It was Girls V Boys on GTB this week as we all got our glad rags on!!

First up on the show we spoke with Lara Boutique who now have not one, but two beautiful boutiques around Dublin City. Lara Boutique filled GTB in on what little ensemble we should all be wearing this Xmas season! Jovani, Just Cavalli, Guess, Rock and Republic and InWear are a few of the brands that you will find at Lara!  Having worked in the fashion business for more than 15 years, owner Lara Casey has created a woman's paradise in each of her Dublin boutiques.

 Lara boutique is more than just a shop as staff take time to get to know customers and learn about where they are going for that special occasion!! Celeb pals Katie Price and Michelle Heaton are also major fans of the Lara boutique. Katie was even spotted entering the Dame Lane boutique just before she hit the jungle!! If it's good enough for the celebs, its good enough for GTB. If you want to check out more about Lara Boutique, you can log onto Lara where you will find all the details that you need!! GTB certainly give Lara the thumbs up!!

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We then spoke to Gavan Glynn co-owner of G Male salon in Ranelagh. G Male is a new concept of male grooming.Yes ladies this is where you need to send the men in your lives!! G Male offer a wide range of treatments from hot towel shaving and massages to waxing and tanning. One thing that makes this salon stand out from the rest is that clients get to play the Xbox as they wait, watch the latest sporting events on the plasma TV's and even get a complimentary beer?? I think us women of the world can pick up a few tips from G Male as they seem to have the right idea when it comes to relaxation!!

With haircuts starting at €15 euro and highlights at €30, you can't appear to go wrong in this tucked away haven in Ranelagh village. G Male is open late on Wed, Thur and Fri and is now open Sundays from 12-5!!  GTB think that this is a genius Xmas present whether it's for your son, the man in your life, your Dad or even you Grandad!! For more details check out G Male here. GTB know where they are heading to get presents for the men in their lives this Xmas. Ladies the men of Ireland need to be groomed!!!

We also has an EXCLUSIVE from The Chapters called 'Black Room'. Never been heard anywhere else. You heard it on GTB first ppl!

A week on GTB is never complete without our showbiz gossip and boy did we have some for you today. Hope you enjoyed the show as much as we did!! Tune in next week for another fun filled hour!! MIMO (Miss it Miss out)

GTB had the X Factor on our Monday 23rd November show!!!!!

First on 'GirlsTalkBack' show was Suzanne Hourican business woman and owner behind the ‘COVET’. ‘Covet’ is not like any other boutique out there it is in fact a ‘Borrowers Boutique’ which is located on the 2nd floor of the Powerscourt Townhouse. For every women who dreamed of having their red carpet moment you need look no further as your dreams have just come true......

‘Covet’ offer both couture and vintage clothing along with designer shoes and accessories including Galliano, Chanel, Jimmy Choo and many many more... There is no excuse ladies for not looking your best as this is the most indulgent and luxurious form of practicality ever!!! So no need for guilty excuses for spending hundreds for just one occasion – now you can borrow until your heart’s content!!!
The store itself is like every girls dream so make sure to go and check it out opening times are Monday – Saturday 10am – 6pm and Thursday 10am – 8pm!! You can also visit their website at http://www.covet.ie/  or phone them on 01 679 9313 and talk to one of the experienced style team
Big thanks to Suzanne for joining us on the show, and good luck with the store... xxx

GTB spoke to Mairead Bushnall, the National President of the Society
of St Vincent de Paul about the increase in calls for assistance
received by the charity this year. Mairead told us that the
organisation has already begun receiving an avalanche of calls in the
pre-Christmas season as people come under increasing pressure
financially.

The St Vincent de Paul has just launched its national annual Christmas
appeal and you can make donations via your local branches. If you're
looking for new gifts ideas this Christmas, check our their gift cards
and make a donation on someone else's behalf this Christmas.
http://www.svp.ie/News/Latest-News/NEW-E-CARDS-NOW-AVAILABLE.aspx

Mairead told GTB is always something for willing volunteers to get
involved in as Christmas approaches, whether it's packing bags or
making deliveries. You can find out more about the services of the SVP
as well as information on its fundraising projects and contact details
for local offices online at http://www.svp.ie/Home.aspx

We had the pleasure of chatting with Sharon Conway who was a contestant on X Factor in 2005 along with her 3 other sisters who were known collectively as The Conway Sisters. Sharon filled us in on all the gossip on what really happens behind the scenes. Before the X Factor, Sharon and her sisters were no stranger to the music business as they had already released a single in Ireland that debuted in the Irish Top 20.


