Moncrieff

Seán’s guest has just put in a beautiful shiny new kitchen in her house, but it has got her questioning the role of ‘performative prosperity’ in modern Ireland. Are we hanging our identities on superficial things too much? Joining Seán to discuss is Orla McAndrew, a zero waste wedding and event caterer based in Cork…

The speed at which we can communicate in the modern world has many benefits for us all. It keeps us in touch with friends and family abroad, and allows us to access information from all around the world in an instant. But, it can be a little overwhelming. Journalist Niamh O’Reilly decided to try to reach out in a different way at the start of this year: a message in a bottle. And now, she’s had a...

The 2022 invasion of Ukraine pivoted Germany’s once discrete war machine to a star-studded spectacle. With the glamour of an ‘upmarket car showroom’, a new shell factory (which will produce 350,000 shells annually) was launched using dry ice and a laser show. Is this odd display of German militarism part of the zeitgeist? Derek Scally, Berlin Correspondent for the Irish Times, joins Seán to discus...

While most people are unlikely to associate their job with being fun, is there an argument to be made for approaching work in this way? Joining Seán from New York to discuss is Bree Groff, author of ‘Today Was Fun: A Book About Work (Seriously)’...

Karen Sugrue is the Co-Chair of Mammies for Trans Rights, and she joins Seán to talk about the struggles and fear she has been facing, as she notices a shift in attitudes about her children…

Seán’s guest is fresh from his recent victory at the World Toe Wrestling Championships in Derbyshire, but how do you win this esteemed competition? Ben “Toe Tal Destruction” Woodroffe joins to discuss!

In late December 1929 four Hungarian women went on trial for murdering their husbands. This was a huge scandal in and of itself, but it turned out to be just the tip of the iceberg of what came to be known as the ‘Nagyrev poisoning crisis’. Hope Reese is the author of ‘The Women Are Not Fine’, and joins Seán to discuss.

With the cost of barista-made coffee rising considerably over the past year or so, more and more people appear to be turning to portable coffee machines. But, what are they and how do they work? Joining Seán to discuss this is Ciara O'Brien, Tech Correspondent for the Irish Times…

When the newspaper The Sun covered the Hillsborough Disaster, a tragic crush at a football match where 97 lost their lives, they wrongly blamed Liverpool supporters, and the city boycotted them. That boycott still exists today, but has it affected voting intentions and attitudes in the city? Joining Seán to discuss is PhD Researcher in Political Science at Trinity, Lucas Paulo da Silva.

According to UNICEF, Irish teens are number one in academic performance, beating all other nations in the rich world. However, we rank only 24th in adolescent mental well-being… In terms of both mental and physical health, we are far outpaced in both mental and physical health by the Dutch, the people who cycle incessantly. So, should we take a leaf out of their book and hop on our bikes more ofte...

With the EU accusing Russia of ‘GPS Spoofing’, after Ursula van der Leyen’s airplane was allegedly targeted, what exactly is this form of electronic intervention - and how can an aircraft be landed safely without the use of GPS? Joining Seán to discuss is Kevin Byrne, retired Air Corps Lieutenant Colonel and Airport Safety & Security Auditor…

This year marks the 90th anniversary of a piece of legislation which had a profound impact on the way people socialised in this country. Joining Seán to discuss the Public Dance Halls Act of 1935 is Daniel Carey, a Post Doctoral Researcher at DCU… Image: Irish Photo Archive

The traditional Irish hotel and restaurant menu has evolved enormously over the past four decades, with many homegrown staples, such as lamb and salmon, no longer featuring as costs rise. Joining Seán to digest this is Paul Gallagher, Head of the Irish Hotels Federation…

We all know Darwin’s Theory of Evolution - that we as humans all share a common ancestor. But, what else falls under the bracket of evolution? Is an iPhone a product of evolution? Or even JD Vance? Is everything evolving? Joining Seán to explain is Mark Vellend, author of ‘Everything Evolves: Why Evolution Explains More Than We Think, From Proteins to Politics’.

'Friendflation' is a new internet term, which defines the idea that it is too expensive nowadays to have too many friends, and all the dinners and nights out that go alongside it. Is this something you suffer from? Henry McKean has been asking the public, and joins Seán to share what he's heard.

We have had a huge amount of tourists visiting Ireland over the course of this summer, and generally they tend to frequent a lot of the same spots: the Cliffs of Moher, the Ring of Kerry, the Guinness Storehouse, etc. However, a new (and slightly odd) tourism attraction has recently emerged in Limerick city, thanks to Blindboy Boatclub. Fans of the author and podcaster have started flocking to Lim...

In 1904, James Joyce travelled from Ireland to Trieste by train, getting a little lost along the way. Now, the novelist Caoilinn Hughes has retraced Joyce’s journey in an attempt to understand the difference that over a century has made to this trip. He joins Seán to discuss.

This week, the Chicago Tribune announced that it was scrapping its film critic position entirely. Is there a danger that cultural criticism is on the way out, as influencers take precedence with so-called ‘content’ rather than critical evaluation? Joining Seán to discuss this is Film Reviewer Esther McCarthy…

A lavender marriage is a marriage between a man and a woman. The catch? One, or both of them, is homosexual. In this scenario, why do these marriages happen? Joining Seán to discuss is someone whose husband is gay, Samantha Wynn, based in Los Angeles.

A recent study has found lower rates of cognitive impairment among seniors who frequently use computers, smartphones, and the internet than those who avoid technology or use it less often, but why is this? Joining Seán to discuss is Dr. Henry Mahncke, CEO of Brain HQ...

When you’re buying a new car, you’d be mad not to take it for a test drive. How else could you really know whether it’s the car for you? Yet, when we buy a house, a much more expensive and longterm purchase we barely kick the tires. We may have one or two twenty minute visits before making the call. There must be a better way. In America, more and more people are requesting a sleepover in advance...

A lady was recently at a baby shower, and the mother to be was manifesting the sex of the baby, convinced it would work in her favour. Is this positive psychology actually borderline toxic on the basis there are some actual things that you can't possibly control or change? Henry McKean has been asking the public, and joins Seán to discuss.

Dolphins have long made the waters off Ireland home, with the first record of a dolphin in Irish waters being recorded as far back as 752 AD. But in recent decades, dolphins have been coming closer to shore, and this isn’t necessarily a good thing. Ken O’Sullivan is an Underwater Cameraman and Filmmaker, and has been recording the animals for over 20 years. He joins Seán to discuss his new documen...

For decades now there has been a widely held belief among researchers that we are at our happiest in early adulthood, and then as we age into our middle age, we get more and more gloomy and unsatisfied with our lives. But, new research suggests that for the first time in generations, the average 22-year-old is likely to be unhappier than their parents… So, why then are younger adults struggling so...

Seán’s guest has spent the past 20 years recording her relationship with her son Jim. The culmination of this longitudinal project is ‘Motherboard’, a film that will screen at the upcoming IFI Documentary Festival on Sunday September 14th, followed by a Q&A with Victoria and her son afterwards. Victoria joins Seán to discuss.