If one was to ask the question "Has podcasting peaked?", the answer is undoubtedly yes. For this is the week that Eamon Dunphy sat down with Colm Williamson, the founder of Waterford Whispers News.
This is one of the great interviews of 2019. Actually, describing it as an 'interview' is a bit of a stretch. A more apt description would be "Colm Williamson sits in a studio while Eamon Dunphy laughs at Waterford Whispers News headlines."
Oh, actually we should give Williamson his proper title: "The Waterford Whisperer."
Dunphy begins this episode of The Stand by confessing to have only recently heard of Ireland's favourite satire website before going on to heap praise on the publication and the lads' latest book, Waterford Whispers News 2019. In between outbursts of laughter from Dunphy, as he happens upon articles in the book that tickle his fancy, Williamson takes the besotted presenter though the history of the company and the various highlights of their ten years in existence.
The whole thing is thoroughly entertaining. Partly because the stories are so funny but also because it's wonderful to experience the joy Dunphy is getting out of finally discovering what may now be his favourite website.
Miraculously enough, he has actually managed to pretty much avoid the cutting wit of WWN's writers, with "Dunphy Makes New Giles Out Of Pillows" the only online article they've ever written about him. However, it does contain arguably the greatest thumbnail image of any piece on the internet:
