iRadio's Groupchat

We’re joined by the amazing rock band behind iRadio’s All Irish track of the month Break the Girl – Florence Road, their an all female rock band made up of Lily Aron, Emma Brandon, Ailbhe Barry, and Hannah Kelly.

Charleen Murphy and Ellie Kelly, the ladies behind one of our favourite Go Loud podcasts, 'Hold my Drink' join Valerie for iRecommend. They are currently on tour and bringing Hold my Drink to live stages around the country, including the University Concert Hall in Limerick on the 27th of November.

They help us sort out a listener dilemma!

Is sober dating the new way to go? 
 On Between the Sheets this evening, we are diving into the realities of sober dating, and the potential for its rise in Ireland 

 New Google Search Trends revealed a sharp rise in interest around alcohol-free choices and sober socialising, with December 2024 marking an all-time high for searches on alcohol-free drinks. 

Content Creator Cloda Scanlon shares her thoughts with Valerie...

Black Friday is just days away, and we’re all being hit with sales and influencer recommendations - but new reports show a really interesting shift in how we shop.   

 The CPCC says nearly two-thirds of consumers don’t trust sale prices, yet 72% of us still make impulse buys and often regret them.   

 The ASA report shows 29% of people check influencer content weekly before buying, and younger shoppers are 40% more likely to buy something purely because an influencer recommended it.   

 Valerie's joined by Tara Moriarty from The Collective Agency - one of Ireland’s leading influencer agencies.   

Former Traitor Katelyn Divilly chats all thing psychology, leadership and happiness over on her TikTok. She’s currently running a series that we could all do with leaning into ‘can you train yourself to be happy?’... She chats to Valerie about it.

Something really interesting is happening with the Irish language at the moment... and it’s happening across the 32 counties 

For years, people said Irish was dying out. A school subject nobody used. A tradition slowly fading. But suddenly -it’s everywhere. There’s a real revival happening. Young people are bringing it online, on TikTok, in music, in slang, in memes. 

One man who is helping this revival happen is Rhys Mac an Bhaird, owner of Gael Chords , a music based irish language learning platform. 

Christmas is often described as a magical, warm time of year - but for anyone dealing with grief, especially young people, it can be the most painful season of all. And this week, that grief feels particularly heavy across the country. After the tragic car accident in Co. Louth, where five young people in their early 20s lost their lives, many families, friends, and entire communities are trying to make sense of an unimaginable loss. 

At times like this, support becomes crucial. Valerie is joined by Rob from Mo Chara Counselling, who works closely with young people navigating grief, trauma, and emotional overwhelm.

On today’s Business Spotlight, Valerie's joined by Matthew Collins – the owner, founder, and as he calls himself, the Chief Tasting Director of The Sibly Food Co.  What started as a small food stall at a local Christmas market back in 2018 has since grown into a nationwide success story. You’ll now find Sibly’s energy balls in Aldi, Centra, and cafes right across Ireland.  

Today on Between the sheets we’re talking about a major change in the UK - the government has announced plans to make pornographic content showing choking illegal.  Officials say this kind of material can normalise violence, particularly towards women and girls.  

Psychotherapist David Kavanagh is here help us unpack what this means, and the wider impact of this type of content.

Choreographer and performer Nora Ni hAnluain Fay, the creative mind behind Ham Sandwiches and Discipline - a bold, funny, and deeply Irish dance piece that dives into the world of GAA, teenage discos, sideline drama, and everything in between chats to Valerie about theirshow.