Live on Eire is Spain’s only dedicated Irish radio programme. It is broadcast on Wednesday evenings at 7pm CET (6pm Irish time) for two hours on Talk Radio Europe based in Southern Spain. The station repeats the programme which is presented by Irish broadcaster Ger Sweeney each Sunday from 8pm.
Live on Eire is a chat programme that focuses on the connections that exist between Ireland and Spain. The programme features events that happen in Ireland that would be of interest to the significant Irish community in Spain and further afield. Ger also features events happening in Spain that are of interest to the Irish living in Spain and indeed elsewhere.
Below, starting with the most recent, you can hear the last 12 programmes as broadcast. Should you require information in relation to, or recordings of, older programmes please get in touch via info@sivnamedia.ie Also, please see the “Conversations” tab on this site to hear a random selection of interviews conducted by Ger Sweeney throughout the lifetime of the programme.
In producing Live on Eire, Ger is very fortunate to have the assistance of a small number of very dedicated and knowledgeable contributors. It would not be possible to do what he does without that assistance.
José Antonio Sierra is our Spanish/Irish Cultural Consultant. José Antonio is Spanish but spent many years working in Ireland. He is always working towards identifying, highlighting and celebrating the cultural links that exist between Ireland and Spain. José Antonio reported for dozens of international news outlets during his time in Ireland and now that he is back in Spain he continues this work. Whatever we do here at Sivna Media is sent across the world to relevant news outlets and continues to promote and highlight our content.
Ben Sweeney is the Producer of Morning Focus, the daily current affairs programme on Clare FM. He is a graduate of Mary Immaculate College in Limerick where he worked with the college radio station Wired FM as a presenter and producer for four years. He also worked as producer of Tipp Today, the flagship daily current affairs programme on Tipp FM for over a year. Ben is the Emerald Connection’s “ear to the ground” in Ireland year-round.
George Lee Throughout his career George has honed his professional communication skills. A self confessed “News Junkie” his unique slant on the world is always thought provoking. George contributes to Live on Eire mainly through the G2 Summits which is a lighthearted look at the stories making headlines in Ireland at any particular time. He and Ger are lifelong friends so there’s plenty of banter on the G2s when they happen.
Patricia Trainor is a retired university teacher at the University of Malaga. She is originally from Belfast and is interested in Ireland and all things Irish. Patricia taught Irish Studies to Spanish students BUT also to Erasmus students who came from all over the world. The reaction of all of her students to what they learned about Ireland and the Irish language has always amazed Patricia and she delights in the experiences they have when they visit Ireland. She says that she often recalls the words of Salvador de Madariaga who was a Spanish Professor in the University of Oxford who suggested that the Irish seem to have more in common with the Mediterranean people than with the Northern people and he thinks we are actually a Latin tribe who got lost in the North. The similarities between the Irish people and the people of Galicia, Patricia suggests could actually prove him right! Since joining the team Patricia has given us scores of stories and we have captured them all on a podcast series called “Stories of Ireland and the Irish”. Search for the series wherever you get your podcasts and enjoy them.
PJ Curtis is an award-winning Broadcaster, Record Producer, Musicologist, Lecturer and Author. He has produced 62 record-albums to date including two-times USA NAIRD Award- winning. He has worked on album recording projects with musicians such as Rory Gallagher, Albert Lee, Chip Young and Bob Moore (Elvis sidemen) as well as Bluegrass Grammy Winning stars Jerry Douglas, Bela Fleck and Peter Rowan. He has lectured widely on Irish Music, Roots and Americana and related topics in Ireland, the UK and the USA. In 2006 he was awarded a Hon. M.A. (NUI), for his contribution to the Arts and is the winner of three national radio awards for his programmes on RTE Radio 1, Century Radio and Lyric FM. In 2009 he worked with Steven Speilberg as music consultant /researcher on his film Warhorse . He has also earned two awards for his published writings. His novel ‘A Nightingale Falling’ went on general release in Ireland as a Feature Film in 2014, winning an Award at the Newport Film Fest in California. He is currently working on a new novel (as yet untitled). In 2018/´19 he presented a Roots Music radio show on Coast FM in Nerja, Spain and since 2020 has been a regular contributor to Live on Eire on Talk Radio Europe, also based in Spain.
Coming Up – Live on Eire Wednesday 22nd March 2023
Information on guests will be posted in the coming days. Hear Live on Eire from 7pm CET (6pm in Ireland) online at http://www.tre.radio or download the TRE App.
Live on Eire Archive Starts Here
Live on Eire 15th March 2023
This is the 250th edition of Live on Eire. Thanks to everyone who contributed to its success since April 2018.
