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Long queues can ruin a great night out - and Daniel Cohen knows that pain first-hand after spending nearly an hour waiting for a drink at a festival and missing acts he came to see. In this Business Spotlight, Daniel (founder and CEO of Skippio) chats about how that frustration turned into a tech solution designed to help fans order drinks faster, and what it really took to go from idea to live ev...

This conversation includes discussion of mental health and suicide, listener discretion is advised.   OCD is often talked about in terms of intrusive thoughts and compulsions – but not enough about the toll it can take on someone’s mental health, and why suicide prevention has to be part of the conversation too. Valerie is joined by Lucy, OCD advocate behind Your OCD Sister, who opens up...

If the words investing, pensions, and financial planning make your eyes glaze over, this episode is for you. Valerie is joined by Caoimhe (the Irish Numbers Girl), a qualified accountant and accounting lecturer who’s built a following by making money talk feel a lot less intimidating. They break down why investing can seem so complicated in Ireland , and what you actually need in place first — lik...

Forget the dating apps for a minute - because love might be waiting in the fields at the National Ploughing Championships. Valerie is joined by matchmaker Mairead Lockman from Love HQ, who’s bringing her “The Farmer Wants a Wife” matchmaking service to the ploughing, welcoming everyone from male and female farmers to gay farmers, and anyone curious about rural life. They chat about what actually m...

If you ever get into trouble on a mountain, a remote trail, or somewhere hard to reach, Galway Mountain Rescue could be the team that comes looking for you. They’re on call 24/7 - and they do it all as volunteers. Valerie is joined by team member Hannah Gibney to explain what call-outs can look like across Galway and North Clare, from injured hikers to missing people caught out after dark (and the...

Heart disease and stroke don’t always come with warning signs - which is why prevention matters. Valerie is joined by Aisling Harris, cardiac and weight management dietician with Croí, to break down the simple checks that can make a real difference. They chat about knowing your numbers (blood pressure and cholesterol), understanding your family history, and why heart health isn’t something to park...

If you’ve been watching The Traitors Ireland, you’ll know the castle has been full of twists, suspicion and backstabbing - and this week one GAA contestant’s journey came to an end. Valerie is joined by Saoirse Joyce, who went in as a Faithful and found herself banished after weeks of trying to figure out who she could actually trust. Saoirse chats through the casting process (TikTok application,...

Starting college can feel like a high at first - CAO night, the debs, graduation, freshers week — and then the comedown hits. Valerie is joined by Craig to talk about that sudden loneliness that can creep in when everything finally goes quiet. Craig opens up about commuting alone for the first time, how even small changes can mess with your head, and why staying busy didn’t actually fix what he wa...

As students across Ireland get ready to head back to college, the accommodation scramble is back – and for many, it’s reached crisis point. Valerie is joined by Daniel Walsh, President of USI, to explain just how serious things are, and why some students are giving up before they even start looking. Daniel breaks down what he says is a lack of state investment in purpose-built student housing, the...

Caitlin Lowry from Longford is on a mission to change Ireland’s education system. After leaving school at 14 due to severe anxiety, she taught herself the Leaving Cert curriculum independently, all while grieving the loss of her father - and has just received her results. She joins iRadio’s Groupchat to explain why self-taught students are being left behind, especially when it comes to project wor...

If you’re already dreaming of getting away as the nights get darker, this episode is for you. Valerie McHugh is joined by travel journalist Melanie May to share her top picks for autumn and winter city breaks – from warm-weather favourites like Lisbon, Seville and Athens, to crisp Central European classics like Prague, Vienna, Budapest and Krakow. They also chat Christmas markets (including Tallin...

From a TY Mini Company project to an AI-powered study app with an ambitious plan to raise €500,000, Sean Cahill and Paddy Corcoran are taking StudyTok way beyond the classroom. They tell Valerie how the idea was born while they were meant to be studying for the Junior Cert… and ended up doom-scrolling instead. That “TikTok but for study” concept turned into an app that hit tens of thousands of dow...

Childhood is changing fast - and so is the way kids play, cope and communicate. Valerie is joined by Robin Burns from Robyn’s Nest Play Therapy in Loughrea, Co. Galway to unpack why play isn’t “just for fun”, but a child’s natural language. Robyn explains what play therapy is (and who it can support), from anxiety and low self-esteem to bereavement, trauma and parental separation. They also talk a...

Heading back to college can mean fresh starts, new people… and messy love lives. From long-distance relationships to first dates, breakups, hookups and everything in between, it’s a lot to navigate. Valerie is joined by psychologist and relationship therapist Louise Carroll to talk about how to actually make long distance work (without living in “when we see each other again” limbo), and how to de...

Social media star Andrea Woods joins Leah on iRadio’s Groupchat to talk about taking the leap from TikTok to stand-up, and why she’s putting her energy into her comedy career, Crack with Andrea. Andrea chats about starting content during COVID after moving home from London, the one video that sparked it all, and what it’s like building a community of hundreds of thousands online. She also opens up...

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...