GTB wanted all the gossip on the X Factor judge Simon Cowell who was also the girls mentor. GTB were not impressed to find out that Simon was not a very hands on mentor and barely even saw the girls let alone mentored them! Eventually Simon went against the girls and voted them out (Shame on you Simon). All was not lost though as Louis Walsh was there to support the girls and lead them along.

Sharon explained that it was great to have the support of her 3 sisters through the whole X Factor experience as it really was a ‘surreal experience’ having to deal with instant fame. They went from being 4 normal girls to making front page headlines in the British tabloid papers. We were ecstatic to hear that JEDWARD (GTB are also mega fans and yes we are in mourning!) were one of Sharon’s favourite groups! Go on the Irish!! The show will be lost without them.

Since X Factor all the Conway girls have pursued various careers but the youngest Laura is travelling to America in the coming months to pursue her music career. If you want to find out more about what Laura is up to and listen to some of her music you can log on to her myspace account http://www.myspace.com/lauraconwaymusic.

Somehow GTB don’t think we have heard the last from this talented group!

Women of inspiration on this weeks show.....

GirlsTalkBack’ had a fantastic show this Monday and want to thank all our guests for talking to us.

First up on this weeks show, we had the pleasure of chatting to talented actress and business woman, Rachel Kavanagh. Rachel filled us in on her new business venture, ROCKSTAR TAN, her own fake tan line which she launched recently. This tan is what all you women out there have been waiting for and is going from strength to strength!! Not alone is this tan extremely affordable but it also contains organic ingredients which adjust according to your natural skin tone. GTB are big tan fans so a natural looking healthy tan this winter is what all Irish women need. The tan itself is scented with natural Organic fragrance. The unique mix of Raspberry & Almond essence will leave you smelling and feeling fantastic!. It's so delicious, we could almost eat it! The tan comes in a distinctive black bottle which Rachel searched high and low for. The results were certainly worth the wait. Rockstar tan is available nationwide. To find your nearest stockist log onto http://www.rockstartan.ie/index.html. GTB are certainly fans of Rockstar tan and cant way to try it out. Our prayers have been answered!

‘Ellen Gunning’ journalist, broadcaster and PR consultant joined the GTB team live on the airwaves to talk about her fantastic new book called ‘Capital Women of influence, Profiles of 13 inspirational Irish women’. She spoke about how it all started off in the Dublin City FM studios over a 13 week series interviewing successful and inspiring Irish women including Pauline Bewick, Caroline Downey and Maree Morrissey and Mary O'Rourke.

The show was such a triumph that Ellen decided to turn it into a book which has just succeeded beyond her wildest dreams. The book is truly an inspiration for all its readers, allowing them insight into the struggles and accomplishment of these 13 Irish women who used their wits and talent and ended up in high achieving careers across the arts, politics, business and community

We wish Ellen all the best with ‘Capital Women of influence’ in the future and definitely recommend it as Christmas stocking filler!!! The book is available in all good book stores around Dublin!

Dr Helen Russell from the ESRI spoke to us about the latest reportreleased by the ESRI and the Equality Authority entitled "A Woman'sPlace: Female Participation in the Irish Labour Market". The researchbehind the report investigated changes in women's participation in thelabour market between 1998 and 2007. Dr Russell, who co-authored thereport, outlined the main findings of the report, and said that thehighest level ever of women in Ireland are now in the workforce. Thereport also points to continuing significant gender imbalances incertain occupations traditionally seen as being female or male. If you're looking for further information on equality in theworkplace, check out the Equality Authority's website http://www.equality.ie/  or email info@equality.ie  To download the full ESRI/Equality Authority report, go to http://www.esri.ie/publications/latest_publications/view/index.xml?id=2900.

Hope you enjoyed the show and make sure to tune in next Monday from 1pm where we have some really exciting fashion news for all you shopaholics out their and lots lots more!!

Talk Soon

GTB xx

This week's show rocked!!!

Hey all,

This Monday GirlsTalkBack had the amazingly talented Yvonne Ussher and Sharon Coade in studio!! Yvonne is the artistic director behind Idir Mna Theatre Company which was set up to celebrate and create strong powerful roles for female actors in the industry.
Sharon is a hugely talented actress who has taken part in so many theatre productions from ‘The Only Jealousy of Emer’ to ‘The young Europeans’ and has also graced our television screens on Irish series like ‘Fair City’.
Both ladies are acting alongside one another in the upcoming production of ‘Glengarry Glen Ross’.

Yvonne Ussher (Those Powerful Machines, Antenora, Anton) artistic director of Idir Mná will be producing an all female Glengarry Glen Ross by David Mamet. This will be the inaugural production of Idir Mná. The name is Irish for "Amongst Women".Yvonne clarifies that 'before people think it is a lesbian feminist thing - it's not! And it is not in any way a male bashing machine. Idir Mná aims to address the imbalance in our profession on the lack of decent female roles in a way that doesn't involve women sitting around complaining about shoes, boys or periods.'

