GirlsTalkBack

Happy Monday Goys!!

2010-10-18T13:19:00.000-07:00

Join Ross, Sorcha and all the gang live in Dublin's Olimpia Theatre for Between Foxrock and a Hard Place! Of course I'm talking about the latest play from Paul Howard, The creator of Ross O'Carrol Kelly...Dublin's foynest rugger!! It's set to be a great production, with all the family getting together..and they're no ordinary family!!

We chatted to Paul about all things South Co. Dublin this week, and Sue may have even created a new character for the next book...lets just say Louis Vuitton bag in the dole Que! It's been 12 books since we all fell in love..or hate with Ross, and what started out as making fun has become an important social commentary! Bound to be a fantastic show!!

And if you want to see how Ross is dealing with the recent climate, pick up the latest offering in paperback ,The Oh My God Delusion

http://www.rossocarrollkelly.ie/

This week GirlsTalkBack got chatting to Caroline Barry the creator behind the blog http://www.misspennydreadful.com/ . With 8 years of fashion behind her and 3 years of PR and event management Caroline decided to establish her blog, which is almost two years ago now!! Originally the idea was to make high street fashion and fashion language accessible to all. She saw it as a great way to write about all the wonderful clothes she herself couldn't afford as a student!

In 2010 she threw a launch party in SPY nightclub in Dublin, which was a huge success and since then the blog has been reviewed in both the Irish Times and the Irish Independent.

Caroline features a lot of different things on the blog including the most successful posts which are the 'what I wore today' posts about whatever items of clothing she has bought or worn.
The meaning behind the name of the blog was because 'penny dreadful' was the name given to cheap Victorian era horror novels, so called because they cost a penny to buy! When Caroline started the blog she posted under a persona which is something she would recommend other bloggers to do as it allows them to be whoever they desire to be and say exactly whatever they want. Caroline’s persona was of course ‘Miss Penny dreadful’. She stated ‘It helped me to write since no one knew it was me’.
Blogging allows people to gain access to a platform which gives them a chance to voice their opinion but the only problem is...are people listening?? Caroline recommended getting all your friends to read you blogs and to plug it anyway you can...you would be surprised how powerful ‘word of mouth’ can be!! She is now proud to say that misspennydreadful has a loyal and steady readership and hopes it continues to grow and grow.
If you would like to get in contact with Caroline you can do so by following the link below and make sure to sign up to the blog for everyday fashion tips and fun reading:
http://www.misspennydreadful.blogspot.com/

Blogging all the way...that is what GTB think anyway :0)

2010-10-11T13:46:00.000-07:00

GTB were delighted to speak to the most controversial lady on TV3's The Apprentice! Niamh Humphreys from Lisagry in Co. Limerick, came on the show and gave us an insider peek of life on reality show. The Apprentice is a serious competition, with a serious prize (particularly in this climate. whoever is left standing , gets to be Bill Cullen's apprentice...a job that comes with a hefty salary.

Of course having to work in teams with not only strangers, but competitors brings it's own troubles! oh and did we mention they live together too?? So this begs the question .. Is there any mixing of business and....ahem , pleasure on the show? Niamh ended up in the board room for her second and final time with Ciara an Caroline and got the chop! GTB is excited to see what happens between Caroline and the other two corners of the supposed love triangle, Jamie and Kieran! Her time came to an end after a lucozade lite task became all about camels....confused? catch up on www.TV3.ie by clicking on The Apprentice page!

Niamh reckons she went in with her eyes wide open, and was expecting all the little editing tricks that portray contestents in not always the most flattering of lights!! She told us that it was an high tension situtation! And as for the man himself....what you see is what you get. Contestents only see Bill in the board room and at tasks...just like we see at home! Wonderful telly altogther! The Limerick Lady wants hunky Will to win but we'll ahve to wait and see!!We are big Niamh fans and can't wait to hear who Bill's next victim is!!

GirlsTalkBack were delighted to invite one of Irelands fastest emerging talents, up and coming singer/song writer Bairbre Munnis into studio to perform a song ‘Gorgeous Personality’ from her most recent work and have a chat about her music & influences, her thoughts on the Irish music industry, reality TV and its impact on the industry and what we can expect from her in the future!! For such a petit lady Bairbre seriously has one big voice!!

Bairbre comes from a musical background with both her father and brother working in the industry. She was a winner in the RTE 2FM Songwriting Competition, the final of which was broadcast live from Vicar Street. Since then Bairbre has appeared in venues nationwide including Vicar Street, Crawdaddy, The Village, The Ruby Sessions, Watergate Theatre & Mullingar Arts Centre to name but a few.

When asked about reality TV shows like X Factor Bairbre believes these types of shows do give people the opportunity to be heard who might never get that chance, but as an artist who has spent so many years focusing on her talent and perfecting it she could never see herself auditioning for a show that could just as easily break you as make you! Also when quizzed about how the music industry is suffering due to people downloading illegally GTB were interested in hearing her opinion as so many your people have grown up in a world where paying for music was never really enforced. GTB pointed out that the internet provided young people with a free option so it is almost hard for them to understand why they should have to pay and the price of concert tickets are so expensive surely musicians can make their money back on that alone??? Although Bairbre understood that argument at the end of the day she felt it is stealing from people who work so hard for their art and passion and that new laws need to be brought in to protect artists and prevent illegal downloading. GTB had to agree that stealing is never ok and although so many people do download illegally , it certainly doesn’t make it right.

If you want to check out Bairbre in person then head to The Ivy in Drumcondra on the 10th of October or else take a trip down to Sligo on the 22nd of this month and head into Cafe Koko Latte to hear her play. We were lucky enough to hear her live in studio and she is defiantly one to check out!!

If you would like to find out more about Bairbre Munnis follow the links below:

http://www.facebook.com/?sk=messages#!/pages/Bairbre-Munnis-Music/79451854663

http://www.myspace.com/bairbremunnis

GTB want to wish Bairbre the best of luck in the future, it is rare you get the chance to meet such a lovely girl with such great talent.

GTB also spoke to Paralympic Boccia Champion Padraic Moran. Boccia is a bowls like sport played by people with a physical disability such as cerebral palsy. Boccia can be played by individuals, pairs, or teams of three and all events are mixed gender. Padraic played boccia from a young age but began to play competitively in 2005. After finishing 3rd in the national championship Padraic then knew he could go further. He then went onto Brazil in 2007 for the world cup qualifiers where he qualified for the world cup in Canada in 2007. His team went on to finish 7th in Canada. Next up was the paralympics in Beijing in which he made it to the semi finals. Padraic is now Ireland's champion and is looking forward to competing in London 2012 Paralympics.

October Dvd Releases!!!!!

2010-10-11T07:12:00.000-07:00

The Movies worth a peek this month...

October is generally considered the Halloween month so it will be hard to steer away from the horrors in your local dvd store, but here is a couple of the choice picks this month. Some have been around for a couple of weeks now, but if you missed them, they are definitely worth a look.

Kick Ass – Probably in my top 5 favourite films so far of 2010, Kick Ass follows Dave, a teenager who decides to become a Superhero one day, without any superpowers, or training mind you. Directed by Matthew Vaughn, (who raised the money for the production at a dinner party), Kick Ass includes some remarkable performances from Nicholas Cage and of course, THE it girl of the moment, Chloe Moretz. Still not sure if he has proven the point that anyone can be a Superhero....

At Girls Talk Back, we are always supporting amazing female talent and it’s no different with one of my favourite releases, Whip It. Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut tells the story of Bliss, a girl pigeon-holed by her mother into becoming a pageant Queen who secretly embarks on a career as a roller derby star. Barrymore is the whole deal; great story, great script, great performances all brought delightfully together by Spielberg’s protégé. And it’s not just one for the girls!

If you are looking for something a little more sensitive and definitely more controversial, it would be worth checking out Michael Winterbottom’s The Killer Inside Me. Casey Affleck plays Lou Ford, a small town deputy sheriff whose hidden life slowly spirals out of control following an affair with Joyce Lakeland, a prostitute he was supposed to run out of town. A three star film at its best, Affleck beautifully holds the entire production together as the psychotic killer, backed up by other great performances from Kate Hudson and curiously, Jessica Alba. Be warned, not for the faint hearted!

I could go on forever but my last pick of the month would be Iron Man 2. Look, I’ve heard it all and no, it is not going to change your life but you know what? It’s a bit of fun and some light entertainment and who doesn’t need that! Downey Jr. of course returns as Iron Man with some new additions including Scarlett Johannson who actually makes little impact as Black Widow and Mickey Rourke, who is not present for long enough. The real villain is Sam Rockwell who adds a particularly slimey and sleazy quality to the character of Justin Hammer. And don’t forget Downey Jr is always pure cinematic entertainment....

Enjoy!!

Until next time...

Sue xx

GTBs Last Live Sunday....But now making your Monday Lunch times that bit better ;0)

2010-10-04T11:26:00.000-07:00

Hey All,

Firstly GTB would like to say a big thanks to you all for tuning in on Sundays, we really appreciate the support and hope that you will be able to continue listening to GirlsTalkBack at our new time (well really back to our original time!!) of 1PM – 2PM every Monday….we like to think we will be turning those blue Monday’s PINK…;0)

First on the show this week GTB covered a topic which we felt needed attention and we would love if all the listeners of the show started to make a conscious effort in making the world we live in a safer and greener place. We need to recognize the importance of valuing social enterprise, reuse in practice and employment, training and social exclusion!! We are all aware of the huge changes that are happening locally and nationally and the people of Ireland need reassurance and guidance. GTB brought Sarah Miller onto the show to discuss the ‘Preventing Waste, Strengthening communities’ conference from the Ballymun Civic Centre.

(below a picture of recycled clothing from rediscover fashion)

There is still to this day a stigma surrounding recycling and a lack of effort from the people of Ireland in trying to make the environment cleaner. The Ballymun Civic Centre is holding this conference in order to provide ideas and solutions on reuse and waste prevention while creating training and job opportunities. They will have contributions from the likes of Sean Coughlan on why investing in social enterprise is value for money, Marc Willem from Komosie on their development as one of the top reuse and training centres in Europe and people will get the opportunity to network and speak with organisers and guest speakers at the event. There will also be an exhibition put on for people to see.

The only people who can help save the environment is us, it needs to become second nature to us not something we have to think about consciously!! It would seem that the youth and older generation are those making the most effort in recycling and giving back so now it is time we all chip in!!

If you would like to find out more about this event then simply log onto http://www.crni.ie/

The event itself will be happening this Thursday the 7th of October at 9.30 and all are welcome.

Ellen Gunning is a woman with many strings to her bow and her latest offering ia a new Radio Presenting course. She popped into the GTB studio to tell us all about it! Ellen is running a one day radio presenters course in 103.2 Dublin City Fm!Iif you have ever been curious to see how you'd sound on radio this is your chance!! Not only will you be learning about different presentation styles, how to do news, continuity and interviewing, you'll be in studio trying them out for yourself!!

This is an excellent opportunity for anyone who has always wanted to give it a go!! Who knows? it could be a case of a "get it out of your System" day or it could be the begining of a new career!

You will meet Ellen Gunning, author,journalist and PR oman extrodinare on the day, and you'll also be getting some sound advice from Mick Hanley CEO at Dublin City Fm -pretty good addtions to the contacts book we reckon!

Our favourite part is the evaluation you'll get on the course, you'll be told whats style suits you, what you're good at and what not to give up the day job for. Pretty productive day all round! The course costs €240 and is being held at Dublin City FM on Saturday October 16th. Enrol now at http://www.irishacademy.ie/

Unfortunately in today's society animals cruelty and neglect is a huge problem in Ireland. We see and hear of so many horror stories of animals left for dead due to them being both mistreated or neglected. Girls Talk back were joined by Orla Angier from the Dublin Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The DSPCA is a registered charity which has been around since 1840 and was set up to prevent cruelty to animals. The DSCPA have a shelter in Rathfarnham where many animals go to live out the rest of their lives in happiness or they may just go there until they are re-homed. The DSPCA also run many programmes from how to care for your pet to educating school children . They also have mobile clinics and a dedicated team who give up their time to help animals in need. The shelter is open to the public and if you do not have time to adopt a pet you can also sponsor some of the animals. For more information you can contact the DSPCA on 01-4994700.

SHOWBIZ NEWS

It has been nearly a year since the tragic death of much loved Stephen Gately. It has been revealed that only one of the Boyzone members will be able to make it (Mr Keith Duffy!) to the scattering of his ashes. The ceremony will be held at one of the Gately’s favourite places in Ireland on the 10th of October it is believed. The remaining members of the band are believed to be in OZ at the time!! GTB still can’t believe it is nearly a year since Stephens death…RIP

We all of course remember the man who made ‘Drink’ ‘Feck’ and ‘Arse’ the talking point of Ireland. Well it would seem Father Ted star Frank Kelly is now making a move from craggy island to the Yorksire Dales. Frank has landed himself a role in Emmerdale. But people can be sure that Frank’s new character ‘Dermot Macey’ is very different!!

Finally in showbiz news everyone’s much loved ultimate Big Brother housemate Brian Dowling is returning to Panto! It was revealed that Brian signed a six figure deal to star in The Beauty & The Beast Panto @ the Tivoli Theatre. He will once again play the outrageous character ‘Bridie’ and according to the Metro Herald Brian said ‘I am delight. It’s a;wasy such fun’.

What is happening around Dublin......

2010-09-30T14:51:00.000-07:00

Hello All,
We hope you enjoyed this week’s show!! If you for some unmanageable reason, beyond all your control did not get the chance to tune into 103.2fm last Sunday from 12pm well you can stop kicking yourself because we are so kindly going to fill you in on everything u missed!! Here we go…

The lovely Sue Murphy came back onto GTB to fill us in on all the must see films around at the moment! Film critic Sue was at the Dublin Premier of ‘The Town’ a crime thriller produced and staring the ever so gorgeous Ben Affleck. Sue gave the film two thumbs up and highly recommended people to go see it!! It is also starting the beautiful and talented Blake Lively who is mostly known for her role in Gossip Girl as rich kid Serena Vanderkamp!! Blake plays a character nothing like any of her previous work and it was in fact revealed that when Blake auditioned for the part it was written for an older lady but Ben Affleck loved her so much he re-wrote the part for her!! That is some compliment!! The film deals with the trials and tribulations of a criminal Doug played by Affleck who falls for the manager of a bank he is planning to rob! ‘The Town’ is in cinemas nationwide so make sure to check it out!!

The Switch is another film which Sue highly recommends. Jennifer Aniston plays the female protagonist who is a single women wanting to have a child. This film covers very topical issues in relation to single parenting but still manages to stay upbeat and funny. Definitely one to check out!!

Finally one to look out for is an Irish film called ‘Savage’. There has been a lot of talk surrounding the film and as everyone knows we at GTB love showing support to our own so make sure to give it a watch!!It is a story of obsession and revenge! How a man tries to come to terms with a brutal attack and its consequences!! The film has been in cinemas from September 17th so make sure to catch it!!

Stellar Magazines 'Bachelor of the Year'

After hours of hard work and dedication we at GTB finally found the bachelor we felt most deserved the honour of being crowned Stellar Magazines 'Bachelor of the year'!! It is a difficult job but someone has to do it people!! We decided to give our vote to Mr Patrick Mackeogh!! So we invited Patrick onto the show to have a little chat with him to see why he should get your votes and why he was still single!?? Patrick is a hard working man who runs his own company in personal training!! (Fit body-check!!) The reason he believes he hasn't found a girlfriend yet is that he is shy and just hasn't met the right person! He loves Irish women because of there ability to have a laugh and go out and have a good time!! (Good answer!) His lovely sister actually entered Patrick into the competition, so he is obviously a family man (check!!) and although his friends give him a little bit of stick for being in the competition he doesn't mind and they are behind him 100% at the end of the day! If you want to find out more about Patrick simple follow the link below

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=728700723#!/profile.php?id=100001564085588&ref=ts

And if your already sold on Patrick and want him to get your vote simply text 'Bachelor 121' to 53306. Get voting people!! Best of luck Patrick, as we have prob mentioned ..you have our votes :0)

2010-09-30T14:50:00.000-07:00

Shouting at Planes

we chatted to one of these strapping lads all about their new single Hospice! keep an eye on these boys, they've already rocked Glastonbury so the only way is up! check out all their tunes and info at http://shoutingatplanes.com/

2010-09-15T08:41:00.000-07:00

After speaking to the lovely Jenny Conlon a few weeks back about moving abroad we thought it was best for us to get a professional on to the show to explain the best ways to go about leaving the nest and moving away. Jenny herself moved to London which luckily we do not need a visa for. However there are many young people now who are moving a bit further a field for work to the likes of Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

Girls Talk Back was joined by Alan Gallagher who works for visa first. Visa first is a company who assist people in getting visas to any of the above countries. Whether it is a working holiday visa, a skilled worker visa or any of the other many visas’s offered to Irish people for these countries. Not only do they assist you with your visa they also do starter packs for these countries which include sim cards, tax file numbers, bank accounts and you can also get insurance. Visa first also offers advice on other countries and doing volunteer work abroad. For more information on all of the visas and packages offered you can contact Visa First on 01-8783329.

Just incase you’re all feeling a little down in the dumps, girls talk back are here to help! We tracked down Psychologist Shane Martin to cheer us all up!! Shane runs moodwatchers. He runs courses for in which he concentrates on the psychology of happiness, strength and resilience. Moodwatchers says, that it is important to ask yourself questions like “do I believe I have the power to make positive change in my life?”

Basically we all go through trauma and crises, but why to some people fall apart and some get on with it? It’s all about the way we think; we all think very differently and make very different sense out of situations. Things that worry some people have zero effect on others because of the way we think. Negative unhelpful thoughts can be a big part of our daily private thoughts, things like “I’m goin to fail” “things never work out for me” and “I bet she hates me now” . definitely not helpful! If you find yourself thinking these kinds of thoughts, ask yourself three questions, is it helpful? Is it fair? and is it true? Are bets is the answer to all three is no. These stressful thoughts cause..You’ve guessed it STRESS! We could all do without any avoidable stress; it effects us enormously, both physically and mentally. So keep the blood pressure down and actively do something about the two things everyone wants but do very little to get them... Health and Happiness.

Shane is running is course in Dublin for the first time and we at girls talk back wish him the best of luck. For more info check out www.moodwatchers.com

SHOWBIZ NEWS

Louis Walsh

Ireland’s favourite judge Louis Walsh has a new reality show which is to air next week folks. Lois is teaming up with Westlifes Kian Egan for what is to be a two part series which see’s the pair launch new girlband ‘Wonderland’ – Kian’s wife also happens to be in the band (talk about putting you relationship under pressure!!!)
Louis was quoted as saying on iol.ie that ‘Wonderland will definitely be the biggest girl band in the world come the end of next year’
The show which is called ‘The Management’ will air on ITV2 in October!!

