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RTÉ News
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Carl Mullan on work, marriage and raising three young children
Life has been a rollercoaster for 2FM broadcaster Carl Mullan and his wife Aisling in the last five years. Speaking to Janice Butler, the couple reflects on raising three kids under four, trying to make time for each other and the struggles and joys along the way. The last five years for Carl Mullan and his wife Aisling have been, as they put it, a "complete whirlwind". The couple, who have known each other since childhood, have had three children in just over four years, bought a house and got married, all the while balancing Carl's growing media career as host of 2FM's Breakfast Show with Aisling's high-pressure job as a paediatric nurse. They're taking a few hours away from the madness of parenting for our shoot in Barberstown Castle in Co Kildare, a stone's throw from Aisling's mother, who is minding the three children (Daibhí (4), Éala (2) and Béibhínn (7 months). "Once they're fed and kept alive, I'm happy," laughs Aisling. "My mum's a great help." Carl is no stranger to being in front of the camera, but I wonder how Aisling is finding her moment in the spotlight. "I'm a little out of my comfort zone," she says. "I'm socially awkward on a good day, but it's nice to do things together," she says, looking towards Carl. While Aisling is whisked off for hair and make-up, Carl reflects on his career to date and how fatherhood has changed him, before Aisling rejoins us to talk about their new podcast, How Are Ya Lovie, a project they've started in a bid to "schedule more one-on-one time together." Carl's been up since 5am for his regular gig, the Breakfast show on 2FM. The show has gone through many changes in the last year, since the departure of his original co-hosts Doireann Garrihy and Donnacha O'Callaghan, but things have since settled, with Carl now co-hosting with Roz Purcell and Aisling Bonner. After four years of breakfast radio with added young children, Carl is still trying to manage the early starts. "I don't operate well with a lack of sleep, whereas Ash is unbelievable," he smiles. "Most of the time, if I'm tired getting up, it's because I've stayed up too late, just trying to catch up with Ash and have some time to ourselves after the kids have gone to bed. "But look, I'm not complaining because I have the privilege of getting more time with the kids than a lot of other working parents. I get home in the afternoon, and I have a lot of time with them, and I'm very conscious that a lot of people don't get that," he adds. What does he think about all the changes at 2FM in the last year or so? "From my point of view, I was upset that two people I'd become very close to were leaving. Donnacha, Doireann and I had managed to land on something with that show that was very special. We enjoyed it so much. I was really worried at the time that with them leaving the show, it would be the end of our friendship, and that's what upset me the most," he admits. "But very quickly, I realised they're not going anywhere and sure we're in touch all the time. I can't get rid of them," he laughs. "It's all settling in now, and with Roz [Purcell] and Aisling [Bonner], we've found our groove. It's a different dynamic and new personalities, but that's the thing I'm enjoying most about it. "My worry was that I would be always comparing, but we get on so well; it's different, but that's OK, and it makes it exciting," he adds. Carl grew up in Perrystown in south Dublin as the middle child with older and younger sisters. He knew Aisling from the area as they were growing up, but it wasn't until they rekindled their friendship in their 20s that things became romantic. "I was mad about her since we were kids," he smiles. Ahead of the Leaving Cert, Carl was all on for a career as a firefighter or pilot, but when it came to the crunch, he did a media degree in IT Tallaght. He was following in his father's footsteps: Don Mullan is a well-known journalist and author (The Boy Who Wanted to Fly, The Dublin and Monaghan Bombings). "My sisters are in creative roles too; Emma does video editing and Thérèse manages bands in London. She's probably the coolest of the three of us," he laughs. "Mam and Dad were always so supportive with the three of us in whatever we wanted to do. We were really lucky in that way," he adds. Carl jumped when an opportunity came up to be a reporter on the red carpet of the IFTA awards for Lyric fm in 2011, and he went for it. He admits to being so nervous that he asked Brenda Fricker about a movie she wasn't in: "She could not have been nicer, she obviously realised this guy hasn't a clue," he laughs. From there, he went to RTÉjr Radio, 2XM and Pulse and then bounced around radio as a researcher for Ryan Tubridy and a call taker for Liveline. "It gave me a real grounding in the business," he says now. "I always had a scratch I wanted to itch to be on air, but I almost felt if I said it out loud, people would think that I had this massive ego. Then one day, something clicked and I realised that no one cared about what I was doing. I was totally overthinking it. So, I started knocking on doors and asking the bosses in 2FM to meet for coffee." He got his first chance on air on St Stephen's Day in 2014 as holiday cover. There was a "technical issue" while he was on, with the result that he put the entire station off the air. "Another howler," he laughs. "Thankfully, they told me it happens to everyone at least once." From there, he did