Lunchtime Live

The face of rural farming is changing – and it’s down to ‘Girls Who Farm’.That’s the hashtag used on TikTok and Instagram to show what the farming life is like for young women.So, what’s it all about?Andrea is joined by some of the people using that hashtag to discuss, as well as Rachel Donovan, News Correspondent at the Irish Farmers Journal.

Mary Regan passed away on November 29th at the Hillview Nursing Home in Carlow.A statement on Death Notices Carlow said that after Mr Lang passed away, Ms Regan did not have many visitors to her nursing home and has no next of kin. An appeal from the Funeral Director said “Let’s not send Mary off from Carlow alone”.Rory Healy, Funeral Director for Healy Funeral Directors joins Andrea to discuss why he made the appeal, and what the result was like.

The Transition Year has garnered the interest of the international media, as a formative experience for young students. With Oscar winner Cillian Murphy giving his support also to the programme, offering an oasis between junior and senior exam cycles.But, particularly where expense is concerned, has it become too much?Is the cost of another school year worth it? Or should the programme be centrally funded before it properly earns the nickname of a ‘doss year’?Joining Andrea to discuss is Kevin Shortall, Principal of St. Aidan’s Community School, Tallaght, Barbara Ennis, Principal of Alexandra College Dublin and more to discuss.

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, she is joined by Ruth Cahill from Duck Blue, Jill Duggan from Fiesta Designs and Nicola McGuinness from Rowan Beg Designs to talk all things decorations.

It’s How I Live Well time: where we learn how to live a little better from someone who has mastered it!Paddy Joe Burke, Age Friendly Roscommon Ambassador joins Andrea to discuss why exercise is vital as we get older.

Fifth of Irish people think women make up or exaggerate claims of abuse or rape.That is according to a study published by the European Commission on attitudes towards violence against women.It also found that one in seven Irish people believe women are partially responsible for sexual violence if influenced by drugs or alcohol.Why do so many people hold these beliefs?Andrea is joined by Dr Michelle Walsh, CEO of MOVE Ireland, Vera O'Leary, Manager of the Kerry Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre and more to discuss.

Dr Nina Byrnes, GP at Generation Health Medical Clinic joined Andrea to tackle your medical queries…

A new survey has found that one in three people suffer from feelings of self-doubt about their skills. This is also known as ‘impostor syndrome’.Brendan Kelly Professor of Psychiatry at Trinity College Dublin joins Andrea to discuss.

The votes are still being counted across the country, but a clear picture of the General Election results is starting to form.So, who were the biggest winners and losers this time around?Joining Andrea to discuss is Barry Heneghan, Independent TD in Dublin Bay North, Barry Heneghan, Aisling Dempsey, Fianna Fáil TD for Meath West, Shay Brennan, Fianna Fáil TD for Dublin Rathdown, Ciarán Ahern, Labour TD for Dublin South-West, Paul Lawless, Mayo TD for Aontú and Grace Boland, Fine Gael TD for Dublin Fingal West.

With the increased cost of food - and the nature of a Christmas dinner being quite big, should you charge guests to lighten the load on yourself?Andrea is joined by Sarah Jayne Tobin, Editor of rollercoaster.ie and more to discuss.

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!Eric Matthews, Chef Owner of Kickys Restaurant joins Andrea to talk all things starters!

A 9% average increase on taxi fares came into effect yesterday, alongside an increase in booking fees from €2 to €3.Kieran Harte, General Manager of Uber Ireland, told Newstalk earlier that the changes are going to have a negative effect on the night-time economy...What do you think?Andrea is joined by listeners to discuss.

Every Friday, as part of our ‘Ask Me Anything’ series, we put your questions to people from interesting backgrounds or working in different careers.This week, Andrea was joined by Marisa Mackle, former Flight Attendant and author of ‘Confessions of an Air Hostess’ & ‘The Mile High Guy’ joins Andrea to answer any of your flight-related questions.

The busiest shopping period of the year is upon us, Black Friday: an imported American tradition of online shopping which goes all the way to Cyber Monday. Over 1.5 million Irish consumers set to shop online this weekend, so how can we know we’re doing it safely?Joining Andrea to give his top tips is Technology Journalist Andy O’Donoghue.

Are you friends with someone who’s always late? Psychologists have said that perpetual lateness can be caused by multiple factors. So, what are they - and how can lateness be improved? Also, what’s your experience?Andrea is joined by Jen Hogan, Journalist and Columnist with The Irish Times, The Home Show’s Sinead Ryan, Life Coach and author Mark Fennell and more to discuss.

Musician Kate Nash has recently set up an OnlyFans account to help subsidise her tour…She joins Andrea to discuss.

Spice Girls singer Mel B recently posted about her ‘simple skin care’ routine – which includes extreme heat, LED therapy, an ice bath plunge and dancing in the rain. But, does any of it actually work?Professor Caitriona Ryan, Consultant Dermatologist joins Andrea to discuss.

