iRadio's Groupchat

With Halloween just around the corner, iRadio’s Groupchat is stepping into the paranormal with PJ O’Sullivan from Púca Vogue Paranormal Investigators. PJ talks about what first got him into ghost hunting, from strange childhood memories to a shared sighting that never left him, and how his mum pushed him to set up the team. He also explains what a typical investigation involves, from cameras and t...

October is ADHD Awareness Month, and in this episode we’re unpacking what ADHD can look like in real life in children and adults and why so many people still go undiagnosed for years. Chartered Clinical Psychologist Dr. Fionna McDarby explains the different presentations, from hyperactivity and impulsivity to the quieter inattentive type that can be missed in school, and how ADHD can affect everyt...

Shaun Harris – better known online as Shaun with a Fada – joins iRecommend to show how Gaeilge doesn’t have to mean grammar books, exams and fear. With clever puns, wordplay and plenty of laughs, he’s built a huge following by making Irish feel fun and accessible. Shaun chats about growing up through Irish, taking a 10-year break from the language, and the moment an awkward run-in with an old teac...

ATU Sligo lecturers Robert Craig and Mary Nolan join the podcast after taking home Return Award Gold for a simple idea that turned into a huge community impact. By collecting deposit return bottles and cans across campus, their team has raised almost €30,000 for the North West Hospice - the equivalent of around 250,000 returns. They talk about how it started with spotting return containers ending...

Seven budding radio journalists joined iRadio for a special show this week. On the TY Takeover, we looked realities of life for teenagers in 2026, and the difficulties in getting part-time jobs. We reflected on the the future the Gaeltacht, and the funding that is needed. Also, have you noticed 'The Traitors Phenomenon'? We examined it with this season's OG Traitor Carla Geary. The TY Media week p...

Making friends as an adult isn’t always easy - especially once college ends, people move abroad, and everything feels like it revolves around the pub. Leah chats to Redmond Newell , founder of Galway-based Social Beyond the Pub, about why he started the group and the big response it got from people in their 20s looking for a more relaxed way to meet others. They talk about why making friends can f...

What started as a simple idea between two Galway friends has turned into Clean Cut Meals - one of the West of Ireland’s biggest meal prep success stories. Valerie chats to co-founder Michal Dyer about spotting the gap in the market after a J1 in San Francisco, and how they went from cooking meals at home for friends to building a food business in Clarinbridge. They get into the real challenges ear...

Money is something we all have to deal with, but it can feel like you’re expected to know the basics without ever being taught them. Valerie is joined by Tom Hodgkinson, better known as Capital Conditioning on TikTok, to talk budgeting in real-life terms - from “paying yourself first” to simply getting a clear picture of what’s coming in and going out each month. They also unpack what investing ac...

Fresh concerns are being raised about the growing use of nitrous oxide (“laughing gas”) in Ireland, particularly among young people —-and the risks are far more serious than many realise, from loss of consciousness and nerve damage to burns, paralysis and potentially permanent spinal cord injury. Valerie is joined by Senator Teresa Costello, who’s been sounding the alarm after collecting hundreds...

Beauty trends move fast, from viral ingredients to “must-have” routines and eye-watering price tags… but what’s actually worth it? Valerie is joined by content creator Sam Kelly, who has over a decade of experience in the beauty and pharmaceutical industry, to break down what’s driving the boom in Irish beauty brands and how to spot the ones doing more than just looking good on Instagram. They cha...

Valerie is joined by comedian Anna Clifford, one half of Comedy for Witches, for a chat about astrology, crystals, seasonal living and the general chaos of being a woman in your 30s. Anna tells the story of how she went from acting to stand-up, why her first gig in Vancouver had her shaking, and the addictive “natural high” that keeps comics coming back. They get into the “owl hags” identity, taki...

Valerie chats to Lorcan Healy, founder and CEO of EOS Elite, the Irish sports performance brand built around helping people push beyond their limits. Fresh out of school in 2018, Lorcan set himself a big goal: become a professional footballer and a business owner by 30. He shares how that ambition started, how EOS Elite began with a simple gap in the market for decent grip socks, and how he taught...

