The Big Breakfast Blaa

As part of the Tour de Blaa in Lismore, Gearóid Morrissey takes us within the castle walls. While a physical visit is out of the question with the castle privately owned- a virtual visit offers the next best thing. This is exactly what Gearóid gave Dymphna when she popped in to Lismore Heritage Centre. A wealth of offerings is within the centre-with Gearóid himself hailing from one of Lismore's ol...

Ahead of the Bank Holiday weekend, Grace pays tribute to the legacy of Spraoi in Waterford. Many will head to All Together Now, others are Spraoi bound, and some will divide their time between both festivals. Grace Drohan, from 'The Buzz' was a firm part of the Spraoi family for many years. She fondly remembers the legacy of Miriam Dunne, and the impact her efforts had on the county. Grace also ha...

Lehane's in Cappoquin has been an integral part of the community since the 1940s. Those years have seen significant trade, both within the town, and within the motor trade. Having taken over the running of the business from his father, Patrick Lehane kept the empire steady. Now, in 2025, the shopfront remains a fond reminder of the early days of the business. Click on the image to listen back to a...

Today's story from historian Cian Manning reflects on 150 years of a sisterly bond in Lismore. Charlotte and Henrietta Arnold together penned a 101-page book of poems, titled 'Village Lyrics.' Their story has been saved from the pages of history by the efforts of Cian Manning on The Big Breakfast Blaa. His full catalogue of Waterford stories is available on The Big Breakfast Blaa podcast. Click on...

Cappoquin man, Noel O'Donoghue, is playing a vital role in the future of the bustling West Waterford town. In recent years, he took a leap of faith and became a full time artist. This saw him, paintbrush in hand, depicting the importance of St. Declan to the region. As part of the Tour de Blaa feature with Ollie and Dymphna, WLR visited Cappoquin. There, on the side of the road, Noel spoke fondly...

Grace is back regaling us with her tales of a brush with danger and a one-eyed cat. This came right after she watched this season's blockbuster hit, 'I Know What You Did Last Summer.' In her own words, she got more of a fright off the cat. Click on the image to listen back to Grace in full on The Big Breakfast Blaa.

Cappoquin Health Centre is set to become a new GP training centre. This means, on top on the newly established four GP practice, there will be doctors in training. As part of the Tour de Blaa feature, Ollie and Dymphna visited Dr. Derek Casey. He spoke candidly about the highs and lows of the job, the community, and the growth of the practice. Click on the image to listen back in full.

Extensive works are ongoing to the collective tune of several million euro in Cappoquin. This includes a significant extension to Cappoquin Community Centre. This, Denis McCarthy says is self-financed in the region of €450,000. He spoke regarding his roles within Cappoquin Community Development Company and Cappoquin Regeneration Company. Additionally works are at an advanced stage on Main Street....

John Noonan is reflecting on a lifetime of service in Cappoquin Fire Service. As part of the Tour de Blaa in Cappoquin, Ollie and Dymphna spoke with members of the community. With fond memories of the development of Cappoquin over 50 years was John Noonan. He reflected on the challenges of the fire service, the many rewards, and the retirement date coming down the line. A full week of coverage fro...

We all remember the abomination that was Sharknado, don't we? Grace is back before the weekend to forewarn us of a new breed of fish.. specifically the dinosaur fish. This fresh horror follows her recent trip to the cinema to see the brand new Jurassic World. Aside from Scarlett Johanssen, Grace doesn't really have anything good to say. Click on the image to listen back in full (it's pure rage bai...

At the heart of Woodhouse Estate in Stradbally, the work never stops keeping the estate looking beautiful. Instrumental to that work is a man known to many as 'Ted.' In reality, his name is Timothy O'Connell but in a very Irish way, he is known by all as Ted. He has overseen the entire extensive renovation project in Woodhouse Estate. As part of the Tour de Blaa, Ted drove Ollie and Dymphna around...

Waterford is awash with sporting talent, but today we are reflecting on the pre-eminent sportsman of Portlaw. Tyrone-native Johnny Ryan came to the attention of Lord Waterford for his horsemanship aboard Black Dwarf. The pair of horse and jockey made their way to Curraghmore as far back as the 1840s. In his late-teens, Ryan carried the ‘blue’ of Lord Waterford. He is even believed to have won at l...

