We haven’t gone away, you know…

We may be part-timers these days, but we were never going to let this Christmas tradition quietly fall by the wayside.

In true WTS Christmas fashion, we’re joined by Botswanan icon and New York Times favourite Gary Mackle, alongside his sidekick — best-selling author, award-winning journalist, TV writer, comedy genius, man of the people, etc. etc. — Paul Howard.

Get comfortable, we have a two-hour magical mystery tour that winds and weaves from silly to serious, satire to scandal, with a special Christmas recipe you’ll absolutely want to try.

Enjoy it.

From all of us to all of you — Happy Christmas, and may 2026 be your best year yet.

XoXo

Disability rights activist Bernard Mulvany joins us to talk access, action, and accountability. From broken lifts to broken promises, he lays out how a system still locks people out — and how Access for All Ireland is pulling campaigners together into one loud voice. We get into the collapse of the “Green Paper,” what real consultation should mean, the brutal rise in poverty among disabled people, and why the Justice for Harvey march must be a turning point, not a one-off.

Bernard also speaks honestly about burnout in activism, the strength of lived experience (including that of his daughter, trailblazer Sophia), and the simple truth: when you design for those with the greatest needs, everyone benefits.

This week the lads bring it on down while chatting about what some might say were the best concerts in Croke Park history. 

Friend of the show, Elaine Burke is back!

Elaine is the host of For Tech's Sake Podcast and is a regular national media journalist and commentator on all things science and technology.

This week she helps us dive into AI hype, deepfakes, online culture and the fragile state of modern media. 

Summer holidays are over, and we're back for our latest batch of episodes! 

This week we're joined by comedian, impressionist, and broadcaster Al Foran. 

We chat with Al about what he has been up to recently, including trips to Washington D.C. and Saudi Arabia, the greatest Irish sportspeople of all time, will this year be better for Man Utd, and going behind the curtain on Netflix's new show WWE Unreal. 

*We're working on fixing Mero's audio and will have it sorted soon! 

Writer and wrestling analyst Brandon Thurston joins us to break down the ongoing legal saga surrounding Vince McMahon.

From shocking allegations and NDAs to shareholder lawsuits and potential fallout for WWE. This is arguably the biggest story to ever hit the world of wrestling, and its impact has changed the business forever. 

On this episode, Brandon brings us through:
— The Janel Grant lawsuit and McMahon's resignation
— John Laurinaitis flipping sides
— The Ring Boy case
— WWE’s reputation, locker room silence, and the “cult” of Vince
— What comes next, and why arbitration could keep it all quiet

This week we're joined by two-time Paralympian Colin Judge. 

Colin represents Ireland at Table Tennis and has set his sights on a third Paralympic Games in LA 2028. 

Colin talked about his approach to the sport and the issues with classification in disability sport, coming up against his hero at the Paris games and, overcoming setbacks. 

Colleen Dulle is associate editor of America Magazine and host of the Inside the Vatican Podcast. She also contributes to ABC News in the US. Her book, "Struck Down Not Destroyed — Keeping the Faith as a Vatican Reporter," will be released later this summer. 

With the white smoke cleared, Colleen joins us live from Rome to chat about the new Pope, conclave drama, the Church’s power struggles, and why she’s still hanging on to her faith — despite seeing all the chaos of the church up close.

We also chat about her upcoming book, Vatican finances (they’re broke-ish), sex scandals, drones at the Sistine Chapel, and what a “collaborative pope” might look like.

Philip O’Connor is back — and still allergic to bullsh*t.

From trans rights in sport to media responsibility, fascism creeping into society, and what Sweden gets right (and wrong), this is one of those episodes when we sit back and enjoy the ride Phil takes us on!

We're back from a few weeks off to discuss Danny becoming a Da, the Pope passing away, and the madness of Papal history. We also catch up on League of Ireland football and what desserts the lads are scoffing after this episode. 

Dublin, drink, and debauchery 🍻
Historian and host of the amazing Three Castles Burning, Donal Fallon is back for a great chat about the story of the Irish pub and Dublin’s early houses.

We also chat about Dev, the Monto’s wild past of guns and sex for sale, and, as always, Donal shares some great nuggets from Irish history.