Regional Roundup with Shane Beatty

April 10, 2026·13 min·1 clip

An Offaly man's bracelet cools wrists in 10 seconds to ease menopausal hot flushes with 80% efficacy.

1. Lunchtime Live host Andrea Gilligan and Breakfast Briefing presenter Shane Beattie cover five regional Irish stories in a weekly roundup format. 2. Beattie returns after missing the previous week's slot due to Good Friday, having attended a wedding at Adair Manor. 3. The episode's function is a light-hearted review of stories that may have been overshadowed by fuel protest coverage during the week. 4. Angus O'Donovan, a 33-year-old Offaly man, has developed a wristband called My Celsius Bracelet that cools the wrist by 10 degrees Celsius in under 10 seconds to ease menopausal hot flushes. 5. O'Donovan developed the bracelet with co-founder Maxime over three years of research, citing the wrist as one of the most thermally sensitive parts of the body due to its connection to the hypothalamus. 6. The bracelet has an 80% efficacy rate according to O'Donovan and retails for approximately 250 euro, with nearly four in ten Irish women having considered quitting work due to menopause symptoms. 7. John McLaughlin, who performs as Giggles the Clown in Wexford, has been working as a clown for 35 years and is one of Ireland's only Irish-speaking clowns. 8. McLaughlin says January and February bring no work and schools have cut back on hiring clowns due to reduced funding, putting his career at risk unless he receives the Basic Income for Artists scheme. 9. The Basic Income for Artists scheme opens applications on 15 April and will pay 325 euro per week to 2,000 randomly selected artists. 10. A proposal in Ballyhaunis, Mayo would upgrade an existing multi-use games area with a dedicated teen social space featuring solar panels, phone charging points, and a music station for teenagers. 11. Ballyhaunis has a youth population growing three times faster than any other Mayo town, and 25 young people submitted surveys supporting the proposal, though funding has not yet been secured. 12. American Tosin Cullen, who moved to Dublin eight years ago, shared on social media and with Dublin Live seven ways Irish life has changed her. 13. Cullen's list includes saying "bye bye bye" at least six times before ending a phone call, having tea after dinner as a non-negotiable ritual, and using the word "grand" to describe any emotional state. 14. She also cites the Irish career break custom, the warmth of airport immigration officers saying "welcome home," and a culture of trust such as unmanned water dispensers at airports. 15. A video of a dog named Murphy in Killarney jumping into the driver's seat and honking the horn while his owner was in a shop went viral across US television networks. 16. The clip appeared on CBS News, Fox News, ABC, and Fox 13 Seattle, with an Irish emigrant in America reporting seeing it on cable TV nightly. 17. Beattie and Gilligan note a second dog in the back seat of the car appeared to be encouraging Murphy to keep honking. 18. The tone of the segment is relaxed and conversational, with the two hosts frequently digressing into personal anecdotes about weddings, tea habits, and dog stories. 19. Irish listeners who enjoy light regional news stories and cultural humour about Irish life would find this episode engaging. 20. Listeners seeking substantive news analysis, national politics, or any single topic covered in depth should look elsewhere.

As heard by us

A brisk local radio round-up that moves from Ballyhaunis to Killarney with easy energy.

Shane Beattie and Andrea Gilligan keep the pace brisk in a local round-up that moves from a teen-friendly space in Ballyhaunis to a viral dog moment in Killarney, with a few other stories folded in along the way.

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Why you'd press play

You want the week’s missed stories, served with a lively studio chat and a very Irish sense of what counts as big talk.

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