Lunchtime Live

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

In the last month, Andrea Gilligan took on a vegan challenge, where she went vegan for two weeks.At the start of the challenge, she spoke with Heather Leeson, Registered Nutritional Therapist with Glenville Nutrition. Heather joins Andrea again to discuss how she got on.

You have probably heard before about how issues around the new runway in Dublin Airport are impacting people’s lives.Well, those issues have not gone away, and for some, it’s getting worse.To discuss, Andrea is joined by Private Pilot and Civil Engineer Gareth O'Brien, Fingal Independent Councillor Cathal Boland and local residents.

Ahead of Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October, the Irish Cancer Society are looking for people to sign up to host a Big Pink Breakfast to raise much needed funds. Patrice Morrissey, a lone parent of three boys, was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2023, and joins Andrea to share her story.Image: Irish Cancer Society

This is Lunchtime Live’s newest segment, Gilligan’s Island! Every Monday, we're going to explore this gorgeous island of ours and all that it has to offer.This week, Andrea Gilligan is joined by Freelance Journalist Yvonne Reddin to discuss the benefits of a phone detox holiday at home!

Christmas has come early for Oasis fans as the band have teased on X (Twitter) the possibility of a reunion, something that has been clouded by doubt for such a long time. It seems the sibling rivalry between the Gallagher brothers may have taken the back seat, and a much-anticipated reunion is on the cards!To discuss, Andrea is joined by Oasis superfans Gareth Dunleavy, Curator of the ‘Oasis WTS’ fan page, Nick McKay of Oasis tribute act Roll With It and Alan Buckley, Head Tour Guide at the Irish Rock ‘N’ Roll Museum Experience.

For this week’s Summer Memories, Andrea Gilligan is joined by Actor and Comedian Pat Shortt to share some of his favourite summer memories!

Aer Lingus’ College Football Classic has returned, sure to attract many American tourists into Dublin for the match between Georgia Tech and Florida State.Newstalk Reporter Josh Crosbie has been speaking with plenty of tourists here for the game and more, and joins Andrea to share what he’s heard.

More than half of people say they want to meet new people, but a third say they have no idea how to strike up a conversation.A new survey in the UK found that 45% of people wouldn’t know what to say to someone they didn't know.Many feared they would come across as intrusive with 56% saying there is a cultural stigma around talking to people you don’t know.Are we missing out by not talking to strangers more?Andrea is joined by Screenwriter and Columnist Stefanie Preissner, Gina London, Communications Expert and more to discuss.

Now this is one for those of us over 35.Are there too many 20 year olds in all the bars you go to? Would you go to an over 35's nightclub?Because one is opening in Dublin, and its co-owner, Jerry Harrington, joins Andrea to discuss. Also joining is DJ Mark McCabe and Jane Cowen, Lifestyle Columnist with the Irish Examiner.

From Sheep dogs to Sporty Spice – Breakfast Briefing Presenter Shane Beatty joins Andrea Gilligan to look over some of the stories from around the country this week.

Today is Leaving Cert results day - a day full of nerves and excitement that you’ve all experienced at some stage. While many students work out their points and the career path they’re about to embark on, how many will be heading for apprenticeships? Is there still a stigma around apprenticeships?Andrea is joined by listeners to discuss.

Back to school is looming, so the Home Squad are here to help you create a study space to make that dreaded homework a little less miserable!Jenny Sheahan, Irish Examiner Columnist and former winner of ‘Home of the Year’ and Sarah Carroll from Sand and Deliver DIY join Andrea to discuss.

C.J. McCann was just 21 months old when he lost his battle with a rare and aggressive brain cancer in October last year. He had ATRT (Atypical Teratoid Rhabdoid Tumour).Now, his father, Joe, and 20 other enthusiastic volunteers are taking on a gruelling Malin Head to Mizen Head cycle to raise money for two of the charities who supported the McCann family during their childhood cancer journey.CJ’s mum Niamh joins Andrea to discuss.If you would like to donate, you can visit https://www.idonate.ie/event/cjsrainbow

Do TVs make the experience of the pub worse? Newstalk’s The Home Show Presenter, Sinead Ryan, seems to think so!She joins Andrea Gilligan, along with listeners, to discuss.

TV Presenter Kirstie Allsopp has defended letting her son go travelling around Europe with a teenage friend when he is only 15.Do you think she’s right? Do we let young people have enough independence?To discuss, Andrea is joined by Lisa O’Sullivan Shaw (@modernirishmom), Steve Cummins, Comedian and Co-Founder of Zoomparty.ie and Keith Walsh, Writer and Broadcaster.

