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All Things CrimeSolving Ireland's Most Famous Cold Case - PJ Coogan Full EPPJ Coogan is a multi award-winning broadcaster, journalist, MC, and host of "The Opinion Line" on Cork's 96FM, one of Ireland's most popular talk shows. He has over 30 years on radio in Cork as a journalist, presenter, and analyst.In today's episode, we dived into Ireland’s most famous cold case: Sophie Toscan du Plantier’s unsolved murder. We also discussed how cutting-edge DNA technology like the M-Vac system could reopen cold cases and bring justice to the unanswered.We discussed the brutal details of the murder, the quest for truth, and...
2024-04-1223 minAll Things CrimeSolving Ireland's Most Famous Cold Case - PJ Coogan Part 2Today, we zero in on the chilling cold case of Sophie Toscan du Plantier and the innovative DNA recovery system that might just hold the key to unlocking the truth behind her tragic demise.I joined PJ Coogan for a radio interview on Cork’s 96 FM The Opinion Line program, where we delved into a discussion about the potentially game-changing impact the M-Vac system could have on the investigation of the gruesome nature of Sophie Toscan du Plantier's murder, left unsolved for years.We explore the machine's capabilities, its past triumphs, an...
2024-04-0912 minAll Things CrimeSolving Ireland's Most Famous Cold Case - PJ Coogan Part 1PJ Coogan is a multi award-winning broadcaster, journalist, MC, and host of "The Opinion Line" on Cork's 96FM, one of Ireland's most popular talk shows. He has over 30 years on radio in Cork as a journalist, presenter, and analyst.In today's episode, we dived into Ireland’s most famous cold case: Sophie Toscan du Plantier’s unsolved murder. We also discussed how cutting-edge DNA technology like the M-Vac system could reopen cold cases and bring justice to the unanswered. We discussed the brutal details of the murder, the quest for truth, and...
2024-04-0511 min
Twenty Minutes With..Episode 37 Sinéad O RiordanShe gave up a "proper job" as an engineer to pursue her first love - the stage and screen. Sinéad is an accomplished actor & producer, and operates her own independent production company. Speaking from the heart, however, she admits that what keeps many performers going and drives them on is their sheer love of the craft & the endless pursuit of that "dream" role..
2021-11-1323 minTwenty Minutes With..Episode 36 Brónagh McAtasneyBrónagh McAtasney grew up in Newry, Co Down, just inside the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic. Her schooldays were also some of the most fraught days of the "Troubles", but like any other teenager of the time, Brónagh was obsessed with music, fashion and just having fun. She kept a diary, which was probably her first venture into writing. Her latest work has been published in a new book of border based authors.. and that 1980's diary.. well you'd never believe who makes an appearance!
2021-11-0624 minTwenty Minutes With..Episode 35 Dr Chris LukeEmergency Medicine has been Chris Luke's life. Although now "semi retired" for medical reasons, he continues to teach, lecture and campaign for change in the Health Service. He also returned to the frontline in 2020, however, when Covid-19 hit Ireland, bringing his extensive experience to the pandemic battlefield. We met as his autobiography "A Life in Trauma" was released.
2021-10-3025 minTwenty Minutes With..Episode 34 Joe ByrneTipperary man, Joe Byrne runs a small hairdressing salon in the Cork suburb of Glasheen. He's also one of the best known charity suppprters in the City. Joe set up the salon after deciding to make Cork his home in the 1980's. An immensely popular character on Leeside, Joe has never revealed in public why he does so much for charity - until today - and it's a deeply personal story..
2021-10-1624 minTwenty Minutes With..Episode 33 Dr Niall ConroyA Dubliner, Niall Conroy leads a Public Health team, battling Covid 19 in Queensland, Australia. What I didn't know about, however, was his passion for saving the lives of the tiniest of babies. It's a passion that drove Niall to develop & open a neonatal unit in Africa. His life as a doctor has taken him to many parts of the World, but he now plans to return to Ireland in 2022.
2021-10-0926 minTwenty Minutes With..Episode 32 Carol RiceCarol Rice is an activist and a writer. Her second book is due soon. Carol lives with a condition called Pseudo Achondroplasia. It means that she's pretty much in constant pain, but she's determined to live life to the full, and that's exactly what she does. I spoke with Carol to mark Dwarfism Awareness Month, this October. She's passionate about teaching us that the World isn't always a comfortable place for Little People, but that the rest of us can very easily help with that..
