S09E19 Duff Love, Bohs Brilliance, Pat's Pressure and Chaos in Cork
We've had a double header in both divisions since our last show but there's only discussion point on the agenda today; what about those goalscoring Lomboto brothers? They have their own God but our main talking point, naturally enough, is how the League of Ireland will cope without its sometime messiah Damien Duff, who interrupted the regular Sunday service to make a shocking exit to a Simply Red tune. We'll hear bits from his last press conference before pondering the chain of events that few saw coming - not even from the grassy knoll. It's not just a Duff show - contrary to predictions - as there's a bit of Bohs brilliance, and Alan Reynolds talking about a return from the dead over Easter that appears to be attracting a growing number of devotees. Johnny took his microphone to Inchicore to catch the thoughts of an under-pressure Stephen Kenny and also hear a few words from Derry's Tiernan Lynch and Liam Boyce. We also have pizza tales from Ballybofey, Hurley as Moleman, missed messages, the context to crazy scenes in Cork and Moses stepping out of line. Your weekly sermon of football opinions interspersed with Simpsons, Father Ted and Only Fools and Horses references comes to you in association with Rascals Brewing, Sport Cosanta, Future Ticketing & Collar & Cuff, all of whom will be back next week, but Damien won’t, or will he?
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1:32:23
S09E18 Disappointed Drogs, Euro Draws & Ruaidhri Higgins Chat
We are back in Oliver’s offices to discuss a week that delivered an unwelcome twist for Drogheda United with the excitement of the European draws leaving the Boynesiders with a bitter aftertaste. Dan gives the lowdown on the story in a crowded mailbag that also features the content king that always delivers - an outraged Damien Duff. We talk dressing room songs, tinfoil hats, relentless Rovers and much more before we dial up our old pal Ruaidhri Higgins who discusses life in Coleraine, scotches a ‘lazy’ transfer rumour and then gives us the rundown on Shels v Linfield before we finish the show with the Grok/Athlone/Ulysses mash up that nobody wanted. This beefy effort is brought to you in association with Collar & Cuff, Rascals Brewing, Future Ticketing & Sport Cosanta.
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1:08:21
S09E17 - Mid-Season Musings, Transfer Targets & Crowded Houses
AS most of the League of Ireland heads for the departure lounge, our co-hosts are back via arrivals to take their regular perch in Oliver Ireland for our mid-season review. We make it there with the help of a stopover on the turbulence of media relations in a small world, before ascending to broader discussions around Josh Honohan’s public feedback, the beauty of Galway’s defensive formations and Seani Maguire speculating on how far Cathal O’Sullivan can go. This is interspersed with general musings about the futility of our existence, the reasons in favour of a mid-season break, the absence of granny killers in the league, and a Crowded House diversion that is nothing to do with stadium capacities and everything to do with the pre-professionalism haze of the Viper Room sometime in the 2000s. Confused? Soon, we’ll all be asking what the Grok is going on. There’s nothing artificial about the support we receive from Collar & Cuff, Sport Cosanta, Rascals Brewery and Future Ticketing that makes it all happen.
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1:22:53
S09E16 avec Graham Gartland, Johnny Kenny and Conan Noonan
Episode 16 took all the patience of Collar & Cuff, Future Ticketing, Sports Cosanta and Rascals Brewery to make it to the finish line. Recorded over two nights due to rural broadband shenanigans we eventually got Conan Noonan, on loan at Waterford from Shamrock Rovers, and Johnny Kenny, who was on loan at Shamrock Rovers from Celtic last season, into a virtual room to meander upon girlie haircuts, the Kennedy Cup, and their bullish future ambitions. They go back nearly a decade in terms of interaction and our guest co-host Graham Gartland has the Zelig like qualities of being a gym buddy and a quiz question this week. There's a usual stuffed mailbag, a whirlwind look at the state of the table and do we all agree the title race is over? Tune in for a great episode and apologies for the sound quality, we were up against it!
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1:10:10
S09E15 with Garry Doyle and Colin Hawkins
There’s a faint whiff of chaos (and maybe vomit) in the air at Oliver this week, as the usual anchor is missing and the reins are handed over to Johnny and special guest Garry Doyle — manager of the SFAI Under-14 Cup champions. Together, the lads in hats stumble cheerfully through a maze of partitionist football nostalgia, Stephen Kenny-induced anxiety, grassy knolls, lawnmowers, the Rovers revival, and the age-old question: is the league actually done and dusted?
The mailbag is in fine form too, curated by Johnny, Garry, and everyone’s favourite ball-playing centre-half — St. Mochta’s Director of Football, Colin Hawkins — who drops in to throw his lot in with your hot takes from the past week.
It’s chaotic. It’s passionate. It’s an hour of football chat that runs the full emotional spectrum.
Brought to you by Collar and Cuff, Sport Cosanta, Rascals Brewery, and Future Ticketing — this is Episode 15, and it’s not one to miss. Buckle up.
#LOICentral is a podcast with opinion, analysis and interviews on all the latest happenings in the League of Ireland, hosted by Johnny Ward & Dan McDonnell
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