Highlights from Moncrieff

What is a film inside a film, and do you remember some of the movies that characters in famous Christmas films were watching?Home Alone and The Holiday are just some of the films which have fake movies, and Lynn Fisher has created a special database of these fake movies: Nestflix.Lynn joins Seán to discuss.

Renowned Chef Dean Diplock, joins Seán to talk about the national obsession of his home country of South Africa: barbequing, and whether or not you should barbeque your Christmas turkey!

According to Grindr's end of year ‘Unwrapped' data, Ireland has the highest percentage of bears in the world. No, not the ones that eat honey.Joining Seán to discuss is Neal O'Hara, Chairman of Dublin Bears!

Seán is joined by one of Ireland's most influential poets, Paula Meehan. With a career spanning decades, Paula's work has consistently explored themes of home, belonging, and marginalisation, speaking for those often left unheard.Born in Dublin, she grew up in the tenements and has used her poetry to give voice to the dispossessed.Paula is speaking at Other Voices, held in the Guiness storehouse on Tuesday the 16th of December: an evening of songs, stories and spoken word, all curated around the theme of ‘Home'.

A group of locals on Valentia Island are seeking permission to refurbish the old First Message Building and Cable Station in order to strengthen their case for it to be a UNESCO World Heritage site.Lucian Horvat, from the Valentia Island Development Company, joins to discuss.

Christmas time wouldn't be complete without the festive shop window displays. Seán's guest's grandfather led the design and construction of Gimbel's Christmas window displays in the 1940s. The department store has become a hallmark of the holiday season, featured in classics like ‘Elf', and ‘Miracle on 34th Street'.Emer Roche joins to discuss!

According to a piece in the Huffington Post, American tourists can be spotted abroad because they are the ones scoffing at their food and not sitting down to relax while enjoying a meal in a restaurant...But, are we as bad here, are we all wolfing down our food way too fast?Registered Dietician Aoife Quinn joins Seán to discuss.

Is it better to get no present than to get a bad one? What's the drama behind Kris Kindle?Henry McKean has been asking the public about the politics of gift giving, and joins Seán to discuss.

As energy prices continue to rise and questions are raised over energy supply, it's being wondered if Ireland should explore nuclear power. To discuss this, Seán is joined by Co-Founder of 18 for 0, Denis Duff, and Barrister and Environmental Campaigner, Neil McCann.

Author Glenn Kurtz is out with a brand-new book chronicling the lives of the men who built the Empire State Building: ‘Men at Work: The Empire State Building and the Untold Story of the Craftsmen who Built It'.He joins Seán to discuss!

With drink-spiking incidents expected to rise over the Christmas party season, the Government is considering new hospital testing protocols. Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan says talks with the Health Minister will focus on ensuring suspected cases are quickly identified, tested, and properly investigated.Joining Seán to discuss this is Dola Twomey of Safe Gigs Ireland.

When was the last time you backed up your data?New research shows that the majority of small businesses in Ireland don't have any plan in place to avoid or deal with a cyberhack, and with all of us booking GP and hair appointments online, should we be worried? Dr Hazel Murray, Chair of Cybersecurity at Munster Technical University, joins Seán to discuss.

Eileen Harkin has fostered 27 children so far. This remarkable woman became involved in foster care as a child, when her own mother began taking in children. Eileen joins Seán to tell more about her experience.

Fianna Fáil TD, Peter ‘Chap' Cleere, joins Seán to discuss his new proposal to give 18-year-olds access to a ‘culture card', allowing them to spend €100 on cultural and sporting events.

Renewed fighting on the Cambodian-Thai border has displaced thousands and shut down schools in some of Cambodia's poorest provinces. Irish development workers warn that the unrest threatens decades of progress, and the education of the country's most vulnerable children…Colm Byrne, CEO of Irish-Cambodian education development NGO, SeeBeyondBorders Ireland and former teacher from Portmarnock joins Seán to discuss.Image: Reuters

There are now a number of organisations across Ireland providing professional Christmas tree styling services. But, how does it work?Joining guest host Fionnuala Jones to discuss is Arlene McIntyre, Creative Director of Ventura Design in Dublin…

Bobbie Hickey is fully blind, and she has been writing about the simple things that make the world more accessible, and actually improve things for all of us whether you've got additional needs or not, like dipped curbs on pavements...Yesterday, she had surgery to begin the process of receiving an artificial eye…She joins Seán from hospital to discuss.

