Irish Prison Service podast by The 2 Johnnies has 1.6m downloads, Justice Minister says
Gordon Deegan
The Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Jim O’Callaghan, has stated that the sponsored Irish Prison Service (IPS) podcast episode made by The 2 Johnnies has had 1.6 million downloads to date.
Last month, the Irish Prison Service (IPS) confirmed in response to a Freedom of Information request that it paid comedy duo, The 2 Johnnies €24,600 (incl VAT) for the sponsored podcast.
The sponsored podcast, deployed as part of the IPS 2025 recruitment campaign, featured prison staff speaking about life working in an Irish prison and the advantages of a job in the penal system.
Now, in a series of written Dáil replies to Ken O’Flynn on the 2 Johnnies podcast, Minister O’Callaghan said that the sponsored podcast episode “has 1.6 million downloads to date and that the social media segments were distributed across Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok”.
He said that the €24,600 spend “covers the podcast episode including four supporting social media segments developed and deployed over the duration of the recruitment campaign”.
He said that “these include the main podcast poster and separate segments on prisoner engagement, female prisons, gang management, and contraband prevention”.
He said: “The Irish Prison Service (IPS) state that, at the time of campaign planning, the podcast in question was Ireland’s most listened-to podcast.”
He said that the sponsored 2 Johnnies podcast was part of the 2025 Irish Prison Service recruitment campaign, where it aims to recruit 300 prison officers in 2025.
He said that the 2025 campaign concluded on July 31st 2025, generating a total of 1,774 applications, up 8 per cent from 1,642 applications in 2024, which in turn was a 17 per cent decrease in applications compared to 2023.
He said that the IPS entered the sponsored media partnership with The 2 Johnnies Podcast “with a view to reaching a broad national audience in particular in the age cohort at which recruitment is mainly aimed."
He said: “The Irish Prison Service is currently reviewing the outcomes of the 2025 campaign to inform its future recruitment strategy."
Asked the cost per applicant of The 2 Johnnies podcast by the Cork North Central TD, Minister O’Callaghan told Deputy O’Flynn that based on the total spend and number of applications, the cost of the podcast per applicant can be calculated at approximately €14.
He said: “There is no formal record of applicants or successful candidates who referenced the podcast episode as their point of engagement; however, I understand that anecdotal feedback indicates that the podcast contributed positively to public awareness and application volume.
He said: “Media monitoring conducted by the IPS in respect of the campaign for the period covering June 26th to July 31st recorded a combined reach of just over 1 million across magazine, national press, radio, regional press, and television.
He said: “This figure excludes website traffic and reflects the breadth of traditional media engagement. Content development was subject to editorial review by the IPS with adjustments made post-recording to ensure that no content could prejudice or impair the security of any prison, its staff, or prisoners and final approval was signed off by the IPS Communications Manager.”
Accounts returned for The 2 Johnnies entertainment company earlier this year showed that the €24,600 payout by the IPS would represent a very small proportion of the duo’s annual income.
In a bumper year for the two comedians, Johnny Smacks McMahon and Johnny B O'Brien, accounts show that post-tax profits at the pair’s Big Ball Small Ball Productions Ltd increased by 68 per cent to €453,682 for the 12 months to the end of April 2024.
The busy year for the firm resulted in remuneration for the two rising by 25 per cent to €485,447, including pension payments.
At the end of April 2024, the company was sitting on accumulated profits of €857,205.
