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Joining us on this week’s Business Spotlight is Eve McNamara from Galway.  

  Aobh left her 9-to-5 job in tech sales in Dublin to follow her creative passion and start her own handbag business. Boia focuses on luxury-inspired bags made from vegan leather - offering quality and style without the designer price tag.    

 Since leaving her corporate role, Eve has been building her business, connecting with customers online, and finding her place in the competitive world of fashion.  

As thousands of students across Ireland prepare to sit their Leaving Cert exams next week, stress and anxiety levels are rising in homes and classrooms nationwide. From the pressure of points and expectations to managing nerves in the exam hall, this can be one of the most challenging periods in a young person’s life.  

  Career guidance teacher and life coach Evelyn Kearns joins us to share practical advice for students on staying calm under pressure, coping with stress, and keeping perspective during exam season - as well as how parents, family and friends can best support them in the weeks ahead.  

With summer holiday season approaching, new research by Hastings Hotels has found that more than 8 in 10 people planning a summer getaway are worried about flight disruptions and cancellations this year. Rising travel costs and global uncertainty are also making many Irish holidaymakers think twice about travelling abroad.  

  To help us navigate the stress of summer travel and share some practical advice for anyone feeling hesitant about booking a trip, we’re joined now by travel journalist Melanie May.  

Irish people are known to almost sense each other's presence when they are abroad. You could be in the middle of  a bar in Melbourne or Madrid, and somehow you can seek each other out against all odds. Now, there's an app out there that can magnify that, and possibly lead you to make more Irish buddies.

'Shift' is self described as the world's first cultural network, and works by connecting the irish community around the world. Wherever you are in the world, the aim of the app is to signpost the local Irish pubs, clubs, events and people.   

We’re all about pushing ourselves out of our comfort zone on iradios groupchat but  120 kilometres in 24 hours ? Seems a bit much for us   

 Well on June 13th, Laura Garrigan from Summerhill, County Meath, is taking on an extraordinary endurance challenge: running 5km every single hour for 24 hours straight - a total of 120 kilometres - to raise awareness and support for Samaritans. After already completing a 50km ultra marathon earlier this year, Laura is pushing herself further, not just for the thrill of endurance, but for a cause close to her heart. She wants to shine a light on mental health, encourage community support, and remind everyone that help is always there, no matter the hour. 

This evening on iRadio's Groupchat, we are highlighting a grossily upsetting, and frankly unacceptable statistic in Ireland. 1 in 3 women have experienced abuse in a relationship.

There are countless people across the country working to support anyone who has found themselves in this situation, and one of the charity's at the heart of this are Saoirse Domestic Violence Services. Zita Spring, their Fundraising & Supporter Care Manager, joins me now to talk about their upcoming fundraising and awareness campaign, and the services the charity provides.  

From the Olympic podium to championing mental health, Jack Woolley knows what it takes to face pressure head-on - both on and off the mat. 

 Two-time Irish Olympian Jack Woolley is back as Ambassador for the 2026 Vhi Health and Wellbeing Fund, a partnership between Vhi and the Irish Youth Foundation that supports youth organisations delivering early intervention programmes to help young people tackle anxiety and build resilience.  

 Having recently stepped back from high-performance sport to focus on his own wellbeing, Jack brings a personal perspective to the importance of mental health support for young people.  

 With €85,000 available for youth organisations across Dublin, Cork, Kilkenny, Galway, Limerick, and Donegal, the Fund continues to make a meaningful difference in the lives of young people across Ireland.  

Many people will know that since the introduction of Ireland’s soft opt-out system in June 2025 under the Human Tissue Act, people are presumed to have consented to organ donation unless they have registered their opt-out decision.

People may not know however that family agreement remains essential, and organ donation will not proceed without it. This year, Organ Donor Awareness Week is encouraging people across Ireland to share their wishes about organ donation with their families. Colin White, the National Projects Manager from Irish Kidney Association joins Valerie on iRadio's Groupchat

This week on iRadio’s Groupchat Business Spotlight, we’re looking at a startup with a deeply personal mission behind it. TrustDish was founded by father daughter duo, Shannen and Sean O Reilly.  

 Inspired by Rachel, Shannen’s sister and Sean’s daughter, who lives with a severe peanut allergy and has faced multiple life-threatening reactions when eating out, they set out to tackle a problem that affects thousands of people every day: unreliable and unclear allergen information in food settings.  

  TrustDish is all about changing that - making dining safer, more transparent, and more inclusive for people with food allergies.  

Tonight we’re marking Mental Health Awareness Month by speaking to a man who’s using his own experiences to help others.  

   Paul Curran is originally from Bailieborough in County Cavan and is now living in Virginia. After years of struggling with anxiety and depression, Paul is now focused on recovery, raising awareness around mental health, and giving back through an upcoming fundraiser in aid of youth mental health support charity Youth suicide prevention ireland  

   He’s also currently working towards a degree in counselling and psychotherapy so he can help others facing similar struggles.

Help is always available, and if you have been impacted by anything raised in this episode please visit iradio.ie/support