Lunchtime Live

This is Lunchtime Live’s newest segment, Gilligan’s Island! Every Monday we're going to explore this gorgeous island of ours and all that it has to offer. Maybe you have a weekend unaccounted for this summer that needs inspiration, or you have no desire to get on a flight – whatever the reason, this will get you in the mood to travel. This week, Andrea Gilligan is joined by Niamh Reid Maher from @...

Families living in Direct Provision housing in Tramore have been given eviction notices - some were originally told to leave from the 5th of July, with others set to go from the 26th, and with no indication of what to do next. Because of this, they are protesting the decision. Andrea Gilligan is joined by Grace, an Ocean View Direct Provision Centre resident, Mary,  a Tramore resident and Mic...

Professor Luke O’Neill, Author, Biochemist and Newstalk fixture joined Andrea Gilligan to share some of his favourite summer memories!

Japan has brought in a new rule that everyone living there must laugh at least once a day. That’s right, they have brought in an actual rule about laughing. How will they police it? That remains to be seen, but they say it reduces the risk of heart attack. Is that true? What kind of power does laughter have? Andrea is joined by Marie Angeline Lascaux, a laughter yoga specialist, to discuss.

Diane got in touch with the show to tell how she’s facing kidney failure - and, without permanent accommodation, cannot do at-home dialysis treatments. She joins Andrea to discuss her situation, and Colm White from the National Kidney Association also joins to discuss.

Love it or loathe it: Christmas is only 166 days away! And Hallmark is on the search for their new leading man…  Nobody can claim that Hallmark movies are films for the ages – yet there’s still a huge appetite for them, why? To discuss, Andrea is joined by Brendan Kelly, Professor of Psychiatry at Trinity College Dublin, Kathryn McKiernan, Actor and 98fm Presenter, Rebecca Finn, who visi...

From a cow making a visit to a nursing home to famous faces visiting Galway– Breakfast Briefing Presenter Shane Beatty has a roundup of some of the stories you might have missed this week.

The Government is set to ban XL Bully dogs after a spike in the number of attacks in Ireland, including the fatal mauling of 23-year-old Nicole Morey in ­Limerick last month. From the 1st of October this year: breeding, selling, rehoming or importing an XL Bully will be illegal. Then, from the 1st of February, it will be a criminal offence to own an XL Bully in Ireland, unless you have an exemptio...

To wallpaper, or not to wallpaper - that is the question! Joining Andrea to talk all things wallpaper are Irish Examiner Columnist and previous ‘Home of the Year’ winner, Jennifer Sheahan and Hayley Burke from @ thediyist.com _. Image: House & Garden

Listener Neil got in touch with the programme because of a problem he has gotten himself stuck in - which involves getting a new passport, and seemingly jumping through a million hoops in the process.  He joins Andrea to share his frustration.

Have you ever gone to meet your friend for a coffee and a catch up, only to discover that they’ve brought their other half with them?  Met a friend down the pub for a drink and been stuck making small talk with their partner? Kate Lister wrote a piece in the Independent titled ‘Women who bring their husbands to lunch with the girls should be arrested (immediately)’. To discuss, Andrea is join...

In April 2017, Ainara was told she was HIV Positive, she says she never felt stigmatised over her status until she and husband sought fertility assistance.  Listener of the show Ainara joins to share her story.

It's Throwback Thursday, where we look back on things that happened this week in history. Rebecca Shekleton, Co-Presenter of 98FM’s Big Breakfast joined Andrea Gilligan to rewind the clock.

A survey carried out by Fianna Fáil shows that Dubliners do not feel safe in their own city. 65% of those polled said that they had witnessed anti-social behaviour in the city centre. 70% said they had witnessed drug-dealing in public. So, do you feel safe in Dublin? Andrea Gilligan is joined by listeners to discuss.

From pregnancy to postpartum, for this week’s Ask the Expert, Andrea Gilligan is joined by midwife Christine Lane (@myholisticmidwife on Instagram) to answer all of your midwife-related questions.

Ciarán Beahan is 24 from Lucan in Dublin, and is Ireland’s most decorated Rubix Cube Champion. But what does that mean exactly? He joins Andrea to discuss the recent Rubik’s Cubes Championships that took place in Ireland, and why it’s so fun to finish the puzzle as quickly as possible.

Tori Towey, a 28 year old from Boyle in County Roscommon, is currently facing criminal charges - including attempted suicide and consuming alcohol - in the United Arab Emirates.  With the Taoiseach’s announcement that Tori’s travel ban has been lifted, her family are desperately trying to get her home. Tori’s aunt, Ann, joins Andrea Gilligan to discuss. Image: Detained in Dubai

Several European cities are exploring ways to manage the level of tourism they’re seeing. Locals are starting to turn on visitors - there were angered protestors spraying tourists with water pistols in Barcelona this week, and places like Venice have added a tax to limit the amount of people that can visit the city daily. For a positive spin, the city of Copenhagen is now going to reward tourists...

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: Dreamworks

You may have heard the sad news from Dublin Zoo recently after two Asian elephants died from the same disease within a week. There is an update to this story, Newstalk reporter Stephanie Rohan joins Andrea to tell what she has learned. Also, Gerry Boland from Animals Behind Closed Doors, James who runs the National Reptile Zoo and more join to discuss if we should have zoos at all.

It’s the Pod Squad – where we troll through the podcast offers to see what we can recommend! This week, we’re talking about British Scandal – a podcast that explores famous scandals, in a country that loves scandal. The series we’ve listened to is The Canoe Con. Andrea Gilligan is joined by Laura Donnelly and Elaine Burke to discuss.  Image: Wondery

Are we on the cusp of a conversational crisis? Have phones affected how kids learn to talk?  The UK Labour party wants all state-school children to be taught speaking skills as part of the curriculum.   What do you think? Have you noticed a fall in conversational skills?  Ollwyn Moran, Neuro Developmental Therapist & Founder of COGNI Kids joins Andrea to discuss.

On the 14th October 2022, Tony Browne was stabbed in the neck by his partner while he slept in his home in Belfast. This week, the killer has been sentenced to 14 years in prison. His twin daughters, Shannon and Bobbi-Leigh McIllwaine join Andrea Gilligan to discuss the tragedy and life since. If you think you are a victim of domestic abuse, you are not alone. Below are resources that can help: me...

U2 are the highest-earning band from Ireland or the UK so far this year. Bono and crew have banked more than €118 million from 23 shows in Las Vegas and playing to 382,000 fans. U2 have been on the go since 1976 and it is clear that almost 50 years later they are still one of the biggest bands in the world. So why aren’t they more celebrated here? Andrea is joined by Jackie Conboy from the Music &...

This year Andrea Gilligan is determined to make some changes and become that bit healthier! Andrea will be joined by a number of different people to find out how they live well. This week, Andrea is joined by Darren Scanlon to talk about Celbridge Boys Club. Image: @celbridge_boys_club