Lunchtime Live

Dr Niall Breen from the Portmarnock GP Clinic joined Andrea Gilligan to tackle your medical queries.

New York City congestion charges came into effect over the weekend: a car entering Manhattan can expect to pay up to $9 a day.So, is it time some Irish cities like Dublin introduced congestion charges?Andrea is joined by listeners to discuss.

Some families may have grown during the Christmas break – you may have a new four-legged furry friend competing for space on the sofa! But, how do you make sure that your new pet adjusts to their new home?Dawn Greer, Petmania's Professional Dog Trainer, joins Andrea to discuss.

The idea of getting fit in January is not exactly new.But sometimes, it can seem very unobtainable and just like a lot of work after an exhausting Christmas.So, are there things that can make it a little better?Andrea is joined by John Belton, Owner of No.17 PT, Human Performance and Wellness Coach, to find out!

This is Lunchtime Live’s Big Batch. Every Monday we’ll be learning new easy to cook batch recipes to keep you eating well. No more staring into an open fridge looking for inspiration!This week, Paul Knapp, aka @official_firefightingchef on Instagram, joins Andrea to discuss his recipe for ‘Lentil Mother Sauce’, which you can use for many meals!

Reports this morning show that some-60,000 people across the country are affected by power outages – with some others experiencing problems with their water supply also…Andrea is joined by listeners to hear how they were affected.

The president of the Garda Representative Association (GRA) , Garda Mark O’Meara has warned that ‘Over-zealous’ disciplining has left Gardaí afraid to draw their batons, even when in danger,’  Are our Gardaí equipped to fulfill their role fully – what level of force should they be allowed to use?  Photo: Leon Farrell/© RollingNews.ie

We look ahead now to the big cinema releases of the year – with Pop Culture and Entertainment Expert, Deirdre Molumby. Photo by Pixabay

Angela Collins O’Mahony, Ireland’s first female Steeplejack joins Andrea in studio to answer all of your questions!

From live-saving heroism in Kerry to a village shocked by a spate of cat poisonings, Breakfast Briefing Presenter Shane Beatty joins Andrea with plenty of stories from around the country this week!

A new resource has been created to provide guidance to schools, teachers and parents on how to address the impact of online masculinity influencers like Andrew Tate. Photo by Ron Lach

Planning on doing a bit of home decorating in 2025, but don’t know where to start? Well, the Home Squad is here to help!Jenny Sheahan, Irish Examiner Columnist and ‘Home of the Year’ winner and Sarah Carroll from Sand and Deliver DIY join Andrea to discuss.

You will probably be hearing a lot about New Year’s Resolutions over the next week or two. But, are they even worth making?Andrea is joined by Esther McCarthy, Life/Style Daily Features Editor with the Irish Examiner and Comedian Fiona Frawley to discuss.

Ever wondered what you would say if you met a huge A-lister in real life? What about if one walked into your shop?That happened to Eyebrow Expert, Elaine Simms, who treated ‘Friends’ star Courtney Cox!Elaine, as well as Frank O'Connor, Co-Owner of O’Connors pub in Salthill join Andrea to discuss their celebrity encounters.Image: Warner Bros

Claudia Winkleman returned to our screens last night, with a fresh batch of faithfuls hoping to catch out those dastardly traitors and take home the prize money – but this year with an added twist!Esther McCarthy joined Andrea to discuss what we can expect in this latest edition of traitors as well as former traitors Eamon O’Keefe and Ben

An article in the Irish Examiner today details that school assaults have forced nearly 400 staff to take leave…Sophie Cole is a recent victim of an assault in her classroom leaving her with debilitating pain and nerve damage.Sophie and more join Andrea to discuss.

Every Thursday on Lunchtime Live, Andrea will be joined by followers of different religions in Ireland to learn more about them. This week, she’s joined by Puneet Singh to learn about Sikhism.

It’s all about 1975 for this week’s Throwback Thursday! Ciara Treacy from Newstalk’s Digital Team joins Andrea to discuss the biggest things that happened that year…Image: Universal

Milan has introduced a total ban on smoking outdoors in the city…Those caught lighting up on city streets could face fines of up to €240. So, would you like to see outdoor smoking banned in Ireland?Andrea is joined by listeners, including Tom Gleeson from New Nicotine Alliance Ireland, to discuss.

