Rephonic
Artwork for Insights

Insights with Sean O'Rourke

RTÉ
Mental Health
Ireland
Horse Racing
Child Abuse
RTÉ
Irish Politics
Northern Ireland
Fine Gael
Covid-19
Education
Journalism
Trauma
Gardening
Addiction
Racism
Music Industry
BBC
Motherhood
Donald Trump
Politics

One-to-one conversations between Sean O'Rourke and well-known individuals. Featured guests are prominent in public service, culture, sport and business and these long-form conversations explore their motivations, achievements and regrets; in short, what made them the people they are.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes82Founded4 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Personal JournalsSociety & Culture

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Insights

Latest Episodes

Former Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan tells Sean about her rise through the Garda ranks, the sexism she encountered along the way, her stormy tenure at the top of the organization, and the impact that the furor surrounding the Garda whistleblow... more

Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation Jack Chambers joins Sean to discuss all things infrastructure, becoming the country’s youngest Minister for Finance since Michael Collins, his changing views on... more

Former CEO of Special Olympics International Mary Davis speaks to Sean about bringing the Special Olympics to Ireland in 2003, running for Presidency, working with the Kennedys and meeting US President Donald Trump.

See omnystudio.com/listener for p... more

Chairman of one of the world's largest communications agencies FleishmanHillard John Saunders shares with Sean his experiences growing up in Artane, working in RTÉ as a sports journalist and his life in public relations. He speaks publicly for the fi... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Recent Guests

Nóirín O'Sullivan
Former Garda Commissioner, UN official, board member
Garda Síochána, United Nations, various boards
Episode: Nóirín O’Sullivan
Jack Chambers
Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation; Deputy Leader of Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil
Episode: Jack Chambers
Mary Davis
Former Chief Executive Officer of Special Olympics International
Special Olympics International
Episode: Mary Davis
Father John Joe Duffy
Catholic priest in Creesle, Donegal
Catholic Church, Creesle
Episode: Fr John Joe Duffy
Caitríona Perry
Chief Presenter BBC News in Washington, DC
BBC News
Episode: Caitríona Perry
Colin O'Gara
Consultant psychiatrist, head of addiction services at St John Of God University Hospital in Dublin and clinical professor at UCD's School of Medicine
St John Of God Hospital / University College Dublin
Episode: Professor Colin O’Gara
Kevin Healy
One-time broadcaster, Director of Radio Programming and Public Affairs at RTÉ
RTÉ
Episode: Kevin Healy
Leslie Shoemaker
Chartered counseling psychologist, co-founder of OCD Ireland, lecturer at TU Dublin
TU Dublin; OCD Ireland
Episode: Leslie Shoemaker
Daniel Lambert
Manager of Kneecap; Chief Commercial Officer at Bohemians Football Club; former public service professional
Kneecap / Bohemians FC
Episode: Daniel Lambert

Host

Sean O'Rourke
Host of the program; long-form interviewer focusing on public service, culture, sport and business leaders.

Reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars from 89 ratings
  • Hit and miss

    Sean is a personable and interested interviewer, some guests and interviews land more than others. The Lelia Doonan interview was superb. Scope to probe more into the careers of former politicians and broadcasters. Some episodes are dull/disappointing.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    polcoranoraknot
    Irelanda year ago
  • Awesome.

    For anybody who wants to take a trip down memory Lane to their days in Galway in the heady 70s and beyond, this is a treasure. Ollie’s love for Galway shines through. He turned down the chance to tour with The Boomtown Rats for goodness sake!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Peadar Og
    United States2 years ago
  • Aileen Hickie

    What a fascinating Lady. So interesting. A wonderful sense of humour and a terrific personality. Full of energy and enthusiasm and life experience. Thank you Sean for bringing her to the forefront in this interview. I think we would all like to hear more from her.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    singalng
    Ireland2 years ago
  • Aileen Hickie

    What a fascinating Lady. So interesting. A wonderful sense of humour and a terrific personality. Full of energy and enthusiasm and life experience.

    Thank you Sean for bringing her to the forefront in this interview. I think we would all like to hear more from her.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    singalng
    Ireland2 years ago
  • Sean ORourke podcast

    It is very obvious that Sean Orourke researches comprehensively for his listeners- I continue to be delighted with the manner Sean can change direction in his interviews

    His recent podcast with both Richard Bruton and sky Journalist Enda are two examples time to update your guest list Sean

    Thomas Morris Gormally

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Thomas francis Fredrick
    Ireland3 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners praise thorough preparation and strong questioning, with praise for some interviews being particularly engaging.
Audience appreciates candid storytelling and the ability to relate public figures' experiences to broader societal issues.
Some episodes feel slower or less gripping, with room for sharper probing of certain guests.
The host is seen as well-researched and capable of shifting direction mid-interview to uncover new angles.
A subset of episodes are noted as exceptionally insightful or provocative.
Overall, guests and host are highlighted for depth and thoughtfulness in exploring career paths and leadership.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Nóirín O’Sullivan
Q: What drives your ongoing work in governance and technology after leaving the force?
A belief that leadership, democracy, and safety depend on balancing civil liberties with effective crime investigation, leveraging AI and data privacy principles to strengthen institutions rather than weaken them.
Nóirín O’Sullivan
Q: What was the key challenge you faced during the tribunal and media scrutiny, and how did you cope?
The challenge was the weaponization of information and personal attacks on me and my family; I focused on truth, put lessons in the rearview mirror, and continued implementing reforms while preserving integrity.
Nóirín O’Sullivan
Q: How did you approach the push for modernization after the Morris Tribunal and related inquiries?
I built a modernization and renewal program, distilled from years of inspector-level recommendations, and pursued international collaboration to shape a culture of accountability and professional standards.
Nóirín O’Sullivan
Q: What was the moment you felt you truly belonged in leadership within the Garda Síochána?
It came when I led undercover operations in the drug squads, where the work felt impactful, and the evidence-based approach showed real outcomes, reinforcing that I could drive change at higher levels.
Jack Chambers
Q: Why did you decide to come out publicly in early 2024, and how has it affected you personally and politically?
I came out after a long period of considering how open I could be, deciding that people deserved to know who I am. It was a personal wish, not something forced, and it has been largely unremarkable in its impact but meaningful for authenticity and public life, helping people understand the full person behind the politician.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Insights

What is Insights about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Long-form interviews with prominent figures across public service, business, culture, sport, and journalism. The conversations tend to explore drivers of achievement, career-defining decisions, and lessons learned, often touching on leadership challenges, policy impacts, and personal resilience. Notable strengths include deeply personal storytelling, candid reflections on public life, and a knack for connecting high-profile experiences to broader societal issues. This show is likely to appeal to listeners who enjoy thoughtful, extended dialogues with influential figures and who value insights into motivation, strategy, and ethics from people at the top of their fields.

Where can I find podcast stats for Insights?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Insights. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Insights and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Insights get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Insights, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Insights?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Insights, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Insights have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Insights has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Insights?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Insights:

1. Path to Power
2. The Pat Kenny Show
3. Brendan O'Connor
4. Callan's Kicks
5. Today with David McCullagh

How many episodes of Insights are there?

Insights launched 4 years ago and published 82 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Insights?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Insights?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Insights from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Insights?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Insights. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Insights?

Recent guests on Insights include:

1. Nóirín O'Sullivan
2. Jack Chambers
3. Mary Davis
4. Father John Joe Duffy
5. Caitríona Perry
6. Colin O'Gara
7. Kevin Healy
8. Leslie Shoemaker

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days