News Archive
The future of Galway 2020 and other events in Covid jeopardy
Maria Moynihan the MD of the event production company Milestone Inventive, talks to Karen Coleman about the future of Galway 2020 and the impact the Covid pandemic is having on the staging of big and [...]
Loss of Galway Racing festival in public will cost tens of millions
Galway's famous racing festival will not be held in public this year because of the coronavirus crisis. There is a chance it could be held behind closed doors but it will be a very different [...]
Galway start-up gains traction in Covid frontline with sanitisation wipe
The Galway-based start-up Acquila Bioscience, is experiencing a big interest in its innovative sanitisation wipe with demand for its product increasing significantly since the Covid pandemic erupted. In this video Karen Coleman speaks to its [...]
How a Galway restaurant is coping with Covid
Karen Coleman finds out how Galway's popular BóTown burger restaurant is staying in business during the Covid crisis.
Galway under Siege – The Universal Bar
The owner of one of Galway's popular pubs, The Universal Bar talks to Karen Coleman about the impact the coronavirus has had on his business. The interview is part of a series called Galway under [...]
Irish man Dr John Sullivan on the frontlines of the C0VID-19 crisis in New York
Dublin man Dr John Sullivan talks to Karen Coleman about working as a medic in a COVID-19 designated hospital in Brooklyn, New York.
Karen Coleman talks to Larry Donnelly about COVID-19 and its impact on Trump’s ratings
Karen Coleman talks to Larry Donnelly, law lecturer at the National University of Ireland Galway, about the impact the COVID-19 virus is having on Donald Trump's ratings in the US.
MEP expresses concerns about protection of citizens’s rights post-Brexit
Fianna Fáil MEP Billy Kelleher talks to Karen Coleman about his concerns about the protection of EU and UK citizens' rights post-Brexit.
Brexit Day in Brussels
Karen Coleman talked to two outgoing British MEPs on the day the UK formally left the EU. The MEPs were Theresa Griffin former Labour Party MEP and Molly Scott Cato former Green Party MEP.
My interview with Ann Widdecombe on day MEPs voted for Brexit Withdrawal agreement
I talked to the former Brexit Party MEP Ann Widdecombe on the day MEPs voted for the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement on 29th January 2020. The interview took place in her offices in the European Parliament [...]
Karen talks to Billy Kelleher MEP on Brexit vote
Karen Coleman talks to the Fianna Fáil MEP Billy Kelleher about the big Brexit vote that took place in the European Parliament in Brussels on Wednesday 29th January 2020.
MEPs vote for Brexit Withdrawal deal
It's B Day - the 29th January 2020 when MEPs in the European Parliament will vote on the Brexit Withdrawal deal. Karen Coleman caught up with Green Party MEP Ciarán Cuffe and Irish journalist Kevin [...]
Will Ursula von der Leyen’s Green Deal delivered on promises of Just Transition?
Karen Coleman speaks to Sean Kelly, Fine Gael MEP and Ciarán Cuffe Green Party MEP about the new European Commission's Green Deal and its promises of a Just Transition mechanism to help those who will [...]
Interview with the EU Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly
The EU Ombudsman Emily O'Reilly talks to me about the challenges of her job and the issues she will be focusing on during the next five years. Ms O'Reilly was recently re-elected to the position of [...]
EU Brexit negotiations go down to the wire
The EU and UK continue their Brexit negotiations (16/10/2019) in the hope a deal can be reached before the EU Summit on Thursday 17th October.
EU and UK continue Brexit talks – 11/10/2019
Karen Coleman talks about the meetings on the 11th October 2019 between the EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier and the UK's Brexit secretary Stephen Barclay.
EU’s chief Brexit negotiator gives Brexit update to MEPs
The EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier gave an update on the latest round of talks with the UK during an address to the European Parliament on October 9th 2019. Karen Coleman gives a summary [...]
MEP to join climate protests in Waterford for Fridays for Future movement
The Green Party MEP Grace O'Sullivan talks to Karen Coleman about why she's taking part in a Fridays for Future movement rally in Waterford, Ireland on Friday 20th September 2019.
