Highlights from Moncrieff

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

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!

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.

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.

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 Keegan is a Photographer in this situation, and joins Seán to highlight the hidden housing problem…

As Ireland looks ahead to the next presidential election, we face an important question: what role should the President play in public life?Traditionally, the office was seen as largely ceremonial, but in recent years, Irish Presidents have taken a more outspoken role on both national and international issues.Some praise this as a fundamental approach, while others argue it risks blurring the boundaries between politics and the Presidency.Joining Seán to discuss is Laura Cahillane, who is a Professor at the School of Law at the University of Limerick…

The University of Galway has unveiled a new digital archive revealing what life was like in an internment camp in the 1970s. The journals and photo albums were given to the college by Paddy McMenamin, who spent time in Long Kesh…Archivist at the University of Galway Library, Dr Barry Houlihan has been pivotal in collating the material, and joins Seán to discuss.Image: University of Galway

Seán's guest is a multimillion bestselling author. Her recent book ‘The Women', based during the Vietnam War and examining the role of American women in the conflict, was a huge success, with Warner Brothers buying up the filming rights. Other listeners will know her work from the hit Netflix show ‘Firefly Lane' starring Katherine Heigl.Author Kristin Hannah joins to discuss!

Over the past couple of months, a number of high profile corporate executives have either been fired or resigned over romances with their employees. But, what rules exist in Ireland in this area?Joining Seán to discuss is Julie Galbraith, Head of Employment at Eversheds Sutherland law firm…

Around 60,000 kids from around Ireland started school for the first time recently. We decided to follow junior infants from their first day and then recheck on them to see how they got on.Henry McKean joins Seán to share what he heard!

The Irish Government is once again being urged to prioritise the Occupied Territories Bill.This comes as a report was released today, signed by 80 humanitarian and faith-based organisations, saying that a ban on services must be included in the bill.Joining Seán to discuss this is Conor O'Neill, Head of Policy and Advocacy at Christian Aid Ireland and Spokesperson for the campaign to pass the Occupied Territories Bill.

Marking the return of the Galway Comedy Festival, which takes place this October Bank Holiday, Seán is joined by Comedian Phill Jupitus!Image: Off the Kerb Productions

Ireland isn't exactly overflowing with world champions, but we could potentially have a new one next week…Emma Quirke is the world's 3rd best Dissectologist, and a hot prospect at next week's World Jigsaw Puzzle Championship!She joins Seán to discuss.

NASA's Perseverance Rover has been on Mars since February 2021.Its mission is to seek signs of ancient life and collect samples of rock and regolith for possible return to Earth, and NASA announced on Wednesday night that it seems to have discovered something very interesting indeed…Dr. Seán Jordan is Principal Investigator in the ProtoSigns Lab & Associate Professor in Biogeochemistry and Astrobiology at Dublin City University. He joins Seán to discuss.

Have you heard the term ‘Shrekking' before?It seems to be the latest buzzword in dating, where women go on dates with men they consider to be much less attractive in a bid to be treated better…But, does dating someone ‘uglier' actually work?Fiona Cooney writes a dating column for Evoke.ie, ‘No Sex and The City' and she joins Seán to discuss.

While you might love the precision pressure of a massage, would you surrender your body to the tentacles of a robot masseuse? This is exactly what Seán's guest has done…Madeleine Aggeler, Lifestyle and Wellness Reporter for Guardian US, joins to discuss.

Ireland's biggest sculpture event, Sculpture in Context, is currently taking place at the Botanic Gardens in north Dublin, with all the pieces located outdoors. But how different is outdoor sculpture to indoor work? Joining me now is artist Roisin de Buitlear, who is exhibiting at the event…

Offices can be notorious places for passive aggressive behaviour, as can people's homes. But, can this type of action ever be truly effective?Journalist Gwen Loughman has been writing about this in The Journal, and joins Seán to discuss.

It was 160 years ago when President Abraham Lincoln was shot dead in a theatre in Washington DC. However, it took 12 days for this news to arrive in Europe. What is little known is the crucial role that three men in Cork played in the communication of this global news…Joining Seán to discuss is Jo Kerrigan, author of ‘Stories from the Sea'...

The Global Sumud Flotilla, which is currently sailing through international waters towards the shores of Gaza in an attempt to break Israel's illegal blockade is made up of dozens of boats.One of those boats is the Shireen, a legal support boat, but what does a legal support boat do exactly?Leigh Brosnan is an Asylum Barrister based in Dublin and a member of Irish Lawyers for Palestine. She is on board the Shireen now, and joins Seán to discuss.Image: Freedom Flotilla

An underground metro service, a city centre lido - many impressive proposals have been suggested to transform life in the capital.But while we wait for the finances, resourcing and energy to make such major projects happen, what smaller developments would make a big difference to Dublin city?Newstalk's Sarah Madden reports.

While a garden pond might be something nice to look at, they are also a bountiful source for biodiversity. But, how do you build one, and what assistance is available from local authorities?Joining Seán to discuss is Alan O'Reilly from Carlow Weather, who is this week marking the one year anniversary of his pond project…Image: @CarlowWeather on Twitter

"Behind every great man is a great woman" - or so goes the old cliché. Historically, the wives behind great men in history end up proving themselves to be even greater, but, because they were women, they didn't get that recognition.Nicola Pierce, author of 'Great Irish Wives: Remarkable Lives from History' has been digging into the history of some of these women, and joins Seán to discuss.

A scheme which offers free party kits for children's birthdays has been rolled out across the country. But, how does it work?Joining Seán to discuss is Sharon Kielthy, Founder of Jiminy Eco Toys, who kickstarted the Party Kit Network in Ireland…Image: Party Kit Network

You might have noticed that most new apartment blocks around the country are covered in balconies. But, are these mandated by councils, and at what cost? Do we really need them in a country where it rains so much?Joining Seán to discuss is Seán O'Neill McPartlin, Director of Housing Policy at Progress Ireland…

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 Australia, countries on the extreme east of the map, as we understand it, also part of “The West”?Georgios Varouxakis is Professor in History of Political Thought at Queen Mary University of London and author of ‘The West: The History of an Idea'. He joins Seán to discuss.

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 collection of 10 spoken poems with music by Myles O'Reilly.So what's it like to jam with the President? Myles O'Reilly joins Seán to discuss.

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.

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 last 30 years?Diarmaid Ferriter 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 that the EU has committed to upholding?Brian Honan, Chief Executive of BH Consulting, an independent advisory firm on cybersecurity and privacy based in Dublin, joins Seán to discuss.

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…

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.

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 went on to make a documentary about the device and the making of it, and joins Seán to discuss.

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 McLaughlan is a Consultant Psychiatrist at Priory and Co-Founder of Curb health. He joins Seán to discuss.

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.

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