2021-10-0224 minTwenty Minutes With..Episode 31 Fiona KennedyIn the 1980's, Fiona Kennedy burst onto the Irish music scene, and more than 30 years later, she's still writing, recording and doing what she loves best - playing live. Her career and her personal life have had their ups and downs, but her passion to make and play great music is still as strong as ever..
2021-09-2523 min
Cork Matters LiveP.J CooganOn this episode P.J.Coogan joins me On All That Matters. He talks about his road into radio broadcasting. #pjcoogan #corks96fm #cork #corkmatters--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/cork-matters/message
2021-09-2226 minTwenty Minutes With..Episode 30 Mick Barry TDI knew that Mick Barry, Solidarity TD for Cork North Central was born in America. I knew he was a lifelong socialist and activist for a long list of causes, that he's a Manchester United fan & music lover - but his punk rock background - now that was news to me!
2021-09-1823 minTwenty Minutes With..Episode 29 Kate DurrantShe came to Cork as a 20 year old, at the start of a "World Tour".. and never left. Kate Durrant lives in Blarney and is involved in numerous charity organisations & good causes. She believes she's been dealt a very generous hand in the card game of life, and that it's her responsibility to give thanks for that... oh, and she has a very precious gift that she got from, of all people, Michael Jackson...
2021-09-1123 minTwenty Minutes With..Episode 28 John ColemanJohn "The Concierge" Coleman is at the top of his game. Recently installed as Concierge Manager at the plush 5-Star Fota Island Resort, he's also been named as "Clef d"Or" - a member of an elite group of concierges, considered to be the very best at what they do. From Killeagh, in East Cork, he's been dealing with the public since he was a schoolboy...
2021-09-0422 min
Twenty Minutes With..Episode 27 Michael McGrath TDMichael McGrath has been a TD since 2007 & was appointed to Cabinet in June 2020. On the day after his 45th birthday we chatted about how he got into politics - how a shy young accountant became one of Irelands best known politicians - and about how at one point as a new TD he briefly thought "have I done the right thing here?.."
2021-08-2822 minTwenty Minutes With..Episode 26 Deirdre O ShaughnessyDeirdre O Shaughnessy is News Editor of the Examiner. Before that we worked together for almost a decade. At one point, however, such was her love of travel and learning about other cultures, that she briefly considered a life in the diplomatic services.. despite many years living in Cork she remains a proud Limerick woman .. so no divided loyalties on All-Ireland Sunday!
2021-08-2123 minTwenty Minutes With..Episode 25 Ross BrowneRoss Browne, stand-up comic, writer, actor, resident lunatic on the Cork 96FM Breakfast Show, is celebrating a huge international breakthrough. His 2019 standup show at Cork Opera House is hitting Amazon Prime this week. Ross has (as you'd expect) strong views on comedy, cancel culture, and the changing face of entertainment - he also reveals that sometimes, he can't quite believe he's living his childhood dreams..
2021-08-1423 minTwenty Minutes With..Episode 24 Mary CrillyIn 2023, Mary Crilly will mark forty years doing a job where she thought she wouldn't last six months. An invitation to a meeting, at a vulnerable time in her own life, led her to leave the Civil Service, and follow a path that, in the '80s, could be rocky, to say the least - but she doesn't regret a minute of it - in fact, at a time when others might think about retirement, she's far from finished yet!. While her work is known and hugely respected, however - how much do we really know about Mary herself? I...
2021-08-0724 minTwenty Minutes With..Episode 23 Paul ByrnePaul Byrne of Virgin Media News celebrated 40 years in broadcasting this year. He's best known for his news reports - especially his coverage of crime and criminals - but there's more to him - including a television dream he'd love to fulfill, the importance of family & a love/hate relationship with his phone.
2021-07-3122 minTwenty Minutes With..Episode 22 Dr Natasha DromeyWhen I first heard of Natasha Dromey, she was being introduced on British radio as "Dr Natasha Underhill, an expert on the development of terrorism and the radicalisation of young people by terrorist organisations".. That wasn't the thing that got my attention - not particularly anyway - it was her accent - pure Cork! I had to find out more about her. After a number of years lecturing in the UK, she's now back in the Rebel County and based at UCC - but if she'd listened to one piece of advice she got as a teenager - things might...
2021-07-2424 minTwenty Minutes With..Episode 21 Dave O ConnorMusician, actor, producer and "voiceover guy" Dave O Connor left Cork for the UK after he met a girl at a gig. It's true! He also landed a job as a piano player in a nightclub, even though he only knew how to play one song. That was in the 90's. Now he's a cartoon character actor on the Disney Channel, and makes TV & radio commercials for clients worldwide, from his studios in Chester. We haven't met in nearly 25 years, so cramming the story into 20 minutes was an enjoyable challenge!