From Galway hitting the silver screen in Denmark to a dip in GAA jersey sales, Laura Donnelly from the Newstalk Newsroom joins Andrea with a roundup of the stories you might have missed from across the country this week.

Would you like to see an outdoor swimming pool in Dublin’s George’s Dock?The Dublin City Lido campaign has released updated designs and images for an outdoor swimming pool at the old dry dock, and says they hope to bring a feasibility study to city council management in the New Year.What do you think? Does Dublin need a lido?Andrea is joined by Alan Robinson from the Dublin Docklands Business Forum as well as listeners.

As the saying goes, a good bed and a good pair of shoes are vital, because if you’re not in one, you’re in the other!With that in mind, the Home Squad are here to help you decipher what the best bed options for you are!Andrea is joined by Jenny Sheahan, Irish Examiner columnist and former winner of ‘Home of the Year' and Arlene McIntyre of Ventura Design to discuss how you can pick the right bed for you.

Have you been to see Wicked yet?It has today been slapped with a trigger warning from the British Board of Film Classification saying it shows bullying and persecuted 'talking animals'.Is this fair?Joining Andrea to discuss is Bella Finn from the Newstalk Newsroom and Newstalk’s Aaron Jordan, who is Ariana Grande’s biggest fan!Image: Universal Pictures

The number of single women choosing IVF to have babies alone has tripled in the UK in the last decade.Are you a woman who has decided to take the future in your own hands and have a child on your own?Andrea is joined by people who have decided to go down this path, as well as Dr John Kennedy, Medical Director of Thérapie Fertility Clinic and one of Ireland’s leading fertility doctors.

Apparently, it is now considered rude to bring wine as a gift to a dinner party! Instead, you should be bringing - olive oil?What’s behind this, and what do you do?Andrea is joined by Today FM Presenter Shelly Gray, Saoirse Hanley from the Irish Independent Tara O'Connor from The Designed Table and more to discuss.

From parades to video games, 98fm’s Ciaran O’Connor joins Andrea with plenty to chat about on this week’s throwback Thursday!

People are being encouraged not to buy e-scooters, scramblers, or quad bikes for children this Christmas as Black Friday and Cyber Monday approach due to concerns about safety on roads.What do you think? Should parents avoid buying these types of gifts this Christmas?Andrea is joined by Siobhan O'Neill White, from Mams.ie, Colin Baker, Managing Director of Back from the Future Tech Support and more to discuss.

For this week’s Ask the Expert, Barry Kenny, Communications Manager with Irish Rail joins Andrea to answer any of your train-related questions!

Does Ireland value its elderly enough?It’s the question posed by Actress Mary McEvoy.She joins Andrea, along with Valerie Cox Journalist and author and more to discuss.

Scoliosis waiting lists have been covered many, many times on the show, and there has finally been some good news for one family.Eight-year-old Harvey Sherratt is due to get his long awaited spinal surgery on Friday.Harvey’s mum, Gillian, joins Andrea to discuss.

The chapel in Mountjoy Prison has been closed by the prison to be used for other purposes due to overcrowding.The chapel is being repurposed into a video room - so that prisoners can appear remotely for court hearings. There’s also talk it could be used for videoing family members.The closure of the Catholic chapel was done without any consultation with the prison chaplaincy, and temporarily ends the saying of mass for any prisoners who wish to avail of it.So, is it right to take away a spiritual resource like this?Andrea is joined by Saoirse Brady Executive Director of the Irish Penal Reform Trust, Niall Spelman, former Assistant Prison Governor of Wheatfield Prison, Michele Kerrigan, Executive Director, Care After Prison and former prisoners to discuss.

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…Image: BBC

“My local swimming pool says boys aged 8 and over need to use the men’s changing rooms – I think it’s lunacy…” So writes Niamh O’Reilly in the Irish Independent. Is she right?Andrea is joined by Niamh and more to discuss.

Welcome to The Pod Squad!We review podcasts every Tuesday so you always have something new to listen to.This week, Tom Douglas from Newstalk’s Newsroom and Elaine Burke, host of the ‘For Tech’s Sake’ Podcast join Andrea to review ‘If Books Could Kill’!

Last night, the ROSA Socialist Feminist Movement organised a march against gender violence outside Dublin City Hall following the conclusion of the civil sexual assault case between Nikita Hand and Conor McGregor.Andrea was there to get the thoughts of attendees, including Natasha O’Brien.

“Everything flipped and I thought from this point on, my life was never going to be the same…” Broadcaster Sean Defoe shared his reaction to receiving a cancer diagnosis on Lunchtime Live last year, and today, he joins Andrea again to discuss his health and how Seán feels about the diagnosis one year on.Andrea is also joined by some listeners who similarly got a diagnosis and how it impacted them and their families.

