Catch Up with Louise McSharry keeps you up to date on the week’s news and culture, from the lowest of brows to the relatively high. Armed with recommendations for music, books, telly and the rest, Louise takes you through the week’s events with the help o

Lots to discsuss this week with Carl Kinsell, from Ireland's victory in the soccer yesterday to President Catherine Connolly's inauguration and the return of puffins to the Isle of Muck in County Antrim.To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Miriam O'Callaghan is iconic in the truest sense of the word, so I jumped at the chance to interview her before I had even read her book. Once I got my hands on it, though, I was even more excited for this conversation. Life, Work, Everything covers Miriam's whole life, from her family life growing up in Dublin to her life as a parent and of course her career. We cover a lot of ground in this episode, but honestly, I could have talked to her all day. I hope you enjoy.To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week I am joined by the wonderful James O'Hagen to unpack the week in entertainment: Kris Jenner's over-the-top 70th birthday celebration (of course planned by Mindy Weiss — who else?), the artistry of her plastic surgeon, fresh Grammy nominations, the Miss Universe walkout, the revival of People's Sexiest Man Alive and more.To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Carl Kinsella and I discuss the week's stories, from the democratic success in America to the death of Focus Ireland founder Sister Stan and a 'lion' on the prowl in East Clare.To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I was honoured when Holly Cairns asked if I'd be up for chatting with her in her first sit down interview since she returned to Leinster House since giving birth on polling day last year. We discussed the reality of becoming a mother as a sitting TD and leader of the Social Democrats, and why she's keen to get more women and people from diverse backgrounds in to politics, as well as how she feels about the current anti-immigration discourse. I hope you enjoy.To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I mean, if any of us thought I'd manage to get through this week's episode without talking about Lily Allen then we were sorely mistaken because there is a Lily update, along with chats about Billie Eilish taking on the billionaires and the changes afoot in the royal family.To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lots to discuss in this week's news catch up with Carl Kinsella. We discuss the horrendous arson attack on an IPAS centre in Drogheda, the farce that is the Israeli ceasefire in Gaza, the Louvre robbery and Hurricane Melissa.To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm delighted to have Katherine Ryan as my guest this week, fresh from hosting The Real Housewives of London reunion on Hayu. We talk Housewives, class, money and why we love to watch.To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I was absolutely delighted to have the chance to talk about Lily Allen's new album West End Girl on this morning's entertainment episode with Cian Sullivan, as well as some of the other entertainment stories catching people's attention over the last week.To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Carl Kinsella and I were delighted to have the chance to chat through the results of Friday's presidential election as well as the differences between the two campaigns. We also discussed the riots in Citywest last week, Donald Trump's row with Canada and threats to Israel, as well as lots more besides.To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today's interview felt strange initially, because while Carl and I are used to chatting, we're not used to chatting about ourselves... or not to each other anyway. Fortunately, Carl's book, At Least it Looks Good From Space, is so excellent that we shook off the strangeness quickly to get into my questions about what it includes, including Carl's experience of OCD, the reality of intrusive thoughts, male friendship and Dollywood of course.To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's entertainment catch-up Esther O'Moore Donohoe is chatting us through the albums, tv shows, and gigs we have to look forward to in the coming months! To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here.Come to the Catch Up Cabaret (ish) - get your tickets here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Carl Kinsella and I discuss the so-called ceasefire in Gaza, the government's endometriosis framework, the presidential election and more!Buy Carl's book here.To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here.Come to the Catch Up Cabaret (ish) - get your tickets here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week I'm giving everyone access to the brand new Patreon episode, Chronically Online, in which Emer McLysaght and I discuss what the internet is serving up to us and how people are behaving online (in a deranged manner obv). To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here.Come to the Catch Up Cabaret (ish) - get your tickets here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week James O'Hagan is taking us through the week's stories from the sad death of Diane Keaton to Dolly Parton having to announce that she is very much not dying, the big Slane announcement and lots more besides.To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here.Come to the Catch Up Cabaret (ish) - get your tickets here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lots