Best Prank Call Nation Podcasts (2025)

1
How a Marine Embedded with Mao Zedong’s Guerrillas in the 30s Became WW2’s Most Celebrated Special Forces Leader 55:46

1d ago55:46

55:46

He was a gutsy old man.” “A corker,” said another. “You couldn’t find anyone better.” They talked about him in hushed tones. “This Major Carlson,” wrote one of the officers in a letter home, “is one of the finest men I have ever known.” These were the words of the young Marines training to be among the first U.S. troops to enter the Second World Wa…

1
Lions squad named, Leinster fall again & more | The Offload S01E31 57:44

5d ago57:44

57:44

Tommy Bowe & Donncha O'Callaghan sit down for Episode 31 of The Offload They chat: – Test caps (1:40) – Joe Duffy retires (4:30) – 2025 British & Irish Lions squad (7:38) – Leinster fall again (21:45) – URC Round 17 (42:08) – And much more

1
Microbes Were Discovered in the 1600s. Why It Take 200 Years For Doctors To Start Washing Their Hands? 54:16

6d ago54:16

54:16

Scientists and enthusiastic amateurs first confirmed the existence of living things invisible to the human eye in the late sixteenth century. So why did it take two centuries to connect microbes to disease? As late as the Civil War in the 1860s, most soldiers who perished died not on the battlefield but of infected wounds, typhoid, and other diseas…

1
From Einstein’s Chalkboard to Oppenheimer’s Nuclear Test: The 50-Year Path to the Atomic Bomb 48:14

8d ago48:14

48:14

The story of the atomic age began decades before Robert Oppenheimer watched a mushroom cloud form over the New Mexico desert at the Trinity nuclear test in mid 1945. It begins in 1895, with Henri Becquerel’s accidental discovery of radioactivity, setting in motion a series of remarkable and horrifying events. By the early 20th century, a brilliant …

1
Lions squad picks, Life after rugby, European semi-finals, & more | The Offload S01E30 53:03

12d ago53:03

53:03

Tommy Bowe & Donncha O'Callaghan sit down for Episode 30 of The Offload They chat: – Life after rugby (1:15) – Rugby players love coffee (5:55) – Game gone too professional? (13:05) – Rough week for Irish Rugby (23:14) – Leinster vs Northampton Saints (30:45) – Lions captain and squad picks (36:09) – And much more!…

1
Japan’s Desperate Air Battles Against the US in the Final Months of WW2 37:15

13d ago37:15

37:15

The B-29 Bomber led the Allied strategic bombing offensive against Japan, succeeding when US Bomber Command switched from high-level daytime precision bombing to low-level nighttime area bombing. The latter tactic required Superfortresses to attack their targets individually, without a formation or escorting fighters for protection. Despite this, J…

1
D-Day From the East: The Soviet Operation Bagration Crippled the Wehrmacht in Late 1944 42:08

15d ago42:08

42:08

Throughout the war on the Eastern Front, there were two consistent trends. The Red Army battled to learn how to fight and win, while involved in a struggle for its very survival. But by 1944 it had a leadership that was able to wield it with lethal effect and with far more effective equipment than before. By contrast, the Wehrmacht had commenced a …

1
Irish Traitors, Sorry Mr. Johnson, AIL Finals, URC Kids Round & more | The Offload S01E29 50:23

19d ago50:23

50:23

Tommy Bowe & Donncha O'Callaghan sit down for Episode 29 of The Offload They chat: – Donners gets fat-shamed on holidays (0:50) – Wicklow man loses his car in Cork for three weeks (4:40) – Irish traitors (9:16) – Women’s Six Nations (14:25) – AIL finals (15:45) – Kids Round in the URC (19:29) – Sorry, Mr. Johnson (20:30) – The legend of Christian C…

1
Pilgrimages Involved Penitent Marches, Visiting Holy Places, and Watching Drunken Emperors Go on Chariot Rides 44:53

20d ago44:53

44:53

Pilgrimages are a universal phenomenon, from China’s bustling Tai Shan to the ancient Jewish treks to Jerusalem. But why? What is it about a grueling penitent march to an isolated temple that has become a prerequisite for a civilization of any size, whether Chicen Itza in the Mayan Empire or the holy sites of Mecca? To explore this is today’s guest…

1
Britain Learned How to Set Up Its Global Empire on a Tiny Bermudan Island 44:02

22d ago44:02

44:02

Years before Jamestown planters made New World farming profitable by growing tobacco, and years before their countrymen up north in Plymouth Colony managed to overcome their starvation conditions and acclimate to New England’s growing conditions, there was an English settlement in Bermuda that was wealthier, larger, and more prosperous. It was esta…

