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For over a decade, Ryan Tubridy has been the face of the Late Late Show, Ireland’s longest-running television talk show. However, with rumors of his departure swirling, many are wondering who will take over the coveted hosting position. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the top contenders who are still in the running to lead the Late Late Show into its next era. From experienced television personalities to rising stars, there are plenty of talented candidates vying for the job. Let’s dive in and explore the potential future hosts of Ireland’s most celebrated talk show.


Since Ryan Tubridy’s announcement of stepping down as the host of the Late Late Show, rumors have been swirling about who his replacement might be. With several presenters and journalists being speculated as the next host, here’s what we know so far.

Miriam O’Callaghan was initially touted as the favorite to take over the show when Tubridy stepped down, but she announced that she will not be in the running to become the next host. She stated that she loves what she does too much on Prime Time, and she has no desire to leave her current job.

Claire Byrne is the hot favorite, according to Ladbrokes, to replace Ryan Tubridy. She currently presents Today with Claire Byrne on RTÉ Radio 1 Monday to Friday. She temporarily stepped away from her TV role, Claire Byrne Live, to spend more time with her family.

Sarah McInerney is also among the list of favorites to take over as the host of the Late Late Show. Her recent announcement on social media about the Late Late Show following her has raised eyebrows, fueling further rumors about a female host.

Ray D’Arcy is also among the favorites. With his own show on RTÉ Radio 1, he recently celebrated his 58th birthday.

Brendan O’Connor, the presenter of The Brendan O’Connor Show on RTÉ Radio 1 every Saturday and Sunday, is also being hotly tipped to take over from Tubridy.

Baz Ashmawy, the presenter of DIY SOS, has emerged as another favorite to take over as the host of the Late Late Show. Nevertheless, he has confirmed that he has not been contacted by anyone at RTE about the Late Late Show.

Dáithí Ó Sé, the host of Today Show and the Rose of Tralee, is also among the names doing the rounds. In 2020 he told the Irish Daily Mirror, “There is no presenter in the country that would turn down The Late Late Show; it’s the highest-paid gig going and it has the most viewers.”

Vogue Williams is also appearing in bookies’ favorites lists. The mother-of-three co-hosts a very popular podcast called My Therapist Ghosted Me with her friend and comedian, Joanne McNally.

Lastly, the comedian Tommy Tiernan is among the list of favorites for the Late Late Show gig, owing to the popularity of his show, the Tommy Tiernan Show.

These names remain strong contenders, but we will have to wait and see who will take on the role of the next host of the Late Late Show.


As fans eagerly await the announcement of who will take over Ryan Tubridy’s role on The Late Late Show, it’s clear that there are several strong contenders still in the running. From seasoned broadcasters to rising stars, each candidate brings their own unique strengths to the table. While we may not know who will ultimately fill Tubridy’s shoes, one thing is certain – The Late Late Show is a beloved institution in Irish television, and whoever takes on the mantle will have big shoes to fill. We can’t wait to see who the next host will be, and what they’ll bring to this iconic program.

Sebastian Barry is one of the most prominent Irish writers of our times, renowned for his lyrical prose and poignant storytelling. However, his deep connection to Ireland goes beyond his literary works. In fact, his mother, Joan O’Hara, played an instrumental role in shaping his worldview and artistic sensibility. In this article, we explore her Sligo upbringing, as described by Barry himself as “like tar on her shoes”. Through this lens, we gain a new perspective on the cultural heritage that has influenced the writer’s life and work.


Sebastian Barry is a literary giant in Ireland, with a personality as large as his literary output. Sebastian Barry: Family Stories, a documentary aired on RTÉ One, explores the traumas passed down through generations that haunt him and all of Ireland. The documentary delves into the writer’s personal background and how it influenced his writing.

Barry grew up with a father who drank heavily and cheated on his mother Joan O’Hara, a well-known figure on TV’s Fair City and in the Abbey Theatre. Joan, “fettered” by her own issues, struggled to navigate her parenting role. Barry’s visits to O’Hara’s hometown in Sligo unearthed buried memories of the violence and emotional neglect that characterized her upbringing. Memories of his own childhood experiences and those of his mother seem to have a lasting impact on his writing, which is marked by powerful, often tragic, themes.

The documentary also traces Barry’s formative years, highlighting his struggles with undiagnosed depression while attending Trinity College Dublin. The film also explores his early romance with his wife, Alison Deegan, which could have been taken straight out of a Smiths song.

The success of his play The Steward of Christendom is also highlighted as a significant turning point in his life and career. However, while the documentary features interviews with family members, friends, and colleagues, it fails to foreground his literary achievements, including numerous literary awards and two Booker Prize nominations for The Secret Scripture and A Long Long Way.

The documentary is also silent about his experience with the failed 2017 Hollywood adaptation of The Secret Scripture, directed by Jim Sheridan and featuring Rooney Mara, Vanessa Redgrave, and Eric Bana. Despite its critical and commercial failure, the adaptation is an interesting and noteworthy incident in Barry’s career and could have added depth to the documentary had it been discussed.

Despite these limitations, Family Stories effectively sheds light on Sebastian Barry’s life beyond his writing. It highlights his experience as a husband and father, the values that guide his writing, and his openness and warmth towards life’s experiences.

Barry’s advocacy for marriage equality is another compelling feature of the documentary. When his son, Theo, came out at the age of 17, Barry wrote a letter to The Irish Times in support of the marriage referendum. Barry’s writing, beyond reflecting his own experiences, is marked by social and political awareness, making him an important voice in Ireland’s literary landscape.