to discuss this week from continued chaos in the presidential election to a much longed-for ceasefire in Gaza.Pre-order Carl's book here.To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here.Come to the Catch Up Cabaret (ish) - get your tickets here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ruthanne was 17 when she co-wrote Jojo's hit song 'Too Little Too Late', and has been in the music industry since, writing for everyone from One Direction to Kelly Clarkson and Britney Spears. She's used her experience and expertise to write her book, It's Not Just a Song, which is out now and operates as a how-to guide for someone entering the music industry. Of course, Ruthanne is also a talented artist, whose latest album The Moment is released today.I caught up with her to chat about her experience in the music industry, the role that being a woman has played in it, and the limitations placed on women in the Irish industry in particular. To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here.Come to the Catch Up Cabaret (ish) - get your tickets here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today I'm bringing you the most heated entertainent episode yet, in which Emer McLysaght and I discuss the new Taylor Swift album and the challenges it presents, J.K. Rowling and the madness of terfs and the deranged way the Daily Mail reports on Megan Markle.To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here.Come to the Catch Up Cabaret (ish) - get your tickets here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sending thanks to Jim Gavin for announcing that he was pulling out of the presidential race on a Sunday evening because Carl Kinsella and I were gagging to discuss it all this morning. We chat through the ins and outs of the presidential race, the 'Trump Peace Deal' for Gaza, Storm Amy and the terrible loss of Manchán Magan.Pre-order Carl's book here.To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here.Come to the Catch Up Cabaret (ish) - get your tickets here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week I went to Belfast to chat to Myrid Carten, whose debut feature film has been called 'extraordinary', 'raw' and 'searing' by Variety. I saw the documentary some weeks ago and was really moved by it. It tells the story of Myrid's relationship with her mother Nuala, and the impact Nuala's alcoholism and ill mental health has on them. It's beautifully made, unlike any other documentary I've seen on a subject like this, which many of you know is close to my heart. My own biological mother was also an alcoholic who later in her life was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I wanted to learn more about the film, how she approached it, and the challenges of making a piece of work that is so close to you and your family. I hope you enjoy.A Want in Her is in cinemas next Friday, October 10th.To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here.Come to the Catch Up Cabaret (ish) - get your tickets here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here.Come to the Catch Up Cabaret (ish) - get your tickets here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Carl Kinsella and I discuss the ongoing horror in Gaza, Michéal Martin's questionable responses to various issues this week and the madness of the Ryder Cup among other things!Pre-order Carl's book here.To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here.Come to the Catch Up Cabaret (ish) - get your tickets here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week I had the opoprtunity to spend some time with independent presidential candidate Catherine Connolly, and I really enjoyed learning more about her and why she decided to seek the role of Uachtarán na hÉireann. We discuss some of the challenges facing Ireland at the moment, her early life growing up in social housing as one of fourteen, and why she thinks you should vote for her.Unfortunately, the table our microphones were on was a little wobbly which occasionally resulted in a little bump, but hopefully that's not too distracting.To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here.Come to the Catch Up Cabaret (ish) - get your tickets here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Esther O'Moore Donohoe takes us through the week's entertainment stories, from Taylor's inability to chill and the dark story about D4VD.To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here.Come to the Catch Up Cabaret (ish) - get your tickets here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Carl Kinsella and I discuss the fallout from Charlie Kirk's death including Jimmy Kimmel being taken off air and the enormous event that happened in Arizona last night, we chat about racism in Ireland and the discussion of it in the Dail and the good news coming out of Dublin Airport.Pre-order Carl's book here.To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here.Come to the Catch Up Cabaret (ish) - get your tickets here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The latest batch of ships involved with the Global Samud Flotilla has set sail, so I thought it might be a good time to speak with one of the organisers to get a greater understanding of what is involved and what the hopes are for this movement. Fortunately, Karen Moynihan, Irish co-ordinator with the Global Movement to Gaza campaign generously gave us some time, and also, a renewed sense of hope.To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here.Come to the Catch Up Cabaret (ish) - get your tickets