The Pat Kenny Show

The Friday Forum brings you the biggest stories of the week – Election speculation and the crisis in the Middle East. All up for discussion with John Lee Executive Editor Daily Mail Group Ireland, Emer Higgins Fine Gael TD for Dublin Mid West. Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail and Richard Boyd Barrett TD People Before Profit TD for Dun Laoghaire.

We hear about the rise in personal injury claims and why it’s actually good news for businesses. Joining Pat to discuss all was Stuart Gilhooly  Senior Counsel and Solicitor at HJ Ward Solicitor LLP. 

Gareth Mullins will be here to talk us through a chicken, wild mushroom and shallot pie with carrot and parsnip crush. A winter warmer recipe to try this weekend.

George Hamilton was chief sports commentator for RTE for 40 years. In September he announced he was leaving RTE Sport and would join Premier Sports. He remains as a presenter on RTE Lyric. George joined Pat to talk about this transition, but also to discuss the highlights of his broadcasting career and personal life that are documented in his book The Hamilton Notes.

How you fight this conflict matters, there must be a credible day after” . We speak to former US ambassador and diplomat Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley about the crisis in the Middle East.

Sarah Binchy discusses the literary festival Echoes that celebrates the legacy of her aunt, Irish novelist and playwright, Maeve Binchy, alongside the best in Irish writing and contemporary writers.

From Monday, e scooters will be banned from public transport. Sarah Madden took to the streets to find out how it’s going to work.

An Taoiseach Simon Harris on election dates, Lebanon and the budget fall out. All up for discussion with Pat this morning on the show.

Adrian Barry Managing Editor, Off The Ball  takes a look at sports mascots and explains where the concept came from and how a modern day mascot can even be a business asset. 

You will Die in Prison, the new book by Bernard Phelan about his time spent as a hostage in an Iranian prison. Bernard who lives in Paris with his husband, Roland Bonello, was working for an Iranian tour operator when he was detained seven months ago on charges of spying. 

The long road towards America’s first woman president”.  We are on the precipice of history, if Kamala win, but whose shoulders is she standing on? The narrative would have you believe it is just Hillary but there are many other women too. Simon Tierney goes right back to the late 19th century when the first woman to run for president, Victoria Woodhull, ran for the Equal Rights Party in 1872...

How Russia’s disinformation campaign backfired and the Florida surgeon who was an anti vaxer explained in this weeks disinformation slot with David Robert Grimes.

Whether it's going solo  on a date or out with the kids, Eadaoin Fitzmaurice gives us her tips on what to get up to this weekend.  

Sweden is implementing a national ban on begging. What does this really mean and how will it work? To explain Pat spoke to Philip O’Connor Irish Journalist based in Stockholm. 

Carl Widger, Managing Director of Metis Ireland joins to discuss Budget 2025’s impact on pensions, as Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphries states there is focus on older people in Budget 2025.

Touring, costumes and props, just like the Irish film sector, Irish theatre is taking steps to improve its environmental impact.  We speak to Jo Linehan Editor of the Climate Supplement at the Sunday Times Ireland about how to be more sustainable in the arts.

Ciara Carolan, Irish Journalist in Odesa gives us an account of how the city is trying to live ‘normally’ under Russian. A view into Ukraine as Zelensky tries to rally more support in the US.

Consultant Dermatologist Caitriona Ryan joined Pat in studio to answer listeners skin related questions. 

John Simpson, World Affair Editor of BBC News joined Pat on the show to discuss how Middle Eastern conflict is escalating as six people have been killed in an attack in Beirut, following Israel's first military fatality in southern Lebanon, as eight IDF soldiers have died.

Award winning garden designer Diarmuid Gavin joins us to share the remarkable and slightly scary story of Sacro Bosco Gardens.

Joining Pat this morning was Mark Moriarty, award-winning chef on his new cookbook called Season . Mark’s book helps you elevate your everyday cooking as he celebrates the best of seasonal ingredients while also focusing on the importance of seasoning your food.

Best-selling author Cathy Kelly joined Pat this morning on the show to raise awareness on ARC Cancer Support Centre and their Torch of Hope event on October 13th. ARC Cancer Support Centre was fundamental to Cathy during her cancer diagnosis.

Sir Declan Morgan , Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR)joined Pat in studio this morning. Up for discussion was the legacy act, his role as Chief Commissioner of the ICRIR and the recent major ruling in Belfast's Court of Appeal.

50 Irish Motorcyclists are riding two thousand miles across America to raise money for Ireland’s Children’s Hospitals. Newstalk’s own Anton Savage is ambassador for the challenge. Anton, joined us to discuss travelling the rust-belt and the Mexican-Border states, roughly a month out from the election - is politics on everyone’s minds?

JD Vance and Tim Waltz met for the first and likely only vice-presidential debate ahead of the elections. We get an insight on how the debate went with Larry Donnelly Law Lecturer with The University of Galway & Columnist with The Journal.ie.