VERA SMITH, organiser of the third annual Russian Cultural Festival talks to Noel McGuinness about the differences and similarities between Ireland and Russia. The Russian Cultural Festival introduces Irish visitors to a wide range of Russian cultural activities and artifacts, from food to dancing. Vera tells Noel a few things about Russia that he didn’t…
Ballymun Men’s Centre
Pat Meehan talks to ANDREW EARLY about the Ballymun Men’s Centre. The centre has ran out of funding. Set up in 1996, it is a drop in centre for men in the local area. For men who are unemployed or retired or separated etc. It is somewhere to go and get guidance free of charge from…
Ice Swimming in Lough Dan, Wicklow
FERGAL SOMERVILLE speaks to Noel McGuinness about the Ice Swim challenge taking place in Lough Dan. They begin by discussing a swim that was cancelled in Dollymount due to it being more than 5 degrees celsius and so, too warm to class as Ice swimming. Instead they ventured to Lough Dan where it was a…
Oral History project on the Magdalene Laundries
SINEAD PEMBROKE speaks to Ronnie O’Brien who is seeking interviewees for a history project based on the Irish Magdalene Laundries. Sinead speaks a little about the known history of the Laundries and the ladies who became involved with them over the course of their lifetime. She then explains both the purpose of the project and…
Talk of Closures of Post office’s in Ireland
Noel Mc Guinness speaks to DERMOT HIGGINS who is a Postmaster in Ballymun & he is also the Dublin Spokesperson for the Irish Postmasters union. DERMOT talks about the threat of a lot of post offices closing & why the government want the country to go cashless. He talks about how important the post office…
Anam Cara Helping Bereaved Parents
Noel McGuinness talks to SHARON VARD, CEO of Anam Cara, a support group for parents who have lost children. The loss of a child is every Mum and Dad’s worst nightmare, the pain goes deep. Family and friends try to understand, and indeed are going through their own grieving process, but the only person who…
The Incredible Edible healthy eating month
YVONNE WHELAN of Scoil Catriona joins John Healy to discuss the “Incredible Edible Healthy Eating Month”, an initiative to encourage the growing of vegetables in the school environment. Yvonne shares with us how the children get involved with growing vegetables and complete five tasks over the course of the growth process, with the purpose being…
Ciaran Mullooly’s New Book, “Back To The Future”
Conor speaks to CIARAN MULLOOLY, RTE Midlands correspondent about his new book, “Back To The Future”. He talks about his background up to his position to RTE, how he got involved in media, her association with Maeve Binchy, how lucky he feels to be able to get his break and the interviews he conducted with…
The Ierne Club’s Place in History
DES KANE from the Ierne Social & Sports Club, talks to Pat Meehan about the club’s growth and history. Based on Gracepark Road, Drumcondra, the club was originally formed in 1911 as the C. B. P.P. U. ( Christian Brothers Past Pupils Union ). It was based for many years at 12 Parnell Sq East,…
Aoife Dunne and Oscar Leonard from Scene Not Heard
AOIFE DUNNE and OSCAR LEONARD talk about their experience at Scene Not Heard…
Pensioners Receive Pension Tax Bills by Post
MAIREAD HAYES of the Senior Citizens’ parliament discusses the taxing of state pensions with NOEL McGuinness. Under new rules under Section 261, the Department of Social Protection has started taxing State Pensions regardless of the marital status or health status of those in receipt of the pensions. In some cases the sums are as low…
Protest against Corrib Gas Project
Mark Finnegan chats with RUARI MCKIERAN a social campaigner about the Corrib gas project. The Corrib gas project cuts to the core of this republic and asks big questions about how the country is run. For more than 10 years now, campaigners have attempted to highlight the project’s many flaws. It had been one of…
Culture Shots: the Science of Design and Marketing
Noel McGuinness is talking to NEAR Coop Multicultural Coordinator GRACE WILENTZ and to trainers Katrina and Nalena and is live in the Near FM studios. The girls are learning to use Photoshop for graphic design. They say that as they become more proficient in their IT and marketing skills they are becoming more confident in…
The future of the 1916 Moore street buildings: 2013
Councillor Nial Ring speaks to Pat Meehan about the fate of the buildings on Moore street so closely associated with the 1916 rising, primarily as the location of the main rebel surrender. Controversy surrounds the plans of the government to demolish the buildings on the site to make way for a shopping centre. Nial outlines…
New Tech Cuts Doc’s Response Times
NICK O’HARE from Medicare introduces Mark Finnegan to the new AMD technology for doctors. Out of hours doctors’ response times will be cut by two thirds in Ireland with the introduction of a new technology by Ireland’s leading healthcare company, Mediserve. The AMD TeleClinic involves a high-tech portable device being despatched quickly to patients’ homes,…