Lunchtime Live

Welcome to The Pod Squad!  We’ll review podcasts every Tuesday so you’ll have something new to listen to.   Andrea was joined by Today FM Presenter Shelly Grey and Off the Ball’s Cameron Hill to review The Immortals - a podcast about people trying to live forever.

Doctors are claiming that Ireland has a two tier medical system – with public and  private patients getting access to different drugs and help.  To discuss, Andrea is joined by Prof Michaela Higgins, Consultant Oncologist at St Vincent’s University Hospital...

There was tragedy on the M50 on Friday when Derek Martin sadly lost his life following an accident. His sister Helen is with Andrea to remember her brother and make a plea to find the people who stopped to help Derek after the crash.

Listener of the show John got in touch to share how sick he is of political leaflets in the post, calling them unsolicited mail. It begs the question, are they too much? And should they be banned? John and other listeners join Andrea to discuss.

Apparently, us Irish are falling out of love with the cinema.  We used to be Europe's most avid movie-goers, but we haven’t gotten back to those high heights since the pandemic.  Are we losing the joy of the big screen experience? Andrea is joined by film reviewer Niall O’Brien, director Richard Waters, Managing Director of Retro Drive In Movies, Ryan O’Neill and more to discuss.

This year Andrea Gilligan is determined to make some changes and become that bit healthier! Over the next few weeks Andrea will be joined by a number of different people to find out how they live well. Andrea was joined by Ellen Shilling, Mindfulness Expert, to learn more about perfecting the act of mindfulness and meditation.

Children with autism are being refused places in summer camps, with some being told that they’d have to employ an SNA (Special Needs Assistant) in order to send their child to a summer camp. Have you experienced this? Andrea is joined by listeners to hear their takes.

Andrea Gilligan was joined on Lunchtime Live by Dr Niall Breen from Portmarnock GP Clinic to answer listeners' health queries and questions...

Having separate beds from your partner is becoming more and more common apparently.  Couples say they sleep better and because of that, are nicer to each other, but can it affect your intimacy? Andrea is joined by Iseult White, Psychotherapist and author, to discuss.

Bruce Springsteen brought the curtain down on the Irish leg of his world tour last night in Dublin, but hundreds of concertgoers missed the start of his 80,000 Croke Park sellout in what's since been branded a “queuing disaster” outside the stadium. Andrea is joined by listeners who were at the concert to hear their experiences, including International Golf Broadcaster Shane O’Donoghue.

Have you heard of nicotine pouches? Well if you haven’t, your teenagers are sure to know about them.  There have been calls for stricter regulation of nicotine pouches as apparently teenagers, alongside vapes are now using the pouches to get a nicotine hit.  Joining Andrea to discuss is Paul Crone, Director of the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals and Social Democr...

This is Lunchtime Live’s Big Batch. Every Monday we’ll be learning new easy to cook batch recipes from Cook Book Author and Recipe writer Sarah Butler to keep you eating well. No more staring into an open fridge looking for inspiration! This week Andrea and Sarah looked at nibbles that will be perfect for any occasion, from a varied charcuterie board to what to pair with crackers. Follow the hasht...

Employers group Ibec has called on Dublin City Council to pause their implementation of new city centre plans due to be introduced in August.   The new plans aim to remove traffic travelling through the city centre using a number of measures, including closing parts of the quays to cars.  Ibec say that there are significant questions about how they will affect access to the city cen...

Every Friday, as part of our ‘Ask Me Anything’ series, we put your questions to people from interesting backgrounds or working in different careers.     Andrea Gilligan is joined by Paulo Nunes dos Santos to learn more about what it’s like to be a war photographer.

The Vatican is changing its guidance towards the supernatural.  They’ll update things like how to determine if visions of the Virgin Mary are authentic, and how a divine apparition should be confirmed.  It’s stepping in amid a boom in claims and concern that these prophecies are spreading online faster than ever before.  Joining Andrea to discuss the history of the supernatural reli...

Previously the show covered birth trauma and the experience of women in this country that aren’t being looked after enough.  As part of that we heard from a woman named Shannon, who got in touch about her experience. She joins Andrea alongside other listeners to share their stories.

Wendy Burke was just 1 year old when her life changed forever. Wendy and her heavily pregnant mother were on their way home after a hospital appointment, when the Dublin/Monaghan bombs went off, sadly killing Wendy’s mother and her unborn sibling.  50 years on from that day – Wendy joins Andrea on the show.

From crow attacks in Kildare to confusion over roads in Kerry: Breakfast briefing Presenter Shane Beatty has some of the stories from around the country that you may have missed this week.

Many countries around the world require you to pass a test on civic knowledge –  geography, laws, politics, history etc to gain citizenship.  There is no such test in Ireland.   Do new Irish citizens need to know more about what it means to be Irish?  Andrea is joined by Gina London, Leadership Communications expert and Sunday Independent Columnist as well as listeners to...

From following trends to dodgy DIY – what are the worst ‘improvements’ we can make to our houses?  Andrea is joined by DIY Expert Alan Grant along with Sarah Louise from Sarah Louise interiors to discuss what to avoid when improving your home.

Are you a culprit of picking the same pin numbers for everything? Apparently '1234' is still the most common PIN…  Jess Kelly, Newstalk’s Technology Correspondent is with Andrea to discuss the best practices for picking a PIN and password.

A recent inquiry in the UK found that good maternity care in Britain was “the exception rather than the rule”. Women in Ireland are now calling for an inquiry into birth trauma to reflect the scale and impact of the crisis.  Joining Andrea to discuss is Bairbre Brooke, a Birth Trauma Resolution Practitioner.

Almost a third of us buy travel insurance on the day they fly – which is apparently a big mistake. So, what other travel mishaps are we making?  Andrea is joined by travel experts to give their tips and discuss some of the most common mistakes people make.

It's Throwback Thursday, where we look back on things that happened this week in history. 98fm’s Ciaran O’Connor joined Andrea Gilligan to rewind the clock.

The UK health service has found success in getting obese men to lose weight by paying them up to £400. A trial found men were more likely to slim down if motivated by a cash prize from the NHS.  Experts hope the scheme would pay for itself through savings on treating weight-related illness further down the line. What do you think?   Andrea is joined by Professor Donal O’Shea, HSE Cl...