Big Brother

It is essentially the end of an era – Love it or hate it at one point in your life you definitely watched it!!!
The ultimate big brother is over- The reality show that changed so many people’s lives has come to an end after 10 years of ups & downs!!!
The show definitely ended on an unexpected high - people were fed up of the show and it was getting old but the love of Josie and John James got people watching and then the genius idea of inviting the best contestants back got everyone’s attention even though’s who tried to ignore it couldn’t!!!
Now all people want to know is if Preston and Chantelle will get back together!! I’m sure we will be told all in an OK magazine interview very soon!!!

Our very own Brian Dowling the Iirsh sweetheart won Ultimate big brother – he definitely has the luck of the Irish winning twice and being the only housemate ever not to get voted!!! That is some achievement!! Congrats to Brian!!!

Amy Huberman –Back to Work

So after the most high profile wedding of the year – it looks like the fun is over and it is back to work for the lovely Amy Huberman. It is believed that Amy is starring in a new TV project penned by Cecelia Ahern!!

The cast and crew were seen filming at a hotel in Dublin’s South city but know one actually knows that much about project. I can tell you that the project is believed to be titled ‘Three Wise Women’ and is rumoured to be a medical drama – So keep an eye out for this people – u heard it here!!

Imelda May

GirlsTalkBack wants to say a huge congrats to the amazingly talented Imelda May whose new album ‘Mayhem’ hit the number one spot.
Her appearance on the late late show, and her performance at electric picnic where she played at the main stage was unreal has resulted in her 2nd album outselling all her rivals.
She was seen last week back at her home in the Liberties with all her friends and family celebrating the great news. Her parents Tony and Madge Clabby have been Imelda’s biggest support travelling with her since she launched her new album –how sweet is that!! Congrats on the number 1 Imelda!!!

Talk Soon, Loves GTB xoxo

Strike a pose!

2010-09-07T14:02:00.000-07:00

Miss Universe Ireland- Rozanna Purcell

We were very lucky at Girls Talk Back to have the very lovely Miss Universe Ireland Rozanna Purcell on the show. Rozanna began her pageant career when she won Miss Lillies Bordello in 2009. She then went on to win Miss Universe Ireland. After winning Miss Universe Ireland Rozanna was then approached by Miguel Marinez one of the world top pageant trainers He then flew her to Colombia for her training. After this she then went onto Las Vegas for the Miss Universe Pageant.Rozanna did her country very proud coming seventh in the whole contest. Since returnign she has been modelling and is now getting ready to head off to New York where she plans to continue her career in modelling. Us ladies at Girls Talk Back wish our Rozanna the best of luck :)

Alex Hutchinson, photographer.

After getting the low down on what a miss universe pageant is really like we chatted to Alex Hutchinson, photographer. Alex knows the modelling world from both sides, having been a child model in Portugal, Turns Alex’s baby pics graced the pages of many travel publications in their time, his Mum, who was also a model, must be so proud!!

Alex now works with Bella Studios in Dublin. Bella studies could be described as a portrait studio with a difference. They offer a great treat for us ladies, you can go and be pampered, spend a delightful hour in the makeup chair before channelling your inner Tyra Banks for your very own photo shoot. Not to worry though, if you’re a little camera shy, you’ll be put at ease and taught how to pose! Not only will you leave feeling like a diva, you’ll have the beautiful professional photos that show you at your very best.... you might even be tempted to put them on face book. Check out http://www.bellamakeover.ie/ for more info.

Speaking of face book, we can confirm that people with Photoshop skills are altering their face book picas! Alex talked us through the airbrushing process, he spends hours sometimes undoing dodgy face tan, nipping waists and altering colours. Alex told us about the different genres of photography. His favourites are fashion and street photography. Check out some of his photos on Alex Hutchinson photography page on face book! And go in and meet him in Bella studios and have a girl’s day out!

Rachel Lally

Started modelling after she needed actor headshots and bargained with photographer who was looking for red heads to model for him! She was an alternative model, which is any model who does not fit into the usual model stereotype. She had peers with crazy hair colours dreadlocks, tattoos, piercings...anything a bit different and edgy. There were also plenty of curvy girls as alternative models often to shoots in burlesque and gothic styles. Loads of steal boned corsets..(OUCH) and plenty of celebration of voluptuous women! GTB loves the dramatic Dita von Teese look. Work as aan alternative model is scarce enough as the photos are usually for exhibitions and books rather than mainstream magazines.

Rachel signed with Compton modelling agency last October www.compton.ie and we were glad to hear she was told not to lose any weight! We chatted with Rachel about more mainstream work and she maintains she’s having great fun with her modelling career. GtB was delighted to hear that there are plenty of working plus size models out there. A plus size model is anything over a size 12 and most Irish models are about a size 10! We reckon plus size should be called NORMAL size!!

Rachel told us she believes plus size models have a place in high fashion, more of this please! Rachel recommends www.modelmayhem.com if you’re thinking about having a go at modelling yourself and you can also check out some alternative pics of her there too!

2010-08-24T02:52:00.000-07:00

EMMA MANLEY

GTB had the pleasure of inviting Irish fashion designer Emma Manley back into studio on Sunday to catch up on how her fashion line is going and her move back to Dublin. With New York and London on the list of stylish places she has worked Emma told GirlsTalkBack that moving back home and starting up her business in Ireland was always her plan.

Emma uses unique mixes of fabrics including pig skin and silk and her price range is between €50- €350. Emma confessed to GTB that she is not a seasonal designer as she prefers to add pieces to her collection allowing her customers to come back time and time again to her contempory separates and luxurious evening wear and add to their wardrobe. When asked what type of woman Emma designs for her answer was simple ‘me’. Emma makes clothes which she herself would wear and lucky for us, her taste and style is so chic that everyone else wants to be seen in it also!! It is very refreshing to meet a designer who wears her own clothes and when asked who Emma herself favours in the design world the marvel Stella McCartney was mentioned!! Emma spoke about how Stella’s clothes are well made, elegant and sharp and the designer herself dresses head to toe in her own creations also, something tells GTB Emma will have just as much success as her favourite designer!!

Emma’s collection can be seen at ‘Bow’ boutique http://www.bowboutique.ie/ in the Powerscourt Centre and her own website will be up and running in a matter of weeks so make sure to check out http://www.emmamanley.com/

Emma discussed how although in her opinion Irish people still concentrate too much on the ‘label’ we have become a lot more fashion conscious and that we are a fashionable city despite what other people might say!!! While in studio Emma filled us in on the key pieces that should be in every woman’s wardrobe which included cardigans, shorts and the new trousers of the moment Jodhpurs. If you want to get in touch with Emma simply email her @ emma.kate.manley@googlemail.com

Quite frankly GTB are delighted Emma has moved back home to continue her successful career in fashion as we just love her clothes and can’t wait to see so much more from her!!!

Ian White lead vocalist in Irish band Seven Days spoke to GTB about winning the ‘Tiger Untamed’ prize worth a whopping €20,000. The boys met during their college days in Ballyfermot and haven't looked back since!! Ian, Darren, Nicky & Ricky played Oxegen in 2009 and have sold out the Academy to their adoring fans. Ian spoke to us about life as a musician in Ireland, how although it is very cliquey they have managed to earn a respectful name for themselves even gracing the pages of top music magazine Hot Press.

Seven Days is a pop/soul/funk band who write their own material from topical issues of the moment. The bands influences include John Mayer, Fleetwood Mac and Paolo Nuttini. If you want to check out more from the guys just go to http://www.sevendaysofficial.com/ where you will be able to see their my space, facebook, twitter and bebo accounts and also all their upcoming gigs around Ireland.

GirlsTalkBack were delighted to be the first show to play the guys new single ‘Voices’ which got such brilliant feedback from our listeners so well done guys. We will definitely have to get Ian and the guys back into studio when the single gets released in October to perform live. We wish Seven Days all the best for the future and look forward to getting them back on the show!!!!!!

One’s to Watch!!!!

2010-08-24T02:44:00.000-07:00

We spoke to the lovely Julie Cobbe from StyleFish.ie a unique and clever service for women.Style Fish offers a seven week night course for women , with a two hour class on one evening each week. Right, so we can fit it in the schedule, but what are we learning?? Classes centre around topics like body shape and body confidence, make-up tips, hairstyling, dressing for your shape, with the final class being a field trip - Ladies you're off to House of Frasier, pen and pad in hand, so take notes!!! Yup, you'll be confident in knowledge that you know what to buy for you that's guaranteed to make you feel a million dollars, and therefore truly enjoy your retail therapy! We all get into ruts when it comes to style girls, and with are changing weather we can be expected to rock "beach babe", "snow bunny" and "wellington chick" all of Thursday afternoon. In short we need all the help we can get.

When it comes to mixing it up though, make-up may not be the way to go! Err always on the side of caution. Just because tangerine lipstick is sooooooooo this season and that apple-green eyeshadow looked great on Lady GaGa... you see where we're going here. LESS IS MORE!

So here's your chance to learn how best to use your pampering efforts to get results you want. Don't worry ladies, Style Fish won't leave you high and dry once you've finished the classes. The best part is you'll be become a graduate, and so a member. This allows you to sign into the website and get loads of tips and support every day. You'll get recommendations on the latest fashions that are in stock on the high street and you can keep in touch with fellow members. You'll be the first to know what the "new black" for Autumn Winter 2010 is. Check out all this and more at http://www.stylefish.ie/

Relationship Counsellor Lisa O'Hara

2010-08-16T12:05:00.000-07:00

If you didn't catch the show today, this is what you missed. You might have actually missed one of our best shows! (If Jen had not been off this week it would have been the best show!!!)

For a whole hour we spoke to Relationship Counsellor Lisa O'Hara from Marriage and Relationship Counselling in Dublin. Lisa had previously been on the show with us and we had such good feedback about the interview that we decided to get her back for an hour special.

As per usual, due to the interesting material we didn't make it through everything again this week but we hope to have Lisa back to discuss aspects of married relationships and couples who have seperated or divorced.

Our focus this week was on single people. We chatted to Lisa about where you can meet people, she advised us that the pub is often one of the best places to get chatting with someone as with a couple of drinks you are more relaxed and more likely to try get to know a person.

Lisa pointed out that if looking for a relationship you must first have a good relationship with yourself, be comfortable with yourself and focus on what it is you want. Lisa thought online dating can and has worked but real chemistry can often be what is sought out most.

We also had a discussion about exes, where we raised concerns how a lot of women tend to go back to exes for the comfort of it. She also pointed out that you may have broken up for a reason!

The main point is to enjoy yourself and remember that relationships take work. Enjoy the flirting! Try not to give too much away in the initial stages and try to remember to focus on the relationship with yourself first.

If you are in a relationship that's not working or would like any kind of relationship advice and counselling please visit the website www.mrcs.ie and contact one of the counsellors.

If you are interested in any of her other work, here are a couple of articles you may be interested in.

http://www.irishhealth.com/article.html?id=6094

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/health/2010/0126/1224263104460.html

http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/independent-woman/love-sex/the-rise-of-the-silver-separators-in-ireland-1910086.html

http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/independent-woman/love-sex/the-day-i-got-a-message-from-my-lying-partner-to-say-im-naked-and-restless-2211088.html

Pain equals Beauty People........

2010-08-09T08:20:00.000-07:00

Today’s show was all about taking care of ‘YOU’ through healthy eating and exercise. We had top experts in fitness and nutrition on the show to answer all those ‘need to know’ questions and we had the ‘Cooks Academy’ on to talk us through all the new ways to enjoy cooking weather your cooking for one or more!!!!

Pro Fitness Ireland

John Carroll director of Pro Fitness Ireland joined GirlsTalkBack to discuss fitness, dietary advice and motivation. Pro-Fitness work with both teams and individuals and their main aim is to provide the best results in minimal time. (Sounds good to us!!)

John spoke to us about Pro-fitness top quality facility that offers the best service possible to each customer. The difference between Pro-Fitness and any other gym was quite simple for John to answer – RESULTS!!! Through healthy eating and exercise John spoke to GTB about how it is possible to reach and maintain your ideal body although John does believe the media are setting unrealistic goals for women and young girls when it comes to body image and the first thing John does with every client is a fitness assessment and talks them through realistic goals!!!

Boxercise is one of the new classes which allows pro-fitness to stay current on new fitness trends. It has proven to be such a huge success that they are going to be adding new classes shortly so more customers can join up. The key to motivation in John’s opinion is the two P’s ‘Patience’ and ‘Persistance’ and he also believes that everyone working out and getting fit should always set themselves a goal so that they have something to aim for.
Although John agreed the weather can have an effect on your moods and your desire to workout he does not believe that money should prevent you from having a healthy lifestyle and sees fitness as an investment in your health!! Pro-Fitness is only €25euro to join which GTB could not believe and if you go onto pro-fitness facebook page http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=728700723#!/profile.php?id=100000535811235&ref=ts they are offering fantastic deals which you don’t want to miss!!
Finally John left us with two very useful tips in beginning a healthier lifestyle by taking fish oils which you can buy in your local health store and drinking green tea which you can purchase in your supermarket….There really isn’t any excuses left people, if you would like to contact John in relation to any health and fitness advice you can do so by calling 01 8415845 or visiting there website at http://www.profitness.ie/

Big thanks to John for coming onto the show and tackling all those questions!!

This week we talked to Alannah Conlan from Cooks Academy in South Dublin. Stomachs were rumbling in the gtb studio as we chatted about all the fantastic classes they offer. There are really affordable specialised classes, such as sushi making, tapas, sauce making and cupcakes and icing, YUM!

You could even brush up on your knife skills and learn all the tricks of the trade!!

Staying in on a Friday and reaching for the takeaway menu may be thing of the past. Gtb loves the idea of the Friday night supper club. Whether your on your own, with your partner, or with friends, head down to Cooks Academy on a Friday evening! All you need to bring is yourself and perhaps some tubberware for the leftovers. You'll have a hands-on cooking experience led my professional chef, in a casual, relaxed environment. It's a great way to meet new people and to learn some great new recipes. At the end of the evening you can chill out with your yummy creation and some Friday night glasses of wine.
With specialised classes in Thai , Indian and Chinese cooking, you may never need the take away again!!
Prices for one session start from around €50 and there is something for everything.
Cooks Academy also offer group workshops for office parties, birthday surprises and even hen parties.
There is no excuse not to get cooking with 20% off all classes this month!

Looking for a career in cooking? make sure to check out the one month certificate course!
Check out all this and more at http://www.cooksacademy.com/

http://www.nutritionnetwork.ie/

GirlsTalkBack got to chat with nutritionist expert Deborah Staunton about all those myths surrounding food so that we can really start living healthier and happier life!

First on the top of GTB’s list of questions to ask was of course are Carbs really the devil?? And people you will be delighted to hear that NO carbohydrates are not the devil in fact they are very important to maintain a healthy diet and should be eaten regularly. Now the problem most people face is that they do not know the difference between a good and bad carb! So to make it simple anything processed is bad and anything brown is good i.e brown rice, brown pasta and of course fruit and veg!!! Also a tip which many people might not know is that you are not actually meant to eat and drink at the same time!! It is important to chew and digest your food properly first and then drink fluid after or if you prefer before your meal!! Also fact people skipping meals can cause weight gain as when hunger hits all your body craves is sugars and it will do anything to get it which usually means you reach for the junk or takeaway menu so avoid this by simply eating three meals a day with two snacks in-between!!! I

Deborah believes Irish people are improving on their eating habits and are no longer just seen as the nation who eats bacon, cabbage and spuds all day long :-). Irish people are enjoying food and are interested in learning more about it.!!
If you would like to get in contact with Deborah and speak to her in person simply call 0876410655 or you can visit her website at http://www.nutritionnetwork.ie/

Also if you act fast you could be in with a chance of getting 20% off so don’t miss out!!

Hope you enjoyed this weeks show and make sure to tune in same time next week where we will be live on Sunday from 12pm on 103.2 Dublin CIty Fm

GTB xxx

New Talent in Dublin

2010-07-27T03:33:00.000-07:00

Here at Girlstalkback we are all for supporting our own home grown talent and this week we were very lucky to be joined by up and coming Dublin singer/songwriter Emy Onyesoh. Emy has spent the last three years on a talent visa in Los Angeles and has worked with some big names including Snoop Dogg and Multi Platinum producer Mr. Dalvin from Jodeci.

Emy seems to be taking the country by storm with his urban electro sounds. He released his first sing ‘FML’ last month and we'll see the release of his second single 'IFNOTWHYNOT' on the 9th of this month. Girlstalkback are big fans so if you haven’t heard his singles we highly recommend checking him out. This Dublin lad is one to watch out for!

We also spoke to Valerie O'Brien, author of In the Shadow of Men. Valerie O’ Brien was born in Cork where she lived with her mother, father and four sisters before embarking on a career in the Irish Defence Forces in 1996. Both her father and grandfather served in the army so it was inevitable that she herself would join up. She went on to become one of the first female combat soldiers in Ireland. Valerie served in both Lebanon and Eritrea with the Irish Defence Forces which motivated her to write her first book, "In the Shadow of Men - Is the Army any place for women" Valerie served terms abroad, including the Lebanon, and found these times away from her family to taxing on her marriage and her family life. While abroad, she found the behaviour of some of the army to be unacceptable, paying for prostitutes or sometimes having sex with women and refusing to pay them. She says that she has no regrets about her time in the army and would do it all again. She now works as a beautician and lives with her children in Co. Kildare.

GirlsTalkBack spoke with Anita James the women behind Ireland’s newest beauty directory - http://www.beautypage.webs.com/

The website was set up to bring clients the best beauty and hair professionals in the country. Anita wanted to make life as easy as possible for her clients and also promote the best businesses around Ireland. Anita also makes sure that each business that advertises on her website is fully qualified in the industry they work in.

Every beauty page on the website acts as a micro site for a business. On each page you will find everything you need to know about that business including where they are based, the services they offer and their prices. All your questions can be answered straight away on this website.

With the websites ‘matchmaking service’ clients can contact Beautypage with what treatment they require, their budget and the area they live in. The website will then contact up to five professionals for you and let you know which best suits your needs. They can then book them for client if they wish. It is like your very own PA but not nearly as expensive!!!!

For all enquiries, Anita James can be reached at beautypages@ymail.com

The Relationship Special

2010-07-20T01:31:00.000-07:00

This has been one of our favourite programmes to present and we hope to present more like this in the future! Don't forget we are now live on Sunday from 12pm to 1pm and the show is now repeated from 1pm to 2 pm on Monday.

While chatting in the studio the day Laura started with us, we discussed how relationships are changing in Ireland. Keeping this in mind, we asked 3 different people to speak to us about issues facing modern couples and the situations they now find themselves in.