Weekend Breakfast and did bits with Nicky Byrne and Jenny Greene until the job on the Breakfast show came up. "I don't think I ever told this, but when the Breakfast show opportunity came up and I had put myself forward for it. I knew I needed to do something extra to stand out, I knew I needed to throw myself into it, so I sat down and recorded a video for the bosses in 2FM where I pitched myself. I remember hitting 'send' and thinking that either sinks me or it's what gets me the job." The gamble paid off, and he was announced in the line-up with Doireann and Donnacha in 2021. "It's been a big learning curve for me over the years, that idea that opportunity will come find you. It will not, you have to keep knocking at the doors," he reflects. At home, things were just as busy. In 2020, Aisling and Carl settled into their own home in Dublin and got their beloved dog Angie. Later that year, Carl proposed, and in August 2021, they welcomed their first child, Daibhí. He was joined by Éala in the summer of 2023 and 18 months later, by Béibhínn in January of this year. Carl says that after the arrival of Éala, he started to feel stressed, and Aisling spotted he wasn't in a good place mentally and recommended he talk to someone. He found a therapist and continues to go every few weeks when things get on top of him. "I was really struggling," he admits. "Ash said to me, 'I think you need to offload with someone'. Small things were getting to me, and it was like I was going around in a constant state of fight or flight," he says. "I meet with the therapist every six weeks to try and stay on top of things, and I've realised that I can get myself so busy with work and life that I need to give myself that moment to stop and check in with myself. "For me, it's that balance of getting enough time with the kids but also making the most of my career while things are going well, and that's hard to do," he adds. Therapy has helped the couple identify that he may have ADHD, and he's getting tested for it later this year. It was, he says, a suggestion that didn't surprise him. "I'm showing a lot of characteristics of ADHD, and I think it would make sense in how my brain works. I find it very hard to concentrate on one thing; I'm always bouncing from one thing to the next," he says. Does he allow himself time to take in how much his life has changed, both personally and professionally? "That's something I worry about sometimes. I worry that I'll look back on this period of my life and wonder did I take it all in. Because it's been such a whirlwind, but it's been incredible," he reflects. With that, Aisling joins us again, her hair in clips, outfits picked and make-up almost complete. The snippets of family life that Carl shares on social media and their new joint podcast How Are Ya Lovie underline what a good fit they are – she brings the "ogranisation that Carl needs" and they're both very supportive of each other and their careers. "People often ask how I do it all, and the answer is Ash. She's the one that keeps everything together," says Carl. "We're very good at encouraging each other in our careers and also good at taking time to ourselves, whether that's separately or as a couple. That's something we've really focused on in the last two years," adds Aisling. "That enables us to come back into the unit and be better with each other. A lot of the opportunities he's gotten have been once-in-a-lifetime stuff, so you'd have to encourage that," she adds. Their new podcast is a window into their lives, the ups and downs of marriage and parenting and is extremely relatable. "The idea for the podcast came about because we're nearly at a stage where we have to schedule time together, to get proper time to catch up. Aisling always wanted to do a podcast, but the timing was never right, so we decided to just try it out," explains Carl. "It's the mundane stuff of married and family life. We wanted people to see that we're struggling our way through it and figuring it out," says Aisling. As a paediatric nurse, Aisling's day job is very different to the work world that Carl inhabits, so how does she find dipping into it with the podcast? "It's given me a small glimpse into that world. When I'm at home with the kids, especially now on maternity leave, I say to Carl, you get to go into work and have a coffee in peace, kind of hinting that his job is easy. But after we did the first episode, I realised that you have to really be on for those 40 or 50 minutes of recording, and I was tired after that. "So, I have a little bit more understanding that he does that live every morning for three hours," she laughs, as Carl looks delighted. I ask Aisling how she reflects on the last five years. "It all just happened together and in a way that was probably a good thing. We didn't have time to think about the changes that were happening," she admits. "It's given us more perspective as well, especially having the kids. It's definitely made Carl more grounded," she laughs, "but I grew up with Carl, so I knew all along what he was capable of. It's always been part of his personality," she says proudly. What of the rumours of Carl looking for the Liveline gig? "We did a joke video of a few of us auditioning for the job but of course, because there's so much interest around who is going to replace Joe, people took it seriously, so I totally leaned into it as a joke," Carl explains. "But down the line, that's the type of show I'd see myself doing. I'd love to do it but right now I'm very happy where I am with 2FM and life; and just trying to take it all in."
