Alternative Realities Part One | 3

TROY is the story of Irish superstar Troy Parrott, and the people and places which made him.The Real Betis striker was born just months before the last time Ireland’s men competed in a World Cup - and since those 2002 glory days Irish soccer has been in freefall.This 6-part podcast delves into that tailspin, while charting the emergence of a young man who would be held up as a saviour of Irish football from the age of 14.It explores the extraordinary uniqueness of Dublin’s north inner city, a place dealing with poverty and deprivation, and the lure of criminality, where concrete football pitches have so often saved lives.Troy Parrott emerged from these streets to go from great hope, to forgotten man - before seemingly out of nowhere making a football nation dream again.Subscribe now! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the last episode of the series, we hear the story of rock 'n’ roll excess - drugs, booze and living in Lillie Bordellos. We go back to the beginning, hear the U2 double header in Slane 2001 and how the rejuvenated band convinced the government to change the law to make it happen. We get the inside story of some of the biggest gigs in Irish history - and how Roy Keane ended up laying into his Ireland team mates just months before his Saipan meltdown. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode takes us inside the struggle at the top of the music tree.We learn why some massive Irish bands failed to make a cent from their careers despite their songs raking in millions. Dave Browne from Picturehouse explains why Sunburst may have been a hit, it wasn't for them financially.The 1990s sees much of the 80s promise melt away as bands begin falling away one by one. Mary Black reveals why she refused to make it even bigger than she did, while Daragh O'Toole explains how a call from Adam Clayton led him changed his path. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ireland goes pop mad as girl and boy bands dominate the UK charts, while Riverdance emerges as a cultural force. Rock n’roll Kids singer Paul Harrington takes centre stage as he brings us back to the dizzying madness of post-Eurovision success. Plus, remember the Beat on the Street? And how the Good Friday Agreement brought music to the masses for the first time up North. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Come with us in this episode to recall the astonishing rise of dance music which made Dublin the party mecca in the 1990s. We hear how U2’s the Kitchen and John Reynolds’ Pod changed everything, the emergence of ecstasy, and the remarkable story behind Ireland’s most famous dance export: Peter Cunnah’s D:Ream. Meanwhile, U2 begin to falter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode looks at the amazing story behind Irish kids’ right of passage - the Trip to Tipp. Mary Black tells us how she avoided being arrested, we hear about how the Saw Doctors ignored Van Morrison's rules, Chris De Burgh’s topless stripper stunt and why the Happy Mondays put Fiachna O’Braonain off Glasto. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode tells the stories behind the rise of Slane and Croke Park as Ireland’s major music venues. We hear why Bruce Springsteen lost the plot, how promoter Peter Aiken blew all his money on a circus and about Alex Conyngham’s life as a young aristocrat rising through the ranks, from backstage VIP security to become Slane boss. Plus, Moby tells us couldn't really warm to Slane headliner Bryan Adams.This podcast series is hosted by Róisín O and is produced by Headstuff. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode hears some amazing stories behind the 1980s charity singles, the rise of Mary Black and why Whitney Houston couldn’t top the Irish charts.We hear how a Ramone’s legend came to influence the Irish scene, the Waterboys ended up drinking whiskey and feeding lambs (at the same time), and why the Stunning’s tour manager felt compelled to assault a member of Blur. Up north, how Cher cheated death and the terror reason why Banarama gigs were cancelled.This podcast is hosted by Róisín O, and produced by Headstuff. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The astonishing rise of U2 as Irish cities become a hotbed of musical creativity in the 1980s. The Hothouse Flowers - labelled the hottest unsigned act on the planet at the time - discuss being "the next U2" as they came close to cracking America. Something Happens and the Stunning discuss life in Bono’s shadow and the pursuit of a record deal - while Aslan talk about killing their own band to save Christy Dignam’s life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The end of the beginning as the glut of new festivals are taken down by a combination of tragedy, money and competition. The mainly Irish line-ups become more international as fierce rivalry forces promoters to shell out huge sums on the likes of ageing rocker Chuck Berry. The Radiators from Space discuss being implicated when a man was stabbed to death at a punk festival and why a combination of heavy handed Hell’s Angels and the tragic drowning deaths of 8 men finished Lisdoonvarna.This podcast is produced by Headstuff. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.