Upbeat on air for mental health

Ireland’s airwaves will be saturated with positivity this week, with the return of Upbeat on Air, the digital pop-up radio station, run by St Patrick’s Mental Health Services, which this year is broadcasting nationwide.

Top presenters have volunteered to host the week’s programming. Special celebrity guests, musicians, entertainers, and great upbeat music choices will be the mainstay of Ireland’s first radio station dedicated to promoting positive mental health.

From the worlds of broadcasting and entertainment, contributors include former TV presenter, turned criminal law barrister, Theresa Lowe. Theresa hosts the breakfast show from 7am each morning, alongside comedian and actor, Alan Shortt. Model and parenting expert Alison Canavan and RTE presenter Shay Byrne take to the mics mid-morning. Seasoned broadcasters Ruth Scott, Louise Heraghty, Aidan Power, Trevor Keegan, Sinead Lynch, Rebecca Horan, and Karina Buckley will also take a spin on the Upbeat on Air decks, as will the Camembert Quartet’s Paddy Cullivan and top Irish model, Corina Grant, who also works with teenagers, through schools, to help build self-esteem and improve body image.

Actress and musician Laura Canavan Hayes is a reporter for Upbeat on Air, as is millionaire businessman Richard Mulcahy, who filmed for RTE’s Secret Millionaire in Limerick in 2012.

Upbeat on Air’s objective is to promote positive mental health on the airwaves, conveying the importance of early intervention, seeking support and professional advice, and managing mental health.

Broadcasting in Dublin 94.3fm, and on various frequencies countrywide, listeners are advised to look for ‘Upbeat’ on their dial, which will show they’re on the right wavelength!

The station will broadcast live from St Patrick’s University Hospital on James's Street, in Dublin, for the week of March 23rd to 27th, between 7am and 9pm daily.

Radio professionals from local, national and community radio have volunteered to service the station, in terms of production and logistics, and commercial airtime is being devoted to free advertising for a number of associated charities and advisory groups.

The text number for listeners to contact Upbeat on Air - 085-2299028

Twitter: @Upbeat #Imlistening

THE PRESENTERS

Alison Canavan

This is Alison Canavan’s second time to present the Morning Show with RTE’s Shay Byrne on Upbeat on Air.

One of Ireland’s top models Alison has grown to become known as Ireland’s only celebrity parenting specialists over the past four years. Mum to four year old James, Alison writes for The Daily Mail, VIP Magazine & also contributes to various TV and radio shows on parenting, pregnancy issues as well as beauty, health and wellbeing. Alison has been a vehement supporter of mental health charity Walk in My Shoes and is a dynamic advocate for mental health issues in Ireland.

Rebecca Horan

Radio Presenter - Today FM, Newstalk and 98fm

The positive aspect of mental healthis that people can recover from mental health difficulties, just as they do from various illnesses, Rebecca Horan says.

“Support for and promotion of mental health recovery and well-being is important, and talking about mental illness is important, whether it is on the airwaves, or conversations in schools, offices and pubs. Anyone can suffer, when there are challenges like financial difficulties, bereavement, a divorce, or career upheaval but the important message is to ask for help.

Although she leads a healthy, balanced life and has never suffered from severe depression, Rebecca admits to having been down, and suffering from low self-esteem and anxiety on occasion.

“Talking to people I trust helps, and stepping back and re-evaluating things. When things get overwhelming, I am lucky I have the foresight to see it coming, and I tackle the impending explosion by scaling things back socially, and by saying no to things I don’t really want to do. Trying to do things for other people can take you out of your own gloom, and I also distract my mind with creative influences like film or books. I also firmly believe that we need good brain food, and that eating lots of processed and fast-foods make us feel worse. It is the same with too much alcohol; no one is happy hungover!”

Paddy Cullivan

Presenter, writer, actor, and musician, Paddy Cullivan is a multi-disciplined entertainer who is at home on TV, Radio, writing opinion pieces for the Evening Herald, sketches and songs for Radio One’s ‘Callan’s Kicks’, as an MC, a performing satirist and comedian, a voiceover artist, creative consultant and festival planner, as well as being an accomplished piano player, guitarist and lead singer of the Late Late Show House Band, the Camembert Quartet.

Corina Grant

With 20 years in the fashion industry, Corina Grant is one of Ireland’s most popular and recognised models, and also provides make-up and styling services for brides and bridal parties. Still in demand as a model, she has branched out into other areas too, working with teenagers both on a one to one basis, on the website www.udazzle.ie, and through schools to help build self-esteem and improve body image. Corina also has a column every Sunday in the Irish Sun.

Karina Buckley

Karina Buckley is from Inniscarra in County Cork. She joined the RTÉ weather team in May 2000 after graduating from UCC with a degree in biochemistry. Her academic interests lie in science communication, the topic of her masters degree, but in her spare time she enjoys theatre, music and dance, having studied ballet in her youth. Karina also enjoys running, reading and watching TV.