With Christmas right around the corner - what are your favourite Christmas memories? What traditions do you have with your family, and how are you spending it this year?Joining Andrea to share their favourite festive memories and more is Presenter of the Home Show, Sinead Ryan, Newstalk’s Technology Correspondent Jess Kelly and Today FM’s Cathal Minogue.

It can sometimes be easy to forget, with all the shopping and presents, but Christmas is a Christian holiday.And, while a lot of people might no longer be practicing – many will still attend Mass over the Christmas period.So, should non-religious people attend mass at Christmas?Andrea is joined by listeners to discuss.

Apparently, bingo is the newest old craze among young people!Buzz Bingo owns 82 clubs in the UK – and say they’re expecting record numbers this Christmas because of all the young people going.So, why is it so popular with younger people?Joining Andrea to discuss is Will Meara, CCO of Bingo Loco, John Purcell from Rock Bingo Cork and Emily Keegan from the Newstalk Newsroom.

All this month, Lunchtime Live is doing Christmas specials to give you plenty of time to prepare for the big day, and hopefully batch cook some bits in advance to make Christmas a lot easier!For the last Big Batch of the year, Paul Knapp, aka @thefirefightingchef on Instagram, joins Andrea to discuss how you can cater for vegans and vegetarians at Christmas!

The taxpayer is subsidising 50 private secondary schools by more than €140 million a year, new figures show.What do you think about giving funding to fee paying schools?Should taxpayers be subsidising private schools?Andrea is joined by listeners to discuss.

A huge trend this year online has been hosting and learning how to create a gorgeous table for guests coming around to your house this festive season.And a big part of that is the concept of ‘tablescaping’: landscaping your table for want of a better description!Joining Andrea to discuss how you can do it on a budget is ‘Home of the Year’ star, Jen Connell.

Journalist Niamh O’Reilly has decided she’s pushing back on manspreading with a bit of womanspreading of her own!She joins Andrea to discuss why, and explain what exactly womanspreading entails…

Sinéad O’Connor is in the news today because her Bray home is up for sale, but… should the State buy it to convert it into a music museum?The seafront property is back on the market after the owners were blocked from turning it into apartments.Now, fans want to buy it and transform the six-bedroom home, where Sinéad lived for 15 years, into a museum and music school for teenagers.What do you think of the idea?Joining Andrea to discuss is Willie White, from TU Dublin, Clodagh Lawlor, singer, musician and host of ‘Country Hits’ on Today FM and more.

Singer Daniel O’Donnell has been warning people about scams going around, where people are posing as him online in a bid to steal money…Daniel joins Andrea to discuss.Image: Kip Carroll

From UFOs in Athlone to business booming in Coppers - Newstalk’s Eamonn Torsney has the stories from around the country that you might have missed this week.

Should LED headlights on cars be banned?Keith Fay has written that he has sent a complaint to the RSA, believing that they are too dangerous.Keith, Dave Humphreys, Motoring Journalist with CompleteCar.ie, Nadia Adan, owner of Ashford Motors and more join Andrea to discuss.

Should it stay or should it go?What trends should we carry over to 2025 and what should be binned?Well, The Home Squad: Jenny Sheahan, Irish Examiner Columnist and former winner of ‘Home of the Year' and Emma Delaney, Senior Interior Designer from April & the Bear join Andrea to discuss.

It’s the time of giving and receiving... But it can also result in so much clutter! So, how can you avoid your home becoming a hoarder’s paradise and maintain your living spaces during the festivities?Kim and Lynn, founders of ‘A Sorted Affair’ met on the set of a home renovations show and quickly discovered they shared a passion for organising and decluttering  - now they’re offering advice on keeping your home a happy functioning space throughout Christmas…Kim joins Andrea to discuss!

Figures today show that school attendance is down below pandemic levels... What is this down to? What are your thoughts – are we doing enough to encourage young kids to attend school and to teach them a necessary discipline in the process?Andrea is joined by listeners to discuss.

There seems to be certain careers where you see a higher percentage of women over men or vice versa. One to buck the trend is Seán Dowling, who is among few men serving in the maternity ward at the Rotunda Hospital. And while keen to share that this is a profession men can consider, he’s acutely aware that it is a female-dominated world.He joins Andrea to discuss his experience.

