What’s the Story? Podcast

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Multi award-winning podcast from Dublin, Ireland. Everyone has a story to tell...

Episodes

Saturday Jun 11, 2016

Chapter 49: Alan Gernon, What's the Story?

Saturday Jun 11, 2016

Its a summer of football in 2016 so Danny & Mero have hopped on the Euro 2016 bandwagon and got a football guest.

Alan Gernon is a comedian, sports writer for Boylesports and an author. His new book "Retired: What happens to footballers when the game is up?" has been getting great reviews both home and away. From George Hook to Neil Delamere and from Keys and Gray to the House of Commons, Alan has been in demand following the release of Retired and for good reason.

Bankruptcy, Divorce, health issues and prison are just some of the shocking outcomes for professional footballers when they hang up their boots. That might sound like hyperbole but Alan has some statistics to back it up, and they are shocking. Nearly 50% of footballers face bankruptcy within 5 years of retirement. 33% will be divorced with a year of their playing days being up and up to 80% of retired ex pros suffer with osteoarthritis.

These are just some of the areas Alan has covered in his book.

Chapter 49 also includes Euro 2016, Football Manager, Summer BBQs, UFC 199, Muhammad Ali and lots more besides.

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Saturday Jun 04, 2016

Chapter 48: Mark O'Connor, What's the story?

Saturday Jun 04, 2016

This week Danny & Mero continue to celebrate the borough and Irish film as they welcome writer and director Mark O'Connor to Fitzpatrick Castle.

Mark has given the world some of the best Irish cinema of the past decade with films like Between the Canals, Stalker and King of Travellers all gaining attention internationally. He has launch some of Ireland's best and brightest actors in Peter Coonan and John Connors and his latest offering, Cardboard Gangsters, is due for release this Autumn.

Besides talking all things film the lads also spoke to Mark about his love of skate boarding and martial arts, while Danny talks about his recent trip to see Bruce Springsteen and Mero gives us the low down on how the Ballybrack Bulls faired in just their second season.

Saturday May 28, 2016

Chapter 47: Dave Coffey, What's the Story?

Saturday May 28, 2016

This week Danny & Mero welcome yet another Borough legend to the award winning Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel.

Dave Coffey is a name you may not be overly familiar with but you will definitely have seen his work over the past 10 years. Back in 2007 Dave brought a young couple called Dan & Becs to Irish screens and since then we've been treated to more of his ideas in the form of Sarah & Steve, The Commute and Fade Street.

We talked to Dave about the process of TV writing and where his ideas came from as well as projects that don't make it to the small screen - including Peter Kay pipping Dave to a big UK deal.

Besides the TV craic Dave is also a big fan of pro wrestling, much like the lads are so it was inevitable that we would end up talking about men in tights and all things rasslin'.

Housekeeping this weeks talks about Danny guarding Derren Brown's secrets, Mero asks about Danny's social media rants and we look at how Mero and Louis Van Gall have something in common.

Saturday May 21, 2016

Chapter 46: North Korea, What's the Story?

Saturday May 21, 2016

This week on the award winning WTSpod Danny & Mero welcome author and film producer, Paul Fischer, to the podcast to discuss the maddest country on the planet, North Korea.

Paul's book "A Kim Jong Il Production: The extraordinary true story of a kidnapped film maker, his star actress and a young dictators rise to fame." documents the story of a set of daring kidnappings by the secretive state all in a bid to create some block buster movies in the name of North Korea.

The story of Choi Eun Hee, South Korea's most famous actress and her ex-husband, Shin Sang-OK has become the stuff of legend. Even today some people in South Korea don't believe it happened, and Paul explains the lengths he had to go to to convince Choi to meet him as she feared the North trying to take her once again.

From talking about the story in a pub to actually visiting the isolated country and being a tourist in Pyongyang, Paul Fischer's story and book can't be missed.

On top of this we have Mero talking about his recent experience of Darkness into Light and Danny has been trying to get Mero on First Dates Ireland.

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Sunday May 15, 2016

Chapter 45: Fitzpatrick's Castle, What's the story?

Sunday May 15, 2016

This week the award winning WTSpod is bringing you the history of the award winning Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel.