Have young people's addiction to their phone gone too far? As Australia prepares to remove access to social media for anyone under the age of 16, several countries are reckoning with dangers of unsupervised internet access. Thus, the ‘Smartphone Free Childhood Ireland' association was born. Starter phones, location tracking devices and even landlines, anything goes to stall the arrival of the smartphone into their lives.Dave Corkery, Marketer, Podcaster and member of Smartphone Free Childhood Ireland has yet to introduce his children to smartphones and welcomes this new movement. He joins Seán to discuss.

Irish dance halls have been a cornerstone of social life, bringing communities together and sometimes sparking generational debate.The 1935 Public Dance Hall Act formalised these spaces, placing them under state and Church oversight.In Donegal, Edwina Guckian's ‘The Devil's in the Dancehall' brings this history to life, blending theatre with traditional dance and inviting audiences to take part in an immersive experience. She joins Seán to discuss.

The Director of the Heritage Foundation, the group responsible for much of Trump's agenda, says in the Telegraph today “There's sure as hell not going to be a return to old Republicanism…”So, is Trumpism here to stay? Or will the GOP revert to old-fashioned Republicanism once Trump leaves office in 2029?Joining Seán to discuss is Scott Lucas, Professor of International Politics at the Clinton Institute, University College Dublin.Image: Reuters

Over the past year or two there has been an enormous increase in religious AI chatbots, some even taking on the role of an Almighty. But, what are the ethical implications of this type of technology?Joining Seán to discuss this is Dr. Lyndon Drake, a research fellow at the University of Oxford, who studies theological ethics and artificial intelligence…

Where did the staple of modern Irish cuisine, the spice bag, come from? And, where is it going? Dr. John Mulcahy, from Technological University Dublin, School of Culinary Arts & Food Technology, joins guest host Fionnuala Jones to discuss!

We generally think of Christmas as a happy time of merriment with family and friends, but of course, it can also be quite stressful.There is shopping to do, dinners to organise and so many visits and events to fit in that sometimes it can all be a little overwhelming…But fear not! Fionnuala Jones' guest has used a scientific formula to create the world's happiest playlist that will keep you smiling throughout.Claire Renfrew, Chartered Psychologist specialising in Music Psychology, joins to discuss.

Author and Founder of the advocacy group Black and Irish, Leon Diop, joins guest host Fionnuala Jones to discuss his new memoir ‘Mixed Up: An Irish Boy's Journey to Belonging', telling the story of his mixed-race childhood in Ireland.

Modern dating is chaotic and so too is the latest trend, micro-compatibilities. Apparently, we should be taking note of our partner's shops, or what time they arrive at the airport, because the little things could end up causing big problems down the line…Joining guest host Fionnuala Jones is a leading dating coach, Frances Kelleher, to break down what's really going on here...

Today's word of the year for 2025 is ‘ragebait', content designed to spark outrage and keep us clicking. But, with anger now driving so much of our online life, is letting our anger out healthy, or are we feeding a cycle that leaves us more stressed and divided?Joining guest host Fionnuala Jones to discuss is Dr Malie Coyne, Clinical Psychologist and author.

We may all think of Oscar Wilde as a talented writer and gay icon, but what's less known is his lifelong interest in converting to Catholicism.Mary Kenny, Journalist and Columnist for the Irish Independent, joins guest host Fionnuala Jones to discuss this more obscure aspect of Wilde's life…

Galway man Daragh MacLoughlin will be attempting to row across the Atlantic as part of the World's Toughest Row race. He'll be setting out on his 4,800 km journey on December 12th, but joins Seán from his starting point in the Canary Islands ahead of his epic voyage…

For most people, being caught in a war zone with no weapon would be the stuff of nightmares, but for Pulitzer prize-winning Photojournalist Lynsey Addario, that is a basic element of her job…Lynsey is the subject of a new documentary called ‘Love+War', and joins Seán to discuss.

