Lunchtime Live

Actor and content creator Shami Madondo recently put out a video on social media explaining her nationality to people: being black and Irish. She joins Andrea to share her experience, as well as Briana Fitzsimons, who is Puerto Rican and German.

It’s time for Ask the Medic! Where an expert joins to answer any of your health-related questions. This week, Andrea is joined by Nina Byrnes, GP at Generation Health Medical Clinic to answer your medical questions!

Almost one in three pubs are now asking customers to give a tip when using car to buy a drink. Adrian Cummins, Chief Executive of Restaurant Association of Ireland joined Andrea on the show to discuss along with listeners.

Nearly half of all adults are choosing sofa dinners these days instead of sitting around the kitchen table. So why do we love sofa dinners and are they actually bad for us?  Tara O’Connor from The Design Table and Aileen Cox Blundell, Registered Nutritionist based at Malahide Medical, Dublin joined Andrea on the show to discuss.

With rising prices and limited supply, there are big obstacles for first time buyers nowadays but what is the process really like for people? Andrea was joined by Kevin Johnston and Sonja Warner who are two solo buyers to share their journeys...  Help Me Buy a Home is available to watch on Virgin Media Play... 

 Earlier this year, we spoke to people on both sides of the fuel protests as petrol and diesel prices continued to rise. Now, with prices creeping back up again, we want to know how it’s affecting you. Are you noticing the increase every time you fill up? Is it putting extra pressure on your day-to-day costs? And with the colder months approaching, are you worried about rising household...

For this week’s Ask Me Anything, Dr. Orla Cahill, Microbiologist in TU Dublin Allergen Management, Immunology and Food Management, Orla joined Andrea to answer your questions on what a microbiologist does!   

Nowadays, many adults are living at home longer and families are squeezed under one roof.  With this new dynamic, how should we navigate these relationships, from a parent and child perspective?  Andrea heard from writer, broadcaster and comedy storyteller Barbara Scully and listeners on if they believe parenting gets easier as children get older.  

Bar work is a face-paced and vibrant industry. But what life skills can you learn from working behind a bar?   Andrea was joined by personal trainer JJ Lipsett, Tomás who is the director and barman at The Liberty Belle pub. Also joining Andrea was bartender Caoimhe Ní Dhubhgaill to talk about their experience behind the bar.  

News editor for music and entertainment in Bauer Media Laura Donnelly joined Andrea with a roundup of some of the stories from across the country this week. 

A football club in Limerick has reminded parents to “keep your mouths closed and respect the referees”, unless they want to become referees themselves.   Moyross Utd Football Club shared the reminder after witnessing the behaviour of some parents who attend matches to watch their children play.  So, do adults need to learn how to behave on the sidelines? Joining Andrea to discuss is...

Where do you start when you’re trying to find the perfect rug for your room? And what do you need to consider? When you’re buying furniture for the home, are you ever thinking about how it will look exactly in your home? And what is feng shui anyway? This week, the Home Squad are here to give tips on furniture placement! Joining Clare McKenna to discuss is Jenny Sheehan (@workerscottage on Instagr...

Richelle Flanagan was diagnosed with young onset Parkinson’s disease 10 years ago, she thought she would no longer be able to play hockey. Yet in August she pulled on the green jersey once again to play in the Masters World Cup in Belgium. She may struggle to type and text, but put a hockey stick into her hand, and nobody would know she has a neurodegenerative disorder. Richelle joins Clare McKenn...

How many coffees do you have a day? While many people start their mornings with a cup of coffee, some are able to swallow several espressos throughout the day, with others reduced to decaf to calm their nerves. So, just why does coffee give some people a buzz and not others? Joining guest host Clare McKenna to discuss is Registered Dietician at Orla Walsh Nutrition, Orla Walsh and Oliver from Wall...

We’ve decided to do a deep dive on some of our favourite albums and artists to explore the stories behind them. What did artists really think of each other? Where did the inspirations from the songs come from? Joining guest host Clare McKenna to discuss is Danny McElhinney - Music journalist Irish Mail on Sunday, who’s going to talk through the life and work of Roxy Music!

Car parks cater to different groups; we have family and disabled spaces, but do we also need age-friendly spaces? Joining guest host Clare McKenna to discuss is Ursula Hough Gormley, who wrote in to the Irish Times today about her parking experiences, Town planner Derek Whyte and listeners.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed banning children under 13 from accessing social media, online games and chatbots.   Minister for Arts, Culture, Communications, Media and Sport Patrick O'Donovan joined Andrea to discuss the proposed social media restrictions. Andrea also heard our listeners thoughts.

Lunchtime Live's Reasons to be Happy looks at some of the news stories that you might have missed that will leave you feeling more optimistic. 98FM’s Cathal O’Sullivan joined Andrea in the studio to put a smile on your faces…

All of Ed Sheeran’s support acts have pulled out of his remaining US tour ‘The Loop’. This includes Irish artists Aaron Rowe, Beoga and Irish-American artist Finneas. This comes after Macklemore was dropped from the Tour after making pro-Palestinian remarks during a New Jersey show... So, should politics hold a place in art, and can you separate art from the artist? Joining Andrea to discuss is Al...

Every Wednesday afternoon, we’ll be talking Making Babies. Andrea will be joined by Professor Shane Higgins, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, to cover every area of trying to have a baby. From the very start of knowing how to prepare, right up to pregnancy – and all the bumps in the road in between. This week, Shane joins Andrea to discuss what checks are made after birth.

Joanne Farrell’s son Kaiden was brutally assaulted by a gang in an unprovoked attack in County Kildare last month. She joins Andrea to go back to that night and discuss what exactly happened…

For this week’s Ask the Expert, Andrea is joined by Blake Boland, Spokesperson with Dublin Bus, to answer any of your bus-related questions!

Hannah Leonard, a young woman from County Wicklow, suffered catastrophic brain injuries after being hit by a car while out jogging in Sicily in 2024. She is finally returning to her home in Bray this week. Hannah’s dad Kevin joins Andrea to discuss…

Yesterday, Andrea spoke to TJ Hegarty, Founder of online maths school Breakthrough Maths, who said that 85% of students say they use ChatGPT to do their homework… A study from UL has also revealed that ‘short bursts’ of homework are better than long assignments. So, do we need to rethink our homework approach? Joining Andrea to discuss is Ollwyn Moran, Neurodevelopmental Therapist & Founder of...

‘Up Close with Oprah Winfrey’ took place last night in the 3Arena, not only marking Oprah’s first show in Ireland, but her first time in general visiting! So, how was it? Did you go? Joining Andrea to discuss is Georgie Crawford, creator of the ‘Good Glow’ & podcaster,  Consultant Endocrinologist Dr. Mary Ryan and Professor Katriona O'Sullivan, author of ‘Poor’.