Firstly, we spoke to Lisa O'Hara from Marriage and Relationship Counselling Services, which offers therapy and counselling for couples. We had so many questions for Lisa, but instead ended up discussing most of the main issues that couples face, mainly problems with communication and lack of understanding. We also spoke about changing perceptions to divorce and separation in this country and how the expectation level for men to talk about their feelings has risen dramatically. Log onto their website to find out more information about their services on http://www.mrcs.ie/ or by contacting the service on 1890 380 380. We hope to have Lisa back on the show again in the future to maybe interact with the listeners more about relationship issues so keep an eye out for her!!

For the second interview we spoke with Rory O'Neill, better know to everyone as Panti about the important issue of the Civil Partnership bill. As you all may know, the bill to provide social welfare and tax breaks for those living together as partners was passed by the Dail and by the Senate. Unfortunately, the bill has now been referred to the Supreme Court to check its constitutionality and will hopefully be passed. However, as far as gay and lesbian rights go, Panti pointed that the bill has not gone far enough, not making any provisions for children resulting from gay relationships and not going far enough on the issue of recognising the rights for gay people to marry. We also discussed the pickets outside the Dail and impact religion has had on the politics of this country. Panti runs the infamous bar on Capel Street, call in for a drink!!!

Last but not least, we spoke to Stephen Nolan from Kama Lifestyles about Relationship Coaching. It was never going to be easy going up against 4 women to discuss relationships but Stephen took us on! He spoke a little about how the coaching works, the workshops and how to perfect the technique of dating. People who are interested will go through a dating consultation initially and if required a fashion consultation. Stephen also spoke about changes in dating and relationships in Ireland and something that Lisa also spoke to us about previously, the pressure on men to make the first move. If you are interested, log onto the website on http://www.kamalifestyles.com/

During the showbiz section, we spoke with Niamh Sherlock about becoming this years Dublin Rose (big congrats!!). Niamh will be competing for the Rose of Tralee the weekend of the 23rd and 24th of August. We hope to speak to Niamh again after the event to find out what it is really like behind the and scenes and we of course wish her the best of luck.

Live on Sunday and repeated on Monday no excuse not to tune into GirlsTalkBack on 103.2FM

2010-07-13T14:35:00.000-07:00

The live show on Sunday from 12pm - 1pm went really well for the GTB team and thanks so much to all the guests who joined us on the show and in the studio. If you didn't manage to catch the show or the repeat today from 1pm then we are giving you the chance to read everything you missed....We know we are far too good to you...ENJOY

For all you ladies out there who love to shop but are not to sure what to buy to make that perfect outfit... Girls Talk Back have found the answer. We were lucky to be joined by Julie Cobbe professional Style Coach and genious behind Stylefish.ie. What i stylefish.ie??? I hear you say... Stylefish.ie is every girls dream. Stylefish.ie is a seven week Fashion School that teaches us how to find that perfect look. The course is catered to meet each individuals needs by offering fashion advice like how to dress to suit your shape and fill your closets with clothes perfect for you, to makeup and hair tips. It is a fun seven week course and each student will leave with their own folder jam packed with tips and advice. Courses will start running in September on both the north and southiside of the city. For more information check out http://www.stylefish.ie/ or email julie@stylefish.ie.

GTB got to speak with Irish jewellery designer David Robinson who specialises in Diamond Jewellery and provides unique individual jewellery which is also made to order. Since the age of 17 David became involved with creating jewellery and works very closely with each client to create exquisite jewellery as desired. His designs reflect the romance of authentic handcrafted jewellery and David uses a wide range of materials from platinum, white gold, gold, silver, and diamonds to name but a few.

Although David has seen the effects of the recession when it comes to jewellery he mentioned how women tend to want something that holds its value and that can be passed down from generation to generation not current trends like in fashion so people are still willing to invest in his pieces. So GTB think if you are looking for that special piece, a one of a kind which will bring you fond memories then David is your guy!!!

David spoke to GTB about how he set up his company around 5 years ago and that it is going from strength to strength. Any young entrepreneurs who want to follow in David’s footsteps and open there own business should look into ‘feasibility grants’ which the government are offering and also get in contact with the crafts council http://www.ccoi.ie/ for advice on any questions you might need answered.

If you would like to check out any of the amazing work from David just check out his website http://www.davidrobinsonjewls.com/ or check out his facebook page on www.facebook.com/davidrobinsonjewles

Big thank you to David for taking part in the interview and GTB look forward to hearing more from the designer in the future. Make sure to call David Robinson Design Jeweller, and make an appointment to experience their unique, personal service in jewellery design.

We also spoke to the wonderful Patricia McKenna in studio about the Know Your Neighbour weekend on the 24th and 25th of July. This is a fantastic event set up by Macra na Feirme and sponsered by ESB. The programme is in its 5th year and the purpose is to literally get to know your own neighbour. You can do this by starting off with your own organiser pack and can go on to organise any event to get your neighbours involved from tea parties to bbq. Please do get involved as this is a wonderful cause. In the modern era we are losing this wonderful sense of community that used to be so evident in Ireland.

You can find out more about the event on http://www.knowyourneighbour.ie/ and if you have any questions regarding the weekend contact info@knowyourneighbour.ie There is also a text number in order to get an organiser pack, simply text KYN to 51444 and be directed from there.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!! And make sure to tune in again next Sunday from 12pm on 103.2 Dublin City Fm

Monday 5th of July

2010-07-06T15:51:00.000-07:00

If you didn't tune in yesterday, this is what you missed!!

We were very excited to have Rachel Solon in studio to discuss the WOW programme, which is basically trying to get more women involved in Watersports. She spoke to us about the event which will run on the 11th of July. The National Yacht Club in partnership with the Irish Sailing Association would like to invite women of all ages and all levels of sailing and other water sports to come sailing on Sunday 11th July from 13.00 - 17.00 hrs. This is a great opportunity to join fellow female sailors for an enjoyable afternoon of sailing... in the Irish Sailing Association's fleet of eight J80s, beautiful 8 metre long one-design racing sailboats. They hope to get as many women as possible out sailing on 11th July, followed by a few drinks up in the bar afterwards. Each J80 will have 4 or 5 crew on board of whom 2 will be experienced crew who will explain all to those guests on board. Lifejackets or buoyancy aids will be supplied and are mandatory for all participants on the water. Rachel told us that you do not have to be experienced to be on the water and they welcome all levels. The ISA also runs several training programmes which are detailed on their website www.sailing.ie which you can undertake if you are interested. So come along and get involved!! You can also join their facebook page which will have details of the event...
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=wall&ref=ts&gid=118648197643

We also spoke to the wonderful Jennifer Rothwell about the upcoming Norway's Next Top Model event happening in Dublin. All proceeds go to the Baby Max Fund which is run by Darina Ni Chuinngain who we spoke with last week. Jennifer is going to be judging at the event and the lucky winner will get to wear some of Jennifer's collection down the catwalk on the night. Jennifer explained how important this event is for exposure in Ireland. She also spoke to us about how women in these tough times are buying clothes that they are investing in and will last. Jennifer also has a children's line. She has also explained to us that her clothes are now price adjusted to the times we live in and are extrememly reasonable.. The event takes place on the 16th of July in the Guinness Storehouse. Log onto their facebook page to get more ticket details!!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/jennifer-Rothwell/93193237152?ref=ts&v=wall#!/pages/jennifer-Rothwell/93193237152

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=114142051965663&ref=mf

We were also joined by Christina Riordan, General Manager at Down Syndrome Ireland. Down Syndrome Ireland is made up of people with Down syndrome and their parents and families. It has over 3000 member families and 25 branches nationwide. With the help of donations and fundraising Down Syndrom Ireland work hard to support both people with Down Syndrome and their families, by offering councelling, support and an understanding of Down Syndrome and much more. Down Syndrome Ireland is always looking for volunteers and people to organise funraisers such as the HP icecream fun day which is currenlty running at the moment. For mor information on how to get involved check out http://www.downsyndrome.ie/ or or low call 1890 374 374.

Don't forget we will now be on Sunday's from 12pm-1pm and also mondays at the usual time of 1pm-2pm so tune in guys :) xxxx

GirlsTalkBack

2010-06-29T02:11:00.000-07:00

Another great show this Monday with GirlsTalkBack who got to speak with Irish female golfer Mary Dowling of New Ross golf club about her career and her recent Close championship win. Also talking to us today was Darina Ni Chuinneagain founder and director of 'Baby Max - Wings of Love Fund'

Darina and her husband Declan took something tragic from their own lives and turned it into something positive for other families by helping and saving the lives of other children nationwide. Their son Max 9 years ago died from Meningitis B and Meningococcal Septicaemia and now Darina and Declan make it their goal to supply essential equipment to hospitals nationwide.

As a result the 'BABY MAX-Wings of Love Fund' has to date purchased over €1million worth of all types of necessary medical equipment for Hospitals/Hospices in Dublin, Mullingar, Sligo, Galway, Cork, Kerry, Limerick & Waterford to name but a few.

‘Baby Max - Wings of Love Fund’ announced that a high profile fashion show will take place at the Guinness Storehouse on Friday 16th July 2010. This event will be filmed for a Dublin-based episode of Norway’s Top Model TV show. The programme, which will air on Norwegian TV, follows the same format as America’s Next Top Model!! The proceeds of this event will go to the ‘Baby Max – Wings of love fund’ where every single penny goes towards essential medical equipment. Darina spoke about how every hospital has a wish list and how they contact her to see if she can help out in any way possible and Darina and her husband spend every waking moment of there day finding funding to buy this equipment so that hospitals have the resources to save lives.
This is a very exciting event and a marvellous achievement for both Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland, as the filming of this episode will showcase both Dublin city a vibrant modern city, the Guinness Storehouse and the Irish fashion scene to a Norwegian audience.

If you would like to be a part of this event and help raise money for a great cause while enjoying an excellent night out well this is your chance!! To buy tickets simply call 086 4053184 or contact info@babymax.ie

All donations are greatly appreciated and to find out more about ‘Baby Max – Wings of Love Fund’ simply log onto http://www.babymax.ie/
VENUE: Concourse Area & Arrol Suite, Guinness Storehouse, Dublin 8
DATE: Friday, 16th July, 2010
TIME: 7.30pm
TICKETS: €50 and are available from Tel: 086 4053184
Can also pay by visa
PLEASE LEAVE A MESSAGE with your contact detail if you get answering machine.

GirlsTalkBACK would like to say a big well done to Darina and her husband Declan for all the amazing hard work they put into this fund and we wish you all the luck in the future and hope the money just keeps coming and coming.

We also spoke to Mary Dowling, the Irish Ladies' Close Championship winner, about her career and golf in general in Ireland. Mary began playing golf at 10 years of age and even though she had played other sports in school, discovered she had a talent and began to train on the golf course.

Mary is a member of the New Ross Golf Club. Her achievements include Irish Close Runner Up 2009, Midland Ladies Runner Up, 2009, Irish Senior Cup Winners 2009 and Munster Girls Winner 2005. Although women's sport tends to get overlooked in the media, Dowling tells us that attitudes are starting to change, particularly due to the involvement of the Maguire twins, one of which she defeated in the final of Women's Close Championship. Mary also is included in the Leinster Ladies Team.

Mary is a Lecturer in Physiotherapy on a full time basis and plays golf part time. We spoke about aspects of funding in Irish sport and that this too is starting to make a change, with golf enjoying a lot of attention at the moment. Mary's advice to young and aspiring golfers was to get out on the course, try all the different types of the game that you can and find your niche. And of course, keep practicing!

The WAG's

Then GTB decided we would have a discussion about a very interesting aspect of the World Cup, the WAGs, an intricate part of English squad. Apparently WAGS have been around for a while, since 1960's in fact when Bobby Moore and his wife Tina were considered the golden couple. But how did they become such a media draw in 2006? We at GTB reckon they are a bit of a distraction from the game and for the players, and if they are distracting us, then realistically they must be distracting them also! But then again these sports stars are payed millions because of their talent so surely they should be able to deal with whatever comes there way!!!

Roy Keane claimed that the English side had lost the hunger for the game in 2006 and had become too involved with their wealth and material aspects of their fame. WAG fever is now spreading into other areas of the British media, we now have the RAGs Royals and Girlfriends and of course the WWAGs Wimbledon Wives and Girlfriends, among others. Really, really ladies??? WHAT DO YOU DO? And why do the Media put so much emphasis on what you are doing and wearing? Do you think maybe if the media stopped caring then the public would to????

Another great week for GirlsTalkBack, hope you enjoyed the show as much as we did and talk to you same time next week,

GTB xx

It’s a Women’s world

2010-06-21T06:34:00.000-07:00

As you all know GirlsTalkBack is a show that is concerned with women and women’s issues. On this week’s show all of our interviews focused on women who work in areas that are largely male dominated. We wanted to discuss how they became involved in their professions, the obstacles that they face and their work on a daily basis.

Rebecca Moynihan, Councillor for Dublin South Central joined us to discuss women in politics and how she became involved with the Labour Party.

Rebecca got involved in politics at the early age of 16 and hasn’t looked back since. She believes that the government and politics need the young generation of Ireland to become more involved and find new and current ways of changing our country for the better. Only 13% of the Dail is made up of women and Rebecca believes that this too must change! Women in politics need to get together and encourage other women to get involved in what they believe in and what they stand for. If you think you have something important to say or want to make a change in Irish politics, it is never too late. Join a political party that is right for you and be heard!! If we have said it once we have said it a thousand times here on GTB women need to encourage, believe and support one another. Don’t just complain about what is happening in politics in Ireland at the moment, get up and do something about it!

The Theatre is BACK and is just as popular now as it was the first time it came to town. Since the big ‘R’ people have needed escapism, a place to take them away from the everyday worries of life and the Theatre is where the people of Dublin are heading.

GirlsTalkBack got to speak with Laura Dowdall from the Trappo Theatre Company who is Directing a production of ‘One Flew over the Cuckoo’s nest’ in the Helix Theatre. The play is similar to the well known film starring ‘Jack Nicolson’ but also has a few surprises that will keep the audience on the edge of their seats. Laura spoke to us about how acting on stage takes a certain type of character, someone who can be in the moment and be the person they are portraying and she believes leading man who plays Mac Murphy (Andrew Murray) is outstanding.

It is never too late to get involved in Theatre and if you think you have what it takes then all you have to do is contact the Drama League of Ireland and they will put you in touch with your local theatre. ‘One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ has its opening night on the 30th of June and will be running for two weeks, tickets are recession friendly and it is so important to support your local theatre and Irish talent, so instead of paying to go see a film, change it up and go to the Theatre!!! To find out more about ‘one flew over the Cuckoo’d Nest’ and any other production that is taking place at the Helix just log onto http://www.helix.ie/ . GTB are definitely going to check this out…might see you there opening night!

Last but by no means least we spoke to the fabulous Mo Kelly, artist and DJ about some of the obstacles facing women in the music business. Mo puts her success down to hard work, love of music and the encouragement of all her male friends who were in the business before her!! Mo suggested perhaps it is due to lack of confidence or the unknown behind why there are very few well known female DJ’s around put thinks that things are finally changing and looking up. Mo does feel that being female can sometimes stand against you in the industry as you have to prove yourself even more but if you are good enough and passionate about what you do then nothing will stand in your way! Mo is known for being a lady for the after parties and has dj’d for huge bands like Groove Armada and U2!! Art is also a huge passion for Mo and her inspiration behind her paintings would be very much intertwined with her djing career. She feels very lucky to be successful in both industries that she has such a love for and we here at GTB think that this is because she is just so bloody good at it…..(not jealous at all we swear)!!

And here’s a bit of trivia for you….Guess who Mo’s father in-law is…….Mr Mike Murphy, how cool is that!!!
If you want to find out more about Mo just check her out on http://www.mokelly.com/

Showbiz News

Keith Barry 'Deception'

Do you believe in magicians, hypnotists etc? Well Irish man Keith Barry has made a successfully career out of it and has just launched his new Discovery channel show ‘Deception’ which he was promoting in The Old Jameson Distillery. Irish Celebs like Glenda Gilson from Xpose attended to show their support.

Keith has a seriously impressive career happening with shows like ‘Deal or no Deal’ ‘Asylum’ …This Guy is one to watch!!

Pink performs at the RDS

Pink came to Dublin over the weekend and performed at the RDS in Ballsbridge. Her shows are a;ways so impressive. She does the most amazing acrobats with ropes hanging from the ceiling etc. It is a really fun show to go to and the girl can seriously sing!! She performed to a full crowd which is no surprise and GTB just hope she comes back soon!!

Laura Whitmore face of Roc HYDRA +
Bray beauty Laura Whitmore who is the young face of MTB Digs was back on her home shores to promote being the ‘Fresh Face Look’ with the new Roc HYDRA + 24hr comfort nourishing cream. This girl is hot property at the moment, not only is she the new face of Roc and graces us with her presence every day on MTV UK but don’t forget she was also the face of a clothing range for Awear!! Laura has spoken about wanting to break America – with her personality and looks GTB don’t see why it won’t happen, Keep up the great work Laura!!

Hope you enjoyed this weeks show, make sure to tune in next Monday @ 1pm on 103.2 Dublin City FM.

but for now ciao, GTB xxx

2010-06-15T05:53:00.000-07:00

'ThePinkRibbonWalk' in aid of Breast Cancer Aware

First up on today’s show we had the wonderful Penny McGowan from ‘The Pink Ribbon Walk’. Penny is the chairperson of the organisation and spoke to GTB about the charity which is in aid of ‘Action Breast Cancer’. The Pink Ribbon Walk began in Kells, Co Meath in 2009. A committee of local women, some of whom had been affected by breast cancer themselves. These brave women decided to establish a sponsored walk to raise money for breast cancer support. The first Walk attracted over 600 walkers and raised €100,000 and GTB are hoping that this year even more people will get involved.

If you would like to take part in the walk it is not to late just follow the link to http://www.pinkribbonwalk.ie/ or you can contact them on +353 (0)46 924 0055.

There is also a fantastic event after you complete the walk including a BBQ so you can relax and enjoy the rest of the evening. The site will answer any questions you might have and also give you tips on how to fundraise for the charity!! Ladies if we don’t help each other out who will…sign up today!!!

Absolute School of Modelling

On the show we were joined by the lovely Anne Morgan, Director of Absolute School of modelling. Absolute School Of Modelling teach and guide girls in the business of modelling to help them pursue a career in modelling through one day work shops.

At these work shops they teach you everything from fashion tips to healthy eating to getting an agency, fitness and much much more. At the class you also will get your hair and make up done and leave with some photos taken by the fantastic photographer to put in your portfolio.

Being a model herself Anne knows exactly how the industry works and hopes to guide many more Irish girls and help them succeed in the industry. However this course is also aimed at people who maybe would not like to be models but who would like to work on their confidence.