Killiney Castle has stood, overlooking Dublin since the 1700's and is steeped in history, no more so than the last 45 years under the guidance and ownership of the Fitzpatrick Family.

Owner and CEO, Eithne Fitzpatrick Scott-Lennon and her son, Mark Scott-Lennon joined us to give us an idea of what its like running one of Ireland's most famous hotels and the stories behind it. A true family business, Mark Scott-Lennon is the third generation of the Fitzpatrick family to be heavily involved with Killiney Castle.

Both Mark and Eithne share stories of what makes the castle great, but also give an idea of how hard the hotel business can be, especially when that hotel just happens to be from the 18th century.

Danny& Mero give you a history of the castle until the Fitzpatrick family took it over and turned into an award winning establishment that has played a part in the lives of thousands of people around the borough and beyond.

From being a part of a rich country estate, to sheriffs, judges and involvement of the British Monarch, Killiney Castle has withstood everything that has been thrown at it, including the IRA and Black & Tans.

On top of this, the lads talk about underdogs and great sporting moments following the fairytale of Leicester City winning the Premiership.

Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel is celebrating 45 years in business and you can find out more about that at www.fitzpatrickcastle.com

Sunday May 08, 2016

Chapter 44: Eurovision, What's the Story?

Sunday May 08, 2016

It's the Eurovision extravaganza on WTSpod this week as we welcome Eurovision 1994 winner Charlie McGettigan and journalist / Eurovision expert Brian O'Reilly to Fitzpatrick's Castle for chapter 44. Mero was reluctant to be involved in this chapter and Danny had to clamp his wheels to stop him leaving the studio.

Along with Paul Harrington, Charlie McGettigan is etched into Eurovision history with the song Rock 'n' Roll Kids. The song completed a historic three in a row for Ireland, a feat which has never been matched by any country in the Eurovision. We heard how Charlie and Paul came together and what life was like after winning the biggest song contest on the planet. From tea with the Taoiseach to jetting around Europe and the curious incident of the underpants and the BBC, there were some great stories from the last 22 years being shared.

Brian O'Reilly is the Social Media & Community editor with Independent.ie as well as Eurovision guru. From Sweden's selection process to a beef with Ireland's 1992 winner, Linda Martin, Brian is a man who knows all there is to know about the annual spectacle. Brian and Danny discuss their favourites from down the years and try convince Mero (and probably you) that Eurovision is quite simply, a way of life. We also talk about betting on the Eurovision and give our tips.

What's the Story? Podcast is brought to you by Fitzpatrick's Castle Hotel, check out www.fitzpatrickcastle.com

Saturday Apr 30, 2016

Chapter 43: John Connors, What's the Story?

Saturday Apr 30, 2016

This week on the award winning WTSpod, Danny and Mero were joined by actor and activist John Connors.

John came to the attention of the nation on the smash RTE drama "Love/Hate" as Patrick, the man who killed criminal kingpin "Nidge". More recently John featured on Irish screens as part of the documentary "I am Traveller" which focused on exploring the identity of Travellers in modern Ireland.

John brings us through his life on the camp in Darndale on Dublin's north side and how he got started in acting. From losing his father to suicide aged eight to battling with mental health issues in his teens, John's story is filled with ups and downs and features some heart wrenching as well as heart warming moments.

On top of this the lads talk about summer in Ballybrack, UFC 200 and Danny is going to see Britney Spears.

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Saturday Apr 23, 2016

Chapter 42: John Ross Crangle, What's the Story?

Saturday Apr 23, 2016

This week Danny & Mero are joined by yet another Borough legend. John Ross Crangle. JR, as we know him, is a world cup winning Pitch and Putt player and has won four Leinster Championships.

What makes these accomplishments on the course even more impressive is JR was able to achieve this while battling his demons off the course. In an emotional chat with the lads Jr describes what life is like with a gambling addiction and how it brought him to some dark times.

From having to get loans for special occasions after losing his savings to the isolation and frustration of standing on Killiney beach in the rain and contemplating suicide.