A snapshot of Ursula von der Leyen’s address to MEPs
Karen Coleman takes you through some of the main points made by Ursula von der Leyen yesterday (July 16th) during her address to MEPs in Strasbourg before they voted on her election as President of [...]
Von der Leyen makes big promises on climate change with “Green Deal”
The nominated president of the European Commission made big promises this morning on tackling climate change. During her address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Ursula von der Leyen vowed to make Europe the first [...]
Von der Leyen promises full gender equality on EU Commissioners
The nominated president of the European Commission says she wants full gender equality when it comes to the new cabinet of European Commissioners. Ursula von der Leyen was speaking in the European Parliament in Strasbourg [...]
MEPs to vote on Ursula von der Leyen’s nomination Tuesday
The big event in the European Parliament this week will be the vote on the nominated president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. The German Defence Minister will make a speech in the European [...]
FG Maria Walsh on her goals in the European Parliament
The Fine Gael MEP Maria Walsh talks to Karen Coleman about the issues she wants to focus on during her mandate as an MEP for Ireland's Midlands North-West constituency. She was speaking to Karen in [...]
Ciarán Cuffe, Green Party MEP on the work ahead
The new Dublin MEP Ciarán Cuffe talks to Karen Coleman about how he and his party colleagues in the European Parliament are going to implement the Green policies they promised during the European elections in [...]
Clare Daly on life as a new MEP
The Independents for Change MEP Clare Daly talks to Karen Coleman about settling into life as a new MEP and the work she's going to focus on during her time in the European Parliament.
Irish MEPs demand access to Parliament for Catalan separatists
The Independents 4 Change MEP Clare Daly and the Fine Gael MEP Maria Walsh talk to Karen Coleman about the protests that took place outside the European Parliament in Strasbourg on 2nd July 2019. The [...]
The battle for the Presidency of the European Commission
21st June 2019. EU leaders failed to agree on who should become the next President of the European Commission when they met during an EU summit in Brussels this week. In this video Karen Coleman [...]
Interview with Ibrahim Halawa and Lynn Boylan MEP
In March 2018, the Irish man Ibrahim Halawa who spent more than 4 years in prison in Egypt, came to the European Parliament in Strasbourg to talk about his experiences behind bars. He also wanted [...]
Worrying gaps in Europe’s readiness for the knowledge economy
There are worrying gaps in Europe when it comes to the ability of different EU countries, regions and cities to innovate and develop knowledge-based economies. That’s my take from a report just published by ESPON [...]
Halawa’s acquittal a ray of hope in an otherwise bleak landscape
The news this week that Ibrahim Halawa was acquitted in Egypt of all charges against him caught many of us by surprise. After so many false hopes in his farcical trial process, I for one, [...]
My weekly inspiration
I'm inspired by the French vote for liberalism over extremism, protectionism & racism. As I was away on holidays last week I didn’t get a chance to write about Emmanuel Macron’s impressive victory in last Sunday’s [...]
Trump’s firing of Comey “terrifying” “Nixonian” “thuggish”
When I turned on the radio this morning I nearly fell out of bed when I heard the news headlines announcing the bombshell that Donald Trump had fired the American FBI chief, James Comey. If [...]
Macron win won’t alleviate massive voter dissatisfaction
The French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron did very well last weekend after receiving almost 24% of the vote in the first round of France’s presidential elections. But the far-right candidate Marine Le Pen also secured [...]
My weekly inspiration
My weekly inspiration this week are the families of the 4 courageous Coast Guard Helicopter crew who lost their lives when Rescue 116 crashed off the Mayo coast last month. They have had to endure [...]
Will terrorist attacks increase Le Pen vote?
I’m afraid Thursday’s terrorist attack in Paris could lead to an increase in support for France’s far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen in Sunday’s first-round of elections. Her recent vow to ban all immigration to [...]
Theresa May’s election gamble
This morning I was all ready to write about Turkey’s slide towards an increasing dictatorship following Sunday’s referendum that will give even more power to the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The referendum gives him [...]
