Podcast Summary: The Dollop - Episode 172 "The Past Times with Katie Boyle"
Date: May 1, 2026
Hosts: Dave Anthony, Gareth Reynolds
Guest: Katie Boyle
Theme: Comedic exploration of odd and fascinating news stories from a historical newspaper (July 1, 1947, Concord, New Hampshire)
Episode Overview
This episode of "The Past Times" features comedians Dave Anthony, Gareth Reynolds, and guest Katie Boyle delving into the "Concord Monitor" newspaper from July 1, 1947. True to the Dollop’s format, the hosts riff on wild headlines, dissect the strangeness of old news items, and draw hilarious, often absurd parallels to modern times.
Key Discussion Points & Segments
1. Guest Intro & Setting (00:01 - 03:03)
- Katie Boyle calls in from Edinburgh, discussing her comedy shows ("Therapy" and "Roe v. Wade vs. Katie").
- Banter about travel, being away from the U.S., and anxiety about border crossings.
- Jokes about podcasting shame and weird Wi-Fi setups.
Notable Quote:
"I feel like I'm in my 20s again, you know, like, weird Wi-Fi. I only have one plate." – Katie Boyle (01:13)
2. Year Guessing Game & Paper Reveal (03:03 - 04:10)
- Guests guess the newspaper's year: Katie picks 1880, Gareth 1906, Dave reveals 1947.
- Announcement: "It's the Concord Monitor from Concord, New Hampshire. July 1, 1947."
Memorable Moment:
"It's a tie." – Dave (03:41)
"Congratulations to Katie. Hate it." – Dave (03:59)
3. Scaffold Fight Story & Conor McGregor "Detour" (04:10 - 15:28)
- A misleading headline about a four-story scaffold “fight” is revealed to be a rescue attempt after a worker falls ill.
- Jokes about how much more entertaining a real fight would be, and inventing a sport around scaffold scuffles.
- Extended riff on Conor McGregor’s infamous internet behavior and "wonky weighted willy" photo leak.
- Discussion on bizarre internet personalities and the need for "a hook" to go viral.
Notable Quotes:
"For safety, I need to make this man go unconscious." – Gareth (08:19)
"His willy got released so that they freed Willie... it looks gross." – Katie Boyle (09:46)
"Conor McGregor's dick is like a Muppet character." – Gareth (11:09)
4. Missing Child Rescued, and Dead Grandfather (16:08 - 19:03)
- A two-and-a-half-year-old girl, Greta Mary Gail, is found after going missing in a park; her grandfather dies of a heart attack from the shock.
- The hosts embellish the story as a twisted fairy tale, joke about generational sacrifices, and riff on parental responsibility.
Quote:
"So she killed her grandfather." – Dave (17:51)
"He made a deal with death and saved the granddaughter's life." – Katie Boyle (18:28)
5. Bizarre Minor News: Traffic Court, Rope Tricks, Monkeys, Bananas (19:17 - 31:10)
- Traffic Court: Man acquitted for running a red light is deemed newsworthy (19:25).
- Rope Tricks: PA congressman entertains Congress with rope twirling learned “on the Alaskan highway” during the war (26:13).
- Australian “Flying Fox”: Discussion on an odd device designed to move bananas, and cultural delays in banana availability in Ireland and the UK (29:03).
- Banana oppression and Catholic sexual anxiety jokes.
Notable Quotes:
"They call it the Flying Fox. It’s a banana mover." – Dave (29:16)
"The Catholic Church wouldn't give the bananas because of the sexual nature of it." – Katie Boyle (31:04)
6. Local Sports, Eva Braun Rumors, and Jail Jitterbug (32:02 - 38:44)
- Married vs. single men’s baseball game—divorced men excluded (32:02).
- Reports of Hitler’s mistress, Eva Braun, rumored alive and cashing checks in Italy, are ridiculed as pure speculation (33:29).
- At the state prison, field day includes jitterbug contests, pie-eating, "fat man" races (minimum 190 lbs.), and races for inmates over 50 (35:39).
- Discussion on the rehabilitative vs. punitive models of incarceration.
Quotes:
"A fat man race of like regular looking... This is a race." – Katie Boyle (36:59)
"America's like, this is a punishment. Well, it's not even that. It's profitable." – Dave (38:07)
7. Crime, Cops, and Landlords Gone Bad (40:09 - 44:12)
- Two teenagers get 60-day suspended sentences for opening fire hydrants (40:09).
- A Boston landlord sets fire to a tenant’s room to evict her (41:32).
- Tangents on notoriously cruel or bizarre landlords in U.S. cities.