Class sizes are small and are limited to ten people per class so this means there is high demand so make sure to book in quick. You must be over 16 to take part and classes only take places once or sometimes twice a month. For more info on booking your place you can log onto http://www.asmdublin.com/

'Network Dublin'

Finally on ‘GirlsTalkBack’ we had the president of ‘Network Dublin’ Mary Eastwood on the line to discuss this incredible support group which is set up to help women starting in business, the professions and the Arts. ‘Network Dublin’ allows a woman to develop and pool their individual skills through interaction with other women in a supportive environment. This setting offers training, mentoring and an opportunity for women who call on other women with specialist expertise for help.

This organisation aims to help develop and encourage members to their full professional and personal capacity through networking. If you feel this type of group could help you reach your goals and succeed then visit their website at http://www.networkdublin.com/networkdublin/Main/Home.htm

It could be just the support you need!

Hope you enjoyed this weeks show and make sure to tune in next week at the same time of 1pm on 103.2fm to hear all the latest!!!

Talk Soon
GTB xxx

The show on 24th May ;)

2010-05-26T10:34:00.000-07:00

If you didn't have time to catch us on Monday, this is what you missed.

We spoke to Maureen Noone of www.nothingtowear.ie, a consultancy service and a body-image resource for women surviving cancer, and for their caregivers and healthcare providers. Maureen provides consultations for survivors on a one to one basis, advising on body shape, hair, make-up, accessories and will even help plan your wardrobe! Nothing to wear also provides a personal shopping service. Maureen can be contacted to help with special events or if you feel too tired to work on your wardrobe yourself. Patients recovering from cancer often find their old wardrobe inappropiate, Nothing to Wear can provide assistance in a friendly and relaxed manner. With over 20 years experience in the retail industry Maureen, she is also a qualified beautician. She has been recognised by Social Entrepreneurs Ireland for her work.

http://www.nothingtowear.ie/

We were delighted to welcome Emma Olohan of Woman's World to talk to us about the event in the RDS from the 4th to the 6th of June. Woman's World is the largest retail exhibition event for women in Ireland with 4 different key areas, fashion, health, beauty and food and drink. Get down to the event for your free health check! There are goody bags everywhere with free samples. Pamper yourself with mini manicures, facials and massages! Go to www.womansworldshow.com for a chance to get free tickets online. AND stay tuned to the show for details on how to win more free tickets ;)

http://www.womansworldshow.com/

Last but not least, we spoke to Elizabeth Greehy of stylebible.ie, personally one of our favourite websites! Stylebible was set up by Elizabeth in order to provide Ireland with a one stop shop for everything you need to know about fashion. Stylebible.ie takes the form of an online magazine. You can read about all the latest trends and tips on beauty in one fabulously informative location! They also have a FREE events directory on site and want to highlight all fashion and beauty related events going on around the country - big or small. So if you have a national event or indeed a small local charity event that you would like to see highlighted on stylebible.ie, then e-mail them with all the details, at info@stylebible.ie. Stylebible are at present setting up The Stylebible Professionals Directory which will lists professionals working in all areas of the industry. Email info@stylebible.ie for more details. Elizabeth also spoke to us about the importance of the fashion industry in Ireland and how our support is needed for our homegrown designers. If you are interested in becoming a fashion journalist you could blog for Stylebible by getting in touch with the Editor, a fantastic opportunity for anyone interested in pursuing this career.

Like every week, we finished the show on our showbiz news, Emma's excitemement about the TV Now awards and my unending love for Ray D'Arcy!!!

Hope to catch you all next week,

Stay tuned,

GTB xxxx

A 2nd wonderful show from the new GTB team :)....

2010-05-19T16:00:00.000-07:00

The show on Monday 17th May

If you didn’t tune into the show yesterday here is what you missed...

We were speaking to Sheila Campbell of the Down Syndrome Centre who filled us in on the event Buy My Dress 2010 in aid of Down Syndrome Centre, the proceeds going towards employment of a further Down Syndrome liaison nurse in hopefully Galway and Cork. The funds for the previous event in June 2009 went towards employment of the Ireland's first Down Syndrome Liaison Nurse to the Paediatric Department of AMNCH Tallaght. The nurse provides support, advice and guidance to parents whose new born child has been born with Down syndrome in Dublin maternity hospitals and at home on request.

The event runs on Thursday 20th May 2010. Admission on the day is €10. Doors open 10am - 8pm. The venues are DublinDublin - Royal College of Physicians, Kildare St, Cork - Cork School of Music, Union Quay, Galway - The Meryick Hotel, Eyre Square. Most of the drop off points are now closed but it is NEVER too late to donate. You can drop in on the day and donate your dress. It’s a wonderful cause so please please please GET INVOLVED.

We were also speaking to Murray Smith from Trinity College’s Anti Bullying Centre. Bullying is so common we cannot turn a corner in life without witnessing some sort of bullying or harassment. Thanks to people like Murray and the rest of the staff at the Trinity Anti Bullying Centre people can know they are not alone and there is always someone out there willing to help or lend an ear.

The Anti-Bullying Research & Resource Centre was set up by Dr Mona O’Moore in 1996. The centre was set up to focus on researching bullying along with making people more aware of bullying. The centre not only focus’s on the research side of things it also offers support to people through counselling for both the victim and the bully but and conducts workshops aimed at not only to individuals but also schools and workplaces. The centre is fully equipped with professional staff along with a large reference library which is also open to the public.

For information packs on bullying or harassment or for information on the centre and its resources you can contact them on 01 896 2573 / 896 3488 or email lmcguire@tcd.ie

Our final interview in studio was with Diane Jennings, an Irish actress who will definitely be going places! She spoke to us about the industry in Ireland, her dedication to her work and gave all the talented girls advice on how to pursue your career in this industry. Diane has worked on a Potrait of a Zombie which will hopefully make an appearance in Ireland and her work in theatre, presently she is working in a production called Men are from Stoneybatter, Women are from Phibsborough.

We also spoke to Diane about how we should support the Irish industry. We have many fantastic playwrights and filmmakers in this country and sometimes instead of those nights on the tiles, we should get out there and start supporting them. They could be the next Neil Jordan!!

Thanks for listening and hopefully we can talk again next week!!

xxx

A new team is born!!!

2010-05-11T02:54:00.000-07:00

First up a big welcome to Sue and Emma who have just joined the GirlsTalkBack team.

We hope you enjoyed todays show as much as we did, and look forward to keeping you entertained over the coming months!! Here's a quick round up of todays interviews with all details you need....

First up today we spoke with Tara Donohue, communications manager for MS Ireland. Multiple sclerosis is a disease of the central nervous system. It is caused when the electric messages which tell your body parts to function are blocked due to the breakdown of myelin on the nerve fibres. This then results in some of the symptoms such as numbness, muscles spasms, loss of sight and balance, and fatigue.Tara Kindly spoke about MS as a disease along with what the symptoms are and what causes the disease. Although Tara said the cause for MS is still not known both genetic and environmental factors are thought to play a role. One interesting fact we learned is that people living in warmer climates such as near the equator are less likely to develop MS. also for some unknown reason MS is a lot more common in women than men with a 2:3 of women to men.

Although living with MS can be so tough and painful for both the person with the disease and the families there is plenty of support out there. Tara spoke to us about MS Ireland and how they provide opportunities for people living with MS such as giving people a chance to share their experiences with other people with MS and avail of many of the services such as counseling, the MS care centre and the living with MS Program. The National services include their respite care centre in Rathgar and their telephone Information Line.
World MS day is also coming up on the 26th of May. If you wish to take part in the fundraising you can get involved in the Bucket Collection by texting bucket plus your name to 51444. There is also plenty going on this day such as the Drumming event on Grafton Street at 12.30pm. You can also book tickets for the Pringle Lecture on new research and treatments for MS. For more information on both MS and World MS Day you can log onto http://www.ms-society.ie/.

On the show today we spoke to Rynagh O'Grady, the Chairperson for Women in Film and TV in Ireland. Rynagh spoke to the show about the situation with women in film and tv and also her involvement with Equity Ireland, which is involved with SIPTU and represents actors, filmmakers and artists across the board. Rynagh was kind enough to give us a brief history of these important bodies and the work they do, not just for women, but for the arts community in general. She spoke of, unfortunately, in recent times the lack of funding these bodies now receive. However, Rynagh's involvement with both organisations is noteworthy, highlighting the importance for representation and support in the film and tv community. Best known for her work in Father Ted, Rynagh has also continued her acting career outside of this work and recently, has begun writing and directing her own work. It was an absolute pleasure having her on the show and we hope that women involved in the Arts would join these invaluable organisations.

Finally on today's show we spoke with the fashion director of 'Rediscover Fashion' which is one of the ten Arthur Guinness Fund awardees 2010. The project aims to change the way society views recycled clothing, and how consumers behave and manage textile waste.

Carrie Ann Moran and Sarah Miller established ReDiscover Fashion to address growing national concerns within the fashion and textiles industry, relating to the environmental and social impacts of disposing clothing. GTB had the pleasure of chatting with fashion designer Carrie Ann Moran about the business and everything that has happened since they won.
As well as having a positive impact on the environment, the project also has social and economic benefits. Rediscover Fashion will generate a steady revenue stream from the sale of a 100% recycled and ethical clothing line. It is also a non profit organisation which means that all the money earned from the business will be reinvested in training, materials and job creation.

If you would like to help Carrie Ann or Sarah protect the environment then you can give them any unwanted materials or they can even remake any piece of garment into something new for you to wear and enjoy!!! Shopping guilt free sounds great to us!!

If you would like to contact Carrie Ann you can do at http://www.rediscoverycentre.ie/Rediscover_Fashion/Rediscover_Fashion.484.aspx

Also if you would like to see some of the clothing line there is going to be a fashion show taking place in association with Ikea Ballymun. The show will take place on June 3rd in the Ikea store.

Fashion Director Carrie Ann Moran and her team will present the latest clothing range made from 100% reclaimed and recycled fabrics. GTB wish the girls all the best in the future, not only are these ladies make sure we look good they are protecting the world we live it...SUPERWOMEN!!

Showbiz News -Lily Swings people

We just could not believe our eyes when we read that Lily Allen is rumoured to be playing along side Crystal Swing in the upcoming future!! Firstly isn't Lily meant to be quiting the music industry?? Susposedly a family member/friend of Lily's has asked her to perform with the band...but we'd say she needs them to perform with her...GTB have never seen Lily on the Ellen show!!!! We'r just saying!!!

GTB would like to send our deepest sympathies to the Ryan family for there sad loss last week. Ireland has lost an amazing tv and radio presenter. RIP Gerry Ryan

For all the Boyzone fans out there heres a link to there new video.....ENJOY and your welcome :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_o8m4ieGeQ

Talk Soon xxx

A final farewell along with this weeks GTB Show...............

2010-04-19T09:16:00.000-07:00

First up I want to say a sad goodbye and I will miss you both to Jenny and Susan who have been amazing co-hosts on GirlsTalkBack. We have had some great times together and shows which none of us will ever forget, there really isn’t anything like live radio!!! I wish you both all the best with the future, Jenny is off to London to take over the world while Susan is going travelling and will be working on other radio commitments. I have no doubt both will be hugely successful at whatever they put their hands too. I look forward to the day our paths cross again Ladies and remember there is always a place for you behind the GTB mic. Xxx

First up on today’s GirlsTalkBack show we had the extremely talented singer/song writer Rossa O'Reilley live in studio. We had the pleasure of hearing him perform two songs live in studio one which he wrote himself and the second a John Mayer classic 'your body is a wonderland'. Jenny asked Rossa to come into studio for our show after she heard him perform at McSorleys in Ranalagh. You can check him out every Wednesday night performing to an audience which he is usually serving from behind the bar!!! Rossa’s sound is very like the fantastic Tracy Chapman and he would describe himself as an acoustic singer. Singing is a passion and hobby for Rossa but fingers crossed one day someone will spot the talent that Jenny did in McSorleys last weekend, we think Rossa is a fantastic musician and if you would like to hear more about him just check out http://www.myspace.com/rossamusic

Did you know that there are more than twice as many men as women in this country starting up their own business? We invited Marion Jammet from the Dublin Chamber of Commerce back onto the show to discuss female Entrepreneurship. A total of 10 business women from Ireland have been nominated to an EU panel of Ambassadors for Female Entrepreneurship, each of whom has excelled and made their mark in business. The four selected entrepreneurship ambassadors for the Dublin area are Nicola Byrne (Call 11890), Grainne Byrne (gbc Public Relations), Krishna De (Biz Growth News) and Triona Campbell (CR Entertainment).

The Ambassador’s mission is to be a role model and to promote entrepreneurship amongst women by engaging and encouraging females of all ages to fully use their skills, talents and ambition to become entrepreneurs. For many reasons including childcare issues, lack of confidence, perception of value, fewer Irish women choose to become Entrepreneurs. The Enterprise Europe Network would like to invite all women who are either students, employees or are currently looking for work to take 3 minutes to complete an online survey.
The purpose of the survey is to better understand whether or not women see being self employed as a potential career option, and if not, why not. To access the survey please go to: www.dublinchamber.ie and click on the ‘Do you want to be your own boss’ link in the Chamber news section. This online survey will be online till Wednesday 29th April 2010.
We have touched on this topic so many times on GirlsTalkBack about how it is believed alot of great businesses come out of times of hardship and recession so people should stop looking at the current economic climate as a barrier and just go for it. Women of Ireland you have an opotunity to speak with and meet these inspirational women we spoke about on the show today who have succeed greatly so don't miss out on an oportunity that could change your life!

Last but by no means least we spoke with Tina Roche the CEO from Community Fund for Ireland. The first ever fund for women in Ireland was launched last week at a symposium on women in Philanthropy. The Community fund for Ireland pledged €100,000 to get the fundraising off the ground.
The Fund will tackle the problems facing women and girls in Ireland today. It will evolve over time but it will target critical issues such as combating poverty and violence to improving access to healthcare and education. It will also target areas such as trafficking and prostitution, integration of new communities, women in the arts, literacy and support for carers. It will be dedicated to supporting these issues by giving small grants to enable positive change at the grassroots and strategic level and tackle women’s inequality at its source.
Did you know that 1 in 5 women experience domestic violence in their lifetimes
                             85% of lone parents are female
                             84% of cases reported to the Rape Crisis Centre are female
                            Only 14% of TD’s in Dail Eireann are female (EU average is 24%)
However, Women are one and half times more likely than men to include a donation to charity in their will!!!

Anyone can donate people and no amount is too small!! The fund is being supported by Irish Tatler magazine and is their chosen charity of the year for 2010, so no doubt we'll be reading more about it in the coming months. Log onto the website to make your donation http://www.foundation.ie/

Chat soon x

The Sun has Got his Hat on, it's coming out to play.....

2010-04-13T04:49:00.000-07:00

First up on the show today was Tully from The Chapters http://www.thechapters.com/ (GTB can’t get enough of their latest track Black Room!!)
Tully filled us in on what the band has been up to in recent months, from travelling the colleges of Ireland to London, where the Coronas supported the lads. The guys are just back from playing in and around Venice where they’re building a strong fan base, and hope to return to Italy for more gigs at the end of the summer. The Chapters are planning more gigs over the coming months, starting with two at The Button Factory http://www.buttonfactory.ie/ in Dublin on 23 and 24 April. The second gig in Dublin is a lunchtime gig (2pm) open to all ages, which is especially good news to fans under 18. Jenny tried to get the lowdown on the bad habits of the band, but Tully very diplomatically said they know each other long enough to get over any little annoyances that pop up while they’re on the road. Glad to hear it, Tully!! Look forward to hearing more from these guys through out the year!

What a weekend people, the weather was just amazing and I know it is kind of wrong to say this but if global warming is the cause of this ...we ain't so angry.....oh come on we had such a horrible winter and new year, we definitely deserve the nice effects as well..You know you agree!!! But in saying that GTB are strong advocators of protecting yourself from harmful rays so on today’s show we had the pleasure of speaking with Julienne Curran, Medical Relations Manager for ‘La Roche-Posay’.

According to the NCRI the most common cancer in Ireland is skin cancer with just over 8000 new cases diagnosed in 2008.

Melanoma Awareness Month is to promote the early detection and prevention of skin cancer. In Ireland, La Roche-Posay is driving the month long awareness campaign, alongside the Irish Cancer Society and the Melanoma Trust, Dr Patrick Ormond Consultant Dermatologist, Eccles Private Clinic in association with the Mater Private Hospital who are offering free Specialist Diagnostic & Surgical Support. It is a nationwide campaign being promoted in Dermatologists rooms, Dermatology departments, GP surgeries and pharmacies encouraging members of the public to get their moles/suspicious legions checked and adopt safe behaviour in the sun.

http://www.myskincheck.ie/ is a public health website dedicated to the early screening of skin cancer. It enables each individual to learn more about skin cancer, safety in the sun and to diagnose their personal risk level, self-check moles and mole map. It is a tool to support dermatologists in their effort to educate the wider public. La Roche-Posay is urging the Irish public to look out for new lumps, growths or changes to existing moles, and also to be vigilant about monitoring moles in general.
All details and pictures for reference are available on http://www.myskincheck.ie/ and any observed changes of moles should be discussed with a dermatologist or General Practitioner without delay. These may be the early signs of skin cancer and early detection is vital for successful treatment.

Don't just ignore the situation be responsible and then you can spend years being active out in the sun. Some of the products which Julienne dicussed on the show included factor 50+ which can be bought in any good pharmacy.

Take care of your skin Ladies and Gentlemen

Yes we are still harping on about this gorgeous weather which is definately inspiring us all to get out and about, we thought it might be good timing to set up some projects to keep us out and active. Lisa Smyth from the A to Z Children's Charity (http://www.azkids.ie/ ) filled us in on their 4 Peaks Challengs fundraiser on the June bank holiday weekend. The challenge involves climbing the four highest peaks of Ireland - one in each provicence - over 48 hours Lisa said she did the climb last year because she wanted to see more of Ireland, and GTB thinks it's a great way to get fit and healthy while enjoying some fabulous Irish scenery.The charity offers invaluable support throughout the challenge, with transport and accommodation provided. They'll also keep you fed with snacks and provisions off-mountain to make sure your energy is sustained throughout the day. Highly skilled guides will also accompany you on the climbs. A to Z is setting up practice hikes, too, with one planned per peak so you have a chance to get to know the climb in advance of the big weekend. To book a place or find out more about the fundraising involved, contact Lisa on lisa@azkids.ie or check out the website here http://www.azkids.ie/peak_challenge2010.asp Money raised goes to supporting the A to Z Chilren's Charity work in Uganda.

Hope you enjoyed this Mondays show xxx

Girls, Girls, Girls.....Ladies Day on GTB!!

2010-03-29T06:19:00.000-07:00

First up on todays GirlsTalkBack we had up and coming Irish model Dearbhla Hogan on who revealed that she has had a rhinoplasty with Ireland’s leading cosmetic surgery provider, The Harley Medical Group.

