Lunchtime Live

For this week’s Ask Me Anything, Dr. Orla Cahill, Microbiologist in TU Dublin Allergen Management, Immunology and Food Management, Orla joined Andrea to answer your questions on what a microbiologist does!   

Nowadays, many adults are living at home longer and families are squeezed under one roof.  With this new dynamic, how should we navigate these relationships, from a parent and child perspective?  Andrea heard from writer, broadcaster and comedy storyteller Barbara Scully and listeners on if they believe parenting gets easier as children get older.  

Bar work is a face-paced and vibrant industry. But what life skills can you learn from working behind a bar?   Andrea was joined by personal trainer JJ Lipsett, Tomás who is the director and barman at The Liberty Belle pub. Also joining Andrea was bartender Caoimhe Ní Dhubhgaill to talk about their experience behind the bar.  

News editor for music and entertainment in Bauer Media Laura Donnelly joined Andrea with a roundup of some of the stories from across the country this week. 

A football club in Limerick has reminded parents to “keep your mouths closed and respect the referees”, unless they want to become referees themselves.   Moyross Utd Football Club shared the reminder after witnessing the behaviour of some parents who attend matches to watch their children play.  So, do adults need to learn how to behave on the sidelines? Joining Andrea to discuss is...

Where do you start when you’re trying to find the perfect rug for your room? And what do you need to consider? When you’re buying furniture for the home, are you ever thinking about how it will look exactly in your home? And what is feng shui anyway? This week, the Home Squad are here to give tips on furniture placement! Joining Clare McKenna to discuss is Jenny Sheehan (@workerscottage on Instagr...

Richelle Flanagan was diagnosed with young onset Parkinson’s disease 10 years ago, she thought she would no longer be able to play hockey. Yet in August she pulled on the green jersey once again to play in the Masters World Cup in Belgium. She may struggle to type and text, but put a hockey stick into her hand, and nobody would know she has a neurodegenerative disorder. Richelle joins Clare McKenn...

How many coffees do you have a day? While many people start their mornings with a cup of coffee, some are able to swallow several espressos throughout the day, with others reduced to decaf to calm their nerves. So, just why does coffee give some people a buzz and not others? Joining guest host Clare McKenna to discuss is Registered Dietician at Orla Walsh Nutrition, Orla Walsh and Oliver from Wall...

We’ve decided to do a deep dive on some of our favourite albums and artists to explore the stories behind them. What did artists really think of each other? Where did the inspirations from the songs come from? Joining guest host Clare McKenna to discuss is Danny McElhinney - Music journalist Irish Mail on Sunday, who’s going to talk through the life and work of Roxy Music!

Car parks cater to different groups; we have family and disabled spaces, but do we also need age-friendly spaces? Joining guest host Clare McKenna to discuss is Ursula Hough Gormley, who wrote in to the Irish Times today about her parking experiences, Town planner Derek Whyte and listeners.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed banning children under 13 from accessing social media, online games and chatbots.   Minister for Arts, Culture, Communications, Media and Sport Patrick O'Donovan joined Andrea to discuss the proposed social media restrictions. Andrea also heard our listeners thoughts.

Lunchtime Live's Reasons to be Happy looks at some of the news stories that you might have missed that will leave you feeling more optimistic. 98FM’s Cathal O’Sullivan joined Andrea in the studio to put a smile on your faces…

All of Ed Sheeran’s support acts have pulled out of his remaining US tour ‘The Loop’. This includes Irish artists Aaron Rowe, Beoga and Irish-American artist Finneas. This comes after Macklemore was dropped from the Tour after making pro-Palestinian remarks during a New Jersey show... So, should politics hold a place in art, and can you separate art from the artist? Joining Andrea to discuss is Al...

Every Wednesday afternoon, we’ll be talking Making Babies. Andrea will be joined by Professor Shane Higgins, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, to cover every area of trying to have a baby. From the very start of knowing how to prepare, right up to pregnancy – and all the bumps in the road in between. This week, Shane joins Andrea to discuss what checks are made after birth.

Joanne Farrell’s son Kaiden was brutally assaulted by a gang in an unprovoked attack in County Kildare last month. She joins Andrea to go back to that night and discuss what exactly happened…

For this week’s Ask the Expert, Andrea is joined by Blake Boland, Spokesperson with Dublin Bus, to answer any of your bus-related questions!

Hannah Leonard, a young woman from County Wicklow, suffered catastrophic brain injuries after being hit by a car while out jogging in Sicily in 2024. She is finally returning to her home in Bray this week. Hannah’s dad Kevin joins Andrea to discuss…

Yesterday, Andrea spoke to TJ Hegarty, Founder of online maths school Breakthrough Maths, who said that 85% of students say they use ChatGPT to do their homework… A study from UL has also revealed that ‘short bursts’ of homework are better than long assignments. So, do we need to rethink our homework approach? Joining Andrea to discuss is Ollwyn Moran, Neurodevelopmental Therapist & Founder of...

‘Up Close with Oprah Winfrey’ took place last night in the 3Arena, not only marking Oprah’s first show in Ireland, but her first time in general visiting! So, how was it? Did you go? Joining Andrea to discuss is Georgie Crawford, creator of the ‘Good Glow’ & podcaster,  Consultant Endocrinologist Dr. Mary Ryan and Professor Katriona O'Sullivan, author of ‘Poor’.

Payments to homeowners for selling solar power back to the electricity grid may be phased out. This comes after the Netherlands has said it is scrapping its energy credit system. Energy providers pay between 15.89c to 19.5c per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for electricity supplied to them from homeowners with solar panels. If you have solar panels, what do you think of them? Would you recommend them? Or do...

Katie Gallagher, Spin News Anchor, has her finger on the pulse for what’s happening and she joins Andrea with the things you don’t want to miss this week! Image: Paramount Plus

It’s time for Ask the Medic! Where an expert joins to answer any of your health-related questions. This week, Andrea is joined by Dr Niall Breen from the Portmarnock GP Clinic to answer your medical questions!

The Oasis for Slane rumours are picking up pace as the band are expected to unveil 2027 tour dates today at 4pm… Do you believe the rumours, and how excited would you be to see the band return to perform at Slane? Joining Andrea to discuss is Danny McElhinney, Music Journalist with the Irish Mail on Sunday, Gareth Dunleavy, Curator of Oasis WTS and listeners.

The parents of a young teenager who has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of Motor Neuron Disease (MND) are appealing for global information on any treatment which may prolong his life. 15-year-old Kyle Kane was diagnosed with the degenerative condition last week, and was given a devastating prognosis… Kyle’s mother Linda joins Andrea to discuss.

US President Donald Trump has dismissed concerns raised about AI being too powerful. This comes as warnings from industry insiders that the technology has a mind of its own, with Ireland amongst the countries that uses AI the most... So, are you worried about AI, or is it a useful tool in life? Professor Barry O'Sullivan from the School of Computer Science & IT in University College Cork, Toma...