1
Leinster bigger than the IRFU, McIlroy joins the club, Tommy’s massage & more | The Offload S01E28 54:20

26d ago54:20

54:20

Tommy Bowe & Donncha O'Callaghan sit down for Episode 28 of The Offload They chat: – Rory joins the Grand Slam club (0:22) – Tommy's massage (3:30) – A very special guest (5:04) – European quarter finals (17:26) – Changes to IRFU central contracts (25:07) – Axel (29:33) – Leinster bigger than the IRFU? (33:05) – The Race to the Eight in the URC (48…

1
The Hatfield-McCoy Feud Started Over a Pig and Nearly Escalated Into a Regional War 45:20

27d ago45:20

45:20

The origins of the Hatfield-McCoy conflict (between the Hatfield family of West Virginia, led by William Anderson "Devil Anse" Hatfield, and the McCoy family of Kentucky, led by Randolph "Old Randall" McCoy) begins with a dispute over a pig. From here, it escalated from minor disagreements to violent encounters that spanned decades, nearly sparking…

1
The 1845 Potato Blight Struck Across Northern Europe. Why Did Only Ireland Starve? 48:41

29d ago48:41

48:41

In 1845, a novel pathogen attacked potato fields across Europe, from Spain to Scandinavia—but only in Ireland were the effects apocalyptic. At least one million Irish people died, and millions more scattered across the globe, emigrating to new countries and continents. Less than fifty years after the union of Ireland with the rest of Great Britain,…

1
Joey Carbery joins the show, Donners to Narbonne, Quarter-Finals & more | The Offload S01E27 54:34

1M ago54:34

54:34

Tommy Bowe & Donncha O'Callaghan sit down for Episode 27 of The Offload, featuring special guest, Joey Carbery. They chat: – Harlequins were sh*t (3:08) – Munster fans (5:40) – Mick Galwey, the spiritual leader (6:45) – Donners to Narbonne (14:00) – Joey Carbery joins the show (19:53) – How the move to Bordeaux came about (24:55) – Dealing with inj…

1
A Simple Tennessee Preacher Transformed Abolitionism from a Deeply Unpopular Radical Movement to a Centrist Cause 51:18

1M ago51:18

51:18

Sitting high above the small community of Ripley, Ohio, a lantern shone in the front window of a small, red brick home at night. It was a signal to slaves just across the Ohio River. Anyone fleeing bondage could look to Reverend John Rankin’s home for hope. To the slaveholders they fled from, Rankin’s activities as a “conductor” on the Underground …

1
How Benjamin Franklin’s Stove Invention Kept Early America From Freezing 41:53

1M ago41:53

41:53

The biggest revolution in Benjamin Franklin’s lifetime was made to fit in a fireplace. Assembled from iron plates like a piece of flatpack furniture, the Franklin stove became one of the era's most iconic consumer products, spreading from Pennsylvania to England, Italy, and beyond. It was more than just a material object, however—it was also a hypo…

1
April Fools pranks, Irish coaching ticket, Europe is back & more | The Offload S01E26 48:39

1M ago48:39

48:39

Tommy Bowe & Donncha O'Callaghan sit down for Episode 26 of The Offload They chat: – April Fool's Day pranks (0:55) – New Ireland coaching ticket (13:20) – Women's Six Nations (19:47) – Beirne and Porter backlash (21:30) – The jackal (23:44) – MacHale Park (30:13) – Europe is back (32:22) – And much more…

1
Roman Churches Had No Involvement in Marriage. How Did It Become a Holy Sacrament by the Middle Ages? 38:25

1M ago38:25

38:25

For much of Christian history, the Church had little involvement in marriage, which was primarily a contract between families. It wasn’t until the fourth century that church weddings emerged, and even then, they were mostly reserved for the elite. Fast forward to the High Middle Ages, and marriage became a sacrament of the Roman Catholic Church. Si…

1
How a Mess Cook Saved Dozens of Sailors from Shark Infested Waters Off the Coast of Guadalcanal 28:21

1M ago28:21

28:21

On the night of September 5, 1942, the USS Gregory (APD-3), a converted destroyer turned high-speed transport, was caught in a deadly ambush near Guadalcanal. The ship had been supporting U.S. Marine forces, ferrying troops and supplies, when it was mistaken for a larger threat by a group of Japanese destroyers. Outgunned and unable to escape, Greg…