Ruth Scott

A graduate of Limerick's 95FM and the breakfast show on Dublin's 98FM, Ruth Scott now hosts the second biggest radio show on RTÉ 2FM, The Saturday Show, with co-presenter Paddy McKenna.

Ruth has also taken on a role with the Healthy Ireland Council, which becomes involved in health promotions to make them accessible to everybody. She is also involved with the Dublin Women’s Mini Marathon. Ruth’s partner is Rob Morgan, the son of the late Father Ted star, Dermot Morgan.

Sinéad Lynch

RTÉ Presentation & Continuity, TV Producer, Psychotherapist and Counsellor

A close friend of Tony Fenton, Sinead Lynch is dedicating her shows to Tony, in thanks for all that she learned from her former colleague!

Sinéad’s mother’s battle with cancer was a turning point in her life 6 years ago, and, aged 30, she returned to study and became a psychotherapist and counsellor, with the aim of not only helping people with mental illness, but particularly those suffering through death and dying. Sinéad is doing her Doctorate in Counselling Psychology in Trinity College, Dublin, and has a counselling and psychotherapy website www.silverlinings.ie Sinéad Lynch presents the Night Show – 7.00pm - 9.00pm with Trevor Keegan
Trevor Keegan

Gossip Guru, TV Producer and Presenter

Trevor’s philosophy about mental health is that we need to look after it, just as we need to exercise and eat well for our physical health.

‘The mind needs nourishment in the form of talking about what we are going through, and seeking advice and guidance from those we know and love, and professionally, if necessary. I am particularly passionate about encouraging men to talk, and I really think parents play a part in encouraging kids to talk about their feelings and anxieties from as early an age as possible. Boys need to be targeted in school to show them that acknowledging their feelings isn’t soft; if anything it’s the bravest thing we can do - to realise we all have vulnerabilities, and it's a completely natural part of living
Personally, bereavement grief has been the toughest part of Trevor’s life. He lost his mother at the age of 18, and one of his best friends two years ago.

“I think grief is the most overwhelming challenge to our mental health, and dealing with it is essential, as we will all experience it at some stage. My method was to acknowledge my feelings, not hide them. The way to deal with mental health is by talking about matters of the mind, and emotions”.

Louise Heraghty

TV and radio presenter, and also a qualified fitness instructor, Louise Heraghty is originally from Sligo and has been living in Dublin over 11 years, where she began her radio career as a traffic broadcaster with AA Roadwatch.

Since then she has worked in 98FM, Today FM and 2FM, and is currently a broadcaster with Radio Nova, as well as presenting the weather on RTE Television.

Aidan Power

Television and radio presenter Aidan Power co-hosted 98FM’s breakfast show The Morning Crew for two years, and also hosted Dublin’s first ever New Year countdown street party, as part of NYE Dublin Festival 2013.

He has hosted a variety of children, teens, sports and family TV, including Superbloopers with Zig and Zag on RTÉ, and song-writing competition The Hit with Nicky Byrne.

Aidan presented a new show on RTÉ called Foul Play in December 2013, featuring pranks to see if some of our best known sporting stars really are good sports! More recently Aidan hosted a new series for TRTE Television, called Shake down the Town.

Alan Shortt

Actor & Comedian, Alan Shortt is a Dublin based comedian, writer, actor, satirist and media skills trainer. His Cork roots gave him a good ear for accents, and his political impressions have been seen and heard on RTE’s Irish Pictorial Weekly, Bull Island, and The Late Late Show.

Theresa Lowe

Former TV presenter, turned criminal law barrister, Theresa Lowe is the wife of musician Frank McNamara, and they have four children. Theresa’s sister Joan is the founder of the suicide prevention service Pieta House.

Having worked in continuity for six years in RTÉ, Theresa presented quiz show Where in the World? for seven years, while studying law at King's Inns. She was admitted to the bar in 1987, where she specialises in criminal law and personal injury law.

Shay Byrne

RTÉ Radio One’s early morning Risin’ Time presenter, Shay Byrne grew up in Artane and originally studied accountancy, before joining RTÉ as a continuity announcer in 2005. He became a stand-in presenter, and has worked on shows with Ryan Tubridy and Derek Mooney, and well as being the RTÉ radio commentator for the Eurovision Song Contest since 2011.

Barry Kenny

Corporate Communications Manager for Iarnród Éireann, and a familiar voice to radio listeners on news and talk shows across the country in his role representing the railways. His radio experience extends off track also, as a regular contributor on radio panels, and as a guest presenter of The Right Hook on Newstalk, not to mention way back in pirate radio too. A travel obsessive, he also can be hard to stop talking on sport, television, news and current affairs.