2021-07-1723 minTwenty Minutes With..Episode 20 Jess Ní MhaoláinJess Ní Mhaoláin has just begun her "dream job" as a political advisor in Leinster House. Life is good - as good as it has been for a long time. At the age of just 27, Jess had a hysterectomy, after years of crippling pain from what she now realises was misdiagnosed Endometriosis. She blames a "broken" Irish Health system, for the fact that she was left with no choice but to have her surgery in the UK. Jess is working on her first book, which will tell that story in honest, searing detail..
2021-07-1022 minTwenty Minutes With..Episode 19 Professor Gerry KilleenThe podcast returns after a lengthy "Covid-inflicted" break with one of the most outspoken Irish voices of the past 15 months. Professor Gerry Killeen is the AXA Research Chair in Applied Pathogen Ecology at UCC. That's a big title, but in simple terms, Gerry is a recognised International expert in the spread of infection. After almost two decades in Africa, he says he "needed a pandemic like a hole in the head", as he was preparing tp teach the next generation of infection control students in UCC..
2021-07-0323 minTwenty Minutes With..Episode 18 Caitriona TwomeyCaitriona Twomey is the face and voice of Cork Penny Dinners. She's co-ordinator of the charity, leading a huge team of volunteers to provide hot food and support to those who are down on their luck. Whether it's a homeless family needing a meal & perhaps some warm clothing, or just someone who can't quite manage a dinner because they have too many bills to pay, the service is the same, free of charge and no questions asked. Caitriona talked to me about the charity, and about the work... and of course I wanted to know.. how did she become involved?
2020-03-1424 minTwenty Minutes With..Episode 17 Don O LearyDon O Leary is the director of the Cork Life Centre, a groundbreaking centre of education on the Northside of the City. The Life Centre takes in students who have left formal mainstream education. His remit when he was hired was to develop its profile and promote its ethos. He & his team have done that, to the point where the Cork Life Centre is now nationally recognised and respected. I wanted to focus though, on Don's own story.. and believe me, it's not what you might expect!
2020-03-0721 minTwenty Minutes With..Episode 16 Michael GuerinMichael Guerin is one of my favourite 'specialist' contributors on radio. In my view, his knowledge of Irelands experience with alcohol and drugs, illicit and otherwise, is without equal.. He & his team at Cuan Mhuire have put hundreds of men and women on the road to addiction recovery. I sat down with Michael to talk about that and much more, for this episode of Twenty Minutes With
2020-02-2925 minTwenty Minutes With..Episode 15 Karen Underwood (Part 2)(Part 2 of 2) Occasionally, a conversation with my guest of the week, gains a life of its own, and becomes two episodes. That's what happened with Karen Underwood, singer, performer, artist, musician, activist, campaigner and "adopted Corkonian". In the second part of our conversation she talks about growing up with racism, about the once special friend who helped her to see beyond that, and how it made her the person she is today..
2020-02-2223 minTwenty Minutes With..Episode 14 Karen Underwood (Part 1)Karen Underwood is a singer, performer & teacher of soul & gospel music.. she came to Ireland 23 years ago, settled here almost instantly, and began to forge a life for herself. The star of "Nina & Me - the Nina Simone story", she had, you'll be amazed to learn, never even heard of Nina until she came to Ireland! There's a lot more to Karen than I ever thought I knew - which is why this is the first of a two part interview...
2020-02-1522 minTwenty Minutes With..Episode 13 Evaleen WheltonEvaleen Whelton spoke to me on radio about Autism, after it came up on the Election campaign, when a Senator controversially said she thought the Taoiseach was Autistic. Evaleen is Autistic, and her lifes work is devoted to teaching the rest of us that there's no big mystery to it, that it's just how some people are, and all we need to do is accept and understand that.
2020-02-0823 minTwenty Minutes With..Episode 12 Edward BransfieldIn January 1820, Edward Bransfield, from East Cork, master of a vessel called "Williams" became the first man to see, record and chart the continent we now call Antarctica. His maps and charts were later used by polar exploration legends Ernest Shackleton & Tom Crean, but Bransfields story has gone largely untold until recent years. He has now been formally recognised with a monument in his home village of Ballinacurra, near Midleton. For this episode, I went to the unveiling of the monument..
2020-02-0322 minTwenty Minutes With..Episode 11 Ross BrowneA slightly longer episode than usual... he's got a lot to say! Ross Browne is my colleague on radio, a comedy writer, a scriptwriter on The Young Offenders, star of RTE's "The Fear", and one of Irelands foremost standup comics. He's outspoken, opinionated, razor sharp and irrepressible... Oh, and - WARNING - he swears a bit!