Just this week Minister for Health, Leo Varadkar announced cuts to the Mental Health Service budget and yet JR is the perfect example of how important that funding is. It's now over a year since he entered Pieta House and now JR is an advocate for keeping a healthy mind and speaks bravely battling an addiction that has ruined so many peoples lives.

You can check out JR's blog at jrcrangle.wordpress.com

Sunday Apr 17, 2016

Chapter 41: What's the story with MMA?

Sunday Apr 17, 2016

Following the tragic death of Portuguese MMA fighter, Joao Carvalho, in Dublin this week Danny & Mero take a look at the reaction and try make some sense of it all. The lads obtained a copy of the letter Minister for Sport, Michael Ring, mentioned on national radio this week and take a closer look at what he said in that letter.

Following the call for an outright ban on MMA in Ireland from some groups, Danny asks about deaths in other sports and Mero pushes for much needed regulation in Ireland.

There's the usual housekeeping slot where the lads discuss Bruce Springsteen setting the trend in North Carolina, Bono is a Pox, Robbie Keane is a top bloke and Dublin Husky Rescue needs your help.

Thursday Apr 07, 2016

Chapter 40: Bernard Jackman, What's the Story?

Thursday Apr 07, 2016

This week the lads had the pleasure of speaking to a rugby legend. Bernard Jackman was capped over 90 times while playing in the blue of Leinster and managed to lift two Celtic Leagues and Heineken Cup before retiring in 2010 due to concussion related injuries.

A true legend to the Leinster faithful, Bernard Jackman also lined out for Connacht and Sale Sharks earlier in his career, winning a European Challenge Cup along the way. He has also represented Ireland at test level. Bernard spoke openly about his career including his start with Connacht under the guidance of Warren Gatland, the decision to turn professional, funny moments from the road, retirement due to concussion and of course his current role as Head Coach of Grenoble in France.

Besides this Danny & Mero have their usual housekeeping spot including drugs in sport, ice cream, Danny's first job and Mero tries to speak French.

Sunday Apr 03, 2016

Chapter 39: What's the Story with Mero & Danny? Round 2

Sunday Apr 03, 2016

This week the lads are loving April Fool's Day. Having played a joke on the listeners they talk about some other decent pranks from April 1st including Google, The Dublin Spire and floating people.

April 4th 2016 marks the 48th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King jr so the lads talk a little about this and other historic assassinations including Danny going full geek on one in particular.

Mero talks about his experience at the recent 100th anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising and this leads the lads to talk about songs that make you feel like Ireland.

Check out the previous chapters of WTSpod on iTunes, Stitcher, Podbean and all podcast outlets. Rate, review, share and subscribe. Follow us on twitter @WTSpod and Facebook by looking for WTSpod Ireland.

Sunday Mar 27, 2016

Chapter 38: Ian Taylor, What's the Story?

Sunday Mar 27, 2016

This week Danny & Mero had the pleasure of speaking to Ian Taylor, who in 2008 became the youngest Irishman to have successfully climbed Mount Everest.

Besides conquering the world's highest peak, Ian Taylor has climbed Kilimanjaro 19 times and is currently working on leading a team to the South Pole through a new route.Ian is a leading motivational speaker and trains teams for mountain expeditions around the world.

You can learn more about Ian and join some of his tours to Everest and Kilimanjaro by visiting www.iantaylortrekking.com

Sunday Mar 20, 2016

Chapter 37: David McWilliams, What's the Story?

Sunday Mar 20, 2016

This week on WTSpod Danny sat down with one of Ireland's greatest minds. David McWilliams is an author, broadcaster and economist to name but a few of the strings on his bow and we had the pleasure of welcoming him to Fitzpatrick's Castle in Killiney to discuss his story.

David describes a recent trip to the Caribbean as well as telling us what it was like to have then Minister for Finance, Brian Lenihan, call to his house at the height of the now infamous banking crisis. It wasn't all doom and gloom however, there was plenty on the table as we talked about festivals, growing up in the borough, a positive idea for solving the housing crisis and the potential for a follow up podcast in the not too distant future...

On top of all that we hear about Mero being on death's door, Blackfish wins, and with thanks to our friends over at PodSkwod we give our top 5 fictional characters who would make a better President than Donald Trump.

