Lunchtime Live

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

Is it time to scrap Christmas traditions? Terry Prone, Chairman of the communications clinic, joins Andrea to tell us why she thinks so! Photo by Katie Barget

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!Adrian Martin, Owner of Luigi Malones in Temple Bar and Wild Flower Restaurant in Blackrock joins us to talk Christmas sides!

The travel plans of tens of thousands of people with ferry crossings booked over the festive period are under threat. Are you worried about the disruptions at Holyhead Port? Image: Clare Gainey / Alamy Stock Photo

For this week’s Ask Me Anything, Plastic Surgeon Professor Jack Kelly, President of the Irish Association of Plastic Surgeons joins guest host Clare McKenna to answer any of your questions!

Driving licences, learner’s permit fees and National Car Tests costs all are set to rise in the New Year, The Road Safety Authority announced yesterday. The price hikes will see a learners permit rise from €35 to €45 and a driving licence that has cost €55 jump to €65.These increased costs will take effect from next month – but what are your thoughts? Is Ireland becoming increasingly anti-car, and is there now too much of a strain on young motorists trying to get on the road?Guest host Clare McKenna is joined by listeners to discuss.

If you’re mad enough to be planning a Christmas Day swim, or even a New Years one – firstly – fair play!But, there are some warnings that you should take note of…Joining Clare McKenna to discuss is RNLI Water Safety Education Manager & a crew an at Bundoran RNLI, Killian O’Kelly, and more.

From a humpback whale to drama over a Disney trip, there’s plenty of stories you might have missed from around the country this week. Caoimseach Connolly from the Newstalk Newsroom joins guest host Clare McKenna to discuss.

Guest host Clare McKenna has a 13-year-old son who went into town last Sunday with some friends. They went to a burger restaurant where they queued, but were told they could only get their food to take away - while others were allowed to sit down…So, do we discriminate against ‘young lads’?Do we look at a group of teenage boys and immediately think the worst?Clare is joined by Sarah-Jayne Tobin, Editor of rollercoaster.ie as well as listeners to discuss.

How can you brighten up a dark room without too much hassle? The Home Squad is here to help!Jenny Sheahan, Irish Examiner Columnist and former winner of ‘Home of the Year' and Roisin Lafferty, Founder and Creative Director of Roisin Lafferty join Andrea to share their top tips.

He might not be able to settle the rows over what to watch on TV, or who won what game, but Donal Skehan can help take the stress out of making the Christmas dinner! He joins Andrea to share his cooking hacks this festive season!Image: Donal Skehan

Should we ban heading the ball?A new study finds that there may well indeed be a connection between heading the ball and dementia, with a large percentage of former players having developed the illness.So, is it time to ban headers altogether?Professor Willie Stewart, Consultant Neuropathologist, at the University of Glasgow and more join Andrea to discuss.

This morning, Lunchtime Live, with the help of Kieran Cuddihy, attempted to set a Guinness World Records Title…Here’s how they got on!David Wilson, Guinness Adjudicator and Kieran join Andrea to discuss the experience.

From the Muppets Christmas carol to Winona Ryder up to no good, 98fm’s Ciaran O’Connor joins Andrea with plenty to chat about on this week’s throwback Thursday!Image: Disney

Is it wrong to let children play with toy guns?Stephanie Rohan from the Newstalk Newsroom has a predicament, and joins Andrea along with Brendan Kelly, Psychiatrist and more to discuss.

For this week’s Ask the Expert, Sinead Ryan, Presenter of the Home Show on Newstalk and Consumer Expert, joins Andrea to tackle any of your consumer issues, especially around Christmas!

Has modern movie-going become a cesspit of regurgitated sequels and reboots – or do you love to sink your teeth into a movie series with familiar faces and plotlines – where surprise, surprise - the good guy wins again!Gladiator 2 is the latest film to get a big screen sequel-outing almost a quarter of a century later – 24 years to be exact since the original film’s release, and reviews have been mixed.What are the movie sequels you love, and which are the ones that make you squirm?Andrea is joined by Stephen Porzio, Senior Writer at joe.ie and co-host of the ‘I Know That Face’ podcast, as well as listeners, to discuss.Image: Paramount Pictures

When it comes to Christmas dinner, all you hear about is the Turkey and ham – but, have you ever considered swapping it out for fish? Tadhg O’Meara from Kish Fish joins Andrea 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: Jamie Oliver

Should Irish school pupils address teachers by their first names? Addressing teachers as “sir” or “ma’am” and calling them by their surname is “Victorian” - and it does not fit a modern education system according to Newstalk’s own Simon Tierney writing in the Irish Independent.What do you think?Should Irish school pupils call teachers by their first names?Andrea is joined by listeners to discuss.

Welcome to The Pod Squad!We review podcasts every Tuesday so you always have something new to listen to.This week, Dave Hanratty, Host of the No Encore Music Podcast and Ellen Butler from our Newsroom join Andrea to review ‘The Gambler’, the new podcast presented by Crime Journalist Nicola TallantImage: GoLoud

Rosanna Davison says that a sleep divorce is the key to a dream marriage – but would you try it? Andrea chats to Tanya Sweeney – columnist with the Irish Independent - who is a big proponent of sleeping in a different bed to her partner. Photo by Marcus Aurelius

The National Endometriosis Framework, which was initially announced in 2021 by then Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, has again been delayed from publishing, into 2025. Andrea chats to Doireann Barrett, who runs Cneasú community and a sufferer from Stage 4 endometriosis, Niamh Mahony who is making a film on the endometriosis experience in Ireland & Illana D’arcy from the Endometriosis Association of Ireland.Photo by Sora Shimazaki

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’re talking about buying Irish gifts with Ann Chapman from Stonechat Jewellers, Sinead Gallagher from Skin Krush LED Masks, Miriam from Mimitoys, Fintan Ó Cuanaigh - founder of My Games Sports Memoirs & Kevin Dooley from Dooley’s Wool!

It’s How I Live Well time: where we learn how to live a little better from someone who has mastered it!Catherine Merrigan tells Andrea about her unusual living arrangements on Skellig Michael as an Office of Public Works (OPW) guide who safely corrals visitors up the 600 steps to the monastic remains.

The GAA has announced that it will charge for under 16s to attend higher-division League games for the first time next year.   What do you think about the idea? Photo: Sportsfile

In 2008, photographer Tara Keane contracted a mysterious viral illness that placed her into intensive care and led to the amputation of her right leg below the knee. She shares the story of her illness and recovery and the extraordinary life she has been leading since Photo by Pixabay

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

People are losing out on “moments of togetherness” watching TV because they are streaming shows on separate devices, the bishop of London has said. Rev Dame Sarah Mullally said the profusion of choice meant that watching TV had become a “more solitary and insular” experience. Have streaming services killed the togetherness of watching TV?Photo by Ron Lach