03/02/12

Due to requests from a number of schools we have extended the deadline for returning Bleep Test results to Tuesday, February 7^th.

Push-ups with Michelle Obama...

02/02/12

John speaks to Magda from Donegal to get her side of the story

01/02/12

This is a translation of an abbreviated article which was originally published in a Polish daily newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza. We have translated all the parts relating to ‘Magda’ from Donegal.

Written by Katarzyna Brejwo
Published in Gazeta Wyborcza

(…)

The sound of the ocean

It’s six o’clock in the morning and we’re walking in complete darkness through a golf course.

I travelled to Ireland to see what life is like for Polish people who’ve lost their jobs. I thought that when you’re unemployed at least you don’t have to jump out of bed so early in the morning, but no such luck.

Magda (36 years old, almost 2 years on unemployment benefits in Ireland): “I always start my days in the same way: I go down to the beach to see the sunrise. It sets me up for the rest of the day. I used to sleep until noon, but now I don’t want to waste my life.”

It’s a five minute walk to the nearest beach. She had only one wish when she was looking for a house: she wanted to be able to hear the ocean. Then she thought that there had to be light and space, so she wouldn’t feel suffocated; fireplace for those cold evenings and a maximum rent of 85 euro weekly – otherwise she’s not going to get the rent allowance, the benefit from the social welfare office.

“What’s my life like? It’s great. I’m developing as a person, I can live. I get an unemployment benefit – 188 euro weekly and 59 euro for my rent. During the winter I get 20 euro fuel allowance. It’s 267 euro weekly. It’s enough for a quiet life if you don’t live extravagantly.”

Donegal, a county on the Northern tip of Ireland, for some it’s the most beautiful place in the world, for others – biggest nowhersville. Wherever you look, green hills and beaches stretching towards the horizon, just like on a postcard.

On the other hand you can be walking on a beach for an hour and you’ll only meet one elderly man wearing a rain jacket.

“ There’s everything here, but jobs”, laughs Magda. “Half of Donegal has gone away, the other half is on benefits.”

It takes 4 hours to get from the village D. (tourist folders describe it as ‘The Pearl of Donegal’) to Dublin. At weekends, representatives of the middle class come here to play golf, in the summer it’s the tourists. You can walk around the centre in 10 minutes: there’s the church, café, two tourist shops and a pub. In front of the pub, there’s a bench with a view of the bay and the famous Donegal sheep munching on the grass across the water.

A surfing school has been opened on the square where young people, who haven’t left to look for jobs in Australia or the US, meet. Just around the corner there’s an office which is supposed to help the local community. This month they’re advertising sign language courses. Their job-related advice? Ask in the hotel or in the café.

“It doesn’t make sense to work earning the lowest rate. In the hostel I earned 200 euro weekly and I was busy morning till night. First it was breakfast for the guests, then reception, between 2 and 3 cleaning the rooms and then phone duties. On one hand it was fun, you get to meet people from all around the world, but when they knock on your door at 11pm, you want to murder them.”

“You can earn more waitressing, but how long can you be running with a tray? There were times that I was the only person working at a wedding looking after 2 tables of 36 people. I didn’t even have the time to go to the toilet. When I finally managed to convince them to give me some help, they gave me a cleaner – plates kept falling from her hands and she didn’t have a word of English.”

(…)

The nerves were getting to her, she had no regrets leaving her job.

To continue reading - please click here.

31/01/12

Rebecca Storm was in studio with John this morning chatting about her favourite songs.

Rebecca's new album is out now and she's playing at the Olympia Theatre in Dublin on Friday 3rd & Saturday 4th February.

27/01/12

Janis Ian is in studio this morning.

25/01/12

Get Fit & Beat the Bleep is a challenge for first year secondary school students on The John Murray Show in association with Dublin City University.

By getting fit and beating a Bleep Test, First Year Secondary Students could win €1000 in equipment for their class, and a place on a three day sports and activity camp at DCU.

For all the details please click here.

19/01/12

17/01/2012 - John is joined in Tallaght by some of the cast of Tallafornia, local band Bipolar Empire, and the Operation Transformation Leaders.

* * *

13/01/12

Paul O’Shaughnessy came in this morning with his great grand uncle's diary from the First World War. Take a look at the photos below.

12/01/12

Professor Niall Moyna

This morning we talked to Professor Niall Moyna from DCU and advisor to the Dublin football team about his idea of incentivizing young people to stay fit. This could help Ireland to save money in the long term.

11/01/12

JOHN McCARTHY, RIP

Our sympathies to the family of John McCarthy, who died on Tuesday this week. John - who was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease over two years ago – spoke to Kathryn Thomas on The John Murray Show last September, and the interview evoked a huge reaction from listeners. That interview is reproduced in full here.

09/01/12

This mornig we went to Rua Red Arts Centre in Tallaght for the first live Operation Transformation weigh-in.

John and the Operation Transformation leaders

Watch our video below

05/01/12

To listen back to our interview with Rose Dugdale, please click here

The fifth series of Operation Transformation started last night on RTÉ One. The John Murray Show is the radio partner of the programme and we'll be following the leaders for the next couple of weeks. Good luck to all of them!

This morning on the John Murray Show we will have personal stories about love, not just any love but our first REAL love!

We have music with Jason Travers & band. Jason is one of the new stars on the Irish Country Music scene & tipped as one to watch in 2012!

Also joining John in studio is one our most distinguished actors, Fionnuala Flanagan who is in town to collect an IFTA Lifetime Achievement Award!

On our discussion on first love, guests Ray & Sue Elliott-Gates join John in studio to tell us about their rekindled love & joining us from San Francisco is Dr. Nancy Kalish, psychologist who embarked on a study of reunited lovers & also wrote a book titled 'Lost & Found Lovers'. www.drnancykalish.com

Latest John Murray Show Podcasts

Subscribe to The John Murray Show Podcast

Feed URL:

Email tapes@rte.ie to find out how to obtain a CD copy of the programme. Copies supplied are subject to transfer fees, terms and conditions. Please note that copyright restrictions may apply.