From Bambi to the world wide web – Ciaran O’Connor from 98FM joins Andrea Gilligan to look back on some big pop culture moments from this week in history.Image: Sony Music

Animal activists have demanded that Farrow & Ball should change its paint colour names to make them “vegan-friendly”.Peta asked the high-end decorating brand to “update” the names of colours that it said “normalise exploiting animals”. The paint maker is well known for its original and eccentric names, such as Dead Salmon and Smoked Trout.What do you think?Andrea is joined by Margarita Sachkova, PETA’s Senior Digital Marketing Manager and more to discuss.Image: Farrow & Ball

Laya Healthcare announced this week that they’re set to hike their premiums by an average of 6.5% from the start of October, and it’s expected other insurers might follow suit.In light of this, Andrea is joined by Dermot Goode from TotalHealthCover.ie to answer all of your health insurance questions.

This weekend, over 600 girls will descend on Enniskerry village in County Wicklow for their annual Belles in The Meadow football tournament. To discuss, Andrea is joined by Mags O’Grady from Enniskerry FC and Shamrock Rovers Captain and former Ireland player Aine O’Gorman.(Part 3 of our Cadbury/FAI series, with thanks to Cadbury)Image: Enniskerry FC

Parents all over the country are struggling to get creche places for their kids.The stress and financial toll this can take is huge.There’s a story out saying there are 900 Wicklow children waiting for just 109 local creche places. How are parents supposed to cope?Andrea is joined by listeners to discuss.

Our friendships get us through the toughest of times – through every bump in the road. And are often at their strongest in the best of times, to share the great moments.But, there is something extra special about female friendships – they know and outlast everything.But, what is it about them that makes them so great? Andrea is joined by journalist Jenny McEntegart to discuss.

Another successful Electric Picnic festival has come and gone, but there were unfortunately some unsavoury events that occurred. Andrea is joined by listener Cian, who details how he had to deal with homophobia over the weekend.

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…

A new Road Safety Authority advert has been criticised as an insult to non car users, those with disabilities and public transport users.The ad features a young man relying on others to get around – in the video, quite literally, he is being carried in the arms of friends and family as he gets from place to place.The RSA shared the video online saying - ‘When you lose your licence, you become reliant on other people to take you where you need to go and you become a burden for others. If you get caught drink or drug driving, you will be disqualified’.What do you think?To discuss, Andrea Gilligan is joined by Dr Sean Owens from Irish Doctors for the Environment, Neasa Bheilbigh, Chairperson with the Irish Cycling Campaign, Bernard Mulvany from Access For All and more.Image: RSA

Welcome to The Pod Squad!We review podcasts every Tuesday so you always have something new to listen to.This week, Andrea was joined by Editor of rollercoaster.ie, Sarah-Jayne Tobin and 98fm Producer Russell Alford to review the mystery podcast (with a unique name!), ‘Who Shat On The Floor At My Wedding?’.Image: Acast

A food truck on the Isle of Man has introduced ‘Seagull Insurance’ to deal with the scourge of seagulls robbing customers' food! It seems like a mad idea, but does it make sense?Charlotte Paige Smith, Co-Owner of Hawkins BBQ joins Andrea to discuss.Image: Hawkins BBQ

With talk of the passenger cap limiting Dublin Airport, should we be focusing more on the regional airports around the country?Andrea is joined by Mayor of Limerick, John Moran as well as listeners to discuss.

Today would have been the 75th birthday for Phil Lynott, the Thin Lizzy frontman.He’s often hailed as one of the country’s greatest songwriters, and because of that – there are celebrations across Dublin today in his honour.Joining Andrea to discuss his legacy and impact is Alan Buckley, Head Tour Guide at the Irish Rock ‘N’ Roll Museum Experience and Shane Byrne, Marketing for Bruxelles.

Listener Katie was overcharged by over €1,300 after booking a holiday in New Zealand. She noticed that the booking website she used to get the flights ended with her having three separate bookings for the same one!She joins Andrea to explain the situation, and Sinead Ryan, Presenter of the Home Show and Consumer Expert discusses what can be done to help.

This year, Andrea Gilligan is determined to make some changes and become that bit healthier! Andrea will be joined by a number of different people to find out how they live well.This week she was joined by someone who has made their own Camino, just closer to home! She speaks with Donegal Camino Founder Peggy Stringer.

Senator Sharon Keogan recently tweeted: I've been contacted by many women on what they can do to protect themselves. Ireland is changing rapidly. Do you think Pepper Spray should be legal? I think I'd risk a fine! What do you think?Andrea Gilligan is joined by Senator Sharon Keogan as well as listeners to discuss.

Dr Nina Byrnes, GP at Generation Health Medical Clinic joined guest host Anna Daly to tackle your medical queries…

How often do you sit around the kitchen table for dinner?Does it happen once a week? Or maybe even twice?Apparently, about half of families manage once a week, but would like to do it a lot more... So, what’s stopping us?Joining guest host Anna Daly to discuss is Media Personality Vogue Williams, who has teamed up with Heinz and Barnardos on this topic.

Do we need to change the way children are allocated school places?A centralised admission process for secondary schools is to be introduced in a number of towns across the country in time for the 2025 school year -  is this the best way to assign places?To discuss, guest host Anna Daly is joined by Lucy, a parent from Stillorgan, Eric Nelligan, Assistant Principal at St Munchin's College Limerick, Simon Lewis Principal of Carlow Educate Together and Rachel Harper, Principal of St Patrick's National School in Greystones.

