After one year of presenting Today FM’s afternoon slot, Louise Duffy is getting ready for her next challenge.

Combining her love of fashion and music, the Mayo woman is about to launch her first website – Women’s Wear Story – and is starting a new radio show at the later time of 7pm.

“It was a tricky one to decide on, and to do the website, but you have to feather a nest outside of radio and make sure you have a long-term plan. Nothing is permanent in media. There is always a chance that something will change month to month.”

It’s a change that will work well, says Louise. She’s always loved fashion, and the new radio show will allow her to work on the website during the day, both of which are due to launch early August.

“It all worked out quite well, really. I’ve got a couple of hours during the day to focus on the website and then in the evenings I can get stuck in on the music side of things. Obviously everything I’m doing with my show will be present on the website, so it will just correlate really nicely,” she adds.

As the wife of one of Ireland’s most stylish men, former Kerry footballer and fashion designer Paul Galvin, will Louise be looking for advice from her husband?

“He’s so supportive in anything that I do, he’s always giving me a dig out. He has his own website, menswearstory.com. They will go hand in hand, but we’ll be doing them separately. He’s very in tune with what happens in fashion and in music too … we would just talk about things a lot rather than look for advice,” she says.

And there are no plans to launch a line: “I wouldn’t be qualified in that. It’s something Paul is hugely passionate about, whereas I’m more of a voyeur.”

She will be putting these voyeuristic skills to use later this month at the Galway Races, where she has teamed up with the g Hotel to judge the best-dressed lady and best hat competitions at Ladies Day on Thursday 28 July.

“I love the Galway Races. I’m from Mayo, so my whole family goes and it’s the one thing in the summer that we’ll all hook up for,” she says. “I really like the g Hotel, so I’m excited to work with them – and that a day at work is a day ogling people in fancy clothes. I couldn’t think of anything better.”

Radio

After six years on the early shift, Louise is looking forward to taking the reins at 7pm, traditionally a slot which focuses on alternative music.

“It is going to be a little bit left of centre. There’s a really clever audience out there that wants to hear the newer songs first, and the B-sides, the stuff that didn’t make the top 10 but is still great. I love the Indie stuff and electro pop. I’m really excited to mix all that stuff into a lovely playlist,” she says.

Reflecting on six years of early starts – 5am for three years, 4am for another three years – the presenter says she was “a lunatic”.

“For sure, my day definitely revolved around the bed, more than what’s healthy, but I loved it while I was doing it. It gave me experience and opened doors. I learned so much,” she says.

Louise has just signed another two-year contract with Today FM, and adds that the station has been very supportive of her career. Indeed, she sees the gender imbalance on radio changing in years to come.

“It’s evident, it’s there and it’s a pity, but I think it’s changing slightly. There are a lot of strong women on the up and I think there’s more focus on women on air. Hopefully it will be something that’s rectified in years to come,” she says.

“I’m really proud to be the first woman to have my own show on daytime on Today FM, but then you do have to look at what suits you better career-wise.”

Despite the change in direction, we’ll still be hearing Louise’s soft accent on air for years to come – so lovely and lilting that she was once asked for the name of her non-existent elocution teacher.

“But there’s not a chance I’d try to knock the Mayo out of my accent,” she laughs. CL

>> Louise’s top tips for ladies’ day

Be inventive

I’m always mesmerised by people who make their own headpieces.

Be comfortable

You have to be comfortable and be dressed appropriately for the races, and you’re not tottering around in your platforms or stilettos. It’s should be appropriate for a day of fun.

Be daring

Go classic with the outfit and wild with the accessories, or clash prints and textures. You have to go for it at the races and be bold.

Make up

Go classic and simple with the makeup and hair. Let your outfit do the talking.

Have fun

I love the people who are having a great day and just happen to look wonderful and are comfortable in their skin.

galway races

The Galway Races Summer Festival takes place over seven days from Monday 25 to Sunday 31 July 2016. Ladies day takes place on Thursday 28 July. The g Hotel & Spa will sponsor both the best dressed lady with a prize worth €10,000 and the best hat competition with a prize to the value of €2,000. Louise will MC g Hotel’s aprés racing event on the night, where the hat judging will take place from 9.30pm-10.30pm. For further information on the g Hotel & Spa visit www.theghotel.ie or call (091) 865 200.