Dearbhla spoke to us about her life changing procedure and the stigma that surrounds cosmetic surgery in Ireland. At the age of seven, Dearbhla fell on her face and damaged her nose leaving her with a lump of cartilage at the end of it and a large nose bridge which she felt was too big for her face. Dearbhla has since dreamed of reshaping her nose and decided this year to do so as she was becoming more successful in the modeling world.

It has been around two months since she had the procedure and Dearbhla told GTB that she cannot believe the difference it has made. Although Dearbhla can understand how plastic surgery can become addictive she told us she won’t be getting anything else done and believes celebrity’s like Heidi Montage are unique cases and it is quite extreme!!

Dearbhla’s advice to anyone who is looking into cosmetic surgery is to make sure to do what is best for you. Do a lot of research into the surgery you are contemplating getting and be 100% sure it is what you want.

There is still a lot of stigma surrounding plastic surgery but it would appear that Irish people are slowly but surely coming around to the idea. It is definitely seen as the easy but most expensive way of reaching the ‘ideal you’.

It has been revealed that Rhinoplasty, also called plastic surgery of the nose or a "nose job”, now

accounts for 12% of the overall turnover in Ireland and is the second most performed surgical procedure at THMG Dublin clinic with breast augmentations topping the list. The cosmetic surgery industry as a whole in Ireland has seen growth to date in 2010 with The Harley Medical Group expecting the cosmetic surgery and non-surgical treatment market to grow up to a further 20% throughout the coming year.

To find out more about cosmetic surgury follow the link http://www.harleymedical.ie/

Before the show, GTB chatted to Styletonic.ie's Michelle Jones about her decision to start up her own Irish fashion website. Styletonic.ie brings together an incredible range of clothing and accessories from Irish boutiques which can be purchased from the site.

Michelle told GTB about the difficulties of getting started, but the encouragemetn and support she's received since she began her business. She said she's met some amazing people who have really helped her to get up and running. GTB thinks Michelle's being a bit modest, though - she's clearly put a lot of hard work into such a funky website!

Styletonic also publishes a montly online magazine and this month's issue features a fantastic guide to NYC, baby! There's also a gorgeous fashion shoot with the very talented photographer, Aisling King, as well as tips on what to wear - and how to wear it.

There's also a chance for you to win some amazing prices here.

We then chatted to Leah O’Reilly co- owner of online jewellery boutique Crystals & Co. Leah is a previous guest and a friend of GTB so we love having her on the show. Since we spoke to Leah last, the Crystals & Co website has been launched where you can browse till your hearts content. The business for the girls has been going from strength to strength as there has been major demand for the Crystal & Co accessories at home and abroad.

The recent glamour event of the year, The IFTA’s saw many famous faces gracing the carpet donning the most beautiful and esquisite Crystals & Co pieces. The girls will also be displaying their pieces in the coming weeks at the Expose Live Exhibition at the RDS. GTB will defo be taking a trip down to get their bling bling on. GTB can EXCLUSIVELY reveal that the spring/summer collection has many more beautiful pieces including the stunning drop ball earrings worn by Cheryl Cole on the X-Factor! GTB will be the first to let you know when you can get your hands on these! You can check out their stunning online jewellery store at crystalsandco.com. GTB love Crystals & Co!!

Talk Soon xxx

GirlsTalk Back Birthday Special....

2010-03-22T07:33:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to our very own Jenny Conlon who turns 24 years old today...Hope you have a lovely day Jen love the GTB team xxx

Your Country Your Call
GTB had the pleasure of speaking to Shona O’Neill about the competition that has Ireland buzzing!!

‘Your Country Your Call’ was founded by President Mary Mcaleese’s husband Martin Mcaleese who decided that it was time to allow the people of Ireland have their say. It is a competition to ignite thinking and to inspire people to use their imagination.

Already there are thousands of applicants logging on to have their say and along with the weird and wacky ideas, some of the proposals are showing how the people of Ireland want to help and encourage change in the way we do things, allow businesses to grow, employment to be created and prosperity to flourish.

If this sounds like something you could contribute to or simply just want to have a look at a few of the ideas that could change the country you live in the log onto http://www.yourcountryyourcall.com/index.html

Get thinking people!!!

Lead guitar and vocals Steve Cassells from ‘J Walkers’ was on the show to talk about music, gigging and everything in between to make a successful band!! GTB got excited at the thought that they could indeed be Irelands very own Glee club….

The band has been together since 2006 and has varied over the years with different band members sometimes reaching over ten people, all bringing their own instruments and this in turn has allowed the group to get such an original sound.

Steve filled us in on how difficult it is to get into the music industry but if you are passionate about something then no matter how many knock backs you just keep pushing forward. The band get there influences from all music genres including rock, jazz and acoustic sounds, John Mayers name crept into conversation a lot, so if you are a fan of his music make sure to check out a few tracks from these guys!!!

If you want to find out more about the band you can head to ‘tink tank’ in Dublin on the 24th of March to see them perform or check them out on their myspace :
http://www.myspace.com/thejwalkersmusic

ShowBiz news
Jedward get the boot

The X factor tour was in Dublin last week and it was revealed that Jedward have been given the boot by their record company Sony dues to the lack of sales of their first single ‘Under Pressure’ which was a duet with old time rapper Vanilla Ice – but it would seem he couldn’t even make them cool enough!!!

Louis Walsh who is the boys manager had this to say about the whole incident ‘I’m completely committed to Jedward and I know they still have a great career ahead of them’

Reports are already stating they are already in talks with other record labels.

Also released over the weekend is news that the twins have landed a massive €150,000 deal to be the stars of Irish panto this Christmas, they will be the headline act for Cinderella starting on the 22nd December 2010

X FACTOR

Sticking with Louis it is believed he has convinced X factor head judge Simon Cowell to bring the audience to Dublin. Imagine we might get to see Cheryl in the flesh….
It’s rumoured the auditions will take place at Croke park and remember they are now doing it to a live audience, oh god that process alone would put the GTB team off!! But if you think you have the talent get excited and start practicing people!!

Andrea Roche marriage breaks up!

Week after week we hear about marriage break ups from Kate Winslet and her producer husband to the infidelity of Sandra Bullock’s husband and now it has happened within our Irish Celebrity Circuit!! Former Miss Ireland and tv personality Andrea Roche has ended her marriage with business man PJ Mansfield. Reports are stating the marriage did infact end a couple of months ago and that Andrea has moved out and now lives alone. The separation is rumoured to have been amicable and the reason behind the break up is believed to be down to the fact that the couple grew apart. They had been together for nine years and got married back in 2006.

Finally on today’s showbiz news it would appear it is exciting times for the beautiful Grainne Seoige as she might be heading over to GMTV. She did some work at the Cheltenham races and although she isn’t confirming anything reports are stating she is excited about new opportunities. We have our fingers crossed for you Grainne!!!

Talk soon xx

Festivals, fashion and (little) feet!

2010-03-15T07:16:00.000-07:00

Leprechauns - back in vogue?

To get into the festive St Patrick’s Day spirit, GTB spoke to Tom O’Rahilly, director of the new Leprechaun Museum on Jervis St. The museum opened last week and has already generated huge interest – even making it into Time magazine.

Tom told GTB that leprechauns first came to Ireland out of the sea and that Trinity College houses a manuscript from the 8th century which is believed to contain the first reference to leprechauns in Ireland.

The Leprechaun Museum, Tom assures us, has plenty to offer locals as it encourages visitors to take a look at Irish mythology (and not just leprechauns). Booking details can be found here. Bear in mind that tickets booked online are for a particular time slot. Tickets can also be bought at the museum itself, but online booking is recommended.

Sticky Imprints, Made With Love!

After becoming a Mum for the second time, Gwen Frei felt inspired and set up her successful business Sticky Imprints. Gwen realized how precious time is and how quickly it passes once you become a mother. Her aim is to capture and preserve beautiful childhood memories in the most unique way. She does by working her magic and imprinting a loved one's finger, hand or footprint in solid silver. Each piece of jewellery created is intricately handcrafted with intrinsic detail.

If you cannot arrange a casting session at Sticky Imprints, this is not a problem as they allow you to capture your loved one’s fingerprint from your own home with a Home Impression Kit and an accompanying set of easy to follow instructions (don't worry the impression is not the actual size of your foot or hand, just so you all know as GTB had to clarify that little piece of info!) The whole process takes approximately 21 days and your desired piece will be sent back to you by registered post. Gwen’s aim is to capture a moment in time that you can carry with you and wear forever
GTB really enjoyed chatting to Gwen and wish her all the luck with her new business!
For all the info that you need log onto the website, www.stickyimprints.ie/

Heidi launches new collection AND boutique

Irish design fans have somewhere new and very exciting to visit – Heidi Higgins (formerly located in the Loft, Powerscourt) has just opened her own boutique in Portlaoise. Up and coming designer Heidi has just launched her Spring Summer 2010 collection, featuring striking colours and lively patterns. There are still staple LBDs in her collection, too!

Heidi explained the planning and production process behind her designs, and is very particular about the shades and quality of materials used. Heidi says if you spot something in her shop that you like, but would prefer a different pattern, colour or fit, she’ll do what she can to sort you out and dress you up!

Check out stockists and her Portlaoise address here.

With St Patricks Day just around the corner GTB wanted to make sure you got the full download on what was happening so we invited Susan Kirby the CEO of the festival onto the show to tell all!!!

The parade theme this year is 'Extraordinary World' and features inventive street theatre troupes, giant puppetry, artists, dancers and marching bands from all across Ireland and the globe!!! You won't want to miss it!!! It was revealed that over 65,000 people made their way into the city last year to watch the parade so make sure to head in early and remember to leave the cars at home because a lot of the roads will be blocked off for the day!!!

St Patricks day is no longer just about the parade as organisers aim to turn it into a festival so if the parade isn't you cup of tea fear not as there is definitely something for everyone!! GTB would recommend checking out the '80 meter Stiletto Heel Dash' in aid of the Marie Keating foundation.....it is still not too late to take part in this great charity http://www.mariekeating.ie/ and if heels just aren't for you, we can guarantee seeing hundreds of women and men running O’Connell street like mad people will give anyone a great laugh ....so make sure to get down there!!! Also on the day there will be a screening of 'Bananas on the Breadboard' which is a 50 minute documentary celebrating the life and stories from the market areas in Dublin which will not only bring you insight into the lives of the market sellers but also bound to have amazing humour….definitely one to watch!! This will be shown at the Light House Cinema in Smithfield at 4pm.

Jenny, Susan and I will be in the middle of all the madness this Wednesday reporting live from the parade so make sure to pop over and say hi to us and take you picture…..your face could be on our blog next week!!!

To find out more information about St Patricks Day check out http://www.stpatricksfestival.ie/cms/events.html

Happy Paddy’s Day Everyone !!!!!!!

Happy International Women's Day!!!

2010-03-08T06:14:00.000-08:00

Women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition." ~ ( Timothy Leary )"
"Women In Business - Shaping the Future"

Happy International Women's Day 2010 to all our GTB listeners!!! Today Over 200 Dublin business women will gather to celebrate International Women's Day. There will be a guest speaker panel which will include Mary Ann O'Brien, founder & MD of Lily O'Brien's; Lucy Gaffney, chairperson of Communicorp Group Ltd.; and Nicola Byrne, managing director of 11890. GirslTalkBack were shocked to find out that despite the fact that nearly 60% of Irish graduates are women, they only represent 30% of entrepreneurs in the EU.
Women In Business networks and the European Network of Female Entrepreneurs work to encourage more women to become entrepreneurs and start their own companies. Tonight, the audience will have a unique opportunity to hear from three of the most successful and respected Irish female entrepreneurs. These entrepreneurs will tell their "success stories", their challenges and achievements along the way, and share their top advices for women in business.
Unfortunately this years event has sold out and there is over 70 people on the waiting list so if you don't get the chance to go to this fantastic event this year make sure to put it in your diary for next year!! Come on Ladies get out there and support one another!!!
WHAT: International Women's Day seminar

"Women In Business - Shaping the Future"
WHEN: Monday 8 March from 6.00pm
WHERE: The Alexander Hotel
Contact:Marion Jammet - 01 644 7235 (Marion@dublinchamber.iemailto:Marion@dublinchamber.iemailto:Marion@dublinchamber.ie)

From left to right:

Triona Campbell (CR Entertainment – European Female Entrepreneurship Ambassador); Nicola Byrne (11890 - European Female Entrepreneurship Ambassador); Agata Stoinksa (D-Lite Studios - Dublin City Enterprise Board Women In Business Programme); Margaret Fay (Giftsforall.ie - Fingal Women in Business Network) and Catherine O’Sullivan (Feelgood scarves - Dun Laoghaire – Rathdown County Enterprise Board Enterprising Women Programme).
Photo by: Maebh Fitzpatrick
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Donal Skehan
We spoke to Donal Skehan, chef, author and Industry Band member. Donal filled us in on how food doesn't have to be challenging to be healthy. It's all about Good Mood Food. His new book Good Mood Food gives you all the information you need to find the chef within. He has recenlty begun giving demonstrations in schools to children and was surprised at how interested they were in learning all about food. Obeasity is rapidly becoming a huge problem in Ireland but Donal believes that if we educate the children, this knowledge may decrease and improve the situation. Donal also has the most amazing blog which you can find at the goodmoodfoodblog.com.You need to check this out ppl! His food tips and blogs are really inspiring and even convinced GTB that we could actually master a few moves in the kitchen! When he is not cooking, he is singing and recently supported JLS in the 02 arena with his up and coming band, Industry. 2010 is a jam packed year for Donal as he will be travelling all around with his culinary skills, raising money for charity and travelling to Paris to cook for 500 people. We wish Donal the best of look and hope to have all the Industry band members on GTB very soon!

ShowBiz News

Big congrats to Niamh Kavanagh who will be singing for Ireland this year in the EuroVision song contest. The Irish public voted for her to represent the country for 2010 on the Late Late Show last Friday night. Micky Graham from Boyzone came a well-respected 2nd but also got voted off TV3's Dancing on ice last night...really wasn't his weekend for winning (don't worry Micky you're our number 1)!!! But GirlsTalkBack do believe the best contendor won so best of luck to Niamh - she will of course do us proud!!

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Also speaking on today's show was Senator David Norris, who chatted to GTB about the forthcoming re-publication of Finnegan's Wake. Although the Senator believes the publicity surrounding the launch will renew interest in the text, many readers will still shy away from the text.

Senator Norris also gave GTB an extraordinary rendition of the infamous 200-letter sequence at the start of Finnegan's Wake. We wouldn't have attempted it ourselves, but he pulled it off brilliantly! For anyone who fancies hearing more from the book, he particularly recommends the Cyril Cusack performance of the text.

Hats off to the editors of the new edition, too; Danis Rose and John O'Hanlon have spent 30 years correcting some 9,000 errors in the text. Phew! Check out the publishing details here. The Indo ran a great feature at the weekend on this edition, which you can read here.

GTB wonders if Marilyn ever got around to reading Finnegan's Wake, too...

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GirlsTalkBack on 103.2FM

2010-03-02T03:45:00.000-08:00

Today's show was really packed with a wide range of topics and guests!

For those of you who may be considering a creative career change, or have always had a hankering for the film business, we spoke to Grainne MacLoone from Filmbase about the wide range of courses offered by Filmbase in Temple Bar.

Courses from directing, to editing, to lighting, can be found here.

Grainne mentioned one particularly interesting seminar which is coming up at the end of this month - "Hollywood Screenwriting". Bring it on! James Bartlett, who is a writer and journalist living in LA, and is also a story analyst for the Sundance Institute, National Geographic Films, New Regency, UCLA and the Academy of Motion Pictures Nicholl Screenwriting Awards (phew! what a list!) will be speaking about the impact style can have on your script. James can apparently tell by the opening pages of a script whether the writer is based in the US or on this side of the Atlantic. So, budding writers, take note! The seminar costs €40 for members and €55 for non-members.

GTB had the pleasure of talking to Ray Senior, owner and founder of showbiz.ie and VIP pictures. Ray who is a self confessed Mr. nice guy admitted in studio that the only reason he set up his company was to get into high profile nightclubs and meet girls (we loved the honesty))!! He never imagined it to become the huge success that it is and to Rays delight it celebrated its 10th birthday this year!!

He confirmed that Irish celebrities do in fact tip the paps of on where they will be just to make it into the papers or onto a gossip site....so whenever you see an 'off guard' celeb lazing on a beach...just think they had prob set that all up themselves!!!

He told the girlstalkback team that there is definitely a love/hate relationship between the paparazzi and those being papped.....but let's be honest without them these celebs would never be known!!

If you fancy becoming a pap yourself and earning anything from €90 to €150 from the simple click of a camera, check out showbiz.ie on this link.

We chatted to Grainne Humphreys, The Director of the Jameson Film Festival. Grainne filled us in on the success of this years festival and told us all about the Hollywood greats who graced our emerald isle over the two week period. This event seems to be getting bigger and better each year. Months and months of preparation and organisation certainly paid off as Colin Farrell was in attendance and opened up the film festival, accompanied by his girlfriend Alicja and the wonderful Neil Jordan . Last night then saw Tilda Swinton close the festival with her new film 'I Am Love', which she also directed. GTB were lucky enough to attend this event and even managed to say Hi to Tilda. She said she was a GTB fan too!!! Hopefully we can get her on the show someday soon! If you want to catch up on anything you missed from the Jameson Film Festival then log onto their website.

GTB moved on to the more serious subject of Sex Addiction. The Centre for Sexual Addictions, Director of Counselling and Communication, Declan Fitzpatrick discussed the issue with GTB. The number of people in Ireland suffering from Sex Addiction is on the increase and this appears to be more common among the male population!!!With celebs such as Tiger Woods coming out to talk about his struggle with sex addiction, this may encourage others to come out who feel that they may be suffering too. It is definitely an addiction that people seem a little unsure over.....some people simply feel it is an excuse for infidelity or promiscuous behaviour?? What are your thoughts???

The Centre for Sexual Addiction offers help to those who feel they may be suffering from Sex Addiction. Check out their website here.

2010-02-23T02:07:00.000-08:00

First up today we spoke to Brian Iredale, founder and CEO of the A to Z Children's Charity. Brian told us how he fell for Uganda - and his future wife - while cycling 3,000 miles around the region. Returning to Ireland, Brian decided to set up a charity to support Ugandan children affected by HIV.

A to Z has a range of programmes from sponsoring a child's education, to helping build a HIV clinic. 50% of children born with HIV will be dead by their second birthday.

Irish Olympic boxer Kenny Egan is taking part in an exciting trek and home-building project for a fornight this June and July. There are still spaces available so if you fancy trekking around the amazing UNESCO World Heritage site the Mountains of the Moon in Uganda, check out the details here.