1
Hollie Davidson joins the show, WhatsApp Groups, Tommy's cranky stats & more | The Offload S01E25 59:59

2M ago59:59

59:59

Tommy Bowe & Donncha O'Callaghan sit down for Episode 25 of The Offload, featuring special guest, Hollie Davidson. They chat: – Round eggs (00:55) – Guest frustrations (7:18) – Adolescence (9:00) – WhatsApp groups (14:20) – Lions coaching ticket (19:30) – Tommy's cranky stats (20:36) – New contract for RG Snyman (27:02) – Connacht vs Munster at Mac…

1
Humanity’s Past Suggests We Only Have 10,000 Years to Change or Go Extinct 53:19

2M ago53:19

53:19

We are living through a period that is unique in human history. For the first time in more than ten thousand years, the rate of human population growth is slowing down. In the middle of this century population growth will stop, and the number of people on Earth will start to decline - fast. As Gee demonstrates, our population has peaked, and is dec…

1
The 16th Century Ottomans Nearly Conquered Europe. Why Did European Kingdoms Make So Many Alliances With Them? 51:05

2M ago51:05

51:05

The determined attempt to thwart Ottoman dominance was fought by Muslims and Christians across five theaters from the Balkans to the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean, from Persia to Russia. But this is not merely the story of a clash of civilizations between East and West. Europe was not united against the Turks; the scandal of the age was the al…

1
Six Nations review, Edel McMahon joins the show, Life after camp & more | The Offload S01E24 1:00:15

2M ago1:00:15

1:00:15

Brought to you by Ballygowan Tommy Bowe & Donncha O'Callaghan sit down for Episode 24 of The Offload, featuring special guest, Edel McMahon. They chat: – Number ones – Post Office – Trip to Rome – Life after camp – Six Nations review – Should Andy Farrell have stepped away? – Edel McMahon interview

1
Fort Stanwix and the Forgotten Revolutionary War Siege That Convinced France to Help the US 42:07

2M ago42:07

42:07

After a series of military defeats over the winter of 1776–1777, British military leaders developed a bold plan to gain control of the Hudson River and divide New England from the rest of the colonies. Three armies would converge on Albany: one under Lieutenant General John Burgoyne moving south from Quebec, one under General William Howe moving no…

1
Enough is Enuf, Our Failed Attempts to Make English Easier to Spell 39:21

2M ago39:21

39:21

No language is as inconsistent in spelling and pronunciation as English. Kernel and colonel rhyme, but read changes based on past or present tense. Ough has many pronunciations: ‘aw’ (thought), ‘ow’ (drought), ‘uff’ (tough), ‘off’ (cough), ‘oo’ (through). In response to this orthographic minefield, legions of rebel wordsmiths have died on the hill …

1
Jack Crowley decision, Influencers, Paddy’s Day, Super Saturday & more | The Offload S01E23 39:52

2M ago39:52

39:52

Brought to you by Ballygowan Tommy Bowe & Donncha O'Callaghan sit down for Episode 23 of The Offload They chat: – Rugby influencers – St Patrick's Day – Cheltenham – Ireland vs France – Jack Crowley to Leicester Tigers? – Super Saturday – And much more

1
Did Haiti’s First and Last King Squander the Revolution or Succeed in Underappreciated Ways? 51:04

2M ago51:04

51:04

Slave, revolutionary, king, Henry Christophe was, in his time, popular and famous the world over. Born to an enslaved mother on the Caribbean island of Grenada, Christophe first fought to overthrow the British in North America, before helping his fellow enslaved Africans in Saint-Domingue, as Haiti was then called, to end slavery. Yet in an incredi…

1
What Ancient Greeks and Victorian Explorers Thought Was at the North Pole 41:34

2M ago41:34

41:34

The North Pole looms large in our collective psyche—the ultimate Otherland in a world mapped and traversed. It is the center of our planet’s rotation, and its sub-zero temperatures and strange year of one sunset and one sunrise make it an eerie, utterly disorienting place that challenges human endurance and understanding. Erling Kagge and his frien…

1
We got through it, Gardening tips, Lent, Ireland vs France & more | The Offload S01E22 49:28

2M ago49:28

49:28

Brought to you by Ballygowan Tommy Bowe & Donncha O'Callaghan sit down for Episode 22 of The Offload They chat: – Our live show at the 3Olympia – Warren Gatland was in top form – Gardening tips – Lent – Ireland vs France – And much more

1
Nothing Healed America’s Wounds After the Civil War Like Baseball 50:35

2M ago50:35

50:35

The nineteenth century was a time of rapid growth and development for the game of “base ball,” and players George Wright and Albert Spalding were right in the thick of it. These two young men, the first superstars of the professional game, won the hearts of a country in search of a unifying spirit after a devastating civil war. Today’s guest is Jef…

