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Feeling stuck in your job, tempted by a career change, or just wondering if a degree matters as much as it used to? Leah is joined by careers coach Angela Burke to break down what’s really happening in today’s job market - and why “experience is the new degree” can be true (with a few important exceptions). Angela shares practical ways to identify your transferable skills, stop underselling yourse...

Leaving Cert season can make it feel like points and college are the only way forward - but they’re not. Leah is talking apprenticeships on iRadio’s Groupchat, and why earning while you learn can be the right fit for so many people. Katie O’Connell from Cavan breaks down what a metal fabrication apprenticeship actually involves, from reading engineering drawings and cutting steel to bending, shapi...

The taxi industry is booming, with almost 1,900 new licences issued last year – and now there’s a new Irish-owned app aiming to change how we book and pay for taxis. Leah chats to Abi Mar, a taxi driver who’s just launched Cabi, a cashless taxi app connecting passengers with vetted independent drivers, with options like pet-friendly and 6- and 8-seaters. Abby explains what was missing from the mar...

September can feel strange - summer’s fading, the evenings are getting darker, and after Electric Picnic a lot of people are hit with those post-festival blues. But if that low mood is sticking around, it could be something more. Leah is joined on iRadio’s Groupchat by therapist and mindset coach Lynda Duffy to chat about seasonal affective disorder (SAD), why reduced daylight affects our sleep, e...

September has that “fresh start” energy - back to school, back to college, back to routine - but when it comes to food, it can quickly turn into pressure to change everything at once. Leah is joined on iRadio’s Groupchat by registered dietitian and performance nutritionist Sinead O’Donovan with simple, realistic tips to get your eating habits back on track without the all-or-nothing mindset. They...

Electric Picnic is almost here - tents packed, people on the road to Stradbally, and the excitement of a weekend of music, mates and freedom. But festivals can be intense too: big crowds, broken routines, little sleep, and for some, alcohol and other substances. Valerie is joined by Mick Ledden from PsyCare Ireland to share practical, no-nonsense ways to mind your head at a festival - from what to...

According to new research teachers are under more pressure than ever - and the Teachers Union of Ireland says keeping them in the job is now as big a challenge as recruiting them. Valerie is joined by Seamus from Well to Teach to unpack what’s really driving burnout, from workload and paperwork to “initiative overload” and constant new curriculum changes. Seamus also explains why so many teachers...

Sober social activities are on the rise, and Valerie McHugh is joined by Kate Duggan, founder of Elevate FitFest, to chat about why more people are looking for great days out without alcohol being the centre of it all. Kate explains what Elevate FitFest is really like: a two-day health, wellness and lifestyle festival at the stunning Shanbally House and Gardens in Nenagh (September 5th and 6th), p...

The Chase has been on in nearly every Irish house at some stage - and this week Valerie McHugh is joined by one of its newest fan favourites, Irish Chaser Darragh “The Menace” Ennis, ahead of his Irish quiz tour this September. Darragh chats about the surreal moment you realise you’re a “household name” and the mad backstory of how he went from contestant to Chaser… all because he needed money for...

This week on iRadio Groupchat Business Spotlight, chatting to Donna Bergin, founder of Solace Skincare - and she’s just taken a huge step, opening her very first physical shop in the Craft Village in Spiddal. Donna explains what “solid skincare” actually is, why organic Irish beef tallow is her hero ingredient, and how it can help dry, reactive and sensitive skin - without that “beefy” smell peopl...

Leaving Cert results are in, and now all eyes are on CAO Round 1 offers - landing tomorrow at 2pm for thousands of students. Valerie McHugh is joined by guidance expert Niamh Dwyer from My Career Plan to break down what “grade deflation” actually means, how CAO points are shaped by supply and demand, and why this year feels especially uncertain with more students in the mix. They also chat through...

Solo travel can feel totally different for women - especially when it comes to hotel stays and that constant “what if?” in the back of your mind. Valerie McHugh is joined by Irish content creator I am Fiaya to chat about the safety tips she shares online, from not giving strangers your information to avoiding lifts with people you don’t know. They also get into what hotels could be doing better -...

