Welcome back to The Mind Full Podcast blog! This week, I’m sharing episode 5 where I had the chance to chat with an absolute Irish icon – Blindboy Boatclub. If you’ve ever listened to the Blindboy Podcast or caught one of his wild antics on TV, you already know how unique this Limerick legend is. Blindboy isn’t just a podcaster; he’s an artist, writer, musician, comedian, and, yes, a guy with a plastic bag on his head. But there’s so much more behind the bag.
Who Is Blindboy Boatclub?
Blindboy Boatclub first made waves as one half of the Rubberbandits, the musical and comedic duo who rose to fame with their hit track Horse Outside. The Rubberbandits went from local Limerick legends to a pop culture sensation, blending humour with keen social observations that struck a chord (and sparked a few controversies) across Ireland. Their energy and willingness to push boundaries set them apart and led to memorable appearances on shows like The Republic of Telly, where I first crossed paths with Blindboy
The Mind Full Podcast is the latest offering in Dermot Whelan’s highly successful Mind Full adventure. The Mind Full Podcast is a home for people whose minds are…well, full! Dermot explores the topics that can help us to calm a frantic mind, understand our behaviour and explore our own potential.
With a new topic of focus each week in discussion with an exciting array of guests ranging from Hollywood stars, musicians and broadcasters to expert technical contributors from the world of science, listeners will get the best information to help them make positive changes in their lives and create that mental space to live their days with more joy.
As a certified meditation teacher, Dermot also presents his own expertise through weekly guided meditations and answering callers’ questions.
It’s serious transformation, without being too serious!
Visit www.dermotwhelan.com for more information.
The Mind Full Podcast is proudly sponsored by WHOOP, the world’s most advanced fitness and health wearable. For one month’s free subscription on us just use this link! http://join.whoop.com/mindfull
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week on the Mind Full Podcast I am so excited to bring you a very special guest. He’s an artist, writer, podcaster, comedian, musician, philosopher and is known to wear a plastic bag on his head from time to time. He is one half of the incredible musical duo the Rubberbandits and a man I first came across when we worked together on the TV show The Republic of Telly. The unique, funny and always creative Blindboy Boatclub is my guest this week.
Blindboy is eloquent, open, honest and refreshingly funny about his neurodiversity and has helped so many young people deal with anxiety and other mental health issues. I sat down with Blindboy in a tent in a field in Stradbally Co. Laois. It was the Electric Picnic Festival and The Mind Full Podcast was part of the famous Mindfield. Blindboy was in rare form as they say and we had a wonderful chat about mindfulness, Limerick, writing, autism, and rats among other things!
The Mind Full Podcast is proudly sponsored by WHOOP, the world’s most advanced fitness and health wearable. For one month’s free subscription on us just use this link! http://join.whoop.com/mindfull
And don’t forget!
Dermot Whelan Live – The Busy and Wrecked Tour is coming to a theatre near you from Jan 2nd 2025.
Tickets are on sale now so check out dermotwhelan.com for all the details and I can’t wait to get back out on the road and meet you all. The show will be a mix of comedy, craic, meditation and inspiration and hopefully an evening where you can relax and have a laugh and pick up some useful and fun tools too. If you’ve been feeling wound up, worn down, snowed under or bowled over this is the show for you so grab your stressed-out besties and your bedraggled partners, and join me as I travel all over Ireland and beyond and we’ll un-wreck our heads and destress our lives together. Incidentally, I love to see teenagers at my shows too – you just gotta be over 14.
I’d also like to let you know about our two live Mind Full Podcast shows coming up in November in Dublin and Meath! Saturday Nov 3rd we’re in the wonderful Lark Concert Hall in Balbriggan, Dublin, where I’ll be joined by my very special guest Danny O’Reilly from multi-platinum selling Irish band the Coronas. On Sunday Nov 3rd we’re in the mighty Púca Festival in Trim Co. Meath at the Knightsbrook Hotel for more de-stressing craic with special guests – hilarious comedians Eric Lalor and Willa White from the award-winning You Must be Jokin’ Podcast! We’ll also have our regular favourites the Wheel of Misfortune, the Bowl of Destiny, live meditations and most importantly – you! Dermotwhelan.com for tickets and details and see you there!
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The Early Days – Republic of Telly and the Birth of Rubberbandits
One of my favourite memories from The Republic of Telly days was a skit where Blindboy and his Rubberbandits partner, Mr Chrome, created a “fake cookery programme,” whipping up some wild concoctions that had the audience roaring. By the next day, listeners were calling into Joe Duffy’s radio show to complain, always a great sign that you’re shaking things up! Horse Outside took them to another level entirely, and the lads kept creating wild, thought-provoking work that brought humour and insight into Irish culture.
Fast forward to today, and Blindboy’s work has evolved beyond music and comedy. His podcast, The Blindboy Podcast, pulls in millions of listeners globally, drawn by his talent for storytelling and his unfiltered take on everything from mental health to the quirks of Irish society.
From Rubberbandits to Podcast Stardom
The Blindboy Podcast is where Blindboy’s curiosity and creative mind really shine. Since launching in 2017, it’s become one of Ireland’s most beloved podcasts and has a massive global following. Each episode feels like a journey, with Blindboy blending deep, thoughtful insights with plenty of humour and reliability.
