It’s back! But this time with an even bigger bang! And a new name! Formerly known as the Rock-N-Roll Conference, held in Dublin last year, the whole shebang will be working under a new name, The Dublin Rock-N- Roll Festival! KEIRAN BLACK chats here with Conor Daly about all the events planned for this festival…
Dublin is Open for Exploration of the Universe
Professor LUKE DRURY, Director of the School of Cosmic Physics, commenced a three-year term as Chair of the European Space Agency’s Astronomy Working Group in 2014. He is currently President of the Royal Irish Academy. Here he talks to Mark Finnegan about forthcoming events at Dunsink Observatory. The European Space Agency (ESA) is an intergovernmental…
Comic Con Comes To Dublin 2015
The times have a-changed and this year’s Dublin Comic Con is predicted to attract 16,000 visitors. Once a sub-stratum of society, a whole army of geeks are alive and kicking in Ireland. There are comic book geeks, Whovians and Trekkies, Dungeons and Dragons fanatics, cosplay enthusiasts and “Bronies” – that’s “Bros” who are fans of…

Launch of ‘Portraits of Dunnes Stores Strikers’
Barbara Jennings is reporting from the Hugh Lane Gallery about the ‘Portraits of the Dunnes Stores Strikers ‘ and is talking with the photographer of this GARRETT PHELAN. This portraits of the 11 Irish Dunnes Stores strikers who, on following a directive issued by the Irish Distributive and Administrative Trade Union in 1984, requesting their…
Cancellation of the Bin Charges waiver
SEAN MOYNIHAN from Alone, joins Ronnie O’Brien to discuss the bin charge waiver which is planned to be cancelled in 2012. They begin by talking about an apparent lack of information available to people who will be affected. They also discuss a number of variations which will occur depending on which county council a person will…
PLAN Working in Ethiopia
GERALDINE KELLY talks to Noel McGuinness about her recent trip to Ethiopia working with PLAN Ireland. PLAN sponsors children in developing countries by working in communities to identify the most pressing needs. On this trip, Geraldine was deeply affected by the amount of time needed for people to access basic needs such as food, water,…
Legislation against FMG Required
GRACE WILENTZ, NEAR FM Cultural Coordinator, and PEG McMANUS from the Intercultural Group tell Pat Meehan what’s coming up on the Culture Shots programme. A major issue under the microscope is FGM (Female Genital Mutilation). It is estimated that some 3000 women in Ireland have undergone this ritual, many of them being abducted in order…
The Dangers of International Journalism – Johnathan Miller
Channel 4 News journalist JOHNATHAN MILLER joins Eoin Drinan on the eve of World Press Freedom Day. Johnathan tells Eoin about some of his own experiences in the field from Zimbabwe to South East Asia and Mexico. In the course of their chat, Jonathan talks about Sri Lanka during the final days of the civil…

Bealtaine Fest’s 20th Birthday Celebrations
MICHAEL FOLEY, Head of Evaluation & Public Affairs, Age & Opportunity talks to Noel McGuinness about this year’s Bealtaine Festival events on Dublin’s north side. An estimated 120,000 people now take part in the Bealtaine festival, making it one of Ireland’s biggest arts festivals. From dance to cinema, painting to theatre, Bealtaine showcases the talents…
Irish Coffee Mornings Taking Place All Around Dublin City Centre.
John Healy speaks with BEN MAC LOCHLAINN about the coffee mornings that are taking all around the city of Dublin. BEN talk’s about how we all learned the Irish language in school when we were younger but as we get older a lot of us loose the confidence to speak it, so he came up…
Religious Freedom Also Means Freedom to Be Catholic
Ronnie O’Brien talks to DR. JOHN MURRAY of The Iona Institute about religious freedom. Tanaiste Eamonn Gilmore’s speech has worried the Iona Institute, who feel that separation of Church and State in Ireland has gone far enough. The Institute say that it is not wrong to have the Catholic ethos at the heart of Education and…

Paradise Alley republished
Pat Meehan talks to JOE MOONEY, who comes on to NST to talk about how East Wall celebrates its history in Paradise. ‘Paradise Alley’ by John D Sheridan was first published by Talbot Press in 1945 and a new edition has been published by Seven Towers. The book is a history of a school and…
Homeless crisis increase in Dublin 2013
Deputy DESSIE ELLIS joins Noel McGuinness to discuss the rising figures of homeless people in Dublin in 2013, with 8 new people becoming homeless each day. They discuss the possible causes for such a large increase, including home repossesion and talk of possible solutions including using NAMA owned properties to house the homeless. Dessie makes…
Intercultural Media Project Update
RONNIE O’BRIEN talks to GRACE WILENTZ, Coordinator of Near FM’s Intercultural Dialogue through Community Media initiative, and EOIN DRINAN on updates on the second round of the Intercultural Media Projects and the issue of migrants and the media. The Intercultural Dialogue through Community Media project is co-financed by the European Commission under the European Integration Fund…
Birdwatch Ireland
Ronnie O’Brian speaks to NIALL HATCH from Bird watch Ireland about the ” Roseate Tern” a sea bird that come to Ireland in the summer months…