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Norwich City to switch to digital tickets - how will it work?
Norwich City has announced it is switching to digital tickets from next season, ushering in the same technology used by venues around the world. But how does it work, and what does it mean for fans? Instead of having a physical season ticket card or matchday ticket, fans will need to have their ticket sent to their registered email address or OneCity account by the club. The tickets then have to be downloaded and stored in their Apple or Google Wallets on their smartphone. On matchdays, fans can gain entry to Carrow Road by opening the wallet and tapping their smartphone screen at the turnstile reader. Season ticket holders for the 2025/26 term will be emailed in late June, with supporters encouraged to download a link and store their digital tickets on their mobiles as soon as possible. The club said the type of wireless technology used - near field communication - is already used by Norwich City season ticket cards, contactless payments made via mobile phone, and on hotel room keycards. It added that Apple devices newer than the iphone 6 and Android running on version 9.0 or higher would work with the technology. Any fan without a smartphone should contact the ticket office or fill out a form online. Norwich City said the system would make ticket-sharing easier between fans, while "supporting the club's sustainability objectives". "Most supporters will already be using this technology in their daily lives, for example when using their mobile device to make a contactless payment in the supermarket or by downloading a digital train ticket to their phones," said Ollie Applegate, the club's head of technology. "Supporters with season tickets will already have used it to access Carrow Road when tapping their season cards on the contactless readers at turnstiles. "This ticketing change will simply mean that they are tapping their phones, which will need to be preloaded with their digital ticket, instead of tapping a physical season card." Dozens of fans contacted BBC Radio Norfolk when it was discussed on the Breakfast show, hosted by Norwich City matchday commentator Chris Goreham. They were concerned about how to go about sharing tickets when they could not attend a game, and claimed the plastic season ticket cards - now made obsolete - were sustainable if renewed each year. Some questioned whether the savings to the club in not having to create new cards and tickets would be passed on to fans. Richard, listening in Trimingham, near Cromer, said he manned the gates at Leicester City FC, which switched to digital tickets a couple of seasons ago. He urged Canaries fans to "stick with it", claiming the "vast majority" of fans preferred it for its ease of use. Colin Butters, 69, of Norwich, said he resented having technology "forced" upon him, and without a fan consultation. He owns a smartphone but does not want to use it for transactions, including digital tickets. "I've contacted the ticket office and bought a season ticket for next year, and was told I'd get an email; I'm not sure what happens next," he said. "The club should remember that not everyone embraces technology with the same enthusiasm as them. "There's also the matter of not having a physical ticket. We won't have souvenirs of anything any more." Goreham also reflected on this on his show - particularly when it came to big sporting events and concerts. "Having the ticket was like a free souvenir, there wasn't an alternative, and you would have something afterwards to say you had been there; I'd put them on my wall. "They were nice things to have and we don't have that now, and it is something I pine for. "I think that's a sad loss." Matchday programme seller, Barry, told BBC Radio Norfolk, suggested the increasing use of technology could eventually lead to an e-programme. "The personal touch which sellers have with supporters is, in my opinion, very important," he said. "I appreciate the club has to move with the times but it is a real concern." Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Norwich City FC
Daily Mail
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Ally McCoist might be making mischief with Spurs link ... but speculation about Brendan Rodgers leaving Celtic will only intensify
