Leon Diop is the founder of the Black and Irish advocacy group, he’s a podcaster, and he’s the author of two books – the latest of which is a memoir called Mixed Up: An Irish boy’s journey to belonging.

Leon is mixed-raced and grew up in the 1990s in an Ireland that was far less diverse than it is today. He describes being the only brown boy in his school and naturally that attracted a lot of attention, not all of it welcome, and he experienced a lot of both overt and casual racism (and he describes the difference in our chat). Also, his father had addiction issues and they had a difficult relationship, so things were tough on the home-front too.

But as you’re about to hear, Leon has grown up to be a resilient, successful, and very good-humoured guy who has managed to turn a lot of tough times into something positive. He has a fascinating life story and I hope you enjoy our conversation.

COMEDY - its that special time of year when we give gifts and think about what’s most important to us . Mariah Carey tells us constantly what SHE wants for Christmas, so we asked some well-known people what they want…

Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

If you enjoyed part 1 of my chat with Marion McKeown, you're going to LOVE part 2. This time we get stuck into some of the key characters in the crazy story that is the USA today – characters like Robert F Kennedy junior, the anti-vax US health secretary with a worm in his brain; Olivia Nuzzi, the machiavellian journalist that had an affair with RFK Jnr, the late Jeffrey Epstein who is having a major impact on US politics even several years after his death; Pete Hegseth, Howard Lutnick...the list goes on.

We also ask some important questions, like really how intelligent is Donald trump ? Did a bullet actually hit his ear in the assassination attempt in Pennsylvania? And did Jeffrey Epstein really take his own life, or was he killed?

Marion has been covering US politics and culture for decades – she’s been all over the country, attended scores of MAGA rallies, been in the white House press group, and met all the big players.

COMEDY - its the Fine Gael and Fianna Fail joint Christmas party!

Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand

Marion McKeone is one of Ireland’s best known journalists and commentators on the United States. She has been on Matt Cooper’s Last Word US slot, alongside Cal Thomas, every week for years now and her columns appear regularly in the broadsheets and online.

I don’t need to tell you just how crazy and dysfunctional things are in the US right now – we hear about it every day in the news and on social media. But Marion brings a whole new level to the coverage – she lived in America for years, been part of the white house press group, knows all of the key players, and can give us an insight in to what the hell is going on and where its all going, like no one else can.

COMEDY - Marion got a lot of messages on the hotline, from people like Matt Cooper, Cal Thomas, Paschal Donohoe, and even Donald Trump himself!

Produced by Patrick Haughey, AudioBrand