Olga Popova and her husband moved to Ireland in 2021 before the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. They settled in Santry on the northside of Dublin. Her husband was involved in activities protesting against the Russian government and they were prompted to flee after he spent a night in police custody. ‘I was…

In this episode, we look at what’s on along the M1 both cultural and other events in your locality but also what’s on the box. The M1 podcast is joined by Julieanne Doyle, Editor of Ireland AM at Virgin Media events, which is 25 years on air to discuss what’s on in your locality and…

In this episode, I speak with Adam Jazi who grew up in Damascus and lived there until 2015, when he fled the Syrian civil war. We talk culture, politics and life in Syria and his journey from Damascus to Drogheda. In the last episode, I discussed the role of the Gormanston Army Camp. It is…

Just off exit 7 on the M1 is the Gormanston Army Camp. What goes on here? What is the history? I spoke to three people who told me more. I discussed with Lt Col John Kirke (Retired), the history of the camp, from its set up as a training base for the British air force,…

In this episode, we team up with the Irish History Show Podcast to do a historical drive down the M1. Motorways typically are not the most interesting of places. They are roads to and from one place and another. We look at places of historical interest along the road. We start our drive on from…

It has been compared to a youth club for adults.  That’s a fair comparison, as there is even a table tennis table in the Warehouse Balbriggan.  The Warehouse has been the home of the Sceal arts collective.  It was a vacant building with no water, no toilets, not much of a roof acquired by Fingal Council…

In the aftermath of the Dublin riots and more riots in Coolock and dozens of arson attacks on refugee accommodation centres, many people will be thinking Gardai have lost control. Added to a general perception of many, with the level of drug use that our city centres are not safe, there is increased anxiety about…

If you live in Balbriggan, you live on land that was once owned by just one family- the Hamiltons. Their home was Hampton Hall, which has achieved fame for different reasons. I went to speak to the current owner and custodian of Hampton Hall, David Pratt about how he came to own this building and…

Last month, Dublin City Council listed new houses as affordable at €475,000 on Oscar Traynor Road. The ‘market’ price is even higher. This is a discounted price, which is meant to be affordable, but €475,000 is not affordable for most of us. There is another housing scheme introduced in 2020 which seeks to address the…

I have long wondered about this question, particularly as I have moved from Howth to Balbriggan. No cricket between Howth and Clontarf but then as soon as you pass Malahide, which has a club, every town in Fingal is blessed with a club. There is a cricket club in Malahide, Portrane, Rusk, Lusk, Skerries, Ring…