For those who know Sebastian Barry’s work, the documentary provides a powerful insight into what drives him as a writer. For new audiences, it is an intriguing introduction to a great writer and provides rich context for his novels’ themes and messages.

Finally, the film’s dedicated and personal portrayal of Sebastian Barry successfully humanizes an often-stoic writer. Through Family Stories, we see Barry as a loving husband, devoted father, and complex human being, making it an excellent documentary about a gifted artist who is larger than life.


Sebastian Barry’s retelling of his mother Joan O’Hara’s Sligo upbringing paints a vivid picture of the tough conditions of rural Ireland in the mid-twentieth century. From the harsh living conditions to the challenges of making a living, O’Hara’s story is one of resilience and determination in the face of adversity. Despite the challenges she faced, O’Hara’s upbringing in Sligo played an important role in shaping her life and the lives of those around her. As Sebastian Barry writes, “It was like tar on her shoes,” a reminder of the difficult journey that shaped O’Hara’s character and inspired the works of her son. Through his writing, Barry honors his mother’s legacy while shedding light on the realities of life in rural Ireland, a testament to the power of memory and storytelling.

Ryan Tubridy is a popular radio and television presenter in Ireland, known for his quick wit and engaging interviews. However, his recent encounter with U2 guitarist The Edge left many viewers scratching their heads. The normally composed presenter seemed to lose his edge when it came to asking the musician the right questions. In this article, we will delve into Tubridy’s slip-up, why it happened, and what it tells us about the art of interviewing celebrities.


Ryan Tubridy, the host of The Late Late Show, has been criticised for conducting a soft interview with The Edge, U2’s guitarist, on his morning radio show on RTÉ Radio 1. Some of the questions were described as “so soft” that The Edge had to “inject a little bit of grit” into his answers. Despite this, Tubridy’s interview with The Edge was noted for being a nice change from the norm of his morning slot, which often resembles “an extended promo slot for The Late Late Show.” Tubridy has the tricky task of keeping listeners entertained between the news overload of Morning Ireland and the staid atmosphere of Today with Claire Byrne. While the human interest stories that Tubridy usually deals with on the radio can be stimulating, it’s refreshing to hear him talking to a bona fide star, rather than merely dropping their name to promote his television gig.

Tubridy had a better interview with Thomas Keneally, the Australian novelist. During their recent encounter, there was an audible pep to Tubridy’s voice that was noticeably absent during his interview with The Edge. Tubridy compared U2’s new collection, Songs of Surrender, featuring newly recorded versions of old songs from their back catalogue, to the experience of revisiting The Catcher in the Rye in middle age. This was an intriguing observation, but with a bit more of that sensibility, Tubridy might have elicited some really revealing answers from The Edge.

The Edge talked about how he got his nickname from his time as a member of Lipton Village, a loose gang of teenage misfits from which U2 emerged in the late 1970s. “In many cases, these nicknames were onomatopoeic, they described the look,” the musician born David Evans recalls. “So in my case, I think it was the chin that inspired the Edge.” When asked how he would describe Bono to an alien, the guitarist quietly chuckled as he replied: “A mixture of all the best, with some aspects that are not the best.” Such displays of wry ambivalence suggest The Edge could take blunter questions on the chin, for instance on the effect of drummer Larry Mullen’s absence from the band’s forthcoming Las Vegas shows, which the host only mentioned in passing.

Music is at the heart of The Lyric Feature: An Draíocht on Lyric FM. The show centres around the distinctive folk music of Sliabh Luachra, a niche nature far removed from the global reach of U2′s polished sound. Producer and narrator Paul McDermott became entranced by the traditional sounds of sibling fiddlers Denis Murphy and Julia Clifford on an album called The Star above the Garter, which sparked his quest for the obscure live recordings made by musicians from the locality. The engagingly meandering quest that follows is as much temporal, historical, and even spiritual as it is physical, with diversions into everything from the flying columns during Ireland’s War of Independence to the 1990s indie scene in Cork city. Above all, McDermott seeks to discover the peculiar magic – an draíocht – evoked by the hypnotically raw music captured on the LPs he so craves. Ultimately, the specialist premise serves as a starting point to take the listener on an idiosyncratic but fascinating journey: it’s one of those rare occasions where the overused J-word seems appropriate.

McDermott’s contribution to the Lyric Feature strand adds to the recent run of fine music-themed documentaries on Irish airwaves. Following on from Ken Sweeney’s Radio Nova documentary on the connections between Irish writers and cult Australian band the Go-Betweens, and For the Record, Pat O’Mahony’s affably absorbing RTÉ Gold series on celebrity music collections, An Draíocht is an evocative reminder of the magical role music can play in our lives.

Overall, Tubridy could improve on his interview skills, but his morning slot is still a nice change from other programmes. An Draíocht is a reminder of the magical role music can play in our lives, and it adds to the recent run of fine music-themed documentaries on Irish airwaves.


In conclusion, even the most experienced interviewers can have off-days where questions are fumbled and the conversation fails to truly engage the audience. Ryan Tubridy’s recent interview with U2 guitarist The Edge was a reminder that even a seasoned professional can lose their edge, but it’s how they pick themselves up again that counts. Hopefully, the next time Tubridy sits down with a high-profile guest, he will be back on top form and ready to deliver a memorable and engaging interview.