Highlights from Moncrieff

‘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'...

Feeling exhausted and lethargic can be caused by many things such as lack of sleep, being overworked or having a busy schedule, but for Ellen Troy, feeling tired for no reason became the norm for her until she discovered she had the ‘Celtic Curse' or the medical term known as ‘Haemochromatosis'. So what exactly is it? Joining guest host Tom Dunne to discuss is Aontú Cllr on Fingal County Council, Ellen Troy…

Michelle Obama says no one should see turning 35 as a deadline for marriage or success. So, what should you have done before that time comes around?Henry McKean has been asking the public, and joins guest host Tom Dunne to discuss.

Artist Becky Gilmour is travelling the Wild Atlantic Way - on a skateboard! She has been skating the West coast to raise funds and awareness for suicide prevention...She joins Seán to discuss!

‘All's Fair', the new legal drama starring Kim Kardashian and Glenn Close, has been renewed for a second series after receiving the worst critical reviews of the year. Despite this critical panning, it became the biggest Hulu Original scripted series to premiere in three years, and went straight to number 1 on Disney Plus.So, why exactly do we love terrible television?Joining Seán to discuss is Jessica Shine, from the Media Communications Department of Munster Technological University…Image: Hulu

We're all curious about each other's sex lives… is everyone really having more sex than you?And are dry spells normal or even encouraged? One Australian chat show ruffled feathers when a host admitted he had only ever had a dry spell of a month, while his coworkers had gone abstinent for much longer…So, is there a normal balance?Mary O'Conor, Psychosexual Therapist and the voice behind the Dear Mary Column in the Sunday Independent joins Seán to discuss.

Are kettles disappearing from our kitchens? The invention of the hot tap and the popularity of minimalist interior design has created a debate on whether a cup of tea is nicer from the traditional kettle or the same.Joining Seám to discuss is Interiors Columnist, Jennifer Sheahan…

A lot of people have been noticing mushrooms popping up on their lawns lately, with the mix of frosty and mild weather contributing to their abundance. But, what can be done about them, and will they destroy your lawn?Joining Seán to discuss is Mycophagist Bill O'Dea…

On December 1st, Dublin City will be hosting its first ever World AIDS Day Festival. To mark the occasion, Seán is joined by Robbie Lawlor, who is one of the organisers, to chat about the importance of HIV testing.

New research has found that we lose up to three days a year searching for where we parked our cars. So, why do we forget, and how can we improve our memories? Joining Seán to discuss is Memory Expert, Dr. Gillian Murphy, from UCC.

Can you really teach empathy?The University of Galway have developed a module on empathy, which they are looking to have rolled out in classrooms to assist teachers help Transition Year students learn the vital life skills of empathy.But, what is it all about?Dr Charlotte Silke is the Lead Researcher with Unesco Child and Family Research Centre, and joins Seán to discuss.

Bank of Ireland is going to offer what they call a ‘trading down' loan, also known as a bridging loan. What's significant about this, is that this is the first time a major bank has offered this product since the boom times…It begs the question, even in a cost of living crisis: is the boom back?Henry McKean has been investigating, and joins Seán to discuss.

Every Christmas, for no apparent reason, there's something that your kids will really want. These kinds of fads happen all the time in the digital age, but before the world wide web, Cabbage Patch Kids became a huge craze around the festive season.Joining Seán to discuss is Greg McKevitt, Journalist with The BBC.Image: Cabbage Patch Kids

“But what can I do?” That could be the refrain of our whole generation.We're faced with largescale problems and existential issues, but most don't think we have the power to do anything about them, so how can we really bring about change?Michael Brownstein is Professor of Philosophy at the City University of New York (CUNY) and co-author of ‘Somebody Should Do Something: How Anyone Can Help Create Social Change'. He joins Seán to discuss.

When you buy a cheap garment, how long do you actually expect it to last?Valerie Flynn, of The Journal Investigates, has been running some tests, and joins Seán to discuss.

A survey of 7000 mothers by NBC television in the United States has found that mums who have more than 4 kids have lower stress levels than those with fewer children.Joining Seán to discuss this is Emma Lewis, of @EightLittleLewisKids on Instagram, from Co. Down…

Have you ever seen a photo of yourself and thought “I look amazing?” - chances are low, and for many people, getting photos taken is awkward and embarrassing…And, whether you're out for dinner in a big group or on holidays, often you might be very critical of photos of yourself.But why? And do we need to embrace the so-called vanity?Irish Independent Columnist, Tanya Sweeney, joins Seán to discuss.

It has been announced that a question regarding sexual orientation will appear on our next census, in 2027, for the first time. But, why is this required, and how will it work in practice?Joining Seán to discuss is Pádraig Rice, a Social Democrat TD for Cork South Central and Health Spokesperson for the Social Democrats…

We've all been told about the risks of AI taking jobs away from employees.But is there also a risk for the employers in overuse of AI and allowing it to make decisions in the recruitment process?Michelle Murphy is Director at Collins McNicholas Recruitment Agency, and joins Seán to discuss.

303 schoolchildren and 12 teachers were kidnapped by gunmen from St. Mary's School, a Catholic institution in a very remote part of the north west of Nigeria, over the weekend.The school is managed by the Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles, and Seán is joined by their Congressional Leader, Donegal native Sister Mary Barron, to discuss…

Thursday will be the one year anniversary of the Israel and Lebanon ceasefire agreement.But, this has been far from a peaceful year for Lebanese people…Sally Hayden has been living in Beirut, and recently visited the South of the country where daily life is still dictated by fear of the IDF. She joins Seán to discuss.

