counting down the days until Friday night when he could finally sing and twirl alongside the girls. 

And the big question: can Rob persuade Claire to put on the wig and become someone else for a night? 

Email: [email protected] 

Aladdin – a Sammy & Buffy Adventure, starring Alan Hughes and Rob Murphy, runs from 8th Dec 2026 – 3rd Jan 2027 at the National Stadium in Dublin. More information at www.panto.ie 

Never Have I Ever is the new podcast where Claire Byrne explores things she's never done by talking to people who have. And where better to begin than with a book? 

Everybody says they have a book in them. But what would happen if you actually sat down and wrote it? 

In episode one, Claire meets bestselling author and psychologist Katriona O'Sullivan, whose books Poor and Hungry have made her one of Ireland's most distinctive voices. 

Together, they explore what it really means to tell your story. How honest can you be about the people you love? Who gets to call themselves a writer? And why do so many of us feel that writing a book is something ‘other’ people do? 

Along the way, they talk about class, confidence, fear, motherhood... and stand-up comedy! 

And the big question: can Katriona persuade Claire to give writing a go?  

Claire Byrne steps outside her own experience — and into other people’s lives — one “I’ve never…” at a time. Because it turns out that the things we’ve never done can say quite a lot about who we are.

Her first guest is author and psychologist Katriona O'Sullivan.

New episodes available every Wednesday morning.

Claire Byrne steps outside her own experience — and into other people’s lives — one “I’ve never…” at a time. Because it turns out that the things we’ve never done can say quite a lot about who we are.

This year’s DIFF saw the premiere of The Charlie O’Leary Story, a film celebrating the extraordinary 102-year-old who helped build the foundations of modern Irish soccer, from the Street Leagues of East Wall to the glory days of Jack Charlton’s Ireland. Emmet Oliver is joined by Fergus Dowd, Producer of The Charlie O'Leary Story & Former League of Ireland footballer, Martin Lawlor, to discuss.

A new study in Frontiers in Aging suggests so-called ‘forever chemicals,’ or PFAS, may be linked to faster biological aging in men aged 50 to 65. But what could be causing this and why just in men? Joining Emmet Oliver to try to get to grips with what’s happening is Ruairi Brannigan, Assistant Professor from DCU’s School of Chemical Sciences.