Social media is such a big part of family life now - but what happens when you’re sharing not just the fun bits, but the reality of parenting a child with additional needs? Valerie is joined by TikTok creator and salon owner Deborah Hannigan, who opens up about life as a mum of three, including Ezra, who has a rare genetic disorder and global developmental delay. They chat about finding support on...

This episode contains discussions around suicide. Listener discretion is advised. Valerie is joined by mental health advocate and content creator Aidan Loughnane (Running With Aidan) for an honest conversation about what it really looks like when you’re not okay - and how hard it can be to say it out loud. Aidan shares his journey with anxiety, panic attacks and OCD from his teens, the day he felt...

How good are you at actually switching off from work? For so many of us, the working day doesn’t end when we leave the office - it follows us home through emails, Teams notifications, and that constant “I should just check” feeling. Valerie is joined by organisational psychologist Cliodhna O’Dea from Clio Coaching to unpack why we struggle to properly detach, and what “psychological detachment” re...

Nicola Brennan is making headlines in the GAA world after becoming manager of Leitrim club Melvin Gaels’ men’s football team - stepping in mid-championship with almost no time to spare. She chats to Valerie about how the call came out of the blue, why her first reaction was a straight “no”, and what made her take the chance anyway while still playing championship football herself. Nicola also open...

Controlling behaviour in a relationship can start small - a mood shift when you wear something you love, go out with friends, or do anything that doesn’t suit them. But over time, it can turn into isolation, gaslighting and coercive control. Valerie is joined by Molly Smyth from The Healing Gals Podcast to break down the early warning signs, the difference between “protective” and controlling, and...

Looking for something new to watch as the evenings get darker? This week, Valerie is joined by Eimear Powell, who shares film and TV reviews on social media, to chat recommendations for every mood - from gripping cinema trips to proper cozy comfort watches. Eimear talks about training as an actor at Bow Street, falling out of love with the spotlight, and why she started posting accessible, no-nons...

More than 300,000 public sector workers have taken part in a 24-hour strike, shutting schools and disrupting healthcare, courts and other services as talks on a new pay deal drag on. Valerie is joined by Seamus Burns from Well to Teach to explain how the day unfolded on the picket line, what kind of support teachers and SNAs have been getting from parents and the wider public, and why this isn’t j...

Jordan Breen is a 27-year-old full-time artist from Enniskillen who’s turned Irish-themed paintings into prints that are now selling all around the world. In this episode, he chats about how drawing was always his first love, why he fell out of love with art at university, and how COVID pushed him back into painting when he needed purpose. He opens up about taking the scary leap from pub work to g...

More than 300,000 public sector workers across Ireland are set to take part in a 24-hour strike - with schools and colleges closed, healthcare appointments cancelled, court sittings suspended and local authority services disrupted. Valerie is joined by Scott Miller from SIPTU’s Communications Department to explain what’s behind the breakdown in pay talks, why unions say the government’s offer effe...

Leah Cahill is back, and since we last spoke she’s taken a massive step: after a DNA test and the help of an organisation in China, she found her birth parents - and travelled to meet them in person for the first time. She talks honestly about the overwhelm of that first day, her biological mother’s reaction, and what it was like meeting her sister and feeling an instant connection — even with a l...

Can you bring an iced latte into a job interview… or is that an instant red flag? Valerie digs into the “unwritten rules” of getting hired - and whether we’re all overthinking interview etiquette. Careers coach Angela Burke joins us with the practical do’s, don’ts and grey areas: the biggest interview mistakes people make, why “saying what you think they want to hear” can backfire, and how to stop...

Ireland’s public IVF scheme is finally here, but what’s it actually like trying to access fertility treatment through the state? Valerie is joined by Eilbhe Kennedy, who recently featured on RTÉ Investigates with her husband Lee, as they shared the reality of secondary infertility, “normal” test results, and living cycle-to-cycle for years. Elva opens up about being refused the HSE scheme at first...

Could the government become the new Cupid? Singapore has rolled out a matchmaking service for government workers aged 21–35, using a Nobel Prize-winning algorithm to pair people based on interests, habits and values - with one date at a time and no endless swiping. Valerie asks: could something like this work in Ireland, and would you trust the government to find you a partner? Matchmaker Mairead...