The story of a great Irish poet and the teacher who helped her fear of speaking in public.

Principal Anne sees a rolled up ball of paper fall out of Mary Ogun-Banwo's schoolbag. She opens it to reveal a beautiful poem, written fully in the Irish language. Reluctantly, Mary allows her to enter it the All Ireland Schools Poetry Competition and it gets to the final, where she’ll have to read it on live national television! Mary now realises she suffers from chronic stage fright, so Principal Anne sends her to study with unorthodox teacher and trained counsellor, James Jones, in order to help her delve into her past and figure out what’s holding her back. This is a story of a reluctant poet’s rise to win the All Ireland Schools Poetry Competition and the teachers who helped her overcome her stage fright by confronting her personal traumas.

‘Speak Through Your Silence' is broadcast on Newstalk on Sunday 17th November with repeat broadcast on Saturday 23rd November.

More information on this programme can be found at: www.irishaudiodrama.com.

Podcast available at newstalk.com/podcasts/drama-on-newstalk after the broadcast.

‘Speak Through Your Silence ’was produced by Jonathan Farrelly and Katerina Economides and was supported by Coimisiun na Mean through the television licence fee. Jonathan Farrelly is a writer and documentarian, specialising in sport and historical drama. Katerina Economides is a writer and Doctor of Humanities, specialising in Folklore, Myth and Future Studies.

This weekend, Documentary & Drama on Newstalk airs the premiere of Third Time Lucky, a topical comedy-drama in which IMRO-nominated producer Brian Gallagher explores the tensions that arise when allotment holders discover that there is pyrite in their community centre.

Third Time Lucky is told partly from the perspective of Councillor Benny Kelly, a slippery local representative who has crossed swords with the residents in the past but who this time sees an opportunity to win favour.

With long-standing grievances between members of the allotment committee bubbling below the surface, tempers flare when reactionary Mick Delaney insults an official from the local council – who threatens to close the community centre because of fire and safety irregularities.

Meanwhile with government pyrite funding only available for dwelling places, Benny comes under pressure to find some way of obtaining funding for the residents.

The stakes are raised when Emma Johnson, a journalist who is also on the committee, writes an inflammatory article for her newspaper regarding dodgy builders – with whom Benny has had under-the-counter dealings.

The pressure gets to Benny, who has a heart attack, causing him to re-evaluate his purpose in life. But can the leopard really change his spots? And can he be trusted, or is it too good to be true, when he cooks up a scheme to save the clubhouse from closure?

Starring Claudia Carroll, Mark O’Regan, and Sharon Hogan, Third Time Lucky was written and produced by Brian Gallagher.

Third Time Lucky will be broadcast on Newstalk 106-108fm on Sunday 29th September at 7am with repeat broadcast on Saturday 5th October at 9pm.

Third Time Lucky can also be listened to online at: www.newstalk.ie. Podcast available at: newstalk.ie/documentaryonnewstalk after the broadcast.

The S.P.A. Weekend is a spooky and hilarious new audio drama written by Emily Gillmor Murphy and produced by the award-winning production team of Hugh Hick and Heather MacLeod.

The S.P.A. Weekend will be broadcast on Newstalk on Sunday 11th August at 7am, repeated Saturday 17th August at 9pm, and will be available as a podcast, on GoLoud and all major platforms.

Billie and Sophie are booked into a S.P.A. (Supernatural, Paranormal, Activity) weekend with a difference in the infamous Manor Hill House – a place full of bizarre characters and even more bizarre stories. But will they find the ghosts within the walls of the hotel or in their own pasts?

One part Fawlty Towers and one part Agatha Christie, The S.P.A. Weekend takes a fresh and witty look at what ghosts still lurk in 21st century Ireland and what we do about them.

This is Emily’s second collaboration with Heather and Hugh, after the Prix-Europa nominated drama The Horror Writer. Emily’s sharp and twisting script for the drama was previously shortlisted for 2022 P.J. O’Connor Radio Drama Awards.

The cast is led by Lorna Fox and Chloe O’Reilly as two best friends in over their heads when what should be a relaxing weekend together turns into a chaotic mix of hidden secrets, paranormal activity and an out-of-control dog.

Rounding out the cast is Mary Murray (BBC Audio Drama Award ‘Best Actress’ winner 2023) alongside Karl Quinn, Donncha O’Dea and Katie McCann. Original music for the play was composed by pianist Justin McCann while Peter Dunne of the internationally acclaimed horror-anthology podcast ‘Petrified’ served as script editor.

The S.P.A. Weekend was made with the support of Coimisiún na Mean with the television licence fee.