Tommy Tiernan Show recap: Cáit O'Riordan on Shane MacGowan and her time in The Pogues
Cait O'Riordan: “I was a non-functioning alcoholic but I didn’t know which is really wild." Picture: RTE One/Instagram.
On Saturday night, the Tommy Tiernan Show explored the importance of self-care, the power of comedy, using art as a form of self-expression, and a career in the Pogues and struggles with alcoholism.
Tiernan’s guests included comedian Jimmy Carr, socially engaged visual artist Aaron Sunderland Carey and musician Cáit O’Riordan.
Tiernan’s first guest of the night was comedian Jimmy Carr who discussed the power of comedy, his book, his personal life, and what’s next for him.
Carr described as a half-biography, half-self-help book that explores how comedy is “a great way to sugar a pill, to get something across.” He shared his perspective on self-care, emphasising the importance of serving oneself and others.
“Do stuff today. Everyone’s got to serve someone. If you serve yourself in 24 hours, that’s a pretty good way to live. If you say, what could I do today that me tomorrow would be very grateful I did, you can give yourself gifts in the future,” he said.
Carr reflected on his experiences as a father, noting the challenges and joys of raising children and his identity as a dad.
He discussed the challenges of balancing his career as a comedian with being a present and involved father, and how he hopes to set a good example for his children through his work ethic and passion for his craft.
Carr spoke about his busy schedule, performing four nights a week, two shows a night, and doing 300 shows a year.
He explained that while the money is taken care of, he continues to work because he enjoys being good at something and leading by example.
Carr spoke about his personal life and how he met his wife, Karoline at an audition some years ago.
He described her as “an extraordinary woman” and praised her wisdom, beauty, and incredible mothering skills and reflected on his luck of finding someone who complements him perfectly and makes him feel at home.
He touched on his famous A-list guest list parties which he said are a way to bring together people from different worlds together and reflected on the unique dynamics of his social circle.
When asked by Tiernan where he finds nourishment, Carr said he reads a lot, despite being dyslexic, and finds Audible helpful for consuming books.
He also discussed the balance between being an introvert and an extrovert and how he manages his energy levels, as well as the importance of authenticity and intent in his performances and interactions with people.
Carr mentioned his upcoming arena shows and the excitement of keeping his career fresh and exciting and expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to share his thoughts and experiences on the show.
Tiernan’s second guest of the night was 24-year-old Aaron Sunderland Carey, a mixed media artist whose practice largely involves socially engaged projects in physical urban environments and their effects on the individual.
Describing himself as a socially engaged visual artist, Carey spoke about how he uses painting, drawing, photography, and film to address personal issues through collaborative art projects.
“I do visual artwork but I suppose the difference is that I work with people. I work with communities. I work a lot in Rialto, Dublin 8 and I work a lot in Ballymun as well, where I’m from. I work a lot with young people, teenage lads, and we try to build up a relationship with them and use art as a way of addressing some of what’s going on in their lives,” he said.
Speaking about his journey into the art world, he said he was influenced by cartoons but that they had limited channels on the television so he had to make up his own stories, keep himself entertained and use his imagination.
“I used to watch the spiderman cartoons in the mornings in my nana's house. It all started when I was younger,” he said.
He spoke about attending National College of Art and Design (NCAD), noting its middle-class status and the privilege it offered and said he stuck out in a lot of ways.
“I was definitely the only fella walking around in a tracksuit when I first went to NCAD,” he said.
He spoke about encouraging lectures such as Fiona Whelan who got him into the socially engaged art practice.
He spoke specifically about a long-term project called ‘What Does He Need?’ that he works on with Fiona Whelan in which they meet with young men and boys to prompt discussions about societal expectations and personal values.
He reflected on the broader impact of socially engaged art, emphasising the importance of relationships and conversations over traditional art forms and shared his personal motivations for engaging in socially engaged art, driven by a desire to provide opportunities to young people who lack support systems.
“I think visual art is changing. I think there’s a shift coming. There’s always been shifts in all forms of art. There’s always been changes in art, and I think it’s changing again," he said.
"And it doesn’t necessarily have to be the drawing or the painting that comes out at the end of it that’s the important part. The important part could be the relationship that me and you build or the conversation that me and you have while we do the art piece but then also that conversation could be the art itself."
Carey recounted his personal experiences of seeing friends and acquaintances struggle due to lack of opportunities and the impact of negative influences in peoples’ lives who otherwise could have had a bright future ahead of them.
He credited his mother as a significant inspiration in his life, noting her hard work and determination to provide her family with opportunities, and expressed his desire to continue exploring new environments and communities through his art projects.
Expressing his admiration for Carey’s work and wishing him success in their future endeavors, Tiernan thanked him for coming into the studio to chat with him.
Tiernan’s final guest of the night was musician Cáit O’Riordan who played bass guitar for The Pogues from 1983 to 1986.
O’Riordan discussed her career transition from playing bass in punk and trad bands, including her stint with The Pogues, to her current work.
She reflected on her struggles with alcoholism, which led to her departure from The Pogues at the age 21 and a subsequent 21-year period of non-functioning alcoholism.
Speaking about her departure from the band, which she said was due to responsibilities she couldn't meet, she said: “I had a feeling that everyone was constantly disappointed with me. I’m an alcoholic and it sounds so stupid when I say this because of people’s idea of The Pogues, but being in The Pogues was interfering with my drinking because there were responsibilities in the band and I was letting everybody down constantly and I really just wanted to drink by that stage so I quit.”
O'Riordan said she was just 17 when she joined The Pogues and 21 when she left and acknowledged her inability to take responsibility and her lack of awareness about those responsibilities.
She spoke about her non-functioning alcoholism from age 21 to 42, when she was finally diagnosed and sent to rehab.
“I was a non-functioning alcoholic but I didn’t know which is really wild. It’s a bit of a black hole, and it’s very strange. It’s the time when other women are making families and relationships or a career and I got to 42 and I didn’t have any of that and my doctor said ‘I think you might be an alcoholic’,” she said.
She spoke about how she was very uncomfortable in her skin and how she wouldn’t like people being near her and feeling “itchy” all the time.
O’Riordan spoke about how her recovery involved attending UCD and obtaining degrees in psychology.
She also shared her experiences with former bandmate Shane MacGowan and their differing paths post-Pogues.
She spoke about her experiences of reconnecting with MacGowan and the emotional impact of his condition and his passing.
O'Riordan is now involved in various musical projects, including an all-women rock group featuring members from the Go-Go's and The Fall.
Closing out the show was Dublin-based rock band Inhaler who performed the song
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