Topographia Hibernica: Blindboy’s Newest Literary Work
Blindboy’s storytelling talents aren’t just confined to audio, he’s also a published author. His latest book, Topographia Hibernica, is a collection of short stories that offer a window into the strange and imaginative world of Blindboy’s mind. If you’re new to his written work, I highly recommend the audiobook format. With Blindboy narrating, each character comes to life in a way that only he can achieve, with all the accents and quirks intact!
And now, one of the stories from Topographia Hibernica is even being adapted for television, with Irish actor Robert Sheehan taking a lead role. I happened to run into Sheehan after a day of filming, standing in a Limerick hotel lobby, drying off in a robe after a day of shooting (lucky me, I know!)
Mental Health and Neurodiversity on the Blindboy Podcast
What makes Blindboy such a rare voice in today’s landscape is his honesty, particularly when it comes to mental health. Blindboy has been open about his own experiences with anxiety and depression, helping countless listeners find comfort in their struggles. He’s also discussed his recent autism diagnosis, something he was inspired to investigate thanks to insights from his listeners.
Blindboy approaches mental health with a mix of openness and humour, making complex topics accessible and relatable. His neurodiversity journey has resonated with many young people in Ireland and beyond, offering them both understanding and acceptance.
Our Chat at Electric Picnic: Mindfulness, Writing, and…Rats?
This particular episode was recorded at Electric Picnic’s Mindfield, in the very heart of festival chaos. Blindboy and I met in a tent, surrounded by the electric energy of Stradbally, Co. Laois. It felt fitting, a conversation that flowed from mindfulness to Limerick to writing and neurodiversity, all in the midst of festival life. We even found ourselves sharing a few stories about rats (a classic Blindboy topic).
If you’re in need of a break, this is the perfect episode to tune into. Blindboy brings humour and warmth to every topic, and our chat is a reminder of the power of curiosity, creativity, and staying true to oneself. Whether you’re on a walk, commuting, or just unwinding, make sure to have this episode on hand, it’ll brighten your day.
Listen Now: The Blindboy Podcast on The Mind Full Podcast
Ready to dive into the mind of Blindboy? Listen now to our chat on The The Mind Full Podcast and explore all the latest episodes with Blindboy Boatclub on your favourite platform – Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Acast
The Mind Full Podcast is the latest offering in Dermot Whelan’s highly successful Mind Full adventure. The Mind Full Podcast is a home for people whose minds are…well, full! Dermot explores the topics that can help us to calm a frantic mind, understand our behaviour and explore our own potential.
With a new topic of focus each week in discussion with an exciting array of guests ranging from Hollywood stars, musicians and broadcasters to expert technical contributors from the world of science, listeners will get the best information to help them make positive changes in their lives and create that mental space to live their days with more joy.
As a certified meditation teacher, Dermot also presents his own expertise through weekly guided meditations and answering callers’ questions.
It’s serious transformation, without being too serious!
Visit www.dermotwhelan.com for more information.
The Mind Full Podcast is proudly sponsored by WHOOP, the world’s most advanced fitness and health wearable. For one month’s free subscription on us just use this link! http://join.whoop.com/mindfull
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week’s episode is Good Grief with award-winning and record-breaking comedian Jason Byrne & psychotherapist Dr. Richard Hogan. The fear you have when you say you’ve got an episode about grief is that people will think it’s super depressing but actually it’s not. It’s the opposite. It is poignant, at times hilarious and really really special.
Irish comedian Jason Byrne is the biggest selling comedian in history at the world famous Edinburgh Fringe Festival and has appeared on the biggest TV comedy shows across the UK including BBC’s Live at the Apollo. He has also produced a very special one-man show called Paddy Lama all about his Dad Paddy, who he lost in 2020. In this beautiful and downright hilarious conversation, we explore the transformative power of grief and show that the most important thing we can do for a loved one that has died, and for ourselves, is to talk about them.
We’ve also got another wonderful guest to discuss the subject of grief – celebrity psychotherapist and author Dr. Richard Hogan. It’s a pleasure to welcome Richard back to the series and our conversation explores grief from all angles: how we navigate loss as children and adults, how everyone’s grief is different and even the language we use around death. It’s a fascinating, and I hope super helpful, conversation that could make all the difference for you or someone you care about.
The Mind Full Podcast is proudly sponsored by WHOOP, the world’s most advanced fitness and health wearable. For one month’s free subscription on us just use this link!
http://join.whoop.com/mindfull
And don’t forget!
Dermot Whelan Live – The Busy and Wrecked Tour is coming to a theatre near you from Jan 2nd 2025.
Tickets are on sale now so check out dermotwhelan.com for all the details and I can’t wait to get back out on the road and meet you all. The show will be a mix of comedy, craic, meditation and inspiration and hopefully an evening where you can relax and have a laugh and pick up some useful and fun tools too. If you’ve been feeling wound up, worn down, snowed under or bowled over this is the show for you so grab your stressed-out besties and your bedraggled partners, and join me as I travel all over Ireland and beyond and we’ll un-wreck our heads and destress our lives together. Incidentally, I love to see teenagers at my shows too – you just gotta be over 14.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
