Galway Bay FM has picked up 7 nominations for the 2025 IMRO Radio Awards following their announcement this morning.
The nominations encompass news, sports, music programming, documentaries, and Radio Moment of the Year. Here is the list of Galway Bay FM nominations:
News Reporter - Sarah Slevin
Sarah Slevin has been nominated in the national category of News Reporter of the Year. She has been reporting across Galway for the past three years, covering major stories such as the never-ending saga of the Ring Road and the closure of mental health facilities in Tuam, along with powerful features such as the Dementia Tour bus visit. Sarah displays her versatility in reporting throughout this entry, which includes extracts from live panel discussions on the current affairs show, atmospheric packages from the community, and creative features with young people. Sarah believes news is not just about headlines, it’s also about the communities at the heart of each story. She believes in the value of bringing the listener into the heart of the action and is also well able to handle the major political issues of the day. Sarah’s voice has become a trusted one on Galway Bay FM thanks to her clear, simple language and her ability to make every issue feel like it matters.
Magazine Programme - The Lifestyle Lounge with Sarah Slevin
Not content with displaying her ability as a highly respected news journalist, Sarah Slevin has also been recognised for her Friday night music and chat show, The Lifestyle Lounge. The show is a new feel-good magazine programme that brings entertainment, the most-talked-about topics and new music to the airwaves. With its light-hearted tone and warm, welcoming vibe, the programme blends listener-engagement, information and showbiz each Friday night. The Lifestyle Lounge is presenter Sarah Slevin’s first regular weekly slot on radio – a vibrant debut that showcases her bright personality and ability to be at the heart of what’s happening in Galway, Ireland and the entertainment world. Engaging, uplifting, and full of energy, The Lifestyle Lounge aims to make listeners feel connected, informed, and entertained after a long week.
Documentary - Isabella's Table & Letters to Sadbh by Sally Ann Barrett
Every year, over 250 Irish families suffer a devastating reality that few ever speak of. Its name is stillbirth. Many families feel unable to express their story of loss while those around them struggle to know what to say or sometimes say nothing at all. For many, it is a silent, isolated voyage of grief and uncertainty. In the hope of reaching out to others during Baby Loss Awareness Week in October 2024, two Galway mothers shared their harrowing experience of stillbirth, putting their voices to the journey every woman seeking to become a mother wishes she would never have to travel. On October 9th 2012, Fiona C. and her husband lost their only daughter, Isabella, at 38 weeks. On October 22nd 2019, in Scotland, Louise L. and her husband experienced the loss of their daughter Sadbh. In October 2024, both mothers shared an unimaginable and yet uplifting account of how two ordinary Irish families found their way through an extraordinary situation. The resulting production has highlighted several critical issues women and their families face when enduring the journey of stillbirth. With moving interviews and carefully chosen musical tracks, the resulting production is an emotional tale of love, loss and life after. Funded by the Coimisiún na Meán Sound & Vision Scheme, this documentary was produced, presented and edited by Sally-Ann Barrett. The programme was broadcast on Galway Bay FM on October 9th 2024, 12 years to the day that Isabella C. was born sleeping.
General Music Programme - On the Move with Kayte O'Malley
A triple nominee at the 2024 IMRO Awards, Kayte O’Malley has proven herself to be a consistently excellent radio presenter. Over the past two years at Galway Bay FM, she has settled into her groove, gaining recognition for her engaging style and bringing her sharp sense of humour and quirky outlook on the world to the afternoons. Currently, Kayte hosts the drivetime show On the Move on Galway Bay FM. This fast-paced show seamlessly blends fun features like Reeling in the Ears, Kayte Can’t Say It and Connect Four, with brilliant competitions, personal anecdotes and the best music; from 80s throwbacks to cheesy 90's classics and Ireland’s hottest new artists are introduced during live studio sessions for the Play Irish Track of the Week.
Best Sports Story - The Day We Beat the Dubs
June 29th, 2024, will live long in the memory of Galway people as the day we finally beat Dublin in the All-Ireland football championship. There has always been an inferiority complex about Dublin for people from the West of Ireland, especially in the context of Gaelic Football. The last time Galway had beaten Dublin in the All-Ireland football championship was 1934, so it was safe to assume that there weren't any Galway supporters in Croke Park last June who had ever experienced the feeling of beating the second-most successful county in the history of the competition. The outpouring of emotion when Galway emerged victorious had several factors to it. Apart from the unexpected nature of the Galway footballer's comeback victory and the game's dramatic conclusion, this documentary delves into the backstory of the longstanding relationship between Galway and Dublin. Included in the programme is an archive interview with a man who won All-Ireland titles with both counties, as well as commentary clips and the story behind the fractious 1983 All-Ireland final when Dublin beat Galway despite having three players sent off. The recriminations after that game lasted for decades and fed into the narrative that Galway were psychologically damaged by the sight of a Dublin jersey from then on. The build-up to the latest chapter in the Galway-Dublin rivalry offered little evidence that the outcome would be any different to previous years, so the excitement in Ollie Turner's commentary as the game reached its climax was palpable.
Best Sports Programme - Cortoon All-Ireland Final Preview
There is nothing to beat the excitement that engulfs a county when it has qualified for an All-Ireland Final in GAA. Luckily, Galway people have had a decent share of big days out in recent years because we are competitive in both hurling and football. 2024 was the year of the footballers, as they followed up a famous win over Dublin with a hard-earned victory over Donegal to book their place in the All-Ireland final against the surprise package Armagh. Levels of excitement are directly proportionate to expectation, and Galway were fully convinced that this was their All-Ireland title, given the teams they had already beaten and the opposition they faced. In the build-up to the final, Galway Bay FM went all around the county to gauge the atmosphere, and one of the stop-offs was the tiny half-parish of Cortoon, just outside Tuam. It is places like Cortoon that give you the real insight into the impact the GAA has on a rural community and the sense of identity it gives. The locals were out in huge numbers to welcome Galway Bay FM, and they rolled out a star-studded line-up of former Galway players to give their opinions on the big game. The stories and anecdotes from legends like Mickey Rooney, Tommie Joe Gilmore and Derek Savage drew equal amounts of laughter and applause. These people were proud of their county and equally proud of their heroes.
Radio Moment of the Year - Sweet Mother of Jesus
The summer of 2024 will be remembered for one main reason in Galway: the All-Ireland Football Championship Quarter Final win over Dublin that sparked some of the wildest celebrations seen in years, and at the heart of that emotional outpouring was the Galway Bay FM radio commentary of the game. The game was not broadcast on terrestrial TV, much to the annoyance of the GAA-going public, and with the much-hyped Taylor Swift concert taking place on the same Saturday night last June at the Aviva Stadium, a lot of Galway supporters stayed at home and listened to the radio. The Galway Bay FM commentators were Ollie Turner and former Galway midfielder Barry Cullinane, and as the chances of a Galway victory turned from improbable to possible, their excitement levels grew. Slowly but surely, Galway clawed their way back from being well beaten by Dublin at half-time to a position where they sensationally took the lead with minutes to go. As the prospect of a first win over Dublin in 90 years dawned, and with the entire Croke Park stadium at fever pitch, the full-time whistle prompted Ollie Turner to utter the immortal words “Sweet Mother of Jesus, they have pulled off the unthinkable. Forget about Taylor Swift, shake it off at the Aviva and come over here to Croke Park because you are witnessing the West’s Awake.” The commentary clip went viral, gaining national and global recognition for being what it was – a genuine, emotional, unscripted outpouring of joy.
