Moncrieff

Music festivals are known for being a particularly filthy event, especially if they take place over a few days and campers can’t shower. But the lack of hand-washing facilities might actually be the bigger issue that no one is talking about. Sean was joined by microbiologist, Dr. Joe Latimer to discuss…

People can often train their pets to do certain tricks to impress audiences, but it’s usually limited to rolling over or playing dead. Well, what if your pet could paint pictures worth tens of thousands? For Joanne Lefson, that’s the case with her pet pig, Pigcasso. Joanne joined Sean to discuss...

We’re all guilty of not being able to put our phones down at times, and it’s gotten even more difficult to be without it in recent years, since so many of us became accustomed to working online during the pandemic. But this dependency has led to a new problem: phubbing. Phubbing is the act of snubbing those physically with you, in favour of your phone. Kieran was joined by Paula Cocozza, journalis...

Crosswords are as popular as ever but how do they get created in the first place? Sean was joined by John Halpern, Crossword setter for the Guardian, the Times and the Telegraph...

The cockapoo has now passed out the Labrador on the list of most popular pets in the home. This is a result of the growing demand for designer dogs and the increased accessibility of these breeds. But what happens when you mix two breeds, with two different personalities? Do any behaviour issues result? Suzi Walsh, dog trainer and behaviourist joined Sean to discuss...

Ireland and the world are grieving Sinead O’Connor but most of us have never met her or even seen her play live. Why is it we grieve someone we don’t actually know and is it ok to? Henry McKean has visited Sinead O’Connor’s last address in Bray County Wicklow and spoke to people about how a nation is mourning one of our own...

There’s been an awful lot of talk about Barbie over the last few months, but many women who grew up in Ireland will be more familiar with the 80s doll icon, Sindy. She was the doll to have during that time, and is known for being less sexualised and more suitable for a young, Irish audience. Sean was joined by Freelance Journalist, Erin McCafferty, who believes Sindy deserves more recognition...

When author Amy McCulloch set out travelling South America with her husband and partner of 10 years, she didn’t think she’d return from her trip a single woman, ready to experience some new adventures. Her latest novel Midnight takes inspiration from some of these experiences. Amy joined Sean on the show to discuss... Image: Amy McCulloch via amymcculloch.net

Many of us grew up with comic books, and one that most people will recognise is Beano. Well, Beano turns 85 today, and in order to reflect the society that it now lives in, new characters have been added and old ones have been adjusted to allow the comic to be more diverse. Sean was joined by the creative director of Beano Studios, Mike Stirling to discuss...

For this weeks 'How To' slot we’re looking at how to design your home interior. Sean was joined by Jennifer Sheahan, Home of the Year winner to discuss...

The Taoiseach has rowed back on his stance that Gardaí should be armed in the wake of violent incidents in the capital. But what do the Gardaí feel they need to protect our streets and is enough being done? Sean was joine by Brendan O’Connor, Garda Representative Association President...

Moviegoers were running to the cinemas this weekend to catch Christopher Nolan’s new Oppenheimer, but many people may not have noticed some historical inaccuracies in the film. Novelist and journalist Alisa Lynn Valés and her family are from the the Los Alamos area, where Oppenheimer built the atomic bomb, and she joined Sean to talk about the people who were forced to leave the area, to allow the...

The experience of being put on hold is one which most of us can relate to the exasperatingly long list of options, the tedious music and the struggle to actually speak with a human being. Newstalk’s Simon Tierney has been investigating the best and worst examples of Irish telephone customer service and today he joined Sean to present his findings in the first of a new three part series…

One of the consequences of the housing crisis is the tricky situation of bringing your date back to the gaff where your parents are living with you. But what are some of the ways of overcoming this challenge? Sean was joined by Dr. Caroline West is a Sex and relationship expert with Bumble...

When the new mockumentary British Miracle Meat aired on Channel 4 last night many people struggled to know if its depiction of human flesh consumption was real or not, and this is when satire works best. Sean was joined by the director Tom Kingsley...

The whole point of a holiday is to switch off, relac and not think about work - But that's easier said than done. There is always that temptation to check you email. Henry McKean joined Sean after returning from his holidays...

There was a time when recipes were handed down through an oral tradition. Could artificial intelligence help to bring this tradition back? Sean was joined by Philip Maughan, Author of “Cooking Earth: Artificiality, Alienation and Desire in the Past, Present and Future of Food”...

What's your favourite meal of yore? The dessert that dances up memories of childhood or the snack you still comfort yourself with at the end of a bad day? Well according to new research, retro food is on the rise and if you're indulging in it lately, you're not alone. Looking into the what and why of it is Newstalk reporter Sarah Madden.

The marketing for Greta Gerwig’s new Barbie film is unavoidable at the moment. But how did it all begin? With the doll of course! Bettina Dorfmann holds the Guinness World Record for most Barbie dolls owned by one person, with a whopping 18,500 in her collection. Bettina joined Sean to discuss...

You may have heard the old adage that the swans in London belong to the Queen. Well, now the ownership of those swans has shifted over to Charles. This week the annual swan census is taking place on the River Thames and I’m joined now by the King’s Marker of the Swans, David Barber...

Many of us had scrapbooks growing up dedicated to our favourite bands and our holidays, but it’s a craft that many people forget about in later life. Sean was joined by Lizzie Lees, textile artist, illustrator and creator of the craft book Collage Carnival...

Reports of domestic violence increased during the Covid-19 pandemic as families went into lockdowns together. However, most of the conversations were around heterosexual relationships, but Men’s Aid noticed an increase in calls to their support line from men within gay relationships who were experiencing abuse. So is there enough awareness? Do people within the gay community have enough support? D...

In the latest Mission Impossible movie one of the key scenes involves Tom Cruise careering up a ramp on a motorbike before launching himself off it into the depths below. The man who designed this stunt is Kerry adventurer Mike O’Shea, and he joined Sean on the show to discuss...

Diageo have today announced that they will be increasing the price of their pints by 4 cent. This comes not long after their 12 cent price hike in February, and it’s safe to say people are not impressed. For anyone not living in rural Ireland, it’s difficult to find a pint of Guinness for less than a fiver now, there are some rare places in Ireland where you can find the cheapest pints in the land...

For this weeks 'How To' slot we’re looking at how to make your own podcast. Sean was joined by Patrick Haughey, Managing Director of AudioBrand and Founder of the Today FM School of Radio and Podcasting to discuss...