It all comes down to tomorrow for people living with Friedreich’s ataxia, as the HSE decision on funding Skyclarys is due. Valerie McHugh is joined by 28-year-old trainee solicitor and campaigner Emily Felix, who speaks honestly about the nerves, the hope, and the exhaustion after months of fighting for a drug patients say is life-changing — and already approved in 11 other European countries. Emi...

The Irish Farmers Calendar is back – and this year it’s levelling up with a brand-new Tradesman special. Shauna Byrne, creative director and owner, joins the show to chat about how the calendar became such a hit in Ireland and abroad, why the humour and “tongue-in-cheek” vibe keeps people coming back, and how the lads don’t just show up, take the photos and disappear. They also get into the balanc...

From hard hats to high heels, Rachel Foley is fresh off a huge win in the Bahamas – bringing the Miss Galaxy International crown home to Ireland for the first time. Rachel joins iRadio’s Groupchat to talk about the moment her name was called, why it still hasn’t fully sunk in, and how she’s using her new platform for more than just pageantry. Working in construction as a health and safety officer,...

Leaving Cert results are almost here – and with a record 71,698 students opening envelopes, it’s no surprise the nerves are kicking in. Alex is joined by guidance counsellor and Leaving Cert Guidance creator Donnchadh O’Mahony to talk through what results day can feel like, and why it’s not the be-all and end-all, even if it feels huge right now. They break down what to do if you don’t get the poi...

Alex is in for Valerie this week, and he’s joined by movie reviewer Amy Prendergast (AreYouBuzzin) to break down two of the biggest films of the summer: Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day. They chat about why The Odyssey is getting so much hype, what makes Nolan’s 70mm IMAX experience so different, and where in Ireland you can actually see it the way it was intended. The...

Valerie is joined on iRadio’s Groupchat Business Spotlight by Garreth O’Sullivan from Athlone, who’s taken a huge leap: swapping a secure career in An Garda Síochána for entrepreneurship. Garreth breaks down DockHive, his power bank rental company, and how it works in real life – tap your card or scan a QR code, grab a power bank with multiple cables, and drop it back to any DockHive point around...

Leah Cahill joins Valerie McHugh ahead of an incredibly emotional trip: travelling back to China to meet her birth parents for the very first time. Adopted at 18 months and raised in Trim, Co. Meath, Leah opens up about growing up knowing she was adopted, the teen years where she just wanted to “fit in”, and the complicated feelings that came with being Chinese in Ireland. She also shares how she...

There are still so many misconceptions about what it means to live with HIV – and those outdated ideas continue to fuel stigma. Valerie is joined by 23-year-old community advocate Adrian Duggan from PozVibe Tribe. Diagnosed at 17, Adrian shares what he thought HIV meant at the time, what the diagnosis process was like, and how quickly treatment begins today. They also break down what HIV actually...

What would you do if your partner called off your destination wedding just seven days before you were meant to say “I do”? Cancel everything, or still get on the plane? Valerie is joined by Katherine Jones, who made the jaw-dropping decision to go to her luxury Italian wedding anyway - just without the groom. Catherine opens up about the shock of the breakup after six and a half years together, th...

From navigating the modern dating scene to figuring out what makes a relationship healthy, happy and fulfilling, there’s a lot to get your head around. And when it comes to sex and relationships, knowing what you want -  and feeling comfortable communicating it can make all the difference.    This week on Between the sheets Valerie is chatting with sex, rela...

With so many people now feeling more comfortable putting themselves out there and talking to camera on social media, could it be time to turn that confidence into a career - or even a side hustle?    Casting Director Shauna Griffith has been using TikTok to put out casting calls through her company, SGCASTING, giving performers the chance to hear about roles and opportunities online...

With Electric Picnic just around the corner, who better to get festival-ready advice from than content creator and festival enthusiast Robyn McManus? From packing the absolute essentials to navigating your first Electric Picnic, Robyn knows how to make the most of a festival weekend - and hopefully avoid some of the classic mistakes along the way. 

We're shining a light on inclusion, representation, and why every voice deserves to be heard. We’re joined by Izzie Schon, a 16-year-old podcaster and author from Sligo. Izzie is visually impaired and has autism, and she’s using her own experience to create a more inclusive world through her podcast, The Way It Unfolded, where she gives a platform to neurodivergent people and stories that often go...