Saturday Mar 12, 2016

Chapter 36: St. Patrick's Day, What's the Story?

Saturday Mar 12, 2016

Top o'the morning to yas and welcome to the Paddy's Day special of WTSpod. With Ireland's national holiday on our doorstep we decided we would celebrate Ireland like only we can and bring in a man who has a unique and brilliant perspective on the Emerald Isle.

Friend of the show, Gary Mackle joins Danny & Mero in Fitzpatrick's Castle, Dublin to chat about why they love Ireland and what makes Ireland everyone's favourite country. From the surreal to the sublime, daft to deadly, ridiculous to reminiscent and stupid to serious, the lads cover everything from places to go, people to see and things to do.

From Dublin's junkies to west Kerry pubs, from Belfast murals to the lane at Bono's gaff, from Ireland's schools to St Patrick himself this chapter is Ireland and all her strange and marvellous glory.

Sunday Mar 06, 2016

UFC 196 - What's the Story from Vegas?

Sunday Mar 06, 2016

A short and (bitter) sweet bonus edition of WTSpod as Danny speaks to Mero from Vegas for reaction to Nate Diaz choking out Conor McGregor.

Thursday Mar 03, 2016

Chapter 35: Jon Wertheim, What's the Story?

Thursday Mar 03, 2016

This week on WTSpod we spoke to Sports Illustrated's Jon Wertheim. With nearly 20 years under his belt with SI, Jon is now the executive editor and senior writer with a magazine that has over 23 Million readers each and every week.

We spoke to Jon about Conor McGregor, UFC 196, Ronda Rousey, Jon Jones and even a little about Andre Agassi and tennis. Jon is also the host of SI's hit podcast "Beyond the baseline" which is available on iTunes.

On top of a world class journalist you also get Danny & Mero giving their opinion on UFC 196, Graham appearing in Sports Illustrated's recent feature on Conor McGregor and of course Mero is off to Vegas.

Don't forget to rate, review on subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Podbean and all podcast outlets. WTSpod is brought to you by Fitzpatrick's Castle in Dublin, Ireland. Check out www.fitzpatrickcastle.com for more

Saturday Feb 27, 2016

Chapter 34: Tony McGregor, What's the story?

Saturday Feb 27, 2016

This week sees an old friend drop into WTStowers in Fitzpatrick's Castle Hotel. Danny & Mero are reunited with their very first guest from way back when WTSpod launched, Tony McGregor.

In a bizarre twist the circumstances of Tony's visit are exactly the same as they were last July. His son, The Notorious Conor McGregor is just days away from fighting a Brazillian for a UFC world championship when disaster strikes and the Brazillian withdraws from combat citing injury. Nine months ago it was the emphatic feather weight kingpin Jose Aldo who went running, this time it was lightweight champ, Rafael Dos Anjos.

News of RDA pulling out of the UFC 196 broke the day we sat down with Tony so we discussed this with him as well as learning about Nate Diaz pretty quickly.

We spoke to Tony about life since Conor took home the gold and got an insight into what Tony has been up to since we last spoke to him.

We talk a little bit about history and Foley artists as well as looking at what the future may have in store for Conor McGregor.

Remember to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher and Podbean. Follow us on twitter @WTSpod and check out the amazing Fitzpatrick's Castle Dublin on their website, www.fitzpatrickcastle.com

Saturday Feb 20, 2016

Chapter 33 (Part 2): Election 2016, What's the story?

Saturday Feb 20, 2016

Cormac Devlin - Fianna Fáil

This week on WTSpod we've gone political. General Election 2016 is just days away and it could be one of the most important elections in Irish history. So, to help you make a decision we approached all the major party candidates in the Dun Laoghaire constituency to ask (amongst other things) 1. Why should people vote for you? and 2. Why should people vote for your party?

Cormac Devlin - Fianna Fáil

In part one of our election special we spoke to Sinn Fein's Shane O'Brien who is bidding to become the first ever Sinn Fein TD for the Dun Laogaire Constituency.

