VICTOR BLACK, director of the Festival of Flowers in St Doolough’s Church in Malahide talks to Pat about the logistical problems involved in putting together a top-class floral event. This 2014 Malahide show brought together top flower arrangers from all over Ireland to display their art to a very wide audience. The international flower show…
Swords 1014 commemoration
Noel McGuinness interviews PAUL BARNES, events officer at Fingal County Council about the Swords 1014 commemoration, which mark the connection of Swords with the 1000th anniversary of the Battle of Clontarf and the death of Brian Boru as well as Fingal’s strong links to the Vikings. He explains the different events that will take place as well as…
New Culture Shots Course Opens With Internship Advice
NOEL MC GUINNESS has Near Intercultural Coordinator of of NEAR Media coop GRACE WILLENTZ. Grace is talking about ‘Culture Shots’ a new training course. This new course is focusing on getting people used to the process of producing their own programmes for radio. The training plans tend to go astray a little as the groups…

Dublin Bay Prawn Festival Howth
Noel Mc Guinness speaks to AOIFE HEALY who is founder of the Dublin prawn festival in Howth. This is the fifth year the festival has been taking place in Howth & promises to be the best & biggest so far with three marquees that will have live bands cultural events & cookery demos . There…
Ranelagh Arts festival 2013
CONOR MCDEVITT of the Ranelagh arts festival joins Eoin Drinan to discuss the events of this years festival. They speak of bringing fifty artists from India who will demonstrate their skills in palm leaf and wood carving. There will also be many theatrical events including a play called “The Crossing” staged outside the village market…
Developing Phibsboro
PETER MURRAY and PATRICK GRANT talk to Mark Finnegan about proposed planning changes for the Phibsboro area. They feel that it is important to allow local people to have a say inj the planning process in order to avoid bringing further traffic chaos to the area (as exemplified by the daily jam at Doyle’s Corner)…
Ecological soundscapes
Eoin Drynan speaks to Author BERNIE KRAUSE beginning with talking about his recordings of ecological Soundscapes. He speaks of his recordings and what has inspired them. He speaks of “In the Wild Sanctuary” an album of soundscapes which he recorded and compiled using these natural sounds as an orchestration. They also speak of the sound…
The Impossible Project: The Last Producer of Polaroid Film
CREED O’Hanlon joins Eoin Drinan and begins by talking about the inspiration behind the Impossible Project which seeks to maintain production of Polaroid film for non-digital photographers. Creed says a Polaroid is a “one off” image and that the chemical production process creates a particular, unique atmosphere in the resulting photographs. Creed speaks of the…
Ireland’s Number 1 Table Tennis Player
Conor speaks to GAVIN MAGUIRE, Ireland’s number 1 table tennis player. He talks about what he’s up to at the moment, his progress to become number 1 in Ireland, how he finances his goals and training, his crowd funding page, how his blog can encourage new people to take up table tennis and his difficulties…
Frances Black and the Rise Foundation
Well known singer FRANCES BLACK speaks to Noel McGuinness about her own recovery from addiction and the overwhelming response she has received from the public: “I was inundated with calls from family members, who wanted to know how to cope with someone they love who could possibly be in addiction. People would come up to…
Rise of new HIV Infections in Ireland 2013
TIERNAN BRADY, director of Gay HIV Strategies (GLEN) joins Eoin Drinan to discuss the worrying trend of HIV statistics in Ireland. There was the high level of new infections in Ireland, a statistic growing year on year over the previous 10 years to 166 in the year 2013 The second emerging figure is that the…
Ireland’s Drinking Culture: Addiction or Genetics?
Doctor GARRETT MCGOVERN, a specialist in substance abuse, joins Sabrina Ryan to discuss the link between substance addiction and genetics. Dr McGovern believes there is a possible link between nature and nurture, suggesting that a family environment where drinking heavily is prevalent can have a knock-on effect on the next generation of the household. Dr…
Ossia Youth Choir
CARMEL WHELAN joins Noel McGuinness to talk about the Ossia Youth Choir. They begin by discussing the beginnings of the choir, which Carmel set up. With participants aged between 9 and 16 years of age there are on average thirty members of the choir at any one time. With no previous experience needed the choir…

Social Justice Media conference
PETER CUNNINGHAM, Near Co-op treasurer rounds up the planned events for the Social Justice media seminar, the day before the event occured. He outlines the various speakers lined up, tells us how Minister Pat Rabbitte will deliver the opening speech. Amongst other speakers involved on the day will be Peter McVerry, Gavin Titley and Nessa…
Pat Speight: Storyteller
Barbara Jennings speaks to storyteller PAT SPEIGHT [SLIGHT DISTORTION ON PRESENTER VOICE] via telephone.Pat tells some stories including an anecdote about a genie and a wish and a pig with a wooden leg. www.patspeight.com…