As we’re only days away from St. Patrick’s Day Ger talks to the Irish Ambassador to Spain, Frank Smyth. Plenty of information on events happening in Spain to celebrate Ireland’s patron saint. Terry McKinley, President of the Irish Association in Spain updates us on happenings along the Costa del Sol, George Lee and Ben Sweeney tell Ger about the importance or otherwise of St. Patrick to their respective generations and Dr. Derek Mulcahy tells us about his new book about the tradition of marching bands in Limerick City. Plenty of news from and about Ireland too as well as great Irish music.
Live on Eire 8th March 2023
Dr. Paul O’Brien joins Ger to talk about some historical papers that were found in a skip in Limerick City a few years ago. Some of these papers date back to the 1600’s. Pattricia tells us about Niall of the Nine Hostages ad there’s plenty of news from and about Ireland and lots of great Irish music.
Live on Eire 1st March 2023
Joe and Steve Wall have been household names since their days with “The Stunning”. Since 2000 the brothers have been making music together as “The Walls”, while still recording and gigging with the Stunning. There’s a new album coming from the Walls so Joe talks to Ger about it and about the brothers’ musical journey thus far. Patricia Trainor has another story – this time it’s about the Irish Flag – The Tricolour.
Live on Eire 22nd February 2023
The High Kings have been part of the musical landscape in Ireland and farther afield for the past 15 years. The lads are about to embark on the first ever world tour and they’re just about to launch something special by way of their new album. Darren Holden of the High Kings talks to Ger about it all. Patricia Trainor is back with another story – this week it is all about the Hill of Tara. Plenty of news and lots of great Irish music.
Live on Eire 15th February 2023
Many Irish people are travelling to Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands and other European countries to have surgery that might not be done for months or even years in Ireland due to waiting lists. Greg Harkin from Healthcare Abroad joins Ger to chat about how it all works. David Barnwell published the first ever Irish/Spanish dictionary on 2009 and the second edition is now available. We find out more about this. Lots of news and plenty of great Irish music from various genres.
Live on Eire 8th February 2023
Geraldine Enright, Director of the Cliffs of Moher Experience joins Ger to chat about the upcoming Clare Retail Expo. The best of Clare’s artisan food and crafts will enjoy a unique shop window at the inaugural event. Patricia Trainor tells us about the Emerald Isle of the Caribbean and George Lee pops in for a G2 Summit. Lots of news from, and about, Ireland and lots of great Irish music too.
Live on Eire 1st February 2023
It is St. Brigid’s Day and there will be plenty if chat about Ireland’s female patron saint. Tiernan Gaffney from the Museum of Ireland leads the way. Patricia Trainor tells us about the emblems of Ireland. Plenty of news, great Irish music and lots more.
Live on Eire 25th January 2023
A busy programme this week. We start with Patricia Trainor telling is about the Irish Cultural Circle of Malaga, Historian Caitlin White discusses the history of Clery’s department store in Dublin and the exhibition that is currently running in the store which she curated. Louise Mulcahy will be playing a concert in Madrid on St. Brigid’s Day so she tells Ger about it and how she has come to be invited to play at the event which is organised by the Irish Embassy in Madrid. Michael Feeney talks about the Leitrim GAA 50 Miles Challenge which is on its third year and has captured the imiagination of the Leitrim diaspora.
Live on Eire 18th January 2023
Martina Flaherty is a Galway signer songwriter and she joins Ger this week to chat about her career and her music. “Quinn” is the name of a book released in December last about former billionaire businessman Sean Quinn – The man who was too big to fail. The book was written by Emmy-nominated film producer, director and journalist, Trevor Birney who joins Ger to talk about Quinn.
Live on Eire 11th January 2023
Patricia Trainor is back with her first story of a new series. Today she tells us about the many names by which Ireland is known. There is a knack to playing the harmonica and to find out exactly what that is, Ger chats with one of Ireland’s finest harmonica players, Mick Kinsella. Plenty of great Irish music and news from and about Ireland.
Live on Eire 4th January 2023
George Lee and Ben Sweeney join Ger in the second hour to chat about their memories of 2022. IN the first hour Ger runs through some of the news from Ireland and a look at some of the State papers that were released in the past week. Plenty of great Irish music throughout too.
Live on Eire 21st December 2022
This week we have a heartwarming story about an Irish woman living in Nerja who sent 2000 “cuddles” to Ukranian children and meet the two mid-life bikers who brought them there. Ger takes a look at some of the state papers from the 1990s which have been released in the past days. Plenty of news and lots of great Irish music.