Darragh Woods / Presenter

Darragh Woods is from Omeath, just a short drive down the road from Dundalk, but when it comes to Dundalk FC he has been a supporter from as early as he can remember. The Lilywhites are not a casual interest for Darragh; they are a passion that has run through a significant part of his life, and when the opportunity came to bring that passion to Dundalk FM, he did not need to think about it twice.

The Build Up launched in 2024 and airs every Friday after the 7pm news bulletin, taking listeners through team news, statistics, and the key talking points in the build-up to live match commentary on Oriel Park Live. The show covers Dundalk FC across the League of Ireland, featuring interviews with managers, coaches, and players, analysis of form and upcoming fixtures, and the kind of honest, enthusiastic football conversation that only someone who genuinely lives and breathes the club can deliver with authority.

Darragh’s favourite place in the world is Oriel Park, Dundalk’s home ground on the Carrickmacross Road. He describes a Friday night at Oriel as the perfect way to spend an evening, and The Build Up exists partly to share that feeling with as many people as possible, including the large and passionate Dundalk FC diaspora who follow the club from outside Ireland and rely on Dundalk FM for their connection to match nights.

What strikes listeners about Darragh is his unfiltered enthusiasm. He is not performing football knowledge; he actually has it, and he is visibly thrilled to be able to share it on air. He started at Dundalk FM in 2024, he says, and never looked back. For someone whose obsession with Dundalk FC has been a defining feature of his life, finding a way to make that obsession genuinely useful to other supporters is the best possible outcome.

Follow the show on Instagram at thebuildup_ondkfm and on Facebook. As Darragh himself would say: now you’re Dundalk’n. C’mon the Town.