Doireann Garrihy is bringing her award-winning podcast ‘The Laughs Of Your Life’ to stages across Ireland this May, with the University Concert Hall in Limerick serving as the grand finale on May 30 — and if previous shows are anything to go by, tickets will not last long.
The RTE 2FM presenter and podcaster launched the show in 2019 with an opening conversation with her godfather, Ian Dempsey, and has since built it into one of Ireland’s most beloved podcasts across 11 seasons. The show went straight to number one upon release and has welcomed guests including Paul Mescal, Michael Bublé, Chris O’Dowd, Ryan Tubridy and Vogue Williams. “Michael Bublé was, I suppose, my most global star — that was a real pinch-me moment,” Garrihy recalls.
The podcast’s format has remained deliberately consistent throughout its run, guiding guests from their earliest childhood memories of laughter, through adolescent experiences of feeling laughed at, into what Garrihy calls the “no laughing matter” moments of life — the times when, if you didn’t laugh, you’d cry. “I put a lot of thought into the questions when I first came up with the format,” she explains. “It really is an opportunity for the person to show many different sides of their personality.”
A recent episode with comedian Joanne McNally — who first appeared in season one back in 2019 before returning in 2025 — gives a flavour of the show’s appeal. “So much has happened for her since then, she really has skyrocketed in every way,” says Garrihy. “Which is why the second time around felt a bit more chaotic.” Deirdre O’Kane is another standout guest she recalls with particular warmth.
Having sold out two nights at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre in April 2023 — the first night gone in half an hour, a second provisionally booked just in case — and two further sell-out nights at the Cork Podcast Festival in March 2025, Garrihy is now taking the live show on the road nationwide for the first time. “When I think back on it now, it was quite a brave move, but it paid off,” she says of that first Dublin outing. “I’ve done Dublin and Cork, and I really wanted to take it further.”
The format that has made the podcast a success — guiding guests from childhood memories of laughter through to their most difficult moments — remains intact for the live shows, though Garrihy says audiences can expect something extra this time. “I’m writing something because much of the audience would know me for doing impressions and skits and sketches on radio and TV. I want to bring a bit more of myself to these shows.”
She credits her husband with encouraging her to step into the spotlight more fully. “He said, listen, they are coming to see you too — you need to lean into that.”
New motherhood is also set to feature. “A lot of funny things come with motherhood. You learn not to sweat the small stuff, and within that there’s loads of humour. I’ve made some good observations since my baby was born about life, parenthood and the roller coaster that it is.” With Limerick as the tour’s closing night, she adds with a smile: “I’ll be well warmed up by then.”
Off stage, Garrihy has just returned to RTE 2FM from her maternity leave in a new 10am to 12 noon slot. “This has been the coveted slot for me — I’ve done breakfast radio, I’ve done drivetime, and this is going to be new territory. But I’m really looking forward to getting my teeth into it.”