Moncrieff

Many listeners will be scoffing down the last of the hot cross buns today but how exactly did this festive treat come about? Stefanie was joined by Dr. Eleanor Barnett, Food historian and author of ‘Leftovers: A History of Food Waste and Preservation’, who has been researching this for English Heritage... 

Ding Dong! The fish are calling—Utrecht, a Dutch city, has innovated conservation with its remarkable fish doorbell, stirring waves in both environmental preservation and community involvement. Stefanie Preissner was joined by Willemijn Koppelaars, Ecologist to discuss…

After a pretty decent Sunday, yesterday was another bank holiday wash out for much of the country.   And it feels like it has rained constantly since last July – but is that really the case?  Alan O’Reilly from Carlow Weather joined Stefanie Preissner to discuss...

If you’re going to see Pearl Jam, Taylor Swift or Bruce Springsteen this summer, chances are you’ll be paying more than concert goers in places like London, Barcelona and Munich.   Steep ticket prices is nothing new, but can anything be done to bring the prices down? And why is it more expensive to go to a concert in Ireland compared to the rest of Europe?   Stefanie Preissner...

March was a big month for public holidays and flexible work schedules. So much so that for many, they had three consecutive four-day weeks. Newstalk reporter, Josh Crosbie, has been finding out how this went for employers and employees.

An unusual creature was brought into a wildlife hospital recently in the UK, much to the bemusement of the staff. But what it actually turned out to be was even stranger than fiction. Tom Dunne was joined by Janet Kotze, Manager of the Lower Moss Nature Reserve and Wildlife Hospital in Cheshire...

The number of older people getting STIs is going up. It's a surprise to many baby boomers who thought they wouldn't have to worry about these infections because of their age. But why is this happening? And why aren't more people using protection? Laura Dowling, the Fabulous Pharmacist joined Tom Dunne to discuss...

Could you go an entire year without spending ANY money on luxuries? That means no takeout coffees, Netflix subscriptions, nothing! Well, a woman and her family took on the challenge and did just that. Money Coach, Kel Galavan joined Tom Dunne on the show today...

Oscar winning pair Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas were spotted using an old fashioned paper map in Venice. They weren’t using Google Maps or a GPS. Has technology has killed the art of map reading? Newstalk's Henry McKean joined Tom Dunne with this report...

When a clip of celebrity gardener Alan Titchmarsh went viral this week, it wasn’t anything to do with his green fingers. Instead, it was because his denim jeans had been blurred out on North Korean television. Many media outlets then stated this had been done because jeans were apparently banned in the country. But is this actually the case? Sean was joined by Professor Hazel Smith from the School...

A new BBC investigation tells for the first time the extraordinary story of a lost American documentary made inside the Irish Republican Army in 1972, the bloodiest year of the Troubles.  “The Secret Army” was made by an American film crew who captured  IRA leaders and rank and file, planning, preparing, and carrying out bomb and gun attacks across Northern Ireland.  &nbsp...

Today is International Whiskey Day and Ireland has quite the story about the role we played in the popularity of whiskey. Back in the day, there were only a couple of Irish brands but that is no longer the case! Eoin Ó Cathain is the Director of the Irish Whiskey Association he joined Sean in studio...

With World Bipolar Day taking place this coming Saturday, Sean was joined by novelist and podcaster Sophie White to discuss her personal experiences of the condition... For more information and support, visit Aware.ie . People can also access support from The Samaritans by phone at any time on 116 123.   

Studies show that kids who were tough and pushy at school often end up in top-notch, well-paying jobs. Meanwhile, the shy or sensitive ones might not make as much money. But let's be clear: this doesn't mean being a bully gets you a gold star. Sean was joined by Aoife Lee, Parenting coach at ParentSupport.ie …

Ali Dunworth, author of “A Compendium of Irish Pints: The Culture, Customs and Craic” joined Sean to chat about food like the Chicken Fillet Roll and the Spice Bag being classed as 'Irish Street Food'...

Under the current system, PhD researchers are classified as students, not workers, despite many of them working in their universities through teaching. This system is in opposition to many other countries in the EU. Sean was joined by Conor Reddy, a PhD researcher and President of the Postgraduate Workers Organisation...

There is an opinion piece by an anonymous person in the Daily Mail with the headline  “Why I can't bear mums that snaffle all the Easter holidays, by a childless woman who's had enough of their selfish behaviour.” But is it selfish that parents take time off to look after their kids when the schools are off, do they even have a choice? And is it very unfair on childless people to always get s...

Politicians downed over €360k worth of booze last year with over 10k pints of Guinness poured at Dail’s two bars    A pint of the black stuff at Leinster House costs just €5.20 — a fraction of the price of nearby city centre bars. Gavan Reilly, political correspondent with Virgin Media News joined Sean on the show to discuss...

Russia has charged four men it says attacked a Moscow concert hall and killed at least 137 people.   Russia were warned by US Intelligence agencies that an attack was imminent, and even went into detail about what type of attack it would be.  So how is this type of intelligence collected?  Declan Power, Security and Defense analysist joined Sean to discuss...

A new pre-verification Guinness World Record has been set by a table tennis club in Northern Ireland - but what exactly did it entail and how can 128 people play a single game of ping pong? Sean was joined by Gervis Knox, Co-founder of the Ormeau Table Tennis Club in Belfast... 

Do you ever feel like your friends or family judge your relationship because you argue too much or maybe too little? It may feel like you can never win, but is it healthy if we don’t argue in our relationship at all? Sean was joined by Dr Caroline West, Sex educator and relationship columnist with the Irish Independent to discuss...

Godparents are among the most important people at a christening, who make big promises to encourage their godchild to grow in faith and commit to helping them understand how to live their life, in a Christian way. That’s the original job spec for a devout Catholic, but what does it look like in 2024? Édaein O’Connell, freelance journalist, and newly appointed godmother joined Sean to discuss...

'Fake news' might be a familiar term, but what about 'fake science?' A troubling rise in the number of fraudulent research papers infiltrating scientific journals signals a deepening crisis of credibility within the scientific community. What drives this phenomenon, and what are its implications? Sean was joined by William Reville, Emeritus Professor of Biochemistry at UCC...

It’s the one question we’ll all have to face at some point.  How much do I put in the wedding card? Well, the bad news is the rate is going up.  Sara Kennedy from the Irish Wedding Blog joined Sean to discuss...

While many people pick up a fridge magnet as a memento from their holidays, others are major collectors. But what do our fridge magnet habits say about our personalities? Joining men now is Dr John Byrom, Senior lecturer in marketing at the University of Liverpool Management School...