The nation was delighted to see Tommy return with some cracking guests too. Aishling and Mark were fantastic.
During the very first interview with his first guest on Season 4 of The Tommy Tiernan Show, the Navan man admitted a strange coincidence, he was only reading the lyrics of 'Take Me To Church' by Hozier that very day.
Well, lucky for him because the singer from Wicklow popped into studio to have a chat about his meteoric rise, life on the road, the dangers of being misquoted in the press, socks, his family, lyrics and more.
The lads even found time to deliver an impromptu Leonard Cohen cover!
Ah, Tommy. How we've missed you.
2019 was an extremely busy year for Andrew Hozier-Byrne as he released his second album Wasteland, Baby! and toured around the world.
However, for viewers at home, it was a real privilege to hear Hozier chat about his career because as the two men discussed in the interview, the likeable singer is slightly wary about interviews being misquoted, taken out of context, and sensationalised.
Thankfully, there was no risk of that happening here as Tiernan and Hozier talked openly about everything and nothing.
As you can see in the clip below, he singer talks about the various different interpretations and layers to his breakthrough hit.
What followed next was another fantastic interview as Aisling Byrne and her creative partner Mark Smith chatted about their work on stage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8Wa9eepmKA
For those that didn't watch the show, Mark Smith is an actor who has developed his own play 'Making a Mark.' Smith will also play the lead role in the production.
During the course of the conversation, the three chatted about Mark's love of acting, overcoming challenges and the need to provide a platform for those with disabilities.
Much like Laurence Olivier, Michael Gambon, and Anthony Hopkins, Mark has also played the iconic role of King Lear on stage too.
Aside from acting, Mark told the audience that he has also excelled academically and passed all of his exams in anthropology at Maynooth University.
While Tommy and Mark might be more familiar with the spotlight - especially in Cellbridge - Aisling's work with the
Run of the Mill Theatre is equally important.
During her interview, Aisling's sense of community spirit, altruism, and the need to amplify the voices of others by giving them a platform of their own was extremely impressive.
Here's a small segment of Mark and Aisling chatting about the need for even more inclusion in the arts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwjaIS9d3Es
Finally, there was a very strong personal connection between Tiernan and his last guest, Paddy Holohan.
During the course of their chat, the retired MMA fighter told Tommy that he named his son after the comedian because Tiernan's work was a source of great inspiration and motivation for the Dubliner.
Aside from this, Holohan talked about his upbringing in Jobston, life in the UFC, and why he decided to become a Sinn Féin representative for Tallaght.
Take a look.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCy_Ydl8uww
Clips via RTÉ - IRELAND’S NATIONAL PUBLIC SERVICE MEDIA
