Maggie and Maureen

Maggie and Maureen

McCann’s Irish Oatmeal, Mike Haggerty Buick/GMC/Volkswagen, and Personal Injury Attorney Caroleann Gallagher present Hibernian Radio Hour. We’d like to wish all our listeners a “Happy New Year” and this week we look back over one of our favorite shows to ring in the New Year.  We’re proud to welcome a pair of ladies who share their wisdom from their long careers as paramedics for the Chicago Fire Department: Maureen Loughney, who grew up in Bridgeport, was the 9th woman hired by CFD in 1975 and spent 30 years on the job. And Maggie Murphy, currently Paramedic Commander working out of Midway airport, with 23 years on the job. Maureen helped train Maggie when she started on her ambulance. We cover a lot of ground with these two friends and they share a philosophy of service. Maureen once told a young rookie paramedic, “Treat every patient as if they were your grandma, treat people like family.” And Maggie tells us, “We have a society that doesn’t expect anybody to accept responsibility for themselves, so it falls to the paramedics, and firefighters, and police to clean up all their dirty stuff.” Don’t miss the stories and lessons learned from these two pals as they reminisce on their outstanding and selfless careers helping others. Between the two of them they’ve probably delivered more babies than they can count. Mo says, “It was a great job, but you have to like people.” Brilliant stuff from both these wonderful and courageous women!

Lexia and Brianna

Then in keeping with our “Ladies Night’ theme we host a pair of All-Ireland World Champion musicians, 15-year-old Brianna Brown who plays concertina and a variety of other instruments, and 14-year-old Lexia Kennedy who took the All-Ireland last year in fiddle. Both young ladies are headed to Drogheda in Ireland this August to compete once again at the Fleadh Cheoil. After some banter, this champion duo, (they also won as best duet in Ireland).  perform “Cap and Bell”, “The Otter’s Holt”, and Houli’s favorite, “Jenny’s Chickens”.  The music makes it an even sweeter night on the river at Lizzie McNeill’s as the ladies play us out after our obits and some jokes. Great show, don’t miss it!