With the prospect of American Ozempic-style drugs coming on the market for dogs and cats, just how big a problem is pet obesity in Ireland?Joining Seán to discuss is Pete Wedderburn, aka Pete the Vet…

Have a discussion about climate change in Ireland and almost certainly at some point someone will make the argument that what we do here is too small to matter...Is there a certain validity to that viewpoint?Hannah Daly is Professor of Sustainable Energy at UCC, and joins Seán to discuss.

This Friday, most Office Christmas parties are taking place across Ireland. But have we learned anything from last year? The heavy drinking, the inappropriate hugging, the awkward moment on Monday morning when you had to face the person you snogged?Newstalk's Henry McKean has been asking the public for their stories, and joins Seán to discuss.

Apart from the ticker tape ads on the sides of pitches, you may also have noticed an increase in digital billboards in public spaces. This is leading to increasing alarm as to their impact on local residents and wildlife due to their brightness.Joining Seán to discuss is Dublin City Councillor, Mannix Flynn.Image: True Impact Media

Do you believe in ghosts?And what does it really take to be convinced of paranormal stories?Danny Robins has been treating ghost stories like a detective in his BBC podcast 'Uncanny' in which he examines everything from UFOs to ghostly encounters balancing skepticism and belief. Now, he will be taking it to the Bord Gáis with 'Uncanny: Fear of the Dark'.So, why are we more intrigued than ever?Danny joins Seán to discuss...Image: Bord Gáis Energy Theatre

You know what it's like, this time of year is full of Christmas catch-ups and meeting the gang for the annual get together, but are we overcommitting?Do we need to stop making promises to go for pints if we actually don't want to, or will we end up just cancelling at the last minute anyway?Helen Vaughan, Psychotherapist at The Coast Counselling at Malahide joins Seán to discuss.

A recent poll has claimed to have settled once and for all that ‘Die Hard', the Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman action classic, is definitively not a Christmas film…Joining Seán to argue the case for ‘Die Hard' as a Christmas classic is Journalist, Columnist, and Broadcaster, Esther McCarthy.

According to a new UN study, Jakarta has now overtaken Tokyo as the world's most populous city. But, what is it actually like living in the Indonesian capital?Joining Seán to discuss is Barry Dunning, an Irishman who spent a number of years living there…

Ireland's oldest cat has finally been carbon dated, allowing a more accurate picture of our ancient ecology.Joining Seán to discuss is Dr. Marion Dowd, Archaeologist at Atlantic Technological University in Sligo…

Why are boomers addicted to junk? The Daily Mail has been writing about this, and the frustrations facing children worried about what clutter they'll be inheriting!Joining Seán to discuss this is Architect Róisín Murphy.

‘Rage bait' has been named the official Oxford word of 2025 after language experts noticed its usage has tripled this year. The word is a sign of the times and follows in the footsteps of words like ‘BRAT', ‘Manifestation', ‘cooking' or ‘sus' mostly used on online platforms.University of Limerick Linguist Dr Gail Flanagan joins guest host Tom Dunne to discuss how words become word of the year, and what this year's victor says about our relationship to the internet…

Are pop stars to blame for a resurgence in smoking? When pop stars like Charli XCX and Sabrina Carpenter use them in music videos or magazines, or any type of promotional content, they're bound to creep back into the hands of Gen Z fans, right?That's the thoughts of Medical Doctor Maire Treasa Ní Cheallaigh, who joins guest host Tom Dunne to discuss.

With next year's World Cup on the horizon, a new book explores the impact of the world's largest sporting event, from its effect on culture to its political and social role. Joining guest host Tom Dunne to discuss is Simon Kuper, Financial Times Writer and author of ‘World Cup Fever: A Footballing Journey in Nice Tournaments'...