A night-time welfare area, designed to support safe and enjoyable nights out over Christmas, will open this weekend near College Green in Dublin. Is this a good move? Do you think it’ll make a difference?Andrea is joined by Ray O’Donoghue, Dublin’s Night-time Economy Advisor, Jessica Woodlock, Newstalk Reporter and more to discuss.

For this week’s Ask the Expert, Andrea is joined by Grame McQueen, Media Relations with the Dublin Airport Authority, to answer any of your travelling questions!

Board games are back – and they’re not just for Christmas – apparently, Gen Z have turned to the old fashioned games to entertain them!But why? And what are the best ones to play?Board games expert Ruth Roberts from Cogs The Brain Shop joins Andrea to answer your questions.

It’s often seen as something we need to shed in order to be seen as forward-thinking and cosmopolitan: our accents… But, are we in danger of losing an essential part of who we are? Are rural and regional accents on the decline in 21st Century Ireland?Well, it’s the title of a theatre piece by actor and writer Emmet Kirwan, who takes his show on a new nationwide tour early next year and says: Accents should be celebrated, not corrected’.Andrea is joined by Senator Lynn Ruane, Josh Crosbie, Newstalk Reporter, Aisling Goodwin, Actor and Dialect Coach as well as listeners to discuss.

Lucy from Crookstown in Co. Cork joins Andrea to share her harrowing story of a potential theft at her parents’ graves…Colm Kieran, Funeral Director with Kieran Bros. Funeral Care and from My Fair Well Wishes, a funeral pre-planning company, also joins to discuss what could have happened.

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.Today FM’s Cathal O’Sullivan joined Andrea in the studio to put a smile on your faces…

President Michael D Higgins reacted yesterday to the claims that Ireland is anti-semetic.Israel’s Foreign Minister, Gideon Saar, accused Ireland of delegitimizing and dehumanising Israel…In his speech, Michael D said, “To say that the Irish people are antisemitic is a deep slander…”What are your thoughts?To discuss, Andrea is joined by Columnist with the Irish Independent, Ian O’Doherty,  Political Commentator & Irish Examiner Columnist, Fergus Finlay and Daniel O’Dowd-Epstein.

Welcome to The Pod Squad!We review podcasts every Tuesday so you always have something new to listen to.This week, Off the Ball’s Cameron Hill and Journalist and Stylist Laura Mullet join Andrea to review ‘The Good Whale’!Image: New York Times

Andrea’s guests: Clare woman Laura O’Connell and Hanna Celsie from Dublin are just back from Dubai where they competed in the first-ever Formula Woman Nations Cup qualifiers.They were among a group of 50 women from around the world taking part in the event...They join to discuss the experience.

We’re officially in the week leading up to Christmas – and it's the final festive sprint. The dinner prep, the last-minute shopping and the social gatherings are in full swing. But is this week the BEST part of the festive period? Even more so than Christmas Day itself?  Irish Independent Journalist Kirsty Blake Knox believes it is, she joins Andrea to make her case for what she’s calling "Prixmas": the best part of Christmas. Photo by ROMAN ODINTSOV

Over the next few weeks Andrea will be talking to Irish producers across the country about the wonderful things they have on offer, and why it’s important to buy Irish for Christmas!Today we are talking to some of the incredible Irish food producers including Sian McCann from Wild Fuschia Bakehouse, Birgitta Hedin of Burren Smokehouse, Georgia Quealy of Bon Chocolatiers & Martina from Richmount CorialPhoto by picjumbo.com

It’s How I Live Well time: where we learn how to live a little better from someone who has mastered it!Paul Norton, Participation Manager for Cycling Ireland, joins Andrea to tell her about the world of Cyclocross

The website, which was bought by the Irish Times earlier this year, is  introducing a fee of €100 per notice. What do you think of Rip.ie introducing this charge?  Photo by Pavel Danilyuk

Dr Afif El Khuffash, Consultant Neonatologist and Paediatrician, joins Andrea for a special segment of 'Ask the GP' - with the focus on newborns

Back in October we heard about a protest organised by students in Dundalk Grammar school over the school’s refusal to allow them play Gaelic football - Andrea catches up with them now that they have now been allowed to introduce a Gaelic football teamImage: Sportsfile

Ireland is producing 20% more waste than a decade ago and our recycling rates have not improved over that time. How are we still getting it so wrong? Photo by Lara Jameson