here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's been a hefty week in the world of showbiz with the Emmys happening along with An Post launching Westlife stamps and somehow causing controversy in the process. James O'Hagan joins me to take us through the stories.To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here.Come to the Catch Up Cabaret (ish) - get your tickets here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's a heavy week of news this week, and Carl Kinsella and I do our best to take you through it all. We explain who Charlie Kirk was and discuss the responses to his death, we give you an update on what's going on with the flotilla setting sale for Gaza and talk about RTE's decision that Ireland will not take part in Eurovision this year if Israel do.Pre-order Carl's book here.To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here.Come to the Catch Up Cabaret (ish) - get your tickets here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Journalist Una Mullally has been writing about Dublin for most of her adult life, including the challenges its faced since the pandemic. Lots of us spend a lot of time talking about and worrying about the loss of culture, social spaces and general buzz in the city centre, but what can we do to actually make changes? Una investigates this in a new podcast series, Saving the City. Saving The City offers an injection of hope and positivity for Dublin, with practical solutions to revolutionise how our city works, and how to improve the quality of life for its residents. I was delighted to catch up with Una this week to chat about why she wanted to do this podcast, and how we can feel positive about the future of Ireland's capital city.To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here.Come to the Catch Up Cabaret (ish) - get your tickets here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emer McLysaght is back to take us through the week's entertainment stories and there was a lot to cover. We discuss the VMAs and I explain KATSEYE to Emer, we chat about the discourse around the new Wuthering Heights film and the trailer for The Walsh Sisters which is coming next month to RTE.To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here.Come to the Catch Up Cabaret (ish) - get your tickets here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We go around the world in this week's news catch-up, from an update on Gaza and Israel to what's happening in our presidential race and Donald Trump's latest batch of strange behaviour.Pre-order Carl's book here.To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here.Come to the Catch Up Cabaret (ish) - get your tickets here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This Friday's guest is Dr. Anthony Delaney, actor, historian and author of Queer Georgians: A hidden history of lovers, lawbreakers and homemakers. We discuss our time in college together, twists and turns in career paths and of course, the queer history he covers in his brilliant book. Get your Catch Up Cabaret(ish) tickets here!To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cian Sullivan is on duty this week, taking us through the week's entertainment stories. Cardi B is serving pure comedy in her trial, people won't let Sabrina Carpenter be an adult, and the internet simply can't be normal about The Summer I Turned Pretty.To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's a hefty news episode this week. We discuss the latest from Gaza, the Irish protester punched by police in Berlin, the continued madness of the presidential race, the rumour that Donald Trump was dead and lots more.Pre-order Carl's book here.To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I have officially retired for the Autumn and to me that often means cosy nights in with a lovely glass of wine. This week, so, I thought it might be nice to have some wine chat with wine expert and educator Sinead Smyth. We get right down to the basics of how wine is made, how to figure out what you like, and why wine should be for everyone, not just people with massive budgets and a wealth of knowledge.You can find Sinead here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It was very rude of Taylor Swift to announce her engagement after this episode was recorded, to be honest. Fortunately I was able to talk a bit about it in the intro!To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today Carl Kinsella and I discuss a wide range of stories from the horrors continuing in Gaza to Donald Trump's militarisation of Washington D.C. and the Electric Picnic scam everyone's talking about. Check out the church moving imagery here.Pre-order Carl's book At Least it Looks Good From Space here.To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today Sophie White is back on the podcast - hooray! This time she's here to chat about her excellent new book Such a Good Couple, which tells the tale of three couples who've been friends since college grappling with the real life issues people face in their forties. Sophie and I discuss some of those issues and the great effort she made to approach them with sensitivity, ahead of the book coming out next week. This includes conversation about fertility challenges and eating disorders.Apologies for the clunkier than usual ad breaks in this episode - the converstation was really flowing so it was difficult to find places to pause!You can order Such a Good Couple here.To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I got off the plane this afternoon and went straight to my microphone