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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...

Leaving Cert results are nearly here, but for thousands of students the excitement of college is being overshadowed by one big worry: where will they live? We’re joined by Seán DeBurca, incoming Students’ Union President at the University of Galway, to break down just how bad the accommodation situation is in Galway – from soaring rents and purpose-built “student” blocks priced like luxury, to fiv...

This week on iRadio's Groupchat Business Spotlight, we're chatting to Cian Kirby, co-founder of Perfect Scent 4 U. What started as an idea between three friends who were tired of carrying around bulky fragrance bottles has grown into a successful Irish business that's building a loyal following online and at markets across the country. 

IVF is something more and more families in Ireland are experiencing, but it's still a journey many people don't talk openly about. It can be emotionally draining, physically demanding and, for many, financially overwhelming.  My next guest knows that journey all too well. Charlotte Wright from Roscommon and her fiancé Damien are currently expecting their second child after successful IVF trea...

Today we’re talking about a topic that has been at the forefront of every showbiz headline and social post for the past number of weeks. Pop star Ariana Grande has received heavy backlash for her appearance while on her Eternal Sunshine tour, with thousands of people around the world commenting and shaming her body size. We’re joined by Conor Nolan, who has recently joined them as a Yout...

Money can be one of the biggest sources of tension in a relationship, but it's also one of the topics couples are often most reluctant to talk about. From awkward conversations about who pays on a first date to deciding whether to merge finances after marriage, navigating money together isn't always straightforward.  This week on Between the Sheets, Leah is joined by Máiread Loughman, matchma...

The way we build careers is changing, and Gen Z seems to be rewriting the rulebook. From "lily padding"  - to investing hundreds or even thousands of euro in career coaches, younger workers are taking a very different approach to work than previous generations.   But are these trends actually paying off? Is job loyalty becoming a thing of the past? And why are so many young professi...

Despite being more digitally connected than ever, we're living through a loneliness epidemic. Sarah Quinn is tackling it in a refreshingly simple way: starting conversations with strangers.  A mindset and movement coach, Sarah has built a platform around the power of kindness and human connection. Her videos, where she asks strangers, "Do you want to chat?", have resonated with thousands, rem...

This week on iRecommend, Leah's chatting to wellness coach, author and podcast host Nathalie Lennon, whose new podcast Shake the Ground is all about the moments that change us. From career pivots and relationship lessons to confidence, resilience and personal growth, the series explores the decisions that push us outside our comfort zones and the breakthroughs that often follow. 

Online scams are becoming more convincing than ever, and they're catching people of all ages. From fake text messages claiming to be from your bank or delivery company, to AI-generated phone calls, romance scams and bogus social media competitions, fraudsters are constantly finding new ways to trick people out of their money and personal information.  Digital Marketing Consultant Muriel Foley...

This week on iRadio Business Spotlight, Leah is chatting to Aisling Gelston from Lucan, who has taken a long-held idea and turned it into reality with the launch of Reoite Ireland a frozen yoghurt truck bringing sweet treats and coffee across Dublin.  Like many new business owners, Aisling has discovered that turning an idea into a reality involves a lot more planning, hard work and problem-s...