Lunchtime Live

Have we lost the run of ourselves with standing ovations at live performances?  When is the last time you went to a show that the audience didn’t stand up and cheer in appreciation at the final curtain?  Theatre experts in the UK have said that in the West End the display of appreciation once seen as a rare honour for a great performance has become a nightly phenomenon.  Has the sta...

Are you the type of person that sets their alarm for Stephen’s Day to get up and beat the queues for the post Christmas sales? Or do you think that shops should remain closed for longer over the Christmas period?  Andrea was joined by listeners and business owners to discuss...

Preparations have begun in households across the country for Monday’s Christmas dinner.   TV Chef and Owner of Ballyknocken House & Cookery School, Catherine Fulvio joined Andrea to let us know how to avoid all our Christmas kitchen faux pas...

For a third year in a row, the children of Chernobyl won’t be visiting Ireland over Christmas.   For the last two years Covid has stopped the visits. And this year it’s the war in Ukraine.  The visit is supposed to give the kids some rest and recuperation.   These children are all suffering from various health, mental and physical issues as a result of the Chernobyl nuclea...

Should the Gaeltacht be protected for Irish speakers?  New figures out today say that despite the fact that population of the Gaeltacht has increased since 2016, the number of daily Irish speakers has actually fallen.  Most Gaeltacht areas are in the West of Ireland, often in rural scenic areas. And because of that holiday homes and high property prices are a concern with locals.&nb...

Dublin City has received a lot of negative attention in the past few weeks and months – but Green Party Cllr Hazel Chu wants people to take back the city. Andrea caught up with her to walk around the capital...

An article by Laoise Neylon in the Dublin Inquirer focuses on Grace, a 16 year old, who is struggling with her mental health . Her family are desperately trying to get her the help that she needs.   Grace’s dad Mick and sister Emma joined Andrea on Lunchtime Live to discuss their current situation...

You may not be cooking the dinner this Christmas, but if you’re hosting festive drinks, you’ll need some tasty canopés to impress your guests.  Food Columnist with the Irish Examiner Colm O’Gorman joined Andrea with some tips...

Back in September, Andrea spoke to Ger and her story stopped many people in their tracks. Ger and her family had asked for respite care for her son Jack and when none was available, they had to leave him in an emergency respite facility - a situation she said is “breaking our hearts”.  Ger joined Andrea to on the show with an update...

Shoppers visiting Dublin City Centre this Christmas have been urged to watch out for clampers with already 1,200 more clamps issued this year by the start of December than in all of 2022  Is the clamping the best way to deal with bad parking?  Andrea Gilligan was joined by listeners to discuss...

Andrea Gilligan was joined on Lunchtime Live by Kildare GP, Dr Siobhan Chidley to answer listeners health queries and questions...

Dublin needs new bylaws to stop people concreting over their gardens for parking space, according to a leading environmentalist. The Irish Times reports some Dublin residents are converting their gardens into driveways, resulting in an overall reduction in the amount of green spaces in the city. Andrea was joined by Irish Architect and Environmentalist Duncan Stewart and other listeners to discuss...

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 some money this Christmas. Aoife Kearns, Newstalk Reporter has done the hard work and sourced the best deals for your Christmas Crackers...

In September, Andrea spoke to Maggie Butler, a mother desperately seeking help for her son Alex, who was in hospital following lifesaving surgery.   Maggie joined Andrea today with an update...

The Ross Lake House hotel in Rosscahill in Galway which was due to accommodate 70 asylum seekers this week, was set on fire over the weekend. The incident has been described by Minister for Integration Roderic O’Gorman as ‘deeply sinister’. 

Every Friday, as part of our ‘Ask Me Anything’ series, we put your questions to people from interesting background or working in different jobs.   Today on the show Andrea was joined by Tony Moran who is an airline pilot with Aer Lingus...

Hospital admissions for dog bites soared by more than 50% in a decade, a new study has found.   Of the 3,158 patients receiving treatment between 2012 and 2021, over 1,200 were children bitten by dogs.   The research, carried out by the Department of Agriculture, University of Limerick and National Health Intelligence Unit, found that over 80% of those requiring hospital treatm...

Isabelle Geraghty is just 26 years of age, yet went through the menopause when she was in her teens.  When she was just 13, she was told that she had premature ovarian insufficiency.  Andrea was joined by Isabelle on Lunchtime Live today...

Columnist with Irish Independent, Mary McCarthy has decided to put her foot down when it comes to emptying the compost bin at home. Writing on X, Mary says: 'My top gripe with the individuals I live with (my lovely family!!) is nobody empties the compost bin & nobody cleans her...except me...So now I'm going to go on strike...let's see what happens' Mary joined Andrea on Lunchtime Live today.....

Kylie Ann Stewart is a 10-year-old girl who has been waiting for crucial surgery on her spine since 2018. If she doesn’t get the soon, she will become inoperable.   Kylie Ann’s mother Catherine joined Andrea on Lunchtime Live today...

A draft law on the use of facial recognition technology will be published by the Government today.   The proposed legislation would allow Gardaí use the technology when searching CCTV footage, which the Justice Minister Helen McEntee has said is vital when it comes to investigating serious crime.   Following the Dublin riots last month, the offences of riot and violent disorder...

Avid breakfast TV viewers might have noticed something a bit different if they were watching Ireland AM on Virgin Media One today. The show had a ‘World First’ after it was scripted and produced by artificial intelligence.  Ireland AM Presenter Tommy Bowe joined Andrea to discuss... Main image: Ireland AM hosts. Picture via @IrelandAMVMTV on Twitter

One of our listeners, Mick, got in touch with the show over an issue he was having reselling tickets for U2 at Sphere in Las Vegas. Mick and Sinead Ryan, presenter on The Home Show on Newstalk joined Adrian Kennedy on the show to discuss…

Apparently only just over half of us will go to a Mass over Christmas.  A Newstalk Amárach poll says that 57% of us go to some sort of religious ceremony on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.  Andrea was joined by Fr Paddy Byrne and other listeners to discuss...

On Saturday 28 October, Deliveroo Driver Joao Ferreira was seriously injured in an incident with a garda vehicle, losing part of his right leg.