Lockdown: it's over.

But for how long? Forever? For the foreseeable? For a few more months until we see how we get on? That we don't know (but we will continue to be hopeful that the worst is over, etc), but what we do know is that for all the heartache and boredom that the past few months brought, they also led to the creation and discovery of some very decent podcasts. We've put together a list of 12 of the best shows we were listening to over lockdown - and that you should listen to right now. Some decent shouts in there, lads. Honestly. 1. Grounded with Louis Theroux  A man who needs no introduction, it's Louis Theroux. Over lockdown, he released his first podcast - where he chatted to some people he'd always wanted to chat to. Classic Louis-isms all around. Enjoy it. https://open.spotify.com/episode/196gSHglQSHn57hnpZOFQg?si=oLnyq6WHRE-xYmiO_iisLg 2. Dying For Sex  Funny, informative, and gut-wrenching, Dying For Sex provides an entirely different perspective on illness, sex, and of course death. Potentially not for the faint of heart, but maybe that's exactly who it should be for. Read our interview with host Nikki Boyer here.  https://open.spotify.com/episode/72wqh6NFzzrVBLp0Q7sk0a?si=FRUoJpH8RsWwRjHhaX4tkA 3. I'm Grand Mam  Two lads from Cork living in London, chatting all things life, love, and LGBTQ+. Each episode has a theme but if Kevin and PJ don't actively stray from that theme, is it even an I'm Grand Mam episode? A fun respite from the mundane upset of the world. https://open.spotify.com/episode/0xJspy5Osyz3UdfYyvhF35?si=g14D3Q3_RAK6DSjBD-RqbA 4. This American Life  No explanation needed. Just sit back, relax, and enjoy Ira Glass's dulcet tones. https://open.spotify.com/episode/5AGUaMrXEvX3B4NrZEt6EA?si=jB2FCLU5SrG2YPUfD567Qg 5. Girls With Goals  Listen, it wouldn't be a Her.ie top podcast list without a mention of our very own GWG (Girls With Goals, for the uncultured among us). Athletes, health specialists, politicians, influencers: you name it, they're a girl with a goal, and they've been on the pod. https://open.spotify.com/episode/4oLYS4INRMEE1bZeasfBcQ?si=eaekNHdZSF277wFNmaxNsw 6. S-Town  S-Town first graced our podcast apps a few years back, but if lockdown isn't the perfect time to revisit the raw and oftentimes unreal story, then when is? Prepare to get invested, because you will. https://open.spotify.com/episode/5wpLryBEOWyxaMPUUSAQqQ?si=E2GWhj4USquYaDlV48xbwg 7. Dolly Parton's America  Dolly Parton's American may very well be the best podcast of last year. And this year too, why not? Nine episodes, one woman, an incredible legacy: this is Dolly Parton's America and you're just living in it. https://open.spotify.com/episode/3E1dSFR01VoQU5IvuHag6a?si=TihZOcFqQjm7ccfMMRgjrA 8. Over My Dead Body  Ah, the true crime shout we've all be waiting for. Over My Dead Body, currently on its second season, details the murder trial of Dan Markel and later the tribulations of none other than Joe Exotic. Topical, you know? https://open.spotify.com/episode/0poxJYyEjXnY7jpRYLKemS?si=XLq0avrrSIOUOvjnRE-HPA 9. Tony Cantwell's Shit Show  Does what it says on the tin, really. It's a shit show but Jesus Christ, it's the funniest hour of your week. Tony Cantwell has come a long way since the days of Ploon and soft drinks - and now, he's got his own podcast. A perfect storm of hilarious personal anecdotes, bemused ramblings, and really some quite surreal chat, Shit Show is the optimum pre-mid-week distraction. Yes, it's a thing. https://open.spotify.com/episode/05Pg8TjIQ9hiYhTDGW2qQ4?si=RjHLbShyRceKWWchF8qOlw 10. Fake Doctors, Real Friends  Donald Faison and Zach Braff rewatching Scrubs. That's it, that's the show. And it's brilliant.  https://open.spotify.com/episode/1ZSfU8JpkFuTVJGbYJ6sI7?si=n9EOSjHPTDywQMcmaPQLkQ 11. This Podcast Will Kill You  Educational, inclusive, and utterly fascinating, This Podcast Will Kill You is hosted by two disease ecology graduates who want to tell you (yes, you) all about the diseases, plagues, illnesses, and viruses that have existed - and still exist - in the world today. It's not all coronavirus chat either. Don't worry. https://open.spotify.com/episode/04jBsylYNXaqXK2j4GqIgk?si=VV8pd3_4Rt2FD4O0wEsLDQ 12. Stardust  A detailed and expert retelling of the Stardust tragedy, TheJournal.ie's 2019 podcast takes listeners from the devastation of the 1981 event through to present day. Yet another sobering reminder of the failures of the state, the award winning series is worth a listen if you have yet to get on it. https://open.spotify.com/episode/6yPKgoB5w1oLScEW0AUYwY?si=cZL3iQ_zTE2i8VCB-OdPTQ