We had the beautiful Nadia Ford on the show talking to us about what it is like being Irelands most wanted model. She was funny, friendly and works extremely hard at what she does (could we be any more jealous). She told Girls Talk Back that modelling was never a huge dream of hers and puts all her success down to having a pushy granny who wanted the best for her!!! Her plans for 2010 are to continue on with modelling, continuing to work hard and maybe if she is lucky get to Vegas at some point (although she admitted to not being much of a party girl and prefers to sit in with her boyfriend and friends)!!! GTB wish Nadia all the best for 2010 and look forward to hearing more from her in the near future.GTB sense maybe she might ditch the blonde and go dark brown soon......you heard it here first people :-)

GTB had the pleasure of speaking to owner Sinead Deegan from http://www.muttugly.com/

Muttugly is every pet and owners dream shop!!It is 'a little piece of heaven for cats, dogs and owners of all shapes, sizes & peculiarities'. They offer grooming; day care and home stay services and stock a range of fun, fashionable products that also serve a real functional need for your pet. They also provide a grooming school service which offers a range of training courses from professional grooming qualifications to just for fun courses.
If there is anything you need for your beloved four legged friend Muttugly are bound to have it!! There are two Muttugly branches one in Ringsend and one in Ranelagh and make sure to stop in and say hi to Murphy when you get there...he is the local celeb!!!

If you would like to find out even more about MuttUgly just visit http://www.muttugly.com/

Showbiz News
It was none stop awards over the weekend and amazing Glamour!! The RDS held the tenth annual Meteor Awards hosted by the beautiful Amanda Byram.

Guests on GTB ‘The Coronas’ won an award on the night much to their surprise (but not ours!!) beating none other than U2 and Snow Patrol. Westlife won best Irish pop act for the tenth year in a row…no stopping these guys!!

A surprise appearance from Castleknock-out Colin Farrell made GTBs night (no doubt every other women in Ireland also). The list of performing artists on the night included Dizzee Rascal, Pixie Lott, Paolo Nutini, The Script, The Temper Trap and Westlife and how could anyone forget the amazing Florence and the Machines who opened the show!! The night was a huge success and judging by the fact that it sold out by early February this year you would probably want to start trying to get your tickets for next year ASAP!!!

Saturday night at the Burlington Hotel the Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) welcomed Ireland’s creative talent from the world of film and television. They proudly celebrated the Irish industry’s achievements both at home and abroad. Nominees included Brendan Gleeson, Colin Farrell, Saoirse Ronan, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Aidan Quinn, Ciarán Hinds, Amy Huberman, Sarah Bolger to name but a few.

The Winners on the night were

Best Film

The Eclipse - Robert Walpole, Rebecca O'Flanagan (Treasure Entertainment)
Director Film

Jim Sheridan - Brothers (Lionsgate)
Script Film

Billy Roche, Conor McPherson - The Eclipse (Treasure Entertainment)
Actor in a Lead Role - Film

Colin Farrell - Ondine (Octagon Films)
Actress in a Lead Role - Film

Saoirse Ronan - The Lovely Bones (Paramount)
Actor in a Supporting Role - Film

Aidan Quinn - The Eclipse (Treasure Entertainment)
Actress in a Supporting Role - Film

Dervla Kirwan - Ondine (Octagon Films)
Best International Film

The Hurt Locker
Pantene Best International Actress Award - People's Choice *

Meryl Streep - It's Complicated

GTB best dressed goes to Ms Saoirse Ronan who looked beautiful in Burberry!!! Saoirse also choose to wear Burberry to the Bafta awards which took place on Sunday night!! Celebrity ad campaign in the future perhaps anyone..........

A YouTube Sensation On GTB This Week!

2010-02-15T17:03:00.000-08:00

First up on GTB this week we had the pleasure of chatting to Amy Dillon in the GTB studio. Amy is an Irish YouTube sensation, a self taught make-up artist, a talented painter and now has her own amazing website www.makeupandbeauty.ie. Check it out ppl! How did this all come about?? Well she first began by uploading her make-up lessons onto YouTube after being inspired by an aticle she read. She posted her first video onto YouTube when she got so annoyed over how badly her skin reacted to a certain product.

She began regularly uploading videos to YouTube in 2009 which have been hit over 700,000 times and she now has well over 13,000 subscribers. Sensational or what. YouTube then approached Amy to make her a YouTube partner, dazzledust25 where she now has her own channel. You could litrelly spend the whole day on her website www.makeupandbeauty.ie it’s that amazing.

GTB love her laid back approach and her videos are so honest, real, genuine and personal. Girls with all types of issues can relate to the things that Amy talks about. GTB have learnt so much from watching her videos and we think she is amazing for filling such a much needed niche. There are also clever, inexpensive and natural ideas on her website. All you need to do is raid your fridge and kitchen presses for ingredients. Get out the porridge ppl!!!

DUBLIN EVENTS

FANCY A FLICK?

There are some cracking events coming up in Dublin city centre over the next week or so - and here's our selection:

The annual Jameson Dublin Film Festival gets under way on silver screens across the city this week, running from this Thursday, the 18th, until the 28th of February.

You'd want to move really quickly if you're hoping to get tickets at this stage and some of the higher-profile films have long been sold out. Colin Farrell will be attending the screening of Ondine, along with director Neil Jordan on Thursday night at the Savoy on O'Connell St. Unfortunately, that's one of the sold-out shows! But if you linger outside, you might catch a glimpse of the lads as they makes their way in. (Here's hoping...)

MORE LOVE!!!

And if you didn't get enough romance over Valentine's weekend, the Science Gallery at Trinity College has an interesting exhibition for the next few weeks called LOVE LAB: THE SCIENCE OF DESIRE

Some of the activities sound really bizarre, such as Scentsational. In this experiment you can smell a worn T-shirt and take a sniff test to see if you find the hormone scents pleasant, odourless or repulsive. Hmmm.... We're not so sure we'd enjoy that one, sounds like a bit of a risk!
There's also another experiment called Average Face. Right... Well this involves stepping into a special photo booth and having your picture taken. Then you can look through the gallery's collection of photos and see which features you find most attractive, and you can add your own photo to the collection. The experiment is questioning if good looking is really attractive or if average is the new aspiration.

Opening hours and other details for visitors here.

WITNESS TO WAR: the War of Independence and Civil War through the lens of WD Hogan

The latest exhibition at the National Photographic Archive, Meeting House Sq, Temple Bar from 16 January 2010 until May 2010, is well worth a visit.

Taken by photographer WD Hogan, this exhibition has some really fabulous shots, particular of Black n Tan officers posted around Dublin.

Hogan had the official sanction of Sinn Féin during the War of Independence, and the official sanction of the national army during the Civil War and so had excellent access to places and people between 1920 and 1923.

'The Minutes' on Girls Talk Back Monday the 15th of Feb ....103.2fm

2010-02-10T02:00:00.000-08:00

Make sure to tune in next Monday from 1pm to 2pm on 103.2fm...were going to be talking to lead singer Mark from Irish band 'THE MINUTES' about their new album and what we can expect from the guys in 2010!!

Dublin trio The Minutes have gigged extensively in Ireland and the UK. Touring with the likes of Albert Hammond Jnr (The Strokes), The Pigeon Detectives, The Von Bondies & Supergrass and also played at some festivals like CMJ (New York), CMW (Toronto), HWCH (Dublin) & Electric Picnic (Ireland). Previously released singles include 'Black Keys' 'Harmonic' and 'Ukraine'. Ukraine was one of the first songs released by The Minutes which helped the band establish themselves in the Dublin music scene and was constantly played on local indie stations.

After a year long residence in 2009 at Dublin live staple, Whelan's, The Minutes developed a true rock n' roll sound to call their own.

After becoming one of Dublin's must see live acts, it came time to record their debut record and in October of 2009 the three piece headed to Marcata Recordings in upstate New York. Together with producer Kevin McMahon the band have crafted a ten track album that bottles the energy of their live sets. The record blasts though one foot stomping song after another, from the 2 minute undiluted rawness of Secret History, to the crashing drum solos of Believer, right up to live favourite In My Time Of Dying. Due for release mid 2010, 'Marcata' is a record you'll come back to time and time again.

With a trip stateside again in March to attend the SXSW festival in Texas, this year promises to be an exciting year for the Dublin three-piece.

To find out more about 'The Minutes' visit:www.myspace.com/theminutesireland
www.facebook.com/theminutes
www.twitter.com/theminutes

It was Singletons V Relationshipers on GTB today!

2010-02-08T12:39:00.000-08:00

First up on GTB today we discussed a more serious issue of Mental Health in Ireland. We spoke with Jane Arigho, Media Project Coordinator with Headline. Headline is Ireland's national media monitoring programme, woking to promote responsible and accurate coverage of mental health and suicide related issues within the Irish media. Jane filled us in on how mental health issues are reported in the media and what ways in which the reporting of mental health issues can be improved. If any listeners were affected by the issues which were discussed then they can contact Headline if they want any further information on mental health issues http://www.headline.ie/.

Love was then certainly in the air when we had battle of the GTB Valentine's girls. Singleton Jennifer Bannon and not so single Sandy Hazel fought their corner to explain who would have the best Valentines Day. Jennifer informed us that she was perefectly happy to remain single this Valentines Day and the only memories she can recall of Valentines Day is fighting with her ex boyfriend. She is a firm believer that Valentines Day is a bit of a money making racket. She defo won't be giving you her last rolo! On the other side of the ring, relationship content Sandy informed us how she believes in love at first sight and does not believe that you have to spend lots of money to be romantic. GTB aimed to find out who has more fun on Valentines Day, all the single ladies?? Or all the not so single ladies?? GTB will leave this one in your hands! Happy Valentine's Day for Sunday to all our GTB listeners!

All you need to know.....

2010-02-02T02:01:00.000-08:00

Rock Star music, Bodies made for sin, burlesque dancing and all for a good cause!! The Wrights Venue held the ‘Fashion Rocks’ event on Sunday night which was hosted by top Irish model Jenny Lee Masterson all in aid of Irish Autism Action and Haiti. The event was fantastic, the Assets models were out in full force including Una Gibney, Aoife Cogan, Vouge Wilson and Yomiko Chen to support both their friend Jenny Lee and these important charities.

Up and Coming rock bands 'The Red Labels' and 'Von Shakes' performed live on the night and really got the crowd into the party mood. The 'Von Shakes' are up for a meteor this February for 'promising new artist' while 'The Red Labels new single 'The silence Breaks' is taking them from strength to strength. These two bands are definitely ones to watch..you heard it here first people!!! So much fun was had while raising money for both ‘Irish Autism Action & Haiti’… I’d say that equals a very successful night!!!

Rapper Snoop Doggy Doggy has spoken out about his want to appear in Coronations Street!!! Yes you heard correctly ...reports are stating he has been to Manchester plenty of times and has seen the show and would love to have a guest role in the British Soap!! Last night GTB just got over the excitement of our very own Keith Duffy walking back on the cobbles to cause some mayhem...could you just imagine if Snoop Dogg joined the cast!!! Where could he work....The Knicker Factory or Roy’s Roles?? Maybe he could be Liz MacDonald new love interest..she never stays single for too long!!!

Finally we can't say ciao for now until we speak about this amazing artist and women!!! Kanye West will be delighted that this lady is getting recognised finally... Beyonce dominated the 52nd Annual Grammy's on Sunday night by taking home six awards, the most won by a female artist in the one year at the one event!!! Big Congrats to B ....she just keeps getting Better and Better!!

Talk soon xx

A Little Bit of Rehab on Today's GTB

2010-02-01T15:47:00.000-08:00

This weeks GTB was full to the brim with guests!. First up we spoke with Amy Winehouse tribute act, Mainly Winehouse. Front women, Tamara Nolan who is a producer by day and Amy Winehouse by night told us about how Mainly Winehouse rock it out at venues around Dublin. Tribute acts are on the increase around Dublin but Mainly Winehouse certainly stand out above the rest.
Tamara informed us that she does not have any Amy tattoos and does not lead an Amy Winehouse lifestyle (Phew!) however her voice has those distinctive Amy Winehouse undertones. Tamara is not solo in her act as there are another six members of this tribute act. These guys will give you more than a bit of rehab as they are prone to throw in a bit of funk, motown and soul. These guys are playing at venues all around the province so if you want to see the next best think to Amy Winehouse, check these guys out. GTB are major fans and you can become a fan too by adding these guys on facebook.

Next up we spoke to up and coming fashion designer Emma Manley who at the impressive age of 23 is launching her own debut collection, Manley. Emma's love for fashion began at an early age, perhaps even birth, as her mum was also a fashion designer. After her school years Emma did a foundation in Fashion and Textile Design. From there she went to the Grafton Academy and from there to the bright lights of New York at the tender age of 21 where she got an internship with a luxury sportswear company called VPL. On completion of her intern Emma then found herself in London working with renowned fashion designer Alexander McQueen. Emma described how the fashion in New York is a million miles away from the fashion in London but interestingly found New York a much calmer place to work.

Emma's debut collection includes alternative evening wear and contemporary separates. Her current collection includes all types of fabrics such as silk, pigskin, silk chiffon and jersey. Emma constantly strives to create pieces of 'timeless beauty'. GTB really love all of the Manley pieces and have no doubt that Emma Manley is one to watch in 2010.

Emma Manley's collection is available from The Loft in The Powerscourt Centre or you can contact her directly, emma.kate.manley@googlemail.com. You can also become a fan of Manley on facebook to see the debut collection.

GTB then had a chat with Peter Mannion, the president of The Union of Students in Ireland as the USI is calling for full transparency on how third- level registration fees are being spent by the universities of Ireland. Peter informed us that more and more students are coming to the USI for advice on financial aid. Many students are financial difficulties securing bank loans to finish their students and as a result have no choice but to drop out.

January GTB Guests Bootcamp Ireland give fab keep fit tips in the Irish Independent!

2010-01-28T07:01:00.000-08:00

http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/independent-woman/health-fitness/get-fit-for-2010-2016058.html

Check out Bootcamp Ireland in this weeks Irish Independent. It gives you all the tip on how to keep in shape in the coming months. The evenings are getting longer! Can you feel it people? No more dark evenings so get out there and get down with Bootcamp Ireland!! GTB x

Log onto http://www.bootcampireland.com/ to check it all out!

Girls Talk Back with a Boy!

2010-01-25T09:41:00.000-08:00

This weeks GTB was missing one of its female presenters but all was not lost as Gerry Gormley improvised, joined GTB and got in touch with his feminine side!

First up we chatted with Michele McGrath who is no stranger to the media limelight. She is a talented actress, model and is now part of up and coming band Industry. Michele was busy recording new tracks for the new album but popped out of the recording studio today, sparing GTB a few moments of her time to fill us on on what we should expect from Industry in 2010. There is not stopping this band as they have been working their huge voices off with appearances all around the country.

2009 saw Industry release their first single 'My Baby's Waiting' which went to number one in the charts as did their second single 'Burn'. They also had an opportunity to perform alongside the Pussycat Dolls at the Killarney Summerfest. Asked about how those dolls look in real life, Michele said they look a little older! There is hope for all of us women out there!

GTB have no fear that we will be hearing alot more from Industry in 2010 and hopefully the whole band will visit us again soon. Check out all the upcoming info on the Industry Official Webite http://www.industryofficial.com/.

Following the success of last year's series The Model Agent, RTÉ have lauched another search to find a hidden Irish beauty. We unfortunately were unable to get hold of the RTÉ model scouts who are travelling around Ireland holding auditions in search of Ireland's Next top model. The joys of live radio and no signal of phones! . IMG model scouts Jeni Rose and David Cunningham are scowering the nation to find Ireland's Next Top model. The auditions are continuing to take place all around Ireland so it aint too late to be discovered ppl!. Check out where the auditions are taking place at www.rte.ie/tv/themodelscouts/. GTB can't wait until this series hits our screens and we may be able to get the model scouts on the show in the coming weeks to give us the low down!

Showbiz

Jay-Z and Bono join forces for Haiti

Has Heidi taken it too far?

We also had our weekly fill of some juicy showbiz gossip with GTB Jennifer Drennan. We can't wait until next week where we have an even more exciting show. Tune in next week for some more GTB entertainment!! lots of love GTB, MIMO x x x

Fun Day Mon Day 18th January

2010-01-19T07:49:00.000-08:00

In the wake of the Haiti disaster, more of us may be considering taking volunteering opportuntities on humanirtarian projects overseas. Frank Flood from Irish Aid told us all about Irish Aid's volunteering information services.

Irish Aid doesn't send volunteers overseas, but can provide you with sound advice if you're considering taking a trip. The Irish Aid centre is based on Upper O'Connell St, Dublin and can be contacted on 1890 252 676.

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Dublin band Clockwork Noise joined us in the studio on Monday to play a fantastic accoustic track for us and to fill us in on their plans for 2010.

The band's EP 'yes and no and everything in between' is available in record stores all over the country and from these outlets in Dublin: Road Records, Spindizzy Records,Freebird Records (Secret Book & Record Store), City Discs, Trout Records, and Tower Records.

A music video is in the works for the gang (GTB can't wait!), as is more recording.

Clockwork Noise are playing Whelan's in April - so keep an eye out! Further info on the band's MySpace or Facebook profiles.

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Ireland's first Page 3 model, Claire Tully joined GTB in studio this week to tell us all about her glamour modelling career. From achieving 600 points in her leaving cert, recieving a first class honors degree in Science and being offered a Phd in Oxford University there is really no stopping Claire Tully.

Claire explained how she fell into the glamour modelling industry by accident and informed us that it's not a sleazy business as is sometimes made out. One of Claire's main aims is to change attitudes towards the glamour modelling industry. Claire's first topless shoot was with The Irish Sun in March 2008. This shoot propelled Claire into the spotlight and she has not looked back since. She has not completely turned her back on the education front as she is currently working on a science documentry.

Claire's intellect is what sets her apart from the rest. Not only does she have a pretty face and fantastic body she also has brains and knows how to use them. She is no stranger to TV screens in the UK and Ireland and she also writes her own column in The Sun newspaper. Claire smashes all the boxes of what is considered an average glamour model. She is also a campaigner for Breast Cancer Awareness and uses her high profile to raise awareness.

Claire told GTB that she would like to start dating in 2010 as she has been single for a while now. We wish Claire all the luck in 2010 and hope to chat to her on GTB again very soon.

Claire has her own website where you can ask her questions, find out all about what she is up to and what her plans are for 2010.

Mondays Showbiz News

2010-01-18T07:40:00.000-08:00

I've been told that today is the most depressing Monday of the year....but we here at GirlsTalkBack are determined to make your Monday as happy as possible by filling you in on everything going on in LA LA LAND!!!