For a relatively small country, Ireland has had its fair share of mainstream international success in the music business over the years: U2, Van Morrison, Westlife, Thin Lizzy. These have all been familiar to radio listeners around the world for decades.But, an article in The Guardian on Friday suggested that we now have the world's best alternative music scene. Is that true?Dylan Murphy is a Music Journalist and Host of the ‘Mabfield' podcast. He joins Seán to discuss.

Things can feel heightened this time of year, as the run up to Christmas leads to forced cheeriness and merriment, but for so many people, it is also the most difficult time if you are grieving or lonely…Author and artist Victoria Mary Clarke joins Seán to discuss.If any of this has affected you: you can avail of the Samaritans 24/7 Freephone Helpline - 116 123, or you can go online to alone.ie.

Seán's guest spent two weeks aboard the Neoliner Origin, the world's largest sailing cargo ship, for its maiden voyage from France to the US. But, could sail replace crude oil to power the world's cargo vessels?Joining to discuss is Environmental Journalist and author of the upcoming book ‘Present Tense: How we reckon with the end of the world', Michaela Cavanagh.

How does Ireland's deportation system actually work?Joining Seán to discuss is Cormac O'Keefe, Security Correspondent with the Irish Examiner, who got a rare inside look into how the process actually works…

If you're in a relationship, and aren't really feeling that person a Christmas present, is this the best time to dump them? Do you have a breakup story around this time of year?Newstalk's Henry McKean has been asking the public, and joins Seán to discuss.

Can you be a unionist and be in favour of a United Ireland?Well Seán's guest certainly was a unionist, and has written a book called ‘The Irish Unity Dividend'.Ben Collins joins to discuss.

Golden toilets have been hitting the headlines recently, with Zelensky's Chief of Staff under pressure after detectives found a golden toilet bowl in his lavish bathroom, while another gold toilet was sold for more than 10 million euros at auction last week…But, what is it about solid gold toilets that the rich and famous love so much?And, does Trump use a golden loo himself?Pip Rich is the Editor of Living Etcetera Magazine. He joins Seán to discuss.

Seán's guest arrived in Antarctica at the height of the Covid pandemic. Part of her role as a Doctor was to try and keep Antarctica as the last continent on earth that was free from the disease. Now, her experiences are being told in a brand new podcast series entitled ‘The Coldest Shift'.Joining to discuss is Rachel Varnam, former Medical Officer with the British Antarctic Survey…Image: Audioboom

The Italian Minister of Agriculture has called for an “immediate investigation” after he discovered a supermarket in Brussels selling jars of pre-made carbonara sauce containing pancetta and cream. So, why is he so upset?Joining Seán to discuss is Luca Di Marzio, owner of Rosa Madre Restaurant in Dublin…

Seán's guest stopped straightening her hair a number of years ago and began to grow it out. Now, the Guinness World Records has just certified that she has the world's largest afro.Jess Martinez joins to discuss!

A new documentary ‘Testimony' is out in cinemas today, and tells the compelling stories of the survivors of the Magdalene laundry, in their own words…Filmmaker Aoife Kelleher has spent years making this film, and joins Seán to discuss.

Around 500 million years ago, animals first ventured out of the oceans and onto land…Since then, life has evolved in wondrous and unforeseeable ways to this new environment, with everything from dinosaurs to bats roaming around above the waves. And, in the case of ourselves, even venturing into orbit.So, could life entering the cosmos be the beginning of a similar evolutionary leap?Caleb Sharf, Astrobiologist with NASA and author of ‘The Giant Leap: Why Space Is the Next Frontier in the Evolution of Life', joins Seán to discuss.

Today is World Philosophy Day. Seán's guest believes that philosophy should be taught in Irish schools, just as it is in Italy, France and Germany, but why?Vittorio Bufacchi, from the Philosophy Department at University College Cork, joins to discuss…

Endurance swimmer Daragh Morgan has been making headlines as the first person to swim around Ireland. The feat took 338 hours over the course of 5 months to achieve…Daragh joins Seán to discuss his incredible achievement, and why he did it.

There's a new authorised biography on Monty Python star Terry Jones: ‘Seriously Silly: The Life of Terry Jones'. The comedy legend's biography features contributions from all of the surviving Pythons.Joining Seán to discuss is author Robert Ross, a personal friend of Terry's, and now also his Biographer.

The Republic of Ireland are playing the Czech Republic on March 26th in a World Cup play off, which makes us want to go down memory lane…Are you jumping on the bandwagon?Newstalk's Henry McKean has been out asking the public, and joins Seán to discuss.

As the cold weather starts to bite, many listeners will be reaching for their winter woolies, but with complex labelling, how can you know if what you're buying is genuinely wool rich, and how exactly should you care for your woolen garments? Joining guest host Fionnuala Jones to discuss is Environmental Activist Moya Doogan, who runs the @environmentaleadai sustainable fashion media account…

The 26th year of the IFI French Film Festival kicks off today, featuring 22 Irish premieres and 34 titles across the twelve days. But, what else can people expect at Ireland's largest French cultural event?Joining guest host Fionnuala Jones to discuss is David O'Mahoney, Head of Cinema Programming at the Irish Film Institute.Image: IFI

Are Irish fizzy drinks having a revival? Ali Dunworth, Food and Drinks Writer, and author of ‘A Compendium of Irish Pints', seems to think that minerals are back and on the up.Ali joins guest host Fionnuala Jones to discuss.