Yesterday was one of those podcast recognition moments. We struck gold at the Irish Pod Awards in The Society and Culture category and made the podium again with a bronze for the Best Hosting Duo/Trio category. Some months back, we were surprised to be shortlisted and had little expectation of hardware acquisition. Now, just like that, we have some industry recognition to brag about, and we're delighted.
Of course, none of this would be possible without the behind-the-scenes efforts of our editor and producer, Bill Schultz. Bill was the first guest we recorded for the podcast, and his common sense about the podcast business still rings through four years later.
Looking Back At 2024
Now is the time for people to start assessing the prior 12 months. Frankly, I'm not convinced about the virtue of annual reviews; I'm more of a continuous assessment type. That said, cohost, John Lee and I hit a couple of podcast milestones in the past year that are noteworthy
- 100th Episode when we had Shelly Ann Quilty Lake flip the microphone in the opposite direction
- Four Years of Podcasting
- 23 Episodes Released: Season 6
John tells me that only about 6.5% of podcasts make it to the century mark. Clearly, my partner is ripe for canonization, having put up with me for the past four years, but he has, and I'm thankful for it.
Possibly, most podcasts don't make it to episode 100 because they have exhausted the subject of their raison-dêtre, or maybe it is simply the effort and discipline required to produce compelling content. Fortunately, neither John nor I have to be particularly compelling. Our guests handle that; we just have to ask the right question at the right moment. We don't always succeed, but we've improved over the past four years.
John Lee: The Mellifluous Voice of Reason - Photo Credit: Jimmy Higgins
Upcoming for 2025
Dublin: Both John and I are traveling to Dublin in the 2nd week of January. We will host an informal Dublin get-together for our listeners and folks in the Irish Podcasting business. We'd be delighted if you can carve out the time to connect with us
| Location: | Smyths of Ranelagh |
| Google Maps: | https://maps.app.goo.gl/RBmdypwnX3tmoZu4A |
| Date and Time: | Jan 9th, 6 PM |
Belfast: Our upcoming season will be front-loaded with a series of episodes that John and I recorded in Belfast in our Lost in Belfast tour. These episodes are our first effort in taking the podcast on the road, and we're thankful for the support of Tourism Ireland and recent guest Máirtín Ó Muilleoir for facilitating this effort.
At heart, both John and I wanted to shift the conversation on Belfast. Even now, despite 25 years of peace, when Belfast is mentioned, many default mentally to images of The Troubles. However, there is a new dynamism to Linenopolis, and while much work needs to be done to heal the rifts and salve the wounds, there is a new sense of focus directed toward future possibilities. We hope we've captured some of that new spirit, but you will be the judge of that.
As always, please feel free to reach out to us with any thoughts and suggestions through our Contact Form
