Lunchtime Live

For many people, driving is the easiest way to get around, but the cost of parking, especially in Dublin City Centre, can be a huge expense. One woman recently spent €57 to park for just one day! Where have you found the most expensive parking, and has the cost changed how you travel? Joining guest host Anna Daly to discuss is Brand Founder and Entrepreneur, Claire Clarkson, as well as listeners.

For this week’s Ask Me Anything, Kellie Gallagher, Formulated Product and Beer Specialist at the Guinness Brewery joins Andrea to answer any of your beer-related questions!

Andrea’s guest has a heartening housing story to share. After three years of living in rented accommodation and facing constant uncertainty about their future, Kayleigh applied for the Tuath Housing Scheme in the hope of finding long-term stability for her family… Today, Kayleigh, her partner Alan, and their two children are settled into a three-bedroom home in Mullingar - a place where they final...

Many childminders across the country are struggling with the new Tusla regulations, which many feel are unclear and, in some cases, unworkable for home-based childcare settings… As a result, many have delayed registering, believing the rules apply creche-style standards to small, one-person childminding businesses in a way that is neither practical nor feasible. Joining Andrea to discuss this is D...

This weekend sees a momentous occasion in the Aviva Stadium: Ireland take to the pitch to face Scotland in their last 6 Nations game of the season, the first time the women’s team have had a standalone match in the stadium. Joining Andrea to look ahead to the game is former Munster and Ireland player Fiona Hayes and Dara Naughton from Off the Ball.

Eamon Torsney from the Newstalk Newsroom joined Andrea with a roundup of some of the stories from across the country this week you might have missed!

Tipperary County Council has introduced a new policy for roadside memorials, under new rules there will be no roadside memorials on roads of 60km... Joining Andrea to discuss this is Independent Councillor in Tipperary, Jim Ryan, Susan Gray from the PARC road safety campaign group, Bernard Mulhern from the N4 Action Group and listeners.

Your hallway is one of the first impressions people get of your house, so how do you make it stand out? This week, the Home Squad are focusing on hallways, and how to get the most out of yours! Joining Andrea to discuss is Jenny Sheehan, Co-Host of ‘Rip it up: The Renovations Podcast’ (@workerscottage on Instagram) and Jenny Butler, Interior Architect,  Designer & Director of Jennifer Ann...

Online dating can be full of highs and lows, but what is it like swiping when you’re in your 70s and the dating pool is even smaller? Journalist Elaine Kingett is 76, and she wrote a piece about her experience dating for the Daily Mail. She joins Andrea to discus…

Do you enjoy family holidays? Or is it just parenting away from home with less resources... Host of the ‘Stretch Marks’ podcast, Sinead O’Moore, is just back from Rome with her two young children and she found herself airtagging the kids to make sure they were safe… She joins Andrea to discuss, as well as Yvonne Reddin, Travel Journalist, Newstalk’s Adrian Barry and more.

Why are cruise ships prone to disease outbreaks? Between the hantavirus and now another cruise ship in Bordeaux with an outbreak of norovirus - why are we hearing of so many outbreaks? Joining Andrea to discuss is Dr. Vikram Niranjan, Assistant Professor in Public Health in the University of Limerick.

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, who’s going to talk through the Calvin Harris album ‘18 Months’!

Earlier this week, footage emerged of former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern canvassing door to door. The footage, which has sparked controversy, shows Bertie sharing his views on immigration in Ireland. Regardless of the comments themselves, it raises a broader question for listeners: is it fair to record and release footage of someone without their consent? Andrea is joined by Barrister and Senior Counci...

With Eric Clapton ending his concert early after being struck by a vinyl record while performing in Madrid, we want to know: has concert etiquette gone to the dogs? Joining Andrea to discuss is Hothouse Flowers Musician and Broadcaster Fiachna Ó Braonáin, Claire Howlin, Assistant Professor in University College Dublin in Psychology and Newstalk’s Ciara Treacy.

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…

More than 200 websites targeting Irish consumers were identified as scams last year, including fake online stores and fraudulent loan providers falsely claiming regulation by the Central Bank of Ireland. Financial scams in Ireland have surged by 52% in just one year, highlighting the growing scale and sophistication of online fraud targeting consumers… Have you ever been scammed? What did you do a...

Every Wednesday afternoon, we’ll be talking Making Babies. Andrea will be joined by Professor Shane Higgins, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, to cover every area of trying to have a baby. From the very start of knowing how to prepare, right up to pregnancy – and all the bumps in the road in between. This week, Shane joins Andrea to discuss everything around monitoring fetal movement.

You may remember over the last number of months that Andrea has been speaking to Tony Murray and many parents like him talking about how they are worried about what will happen to their children with intellectual disabilities after they die... Sinéad McGrath from the Before We Die campaign joins Andrea to discuss as the group are doing an information event for parents.

Tipperary County Council has passed a motion calling for the abolition of the Universal Social Charge. USC was introduced as a temporary measure 15 years ago, so do we still need to be paying it? Joining Andrea to discuss is Independent Economist Jim Power, as well as listeners.

For this week’s Ask the Expert, Andrea is joined by Barry Kenny from Irish Rail to answer any of your train-related questions!

Author and baker Graham Herterich never loved the length of a novel but found his niche with culinary reads. He reads cookbooks for fun! Do you? Graham joins Andrea to discuss.

The National Ambulance Service personnel will stage a 24-hour strike today over pay disputes. Have you had an experience of calling an ambulance? Have they helped you? What do you think of this strike? Joining Andrea to discuss is Angie Baily, Fine Gael Councillor in Tralee, David Hall from Life Line Ambulances and listeners.

Knock Airport celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. What has the impact been on the people in the west of Ireland since? Joining Andrea to discuss is Joe Gilmore, Managing Director of Knock Airport, Paddy Judge, the pilot of the first commercial flight into Knock airport with Aer Lingus and Terry Riley, author of ‘On a Wing and a Prayer’.

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: Disney+

Dr Niall Breen from the Portmarnock GP Clinic joined Andrea Gilligan to tackle your medical queries.