to record this week's entertainment catch-up with James O'Hagan. We had lots to cover from Oasis in Dublin to Saoirse Monica Jackson's DEEPLY cool wedding and Netflix's new Guinness series. Oh and there's a lot of bad language when I get incensed re: the end of And Just Like That... (sorry not sorry.) Enjoy!To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since I'm on holidays this week, Cian Sullivan and I are taking the opportunity to chat about the evolution of the music industry. We discuss why there is no song of the summer this year, the role Tiktok plays, live music and bad audience behaviour, standoms and much more!To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm still away so this week I'm sharing this month's Screens, our monthly film and television episode which is usually Patreon-only. This month Emer McLysaght and I discussed:Too Much (Netflix)Normal People (Netflix)Feels Like For a Girl (BBC)The Beach (Disney Plus)Real Housewives of Orange County, Real Housewives of Miami, Real Housewives of Atlanta and The Valley (Hayu)To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As I'm away, I'm bringing you another recording from our recent live show at Connolly's of Leap. This time it's myself and Emer talking about nepo babies, and Emer's endless fascination with them. To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm away on holidays so today I'm bringing you a recording of Carl and I chatting at Connolly's of Leap. I hope you enjoy.To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week I'm catching up with the much-loved Alison Spittle, comedian, podcaster, writer and actor. I originally wanted to chat to her about her new show which is currently on in Edinburgh and is coming to Dublin Fringe in September, as well as her new podcast Magazine Party, and we do talk about those things, but mainly we talk about the complicated topic of weight and weight loss. This is tricky territory and I know it can be triggering for some people (including me depending on where I am in terms of body image at a given moment), so if you can't listen right now, that's ok. I do think it's a useful conversation though between two people who have given a lot of thought to the layered toxicity of diet culture, conversation around body image, life as a fat person and the impact of weight loss. To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

James O'Hagan and I had many thoughts and feelings in this week's entertainment catch-up, from whether or not Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle ad is promoting eugenics to the rumoured romance between Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau and how annoyed we are at Michael Patrick King.To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello friends, we're a little late today because I'm fresh in the door from All Together Now, but better late than never, eh? There's lots to discuss, from the latest from Palestine, to Conor McGregor's losing streak and a message in a bottle which could be connected to a much bigger story. Pre-order Carl Kinsella's book here.To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today's episode is a conversation with Ria Czerniak-LeBov. You may remember that Carl mentioned Ria's recent piece in the Irish Examiner, the headline of which was 'Not all Jews are Zionists - Alan Shatter Does Not Speak for Me'. Ria has been writing for months about her perspective on Israel's actions, and she was generous enough to share her perspective with me on the podcast this week. It was clear through our conversation that speaking out in this way as a member of Ireland's jewish community comes at a cost, but I am so grateful to Ria for the work she's doing in this area, and her valuable perspective.To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Whta a pleasure to have Emer McLysaght back at my table to chat through the week's entertainment stories. We discuss the deaths of Ozzy Osbourne and Hulk Hogan, Trisha Paytas' baby names, CMAT's new song on the BBC and lots more.To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As usual, the news is newsing. This week we discuss rising international pressure in relation to the starving people of Gaza, the low key announcement of the National Development Plan, listeriosis, racist incidents in Dublin and the removal of the Lidl in Carrigstown from Google Maps.Pre-order Carl's book here.To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While I am very au fait with the music festival calendar, it feels like there are cool foody events happening around the country all the time that I don't know about. As I get older I'm more and more interested in Ireland's food scene, so I thought it might be useful to get the lowdown on some food festivals and events coming up over the next few months, and which ones might appeal to you.Thankfully, there are few people who know more about this than Ali Dunworth, food writer and event curator. This week we caught up on what events you should be putting in your calendar. To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's entertainment catch-up is a sprawling affair which includes Cian Sullivan and I discussing the Coldplay affair and why the discourse should end now, Beyoncé's stolen music, the Emmy nominations, and the irish media's love of Rosie O'Donnell.This was recorded before last night's sad news about Ozzy Osbourne, so we'll chat about that next week.To support the podcast and access bonus episodes, join the community on Patreon here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.