Talking Bollox Podcast

John is one of Ireland's most famous actors and he's never been scared of voicing his opinion, which has often led to controversy.

He came in to chat with us and for the first ever he talks about it all - from politics to cancel culture, to suicide, career success and personal breakdowns - and how acting saved his life more than once.

Above all though this one was a great laugh, and we made sure to ask what it was like to kill Nidge.

Shauna Bannon is one of the lading faces of Irish MMA and her personal story is one of incredible determination in pursuing excellence, as she aims to reach the MMA by the age of 30. She joined us to talk through her journey to mixed martial arts, through a career in kickboxing that started age 3 and ended up with world titles. And to go with it all that she talked to us about what it's like chasing that dream while being a single mother, and handling the tough training schedule with raising her son.

We make Talking Bollox history this week, as we have the first ever guest hattrick, with Willa White making his third appearance.

To mark the occasion we covered everything from Goldilocks going over bank counters for porridge, the greatest Dublin slang, Terence and Calvin's supernatural encounters, and Willa's choice for an alternative to a guide cat.

The Miami Showband Massacre is one of the most infamous atrocities of The Troubles. In the early hours of the morning The MiamI Showband - then one of Ireland's most famous groups - were stopped at what appeared to be a military checkpoint in County Down. It was in fact an ambush, planned as an attempt to frame the band as terrorists. Three of the band members were killed in the attack.

Stephen Travers was one of the survivors of the attack and was left fighting for his life in the aftermath. Since then he has campaigned for the truth behind the attack, and also to help other victims of The Troubles unravel the dark cloud of secrets that hangs to this day.

Despite the subject, ultimately this is a conversation full of hope and happiness. Stephen is an inspiring man and it was a pleasure to have him tell us his story.

On June 19th we played Vicar Street for the first time, and it was an incredible night with a sold out crowd lifting the roof off the place.

The guests that joined us on stage were comedian Enya Martin, sex educator Jenny Keane, and musician and D1 native Gemma Dunleavy.

Tony Groves is the co-founder of the Tortoise Shack podcast publishing platform, a former banker and an active political commentator.

In this episode, Tony speaks to us about the number of people who have died while in Garda custody, and some of his grievances with GSOC. He also discusses going viral online after his appearance on Claire Byrne Live, as well as the issues of housing and classism. He offers an insight into his days working in the banking sector before and during the financial crash and how that has impacted on his life now.

We go back to just the two boys in the studio this week. We want to discuss a few things on our mind and take your questions. You've given us some very interesting zingers and asked us about everything from how we approach and handle our deeper episodes, to why Terence keeps starting on everyone.

In 2019 Sarah Grace was violently sexually assaulted in her home by a man who broke into her bedroom.

She told us the harrowing story of that night and the battle she then had to fight to ensure her attacker was brought to justice. What she went through made her determined to speak out to help others who might have to go through the same thing. It is an eye opening account of how a survivor of sexual violence can emerge on the far side, and the legal hurdles in their way.

This episode contains discussions about violence, sexual assault and rape. If you have been impacted by any of the topics discussed in this week's episode, you can contact the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (no matter where you are in the country):

National 24hr Helpline: 1800 77 8888

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @dublinrapecrisis

Twitter: @DublinRCC

Keith Treacy's story is one of great hope, tragedy and ultimately redemption. He was a footballing prodigy from the flats on Dublin's Sheriff Street. Man Utd's assistant manager was calling the family home in Dublin to plead with Keith to sign at just 13 years old, at 15 he was training with Premier League first teams, he played for Ireland and before long he was lining up against the game's greats, like Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

But all the while he fell deeper into the addictions he kept hidden from the world - gambling, sex and, most importantly, alcohol. Keith not only lost his career but he feared he was close to losing his life as he reached his darkest moments. Yet somehow he turned it all around in his late 20s, and now has a story that can give hope to anyone struggling through dark times.

John Kavanagh is known for becoming one of the most successful coaches in the MMA game - but his story was already a fascinating one long before he reached the UFC.

John tells us about how he started a back alley gym in Dublin when almost nobody knew what MMA was and through years of hard graft turned that into an an international success story.

And he tells us about how he turned a moment of adversity and pain into a new beginning, and why the lessons he learned from his own struggle can help anyone to transform their life. His outlook on life, from how we learn through our mistakes to how we can all chase excellence, is inspiring and one we can all take lessons from.