Lunchtime Live

Rugby star Simon Zebo has revealed that he doesn't want his children playing rugby, as he finds the head injuries scary. The former Ireland and Munster player, who retired earlier this year, said he doesn’t want his children following in his footsteps. He said: ‘I would not push them towards playing rugby at all. What it does to your body, the head impacts, that’s the scary side of it. I’ve seen a...

Fianna Fáil senator Catherine Ardagh has spoken out about the struggle to find a school place for her son, who has autism. She joins Andrea to discuss.

From the Jungle Book to the BBC, Ciaran O’Connor from 98fm joins Andrea Gilligan to rewind the clock!

Sad news as reports last night confirm the death of former One Direction member Liam Payne. He died at the age of 31 in Argentina after falling from a third floor balcony in a hotel in Buenos Aires. Musician, Radio Presenter and former X-Factor contestant Eoghan Quigg joins Andrea to share his memories of Liam.

For this week’s Ask the Expert, Andrea is joined by Financial Advisor with Irish Life, David Roche to answer all of your pension questions! Segment with thanks to Irish Life. To learn more or to get trusted pension advice, you can check out irishlife.ie/pensions .

Whether you are a parent or not, you have probably seen the viral TikTok lunchboxes being made for some outrageously lucky kids out there. The work and precision that goes into some of them looks incredible, but do the children eating them even notice? Joining Andrea to discuss is Journalist Niamh O’Reilly and Holly Dalton, Chef and Director of Conbini Condiments.

Prague city councillors have banned nighttime pub crawls organised by travel agencies, because the city wants to target “more cultured” tourists. The Czech capital has been a long time popular destination for noisy stag parties and pub crawlers. Prague Deputy Mayor Zdenek Hrib has said that they are now “seeking a more cultured, wealthier tourist … not one who comes for a short time only to get dr...

Is money a taboo topic? Would you feel comfortable telling a friend that you can't afford to go to their birthday dinner? Saoirse Hanley, Journalist with the Irish Independent has been writing about this, and joins Andrea and more to discuss.

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. Today FM’s Cathal O’Sullivan joined Andrea in the studio to put a smile on your faces… Image: Discover Ireland

A new report is urging the Irish government to get gas boilers, fireplaces and chimneys out of homes as soon as possible. What do you think? Is it time to get rid of boilers, fireplaces and chimneys from Irish homes? To discuss, Andrea is joined by Hugh Wallace, Director of Douglas Wallace Architects, John Sodeau, Emeritus Professor of Chemistry at UCC, Pete the Builder and more.

Welcome to The Pod Squad! We review podcasts every Tuesday so you always have something new to listen to. Stylist and Journalist Laura Mullett and Off The Ball’s Colm Boohig joined Andrea to review ‘Origins with Cush Jumbo’! Image: Sony Music Entertainment

Do you suffer from Orthosomnia? It’s the medical term for an unhealthy obsession with getting perfect sleep. It usually stems from those hooked on wearing smart devices to bed, and checking the quality of sleep the following morning. So, do you have Orthosomnia? Andrea is joined by Today FM’s Cathal Minogue and Anne Marie Boyhan, Holistic Sleep Expert, Founder of the Sleep Care Company and Author...

Is enough done to deal with abuse being hurled at referees? It’s something Yvonne Redden has been writing about in the Irish Examiner. She joins Andrea and more to discuss what kicked off this thought.

Students at a Co Louth school have pledged to continue with a protest to have a “ban” on playing Gaelic games lifted. Over 70 senior students at Dundalk Grammar School walked out of classes on Friday afternoon in protest at the school’s refusal to allow them play Gaelic football. To discuss, Andrea is joined by Sean McLean, Chairperson of Louth GAA, local Sinn Féin TD Ruairí Ó Murchú and Ronan Fol...

This year on Lunchtime Live we’ve been looking at things that we can do in order to make ourselves that bit happier and healthier. This week, Andrea is joined by Paul O’Neill from the Bray Wheelers Cycling Club to discuss why you should be into cycling!

What would you think about the GPO, the most iconic building in O’Connell Street, being repurposed?  Would it be better served as a world-class museum? What if it were to house a leading Government department? Would it make a good new home for RTÉ?  All of these have been proposed as the new Dublin City Centre Taskforce called to redevelop the GPO as a ‘major public building’. &nbsp...

Dr Niall Breen from the Portmarnock GP Clinic joined Andrea Gilligan to tackle your medical queries.

Emma Quirke from Kerry recently represented Ireland in Spain, but at an event you might not think of: the World Jigsaw Championships. She joins Andrea to explain more.

Thousands of babies are missing out on face-to-face developmental checks because of a lack of public health nurses… It has created a real worry that children with potentially serious health problems will fall through the cracks. Is this something that’s happened to you? To discuss, Andrea is joined by Katie Mugan, Lactation Consultant & Breastfeeding & Formula Feeding Specialist, Katie Mak...

Should the state buy Rory Gallagher’s Guitar? Or is that the best way of spending taxpayers money? Tánaiste Micheál Martin has hinted that one of the State’s cultural institutions could move to buy Rory Gallagher’s signature Fender Stratocaster guitar, when it goes up for auction later this week. The guitar is being auctioned off by the Gallagher estate at an estimated price of £700,000 to £1 mill...

This is Lunchtime Live’s Big Batch. Every Monday we’ll be learning new easy to cook batch recipes to keep you eating well. No more staring into an open fridge looking for inspiration! This week, Andrea is joined by Siobhan Berry, from @mummycooks on Instagram, to look at some how versatile tomato sauce can be when batch cooking! Follow the hashtag #LLBigBatch for all our recipes.

A Dublin priest is promising to ban the "glorification of criminality" during funeral masses in his church. Fr Bill O'Shaughnessy, who is based in Tallaght, said that the church should never be a place of "such blatant anti-Christian activity" after witnessing incidents including someone wearing a balaclava while entering the church carrying a coffin, and floral arrangements of alcohol, screwdrive...

Every Friday, as part of our ‘Ask Me Anything’ series, we put your questions to people from interesting backgrounds or working in different careers. This week, Andrea was joined by Casting Director Shauna Griffith to answer any of your movie and TV questions!

What does your profile picture say about you? If you have it as a selfie, are you more likely to be self centered? That’s the question posed by Journalist Áilín Quinlan in Echo Live this week. She and Life Coach Mark Fennell join Andrea to discuss.

‘School reunions are LinkedIn with gin and tonics – do I really want to go to mine?’ So asks Tanya Sweeney, Columnist with the Irish Independent. She recently got an invitation to her school reunion and joins Andrea and more to discuss whether they’re worth going to.