Society & Culture

Ramble with Joe McGucken

by RTÉ

DocumentarySociety & Culture

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Latest episodes

Ramble with A Ghost Hunter

October 22, 2026 · 33 min

What happens when a ghost hunter and a man terrified of ghosts spend the night in an abandoned convent, both hoping for very different results? This week, an anxious Joe heads to Cobh to spend the night in a deserted 19th-century convent…
Ramble with The Man Who Sold Angels

October 15, 2026 · 42 min

You've heard the Robbie William’s song “Angels” at a wedding, a funeral, or at 2am in a pub. But have you heard of the Irish-man who wrote it with Robbie Williams? His name is Ray Heffernan. In 1996, after a night on the town in Dublin…
Ramble to Lisdoonvarna: Love Sold Separately

October 8, 2026 · 46 min

A group of Americans have signed up for a package holiday to find love in Lisdoonvarna. Flights, a seven-course dinner and a minivan are all included. Love is not guaranteed, but it is very much implied, and the package costs over three…
Ramble with Ireland’s Newest Citizens

October 2, 2026 · 38 min

5,600 people packed into the Convention Centre in Dublin recently to officially declare their fidelity to the Irish nation, a massive bureaucratic event that highlights the evolving identity of the island. Joe decided to wander into the…
Ramble On: The Government’s Guide to the End of the World!

September 30, 2026 · 26 min

Is the apocalypse coming? Joe has questions. After the government sends 2.2 million households a 17-page Be Emergency Ready booklet, Joe starts wondering what exactly we're supposed to be preparing for. Nuclear fallout? Cyber attacks? A…

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Ramble with The Irish Houdini

September 24, 2026 · 34 min

On the 100th anniversary of Harry Houdini's passing, Ireland's only escapologist is preparing to contact the legendary illusionist's spirit from an old shoe shop in Limerick. This week Joe takes a Ramble down south to meet Steve Spade, the…
Ramble On Matilda and Child Stardom

September 22, 2026 · 16 min

Joe took the boys to see Matilda at the Bord Gáis. The lead got sick, the safety curtain came down, and an eight year old understudy walked out in front of a sold out house and stole the show. That sets Joe off on a Ramble through the…
Ramble With A Truck Pulling Amputee

September 18, 2026 · 42 min

Shane McLoughlin holds eight world records for pulling incredibly heavy vehicles, and he does it all while missing a leg. After a freak accident involving a heifer leaving him with gangrene, Shane endured 78 operations over a period of 10…
Ramble On: The Golfing Nazis of Kildare

September 15, 2026 · 24 min

During World War II, Nazi and Allied soldiers played golf together in Kildare. In this episode of Ramble On, Joe takes us through the back nine of a surreal moment in Irish wartime history. What starts as Joe's disdain for the sport of…
Ramble with Thomas Carty

September 10, 2026 · 45 min

IIn front of 82,000 roaring fans on the most historic night in Irish boxing history, heavyweight contender Thomas Carty took an illegal punch to the back of the head and fell headfirst out of the ring in Croke Park. Before any of that…
Ramble On: Muhammad Ali in Croke Park

September 8, 2026 · 15 min

In 1972, a former circus strongman who pulled buses with his teeth managed to bring the greatest boxer on the planet to Croke Park. After Katie Taylor’s historic walk to the squared ring in Croke Park over the weekend, Joe takes a look…
Ramble with An Ultra Marathon Man

September 3, 2026 · 42 min

This week, Joe takes a Ramble into the grueling world of ultra-running. Joe somehow wrangles an interview with an actual superhuman, Seán Clifford, who is in the middle of a punishing 25-day Challenge to run every single street in Dublin…

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About the show

This is Ramble, a podcast where Joe McGucken immerses himself in the crazy world of each guest, capturing on-location interviews with people from the fringes of society, people from weird subcultures, hobbyists, sports people, celebrities and anyone in between. Joe is only interested in hearing a good story. The problem is, Joe is highly unqualified. With zero journalistic credentials and a naive optimism, Joe is perpetually out of his depth. But there’s a charm to it all. Driven by a genuine, relentless curiosity, he fumbles his way through these raw encounters and reflects on the madness back in the studio, relying entirely on his own pure inquisitive, nature and the extreme patience of his guests.