EchoLive

Ahead of The Echo Women's Mini Marathon on September 21, Mary Corcoran meets representatives from some of the charities taking part, including a special Cork lady who completed the marathon to mark her 80th birthday. The Echo Women's Mini Marathon brand-ambassador, Brenda Dennehy joins us in studio to talk about how she first started running, and the unforgettable experience of taking part in the event with her mum by her side. Ken Smyth from Cork Athletics and Bill Allen, Race Director and Chair of the Cork Athletics Board have all the details on registration and the route, while Sarah Brereton with Naturalife has advice around nutrition and hydration. 

Bhuaigh an albam is déanaí ag an amhránaí Corcaíoch, John Spillane, gradam mór le déanaí. Is é Fíor Uisce – The Legend of the Lough an buaiteoir an gradam d’Albam na Bliana ag na RTÉ Folk Awards. Labhrann sé anseo ar podchraoladh The Echo – eagrán speisíalta de Scéalta Chorcaí do Seachtain na Gaeilge – faoin albam, faoin mbua agus a shaol mar amhránaí.

WoW! International Women's Day special podcast Blurb/Description: Former Cork ladies footballer and athlete, Juliet Murphy and Network Ireland Cork President, Cathy Fitzgibbon join WoW! Editor, Mary Corcoran, in studio to talk about their experiences at the helm in sport and business, respectively, and about what International Women's Day means to them. Our reporters also went out and about on the streets of Cork to find out what IWD means to you. 

The giddy excitement of Christmas Eve was matched and accentuated by the long list of jobs that had to be done. The turkey or goose had to be cleaned out, the good ware, glasses and cutlery had to be washed, the presents had to be wrapped, the baby Jesus had to be located to be put in the crib and importantly the youngest in the house had to light the Christmas candle. There was a hubbub of never-ending chores, of manic tidying and preparing, while simultaneously entertaining visiting aunts and uncles and neighbours who dropped in. 

Holly Bough cover artist Peter Buckley joins editor Mary Corcoran in studio where he talks about the inspiration behind this year’s cover and the process involved in bringing it to life. He also chats about his memories of growing up in Cork, of the Holly Bough and of Christmas as a child.  

Folklorist Shane Lehane talks to Holly Bough editor, John Dolan as he takes a step 50 years back in time in this year’s Holly Bough, and recalls with unerring accuracy exactly what was on the festive tables in that decade.

Holly Bough editor John Dolan talks to the 2023 cover artist Fiona Foley about her wonderful design for this year’s edition, and about her life and career in Cork

The Diffney Quiz has become a staple of the hugely popular annual Holly Bough - a devilishly addictive quiz where letters and numbers are given as clues, and you have to guess what they stand for. Holly Bough editor John Dolan talks to the quiz compiler Gerry Diffney about how it all began, the secrets of its success, and the pride he feels that it unites families at Christmas. And look out for a clue for one of this year's most puzzling Diffney Quiz questions!