The Two Norries live review: Moving tales and plenty laughs in highly entertaining show

A packed Cork Opera House saw mountaineer Pat Falvey join Timmy Long and James Leonard for the hometown leg of The Two Norries: Changing the Conversation tour

The Two Norries: Timmy Long and James Leonard at Cork Opera House with special guest, Pat Falvey. Picture: Jim Coughlan

As Timmy Long proclaimed to a packed audience on Saturday night: “It’s not about me. It’s not about James. It’s about the people we bring onto the podcast.” And on this leg of The Two Norries: Changing the Conversation Tour, it was all about Pat Falvey.

The explorer and entrepreneur was welcomed to the Cork Opera House stage by his fellow northsiders early on, but not before the audience got a glimpse of what they had really come for first.

Many palms were aching by the time Long and his fellow host James Leonard sat down on their Late Late Show-esque set. A montage of their past guests had just finished flashing on a screen above them, summarising some of the stories that have led The Two Norries to become one of Ireland’s top mental health podcasts.

A few quips and a fist bump later, the Cork city natives were doing what they do best - chatting openly and honestly about the struggles of addiction.

“I really couldn’t see a life beyond 30, now I’m 41,” said Long, as a series of photos of his life overtook the screen.

The Two Norries, Timmy Long and James Leonard, with an image of young  James in his St Mary's On the Hill NS tracksuit. Picture: Jim Coughlan.

The story he told was similar to that of his co-host - an introverted child, constantly caught up in his own head, who hated school and turned to solvents, believing he was the only one who felt the way he did. However, there was one major difference.

“I was born in Dublin - don’t hold it against me,” Leonard said to resounding laughter. The PhD student described how he was “destined” for a life of addiction, once overdosing just 300 metres away from the theatre he was now headlining.

“It takes a village to raise a child, but it also takes a village to help someone recover. This is our opportunity to thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”

Falvey’s own story then took centre-stage, with Long and Leonard coming back into focus immediately afterwards.

A particular highlight was when the hosts drew comparisons between Falvey’s trek up Mount Everest to their own journey. The podcast, they said, was their Everest and like Falvey’s first hill walk, it was “only the start” - which, by the queue of people waiting for autographs after the show, is hard to argue with. What all three had most in common, however?

“I was so proud to be an Irish person,” Falvey said of reaching the summit of the world’s highest mountain. “But I was more proud to be a Cork person - and even more proud to be a Norrie.”

Out and about at Cork Opera House

At the Two Norries at Cork Opera House were  Laura Lynch, Glanmire, Katie Carroll, and Kathleen Murphy, both Mahon. Pictures: Jim Coughlan

Dave anbd Tracey Linnane, Blackrock.

Gary and Ruth Cregg travelled from Co Galway for the show.

Mary and Ann Millward, from Mitchelstown.

Holly Lingwood, Turners Cross, and Meg Cronin, Ballinlough.

Phil O'Flynn, Trudy O'Halloran, Ruth O'Brien, Yvonne Calnan (birthday girl) and Debbie O'Shea. 

Shirley O'Driscoll, Brandon, Co Kerry and Sharon Hegarty, Listowel.