Quotes:
"In New York they'd be like, this lovely charred themed room is going to go for $2,300 a month." – Gareth (42:06)
8. Failed Anvil Chorus Record & Women on Juries (44:12 - 54:13)
- The Boston Symphony fails to break an 1872 “loudest concert” record using anvils and a small chorus, with only 38 singers showing up vs. 20,000 in the original (44:20).
- The hosts mock the futility of record-setting stunts and the lack of measurement standards.
- Newly-allowed (but unimplemented) women’s right to serve on New Hampshire juries, highlighting lingering systemic sexism (49:10).
Notable Quotes:
"It's so funny getting the right to do that and being like. Actually sounds like a really shitty right." – Dave (54:13)
"Women, we've heard you. You can sit through boring trials... You're welcome. Equality is here." – Gareth (54:36)
9. Animal Trivia, Monkeys Named Bob Hope, and Amnesia (54:49 - 60:57)
- Random fact: monkey and ape rib counts differ, leading to a series of escalating, raunchy jokes about animal self-sufficiency (54:49).
- Search for Bob Hope (the monkey, not the famous entertainer) who escaped a carnival—leads to tangents about celebrity creepiness (57:04).
- A woman with amnesia found in Troy, NY prompts reflections on how easy it was to "have" or fake amnesia in the past (59:12).
10. Cops, Crime, and Social Commentary (60:57 - End)
- Suspected bandit pursued by police in New York, shot dead during a dramatic bus chase—riffing on U.S. cop culture, escalation, and police violence (60:57–66:10).
- Comparison of policing in the U.S. vs. Ireland/UK and the legacy of Irish immigrants as American cops.
- Social commentary on recidivism, the U.S. prison labor system, and the myth of veteran support in America.
- Episode closes with Katie plugging her show, joking about Ireland not wanting America’s “H’s or Trumps,” and general goodbyes (67:25+).
Memorable Moment:
"In America, you work till you die, so that's the point." – Gareth (15:55)
"They really didn't think through anything." – Dave (39:57)
Standout Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)
- “Conor McGregor’s dick is like a Muppet character.” — Gareth (11:09)
- "In America, you work till you die, so that's the point." — Gareth (15:55)
- "She killed her grandfather." — Dave (17:51)
- "It's so funny getting the right to do that and being like. Actually sounds like a really shitty right. So we're good?" — Dave (54:13)
- "Women, we've heard you. You can sit through boring trials... You're welcome. Equality is here." — Gareth (54:36)
- “If squirrels see a child, they will descend upon it.” — Dave (16:58)
- "Married and single men will play baseball Friday." — Dave (32:02)
- "The Catholic Church wouldn't give the bananas because of the sexual nature of it." — Katie Boyle (31:04)
- "In New York they'd be like, this lovely charred themed room is going to go for $2,300 a month." — Gareth (42:06)
Tone & Atmosphere
- Lively, irreverent, and freewheeling—jokes build off each article, quickly spiraling into social commentary, absurdist improvisation, and raunchy asides. The dynamic between Dave and Gareth is playful, with Katie Boyle skillfully joining the chaos and adding unique perspectives, especially from an Irish viewpoint.
Segment Timestamps (Highlights)
- [00:01-03:03] – Opening banter, Katie’s intro
- [04:10-08:28] – Scaffold “fight” story
- [09:35-14:51] – Conor McGregor riff
- [16:08-18:28] – Missing girl and grandfather’s heart attack
- [19:25-21:07] – Traffic court report & minor news
- [26:22-28:05] – Rope twirling in Congress
- [29:03-31:04] – “Flying Fox” banana mover and Irish banana history
- [32:02-33:29] – Married vs. single baseball
- [33:29-34:58] – Eva Braun rumors
- [35:39-38:44] – Jitterbug contest in prison & prison reform
- [40:09-42:06] – Teenagers, fire hydrants, and criminal landlords
- [44:20-47:15] – Anvil chorus record attempt
- [49:10-54:38] – Women’s jury duty, bureaucratic inertia
- [54:49-57:16] – Monkey trivia & Bob Hope the monkey
- [59:12-60:57] – Amnesia stories
- [60:57-66:10+] – Robbery, cop violence, and social commentary
- [67:25-End] – Plugs, national jabs, and sign-off
Final Thoughts
Fans of The Dollop will find exactly what they’re looking for: eccentric history, sharp satire, and wild tangents delivered with breakneck comedic energy. Katie Boyle keeps up with the hosts, providing international flavor and fresh punchlines. Whether you’re interested in the social ramifications of fire hydrant crimes or just want to know what happens when a monkey named Bob Hope escapes a carnival, this episode delivers more laughs and weirdness per minute than most podcasts can dream of.
Recommended for: Listeners seeking outrageous historical anecdotes, comedy, and unscripted riffing with a transatlantic twist.
Listen if you enjoy: Absurd news, social satire, and the kind of tangents that only comedians can deliver.