Moncrieff

Are you in a family WhatsApp group? If so, what are the criterias to be included? Is there a group for the core family, one for extended relatives and one for the annoying ones you put up with? And, what happens when those annoying people find out about your hidden chats? Newstalk's Henry McKean has been out in the public investigating, and joins Seán to discuss.

While every Irish schoolchild has traditionally been taught that our most famous book originated on the island of Iona, an argument has now been put forward that challenges this assumption… Joining Seán to discuss is Victoria Whitworth, author of ‘The Book of Kells: Unlocking the Enigma’...

Around Ireland and in Europe, the gay rights movement has had extraordinary success. Many would argue that there is more work to be done. However, Ronan McCrea, Professor of Constitutional and European Law at University College London argues that it's time for the movement to possibly take a step back, or risk unravelling all that's been achieved… He is author of ‘The End of the Gay Rights Revolut...

Roughly 30,000 Irish emigrants return to Ireland each year to live. But, this process is both bureaucratically and emotionally challenging. Now, there are calls for a dedicated government agency to be established to help the diaspora return. Joining Seán to discuss is Karen McHugh, Chief Executive of Safe Home Ireland…

While plastic surgery and other tweaks to the human anatomy seem par for the course nowadays, it can be easy to forget that these groundbreaking surgeries began with some rather hairy experimentation. Joining me now is Mary Roach, Author of ‘Replaceable You: Adventures in Human Anatomy’...

We’re all well used to being told what we should and shouldn’t be eating, and the latest food boogeyman is UPFs, or Ultra Processed Foods. You likely won’t have to spend too long on social media to come across an influencer in a supermarket telling you why eating one product or another would be terrible for your health. But, could the fear mongering itself be even more harmful? Richie Kirwan is Se...

Is that photo of Trump on the cover of Time magazine really ‘the worst of all time’? The US President certainly seems to think so, and has been hitting out about the unflattering picture… But, what does it take to make a cover photo, and was this one deliberately uncomplimentary? James Crombie is the 2025 Irish Press Photographer of the Year and his photograph is on the front page of the Irish Tim...

Unless you’re the Rolling Stones or you’ve been on the road for decades, the music business is generally something people try to make a career of in their twenties. Not so for Seán’s guest. Linda Lamon is 75 and has four grandchildren, but that hasn’t stopped her from getting radio play in the UK and celebrity endorsements from the likes of Queen’s Brian May since she decided to make a go of it in...

You may have been listening to the Pat Kenny show this morning as Catherine Connolly and Heather Humphreys continued to make their respective cases to be Ireland’s next President. On Friday the 24th of October, we will go to the polls to elect our 10th Head of State, but how will they compare to their predecessors? Who was our best and who was our worst? Kevin Rafter is Full Professor of Political...

It was reported yesterday that Cork City Council had collected less than a third of derelict site levies over the last five years. This is just the latest failing in the Government’s attempt to tackle the issue of dereliction, but will the change from levy to tax as announced in the budget change the picture? Frank O’Connor from the #DerelictIreland movement joins Seán to discuss.

Do you know what Ireland’s national bird is? Well, it’s now on the Red List of Birds of Conservation Concern… Joining Seán to discuss is Nature Communications Expert, Jack Morley.

Twenty nine year old Sophie took her own life earlier this year, and in her grief her mother Laura Reiley is putting together the pieces of what happened. Sophie’s parents believe that an AI chat bot was giving their daughter advice on how to end her life… Laura joins Seán to share her story… Help is there if you need it. The Samaritans 24/7 Freephone Helpline Number is 116 123, or you can email j...

A newly-published book has taken a dive into Ireland’s vibrant farming past. From evictions and land wars, to golden harvests and dancing at the crossroads, Michael B. Barry and John O’Byrne’s new instalment features hundreds of colourised photos that date back as early as the mid-1800s. ‘The Irish Farm in Colour’ was published last week and is the fourth book in a series which recaptures the Irel...

When we talk about the climate crisis, we often tend to couch the conversation in terms of negligence or poor corporate governance, as if environmental crime is not really a crime in the way that theft or assault are. But, there are organised gangs and corporate entities out there committing crimes against all of us everyday, just as there are those trying to stop them.  Julia Shaw is a Psych...

Trinity College is home to the book of Kells and its iconic Library, which makes it one of Dublin's most popular tourist attractions. But, the university is also home to a Zoological Museum, containing a 70-million-year-old fish and a plethora of extinct animals. Dr Martyn Linnie is Curator of Trinity College Dublin’s zoological museum, and he joins Seán to discuss. Image: Trinity College Zoologic...

Is there a supermarket price war coming? The German supermarkets have reduced the price of its home brand 2 litre of milk by 10 cent, the first price cut since 2023. But, grocery prices have increased by 40% since 2022. How have you dealt with rising costs? Henry McKean met grocery shoppers in Cork, and sent in this report.

All eyes are focused today on Israel as the peace deal begins, with Hamas releasing the remaining hostages alive... There have been scenes of celebration and jubilation. So, what now? John Costello has been living in Israel for 17 years and he joins Seán from Tel Aviv to discuss…

Scientists and gourmands in Copenhagen have taken to producing yoghurt using the fermenting properties of ants. But, how does it all work? Seán’s guest, a keen “fermentista” herself, decided to make her own ant yoghurt. Linda Geddes, former Science Correspondent for the Guardian, joins to discuss the results!

Free Christening parties are being offered to couples who conceive during their stay at a hotel chain in Poland. There’s more – each employee will be paid a bonus of over €2,000 for every child they have. That’s an initiative launched by Polish hotel chain Arche and its 73-year-old owner in an effort to boost the country’s low birth rates. Poland’s fertility rate of 1.2 children per woman in 2023...

A lot of us will remember collecting stamps or football stickers or stationary or something of that ilk as a child. But, is that a modern phenomenon, or is it something inherent that we have seen throughout history? James Delbourgo is Professor of History at Rutgers University and author of ‘A Noble Madness: The Dark Side of Collecting from Antiquity to Now’. He joins Seán to discuss.

Experts are debunking the myth of multitasking, but in such a fast-paced world, how else can we possibly keep up? Psychology Professor at Stanford University, Anthony Wagner, says multitasking does not exist, but what we are doing instead is forcing the brain to switch between tasks. Research shows performing multiple tasks at the same time reduces productivity by up to 40% by increasing cognitive...

Have you ever travelled on your tod?  Well, travel agents say solo travel is on the rise - and not just among singletons. Newstalk's Sarah Madden reports.

Seán’s guest has photographed everyone from dictator August Pinochet to Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, but his new book is a collection of portraits of Irish writers. Photographer Steve Pyke joins Seán to discuss.

Sober-dating is all the rage now, but what does this mean for the future of socialising? New Google search trends revealed that December 2024 marked an all-time high for searches on alcohol-free drinks. The drinking culture has shifted radically, with many young people opting for zero-alcohol to meet their date at their ‘most authentic’ self. But, Freelance Journalist Édaein O’Connell has tried th...

Although she is now happily married, Seán’s guest has always felt a calling to the priesthood, and has spent decades trying to change the Church’s position on the matter. Now, she has written her memoir, ‘A Divine Calling: One Woman’s Life-Long Battle for Equality in the Catholic Church’. Soline Humbert joins Seán to discuss.