Lunchtime Live

With the good weather, now would be a great time to park yourself outside a café or a bar and soak in the sun, but do we have enough outdoor seating? And, are regulations too strict? Joining Andrea to discuss Gwen Leyden, Landlord of Georges Street Arcade in Dublin, Paul Montgomery, bar owner in Cork, Sunil Sharpe, Spokesperson for the Give Us The Night and listeners.

We’re not used to hot weather here, so our homes don’t tend to be cut out for it. How do we cool them down, get a good night’s sleep and make sure our pets are okay? Joining Andrea to give their top tips is Interior Designer Adeline Molloy, Sleep Consultant Tom Coleman and Laoise Downes, owner of Outpaws and Wedding Woofs, a bespoke dog service.

Katie Gallagher, Spin News Anchor, has her finger on the pulse for what’s happening and she joins Andrea with the things you don’t want to miss this week! Image: Netflix

Redevelopment for the GPO will cost between €200m and €500m, Cabinet will hear today. The redevelopment of the historic building will see some of the existing functions of the GPO complex, including a public post office, a cultural centre, public realm enhancements, office accommodation for the government, as well as some continued retail use. What would you like to see from the new GPO? Joining A...

Last night, Andrea and her team were brought on a wonderful food tour around Galway City along with Galway Food Tours. The experience gave a taste of some of the beautiful food and drink Galway has to offer. Joining Andrea today are just some of the wonderful producers from Galway: Mike Browne, to chat all about oysters, and John Casey from The Galway Kitchen, chatting about humus and various popu...

Love Island isn’t the only thing locals are watching in Galway this summer, as this July sees the return of the Galway Film Fleadh, which showcases homegrown talent! Charlene Lydon, Galway Film Fleadh Festival Programmer joins Andrea to discuss… Also joining to discuss how her brother Seán ‘Fitzy’ Fitzgerald is doing in the Love Island villa is Katie Fitzgerald!

He’s a musician, a foodie, an author and an academic; is there anything Mike Hanrahan can’t do? He joins Andrea, while he’s currently on tour with Eleanor Shanley and soon to be performing with Stockton’s Wing at the Hibernacle Festival on the 19th of July, for a chat! (Stockton's Wing will perform on the Sunday of the Hibernacle Festival this summer at Orlagh House in Rathfarnham. The festival is...

As you may be aware, Galway is home to some of the best Irish Food, which Andrea and the audience will be sampling throughout the show. Joining to discuss just how nice the food is in Galway, and to give their take on traditional Irish food is Chef & Restauranteur JP McMahon and Ronan O’Halloran, General Manager of Glenlo Abbey.

The Claddagh ring is synonymous with Galway, so while the show is broadcasting from the city: what is its history? Eóin Ó Néill, acting Collections Officer with Galway City Museum and Feile Rodgers from the Claddagh Jewelers join Andrea to discuss!

Newstalk’s Summer Tour is back, with Lunchtime Live coming to you from The Galmont Hotel in Galway in association with ESB! What is so great about Galway, and how it is a haven for Irish tourism? Joining Andrea as part of a panel to discuss is Mandy Maher, Stylist with Ireland AM, Catwalk Model Agency and Founder of the Platform, Podcaster Alan Clarke and Broadcaster Ciara King.

We continue a county-by-county journey across Ireland, exploring all 32 counties that make up this remarkable island. Have you been to some of these places and hidden gems?  Today, Andrea is joined by Travel Content Creator Kevin Penrose to find out what the best things to see and do are in County Armagh.  Image: Discover Northern Ireland

A new survey revealed one in three gen zers now text or call when they arrive at someone's door because they think it's less awkward.  Among Gen Z who text or call, 39 per cent say it feels less intrusive, while nearly 19 per cent say ringing the doorbell simply feels too formal.   So, are doorbells on the way out? Andrea spoke to listeners to hear their take. &n...

With the opening of the new Popeyes food chain, it begs the question, have we followed in America's footsteps and prioritising convenience?  Andrea spoke to listeners to hear their opinions

Author and meteorologist Joanna Donnelly was out cycling when she became the target of one bus drivers road rage. She had joined Andrea to talk about it.

Breakfast Briefing Presenter Shane Beatty joined Andrea with a roundup of some of the stories from across the country this week. 

Sligo Councillor Donal Gilroy has called for an increase in the number of dog wardens in the county due to ongoing serious issues.   This comes after the Minister for Agriculture confirmed that his department will continue funding the service in 2026, with an additional €2 million being made available to local authorities to support the employment of dog wardens.  And...

Looking to spruce up the outside of your house with a lick of paint? The Home squad are here with their dos and don’ts.   Jenny Sheehan, Workers Cottage on Instagram and Co-Host of Rip it up: The Renovations Podcast and Jenny Butler, Interior Architect & designer Director of Jennifer Anne Interior joined Andrea to discuss.  

Love Island’s Tom Clare and Molly Smith were blown away on their ‘Nearly weds’ podcast when they were told about how much Irish people give as wedding presents.   Andrea heard from Ciara Elliott, Editor One Fab Day, Stylist Laura Mullet and listeners to hear ow much they give at a wedding.

Footballer Shane Long has spoken candidly about the guilt he felt after having to leave his wife just three hours after the birth of their first child to fulfil his football commitments.    Reflecting on his experience, Long has thrown his support behind Movember’s campaign urging the Irish Government to improve paternity leave provisions for fathers.  A new report reveals that fath...

In January 2023, writer Bethany Joy Dawson told her husband “I cannot do our life anymore”.   She joined Andrea to talk about recovering from burnout and moving to Sligo.  

We’ve decided to do a deep dive on some of our favourite albums to explore the stories behind them.  What did the artists really think of each other? Where did the inspirations from the songs come from?  Joining Andrea to discuss is Alan Buckley from the Irish Rock ‘N’ Roll Museum Experience.  

The Government is considering a range of measures to target the misuse of electric scooters following an increase in incidents involving the vehicles. Currently, you must be over 16 and remain at a speed limit under 20km an hour to drive them, but there are concerns that these rules are not being follow. Andrea spoke to listeners to hear their views.

Lunchtime Live were contacted a few days ago by a concerned uncle who shared the deeply personal story of his nephew Barry, who has a rare genetic condition called Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome, which causes tumours to grow uncontrollably in his body. To make matters worse, a new drug used to treat the condition called belzutifan isn’t available in Ireland, despite being allowed in the UK and Norther...

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…

Tallaght driving test center has been forced to cancel 160 tests due to a delay in the completion of tests.   The wait in Tallaght is up to 12 weeks, but the longest wait has been revealed in Raheny at a staggering 25 weeks.   Anyone in Raheny applying for a test now must wait until November 30th before being “invited” to select an appointment time in the following three to five weeks, w...