Lunchtime Live

Today, after 14 years of serving as Uachtarán na hÉireann, Michael D. Higgins will step down as President. Outspoken, opinionated and even somewhat controversial in his time - he was a President who loved the arts, literature and the Irish language. But, how will he be remembered? Stuart Clark, Deputy editor of Hot Press, Avril Ryan, CEO of Gaisce - The President’s Award, Leonie Cornelius, Garden...

All this week Lunchtime Live is focusing on the renting situation around the country. How tough is it to find somewhere to live? And if you do find somewhere, how expensive is it? And, is there much competition for places? We want to highlight as many of your stories as we can, so please send them to us - we’ll be covering it all week. Andrea is joined by listeners to discuss their experiences of...

A video surfaced online of an alleged assault of a young boy by two others in Tuam, County Galway has caused a lot of concern and criticism from the local community, and raises questions as to why this alleged attack happened in the first place… Joining Andrea to discuss is Fine Gael TD Pete Roche and Kabbier, family friend of the boy who was attacked.

Welcome to The Pod Squad! We review podcasts every week so you always have something new to listen to. Today FM’s Cathal Minogue and Editor of DMG Media Sarah-Jayne Tobin join Andrea to review ‘My Dad Wrote a Porno’ on its tenth anniversary!

Traffic congestion. Those long lines of brake lights, the endless stop-and-go, the clock ticking past your morning meeting time… we’ve all been there. But, have you ever stopped to think about what all that gridlock is really costing us, not just in fuel or frustration, but in productivity, health, and even happiness? Joining Andrea to discuss is Mark Wall, Kildare South Labour TD, as well as list...

For this week’s Ask Me Anything, Elizabeth Oakes, Founder of Pure Reflections, joins Andrea to answer any of your questions around water cremation.

We all have them, we all use them, and some of us would rather forget them: nicknames! From childhood tags that never seem to die, to the affectionate (or not-so-affectionate) labels we pick up at work or online, nicknames say a lot about who we are, and how others see us. So, the question is - why are we so obsessed with using them? Newstalk’s Henry McKean has been out asking the public, while An...

November is Remembrance Month in the UK. In honour of this, celebrities, football teams and people around the world wear a red poppy to remember soldiers that have fought for the British army in wars of years gone by. However, not everyone is comfortable wearing the poppy, given the British Army’s history, particularly in Ireland. But. would seeing an Irish person wearing the poppy offend you, or...

Mick Kelly of Grow It Yourself shared a story on his instagram page of his local newsagent, following an impressive revamp. But, with the new and improved look and stylish new coffee machine, came a sight that Mick did not welcome: an aisle filled with ultra processed foods and sugar-laden snacks snaking up along by the registers with the stands at what he calls ‘pester-height’ for younger shopper...

Breakfast Briefing Presenter Shane Beatty joins Andrea Gilligan with plenty of stories from around the country this week!

Two MEPs have condemned the sale of childlike sex dolls on fast fashion retailer Shein. Both Barry Andrews and Regina Doherty are shocked with what they have come across and have called for a €5 levy on ultra-fast fashion purchases from China, as the sale of these dolls violates both our moral and legal obligations to protect children. What needs to be done to tackle the sale of these products and...

This week, the Home Squad are in Cork to discuss wall finishes, and how you can get them just right! Joining Andrea to discuss is Ger Cooney from Ger Cooney Design and Kate Hobbins-Lockett from Interiors By Kate Hobbins-Lockett.

Black Friday is coming up this month, which for those online shoppers amongst you, could be a time to start burning up the debit card. But, there are unfortunately plenty of tricks and scams we need to watch out for when we’re shopping online... Joining Andrea to discuss this is Financial Planner with Castle Capital, Leah McMahon.

Endometriosis procedures in Ireland can have long waiting lists, which might make you want to look abroad for treatment… Sinead O’Neill did exactly that, and joins Andrea to discuss her experience of going to Greece for an endometriosis procedure. Keira O’Neill was also meant to discuss her hopes to get endometriosis treatment abroad, but was unable to join because of her condition, and sent in a...

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 Head Tour Guide at the Irish Rock ‘N’ Roll Museum Experience, Alan Buckley, who’s going to talk through Bon Jovi’s album, ‘Slippery When Wet’!

This week, the internet’s buzzing after NFL legend Tom Brady revealed he’s cloned his dog. It’s sparked a big question: if you could bring your beloved pet back, would you do it? Is cloning the ultimate act of love, or are we crossing a line nature never intended? Joining Andrea to discuss is Pete Wedderburn, AKA Pete the Vet, Laoise Downes, owner of Outpaws and Wedding Woofs and Suzie Walsh, Dog...

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… Image: President of Ireland - Facebook

From CCTV to location services on the apps we use and even livestreaming cameras at self-service checkouts, we constantly have eyes on us. But, how safe are we in a world where we are constantly under surveillance? Joining Andrea to discuss is Caitríona Redmond, Consumer Columnist with The Irish Examiner, Ronan Murphy, Chief Executive for Smart Tech 24/7 and listeners.

Every Wednesday afternoon, we’ll be talking Making Babies. Andrea will be joined by Professor Shane Higgins, Master of the National Maternity Hospital, 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 the importance surrounding the weight and age of...

Today, we’re asking: what truly makes a gentleman? Is it about style, manners, or the way we treat others? How has the idea of a gentleman evolved, and what it means today? Joining Andrea to discuss is 98FM Presenter, Luke Thomas, Mark Fennell, Life Coach and Meghann Scully, Broadcaster.

In a bid to tackle the war against drugs in Ireland, The Labour Party will today call for a health-led drugs policy and decriminalization of people who use drugs. Labour’s Health Spokesperson Marie Sherlock TD has said the Government has failed to deliver on its promise of a health-led approach, and that criminalising, shaming and stigmatising people in addiction has created a broken system that p...

For this week’s Ask the Expert, Andrea is joined by Podiatrist Niall Donohoe to answer all of your podiatry-related questions!

Today, we’ve got the creator behind one of TikTok’s biggest trends: the Jet2Holiday craze. He’s taken social media by storm with his creativity and energy. Brad Bennett joins Andrea to discuss! Also joining to discuss the impact of this meme is Brand Strategist and Storyteller, Kerry Matzelle.

Nowadays, kids spend a lot of time consuming content online, one of the most popular platforms for this is YouTube, but they mostly watch American content due to the lack of dedicated Irish creators. This has resulted in some observing younger children developing Americanised accents and using American words. One person who is trying to change that is teacher Fergus Lacey with his channel RíRá Rhy...

Ed Sheeran did a secret gig to Irish mega fans last night – were you there? Organised by Spotify, his highest Irish streamers were sent links to register for free tickets to the exclusive gig. Is this the best way to reward fans? Gigs exclusively for your biggest listeners? Or is it all too inaccessible? Joining Andrea to discuss is Aoife Rooney, Assistant Editor of Weekend Magazine at the Irish I...