The Booket List

To mark our 10th episode, we have UCD historian Paul Rouse. Paul is a former manager of Offaly Football and is a regular contributor on Off The Ball.

The book Paul has chosen is JJ Lee’s ‘Ireland, 1912-1985: Politics & Society’. The book details the formative years of the Irish state, the key figures during that time, and the significant events.

Paul talks about the importance of history. How he first came to enjoy and have a passion for the subject. His enthusiasm for history is infectious. He explains the book and his love of history impeccably throughout the podcast.

On today’s podcast, Eoghan speaks to former Fine Gael TD, Noel Rock. Noel served in the Dail from 2016 to 2020.

On the agenda is Game Change (AKA Race of a Lifetime). The book details the incredible 2008 US presidential election. From the head to head between Barack Obama & Hilary Clinton, to the subsequent race between the former and John McCain. 

We ask Noel how this book made him feel about politics. Did it inspire him to run for office? We also dive into Irish political life today.

On The Booket List this week, we have the Lord Mayor of Dublin City, Hazel Chu. Hazel is a member of the Green Party in Ireland.

We speak about 'The Night Manager' by John le Carre. The novel details the incredible espionage adventure the protagonist, Jonathan Pine, sets out on. Diving into topics like patriotism and betrayal.

As always, Eoghan asks Hazel about what life is like for her right now. How is she finding life as Lord Mayor, particularly after recent abuse she has received online.

This week we have Conor Stone. Conor is a mental health blogger and influencer. He runs amentalhealthjourney.com and Work Mindful.

Conor’s book of choice is ‘Mindfulness - Finding Peace in a Frantic World’ by Danny Penman and Mark Williams. The book is an eight week guide to slowly introduce mindfulness into a persons life.

Eoghan has known Conor for many years. The two guys try to have an open and honest discussion about their own mental health and what helps them in their personal lives.

Up today is Thomas Arnold. Thomas is the co-founder of Ireland’s first ever Tik Tok House, The Go House. He also has over 17k subscribers on YouTube.

Thomas chose to speak about ‘The 5am Club’ by Robin Sharma. The book outlines the importance of owning your morning and setting yourself up for a great day.

We discuss the whole area of self development, Thomas’ ambitions for the year ahead, and all the pros and cons that come with being an online influencer!

We speak to Ireland’s youngest TD, James O’Connor. James was elected in the 2020 General Election, where he ran in East Cork for Fianna Fáil.

James chose to talk about ‘Becoming’ by Michelle Obama. The book outlines the life of the 44th First Lady of the United States, from her humble beginnings to her husband’s stratospheric rise to the White House.

As with all guests, we relate the themes of the book back to them. We speak to James about the perils of politics, how much it can affect your family, and also his thoughts and opinions on Irish politics today.

Gareth Hickey joins us to speak about ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’ by Dale Carnegie.

Gareth is the founder and CEO of audio journalism app, Noa. He is a highly ambitions and intelligent person. He truly embodies the message of this book and his memory of it’s details are impeccable.

After we dive deep into the book, we speak about Noa and the current state of journalism. Noa is battling misinformation and helping to ensure everyone has high quality news in a format they can easily digest.

Eoghan speaks to Mark Little, former journalist and founder of Storyful. Mark is currently working on his newest venture, Kinzen.

Mark’s book of choice is ‘Fear & Loathing on the Campaign Trail ‘72’ by the notorious Hunter S. Thompson. The book details Thompson’s adventure following the democratic candidates vying to take on Richard Nixon in the 1972 Presidential election.

Mark is one of the most recognised thought leaders in journalism and misinformation in the modern world. While diving into this book, we talk to Mark about the way journalism is going today and the ever growing influence social media and technology is having on public discourse.

On Episode 2 of The Booket List, Eoghan speaks to Stockholm based journalist, Philip O’Connor. 

Phil has chosen ‘Borstal Boy’ by Brendan Behan. The book outlines Behan’s time spent in the youth detention centres in England in the late 1930’s for his involvement in the IRA.

The conversation dives into the Irish struggle for independence. We talk about Irish nationalism today, how Brexit will impact reunification, and Phil’s opinions on Irish society.

On Episode 1 of The Booket List, Eoghan speaks to John Davis of the David McWilliams Podcast. 

John’s choice of book is the iconic ‘Into the Wild’ written by Jon Krakauer. The book details the tragic tale of Chris McCandless and his fatal Alaskan odyssey. 

We delve into John’s own travels and his experiences throughout his life. We speak about John’s work as a sound engineer on many famous films, such as James Bond.