'I tell you who might suit them — what about Brendan at Tottenham?' And so it begins... with some mischief from a Rangers legend who will no doubt tout Celtic 's current manager for every potential job going in the English Premier League over the coming weeks and months. It was on talkSPORT's Breakfast show on Wednesday morning that Ally McCoist threw Brendan Rodgers ' name in the ring to replace Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham. The night before, it had been roundly reported that even a Europa League triumph might not be enough to save the Aussie's job just two years after he swapped Parkhead for the bright lights of England's top flight. Angeball burst some time ago after what felt like an extended English love-in for the inflexible Antipodean. A league season that sees Spurs languishing in 16th position, with 18 defeats from 33 games, appears to have sealed his fate. Postecoglou — witty when winning, dour in defeat — never really had the players at Spurs to carry out his footballing philosophy successfully. Celtic fans had a bitter taste of that when he led them into the Champions League and refused to adopt a Plan B, leaving them without a win in the 2022-23 group stage. Perhaps the Tottenham faithful would scoff at the suggestion of hiring a second successive Celtic boss, but at least Rodgers learned from the 7-1 Champions League hammering his side endured at the hands of Borussia Dortmund earlier this season. A more pragmatic approach — despite some early protests about whether or not it was required — did the Parkhead club no harm as they made it through the league stage. Indeed, it is perhaps the progress made in Europe this season that will have impressed potential suitors more than what has become a laboured trudge to another likely Treble. While Rodgers talks about making 'history', it was perhaps more pertinent that he referenced his previous departure from Parkhead, for Leicester, in the midst of another Treble-winning season, one which was eventually sealed by his replacement Neil Lennon. Rodgers insists he remains committed to Celtic and has another year of his contract to run. Who knows, he might even sign an extension this summer, although that wouldn't necessarily guarantee a lengthy stay. The Northern Irishman speaks about improvement and building a squad capable of going further in Europe. Yet, while you would not expect him to say anything different, it's just not terribly plausible. The truth remains that Celtic are a selling club. They cash in on their talent at regular intervals. The proof is there for all to see and tends to be hailed in every Annual Report and financial statement. They also don't prioritise youth development. Again, it's not really up for debate. Just take a look at their squad. They had three Scots in the starting XI against St Johnstone in last Sunday's Scottish Cup semi-final win over St Johnstone, and that was on a good day. The youngest, Greg Taylor, is 27. This isn't a criticism of Celtic PLC. They are a very successful business. They dominate their market and have money in the bank. Yet, their fiscal strategy does not lend itself to empire building. Not of the kind that would enable Rodgers to do something truly meaningful in Europe. And that's the rub. Rodgers is now 52 years old. He came within a whisker of winning the English Premier League with Liverpool. He surely still harbours bigger ambitions than racking up trophies or even Trebles in Scotland? He could well be tempted at having another tilt at the title down south or moving to a club with a Champions League pedigree. Spurs, of course, believe they can tick both those boxes, despite their travails this season. Rodgers might not necessarily agree. What is undeniable is that the Celtic boss has an appealing CV and will be continually linked to other jobs, if not by McCoist then certainly by others. The speculation over his future will continue during his second spell at Parkhead, however long it lasts, because — like it or not — he has 'completed' Scottish football. And if he sees off Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup final, another Treble would merely confirm that. Would he be inspired by a rejuvenated Rangers, if they were to finally get their act together? Would a proper title challenge keep him — and his players — motivated? Perhaps but it seems unlikely. Are Celtic likely to improve on their performance in this year's Champions League? Again, perhaps. But, again, unlikely. So, what does happen next? Well, Rodgers has never seemed short of belief in himself. He's never slow in telling you the work he has done with players and how it has paid off. He insists Celtic write their own story and that they are in control of their own narrative. It will be intriguing to see what the manager decides is the setting for the next chapter of his own colourful tale.