Stradbally has an ambitious future plan for community development. That's according to local businessman Robert Gough, of the XL shop. Included in those future plans being explored are a community gym, newly development walkways, and the reclaiming of idle buildings. The An Rinn native proudly feeds the masses with his famous 99s. He told Dymphna that the community uses its strengths to look ahead...

Behind the scenes with Stradbally Tidy Towns is a special place to be. Ollie and Dymphna went on the most recent Tour de Blaa to the award-winning village. With the warmest of welcomes, they caught up with Margo Crowley and members of Stradbally Tidy Towns. They detailed the countless hours of work, undertaken with a big community heart. However, they also reflected on the lows, including the thef...

Martine Rogers took a leap of faith two decades ago and made Stradbally her home. If truth be told, it was home a long time before the big move, and Stradbally holds fond memories of strong family links in the village. On a sunny day in Stradbally, Dymphna sat down in the square for the chats with Martine. From Barron Hall, to driftwood, the community, and the joy of living there, Martine explaine...

It is the great debate to divide the Waterford masses... a 'bucket and spade' or a 'bucket and shovel?' Grace is here with her tuppence on the age-old argument you didn't know you had an opinion on. Also, marking 50 years of Jaws, Grace is reflecting on the original horror move, guaranteed to still put chills down your spine in the sea. And that's all before she heads off with her bucket to Woodst...

The future development of Bonmahon is fully dependent on upgrades to its waterwater treatment plant. Currently, according to a local principal, development is hampered in the area. Planning permission cannot be granted for new homes until such time as the treatment plant can withstand additional pressures. Bernadette Murphy is the principal of Knockmahon National School in Bonmahon. Her concerns,...

Since 1973, Bonmahon Joinery has had family roots in the community of Bonmahon. As part of the Tour de Blaa feature, Ollie and Dymphna have been touring the length and breadth of the county. This week, they were Bonmahon bound, where they had the pleasure of chatting with John Roche from Bonmahon Joinery. He reflected on the changing landscape of business, the importance of family links, and their...

Georgian-era poet and lyricist Anne Hunter is believed to have been born in Waterford on 11th March 1742. Anne became well-known for her writings and party hosting in London, where she becomes acquainted with the composer Joseph Haydn. The pair collaborate on some of the Austrian composer’s canzonettas, with Hunter playing a pivotal role in Haydn attempting to compose his work in English. Believed...

The development of a 10km cliff-walk in Trá na mBó in Bonmahon would tap into the vast potential of the region. So says local businessowner Nicholas Fitzgerald, proprietor of the Greenway Copper Coast Hostel. As part of the Big Breakfast Blaa's Tour de Blaa, Ollie and Dymphna visited the stunning Bonmahon. From the loss of the post office to planning permission queries, the big heart of the villag...

From telecommunications to thatching isn't a typical career trajectory. Yet, when James Dillon took the leap of faith, it paid off ten-fold. Today, he is responsible for the creation and maintenance of some of the finest roofs in the county. As part of this week's Tour de Blaa, Ollie and Dymphna spotted James in Ballylaneen. He explained how that leap of faith came about, and gave a full brief int...

The family of a deceased 57-year-old Waterford man is appealing for tighter processes around identifying next of kin. This comes following a 27 day wait for his body to be released to his family following his discovery. James Weldon, late of Sporthouse, Butlerstown who had been living in Dublin city was found dead in his apartment on August 19th, 2023. The Weldon family travelled to Dublin Distric...

The summer of 1934 saw Danish author and poet Nis Petersen prepare for the publication of his novel Spildt Mælk – Spilt Milk, which was set in Waterford. Petersen twice visited Waterford in the 1930s, bookending the success of his previous novel, Street of the Sandalmakers (1933). His Waterford-based novel was set against the backdrop of the Irish Civil war. Cian Manning, with his truly mind-boggl...

Whatever about Joseph and his Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat... what about Amazing Grace and her country-sized ship? Grace is back for another week of top-tv watches as well as reflecting on the biggest wedding of the season. Is she reporting live from Venice? Or is she actually in the Broadcast Centre full of wedding dreams? Click on the image to listen back in full.

120 years ago, Czech violinist and composer Jan Kubelik performed at Waterford's Theatre Royal. Hi grand recital saw special trains from Tramore arranged for his performance. The performance itself was fresh from his concert in San Francisco, where he played to a crowd of 100,000. Kubelik himself was world-renowned and on May 15th 1905, he took to the stage in a Waterford performance. Historian Ci...