The Greg Hughes Podcast

What does it take to become the trusted confidant to some of the world’s most powerful, wealthy, and famous icons?

In this episode, we step into the extraordinary world of Dunlewey’s own Patrick Gallagher. Patrick didn’t just watch twentieth-century history from the sidelines—he was the ultimate insider. From the majestic halls of Glenveagh Castle to the exclusive social circles of Philadelphia, Salzburg, an...

In June 2013, 26-year-old Newry native Kevin Bell tragically lost his life in New York. The overwhelming community response that followed raised far more than was needed to bring him home. Faced with profound personal grief, his parents, Ethne and Colin Bell, made a decision that would change Irish society: they used the surplus funds to help another grieving family.

That single act of kindness birthed the Kevin Bell Repatriation T...

This week, we are joined by a truly global heavy-hitter in the medical world who remains deeply rooted right here in Donegal. Professor Dennis McGonagle is a clinical academic and top NHS consultant at the University of Leeds. This year, he made history as the first person from the Republic of Ireland to be awarded the prestigious Heberden Medal by the British Society for Rheumatology.

In this brilliant, wide-ranging, and at times ...

What does it take to survive 34 years at the coalface of Irish politics?

In this episode of The Greg Hughes Podcast, we are joined by former Fine Gael TD and Minister of State, Dinny McGinley, for an unfiltered look back at a remarkable life and career.

Born and raised in the West Donegal Gaeltacht, Dinny spent his early years as a teacher and principal at Scoil Chonaill in Bunbeg before making the ...

The engine notes will soon be echoing off the hills, the ditches will be lined with fans, and the biggest weekend in Irish motorsport is about to get underway!

Welcome to a special, standalone edition of The Greg Hughes Podcast, dedicated entirely to the absolute crown jewel of the Irish rallying calendar—The Donegal International Rally. Whether you are a die-hard petrolhead heading out to the ditches, a driver fine-tuning yo...

In this episode, we sit down with rally legend Garry Jennings for a conversation that is as harrowing as it is inspiring. After a horror crash at the 2025 Cavan Stages Rally left him fighting for his life, Garry’s future in the sport—and his future, period—was hanging in the balance.

Today, he joins us to share the story of his survival. We discuss the crash, his experience of "serenity" while trapped in the wreck...

In this episode, we sit down with Carolynne Murray, Director & General Manager of the Shandon Hotel & Spa and Chairperson of the Donegal branch of the Irish Hotels Federation.

Carolynne’s journey is one of remarkable resilience. Growing up in Derry, she learned early on that true strength is often found in the quiet sacrifices made by parents to create a better future. Her path to leadership was shaped by immense pers...

 Exclusive: Katie Taylor’s Final Homecoming. 

In this special episode, we step exclusively onto the tour bus with Irish boxing legend Katie Taylor and her manager for an intimate, wide-ranging conversation ahead of her historic farewell fight at Croke Park this September.

We begin by reflecting on a poignant meeting Katie had earlier today with Paddy Doherty, the Donegal man who holds the unique distinction of bei...

What does it take to completely turn your life around when you're facing rock bottom?

This week on The Greg Hughes Podcast, Greg sits down with Donegal entrepreneur Francie, who at just 31 years old has built two thriving fitness businesses in the county: Intensity Fitness and ECA Donegal.

But his path to success was far from traditional. After being sentenced to two years in prison—a term ultimately replaced by a 240-hour co...

Over twenty years since he captured the nation’s attention on You’re a Star and represented Ireland at the 2003 Eurovision Song Contest with the number-one hit “We’ve Got the World,” Mickey Joe reflects openly on the reality of sudden fame, the mechanics of the music industry, and his life off-stage.

In this candid conversation, Mickey Joe dives deep into the turning points of his career. He ...

What happens when the party stops, but the drinking doesn’t? This week, we sit down with well-known DJ and radio contributor Joe Decks for an incredibly raw, honest, and powerful conversation about his battle with alcohol addiction. From the early days of student life and the high-energy nightlife of the DJ booth, Joe details how a normal social habit quietly escalated into a dependency that threatened his relationships, his ...

In this episode, we sit down with Mirenda Rosenberg, the voice behind the massive “Homestead Donegal” community and a tireless advocate for survivors of domestic abuse.

Mirenda’s story is one of incredible resilience. Raised in a restrictive religious environment outside Washington D.C., she eventually moved to Ireland over 20 years ago. What was intended by her abuser to be a move of isolation inst...

At 95 years old, Paddy Kerrigan’s journey from south Donegal to the Snowy Mountains of Australia is nothing short of legendary. This week, we sit down with the Bundoran native to discuss his recent investiture at Government House, where he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) by Governor-General Sam Mostyn.

Paddy shares stories from a life built on service and hard work—from training as a carp...

Imagine being told your physical organs shutting down is “all in your head.”

This week on The Greg Hughes Podcast, we sit down with Rosemary McFadden and Sharon Flannagan to discuss a rare, life-altering autoimmune condition that almost cost Rosemary her life: Addison’s Disease.

What started as a harrowing journey of medical misdiagnosis ended in a miraculous chance meeting between tw...

In 1969, the heat of re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere reached nearly 3,000°C. Protecting the Apollo 11 astronauts from incinerating was a heat shield coated in a specialized resin—a resin developed by a young chemist from Inver, County Donegal.

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Peter Coyle as he approaches his 89th birthday. Despite being a self-described “small cog in a big wheel,” Peter&...

In the most northerly peninsula in Ireland, geography can often be a barrier to safety. For over 30 years, Mary Doherty has been breaking down those barriers.

Mary is one of the founding figures of Lifeline Inishowen, a service that began as a response to a desperate local need and has grown into a gold-standard support system for survivors of domestic abuse. In this episode, we sit down with Mary just weeks after sh...

In April 1986, a fire at the O’Donnell family home changed the course of five lives and left a community in shock. It has been forty years since that night, yet for Angela O’Donnell and her sons, the memory of those lost—Sharon, Joanne, Adrian, and baby Kevin—remains a constant presence.

This week, Angela and her son Philip join the podcast to talk about that night and the long road they have walked since.

T...

After three decades of unwavering service, Timmy Boyle has officially stepped down as Officer in Charge of the Bunbeg Coast Guard. In this episode, we sit down with the man who helped shape the face of maritime rescue in Donegal.

From the grassroots community fundraising that launched St. Colmcille Cliff & Coastal Search in 1996 to the service’s modern-day evolution under the Irish Coast Guard, Timmy h...

In this episode, Gary and Patrice McCrossan share the raw reality of navigating two simultaneous cancer battles. From aggressive treatments in Ireland to a life-...