The show carries the tag line, "It takes balls... and hers are bigger" This is a play on the original tag line for the movie that was released in 1992. The play itself was written in the early 80's and Idir Mná will be doing a sleek and sexy contemporary version of it.

GTB had the pleasure of seeing both Yvonne and Sharon doing what they do best as they performed a piece from the upcoming production live in studio for us!! It was Fantastic!!!

Make sure you don’t miss out on this amazingly fresh and powerful production of ‘Glengarry Glenn Ross’ which takes place in The New Theatre Company on November 23rd until 28th @ 8pm!!

Us here at GTB are really looking forward to seeing it.

We then had our very own biker babe on the show Fiona Stynes who told us all about her passion for motorcycling. Fiona has travelled around the world on her fabulous Suzuki Marauder which she loves dearly.

Fiona told GTB that she has recently met a number of women who also share her passion for motor cycles. Perhaps this is the new hobbie of the recession?! Fiona uses http://www.biker.ie/ to arrange and plan her next route. There is a competitive aspect to motorcycling but many treat it as a hobbie in their spare time! It's a great way to meet new people and you may even be able to give yourself a biker chick name! Fiona didn't have a picture of herself with her much loved Suzuki Maraude but she did send us a picture of the Suzuki by itself!! GTB thinks they may have found a new hobbie!!

We then had band member Leon, from Disconnect 4 on the show. Disconnect 4 who recenlty played at the Working Class Heroes festival in Dublin, which we previewed on GTB a few weeks ago! Yes we are always first for the news on GTB. Leon told us about all the upcoming gigs and plans for the future. A band's name inspired by the game Connect 4, ya gotta love it!!

And lets not forget we had our weekly fill of showbiz gossip from our talented correspondent Jennifer Drennan. There is nothing this girl does not know!!

We hope you enjoyed this weeks show as much as we did!!

Jenny, Jennifer and Susan x x x x

The Chapters take Emmerdale

Previous GTB guests, The Chapters will be heading for a pint down the Wool Pack this Thursday night (5th Novemberr) as their debut single 'Videotapes' makes its television debut on Emmerdale.
The track which was released in May to critical acclaim and national airplay will be played as part of Emmerdale’s Bonfire Night Show. The Chapters play a headline show at Dublin’s Academy venue on November 20th as part of their current nationwide tour. GTB will be tuned in tonight to hear the boys in action!! You can also check out their new video on You Tube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVMW9ujvJwM.

On Mondays GirlsTalkBack

GTB got their belly dancing on this week with the help of Maureen Doyle, creator of http://www.irishbellydancing.com/  Maureen filled us in on how belly dancing is more than just shaking it like a polaroid picture!. It's a great way to meet new people and combine exercise at the same time. Fun exercise? Yes I think GTB will be signing up to some of these classes. If you are looking for a different type of night out on the Dublin streets then check out the list of restaurants around Dublin that have in house belly dancers so you can watch the pro's in full swing and maybe even pick up some sexy tips while you eat. We can't say we were not shocked to hear that there are a few men who also take part in the belly dancing classes that Maureen told us about! You can get all the infomation you need from where belly dancing classes take place, belly dancing restaurants and find links to where you can buy some belly dancing costumes and henna tattoo's! Perhaps even get your Halloween costume for next year? GTB always love to keep our listeners in the know!!

GTB spoke live with Senator Ivana Bacik. Ivana spoke about her controversial days in student politics and the serious issues facing Irish women today.Ivana also discussed the shortage of women in Irish politics and her recommendations for increasing the number of female candidates for public office. If you would like to contact Ivana her website is http://www.ivanabacik.com/

We Had the pleasure of having up and coming jewellery designer Kim Keohane in the studio with us on Monday. Kim spoke about what inspires her to come up with her pieces and how she caters to all age groups and is available for commissions no matter how big or small. Kim takes each customers own individual personality into consideration when making each jewellery piece (if that's not dedication and commitment i don't know what is)!

Kim spoke about how passion, determination and hard work is the only way for a new business to succeed in these difficult economic times, she also told GTB about how important it is to know your competition, do your market research, get in contact with Enterprise Ireland and your local council for any advice they can offer you.
We here at GirlstalkBack want to thank Kim Keohane for her fantastic Interview and we look forward to hearing even more about her in the future.
If you would like to get in contact with Kim her email is KimKeohane@hotmail.com  or mobile is 0851605271
Here are a few pieces from Kim's collection and her website http://www.kimkeohane.com/  will be up and running in two weeks time so make sure to check that out!!

Talk soon,

GTB XXX