Joe Loughman is a man whose name is woven into the very fabric of civic and sporting life in the town of Bray, County Wicklow in Ireland.

Anyone who was ever involved in community groups in Bray, would have likely come across Joe’s legacy. He was a man of boundless energy and a true pillar of the community, dedicating his life to making the town a better place to live.

To sports fans, he is perhaps best known as a foundational figure in the Bray Wheelers Cycling Club. In fact, back in 1958, Joe personally devised "The Shay Elliott" a gruelling, single-day race taking in the toughest terrain in County Wicklow and that remains a premier event on the Irish cycling calendar to this day.

Beyond sports, Joe was a pioneering heritage champion. With Christy Brien, he spent years preserving local folklore and history and was a founding member of Cualann Historical Society.

This conversation explores his life growing up in Little Bray offering a nostalgic look at old Bray and the many local organisations Joe helped to establish.

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Bray Talking Heads Podcast is available on Apple, Spotify and YouTube. Listen now, you'll love it!

https://blb.buzzsprout.com

Lady Valerie Goulding was born into English high society. Her father was Lord Monckton, who was a key legal advisor to King Edward VIII during the 1936 Abdication Crisis, and played a pivotal role in negotiating the constitutional terms of the King's resignation.

In 1951, alongside Kathleen O'Rourke, Lady Valerie co-founded the Central Remedial Clinic in Dublin. She built the CRC into the state's largest institution for people with physical disabilities.

When Lady Goulding came into the Horizon Radio studios in May of 1990, she had recently stepped down from the day-to-day running of the clinic, but her passion for advocacy remained completely undiminished.

In this archive recording with Mark Quinn, you'll hear her talk in her own under-stated and quiet manner about the early, challenging days of the CRC, her unique life journey, and her continued vision for a more inclusive Ireland.

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Along with his wife Vourneen, Michael Collins was the driving force behind the iconic Royal Cinema on Quinsborough Road, a historic venue that originally opened its doors in 1936. After taking over the premises in 1976, the Collins family revitalised local entertainment by spearheading a major £150,000 twinning development plan in 1979 to transform the building into luxury cinemas, ensuring the town retained a vibrant silver screen presence.

In this interview from 1991 Michael spoke with Mark Quinn about where his love of cinema began and his hopes for the development of the town of Bray.

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In 1984, she captivated the nation when she traded her classroom chalk for the catwalk, winning the Miss Ireland crown. She went on to do the country proud on the global stage, placing in the top ten at both Miss World and Miss Universe. She is Olivia Tracey and she joined Mark live in the radio studio on Saturday 24th November 1990.

She speaks openly about life after the crown, handling the public eye, and what the future held.

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Bray Talking Heads Podcast is available on Apple, Spotify and YouTube. Listen now, you'll love it!

https://blb.buzzsprout.com

Back in the mid-1970s, the traffic layout on Bray Seafront was very different from how it is today. To handle the summer tourist rush, the then Bray Urban District Council ran a seasonal system. In the winter, Strand Road was a standard two-way street, but from May to September, it switched to a one-way system.

This reliance on drivers noticing temporary signs ultimately led to a tragedy on Bank Holiday Monday, June 6th 1977, motorcyclist 19-year-old Niall Lynch was involved in a head-on collision on the Seafront with a driver who was unfamiliar with the summer-only one-way rules. The accident, caused by the driver travelling against the system, left Niall with life changing paralysis. Niall was a school classmate of host Mark Quinn which lends an extra poignancy to this honest and open interview.

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Hazel O'Connor skyrocketed to fame as the blazing, neon-haired star of the iconic New Wave film, Breaking Glass. By the time of this interview, Hazel was stepping away from the chaotic mainstream pop charts, battling intense industry legal wars, and fiercely reclaiming her independence as a live performer and storyteller. While living in Roundwood, County Wicklow. Hazel is brutally honest in this revealing and sometimes uncomfortable listen.

Go on, send us a review text!

Bray Talking Heads Podcast is available on Apple, Spotify and YouTube. Listen now, you'll love it!

https://blb.buzzsprout.com