Late Late Show Guests anchor culture-first St Patrick’s Day special
The late late show guests for the St Patrick’s Day special span Irish-language podcasters, stand-up comedy, music, and film: Limerick’s Louise Cantillon, Oscar-winning musician Glen Hansard, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Tommy Tiernan, Mick Flannery, and Joanne McNally lead the bill. The roster signals a homegrown celebration with global reach, airing Friday, March 13 at 9: 35 pm local time (5: 35 pm ET).
Louise Cantillon and Gaeilge Revival
How to Gael hosts Louise Cantillon, Doireann Ní Ghlacáin, and Síomha Ní Ruairc join Patrick Kielty in studio to unpack the podcast’s surge and the broader revival of the Irish language, promising plenty of Gaeilgeoir pride and laughter. The pattern suggests the show is using St Patrick’s weekend to platform contemporary Irish-language culture as a living, joyful movement rather than a museum piece.
Tonight’s Late Late Show Guests
Joanne McNally will discuss Pinotphile as she prepares to head to Australia and reflect on becoming the first Irish comedian to headline back-to-back 3Arena shows. The figures point to stand-up’s expanded mainstream pull, with a touring comic’s arena milestone now positioned as centerpiece television for the holiday audience.
Tommy Tiernan and Mick Flannery sit down to talk through The House Must Win, a new musical drama written by Flannery and starring Tiernan, sharing how the project came to life and the passions that drive their collaboration; Flannery may even offer a tune to preview the show’s sound. The pairing points to a deliberate cross-genre blend—folding comedy and songwriting into a single narrative—to widen the show’s cultural bandwidth in one booking.
Glen Hansard and Jonathan Rhys Meyers
Glen Hansard will reflect on a career that began busking on Dublin’s streets and reached an Oscar win, then perform one of his favorite Irish songs for the weekend that’s in it while sharing why he sees Irish music as one of the country’s strongest exports. The emphasis on both reflection and performance suggests the special aims to connect personal history with national tradition in real time.
Jonathan Rhys Meyers will discuss the loss of his home in the LA wildfires and his recent move to a farm in Co Wexford, outlining how he is embracing rural life and what’s next professionally. Taken together, his segment and Hansard’s point to a narrative that treats Irish identity as both global and grounded—equally at home in Hollywood and on a Wexford farm.
Poet Darragh Fleming contributes a specially commissioned piece on St Patrick’s Days past and present, and trad group Biird keep the party going with their signature sound. After being pre-empted by Ireland’s Six Nations match with Wales, the special returns Friday, March 13 at 9: 35 pm local time (5: 35 pm ET), with late late show guests spanning language, music, comedy, and film. If the full slate lands as billed, the episode positions St Patrick’s weekend television as a compact tour of Irish creativity.
