Lunchtime Live

Sinn Fein TD Louise O’Reilly yesterday told the Dail that workers in her constituency are at risk of being sacked as they cannot get to work on time, because of the famous ‘disappearing buses’.  Andrea was joined by listeners to hear about their experiences of phantom buses...

All week Newstalk have teamed up with The Shona Project to bring issues facing young girls in Ireland to light. Today we’re talking about managing social media and the expectations it can put on you.  Andrea Gilligan was joined by Sarah Doyle from The Better Life Project and author of ‘Be Your Own Best Friend’ and other listeners to discuss... The Shona Project: Empowering and Inspi...

Kylie Minogue says she has a fear of hangers and she’s brought out her own range of coat hangers - £25 for 3! Simple wooden hangers with her name on them.  But apparently this phobia is real, it’s called kremastraphobia.  Professor of Psychiatry at Trinity College Dublin Brendan Kelly joined Andrea to discuss...

Frontline Gardaí are to withdraw services and refuse to work overtime on key dates including Halloween and Budget Day as part of the worsening roster row.   Both of these days require significant garda resources, largely reliant on overtime, to ensure there are sufficient numbers to police Dublin.  The drastic measures mean the approximate 11,000 members of the Garda Representative...

Irish boat dwellers are set to be hit with huge fee hikes which they say will tear communities apart.  Barry and Emma, who live on a boat joined Andrea to discuss...

Nearly a fifth of children say it’s hard to stop playing video games. They’ve also said they stay up late gaming and aren’t getting enough sleep. Children have also said they get headaches and sore eyes and ears.  The figures come from Barnardos, who surveryed children from third to sixth class. Are we taking online gaming seriously enough?  Andrea was joined by listeners to di...

The Sunday World joined the Irish landscape in 1973. It was pitched as being ‘irreverent, campaigning, questioning and fun’. 50 years on, Andrea Gilligan was joined by Nicola Tallant, Investigations Editor and Daragh Keany, Features Editor to look back at the impact the paper has made... 

Singer RuthAnne posted a video on social media which has struck a chord with many women. She spoke about suffering a pain flare up due to endometriosis.  Andrea was joined by RuthAnne and listener Ali to discuss... Image: X via @thisisruthanne

Suella Braverman, the UK Home Secretary, has called for a new international approach to granting asylum and changes to the 1951 refugee convention.     She described uncontrolled and illegal migration is an "existential challenge for the political and cultural institutions of the West",   Adding "uncontrolled immigration, inadequate integration, and a misguided dogma...

Sally, a listener, emailed into the show about an experience of casual racism she had over the weekend. Sally joined Andrea on Lunchtime Live to tell her what happened...

The greatest baking competition on the planet returns this evening. The Great British Bake Off returns to screens on Channel 4 this evening, but what makes The Great British Bake Off so appealing? Andrea was joined by Paul Kelly, Pastry Chef: Merrion Hotel and Former Judge on The Great Irish Bake Off, Graham Herterich, The Cupcake Bloke and author of ‘Bake,  Imelda McCarron, who was on the sh...

Andrea Gilligan was joined on Lunchtime Live by Newstalk reporter Aoife Kearns to chat about an experience she had in which someone commented on her height and size.  Broadcaster and author, Barbara Scully and journalist Yvonne Redmond also joined Andrea on the show…

The Federation of Early Childhood Providers are currently gathered outside Leinster House in protest against what they say are low fees paid to them by the Government.   Andrea was joined by childcare providers Hazel, Fiona and Averil to discuss...

Andrea Gilligan was joined on Lunchtime Live by GP and lecturer, Dr Sumi Dunne to answer listeners health queries and questions...

Luke O’Brien was the victim of a one-punch attack which saw him lose his life in 2017.  His killer, Jack Hall Ellis was released from custody last year after serving three years and eight months of the five-year sentence he received.   Luke O’Brien’s mother, Janet, made the decision to meet with her son’s killer as part of the Irish Probation Board’s restorative justice programme.&n...

As the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite across the country, Newstalk is here to help with a new online series highlighting the best ways to save on your bills. Cut-the-Cost will offer tips and advice on how to save on everything from energy and the weekly shop to modern essentials like broadband and phone contracts. Aoife Kearns, from our news team has done the hard work and...

Today, state funded IVF will be introduced for the first time with eligible couples receiving one publicly funded cycle. The initiative has drawn praise and criticism alike, with some citing the limits placed on age and BMI. Will it have a meaningful impact? Andrea was joined by listeners to discuss...

Was it inappropriate for Irish rugby fans to sing ‘Zombie’? As a lot of you no doubt would have heard over the weekend the sound of Ireland's rugby supporters singing The Cranberries song at the Stade de France on Saturday night, celebrating the team's World Cup win over South Africa.  However, there was a backlash over the weekend as not everyone was happy with the song choice. Andrea w...

Andrea was joined on Lunchtime Live by mum Maggie Butler. Maggie has a son named Alex who is in Temple Street Children’s Hospital, but they're currently struggling in their attempts to get Alex home...

57-year-old Paul King, who suffered a heart attack in December, now finds himself homeless and living in the woods in County Wicklow. He joined Andrea to discuss his situation...

Should teenagers join the gym? In an Irish Independent article Mary McCarthy believes all gyms should open their doors to younger teenagers.  But is it the right place for them? Does your teen go to gym? Or is your gym overrun with teens?  Andrea was joined by Sarah Jayne Tobin, Content Editor with Evoke.ie , Shane Lynch from One Life Fitness and others to discuss...

'What is the deal with voice notes?' wonders Richard Hogan in the Irish Examiner this morning.   Do we no longer care for conversation with people? Have voice notes replaced phone calls? Texting?   Andrea was joined by listeners to discuss...

Yesterday on Lunchtime Live, Andrea spoke to Garreth about his wife Vicki’s story. She was diagnosed with terminal cancer and decided to avail of assisted dying in her home country Belgium.  There was a huge reaction to Garreth’s interview, with many people giving their thoughts on assisted dying.  Should assisted dying be permitted in Ireland? Andrea was joined by Aontú Leader, Peadar T...

Apparently Dublin is the second biggest city in Europe for a botox obsession. This is according to a new survey by VIP Italia, second only to Amsterdam.  Dubliners youth obsessed it seems, searching for it over a thousand times a month online.  So what’s got us so hooked? Andrea was joined by Kerry Hanaphy, nurse and Owner of the Kerry Hanaphy Aestethic Clinic and listeners to discu...

Shocking scenes outside Leinster House yesterday as TDs and staff were unable to leave the grounds due to protestors. There’s videos circulating of Michael Healy Rae being jostled and harangued, verbal abuse being thrown at him.   13 people were arrested in connection with the protests. Where you there?  What do you think of these kind of demonstrations? Andrea was joined by some of...