Moncrieff

A survey conducted by a bingo company has found that superstitions are alive and well in our secular society, but it's not the only time that his has been found. Henry McKean went to find out if people believe in supersitions or not...

The photographer on Fair City is not usually in the one in the spotlight, but the role was suddenly thrust front and centre last week during an Oireachtas Committee hearing in which Kevin Backhurst said he “can’t believe” the salary offered for the position.   After months of scrutiny around RTE’s spending, the suggestion was that 80 grand a year for 16 photographs a week was another exa...

What do Wolfe Tone, Robert Emmet & Mary Robinson all have in common? They were all members of The Hist in Trinity College, which has been confirmed by the Guiness World Records as the world's oldest college debating society.  Stiff competition from Cambridge for the title influenced auditors of The Hist to settle the debate once and for all, sure that’s what they’ve been practising for 25...

Many of you, especially those of you living in rural Ireland, will have been the beneficiary of a cure. These are carried out by healers. But this old Irish tradition is usually passed down through the generations orally. Now a researcher has put pen to paper to try and catalogue this rich culture. Sean was joined by Cecily Gilligan, author of the new book ‘Cures of Ireland’... 

The UK is progressing fast with a plan to ban the American XL bully breed after a number of horrific attacks and fatal maulings.   However we now know that these dogs were descended from the pit bull terrier, which was also banned in the UK in 1991.   With cross breeding so commonplace, what’s to say that the American XL Bully won’t be found in later generations? And you’d have...

Sometimes you find a pub so good that you just must build a town around it. Sean’s Bar in Athlone is officially the oldest pub in Ireland and was established in 900AD.    They’ve yet to be confirmed as the oldest pub in the world and barman Ryan O’Connor joined Sean in the Athlone Springs Hotel to talk about how the history and life of the pub that’s still kicking some 1,100 years later....

Keith Barry, Barretstown Ambassador, Mentalist, Magician & Subconscious Mind specialist joined Sean LIVE at the Athlone Springs Hotel...

They say you can’t put a price on happiness. Well, a recent survey has done exactly that for 137 countries around the world.    The study by S Money revisited previous research by Purdue University and has looked at the income and purchasing power of individuals in different countries to have a content life in 2023. But is your health your wealth or is your wealth your happiness?  &...

Childism is a phenomenon that was first coined in the 1970s and refers to the discrimination of children. A new book claims that both parents and society continue to be guilty of this today. Sean was joined by Sarah Ockwell-Smith, Author of ‘Because I Said So: Why society is childist and how breaking the cycle of discrimination towards children can change the world’... 

‘I’d rather go down to Murphy’s bar and buy a round of drinks than pay my TV licence,’ those were the words of TD Brendan Griffin telling RTÉ bosses at Oireachtas Committee he’d rather spend his TV licence fee in the pub. But what are the rules around getting your round in and could you really spend €160 on a round? Henry McKean joined Sean to discuss...

When was the last time you saw an email open with 'Dear' or finish with something like 'Yours Sincerely'? It seems younger people are denouncing the traditional ways of communicating, and are opting for less formal language.   Is this a sign that the English language is becoming more relaxed? Does it matter if we let go of formalities? And what are the triggers for this kind of language...

Celebrities like Kate Moss and Phoebe Waller-Bridge smoking outside cafes in London has enraged one journalist, who thinks this is going to do no good for getting young people way from smoking.  Journalist and author Jenni Murray joined Sean to discuss...

It isn’t uncommon for well-known quotes to be misattributed to famous writers. This appears to be what has happened on the medals for the upcoming Dublin marathon. Sean was joined by Susan O’Keefe, Director of the Yeats Society Sligo...

Last night, the MTV Video Music Awards took place in New Jersey, with some of the biggest stars in the world arriving to pick up their gongs. But the irony is that MTV rarely if ever screens music videos anymore. So, what happened to this staple, the thing which used to be almost as big as the music itself? Music journalist Ian Winwood joined Sean to discuss...

They say when you are looking for a new home, sometimes you just know when you walk through the front door that this is the one for you.   On the flip side, there can be a weird energy or vibe off a place – something that just doesn’t feel right. Matt Blake bought an old property in London, not realising it came with a dark past and had been home to a notorious criminal before him. ...

Have you ever suspected your spouse of infidelity? Well, a new phenomenon of so-called ‘loyalty testers’ is kicking off in the UK, the US and other countries. Kirsty Blake Kox, Columnist with the Irish Independent joined Sean to discuss...

Everyday we might have to do a little small talk at work or at the supermarket, that awkward moment at the photocopier or at the coffee machine, chatting to the lolly pop lady. But some of us find it extremely excruciating and suffer from sheer small talk shyness.    Sean was joined by Henry McKean to discuss...

Glyphosate has been found in samples taken from all but one of a group of Irish volunteers tested for the controversial weedkiller. The exercise has deepened fears that the chemical is more widespread than ever and becoming increasingly difficult to avoid.    Sean was joined by Caroline O’Doherty, Environmental Correspondent at the Irish Independent to discuss...

Adults have so much going on in their lives that they rarelt have time to play. Author Edel Coffey has been looking at a group of women in the US who meet up regularly just to play games with one another and she joined Sean to discuss...

At the Last Night of the Proms event over the weekend, a concert associated with nationalistic renditions of Rule Britannia and the like, controversey has erupted after a sea of EU flags swept the audience. Those responsible are a group who are campaigning for Britain to rejoin the EU for the sake of touring musicians. Sean was joined by Charlie, a volunteer with the Thank EU for the Music campaig...

When your family pet sadly dies, what do you do with the body? There are three pet crematoriums in Ireland, but no pet cemeteries. Cllr Audrey Buckley, Fianna Fáil Councillor in Cork joined Sean to discuss...

The chicken fillet roll could be a thing of the past in Irish Universities if some students at the University of Galway and Trinity College get their way.  They are backing the new Plant Based University Campaign, which is calling for all college campuses to be meat free.  Sarah McCaffery, spokesperson for the group joined Sean on the show to discuss...

Reddit is divided after a user revealed that he left his wife in the airport because she wanted to stop and grab a Starbucks, while they were rushing for a flight. The man said he couldn’t handle his wife’s bad time keeping any longer.  But can we change these habits, and why are some people just so useless at keeping things on track? Sean was joined by Dr. Peadar Maxwell, Chartered Psycholog...

An unusual competition is currently taking place in Montenegro, in which competitors are attempting to be crowned the country’s Laziest Citizen, through the act of lying down for a long period of time. Today marks Day 21 of the contest. Boris Kronic, one of the organisers of the event joined Sean to discuss… Image: slobodenpecat.mk

A video has gone viral of a woman who enjoys her pint of Guinness...by using a spoon. The footage was filmed by a bar man at a restaurant in Belfast recently.  It shows the unidentifed lone woman whipping a spoon out of her jacket and dunking the utensil into the foam head of the pint, before consuming it like a bowl of soup.  But how wrong was she to do this? Daragh Curren, aka The Guin...