Moncrieff

Faten Alsourani left Gaza to come and study in Ireland, and continues to work here today. However, she still has family living in Gaza, including her mother, sister, nieces and nephews. Every day she deals with what she describes as “survivor’s guilt”, living safely in Ireland while her close family are forced to face daily bombardment and famine… Faten joins Seán to discuss…

The Marie Keating Foundation is trying to raise awareness around prostate cancer, including how you now only need to take a blood test to check for it - “no bum hole needed”! To discuss further, Seán is joined by Henry McKean.

While the number of families choosing to homeschool their children has risen over the past few years, does the national curriculum matter for these kids, or are they not obliged to follow it at all? Joining Seán to discuss is Catherine Monahan, a former home educator, who homeschooled her son through the entirety of his primary and secondary years…

It's road bowling season, and a major international event: the King and Queen of the Roads just wrapped up. One of the event organisers, Séamus Ó Tuama, joins Seán to discuss how it went!

A couple from the UK have been banned from Venice after they were caught swimming in the Grand Canal. They were spotted by gondoliers and reported to police, for which they were fined €450 and banned from the city for 48 hours. Swimming in the city’s 150 canals is prohibited, but that has not stopped people from doing it. This has reignited anger among locals, who are calling for fines to be highe...

‘Extended Reality’ is the new coming of age thing at the Venice Film Festival. The Venice immersive section of the Venice International Film Festival is dedicated entirely to immersive arts and media, but what exactly is it? Michel Reilhac is Founder of Venice Immersive, and joins Seán to discuss. Image: La Biennale di Venezia

Is an adult-only getaway the key to keeping your marriage alive, and where does AI come in? And, how difficult is it for parents of young children to balance friendships along with the rest of the everyday slog? Author Sophie White explores these topics in her Irish Independent columns, as well as her new book ‘Such A Good Couple’. She joins Seán to discuss.

If you've ever been on holiday and found yourself speaking the local language with the waiter a little too well, it may be because of the few drinks you had before that… University of Bath Researcher, Inge Kersbergen, has put to the test the possibility that a little tipple makes you more efficient at speaking a new language, and she’s been awarded the Ig Nobel prize for her work! She joins Seán t...

This Saturday morning will bear witness to a once in every 15 years celestial event, the passage of Titan in front of Saturn, and will be visible from Ireland. Joining Seán to discuss this is Niall Smyth, Head of Research at Munster Technological University and Head of Blackrock Observatory in Cork…

Are young people more consumed with self doubt and a fear of causing offence than other generations? And if so, what can be done to make them more resilient? Joining Seán to discuss is Joe Humphries, Columnist with the Irish Times…

Electronic conveyancing could cut the time taken to buy a home to as little as four weeks. Secure, paperless and electronic conveyancing processes would save costs, cut red tape and reduce stress of house sales. Right now, it can take up to 6 months, sometimes even more to buy and own a house. Joining Seán to discuss is Mike Stack, a Solicitor with digital conveyancing specialists Beam.

Do you dread the hassle of travel? Well, if you’re an Irish passport holder, you may take for granted being able to travel without the panic of a visa. That is not the case if you’re from a country like India, where your passport can often lead to visa issues and airport delays... Azmia Riaz has been writing about her experiences travelling with a ‘bad’ passport and just how inconvenient it really...

A recent survey in the UK shows that over half of college students admit to only being able to cook up to 5 meals – and these include the likes of instant noodles… Should we be equipping our young people with more efficient cooking skills before they fly the nest? Joining Seán to discuss is Darina Allen of Ballymaloe Cookery School, who has written a book on this very topic!

Cover your ears, superstitious listener, because this new generation of parents will cause you to toss all the salt and make you bless yourself into oblivion.  Not only are they finding out the gender of their babies, they're naming them and throwing a pre-birthday party too! Newstalk's Sarah Madden reports on the stupidest trend to reach our shores so far.

When Mondo Duplantis broke the world pole vaulting record this week, attention turned to his unusual ‘claw shoes’... So, what are they, and how do they work? Joining Seán to discuss is Sports Journalist Cathal Dennehy, who is on the ground at the World Championships in Tokyo...

Donald Trump has announced that he will sue the New York Times for 15 billion dollars for alleged defamation. The US President now has several major active lawsuits against media outlets, but what is the reason for his war on the media, and what does it mean for free speech in America? Joining Seán to discuss is Graham Finlay, Lecturer in the School of Politics at UCD…

Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Jerry Greenfield has quit the ice cream maker after almost 50 years at the company; this is over the brand's new ties with Unilever. But, they are not the only company to have had a very public breakup... Joining Seán to chat about some of the more interesting and maybe unknown side of corporate breakups is Conor Pope, Consumer Affairs Correspondent for the Irish Times...

It was almost 50 years ago when the anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko was viciously beaten to death while in custody. His story became the subject of the Richard Attenborough movie ‘Cry Freedom’. Joining Seán to discuss is Dillon Woods, whose father played a key role in bringing the truth of Biko’s murder to light.

A new medical study has found that people who spend time scrolling social media while sitting on the toilet are far more likely to develop hemorrhoids… Joining Seán to untangle this is the GP Brian Higgins.

Extreme temperatures caused by global warming may have caused 16,500 deaths across Europe this summer. New research from the Grantham Institute in the UK has estimated that climate change is likely to be responsible for 68% of additional heat-related deaths. This summer was one of the hottest on record, with temperatures soaring well past 45 degrees celsius in Western Europe, including Spain and I...

A study led by Trinity College has shown improvement in physical activity and social engagement in children with mobility issues when a specially trained mobility assistance dog is introduced. Dr Heather Curtain from Trinity School of Engineering and the Gait Laboratory was the first author of this research, and joins Seán to discuss. Image: Trinity College Dublin

Robert Redford, American actor and Director, has died at the age of 89. Joining Seán to look back on his legacy is Esther McCarthy, Film Critic.

Having completed the Liffey Swim 55 years in a row, Dublin native Derek ‘Bimbo’ Wilkes has once again claimed victory for the first time since 1989. He joins Seán to discuss!

There are now more adults living at home with their parents than ever before... And as the housing crisis deepens, the latest 2022 census data showed that 1 in 5 18 to 50 year olds lived with their parents, while 6 in 10 under 25 are still at home… But for so many people who are stuck in this situation, living with family is their only hope of saving for a deposit and buying their first home. El K...

As ‘Supercar Season’ in London draws to a close, Mark Paul, London Correspondent for the Irish Times, has been prowling the streets of the UK capital’s boujiest streets to get the lowdown on whether or not these priceless imported cars are acting with impunity… He joins Seán to discuss.