The Big Breakfast Blaa

Start your day with Ollie Carroll, Dymphna Nugent and the WLR News team on The Big Breakfast Blaa, who will bring you plenty of on-air banter, laughter, great music, fantastic competitions, features and much, much more… And as well as being entertained you’ll also be kept well informed with all the very latest news, sport and traffic updates from our team. It's as much a part of Waterford life as the Blaa itself! The Big Breakfast Blaa is brought to you in association with Coffee House Lane https://www.wlrfm.com/listenback">Listen back to The Big Breakfast Blaa here.

  1. Olivia: The Little Girl Who Inspires the Waterford Community

    2d ago

    Olivia: The Little Girl Who Inspires the Waterford Community

    When Olivia was 3 she was diagnosed with severe Scoliosis and she underwent her first spinal surgery. She had a rod placed in her back and every 6 months has had to have more surgeries to lenghten the rod. Olivia's Spinal Surgery Olivia in the coming months has another big spinal surgery and will continue to need more. Olivia has had many stays in hospital and is the bravest girl who continues to smile throughout.She uses a bipap machine every night for her sleep apnea. Olivia has an amazing mam, Diane, who spoke with The Big Breakfast Blaa, dad (Tony) and sister Hannah. Diane is a SNA in a special school for 26 years and Tony works in the hospital. Transforming a Home for Olivia They live in a 2 storey house, her parents are carrying her upstairs to her bedroom/bathroom. This is not only physically demanding but poses serious safety risks to both Olivia and her caregivers, as she grows this approach will become increasingly unsustanable and unsafe. To ensure Olivia's safety, dignity and independence she needs a safe and accessible bedroom, fully adapted bathroom and a ceiling track hoist to allow her her to be safely transferred between the key areas of the home, and a suitable living space where she can be included in family life.  These changes aren't just about convenience they are essential.The builders have quoted €120,000 to complete these adaptations, sadly this is far beyond what Olivia's family can afford on their own.  To listen back to Diane on The Big Breakfast Blaa and to learn more about the fundraising efforts underway, play to hear in full. Keep up to date on all the latest from The Big Breakfast Blaa with Ollie and Dymphna from 6am until 10am daily.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    6 min
  2. Championing Books: The Book Centre’s Independent Bookshop Success.

    Jun 19

    Championing Books: The Book Centre’s Independent Bookshop Success.

    Bookshop Champion Bookselling Ireland (the Booksellers Association (BA) in Ireland) is delighted to announce that The Book Centre in Waterford has been selected as one of 20 Bookshop Champions for Independent Bookshop Week 2026, taking place from Saturday 13th to Saturday 20th June across Ireland and the UK. The Bookshop Champions will represent the independent bookselling sector’s renown innovation, community impact and commitment to reading for pleasure throughout the Independent Bookshop Week 2026 campaign. The 20 Bookshop Champions were selected through an open submission process across the Booksellers Association membership. The final group reflects the breadth and depth of independent bookshops today, and the shared values and strengths that underpin the sector: encouraging reading for pleasure, bringing people together around books, connecting online audiences with in-shop experiences and building strong local partnerships that benefit their communities. Family Run Business Located in the heart of Ireland’s oldest city, The Book Centre, Waterford is the flagship store of a small family-owned bookselling group, serving readers across the Southeast and nationally through its other locations in Kilkenny, Naas, and Wexford. As a large, multi-department bookshop, it offers fiction, non-fiction, children’s books, YA, Irish writing, educational titles, gifts, and a welcoming in-store café space. The shop is particularly renowned for its strong children’s and YA offerings, its support for Irish authors, and its close partnerships with local schools. Memorable Experience The Book Centre actively encourages reading for pleasure through creative and personal initiatives. The Book Professor - Children’s Gift Package pairs one-to-one recommendations with a gift card, tote bag, keepsakes, and a hot chocolate, turning book selection into a memorable experience for young readers. Its curated book subscriptions provide sustained engagement from newborns to adults, nurturing lifelong reading habits. Community Based Community engagement also includes the inclusive Let’s Talk Books book club, where participants bring their current reads, and a full programme of author events and signings that connect readers with local and national writers. Social media amplifies these initiatives, bridging online discovery with in-store visits, while collaborations with schools, libraries, and cultural events ensure the bookshop functions as a civic hub. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    7 min

About

Start your day with Ollie Carroll, Dymphna Nugent and the WLR News team on The Big Breakfast Blaa, who will bring you plenty of on-air banter, laughter, great music, fantastic competitions, features and much, much more… And as well as being entertained you’ll also be kept well informed with all the very latest news, sport and traffic updates from our team. It's as much a part of Waterford life as the Blaa itself! The Big Breakfast Blaa is brought to you in association with Coffee House Lane https://www.wlrfm.com/listenback">Listen back to The Big Breakfast Blaa here.

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