Local Lens

July sees the start of Ireland’s six month term holding the Presidency of the European Union.  In advance of a particularly busy time for her Department, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Meath TD Helen McEntee, recorded a special interview about the EU Presidency with Local Lens.   It touches on a wide range of topics including her priorities, the forthcoming EU Budget, Ukraine, tariffs and trade...

Celebrating the Boyne Valley in the context of tourism, heritage and the related drivers of economic growth and jobs in county Meath, are discussed in this month’s episode.   With topics ranging from Newgrange to Farmaphobia, from Púca to post-pandemic outdoor activities, this episode is full of information and conversation about the rich heritage and tourism offerings in the county.   Joining the...

The future of Meath’s civil society hinges on the participation and democratic investment of its younger citizens. The engine of our society—Gen Z, born between 1997 and 2012—has often struggled to make the crucial connection between voting and the decisions that directly impact their lives.  With almost 70% of unregistered voters under the age of 34, there is a significant push to ensure every el...

How can we live our best and longest life?  It is a question that we all ponder as we age. This episode looks at what is happening in county Meath, and nationally, to help us to ‘age in place’ and as recommended by the World Health Organisation. Catherine McGuigan, Chief Officer, Age Friendly Ireland which is a shared service across the 31 local authorities in Ireland and hosted nationally by Meat...

As Local Enterprise Week approaches, this episode of Local Lens takes you inside Thrive – Meath County Council’s new Centre of Business Excellence and the county’s most ambitious step yet in delivering seamless, strategic support to businesses of all sizes. Located beside Buvinda House, Thrive brings every major business support team under one roof. From Economic Development and the Local Enterpri...

Being emergency-ready is a priority for Meath County Council. In this episode, listeners are encouraged to sign up to MapAlerter.ie to receive free text alerts from the local authority so they too can prepare for adverse weather, possible power outages and other unusual events. Joining the discussion on being emergency-ready are the Chief Executive of Meath County Council, Kieran Kehoe, the Chief...

The Meath electorate vote every five years and how those voters, and the forty councillors they elect, influence the decisions in county Meath are discussed in the first episode of Local Lens in 2026. The Cathaoirleach, Councillor Wayne Harding, talks about his role and how there is no such thing as a typical day. He explains the way the public has input into committees that make recommendations w...

In a wide ranging conversation with Kieran Kehoe, the Chief Executive of Meath County Council, we hear about his vision to improve the quality of life for people who have made, or want to make, their home in county Meath. How this can be achieved, who is involved in making it happen and why he believes so strongly that Meath is the best county in Ireland, all feature in an episode that brings the...

Did you know Meath has 9 decarbonisation zones? Or that for the first time in over thirty years Bettystown has Blue Flag status confirming it has the same amenities and standards as Blue Flag beaches found in other parts of the world including California? In this episode we talk with Climate Action Officer Mary Darcy, Environment Education Officer Bernadine Cary, and Community Warden Alan Nolan. W...

Meath could have one of the most sustainable stretches of road in the country! On this episode we find out where it is and why it is part of the council’s response to becoming more sustainable in all areas of transport. Senior Engineer Caroline Corrigan talks about the roads – and there are a lot of them - the impact of climate change, responding to those changes and how to do all of this in a sus...

Helping to provide homes is one of the most important areas of service of any county council. This is a complex and complicated service area where there is a person or family behind every statistic. In this episode Director of Services Fiona Fallon and Housing Settlement Officer Gemma Ryan from talk about their work, the successes and the challenges. We also hear from two people who got their fore...

Why a podcast and why now? Communications Manager Ailish Shaw talks about Local Lens, what listeners can expect and how residents of Meath can get in touch. The first guest is Dara McGowan, Director of Enterprise and Economic Development, who discusses the multifaceted topic of economic development in Meath. From soft supports for start-ups to support mechanisms for FDI and the exciting new Centre...

Meath is the Royal county and this episode looks at some of its cultural richness and how the council engages with the community in this area. Librarian Aoife Carberry talks about the immense reach the library network in Meath in the online and in person worlds. She reveals some of the exciting elements of the new library in East Meath Civic Centre and we hear from one family on their love of book...

County Meath - The Royal County. Home to over 220,000 people and where Meath County Council deliver more than 1,000 services and this is Local lens, a Podcast where you can find out more about those services and the people who provide them. Local Lens by Meath County Council - Releasing February 25th on all Platforms.