Talk to Joe: Life, Liveline and Me

Shortlisted for the An Post Irish Book Awards 2026

From the voice that kept Ireland talking

For nearly three decades, Joe Duffy sat behind the mic as host of RTÉ's Liveline, the radio show that became Ireland's national sounding board. In this walk down memory lane, Joe takes readers inside the studio and beyond, sharing the stories, voices and moments that defined a generation.

From Celtic Tiger boom to crash, from marriage equality to menopause, Liveline was where Ireland came to talk - and often to change. It was the place where scandals broke, injustices were exposed, and ordinary people made headlines - and where issues from maternity care to abuses in schools and institutions were brought into the national conversation.

With warmth, honesty and trademark wit, Joe reflects on the privilege and responsibility of platforming the nation's voice, through heartbreak, humour, anger and hope. Talk to Joe is more than a memoir: it's a chronicle of Ireland in transition, told by the man who listened hardest - and made talking feel easy.

• Publication date: 29 October 2026
• Page count: 368
• Dimensions: Height 242 mm; Width 163 mm; Thickness 35 mm
• Publisher: Hachette Books Ireland
• Format: Hardback
• ISBN-13: 9781399762618