All the famous and interesting people I've met through Mythical Ireland

It recently struck me that I have met a lot of famous, well-known and interesting people in the course of Mythical Ireland's 26-year existence. I thought it was well past time I created a blog post with a gallery of images featuring those special meetings I've had with these wonderful and fascinating people.

It's difficult for me to choose an absolute favourite, or 'best celebrity', but the one that comes closest was my 2018 meeting with TV star Tony Robinson. We met at Fulham Palace, London, for filming of a Channel 4 programme about drone discoveries. He was an absolute gent, besides being something of a hero of mine - not least because of his portrayal of Baldrick in Blackadder, but also because of his hosting of Time Team, which I loved watching when younger.

Here we are on TV together, when we discussed my discovery of 'Dronehenge', a giant Late Neolithic henge I found in cropmarks near Newgrange in the drought of 2018.

I'm very glad to have known and befriended the late Manchán Magan, TV presenter, author and Gaelgóir. We got to know each other in 2020, and met on several occasions, including at a very special live Mythical Ireland podcast event in Clonakilty, Co. Cork, in 2023. He had previously been a guest on my Live Irish Myths in Conversation series on YouTube. I'm greatly saddened by his early demise, but delighted with the enormous legacy which he leaves behind. Below is a screenshot of us mid-conversation in De Barras in Clonakilty.

One of the people who inspired me in the work of Mythical Ireland, especially around the area of astronomy and megalithic art, was the late great Martin Brennan. Brennan was the author of The Stars and The Stones, a book that provoked huge interest and debate around the interpretation of Irish megalithic art. He left Ireland, having lived in Dublin for several years, in the mid-1980s. I invited him back in 2009 to headline a conference in his honour. It was the only time he returned here before his death in November 2023.

Martin Brennan and I at Dowth in December 2009. Below is a photo of us at Kerb Stone 52 at Newgrange on winter solstice 2009.

You might have heard of the Irish podcaster and author, Blindboy Boatclub. I've actually been on stage with Blindboy twice, for his live podcasts, both in Drogheda. We first shared the stage in The Crescent in Drogheda around 2019, and later we had another enjoyable conversation in front of a live audience of 700 people at the TLT Drogheda in 2023.

Backstage with Blindboy at The Crescent, Drogheda.

Backstage with Blindboy at the TLT, Drogheda.

On stage with Blindboy at the TLT Theatre, Drogheda, during a live podcast.

Author Morgan Llywelyn wrote some of the best-selling books about Ireland of all time. She has authored something like 40 titles, and has sold millions of copies. I was very glad to have been introduced to her through a mutual friend some years ago. Here we are at the great megalithic passage-tomb of Dowth at Brú na Bóinne.

And here at Stoop Your Head restaurant in Skerries, Co. Dublin, where we had enjoyed a lovely meal together.

Irish actor Adrian Dunbar is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Superintendent Ted Hastings in Line of Duty on BBC, but he also presents programmes about Ireland. A few years ago, we met at Dronehenge where I was being interviewed for Adrian Dunbar's Scenic Ireland. He was very friendly, and very interested in my discoveries. He also signed an autograph!

Dara O'Briain is a very famous comedian and TV presenter from Ireland, well-known for presenting the very funny programme Mock The Week. A few years ago, he was making a TV series about the moon, and interviewed me in a pub in County Wicklow about a kerb stone at Knowth (Kerb Stone 52, the Calendar Stone). My wife and two of my children were with me, and Dara happily posted for photographs and signed autographs. The programme was filmed on the day of my birthday, and there was a very special moment when Dara brought in a cake and sang 'Happy Birthday' to me. A memorable day!

In 2019, I had the singular honour of delivering a lecture about Dronehenge at Princeton University, New Jersey, USA. I was invited to do so by Paul Muldoon, Irish poet, who was at that time Professor in the Humanities.

After the lecture, Paul graciously hosted my wife Ann and I at a dinner in a restaurant in Princeton, where this 'selfie' was taken. Later, when Paul next visited Ireland, I was glad to give him a private tour of Dowth (below).

When I was a youngster, two of the astronomy writers whose work I used to read were Heather Couper and Nigel Henbest. I had an opportunity to meet them both at an event in Dublin, where they autographed a copy of their book for me.

I've been fortunate to have featured in a number of productions by The Prehistory Guys - Michael Bott and Rupert Soskin. We struck up a friendship, and I have had the great fortune to meet them on several occasions in the Boyne Valley, where I was a guide to the monuments and myths for them and their group.

Author Tristan Hughes is famous as the presenter of History Hit TV, and for his podcast, The Ancients. I was fortunate to appear on both! Below is a photograph of us taken during a break in filming at Brú na Bóinne.

Michael Quirke may not be a famous television presenter or podcaster, but here in Ireland he is very well known as a wood-carver and storyteller based in Sligo town.

I was thrilled to feature Michael as a guest on a Mythical Ireland documentary for Patrons a few years back. Here were are (above) pictured in Michael's business in Wine Street, Sligo. Michael was once a butcher, but gave up carving meat and began carving wood instead. His wood carvings are works of beauty!

The late Jack Roberts was a friend and colleague of Martin Brennan, and an author of lots of books about ancient Ireland. We struck up a friendship some years ago, and I was glad to have got to know Jack because he and Martin were figures of inspiration to me. Here we are pictured at Knowth.

Michael Slavin would be familiar to anyone who has visited the old bookshop on the Hill of Tara over the years, but he is also an author and scholar, and his best-known book is The Book of Tara. Now in his 90s, Michael can still be found behind the counter at the old bookshop at Tara.

Judith Nilan is the author of A Legacy of Wisdom and A Call to Crone. We became friends years ago, and usually meet at least once a year when she comes to Ireland. Here, Judith came to the Mythical Ireland library and I think she was suitably impressed with the number of books!

RTÉ radio presenter Philip Boucher-Hayes has a voice that is familiar to many Irish people. Here, we snapped a photo together at the Boyne Estuary while recording a piece for RTÉ Radio One about Saint Patrick.

I first met radio presenter Claire Byrne on Newstalk years ago, while reviewing the daily newspapers on several occasions on the Newstalk breakfast show. More recently, I featured on a summertime series about Ireland's Royal Sites on her show on RTÉ Radio One, where the above photo was taken.

As a fan of Lyric FM and a regular listener, I was delighted to be interviewed by Lorcan Murray for his afternoon programme just last December, speaking about the myths and legends of the Boyne Valley.

Sean Boylan is a legend in County Meath. He is a former manager of the Meath GAA football team, and a lovely man too. He launched my book Newgrange: Monument to Immortality in Navan back in December 2012.

I had a lovely opportunity to meet author Fr. Seán Ó Duinn in County Wexford back in 2012 and 2013, thanks to a local history group based in New Ross. Fr. Ó Duinn is third from left in this photo, and beside me (second from right) is the late Simon W. Kennedy, a good friend who brought me to Wexford to speak at events there at the time, and who introduced me to Fr. Ó Duinn.