I’ve been watching Russell Howard on tv for years. He was a regular fixture on the hugely popular comedy show Mock the Week, he’s had Netflix specials, and of course his standup clips are all over social media. So Ive always known that he’s a very intelligent and funny guy. But having met him in person, I can also confirm that he’s a brilliant man to have a conversation with. He can talk at length about any topic you can throw at him, he’s got great stories, he’s funny, and our hour together just flew along. Jump in and take a listen.

COMEDY – As Paschal Donohoe leaves Dail Eireann for the World Bank, we hack into his voicemails and find out who has been wishing him well.

Produced by Patrick Haughey – AudioBrand

David Gillick is one of Ireland’s most successful athletes. He’s a track and field sprinter, a two time European champion and has set national records , some of which he still holds to this day. 

When it comes to successful and high profile people  like David, we hear about the wins and the glamour, but we don’t hear about the other side of that life. The sacrifices you make for greatness , the eternal slog of training, constant threat of injuries, the financial and psychological impact of getting an injury.  

And in this episode of the Mario Rosenstock Podcast, David spills the beans on the realities of life as a world class athlete - the highs, the lows, and of course the behind the scenes stories.  Check out David’s brilliant new book called The Race: The inside track on the ruthless world of elite athletics.

Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

Dr Harry Barry is a medical doctor with a particular interest in mental health, and what lies behind the conditions that so many of us are familiar with, such as anxiety and panic attacks, phobias, depression, toxic Stress, and addiction.

In this episode Harry breaks down the common causes behind these conditions, and explains some of the simple things we can do to break out of them.  We also talk about the impact of social media on young minds, a fast fix for social anxiety, and why your frustration with other drivers on the road might be more serious than you think. Harry also tell me about his memoir called Beneath the Surface: A Doctor's Journey of Empathy, Healing and Self-Discovery.

COMEDY – Matt Cooper and Ivan Yates have a heart to heart about their ‘break up’.

Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

Michael Flynn, aka Mattress Mick, has a great story to tell – he’s a true entrepreneur at heart and thrives off the cut and thrust of business. He runs a very successful company now, but this wasn’t always the case -  he has his fair share of very tough times, including when he had to sell his family home to pay his debts.

In our chat Mick tells me about the highs and lows of his life in business, some of the hilarious guerilla marketing campaigns he has come up with, including of course where the whole idea of the character ‘Mattress Mick’ came from in the first place, the story of adopting his daughter from Russia, and loads more.

Michael Flynn’s new book is called Bouncing Back: Memoirs of a Mattress Salesman.

COMEDY - Mattress Mick is such a well-known guy that when I put it out there on my socials that he was coming in for a chat, the voicemails started to pour in from people like Matt Cooper and Ivan Yates, Michael D Higgins, and Miriam O’Callaghan.

The Mario Rosenstock Podcast is produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

He’s one of Ireland’s big Eurovision success stories, he has a weekly slot on Newstalk’s Pat Kenny Show called 'The Lyric’s the Thing', and he’s got some brilliant behind-the-scenes celebrity stories from the heyday of Dublin’s nightlife - Paul Harrington is great man to have on a podcast like The Mario Rosenstock Podcast.

Paul and I chat about the stories behind some great songs, his favourite Eurovision hits, some juicy behind the scenes stories from the VIP room in Dublin’s iconic Lilly’s Bordello, and memories of our mutual friend, the late, great Tony Fenton.

COMEDY – As Michael D approaches the end of his term as President, he’s getting some interesting voicemails. We get exclusive access...

Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

I don’t think there’s really such a thing as a ‘normal’ conversation with Michael Harding, and I certainly had no intention of trying to have one in this episode of The Mario Rosenstock Podcast. Michael is many things – a writer, a playwright, a podcaster, and a columnist - but he’s also one of the most captivating speakers you’ll have the pleasure of listening to. He has been up and he has been down and he has thought deeply about life and how to live it well, and he loves to share what he has learned, in case you might find it of use.

So if you want to hear two grown men do down a whole lot of rabbit holes about amateur Buddhism, existentialism , love, loss,  and the meaning of life – all with a good handful of great craic thrown in - then you’ve just hit play on the right podcast!

Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

Sometimes I’ll have a long and fascinating conversation with a guest and instead of including all of it in the episode, we’ll chop some of it out, put it into a little folder in the Mario Rosenstock podcast vaults for safekeeping, and then dust it off and pop it in to a special episode of un-heard bits when the time is right.

So we’ve two such bonus bits from the vaults for you in this episode – one from Former professional footballer and manager, Roddy Collins and the other from housing expert and former chair of the Housing Agency, Conor Skehan. Neither of whom hold back on their chosen subject!

We’ll also be remembering the late, great Manchan Magan, someone who made a deep impression on me and that I had great time and admiration for. We’ll replay a lovely excerpt from the conversation we had back in 2021.

COMEDY – David McWilliams is very excited about this week’s Budget – but he lets rip about a couple of tax hikes that are going to hit him straight in the pocket.

Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

Eamon Carr has had the most fascinating life –poet,  playwright,  sports journalist, copywriter in an ad agency, entertainment journalist.  Oh.. and he was also a founding member of one of Ireland most unique and iconic bands, The Horslips! (the band responsible for that  amazing guitar sample in ‘put em under pressure' from Italia 90).  

Eamon takes me right back to the start of Horslips and into their heyday, and we also talk about life on the road as a musician and the toll that rock n roll living can take. Eamon also talks about some of the most interesting people that he has interviewed over his long career as a journalist.

This is the topic of his latest book, Pure Gold,  full of brilliant stories about his interviews with greats including  Shane MacGowan, Jack Charlton, Gay Byrne, Sinead O’Connor, and many more.

COMEDY – its all about the Presidential race at the moment and we’re hearing lots from the candidates. But what about Michael D, what’s going on with him behind the closed doors of the Aras??

Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

So we’ve got a very different kind of episode for you this time. A few weeks ago Karl Deeter joined me here on the show and, after we had finished recording, he hit me with an idea – would I be up for the tables being turned, and me being the guest on my own podcast? And as evidenced by what you’re about to hear, I said yes!

I’m definitely  little too close to it to have a sense of how it went or what you’re going to think,  so I guess I’m just going to let you have a listen and see for yourself. Hopefully you trust that at this stage, we like to put on a good show here on the podcast and you’ll always hear something that might give you a laugh, something new to think about, or a little bit of escape to wind down from a tough week. Enjoy!

Thanks to Deluxe Bathrooms for supporting The Mario Rosenstock Podcast. Check out deluxebathroom.ie and their showrooms in Dundalk Retail Park and Eastgate Retail Park, Little Island, Cork.

Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

Pretty much everyone in this country, either directly or indirectly, is affected by the housing crisis. And it has come up as topic on this podcast time and time again. We have had lots of guests that are hugely successful in the world of writing, acting, performance, but who can’t afford to buy a home and/or who are looked at very unfavourably by the banks for a mortgage. And its come up in my conversations with campaigners like rory hearne and Ciaran crazy house prices.

 And it’s a subject that my special guest Conor Skehan has a lot of experience in and a lot to say about. Conor is an expert in planning and architecture and in 2013 the government appointed him as chair of the Housing agency, a role he held for 5 years. And in that time Conor learned a lot about housing – not just the facts and figures and the big picture stuff, but why its is such a complex, emotional issue that we find so hard to fix. He has a lot of strong opinions about it, and he doesn’t hold back in this episode of The Mario Rosenstock Podcast.

 COMEDY - Leo Varadkar has recorded an audio version of his hotly-anticipated autobiography, and he’s even convinced a few of his former political colleagues to take part in the recording. We got exclusive access to the unedited footage that reveals what really happened in the studio

 Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand