Moncrieff

Following last night’s shooting down of Russian drones in Polish Airspace, Poland has asked NATO to open consultations under Article 4 of its treaty, which states that members of the Western military alliance will consult together whenever any of them is threatened. The incident is being seen as one of major concerns for ‘The West’. But what is ‘The West’? Why are Poland in it? Are New Zealand and...

As President Michael D Higgins prepares to leave the Áras later this year, he might be considering his next career move. One possible option might be to return to being a touring poet. Indeed, perhaps the first step in this career change happened at the weekend, when the President released a new poetry album with a live show in the National Concert Hall. ‘Against All Certainty’ is his debut collec...

Technically speaking, anything that is in the past can be categorized as history. But, more often than not, historians deal with events that they exist at a great remove from. That is not the case for Diarmaid Ferriter’s latest book ‘The Revelation of Ireland: 1995-2020’. So, does chronicling recent events present a challenge for historians, and what can we say definitively about Ireland in the la...

As a Senior Lecturer in clean energy at UCC, Dr Paul Deane knows a thing or two about energy efficiency... But in reality, when you go from transforming a vacant home from a G BER rating to an A grade energy efficient house, you realise that the practical learnings are pretty major... Dr Paul Deane joins Seán to discuss.

September is one of the busiest months of the year for divorces, with couples in fractured relationships coming out of a summer spent together and realising that their marriage is broken… Joining Seán to discuss this is Michelle Browne, Mediator and Divorce Consultant.

Last month, Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan announced plans to introduce a bill that would attempt to tackle child sexual abuse and the proliferation of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) online. The fact that the Government is committed to tackling this issue is also reflected in its support of the EU’s Chat Control Regulations. But, do these steps compromise fundamental values and rights th...

Donald Trump’s latest executive order, entitled, ‘Making Federal Architecture Beautiful Again’, is essentially a ban on any architectural style for civic buildings that isn’t representative of neo-classism. Joining Seán to tell more is Emma Gileece, Architectural Historian. Image: Reuters

With the enormous obstacles involved in buying a home in this country, housing anxiety can cause those who are searching for a home to feel anxious and low. Joining Seán to discuss this is Malie Coyne, a Chartered Clinical Psychologist based in Galway…

Have you noticed a rise in touchscreens in take aways, petrol stations and mobile phone shops? When you’re ordering fast food, would you rather stab a greasy touchscreen, or talk to a human being? Henry McKean has been asking the public, and joins Seán to discuss!

John Gibbons is an Environmental Journalist and Commentator who is releasing a book called ‘The Lie of the Land’ about Ireland and the climate crisis. John grew up on a farm and after over a decade of being in the climate landscape, he has a unique perspective on what needs to change… He joins Seán to discuss.

While it might be a long wait until Eurovision in Vienna next May, fear not, because in two weeks time we will have Intervision, the Russian version! But, what is it all about and why is Putin bringing back the storied Eastern Block song contest? Joining Seán to discuss is Richard Taylor, Writer for EurovisionIreland.net …

In 1945, just after the Second World War, a listening device dubbed as ‘The Thing’ was hidden within a piece of artwork and gifted to the US ambassador in Russia. The listening device remained in the ambassador's office for 7 years before it was found. John Little, a 79-year-old specialist in counter-surveillance, has long been fascinated by the device, and even built his own replica of it. John w...

A black hole that may have been spotted seconds before the big bang has been sighted by the James Webbs space telescope, which has the power to upend all the theories of the universe. Shane Bergin, a Physicist and Assistant Professor in Science Education in UCD joins Seán to tell more.

How reliable is your memory? And would you ever admit to faking it? A new research project is set to analyse why we tend to fabricate false memories and just why our memory might be so unreliable and whether this is necessarily a bad thing… Dr Gillian Murphy, Senior Lecturer at the School of Applied Psychology in UCC joins Seán to discuss.

As the increase of AI becomes increasingly frequent in our everyday lives, a new mental health concern is on the rise. AI psychosis is a phenomenon characterized by distorted thoughts, paranoia or delusional beliefs reportedly triggered by interactions with AI chatbots. Experts warn that the impact can be serious, ranging from social withdrawal and poor self-care to heightened anxiety. Dr. David M...

A new trend has been circling the internet called ‘revenge quitting’, this is where employees are resigning in spectacular fashion. From marching bands to making it public on TikTok, people have been doing it all. Caroline Reidy, the Director of the HR Suite, joins Seán to talk about this trend.

What is the etiquette around breaking up in 2025? Is it in person, a DM, a text or a ghosting? Henry McKean has been asking the public, and joins Seán to discuss!

If you are despairing about the absence of evidence surrounding the existence of an afterlife, have you considered cryopreservation? There is currently only one facility in Europe that offers a service to freeze you for posterity. Joining Seán to discuss is Dr. Emil Kendziorra, Co-Founder of Tomorrow Bio in Berlin...   Image: Tomorrow Bio

Did you notice that the world just didn't have its head screwed on right during the pandemic? Well, Stuart Jeffries did. From Trump telling people to drink bleach and the party in 10 Downing Street, Stuart covered it all in his book ‘A Short History of Stupidity’. He joins Seán to discuss!

Over the past 3 decades, Florida’s oyster population has declined massively. So much so, that there has been a 5-year ban of harvesting oysters in America. On top of this, wild oysters are functionally extinct around the world. Professor Heather O’Leary, a Professor of Anthropology at St. Petersburg's University wanted to bring this to light in a way that everyone could understand: through jazz! S...

Seán’s guest has just put in a beautiful shiny new kitchen in her house, but it has got her questioning the role of ‘performative prosperity’ in modern Ireland. Are we hanging our identities on superficial things too much? Joining Seán to discuss is Orla McAndrew, a zero waste wedding and event caterer based in Cork…

The speed at which we can communicate in the modern world has many benefits for us all. It keeps us in touch with friends and family abroad, and allows us to access information from all around the world in an instant. But, it can be a little overwhelming. Journalist Niamh O’Reilly decided to try to reach out in a different way at the start of this year: a message in a bottle. And now, she’s had a...

The 2022 invasion of Ukraine pivoted Germany’s once discrete war machine to a star-studded spectacle. With the glamour of an ‘upmarket car showroom’, a new shell factory (which will produce 350,000 shells annually) was launched using dry ice and a laser show. Is this odd display of German militarism part of the zeitgeist? Derek Scally, Berlin Correspondent for the Irish Times, joins Seán to discus...

While most people are unlikely to associate their job with being fun, is there an argument to be made for approaching work in this way? Joining Seán from New York to discuss is Bree Groff, author of ‘Today Was Fun: A Book About Work (Seriously)’...

Karen Sugrue is the Co-Chair of Mammies for Trans Rights, and she joins Seán to talk about the struggles and fear she has been facing, as she notices a shift in attitudes about her children…