First up The Golden Globes celebrated its 67th year last night in Beverly Hills. The winners on the night were as follows:

 Avatar won best picture

 James Cameron won best director

Meryl Streep won best actress for her role in ‘Julie & Julia’

Sandra Bullock won best actress for ‘The Blind Side’

Robert Downey JR won best comedy actor for ‘Sherlock Homes’

Ricky Gervais hosted the event and there was mixed reactions to his performance. Some critics found him funny and entertaining while others thought he was predictable and boring and constantly plugging his own work!!

For me Emily Blunt stood out in her amazing Dolce and Gabbana dusty pink gown

While Twilights ‘Jacob’ aka Taylor Lautner looked very handsome in his black tux and dickey bow.

Gleek fans will be delight to hear Glee won best TV comedy or musical series on the night – so happy about that it is definitely my favourite show on at the moment!!

Claudia Schiffer had some exciting news to announce, she is expecting baby number three with husband and film director Matt Vaugh!! And this is the part I can’t get over she is already five and a half months gone and she seriously doesn’t look it!!! Dame her amazing figure!! The baby is dues to make its big appearance sometime this may!!

Our very own Saoirse Ronan is rumoured to be honoured at the pre-Oscar awards, where she will be recognised as rising new talent in Ireland.

Saoirse was shortlisted in 2008 for an Academy Award which is amazing – this was for the film ‘Atonement’. The extremely talented teenager will be given the Wilde Card award at the gala function which takes place just a few days before the glamorous Oscar ceremony. Post winners include Jim Sheridan, Brendan Gleeson and Jonathan Rhys Meyers to name but a few!! GirlsTalkBack wish Saoirse all the best in the future she will definitely be one to watch. She has c bright career in front of her!

Finally for today’s hot gossip the power house that is Simon Cowell has confirmed he is leaving American Idol to bring X Factor state side!! He has reportedly commented on how X will join TV station Fox’s schedule next year! But don’t fear Simon hasn’t gone all camera shy on us ladies he will be appearing as judge and mentor on the American X factor!! Rumours are surrounding Posh Spice to be one of the judges while people in the GTB studio feel Cheryl might be on the panel!! Just have to wait and find out!!!

Chat soon,

GTB xxx

GTB Monday 11 Jan 2010

2010-01-12T10:11:00.000-08:00

Tired of the gym but hoping to shed those excess Christmas pounds? This week’s first guest Lorraine Ho from Bootcamp Ireland told GTB about getting in shape military-style with their ex-army trainers to motivate you and get you moving!

Bootcamp Ireland has a variety of membership options, from one-per-class vouchers to annual subscriptions. Activities are open to lads and lasses, and include social events like ski or surf trips.

*****
Speaking of skiing and surfing, Gerry Collins, owner of The Great Outdoors on Chatham St, advised us on our winterwear during this infamous cold snap. Layering is the key, but good footwear won’t steer you wrong on these icy paths. Check out a range of their products online, and if you need any advice or assistance, Gerry and his team will kit you out in their city-centre store.

And for the hardier among us, Gerry advises wearing full-body coverage when surfing the Irish waters. (Although, you’d have to be mad…).

And if the snow returns this week, The Great Outdoors has some lovely toboggans for making the most out of it and unleashing your inner child.

*****

Bad weather means more opportunities for hitting the cinema, yay! Ken Mooney from movie, music and games review site BurnAllZombies.com pointed us in the directions of some promising films for 2010.

Ken’s top tips include: Up in the Air, starring George Clooney, A Single Man directed by fashionista Tom Ford (and involving the folks behind Mad Men), and Shutter Island – another Martin Scorsese and Leonardo Di Caprio effort.

Ken also suggests keeping an eye out for the film adaptation of the hugely popular novel The Lovely Bones, starring our very own Oscar-nominee, Saoirse Ronan. GTB is already counting the days til Sex and the City 2 comes out. Bring it on!

First GTB Post for 2010!!!

2010-01-11T09:17:00.000-08:00

Hey All,

Hope you enjoyed listening to today’s GirlsTalkBack on 103.2fm!! We were very excited to get back to work and do what we do best….fill all the listeners in on everything that is hot and happening around Dublin and the celeb world!!

On the showbiz front we discovered well known Irish Author Marian Keyes is sadly suffering from depression and has openly discussed this on her website with her fans stating ‘Regular readers know that I’ve been prone to depression on and off over the years but this is in a totally different league. This is much, much worse’.
We here at GTB think Marian is a very brave and courageous women to be so open about her condition and wish her all the best for 2010! If you would like to write a message of support follow the link below:

http://www.mariankeyes.com/Home

It was confirmed that Russell Brand and Katy Perry are to get married after Brand popped the question on a trip away to India on New Years! He confirmed by texting in to ‘The Sun’ newspaper saying ‘It’s true, Much Love’!!! Now rumours are flying that Katy is also pregnant……GTB thinks this couple will always be subjected to the rumour mill!!!

FYI …the wedding to watch out for in 2010- Irish rugby captain Brian O’Driscoll is to wed Irish actress and author Amy Huberman!! This will be taking place in Co. Leitrim at Lough Rynn Castle!! We can’t wait for the invite…it’s bound to arrive soon enough!!

She is back and looking amazing as ever!!

2009-12-11T02:52:00.000-08:00

So excited for the SATC2 film due out in May 2010, but to tickle those taste buds GirlsTalk Back have the first official poster for the film...... What do you think??

xxx

GTB were BOPPING and BLINGING on this weeks show!!

2009-12-07T07:22:00.000-08:00

First up on GirlsTalkBack we had up and coming Irish band ‘SOUNDPROOF’!! The band is made up of three brothers Ste, Neil and Chris and a best friend Rosie together writing creative melodies full of harmonies and catchy chorus! The guys come from the north of Dublin and describe themselves as a melodic rock band!! They have been together for over three and a half years now and although the music industry is a tough act to get into it would seem that these guys were born to do. They grew up surrounded by the industry and only recently found out that front man Danny from successful Irish band The Script is in fact their second cousin!!

They played in Crawdaddy nightclub last Saturday which was a huge success and have an upcoming gig in Eamon Doran’s this Saturday so the guys are really starting to make their mark. The gig this Saturday is free in so make sure to pop in and have a listen to the guys doing what they do best-performing live!!

Soundproof played ‘shoot me’ and ‘only by the night’ for us in studio and they were fantastic. They also left us a few copies of their EP so we will make sure to give a few away to the listeners on next weeks show. Make sure to tune in for that competition!!!
If you want to find out more about Soundproof just visit them on their blog.

GTB had the pleasure of chatting to Leah O'Reilly and Emily Mackeogh about their new business venture Crystals and Co on this weeks show. This is an online company which specialize in stunning crystal jewellery, bags, bracelets, rings and much more!. Girls, your prayers are now answered!

Crystal and Co source all their crystals from Paris to Austria to New York, tending to your every sparkle need. Better again, Crystals and Co will even come to your house to host a Crystal evening where you can invite all your friends around to check out all of their amazing stock.

They even throw in wine and cup cakes?! Heaven, prepare to be bedazzled!! Crystals and Co's pieces are like nothing you have ever seen before as they are key items which could illuminate any room. Prices start from approx €20 for rings and bracelets with bags being more expensive but still a hell of a lot cheaper and better quality than anything else similar out there in the Irish market.

The crystlas from Crystals and Co are perfect for any occasion, especially if you are looking something haute coture! Look no further. The items are so unique and exclusive that you’re almost guaranteed to never meet anyone sporting the same piece. You can even request your initials on the bags!! There have been a few famous faces already photographed around the Irish streets wearing these stunning jewels.

With Christmas coming up, these pieces are the perfect present for your loved ones. If you have boyfriends who are stuck with Christmas present ideas this year, then direct them towards the Crystals and Co’s Facebook page to see all the Crystals and Co pieces..

Alternatively you can contact Crystals and Co on 087-9559202 where payment can be taken over the phone or email info@crystalsandco.com. The Crystals and Co website will be launched in the coming week so GTB will update that link as it happens!! GTB are certainly investing in some bling bling this Xmas season and we know exactly where we will be going to get our sparkle on!!

Ending the show, we had our weekly fill of showbiz gossip where we were informed of how 50 Cent has requested a duet with Susan Boyle??? We can't say we saw that one coming! See you all next week!

Love GTB x x x x

Former Miss Argentina Dies after Bottom Op

2009-12-02T16:06:00.000-08:00

This is a really sad story but shows the lengths that people go to in order to look a certain way. Former Miss Argentina, Solange Magnano who was only 38 died on Sunday after undergoing gluteoplasty - a procedure which normally involves putting implants in the buttocks to improve its shape. This turned out to be fatal as liquid injected into Magnano went straight to her lungs and brain.

Magnano who held the Miss Argentina title in 1994 leaves behing eight year old twins. According to a close friend of the model, she reportedly went ahead with this procedure as she believed that ' it was no big deal'.

The procedure itself was carried out in Argentina, where there has been a 60% increase in plastic surgery procedures in the past 5 years. This is a really sad story and highlights the dangers of undergoing inexpensive cosmetic surgery.

Last Week's GTB Guests 'Covet Boutique' on Ireland AM with Andrea Roche

2009-12-01T04:38:00.000-08:00

Check out last weeks GTB guests on Ireland AM with Andrea Roche today!!!

Yes PPL GTB always on step ahead of the game!!

http://tv3.ie/ireland_am.php?video=16808&locID=1.65.74

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

2009-11-30T09:43:00.000-08:00

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!!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

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!!!!!

2009-11-23T09:16:00.000-08:00

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.....

2009-11-17T12:24:00.000-08:00

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!!!

2009-11-10T01:47:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-05T04:01:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-03T04:38:00.000-08:00

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

Gossip Girl News!!

2009-10-27T04:17:00.000-07:00

If like me you cannot get enough of Gossip Girl you will be excited to hear that according to close sources Lady GaGa will be doing a performance on the show on November 16th...VERY EXCITING!!

Also Leighton Meester's new single will be played on the show on November 9th, that girl is doing seriously well for herself!!

XOXO
Jen

Vampire Maddness!!!

2009-10-27T04:11:00.000-07:00

Hey all,
Hope you had a great Bank Holiday weekend!! Since next weekend is Halloween and all I feel this topic is very appropriate….
Unless you have been living under a rock for the last year you will have noticed how the world has gone Vampire mad!! Back in the day it was just poor little Buffy who had to fight off all the demons but now it seems this Vampire craze is taking over not only our cinema screens but also our televisions!! From the huge success of ‘Twilight’ to HBO’s ‘True Blood’ to ‘The Vampire’s Assistant’ there is just no running away from it!!
The newest series in town is CW’s ‘The Vampire Diaries’ which has been shown state side since early September and is based on a book series written by L.J Smith. It has gotten huge ratings so far and to be honest with the seriously hot cast it is not surprising!!!
It will air this side of the water early 2010 but if you’re like me and cannot wait that long I will definitely have to watch it online!!

Below is a link to the official website of the series check it out and let me know what you think!!! http://www.cwtv.com/shows/the-vampire-diaries

Oh by the way according to sources ‘The Vampire Diaries’ blew Melrose Place out of the water with its ratings so poor Ashlee Simpson got the boot!!! The producers of Melrose place are hoping the return of Heather Locklear will get the ratings back up!!

JenDren x

MONDAY 19TH OCTOBER

2009-10-21T15:26:00.000-07:00

We had a great laugh this week on Girls Talk Back. We also want to say that we will miss Nicole so much when she goes on her travels. She has left me in the safe hands of Susan Ryan and Jennifer Drennan from here on in. Nobody is safe!!!!! Thanks to Nicole for all her hard work on the show. Please think of us when you are on a sunny hot beach! We wish you all the luck and hope you will come back to us soon!

First up on the show we were serious for about 10 minutes! We discussed an issue making headlines at the moment. 'Should the morning after pill be available over the counter' like it is in the rest of Europe?. Well we talked to Dr. Catriona Henchion, the medical director of the Irish Family Planning Association (IFPA). Catriona was in favour of the morning after pill being available over the counter as this would speed up the waiting time for the many women who choose to take the morning after pill, rather than having to book an appointment and see a doctor first.

Girls Talk Back then had the honor of having the extremely talented and the most in demand music and fashion photographer in the country, Lili Forberg in the GTB studio. She was joined by her close collegue, the inspiring Fashion Editor of STELLAR magazine, Corina Gaffey. It was a pleasure to have these two young ambitious and successful women in the GTB studio. STELLAR has recently celebrated its 1st Birthday so the girls invited the GTB crew out to celebrate with them. GTB lurve a party! What's even more exciting is that STELLAR is only TWO EURO. GTB can cofirm that it's in fact the best mag out there. EVER. Thanks to Corina and all of the clothes used in the fashion shoots are affordable and high street!! Happy days! This duo will also be hosting a night in the Spy Bar in town this Halloween night so get your glad rags on and get down tp Spy as Lili will be on the scout for all those Irish beauties waiting to be discovered. You may not recognize her though as she may be disguised as LADY GAGA! Yes you heard it here first! If you can't make Halloween night, don't panic ppl as the girls host a night in Spy once a month called GOSSIP. Yes I think us GTB will fit in just perfectly there!

Lili had the chance to photograph the 5 Boyzone lads, saying they were her easiest clients to work with and a shoot that she will always remember. Out of everyone in this world to photograph, Lili chose Simon Cowell!! She defo gets the thumbs up and a nod from GTB for that one. Perhaps he could model the Irish Flag for the shoot! We think it would look well on him!

Lili is a busy lady with many projects in the pipe line. One happening project that she is involved in at the moment is called giveitatwist.ie. CHECK IT OUT PPL It's a photography competition which encourages people to capture images from their everyday life, but with a twist. This project is all in association with Miller Genuine Draft as they have launched a new twist top bottle in Ireland. Thank God for that, no more broken teeth!!

The Girls were so much fun to have on the show. We can't wait to have them back on soon. If you want to contact Lili Forberg, she has her own website which is http://www.misslili.net/. GTB defo picked up some life long fashion tips from this power duo! Get down to Spy Bar this Halloween to see these girls in action, we hear they may even have a spin of the decks. Clearly no end to their talents!

Finally we had our GTB hero, Jennifer D who filled us in on celeb ville. Lady GaGa and Beyonce? In a music video? Together?! Weirdest combo ever. You heard it here first! GTB is never complete without our Jennifer D and some X FACTOR gossip, hot off the griddle. Have a fantabulous Bank Holiday weekend and see you on Monday 2nd November for some more madness in the GTB studio!!

Jenny C x x x x

There's a new couple in town!!!

2009-10-21T08:12:00.000-07:00

It seems Victoria Beckhams ‘BFF’ Eva Longoria is following in her foot steps by becoming the face of a clothing brand with her sporting husband Tony Parker by her side!!
The star couple are the new faces of London Fog and my god do they look good together!! The Desperate Housewife and NBA player get very cosy in London Fog’s new outerwear and accessories collection.
Eva had this to say about the whole experience '“London Fog is always classy and beautiful, and we knew we were in good hands for the campaign.”

You will be able to see the ad campaign from December onwards in most fashion magazines. But of course we here at ‘GTB’ couldn’t resist giving you a sneak peek and we are very impressed indeed….

Enjoy
JenDren x

Hugely disappointment in Rihanna new single!!!

2009-10-21T07:14:00.000-07:00

So yesterday we showed you HOT pictures of Rihanna shooting her new music video which to be honest are a lot more exciting than the single itself!!!

Her new single called Russian roulette just isn’t up to her usual standards and definitely shouldn’t be the first single of her new album which hits stores mid November!! We can’t blame everything on her though as the song was written by Neyo!

Have a listen to the song and let us know are GTB being too harsh on Ms RiRi??

JenDren xx
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEbc48xe20I

Sneak Peak of RiRi's new music video!!!

2009-10-20T02:24:00.000-07:00

It looks as though Rihanna is coming back with a bang!! She was spotted making her music video for her new single which is believed to be debuted on Good Morning America!! From these pictures it is obvious she is going to seriously rock it!!! Nothing seems to stop this girl from having success!

The new Faces of Armani!!!!

2009-10-15T03:46:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

It is official the Beautiful Beckhams have decided to call it a day and not renew their lucrative contract as the face of Armani underwear! Not surprising really that the seductive/slutty actress Megan Fox will be taking the place of Victoria for the Armani 2010 campaign while last month footballer Christiano Ronaldo took over from David!!

Armani revealed yesterday that the actress will take over their Emporio Armani Underwear campaign in 2010, where she will grace magazines and billboards all over the world!! Could you even imagine her workout routine to the run up to these photo shoots…my god!!

Also revealed was that Megan will be doing the Armani Jeans campaign!!!
Now unlike the Beckhams there has been nothing said about the two stars joining forces for this campaign but we here at GirlsTalkBack think that would be one hell of a photo shoot, and if these two famous faces can’t increase the sale of Armani’s underwear line we don’t know what will!!!

Talk soon

JenDren xx

Monday 12th October

2009-10-14T04:48:00.000-07:00

Just another "Maaanic Monday" for the GTB team....as always your highlights, cue the drumroll!

100 Bands/ 6 Venues/ 3 Days.......Why it's Hard Working Class Heroes 2009!

Now in its 7th year HWCH has firmly established itself as the main platform for showcasing fantastic emerging Irish talent. Diector of HWCH Angel Dorgan filled us in on the all the happenings. Irish bands galore will be performing around the Temple bar area this weekend 16th-18th of October, from St Andrews Lane....to the Button Factory! Over 700 bands applied to enter the festival this year, a huge response and Angela and her team of international delegates had the lovely job of whittling that number down to the best 100! But it's not all about the tunes, a variety of events from photography exhibtions to industry panels and mentoring sessions will be taking place. So if you're a budding artist this could be the inital contact you need. Check out http://www.hwch.net/ for all the info! The schedule has just been announced and tickets are an excellent €18.50 individual night or €40.00 for the entire weekend! Also keep your eyes peeled apparently surprise acts will be popping into record shops and bookstores around the city centre during the daytime! GTB have their fingers crossed for a sighting of Dark Room Notes........:-)

Jenny= Army Chick.....Nicole= Evil Little Bo Peep

......But that is Soooooo last year, Halloween 09' is on the horizon and obviously we all want to be bigger, better, and scarier then last year! Who better to inform us on all things Hallowsevish then Cathy Lawlor, manager of The Joke Shop on Stephens Green. She's seen it all from your average witch /wizard to her weirdest request, a man in search of a giant cross to attach himself to....yes he wanted to be Jesus!

The Joke Shop stocks everything you need from Fake Blood to Tiaras and pom poms. According to Cathy Michael Jackson wannabes are a firm fav amongst the guys for this Halloween and believe it or not the Lady Cop is fast become the ladies top choice!..... Come on girls break out of the box already! it's all about the creativity. So start posting your ideas to our GTB facebook....we might even have a little treat in store for the most original! So get thee to The Joke Shop stat before all the good ones are gone!

