Lunchtime Live

Big Brother returns this weekend after a five-year hiatus. The reboot will see a new cast of carefully selected housemates from all walks of life living together for 6 weeks. Apparently, eviction nights will be different, though we haven’t been told how.  The reboot will have a special emphasis on the mental health of contestants. But what is it like to be on Big Brother and what made it...

Some school children have to wait until secondary school for their first dental check due to backlogs for public routine dental services. Many parents are thus being forced to go private for their children's dental care needs, causing significant financial pressure. To discuss the crisis and its implications, Andrea was joined by parents Sarah and Shona and owner of Redmond Dental Care in Sutton,...

The entire Irish Radio industry is getting suited and booted tonight for the IMRO awards. With it being a Black Tie event, Andrea was joined by Stylist Mandy Maher and Louis Copeland, owner of Louis Copeland & Sons to discuss the requirements for a black tie event and whether the dress code is as popular as it once was.

With the rise of social media, many parents are sharing images and videos of their children leading to the phenomenon known as “sharington”. But in the French Parliament, a proposed bill that would make parents responsible for the privacy rights of their children who cannot consent to their images being shared is being debated. The bill also outlines how parents who look to financial benefit from...

Members of the public who witness shoplifters stealing from supermarkets should arrest them, even if they have to use force.  That is according to Chris Philp, the UK Minister for Policing who claims that the police ‘can’t be everywhere’.   He urged people in the UK to make citizen’s arrests to snare thieves and called on retailers to use security guards to step in where it is safe...

A tweet from News Editor of the Irish Examiner Deirdre O’Shaughnessy has sparked off great conversation with the team here.  She tweeted: “My husband has brought our two kids to a removal this evening and our Ukrainian friends are aghast”  Is it just a very Irish thing, to bring children to a wake? Or is it a good thing? It’s one of the things us Irish pride ourselves on, doing death wel...

One listener, Jerry, emailed Lunchtime Live about something he wanted to raise following an item on the show. Jerry writes: “However, the main point of this e-mail is to emphasize the hard truth that men don't want to date women over 30. Men very picky on age preference because men of nearly all ages prefer women in their early 20's (and scientific evidence has recently confirmed this).  Wome...

The mother of murder victim Rachel Callaly says she fears for the first time in her life that killer Joe O’Reilly could soon be released. Rachel's 19th anniversary took place yesterday, October 4. She said that the prospect of her daughter’s killer being released seems more possible now than ever before. Rose Callaly joined Andrea on Lunchtime Live to discuss...

Over the past week, women across Ireland have shared their experiences of living with endometriosis on Lunchtime Live.  Do we need an awareness campaign? How can it be that people are only gaining understanding of a condition from listening to us?  Andrea was joined by Fianna Fáil Senator and Health Spokesperson Lorraine Clifford Lee and Doireann Barrett, who suffers from endometriosis t...

The Road Safety Authority will hold their annual conference today – with the issue of e-scooters hitting the agenda. Do we need more regulation around them?  Andrea Gilligan was joined by Fianna Fáil Councillor in Dundalk, Conor Keelan, Maria Diviney, co-founder of Luna Systems, a company that provides technology to make scooters safer, and other listeners to discuss...

When was the last time you tried to park at the airport? Some people are saying the cost of parking is prohibitive and is an enormous extra cost to going away for a weekend.  So have you tried it recently? What was your experience?  Andrea was joined by listeners to discuss...

Love them or loath them, there’s no getting away from Whatsapp groups. Are you a fan? Or are you a mute and leave type of person?  Writing in the Irish Independent today, Kirsty Blake Knox has rules for how to navigate the dreaded groups.  Andrea Gilligan was joined by Kirsty Blake Knox and Stephanie Rohan from our newsroom to chat about this...

Last week singer songwriter RuthAnne spoke about her experience with endometriosis. Niamh, who heard RuthAnne, got in touch about her own experience...

Jason, a listener, got in touch with Lunchtime Live about an issue he wanted to raise. He is calling for a reduction in speed limits in school zones after an incident involving his own children. Andrea was joined by Jason, Rachel Harper, Principal of St Patrick's National School in Greystones and other listeners to discuss...

Andrea Gilligan was joined on Lunchtime Live by GP and lecturer, Dr Sumi Dunne to answer listeners health queries and questions...

A man whose one-car family cycles as much as possible to minimise emissions in a city that aims to be carbon neutral by 2030 has been refused planning for a bike storage bin in front of his house — with planners saying it could set an “undesirable precedent” for similar development in the area.  This also happened to Siobhan Kelly recently, and she joined Adrian Kennedy on Lunchtime Live to d...

We get a lot of letters and emails into the show with people outlining experiences that they’re living with.  Frances, a listener, sent a Whatsapp about her situation she has found herself in living with chronic pain following a spinal chord injury. Frances joined Andrea on Lunchtime Live 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 on everything from energy and the weekly shop to modern essentials like broadband and phone contracts. Aoife Kearns, from our news team has done the hard work and...

Social media has been full of videos and clips of U2 in Las Vegas over the weekend. The band opened their residency at Sphere in Las Vegas at the weekend, and by all accounts it was an unbelievable show.   But do celebrate U2 enough in Ireland? Andrea was joined by Music journalist with the Mail on Sunday Danny McElhinney and other listeners to discuss...

Thousands of people in Ireland are driving without ever taking a driving test.  Up to 30,000 people are on their 3rd or subsequent provisional licence and have never sat a driving test.  In some cases learners have been driving on Irish roads for over 30 years without ever holding a full licence. To get a third or subsequent learner permit, you must show proof that you’ve applied fo...

72-year-old cancer survivor, Mary O’Regan is watching her house crumble around her due to mica and says she has nowhere to turn. She joined Adrian Kennedy on Lunchtime Live to discuss...

What do you want in a Taoiseach?   According to a new Irish Times/Ipsos poll – Sinn Fein’s Mary Lou McDonald is the most popular choice for Taoiseach – but what makes a good Taoiseach?  Adrian Kennedy was joined by listeners to discuss...

It turns out one of Ireland’s most famous newsreader’s Anne Doyle believes in ghosts! She’s written a new book - ‘Tales of the Otherworld: A Frightening Collection of Irish Ghost Stories’. She says she’s had an interest in the paranormal world from a young age and her biggest fear vampires!  Adrian Kennedy was joined by Ann Massey McElroy, Paranormal Investigator and hauntings speci...

Following the record breaking drug seizure in Cork this week, Tom in Leitrim got in with Lunchtime Live to discuss the legalisation of drugs in Ireland. Do we need to rethink our approach to drugs and legislation?  Adrian Kennedy was joined by listeners to discuss...

Fiona Doyle is a Rape survivor and campaigner. She was abused by her father Patrick O’Brien. Last week he passed away following a long illness. His funeral took place this week. Fiona joined Andrea on Lunchtime Live today...