In part two we spoke to Fianna Fáil's Cormac Devlin who has been a councillor in Dun Laoghaire for over 10 years and is hoping to be elected to Dáil Eireann at first time of asking.

In part three we spoke to Renua Ireland's Frank Cronin. A Cork native that has been living in Dublin since the late 80's, Frank Cronin is a business man who has been CEO of such organisations as Newstalk Radio and The Sunday Tribune. It is the first time Frank is standing for any kind of political office.

Danny & Mero give their breakdown of the Dun Laoghaire constituency and provide the historical context for how voting tends to swing in the borough.

Polling day for Election 2016 is February 26th, get out there and make a difference.

Saturday Feb 20, 2016

Chapter 33 (Part 1): Election 2016, What's the story?

Saturday Feb 20, 2016

Shane O'Brien - Sinn Fein

In part one of our election special we spoke to Sinn Fein's Shane O'Brien who is bidding to become the first ever Sinn Fein TD for the Dun Laogaire Constituency.

In part two we spoke to Fianna Fáil's Cormac Devlin who has been a councillor in Dun Laoghaire for over 10 years and is hoping to be elected to Dáil Eireann at first time of asking.

Danny & Mero give their breakdown of the Dun Laoghaire constituency and provide the historical context for how voting tends to swing in the borough.

Polling day for Election 2016 is February 26th, get out there and make a difference.

Saturday Feb 20, 2016

Chapter 33 (Part 3): Election 2016, What's the Story?

Saturday Feb 20, 2016

Frank Cronin - Renua Ireland

In part one of our election special we spoke to Sinn Fein's Shane O'Brien who is bidding to become the first ever Sinn Fein TD for the Dun Laogaire Constituency.

In part two we spoke to Fianna Fáil's Cormac Devlin who has been a councillor in Dun Laoghaire for over 10 years and is hoping to be elected to Dáil Eireann at first time of asking.

Danny & Mero give their breakdown of the Dun Laoghaire constituency and provide the historical context for how voting tends to swing in the borough.

Polling day for Election 2016 is February 26th, get out there and make a difference.

Saturday Feb 13, 2016

Chapter 32: Tony Hinchcliffe, What's the Story?

Saturday Feb 13, 2016

This week the award winning WTSpod brings you one of the best comedians on the planet. Tony Hinchcliffe will be familiar to many from his own hit Podcast "Kill Tony", as regular and favourite guest on The Joe Rogan Experience and most recently his brilliant Netflix comedy special; "One Shot".

Danny & Mero talk about comedy in general and discuss some of their favourite. Mero asks Danny about his flirt with the world of comedy. Mero reveals the truth behind sweet chilli sauce & Danny issues a Wikipedia challenge to you, the listeners.

What's the Story? Podcast is brought to you by Fitzpatrick's Castle Hotel in Dublin, Ireland.

Visit www.fitzpatrickcastle.com for more

Saturday Feb 06, 2016

Chapter 31: What's the story with Mero & Danny?

Saturday Feb 06, 2016

Coming to you from the beautiful surroundings of Fitzpatrick's Castle Hotel, Mero & Danny start their podcasting life without Lindsey and get use to their new location.

Trump watch is back as the lads discuss Donald Trump's hair and presidential campaign. This leads to the question "is the world of politics as evil as House of Cards would suggest"?

All the talk in Ireland is of the impending General Election so we talk about what we want from the people who want our votes. We also advise that we have approached a number of local politicians to come on WTSpod and tell you, the people, why they should vote for them.

The Six Nations is upon us and Danny can't wait to spend his weekend staring at the gogglebox watching rugby. We have our now weekly discussion regarding concussion and in particular Irish fly-half Johnny Sexton who has a history of concussion issues.

Nostalgia pays a visit as we talk about a hero of our childhood, Bret "The Hitman" Heart. The Hitman announced in the past few days he is battling prostate cancer so we lend our support and talk about our love of the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be. This leads to talks of childhood memories and wrestling matches from years gone by, including the tragic circumstances of Owen Hart's death.

We also pick the winner of our Mark Baker / Conor McGregor competition. Remember to subscribe like and share on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Check out our previous chapters on iTunes, Stitcher and all podcast directories just search WTSpod.

