JACK BYRNE, one of the founders of NearFM chats to John Healy about the station’s beginnings. North Dublin community radio station Near FM, which marks its 20th anniversary next week, had very humble beginnings. Its first studio was an empty car crate, wallpapered with egg boxes, located in a vacant school dormitory in Coolock. From…
FRANK SCALZO & ROB WALSH talk to Mark Finnegan about the Men’s Shed movement in Ballymun and Ireland as a whole. What is a Men’s Shed? A Men’s Shed is a dedicated, friendly and welcoming meeting place where men come together and undertake a variety of mutually agreed activities. Men’s Sheds are open to all…
LORRAINE MONAGHAN, Industrial Relations Officer of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, talks to Mark Finnegan about industrial action being taken at Beaumont Hospital. The action is being taken by INMO members in an attempt to end severe and unsafe overcrowding within the Emergency Department. INMO members have been left with no other choice but…
Roving reporter FELICITY KEARNY talks to some of the artists at the opening of North Central Dublin’s Bealtaine Art Exhibition. North Dublin Group art exhibition launched on Tuesday May 5th at 2pm in the Axis Arts Centre, Ballymun. The exhibition displays the wealth of talent and invention existing in the art groups and individuals over…
FIONN SCOTSCHECK talks to Noel McGuinness about the Irish Blue Cross’s annual Bark in the Park™ sponsored dog walks in St. Anne’s Park in Raheny to raise vital funds for sick and needy pets. The Irish Blue Cross can guarantee entertainment and fun for all the family, both 2-legged and 4-legged. After the walk, participants…
Actor DICK TOBIN chats to Conor Doyle about his part in the new play ‘Port Authority’ by playwright CONOR McPHERSON that is opening at the Viking Theatre in Clontarf. In Port Authority we meet Kevin, Dermot and Joe, three generations of Irishmen. Set against the backdrop of contemporary Dublin, each mans story is a beautifully…
MARIA FARRON, Treasurer of the Enchiriadis Treis Choir chats to Conor Doyle about one of the choir’s forthcoming concerts in Portmarnock in May. Enchiriadis Treis is a mixed adult choir of about 120 voices, based in Malahide, County Dublin, Ireland. Founded by Dr. Marion Doherty Hayden in 1994, it is committed to achieving musical excellence…
Producer and presenter DEBBIE HUTCHINSON talks to John Healy about ‘Novels, Plays, and Schooldays’. Novels, Plays and Schooldays is a new nine-part radio series produced by Near fm with financial support from The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland. The series looks at the novels and plays that form part of the Junior and Leaving Certificate English…
KEVIN O’TOOLE of The Chameleon restaurant talks to Mark Finnegan about a new charity drive in aid of Nepali earthquake victims. Fancy winning dinner for two and overnight accommodation at Neven Maguire’s acclaimed MacNean House and Bistro in Blacklion, Co Cavan, eating some superb food, and raising money for the earthquake relief effort in Nepal?…
The Bealtaine festival celebrates creativity as we age. MICHAEL FOLEY, Head of Evaluation and Public Affairs with Age and Opportunity, talks to Noel McGuinness about the huge variety of events that will take place. see also http://bealtaine.com/ An estimated 120,000 people now take part in the Bealtaine festival, making it one of Ireland’s biggest arts…
Mark Finnegan is joined in studio by Director of the upcoming Finglas Festival 2015, SEAN MOONEY. Over the last couple of months a voluntary committee of enthusiastic and caring people of the community joined together to organize the Festival for July 2015. The Festival was a huge success in the past and with the hard…
Mark Finnegan is joined by Transition year (TY) students SOPHIE O’ROURKE and SHANNON O’CONNOR along with Head Teacher SIOBHAN O’CONNELL from St Mary’s Secondary School in Baldoyle. Each year the TY students take part in a Transition Year Musical, this year’s production is The Music Man, The show will be a fantastic night of entertainment…
ALAN BRACKEN comes into Near FM to chat with Mark Finnegan. Alan was elected to the Fianna Fáil National Executive last week. “I was delighted to be elected and now hope to get Fianna Fáil moving in Dublin once again. Fianna Fáil must work hard to show an alternative in communities across the country. I…
A HOME ON the street where the the first Dublin Says No protest took place has the highest level of lead contamination of drinking water in Dublin. Local resident TONY MacHALE gives Noel McGuinness the background to the findings. Results of random testing showed that the house on Watermill Drive in Raheny had lead contamination…
The England v Ireland cricketing clash was held at Malahide on Friday May 8th, 2015. The picturesque Dublin ground was the setting for a record attendance of ten thousand on a memorable day for Irish cricket. FERGUS CARROLL reports live from Malahide, keeping Noel McGuinness up to date on happenings in the north County Dublin…