1
How an 1870 Murder Created San Francisco 37:52

2M ago37:52

37:52

Shortly before dusk on November 3, 1870, just as the ferryboat El Capitan was pulling away from its slip into San Francisco Bay, a woman clad in black emerged from the shadows and strode across the crowded deck. Reaching under her veil, she drew a small pistol and aimed it directly at a well-dressed man sitting quietly with his wife and children. T…

1
Social committees, Camp life, Ringrose gate & more | The Offload S01E21 49:23

3M ago49:23

49:23

Tommy Bowe & Donncha O'Callaghan sit down for Episode 21 of The OffloadThey chat: – Ma’a Nonu and coming back out of retirement 2:09– Six Nations down week and player welfare 4:32– Social committees and camp life 9:30 – Tommy and Tomas O’Leary blow the fines kitty – 23:44– Ireland vs France ticket competition – 30:02– Tommy and the Garry Ringrose r…

1
Failed Futures: If Alexander The Great Hadn’t Died, He Might Have Conquered Europe, Circumnavigated Africa, and Built His Own Silk Road 34:20

3M ago34:20

34:20

And Alexander wept, seeing as he had no more worlds to conquer. That’s a quote from Hans Gruber in Die Hard, which is a very convoluted paraphrase from Plutarch’s essay collection Moralia. There’s plenty of truth in that unattributed quote from Mr. Gruber. Alexander the Great’s death at 323 BC in Babylon marked the end of the most consequential mil…

1
Why the Anabasis is the Second-Most Influential Greek Epic (After Homer’s Works) 48:43

3M ago48:43

48:43

Imagine being stranded thousands of miles deep in enemy territory with 10,000 soldiers, no allies, no clear way home, and the only means of escape was by foot. This was the predicament faced by Xenophon and the Greek mercenaries in Anabasis, one of the most gripping survival stories of the ancient world. In this episode, we delve into the incredibl…

1
Nigel Owens joins the show, Fitness tests, Law changes & more | The Offload S01E20 1:01:40

3M ago1:01:40

1:01:40

Brought to you by Ballygowan Tommy Bowe & Donncha O'Callaghan sit down for Episode 20 of The Offload featuring special guest Nigel Owens They chat: – Fitness tests – Ireland vs Wales – The magic of the Principality – A special day for Donners – Nigel Owens joins the show – Farming – The good old days – TMO – Law changes – The Spirit of Wales – And …

1
The American Revolution Would Have Been Lost Without a Ragtag Fleet of Thousands of Privateers 59:36

3M ago59:36

59:36

Privateers were a cross between an enlisted sailor and an outright pirate. But they were crucial in winning the Revolutionary War. As John Lehman, former secretary of the navy under President Ronald Reagan, observed, “From the beginning of the American Revolution until the end of the War of 1812, America’s real naval advantage lay in its privateers…

1
Did Lincoln Save Global Democracy or Undermine It Using Wartime Powers? 57:26

3M ago57:26

57:26

Did Abraham Lincoln preserve democracy during the Civil War, or did he endanger it in the process? To explore this paradox, we’re joined by renowned historian and Lincoln scholar Allen Guelzo, author of Our Ancient Faith. Guelzo takes us deep into the high-stakes decisions of Lincoln’s presidency, from the suspension of habeas corpus to the Emancip…

1
Bag of cans, Media nonsense, Holding in number twos and more | The Offload S01E19 43:37

3M ago43:37

43:37

Brought to you by Ballygowan Tommy Bowe & Donncha O'Callaghan sit down for Episode 19 of The Offload They chat: – Bags of cans – Murrayfield – Disappointing Scotland – Drug testing – Media nonsense – Holding in number twos – Gatland leaves Wales – Origin Round – And much more

1
The 1541 Spanish Expedition Down the Amazon to Find the Imaginary “El Dorado” and Valley of Cinnamon 40:32

3M ago40:32

40:32

As Spanish conquistators slowly moved through Latin America, they encountered levels of wealth that were unimaginable. Most famously, Incan Emperor Atahualpa was captured by Francisco Pizarro and paid a ransom of a room filled with gold and then twice over with silver. The room was 22 feet long by 17 feet wide, filled to a height of about 8 feet. S…

1
Everyday Life for the 500K German POWs House in America During World War Two 1:02:31

3M ago1:02:31

1:02:31

During World War II, approximately half a million German prisoners of war were held in the United States, housed in 700 camps spread across the country, from Florida to Maine. These POWs were treated in accordance with the Geneva Conventions, often working in agriculture and other industries to alleviate domestic labor shortages. Today, evidence of…