What's the Story? Podcast is brought to you by Fitzpatrick's Castle Hotel, for more information on their award winning restaurant and luxury rooms, visit them at http://www.fitzpatrickcastle.com/

Saturday Jan 30, 2016

Chapter 30: Story with Lindsey's farewell?

Saturday Jan 30, 2016

This week on What's the Story podcast, all the emotions are flowing as Lindsey announces that she will be departing WTSpod Towers for the foreseeable future.

Despite being punched right in the feels, Danny & Mero soldier on to ensure Lindsey doesn't leave on bad terms and most importantly, that she doesn't leave without trying the famous spice bag. Did she like it? Did she hate it? Did she lob a load of curry sauce on it and ask for more?

Besides the spice bag we hear about what's next for Lindsey as she prepares for her upcoming MMA fight in Belfast. We look at the US Presidential election and weigh up the Donald Trump factor. Danny attempts to explain the US presidential voting system and is probably way off the mark.

We talk more documentaries with topics such as Crutzfeld-Jakob disease (CJD) and Kuru and are cows the main reason global warming is running amok?

Lindsey brings up the "Alive" scenario and asks if we would eat each other to stay alive. Danny talks about the time he interviewed former Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Bertie Ahern and was left with egg on his face.

Graham brings up the idea that impending general election in Ireland may not take place at the end of February because of the 6 Nations and Danny does everything he can to rubbish it.

The concussion topic comes back again as the lads look at the Johnny Sexton issue and concussion in sport.

All this and loads more besides, you can check out all our previous chapters on iTunes, stitcher and all podcast outlets, just search WTSpod.

Saturday Jan 23, 2016

Chapter 29: Mark Baker, What's the Story?

Saturday Jan 23, 2016

Mark Baker is one of the world's leading portrait artists. He is renowned in Ireland in for his signature "in 3" paintings and has had is work displayed in international galleries.

From Dave Grohl to Johnny Cash, George Best to Brian O'Driscoll and Katie Taylor to Connor McGregor - Mark has painted and drawn famous faces from all parts of the celebrity world including Academy Award winners Steven Spielberg and Daniel Day Lewis. He even includes United States President Barack Obama amongst those who have a Baker original hanging in their home.

We spoke to Mark about his artwork, how he got started and how he decides on who he will put on canvass next. He tells us about his upcoming projects and some of his work that was robbed after appearing at an exhibition in an airport.

There's also talk of the Oscars and diversity, Lindsey gives advise on the paleo diet, Danny is trying to coin phrases and getting called out on it and Mero has trouble picking an upbeat song as the lads put together their "Monday morning songs". We have a Mark Baker print to give away and details are on our facebook page -Facebook.com/WTSpodIreland and there's also the curious incident of Richard Gere and the gerbill...

Don't forget you can check us out on iTunes, Stitcher and Twitter just search WTSpod.

Saturday Jan 16, 2016

Chapter 28: Conspiracy Theories, What's the Story?

Saturday Jan 16, 2016

This week on What's the Story? we break out the tinfoil hats and divert to a secret location as we talk conspiracy theories. Our guest is the brilliant and hilarious Gordon Rochford from the iTunes "Best of 2015" podcast, "Those Conspiracy Guys".

We had a return to house keeping this week after a brief hiatus where Danny tells jokes, Lindsey asks about UFC 197, Mero talks Louis Theroux with Gordon and we briefly pay tribute to Lemmy, David Bowie and Alan Rickman.

Gordon then gives us an insight into the world of conspiracies where we talk about Madeline McCann and if there is more to the missing girl's story than meets the eye? Why were Kate and Gerry McCann named as suspects? Who or what is the "Tapas 9"? Are there unfounded allegations against the McCanns or is there something more sinister?

We also talk Werewolves, Santa Clause and Bigfoot before moving onto some of the biggest conspiracies out there, September 11 and the assassination of the US President, John F. Kennedy.

All of this and we barely scratched the surface! You can learn more and hear all the details on these, and many other conspiracies, on Those Conspiracy Guys' Podcast available on iTunes or on their website www.thoseconspiracyguys.com