2020-01-2530 minTwenty Minutes With..Episode 10 NellaIf you're into World of Warcraft, you'll be familiar with Nella, as the featured vocalist on the huge track "Canticle of Sacrifice" - but do you know the story of how all that happened? It's been a crazy few years for Nella, writing, performing & travelling - a lot of travelling! - but right now she's spending most of her time in her native Cork, where she's built a studio, to plan and work on new projects
2020-01-1823 minTwenty Minutes With..Episode 9 Pat O ConnellIt's the fish stall in The Young Offenders.. and he's the fishmonger who had Queen Elizabeth in fits of laughter during her visit to Cork... he was also a successful President of the Cork Business Association .. but there's more to Pat O Connell .. the famous stall bears the name of his mother Kathleen, at who's side he learned his trade...
2020-01-1122 minTwenty Minutes With..Episode 8 Daragh FlemingDaragh Fleming is a writer, blogger and Mental Health activist, passionate about the importance of allowing young people the freedom to speak up about their mental health, and the struggles in their lives. Following the death by suicide of his best friend, Daragh has devoted himself to the cause of youth mental health and depression.
2020-01-0425 minTwenty Minutes With..Episode 7 The Cork Holly BoughPublished these days by "The Echo", the Cork Holly Bough is estimated to have more than 250,000 readers & copies are posted and carried to the four corners of the World every November & December. Englishman - and adopted Corkonian - John Dolan has been editor for the past 17 years & sat down for a chat about the history & the attraction of this unique Cork publication
2019-12-2123 minTwenty Minutes With..Episode 6 Nicole RyanIn 2016, a young man called Alex Ryan died after taking a drug called N-Bomb, one of an ever-changing range of highly dangerous synthetics flooding the streets and easily available all over Ireland. Since the tragedy, by gradually assembling a team of experts around her, Alex's sister Nicole has devoted herself to taking the message of drug awareness and the dangers, especially of synthetics, to young people in their classrooms. "Alex's Adventure" is now her full time career.. a career she never in her wildest dreams, expected to pursue..
2019-12-1423 minTwenty Minutes With..Episode 5 Bibi BaskinThe first woman to host a chatshow on Irish television.. a regular on BBC Radio.. Why did she pack it all in to run a hotel... in India? Why, when her hotel was thriving, did she then leave her new home in Kerala to come to live in Cork? Now, she's also an author. What motivates, what excites her.. and what's the secret behind the constant reinvention of Bibi Baskin?
2019-12-0722 minTwenty Minutes With..Episode 4(b) Angie Benhaffaf (Part 2)Twin boys Hassan and Hussein Benhaffaf were born conjoined, ten years ago. Their birth and subsequent separation surgery, catapulted a very private family into the media spotlight. In this special double episode, Angie remembers the boys birth, their traumatic and frightening start in life, and the people who helped and supported them.. and reveals some things she's never discussed in public before. Part 2 of 2
2019-11-3022 minTwenty Minutes With..Episode 4(a) Angie Benhaffaf (part 1)Twin boys Hassan and Hussein Benhaffaf were born conjoined, ten years ago. Their birth and subsequent separation surgery, catapulted a very private family into the media spotlight. In this special double episode, Angie remembers the boys birth, their traumatic and frightening start in life, and the people who helped and supported them.. and reveals some things she's never discussed in public before.. Episode 1 of 2
2019-11-3021 minTwenty Minutes With..Episode 3 Bernard O HehirI spent 20 minutes with Bernard, a Sligoman, living in Cork, about his activism for and on behalf of homeless people. Bernard himself was homeless for a long time & he told me his own story about how that happened, what he learned from it, the many friends he has lost through homelessness and how those of us lucky enough never to have experienced anything like that, might help, even in a small way
2019-11-2322 minTwenty Minutes With..Episode 2 Cahal DunneHe sang for Ireland at Eurovision, he's been living and working in the USA for 37 years, he's Jack Lynch's nephew, he's not a fan of Donald Trump, and the Happy Man is happier than ever. I spent twenty minutes with Cahal Dunne.
2019-11-1623 minTwenty Minutes With..Episode 1 Paul TreyvaudI spent twenty minutes with Paul Treyvaud, owner of Killarneys famous "Treyvauds" Restaurant, star of "Treyvauds Kitchen" on Virgin Media TV & "Treyvauds Travels" on Amazon Prime, chatting about food, fame.. and the cost of keeping it real
2019-11-0922 min