From Derry’s showband scene to international chart success, Phil Coulter’s career has been shaped by two very different ambitions: writing a hit and writing something that matters personally.

In this episode, Phil joins Greg Hughes to revisit his upbringing in Derry and the breakthrough that helped turn a young musician into a professional songwriter. His early song Foolin’ Time attracted the attention of Des Kelly and the Capitol Showband—a pivotal step towards a career that would bring Eurovision success with Puppet on a String and Congratulations.

Behind the commercial achievements lies a more personal body of work. Phil explores the difference between writing for the charts and drawing on his own experiences—the territory that produced The Town I Loved So Well and Scorn Not His Simplicity. The latter was inspired by his son Paul, who was born with Down syndrome. Phil speaks about the loss of his son and the place music has held in his life through grief.

The conversation also turns to Donegal, a lifelong source of inspiration, and Wild Flowers, his new duet with his wife, singer Geraldine Branagan. With Phil also at the piano, this is a conversation about the craft of songwriting, the pull of home, and the experiences behind the music.

Enjoy The Greg Hughes Podcast? Recommend it to a friend. To suggest a guest or share a story, contact researcher and producer Caroline Orr at carolineorr@highlandradio.com.

For years, Nikki Hayes was one of the most recognizable voices on Irish radio. From RTÉ 2FM to SPIN 1038, she enjoyed the kind of career many could only dream of. But behind the familiar voice and public success, a very different story was unfolding.

Addiction would eventually cost Nikki almost everything. Her career, her home, her relationships and, for a time, the life she had built. At her lowest point, the woman who had once entertained audiences across Ireland was sleeping rough on the streets of Dublin, feeling invisible to the world around her.

In this deeply personal conversation with Greg Hughes, Nikki's extraordinary story takes us from the highs of national recognition to the devastating realities of alcohol addiction, homelessness and rock bottom.

But this is also a story of survival, recovery and second chances.

Nikki reflects on the long road back, the people who helped her rebuild her life, the importance of taking responsibility and the hope she now offers others facing their own struggles.

Today, back working in radio and using her experience to advocate for people affected by addiction, Nikki Hayes has found a new purpose.

An extraordinary journey from having it all, to losing almost everything, and discovering what really matters.

This is The Greg Hughes Podcast.

Eight years to get 0.13 seconds faster. How do you keep believing when the stopwatch won’t budge?

Irish Olympian and European 800m champion Mark English knows the patience elite sport demands. After running a personal best in 2013, he waited until 2021 to improve it — a breakthrough that also broke a longstanding Irish record and secured his place at the Tokyo Olympics.

In this episode, Mark joins me to explore his journey from Donegal to international athletics, his early passion for sport and the challenge of pursuing medicine alongside competing at the highest level.

We discuss the injuries, setbacks and breakthroughs that shaped his career, including rebuilding after injury and racing against some of the greatest athletes in the sport. What keeps you motivated through years of uncertainty? How do you manage the physical and mental demands? And what changes when you commit fully to finding out how good you can be?

A conversation about the person behind the performances, the cost of ambition and the persistence behind every fraction of a second.