Christmas has well and truly started; people have put up trees and present shopping is well underway…So, when you’re buying these festive gifts, how important is it to support local, Irish businesses?Over the next few weeks, Andrea will be speaking with Irish producers across the country about the wonderful things they have on offer.Today, Andrea is joined by Niamh Devereux, Editor of Irish Country Magazine and Dee Laffan, Editor-in-Chief of Scoop Food Magazine to discuss.

This year on Lunchtime Live we’ve been looking at things that we can do in order to make ourselves that bit happier and healthier.This week, to talk about the importance of mental health for young LGBTQ+ people, Andrea is joined by Ruadhán Ó Críodáin, Executive Director of Shoutout.

What would you think about having a Luas in every city in Ireland?In a new Transport Plan published this morning, the Labour Party say they want the Luas in all 5 Irish cities with a view of at least 15 new lines by 2040.So, do we need a Luas in every city?Andrea is joined by listeners to discuss.

Dr Nina Byrnes, GP at Generation Health Medical Clinic joined Andrea to tackle your medical queries…

The demand for real Christmas trees has risen to record levels, but is there supply there to meet it?Christy Kavanagh, Christmas tree grower in Wicklow, joins Andrea to discuss.

What would you think about your child spending most of their school days learning outdoors?Well, the Green Party want to introduce 'forest schools' to foster a respect for nature among young people in Ireland.The party say the model has been successful in Scandinavia, and want to introduce a pilot scheme in which most of the school day every week is spent outdoors, “rain, wind or shine.”What do you think about this idea?Joining Andrea to discuss is Jennifer Dungan from Dalkey School Projects, Ciara Hinksman, Founding Chair of the Irish Forest School Association and more.

There was a difficult exchange between Taoiseach Simon Harris and disability worker Charlotte Fallon over the weekend during canvassing.In the video, you can hear Charlotte accuse the Government of ignoring the disability sector. However Simon Harris denied that, before walking away from her.Andrea is joined by carers to discuss and give their reactions.

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, Andrea is joined by Siobhan Berry, from @mummycooks on Instagram, to look at how you can use a slow cooker to make amazing meals to stick in the freezer! And they’re baby friendly too!Follow the hashtag #LLBigBatch for all our recipes.

Retailers around the country are being urged to boycott Conor McGregor’s stout and whiskey brands.This comes after he was found liable in a civil court for the sexual assault of Nikita Hand.Is it a good idea?Joining Andrea to discuss is Clíona Saidléar, Rape Crisis Network Ireland Executive Director, Aimmée Millar, Senior Public Affairs Advisor with Carr Communications, Jess Kelly, Newstalk’s Tech Correspondent and Harper Cleaves from ROSA - the Socialist Feminist Movement.

Every Friday, as part of our ‘Ask Me Anything’ series, we put your questions to people from interesting backgrounds or working in different careers.This week, Andrea was joined by Pat Falvey, explorer, adventurer and mountaineer to answer any of your questions, including what it was like to climb Mount Everest!

We’re a week out from visiting our local polling station – often a school – and today the National Parents Council have called for alternative facilities to be used to stop needless disruption to working parents.What are your thoughts, should local GAA clubs or parish halls be used more? Does running an election on a weekend morning facilitate greater turnout and avoid school closure?Andrea is joined by listeners to discuss.

A study by Showcase Cinemas has voted Home Alone as the best Christmas film – but what elements make a good Christmas film?Joining Andrea to discuss and share their favourites is Rory Cashin, Entertainment Journalist, Cara O'Doherty, Film Reviewer and Bella Finn from Newstalk’s Newsroom.Image: 20th Century Fox

From a Grammy winner starting out working in Galway to poems on the menu in Sligo, Breakfast Briefing Presenter Shane Beatty joins Andrea with plenty of stories from around the country this week!

Noel Gallagher, 33, from Dadreen, Louisburgh, Co Mayo, was sentenced to four years in prison earlier this month.Sometime between 2006 and 2007 when Noel was 15 years old, he raped his cousin Dylan Gallagher, who was 9 years old at the time.Mr Justice David Keane praised Dylan Gallagher's strength, resilience, dignity and perseverance.Dylan joins Andrea to discuss.If this podcast affected you in any way, there are places that can help:Dublin Rape Crisis Centre - www.drcc.iemensaid.ie or National Confidential Helpline – 01 554 3811

Whether you’re an early bird or hanging on closer to December, you’ve probably started to think about putting the Christmas decorations up. From storage to making your room more classy and less tacky – the home squad are here to help!Róisín Lafferty, Founder and Creative Director of Róisín Lafferty and Emma Delaney, Senior Interior Designer from April & the Bear join Andrea to discuss.

Hopefully you heard some of our Election Special yesterday, where we heard from you about what issues you wanted raised in the upcoming vote, and we put those issues to our politicians.One person who was there and heard it all was Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal Consultant Ruth Maxwell, and she joins Andrea to discuss her reaction to what the politicians had to say on crime.