Kildare podcast gets Taoiseach scoop — and kids’ approval

There are perhaps few better ways to road test a new podcast for kids than to actually sit down with the show’s target audience and listen to it together. So it was last week when I sat down with my own kids and started to listen to KidCast, which is a ‘show created by kids, for kids’.

The show’s producer Céire O’Donoghue is a Naas local who has over 20 years voiceover experience, and has also made appearances in TV shows like Vikings and Striking Out. The concept began with an investment in a home studio and was followed by a stint in the Today FM School of Radio, where she honed her production skills and the embryonic idea for the podcast emerged.

The fact that Céire has begun her own podcast is perhaps little wonder, given that her grandfather was a sound engineer for RTÉ in the 1960s, so, as they say, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

The show is aimed at a specific gap in the broadcasting landscape: a podcast where children are given the reins and empowered to host and create their own show. Each week, there is a guest host who compères along with Céire.

Amongst other things, each episode has a news round, an ‘around the world’ slot, mystery sounds, book reviews and interviews with guests. You get the sense that the hosts are speaking with the target audience, not at them. The age appropriate news items covered will get youngsters engaged with what’s going on in the wider world around them.

Each week the show has a different host and newsreader and so on, thus giving a chance to a disparate group of kids to have their voices heard and their talents showcased. Céire has also managed to get a lot of interesting guests to come on and be interviewed by the kid hosts, but surely its biggest scoop to date must be in Episode Two.

On this instalment, Taoiseach Micheál Martin sat down and answered questions about his role in government, his hobbies and even tried his hand at telling some cheesy jokes.

KidCast explores the concepts of physical and mental wellness through the topics it covers.

It is grounded in a post-pandemic realisation of what our kids have been through over the past few years.

By placing this younger group in the limelight, platforms like this play an important role in maintaining lines of communication between the generations. The fact that it is locally produced is a bonus.

The production quality on the show is very good. It is aimed at a target audience of five to 12 year olds. One aspect that seems a bit out of kilter is the intro music, which has a bit of a ‘pre-school’ quality to it, and one has the impression that the listeners at the upper end of the show’s age range would prefer something a bit catchier.

Having said that, in this age of YouTube and social media influencers, no show gets a ‘free pass’ with listeners and I can report that my own kids were engrossed in the show and found it entertaining.

With the school year about to begin, and many families hoping to sneak in one last break before that, this is a perfect choice for a road trip with the ‘Are We There Yet?’ crowd in the back seat.

KidCast has been nominated for ‘Best Family Podcast’ in the Irish Podcast Awards, which are due to take place this September. Season Two is also in the pipeline. It is available to stream wherever you get your podcasts.