Never Have I Ever with Claire Byrne

For most of us, war is something we witness from a distance. For Sally Hayden, it's become her life's work. This week, Claire Byrne meets the award-winning Irish journalist whose reporting has taken her from refugee camps to conflict zones across almost 40 countries.
Together they explore what it means to live in or return to places most people are desperate to escape, how ordinary people endure extraordinary circumstances, and why telling those stories still matters.
Sally reflects on fear, resilience, the emotional toll of bearing witness, and the moments of humanity, humour and hope that survive even in the darkest places. And Claire wonders: can anyone truly prepare themselves for a career spent documenting war?

This Is Also A Love Story by Sally Hayden is published by 4th Estate.

Festival camping has never made sense to Claire Byrne. Sleepless nights in tents, mud, queues for the toilets... Why would anyone willingly swap the comforts of home for a damp field?
So, at the height of festival season, Claire sets out to discover what she's been missing. Her guide is Philip Meagher – solicitor by day, music obsessive by nature, and the founder of Forest Fest in Emo, Co. Laois. Philip took a remarkable gamble, investing his own money to build a festival designed for people who still love live music but don't necessarily want to rough it.
Can Philip persuade one lifelong sceptic that sleeping in a tent is a small price to pay for the magic that happens when thousands of strangers come together for one unforgettable weekend? Or will festival camping stay firmly on Claire's "Never Have I Ever" list?
📧 Have a suggestion for something Claire should try next? Email: never@newstalk.com
🎪 Find out more about Forest Fest: https://forestfest.ie/
🍺 With thanks to Ballykilcavan Brewery for hosting this episode: https://www.ballykilcavan.com/

Consultant paediatric surgeon Jennifer Billington takes Claire Byrne behind the operating theatre doors, sharing what it's really like to operate on babies and children, where every millimetre matters and every decision carries enormous responsibility.
From fighting for her place in medical school after missing the points twice, to operating on some of the smallest and sickest children, Jenny reveals the pressure, privilege, and humanity behind the surgical mask.
Can Claire overcome her squeamishness? Jenny offers a gentler first step – watching real surgical procedures on video. Could this be one "Never Have I Ever" that's about to become a "Maybe..."?
Email the podcast on never@newstalk.com.

What does it take to walk onto a stage with nothing but a microphone... and make strangers laugh? Claire Byrne has never done stand-up comedy. Al Porter has spent much of his life doing exactly that.
From becoming one of Ireland's biggest comedy stars while still in his twenties to experiencing a spectacular public fall from grace, Al joins Claire for a candid conversation about confidence, shame, addiction, failure, forgiveness, and the strange power of humour.
Why are comedians often at their funniest when talking about the worst things that have ever happened to them? Can laughter change the way we remember painful experiences? And is making fun of yourself an act of courage... or self-preservation?
This is a conversation about far more than jokes. It's about what happens when your greatest material comes from the parts of your life you'd rather forget.
Does Claire have the courage to give it a go?
Al’s show Algorithm will continue across Ireland throughout the autumn. His debut play, written with Karl Spain, The Kavanagh’s Married With Parents, will be staged at the Civic Theatre in Tallaght this September. He’ll also star in the 3Olympia Panto next Christmas.

Poker is about far more than cards. It's about psychology, pressure, risk, and knowing when to trust your instincts. In this week’s episode, Claire meets one of Ireland's greatest poker players, Andy Black. From multimillion-dollar tournaments in Las Vegas to years spent living in a Buddhist community, Andy's life has been anything but conventional.
With the World Series of Poker reaching its climax, Claire explores what it takes to make decisions when the stakes are high, why fear can be both a warning and a weakness, and whether taking a chance is ever really a gamble.
Can Andy convince Claire to sit down at a poker table... for real?
Email the show at never@newstalk.com.