Late Late Show Guests: A St Patrick’s Day Lineup of Language, Loss and Music
The late late show guests for the St Patrick’s Day special will bring Irish-language revival, musical memory and personal reckonings into one studio. Hosts of the How to Gael podcast, Hollywood talent, veteran musicians and poets are all scheduled to appear with Patrick in what the programme bills as a celebratory weekend edition.
Who are the Late Late Show Guests for the St Patrick’s Day special?
The announced lineup features Louise Cantillon, co-host of the hit How to Gael podcast, joining Doireann Ní Glacháin and Síomha Ní Ruairc to discuss the podcast’s success and the revival of the Irish language. Jonathan Rhys Meyers, identified as a Hollywood actor, will also be in studio to open up about losing his home in the LA wildfires and his relocation to a farm in Co Wexford. Comedic and musical pairings include Tommy Tiernan and Mick Flannery, who will speak about The House Must Win, a new musical drama written by Mick and starring Tommy. Joanne McNally will reflect on her back-to-back headline shows at 3Arena and the momentum behind her tour Pinotphile. One of Ireland’s most celebrated musicians, Glen Hansard, will appear and perform, and a specially commissioned poem by Darragh Fleming will mark the weekend. Irish trad group Biird will provide a live musical set to keep the celebration moving.
What will they talk about and why does it matter?
The guests bring a mix of cultural revival, artistic craft and personal narrative. The How to Gael hosts promise “From language, laughs and a lot of Gaeilgeoir pride, the trio promise plenty of fun in studio, ” a concise way the show frames their segment about the podcast’s takeoff and the joy they find in working together. For viewers attuned to music’s place in national identity, Glen Hansard’s perspective matters: he is presented as someone who “believes Irish music remains one of Ireland’s greatest exports, ” a viewpoint that anchors his appearance and the performance he will deliver. Jonathan Rhys Meyers’ segment intersects celebrity and displacement as he discusses the loss of his home in the wildfires and the practical and emotional shift of moving to rural life. Tommy Tiernan and Mick Flannery will trace the creative route from idea to The House Must Win, while Joanne McNally will reflect on what it felt like to reach a milestone in live comedy, being described in programme copy as “now officially classed as superhuman. ” These conversations, taken together, show how entertainment programming can fold language policy, personal recovery, artistic production and national celebration into one evening of television.
How are the contributors and the show shaping the St Patrick’s Day special?
The gathering of these late late show guests demonstrates an editorial choice to blend cultural celebration with candid storytelling. Musical performances by Glen Hansard and Biird are paired with a commissioned poem by Darragh Fleming to give the show both heritage texture and contemporary commentary. The inclusion of How to Gael’s hosts places the Irish language and grassroots cultural work at the centre of the night, while guests such as Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Joanne McNally introduce private reckonings and career milestones that broaden the special’s appeal. Tommy Tiernan and Mick Flannery’s discussion of a new musical drama adds a creative-industrial angle—how projects move from idea to stage—while live music promises to keep the evening rooted in performance.
The late late show guests on this programme are drawn from podcasts, theatre, comedy and international film, and the mix is intended to reflect both the inward-looking and outward-facing sides of national celebration. Viewers will see revivalist energy, personal transitions and artistic showcases across the special.
Back in the studio where the night began, the line-up’s variety will be measured not by spectacle alone but by the small, human stories threaded through each segment—language reclaimed, homes lost and rebuilt, songs kept alive, and new works finding an audience. The St Patrick’s Day special closes on that human seam, leaving viewers with the sense that celebration and reflection can sit comfortably side by side as the roster of late late show guests share their pieces of the story.