My weekly Inspiration
My inspiration this week is Saffiyah Khan the young British woman of Bosnian and Pakistani background who calmly stood up to a bully from the EDL (English Defence League) during one of their protests in [...]
A fabulous new theatre for Galway
Today I’m back in my office in Galway after a frenetic four week schedule jetting back and forth from Ireland to various parts of Europe. I love returning home after several weeks on the road [...]
Politics of ‘demonisation’ creating divided and dangerous world – Amnesty
Amnesty International today released its annual report on the state of human rights across the world. It makes for grim reading and it is a damning indictment of leaders, governments, politicians and other influential players [...]
Trump and his world of alternative facts by Karen Coleman
Donald Trump has only been in the White House a few days but already his presidency is gearing up to be as belligerent and aggressive as the tone of his rambunctious inaugural speech. I’ve had [...]
Trump’s campaign manager defends her boss
Watch this video of Donald Trump's incoming White House counsellor Kellyanne Conway defending her boss over those allegations from the so-called Russian dossier reports. She's being grilled by NBC's Seth Meyers on Late Night. https://youtu.be/U_dv5qAsJMU [...]
Interview with Mairead McGuinness MEP on running for EP Presidency
In the following interview I talk with the Fine Gael MEP Mairead McGuinness about her decision to run for the presidency of the European Parliament. The interview took place on Wednesday 23rd November.
Could Le Pen be next?
Since Donald Trump’s election as US president, I’ve felt like we’re hurtling along a foreign frontier on board a runaway train that’s heading for the cliffs. Brexit was bad enough but Trump’s presidential victory takes [...]
Potential long-term impact of Brexit on Ireland ‘severe’
New research produced by the ESRI and the Department of Finance in Ireland shows that the potential long-term impact of Brexit on Ireland will be “severe”. The findings, which were published today, show the impact [...]
Fears about CETA trade deal with Canada ‘crazy’– McGuinness
EU leaders are hoping to sign off on the EU-Canada trade agreement following a breakthrough in a deadlock that had threatened its future. Yesterday the Belgian Prime Minister confirmed that all five regional parliaments [...]
Interview with Sinn Fein MEP Matt Carthy on CETA
EuroParlRadio's editor Karen Coleman talks to the Sinn Fein MEP Matt Carthy about the EU-Canada trade deal CETA.
Hauliers caught with stowaways unfairly punished – Clune
The Fine Gael MEP Deirdre Clune has denounced heavy fines imposed on hauliers who are caught inadvertently smuggling migrants into the UK. She was speaking in the European Parliament where MEPs this week criticised [...]
Clune calls for protection of Irish hauliers battling Calais
The Fine Gael MEP Deirdre Clune is calling for the UK and French governments to protect Irish hauliers who travel to mainland Europe through Calais. She was speaking from the European Parliament where MEPs [...]
Irish fishermen fear Brexit impact on their livelihoods – Ni Riada
The Sinn Fein MEP Liadh NiRiada says the EU has to look at other models to help fishermen deal with the impact of Brexit on their industries. The Ireland South MEP is warning Brexit [...]
British hard stance on Brexit will provoke ‘fightback’ – Hayes
A hard stance on Brexit by the UK government will only antagonise the other twenty seven EU countries. That’s the warning from the Fine Gael MEP Brian Hayes who says the current Brexit rhetoric [...]
Sinn Fein condemn EU move towards common defence – Ni Riada
European moves towards a common defence policy have been criticised by Sinn Fein MEPs who say it will compromise Irish neutrality. During the week the EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker called for the setting [...]
Ireland’s tax policies ‘legitimate’ – Clune
Fine Gael MEPs have been defending the Government’s decision to appeal the recent EU ruling against Apple. The EU Commission declared that Apple enjoyed illegal tax benefits from Ireland and it said the multi-national [...]
Apple accusation ‘doesn’t stack up’ – Clune
The FineGael MEP Deirdre Clune is insisting the EU Commission’s recent ruling on Apple’s tax arrangements with Ireland was wrong. The Commission declared that Apple enjoyed illegal tax benefits from Ireland and it said [...]