Season four of Emily in Paris was released on Netflix last week. Reviews for the show, which follows the exploits of an American marketing executive in Paris, have not been kind.Yet, despite this, the series is still wildly popular.Why are shows like this, which are so definitively critically panned, such a hit with audiences?Guest host Anna Daly is joined by Newstalk Reporter Bella Finn, Journalist and Fashion Expert Laura Mullett, Marie Short from Marie Style Studio in Paris and Psychiatrist Brendan Kelly to discuss.Image: Netflix

This is Lunchtime Live’s newest segment, Gilligan’s Island! Every Monday, we're going to explore this gorgeous island of ours and all that it has to offer.This week, we are looking at why you should take a trip to some whale watching! Guest host Anna Daly was joined by Sarah-Kim from @heyfromsk on Instagram to discuss.

Electric Picnic has wrapped up for another year – with 75,000 revellers enjoying Ireland’s biggest music festival. Fans were treated to performances by stars like Kylie Minogue, Noah Kahan and Calvin Harris as well as homegrown acts such as The Wolfe Tones, The Mary Wallopers and Kneecap.Over in the UK, their biggest music festival, Glastonbury, is broadcast throughout the BBC for the entirety of the weekend – where everyone can watch the festival from the comfort of their own home.So, why don't we have the same thing here? Should RTÉ broadcast the Electric Picnic festival?Guest host Anna Daly is joined by DJ and Broadcaster Marty Guilfoyle, Jackie Conboy from the MEAI and more to discuss.

For this week’s Summer Memories, Andrea Gilligan is joined by iconic Dublin Drag Diva Davina Devine to chat and reminisce!

Andrea Gilligan was surprised to see a piece in the Irish Times writing that multivitamins are essentially placebos. As someone who regularly takes them, she had to know if this was really true.Andrea is joined by Sheena Mitchell, Pharmacist, health advocate and podcast host with Wondercare.ie to discuss.

Yesterday, Andrea Gilligan went down to the Dublin Horse Show, which will have around 120,000 people attending over the 5 days, to see what the big appeal was. She spoke with those attending to learn what makes it so popular, including Siobhan Masterson, Commercial Director for the RDS.

There is so much going on in the world these days – but the story that has overtaken social media the last couple of days; the subject of innumerable articles, column inches and news coverage… is Molly-Mae Hague and Tommy Fury announcing their split.The pair, who met on Love Island in 2019, have been the subject of so much comment, rumours and gossip this week that it begs the question: why are people so invested in celebrities’ private lives?To discuss, Andrea is joined by Newstalk Reporter Emily Keegan, Editor-in-Chief of goss.ie, Kendra Becker, Dr Irene McCormick and Psychotherapist and author Iseult White.

Miss Ireland Jasmine Gerhardt says more needs to be done to tackle cyber-bullying after she suffered abuse online.Jasmine joins Andrea Gilligan to discuss.

From sitting the Leaving cert at 83 to being trapped in a lion enclosure – Breakfast briefing Presenter Shane Beatty has a roundup of stories from around the country you might have missed!

Electric picnic kicks off this weekend – and it can be hard to believe that it’s the 20th Anniversary!Andrea Gilligan is joined by listeners including Arts Journalist and Broadcaster Pat Carty and Today FM’s Cathal O’Sullivan to share some of their favourite memories from the festival!

Creating home bars has been growing in popularity over the past while, whether it’s out in the shed, or under the stairs!Our Home Squad are here with advice if you’ve a mind to make your own.Andrea is joined by Roisin Lafferty, Founder and Creative Director of Roisin Lafferty and Hayley Burke, The DIYist to discuss.

It’s an exciting time for women’s football in Ireland – following Ireland’s World Cup debut there is a lot of buzz about the talent in Ireland. But, who are the names to keep an eye out for over the next few years? Kathleen McNamee - Host of the COYGIG Podcast is with me to tell me about some of the rising stars.(Part 2 of our FAI/Cadbury series)

Maebhe Gorman was diagnosed with a life-limiting genetic disease about a year ago, and tragically passed away last week.Maebhe had a rare genetic condition that affects the brain, known as Metachromatic Leukodystrophy late infantile form. Her family are calling for the condition to be screened for in Ireland, as it is in most other countries.Andrea Gilligan is joined by Maebhe’s aunt, Carol Gorman, to discuss.

Do you find voice notes annoying? Apparently, recent research from Pure Telecom says three quarters of us think they shouldn’t be more than a minute long, and some just don’t like them at all.To discuss (not through voice note!), Andrea is joined by Esther McCarthy - Life and Style Daily Features Editor for the Irish Examiner, Off the Ball’s Nathan Murphy and Ciara Treacy from Newstalk’s Digital Team.

It's Throwback Thursday! Where we look back on things that happened this week in history. 98fm’s Ciaran O’Connor joins Andrea Gilligan once more to rewind the clock…Image: Apple TV+