The Guardian
06-02-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
No room for reality as Yvette Cooper takes Nick Ferrari's phone-in in her stride
This was more like it. The kind of slow day when the government more or less looked like it was going to set the news agenda. Not be derailed by some catastrophe or cock up. Or Donald Trump declaring war on Greenland and turning Gaza into a Middle East Riviera of golf courses and casinos. The world as one large real-estate deal. These are the days that governments live for. A rare moment of stability. Nothing going visibly wrong. Or more wrong that it already was. A day when ministers have the illusion of being in control. When their delusions were more or less aligned with reality. When Rachel Reeves could say the interest rate cut was all down to her. When Keir Starmer could go out and about and talk about his plans to build mini nuclear reactors on every street corner and be guaranteed that a few people were actually listening. For Yvette Cooper, the morning started with a half-hour phone-in slot on LBC's Nick Ferrari at Breakfast show. In times past, this could have been fraught with danger. Nick is not known for being gentle with politicians, and most cabinet ministers look on his show as an endurance test. A necessary rite of passage. Something that can't be avoided. Their goal? To get out alive having taken as little damage as possible. To bask in the absence of pain when it's over. But the home secretary is an experienced performer these days. Confident in her ability to play the game. On top of her brief. Certain she can fend off whatever comes her way. Yet still somehow guarded. She doesn't really do compassion. Or listening. She's nobody's first choice for a shoulder to cry on. Not the person to go running to if you're in trouble. The opening question came from a woman whose son had been stabbed to death three years ago. What was she doing about knife crime? Cooper leafed through her notes. Halve it in ten years. Install scanners and arches in some schools. Stop kids buying knives online. Could she be certain this would be effective? Yes, she said. Hmm. We all remember previous home secretaries saying much the same and look where we are. What no minister will admit is that no one can guarantee our safety. If a child is determined enough to carry a knife then no one can stop them. There are knives in every kitchen drawer. Nor can you make sure that atrocities such as the Southport killings never happen again. Some people are so mad, so bad, that they are going to do horrific things. The mental health services and Prevent are never going to be entirely foolproof. They are going to make mistakes. Bad judgment calls. Some bad people are inevitably going to slip through the net. We live in an imperfect world. We can learn lessons from every killing, every failure of the system. But we can't stop some people from doing bad things. If history can teach us anything, it's that we don't have that much control. But all that goes in the box of things that a home secretary and a radio interviewer can't admit. It's an affront to their sensibilities. An admission of their own limitations. So Ferrari asked Yvette what she could do to make sure young people stopped carrying knives and that there would never be another Southport attack. Cooper thought a moment. 'I would tell them to stop,' she said. Now why hadn't the rest of us thought of that? If only we had realised it was that simple. Nick then played a recording of an interview with Katy, the daughter of the murdered MP David Amess. She wanted an inquiry into his killing. Just like there was going to be an inquiry into Southport. Yvette prevaricated slightly. She would be releasing more details. Though she couldn't say if it would be an inquiry inquiry. There were all sorts of inquiries and she wasn't yet sure whether the inquiry she had in mind could in fact be called an inquiry. Weirdly, this made perfect sense to Ferrari. Maybe he and Cooper have their own private language which is separate to ours. They operate in a meta-sphere where soon there will be an inquiry into everything. Our lives will all be put on pause while we all hold inquiries into everything that has gone wrong. Maybe there will be an over-arching inquiry into all the ongoing inquiries. Just to make sure they were functioning properly. And why stop there? Why not have an inquiry into the over-arching inquiry? We could all slide into a parallel universe. Either way, Louise Casey is going to be one busy woman. We then moved on to a call from David. He was concerned that illegal immigrants were being showered with £3K of free clobber when they arrived in small boats. Yvette muttered something about criminal gangs. Nick intervened. Were we really going to give hats and puffa jackets to new arrivals? He seemed to think we would be better off letting children freeze to death. If they hadn't bothered to pick up clothes in Calais then they deserved hypothermia. For a moment it seemed that the 'tough on gangs' home secretary might agree, but she demurred. She had done her 30 minutes. All was well. She could leave the studio and get on with her day. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Also out on the airwaves was the shadow home secretary, Chris Philp. Always good for a laugh. He was out and about trying to convince himself that Kemi Badenoch's new immigration ideas were properly thought through and not just some kneejerk response to the popularity of Reform. On the Today programme, Nick Robinson made the fatal mistake that so many journalists make with Chris. He tried to take him seriously. A category error. Rather, he is a role model for halfwits everywhere. Within seconds of opening his mouth, Philp was out of his depth. He clearly had no idea about who would be refused leave to remain and who wouldn't. Robinson suggested the example of a Nigerian woman called Kemi working in McDonald's. Would she be kicked out? What if she claimed benefits for a while? What if she got ill and needed the NHS? How low-paid was low-paid? Did people working in care homes count as making a contribution to society? The Philpster had no idea. Out of his depth in a sink. The David Cameron government had only promised to keep immigration down because we were in the EU then. Er … Whatever happened to taking back control of our borders after Brexit. Poor Chris. He wasn't even aware that he had been part of a government that had overseen record levels of legal migration. He sounded on the verge of tears. More in pity than despair, Nick sent him on his way. Suddenly everything made sense. 'I've been looking at an idiot,' he said to himself.