Make-up Artist Natalie Kinsella

From Christina Aguilera to the beautiful Helena Christensen, Natalie has painted some of the biggest names in the business! A member of the Mac Pro team the lovely Natalie chatted to us about current trends and insider tips. A question we really wanted answered was the whole False eyelash business...is it a Yay or a Nay? Natalie says Heck YAY! She feels it's an excellent method to get that feline slant to the eye. Her top tip is to get the strip lashes and cut into sections, then apply the shorter sections to the outside of the eye...hey presto beautifully defined and most importantly natural-esque lashes!

Then of course we reached that complex topic of Foundation...do we really have to fork out €30 for a bottle of the best brand hydro, luminosity blah blah....once again like a breath of fresh air Natalie tells us No! It's entirely up to the person if you can get a pharmacy foundation that works for you and suits your skin tone go for it! Its not always a case of the label is better. Now people I won't lie I am an avid fan of Giorgio Armani's Luminous Silk foundation...a little bottle of genius! But is it my sensitive skin or a love of branding that has stolen my heart?......Well there's no time like a recession to find its pharmacy cousin!

If you have a big event coming up and would like a beautiful on trend look or maybe just a consultation to get to know the best products for you, contact Natalie

Email: nataliekinsellamakeup@gmail.com

Mobile: 0861639286

Note: The product Natalie simply couldn't live without

....."Mascara"!....

here here

Nicole :-)

The truth behind the death of Boyzone's Stephen Gately....

2009-10-13T06:01:00.000-07:00

Hey All,

It has finally been revealed that the post mortem results for Stephen Gately show that the Irish singer died from natural causes. Court Officials have stated that the young star suffered from a ‘pulmonary oedema’ which is an ‘accumulation of fluid on the lungs’. This also does not prevent the fact that the singer may have in fact choked on his own vomit while sleeping. Fluid from Stephens lungs has been sent away to forensic laboratory in Barcelona for further examination.

The court has agreed to allow Stephens family to take his body back to Dublin where they can lay him to rest.A court official has also stated that the investigation into Stephens’s death will still continue and both Stephens husband Andrew Cowles and Bulgarian Georgi Dochev who went back to the singers home on the night in question are still seen as official witnesses.

The Gately family adviser Gerald Keane has stated '"The family's only wish is to get their son and brother home as soon as possible'

JenDren xx

Tragic death of Irish pop singer Stephen Gately...

2009-10-11T05:39:00.000-07:00

The sudden death of Boyzone singer Stephen Gately at the age of just 33 has shocked the nation. It is believed the singer was found dead at a luxury holiday home in Spain after a long night of partying. He was on holidays with his partner Andrew Cowles who he married in a civil union back in 2006.

A Source from the scene has spoken about how it does not look like a suicide attempt and how there was no evidence of excessive drug or alcohol abuse. It is believed that even though Stephen was very young he could have had a heart attack.

The four other members of Boyzone have flown out today to the Spanish island.

Tune in at 1.40pm tomorrow to GirlsTalkBack on 103.2 fm to hear the full story surrounding the shocking death of Irish singer Stephen Gately.

JenDren Xx

Check out the new video from Ashley Tisdale!!

2009-10-08T02:16:00.000-07:00

So High School Musical star Ashley Tisdale decided that rock chic didn't turn out the way she wanted with her last single so this time she went back to her pop roots and we here at GirlsTalkBack think she didn't do to bad a job!!! Could get very catchy!!!

Have a listen and tell us what you guys think?!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2VeWokJcG4

Monday fix of Girls Talk Back

2009-10-05T07:40:00.000-07:00

We had such fun on the show today. I had some slight pronunciation difficulties at times but Nicole was there to save the day and correct my spelling mistakes!!

We were speaking to Ashman from 3rd World Records on today's show. They got it pomping on today's show with their new single, 'Get it pumping'. You may have recognised these guys from last years RTÉ's 'All Ireland Talent show. The guys have been playing all around Ireland since their appearance on the show. Ireland needs a rap duo like these guys. Check out their new tune at http://www.myspace.com/thirdworldrecords1. You can also see the guys play at the upcoming Carlow African film festival. GTB are big fans of 3rd World Records, loving their new tune and plan on taking some rap lessons off this duo!!!

We had the pleasure of speaking to Laura Ziepe who had the most ingenious idea that GTB have ever heard of. EVER!!! Laura is the creator of www.mycelebritydress.com where you can log and hire designer dresses that all the celebs are spotted out wearing. GTB are defo going to be availing of this service. No more wearing old clothes that we have all worn 10 times before. If you want to hit town next weekend rocking the newest dress that Cheryl Cole was wearing then it's time to get onto mycelebritydress.com. The dresses are amazing and there are so many choices. You do not even need to wash the dress yourself.After you wear your celebrity dress out, you simply just post it straight back. Less stress, more success with this website!!!

We spoke to lead vocalist and guitarist, Paul Finn from The Flaws. Hailing from the county of Monaghan, they did not dissappoint! Having been well established here on the Irish music scene since 2005, they have achieved huge success with their debut album 'Achieving Vagueness'. They have recently played Electric picnic and the renowned Glastonbury festival. Yes girls, they certainly are a big deal! Their new single 'I don't wanna dance', (GTB always wanna dance) was released on the 25th September and they are now doing a tour of the colleges around the green isle. So if you are in college watch out for the talented Monaghan four some! Find The Flaws on http://www.myspace.com/theflawsn or http://www.theflaws.com/.

Our showbiz reporter Jennifer Drennan did not fail to keep us up to date with the latest celebrity gossip this week.From the rumours flying about Kate Perry and Russell Brand to the scandal of the David Letterman show. Nothing gets past this girl!. GTB are the first to bring you all the celebrity news as it happens. Next weeks show is also looking pretty exciting but you will have to tune in to Girls Talk Back next week for some more fun times!!

Jenny x

X-Factor Spoiler....be warned!!! (I could not resist)

2009-09-29T02:33:00.000-07:00

WARNING: X Factor spoiler!

The auditions have only just finished airing on the telly but back in the real world X Factor boot camp and Judge's Houses have already taken place and we've got quite the X-clusive spoiler - fresh off the rumour mill!
If you want to see this year's final 12...keep scrolling!

Boys mentored by Cheryl (assisted by Will Young):
Lloyd Daniels

Rikki Loney

Joe McElderry

Girls mentored by Dannii (assisted by KYLIE!!!)
Stacey Soloman

Lucie Jones

Rachel Adedeji

Groups mentored by Louis (assisted by Ronan Keating)
John And Edward Grimes

Kandy Rain

Miss F.R.A.N.K (a new three piece girl band made up of three solo bootcampers. Shar Alexander, Shanice Davis & Graziella Affinita)

Over 25s mentored by Simon (assisted by Sinitta)
Olly Murs

Danyl Johnson

Jamie Afro

A few surprises in there I think!!!

Jen

Celeb Update!!

2009-09-29T01:38:00.000-07:00

Hey,
Ok so yesterday i had some clearing up to do over the whole Sugababes saga!! So I got it wrong as it was in fact the last original band member Keisha Buchanan who left the Sugababes not Amella Berrabah like I had said in last weeks show!! So if you missed yesterdays celebrity update this is actually what is going on...Keisha was asked to leave the band by her other band mates Amella and Heidi as it was reported that they could no longer all work together. Amella had this to say about the matter: "We weren't happy me and Heidi, and it was a struggle to come into work" she continued " Keisha didn't leave off her own back, me and Heidi could not carry on"
And 'Celebrity' waits for no one as the girls have already found British Eurovision contestant Jade Ewen to replace Keisha and the new Sugababes group are already out in LA filming a new video for their new single!!! So all the fans can rest easy now as the Sugababes are still going strong just without any of the original members...interesting!!

Catch up soon,
JenDren

September 28th

2009-09-28T11:17:00.000-07:00

To think we are nearly in October once again, time to whip out the winter woollies. I have a cold already :-( But fear not GTB were here to counter those Monday Blues with a fun filled "sexy" line up for today's show!

Booty..OOPS..beautycall.ie

Winter Time...don't feel like moving, us neither! Paul Dunne managing director of Beautycall.ie gave us the low down on Hair and make up for the 21st century lady. Do you have a debs or wedding coming up?? Then look no further, Beautycall.ie will come to you, from waxing, massage, makeovers to the ultimate "Girls night out" package...now there's a must. Plus its at no extra charge in fact you can even make a saving of up to 30%! From Mac to Armani whatever you need they shall provide! For more info check out www.beautycall.ie

Heidi Higgins

The GTB crew have simply fallen in love with the beautiful A/W collection of homegrown Irish designer Heidi Higgins. Having studied fashion design in the prestigious NCAD and worked for Lousie Kennedy, Heidi has certainly made her mark on the Irish fashion scene with this new collection. Fancy having a look for yourself? The Loft fashion Show takes place October 7th in Powerscourt Townhouse, showcasing Heidi's unique pieces and admission is absolutely free! However if you simply cannot wait till then check out Heidi's website www.heidihiggins.com. We are quite taken with the delicate silk Tilly Blouse, an autumn/winter must...Heidi informs us a Tilly silk dress is soon to follow, delightful!

Baz Ashmawy..."Ireland's sexiest man 2009" AKA "Giant Underwear Confiscator"

GTB wanted to know exactly what this title of "Irelands sexiest man" entails....women fawning as rival males shoot you envious glares? free champagne and Armani suits??...hmmm not according to the modest Baz!
Baz first entered the entertainment industry as an ambitious actor progressing quickly to the hilarious "How low can you go", a series involving a unique insight into travel, lads and a whole lot of crazy! But after a well deserved break Baz is back on our screens once more with "Baz's Culture Clash". Now in its third week on RTE Two, there's gatherings with witch covens, dinners with ex-gang memebers and a dash of Baz charm to draw you in! However hold on too your comfys girls there seems to be one thing the Baz simply will not tolerate... and that's over sized pants!!....well you don't become Mr. Sexy without having certain standards...but we here at GTB say..laundry day happens to the best of us!

Nicole :-)

September 21st

2009-09-21T08:14:00.000-07:00

Well it was our first show with the new team, Jenny, Nicole and Jennifer, apart from the odd hiccup it was smooth sailing :-) Big thank you to all our guests and don't be alarmed if you happened to miss us here's the highlights!

ARTHUR GUINNESS DAY

If you haven't heard about it...you live in a box! At long last this Thursday 24th of September "Arthur Guinness Day" is finally upon us. A day to celebrate 250 years of Guinness here in Dublin and around the world. With over 33 artists performing in various venues throughout the city its a guaranteed day of fun and entertainment. Luckily I snagged my Tripod tickets way back when in July and the whole GTB team are prepping for the event. Our fave feature of the day are the "surprise acts"! From Tom Jones to Kelly Rowland no one knows who will be where. Can you imagine sipping a pint in Whelans and in strolls the Sugababes?! The extra bonus is it's all for a good cause with proceeds going to the Arthur Guinness Fund, which aims to aid and help communities throughout Ireland and the world. Philanthropy and Fun hand in hand. So where ever you may be don't forget to raise a glass at 17:59, we certainly will be!

Recession times are hitting us girls hard when it comes to nights out. So why not try something different fun and best of all FREE... an ANN SUMMERS party in your very own home! I can't think of a better way to spend an evening then girly fun, beverages, party games and of course the beautiful selections of ANN SUMMERS.

The lovely Joan Hilton of ANN SUMMERS filled GTB in on exactly how crazy these parties can be and warned us to get in those Halloween orders good and early! From army chick to worst witch....hmmmm what to be, what to be??

If you would like to get cracking with setting up your Ann Summers bash you can contact Joan Hilton on 0879222309

THE CHAPTERS

They've been compared to Kings of Leon,The Coronas, Fleetwood Mac...winners already i say! Turlough "Tully" of up and coming Irish band "The Chapters" chatted to us about knock backs, playing Oxegen 09 and their much anticipated debut album "Perfect Stranger". We also gave you a 103.2 Dublin City Fm exclusive listen to The Chapters new single "Moving"....TUNE! According to Tully the lads are currently setting up for their big "Arthur's Day" gig, and of course they will be joining in the celebrations after!

On a final note we here at GBT think poor old Alesha Dixon is having a hard time of it on "Strictly Come Dancing", it's got to be tough joining a well established judging panel and we think in a few weeks she'll be shining!...no we are not just tuning in to drool over Hollyoaks Calvin (Ricky Whittle)...that would be wrong.

Nicole :-)

A New 'Girls Talk Back'

2009-09-20T15:44:00.000-07:00

Hey guys,

As our little star Suzanne has left to go a travelling, she has left 'girls talk back' in the trustful hands of myself and Nicole and Jennifer!

We hope we can do Suzanne proud on 'girls talk back' from here on in. Let the fun times continue! Let the gossip spill ........

Tune in tomorrow for some 'New Girls' on 'Girls Talk Back'

Jenny C

xxxx

Showbiz updates you don't want to miss!!

2009-08-21T08:31:00.001-07:00

Hey all,

OK so next Monday tune in from 1pm until 2pm where i will be chatting to Suzanne and telling you about the huge scandal surrounding not one, not two, but four DIVAS whose singles are all being released on the same date.....you won't believe who they are!!

Also i am going to be chatting about a certain mum to be who couldn't just go for a normal baby scan oh no this lady turned it into an event that couldn't be missed!!!!

Look forward to filling in all the blanks on Mondays show,

Have a fab weekend,

JenDren

Showbiz up-dates!!

2009-07-21T07:27:00.000-07:00

Hey All,

OK this week I heard through the grape vine that a certain newly single Katie Price is coming to Dublin to celebrate her good friend Michelle Heatons birthday party!!! Now rumour has it that it will all go down in the exclusive hot spot 'Krystal' nightclub on Harcourt Street!!
Now no doubt there will be a media frenzy outside the club over the weekend but 'girlstalkback' will do there very best to get all the inside scoop about the night, what Katie was up to, what she was wearing (or didn't wear) as the case may be!! So make sure to tune in next Monday @ 1pm to find out all the details!!!

Ciao for now,

Jen xx

Monday 13th July

2009-07-14T08:36:00.000-07:00

Ok ladies, it is official, the Adonis that is Christiano Ronaldo is touching down on these green shores of ours. We spoke to the GM of the Carlton House is Kildare and he confirmed that yes indeed the Real Madrid Team are due to arrive.
True to form they touched down alright but not in the way us mere morsels must commute. They flew in on the Real Madrid private jet and skipped the arrivals area. Disappointed fans did congregate at arrivals but the players were whisked from the runway to rest and play at the 5 star Kildare Bespoke Hotel. If you fancy catching a glimpse you may wanna consider popping along to their match with Dublin's Shamrock Rovers next Monday in Tallaght (I know-it puts the am??! back in glamorous) So out with the lippy and the Christian Louboutins and email us with your updates to girlstalkback@dublincityfm.ie

In other news Sinead from thesavvyshopper.ie spoke with Suzanne about all the latest offers to be had online. Very interesting stuff! Not sure we're prepared to give you the heads up on all the best offers though as we here at the GTB office are off to source them out first! Happy hunting ladies!

Celebrity News updates!

2009-07-07T07:01:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

OK so in case you missed Mondays Celebrity news and gossip here's a quick update on whats going on in LA LA LAND!!

Obviously everyone is hearing so many crazy stories surrounding Michael Jackson death but one thing that can defiantly be confirmed is today Tuesday the 7th of July 2009 the king of pops public Memorial service will take place at the Staple Centre in LA. Thousands of fans and celebrities including Justin Timberlake and Usher are expected to turn up for the biggest farewell in history.

Kayne West is working at the Gap!! Yep the rapper has been interning at the New York offices as he is keen to learn the ins and outs of the fashion industry. According to a source close to Us Weekly "he works all the time, and one Friday night he stayed until 12.00am"!! For some reason though i don't believe he is being treated like any other interns that work their!! I couldn't imagine Kanye making a coffee run!!!

The Beckhams celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary over the weekend, so congrats to them ....it is probably considered a life time in celebrity world!

For all you 'Hills' fans out there, Audrina is starring in a horror film along side Rumour Willis (daughter of Demi Moore and Bruce Willis) ......It is so bad its funny!!!But Have a look at the trailer below and see what you think!!!!

http://thetapi-ordie.com/

Tune in next Monday between 1pm&2pm for all the latest with GirlsTalkBack!

JenDren xx

Monday June 29th

2009-06-30T07:06:00.000-07:00

Well there's no getting away from all things Jacko this week. We chatted to Matt Blank of Michael Jacksons UK Fanclub(http://www.mattblank.com/)
There was nothing really much for us to enquire about as the public are still awaiting to hear the cause of his death so we thought it would be nice to hear from the true fans and see how much he meant to them. We were inundated with cruel, insensitive jokes and naturally it wasn't an option to air these. So apologies if we disappointed any listeners but we here in the GTB office believe his family and friends deserve better than that. We, ofcourse, don't want to forget the passing of another legend Farah Fawcett and included details of this in her entertainment update. We've also popped in a photo of here, should you need reminded of her natural and flawless beauty.
We also spoke to Ann Jolly of SADS UK about the mystery surrounding Sudden Adult Death Syndrome. She made some interesting points and gave examples of symptoms to watch put for. So she assures us that a lot of the time this condition is avoidable. For more information log onto www.sadsuk.org

2009-06-23T07:01:00.000-07:00

This week we took a look at the top 10 most expensive plastic surgery procedures available. Most were no surprise but a few were new to the girls in the GTB office. One such one was the breast implants that are inserted through the navel so to prevent scarring. Don't know about you but I'm not sure I want some surgeon I only met once to invade my navel and subject me to yet another payment plan. Recessionistas listen up invest in some fillets and a good push up bra..That sounds a little more invasive on both the pocket and our bodies!! In case you didn't hear the countdown today with Myra and Suzanne here you go....

1. Pectoral Augmentation

Average cost: €8750

The male boob

2. Facelift (Rhytidectomy)

Average cost: €7300

3. Knee-lift

Average cost: €6500

Remember Demi Moore’s infamous attempt to stop the passage of time included amongst others??

4. Forehead/Brow Lift

Average cost: €5800

5. Calf Augmentation

Average cost: €5765

Favoured by body builders

6. Belly-Button Breast Surgery (Transumbilical Breast Augmentation)

Average cost: €5700

Breast implants through the navel..Ouch!

7. Vaginal Tightening (Vaginoplasty)

Average cost: €4950

In one word..Jordan

8. Arm-lift (Brachioplasty)

Average cost: €4660

Look out Bingo wings

9. Eyelid (Blepharoplasty)

Average cost: €4427

10. Scalp-flap Surgery

Average cost: €4000

This is a procedure to stimulate follicle growth by re positioning patches of healthy scalp anto the bald patches. Professional do advise that there is no guarantee...Ouch and ouch again!