1
Alastair Campbell joins the show, Unfit England, Here come the Scots & more | The Offload S01E18 1:10:31

3M ago1:10:31

1:10:31

Brought to you by Ballygowan Tommy Bowe & Donncha O'Callaghan sit down for Episode18 of The Offload with special guest Alastair Campbell. They chat: – Tommy’s bread – AI Homework – Aviva atmosphere – Michael D’s scooter – Unfit England – Alastair Campbell on the media – Here come Scotland – And much more…

1
The Arsenal of Democracy: How the Revolver and Repeating Rifle Democratized Gun Ownership and Armed the United States 56:07

3M ago56:07

56:07

The United States is the most heavily armed nation in the world, with an estimated 400 million guns in private hands. But few know that this legacy can be directly traced back to a handful of gunmakers who worked in the Springfield Armory of Massachusetts in the early 1800s. Their names became synonymous with American guns—Colt, Smith, Wesson, Winc…

1
Owning Land Was The Best – and Usually Only – Way to Be Rich in the Ancient World 44:24

3M ago44:24

44:24

For millennia, humans eked out survival atop the surface of the Earth and land had no unique value. Eventually, however, humans turned land into an advantage. For several thousand years, control of land meant control of natural resources, like water and wild animals. For several thousand more years it meant agricultural production, raising domestic…

1
Rugby drops the ball on Netflix, Live special, Six Nations, Ben Youngs joins the show & more | The Offload S01E17 1:02:39

3M ago1:02:39

1:02:39

Brought to you by Ballygowan Tommy Bowe & Donncha O'Callaghan sit down for Episode17 of The Offload with special guest Ben Youngs They chat: – Rugby lunches – We’re doing a live show – Big Mal late again – Rugby drops the ball on Netflix – Six Nations nerves – England vs Ireland – The big selection decisions – Ben Youngs has some hot takes – His fi…

1
Benjamin Franklin – In the 200 Years After His Death – Funded New Businesses, Supported Boston and Philadelphia, and Play Pranks 37:53

3M ago37:53

37:53

When Benjamin Franklin died on April 12, 1790, he made a final bet on the future of the United States -- a gift of 2,000 pounds to Boston and Philadelphia, to be lent out to tradesmen over the next two centuries to jump start their careers. Each loan would be repaid with interest over ten years. If all went according to Franklin’s inventive scheme,…

1
When American Gilded Elite Bought Up English Country Houses, It Create an Epic Transatlantic Clash of Cultures 44:09

4M ago44:09

44:09

For generations, the great palaces of Britain were home to living histories, noble families that had reigned for centuries. But by the end of the nineteenth century, members of elite society found themselves, for the first time, in the company of arrivistes. Their new neighbors—from chorus girls to millionaire greengrocers to guano impresarios—lack…

1
Paying for petrol, Superstitions, Nicknames, ROG returns & more | The Offload S01E16 48:58

4M ago48:58

48:58

Tommy Bowe & Donncha O'Callaghan sit down for Episode16 of The Offload They chat: – Paying for petrol etiquette – Fan questions – Nicknames – Superstitions – ROG vs Munster – The Round of 16 – The return of the URC – And much more

1
The Untold History of Earth: Hobbits Really Existed, Dinosaurs Had Feathers, and Yetis Roamed Our Planet 1:08:48

4M ago1:08:48

1:08:48

The Old English poem Beowulf is a vital source of information on history, language, story and belief from the darkest of the Dark Ages. Only one copy is known to exist (it’s in the British Library), and that was rescued from a fire that is known to have destroyed many other manuscripts. If Beowulf didn’t exist, how much would we know about that per…

1
How Did Gold Beat Out Every Other Precious Metal To Become Humanity’s Dominant Currency For the Last 2,600 Years? 36:05

4M ago36:05

36:05

Why has gold reigned as the world’s go-to precious metal for over 2,600 years? It’s not as rare as platinum, durable as diamonds, or malleable as copper. What is it about this metal that made it the standard unit of coinage, from China to Mesoamerica? It’s a very long story, but gold’s scarcity, durability, malleability, and universal appeal made i…

1
Glow in the dark puddles, Muesday, Ireland squad, Europe permutations & more | The Offload S01E15 56:45

4M ago56:45

56:45

Tommy Bowe & Donncha O'Callaghan sit down for Episode15 of The Offload They chat: – Muesday – Glow in the dark puddles – Eddie O’Sullivan and ROG’s matching outfits – Shane Williams – Kawasaki 180 – Clutch moments – European permutations – Ireland’s Six Nations squad – Players being overlooked – And much more…

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