Lunchtime Live

Wizz Air has announced it’s launching a subscription service offering unlimited flights to those who sign up.The Hungarian airline’s “all you can fly scheme” is being offered at an introductory price for a limited time.A year’s subscription will set you back €499 before this Friday, when it will rise to €599.The membership is inclusive of all flights across the company’s substantial international network, which includes 950 routes across Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and Asia.What do you think about this approach?Andrea Gilligan is joined by listeners to discuss.

Spin 1038fm presenter Michaela Hayes tells Andrea about her own experiences living with a stoma as M&S launch a brand of stoma underwear

For this week’s Ask the Expert, Andrea Gilligan is joined by Pat Keville from Plantstore.ie to answer all of you houseplant questions

Irish teenagers are the best performers in reading literacy in the EU, but has there been a drop in reading books? Andrea chats to Newstalk's Tech Correspondent Jess Kelly, author Sheila Flanagan and Sinéad Cuddihy from Tired Mammy Book Club.Photo by Vincenzo Malagoli

Is it normal to feel downhearted when you find out your baby’s gender? Andrea chats to parents who have experienced gender disappointmentPhoto by Lazaro Rodriguez Jr

Last week on Lunchtime Live, Adrian Kennedy spoke to the owner of Ballykilcavan Brewery in Stradbally about his desire to have his craft beers sold in Electric Picnic.Well the promoter Melvin Benn has responded, and says the reason it’s not being sold at the festival, is because he simply doesn’t like craft beer.Andrea is by David Walsh-Kemmis, owner of Ballykilcavan Brewery in Stradbally, 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: Universal Pictures

Should unhealthy food be in plain packaging like cigarettes? Professor Donal O’Shea spoke to Newstalk Breakfast this morning and certainly believes so. Would this work?Andrea is joined by listeners, as well as Lorraine Carter from Persona Branding & Design to discuss.

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 the Newsroom’s Ellen Butler and Dave Hanratty, the Host of the No Encore Music Podcast, to review 'Dangerous Memories'Image: Tortoise Investigates

Andrea caught up with our reporter Laura Donnelly who in down in Stradbally ahead of Electric Picnic this weekend. Andrea also chatted to Kellie Anne Byrne – DJ & Radio Presenter - about which acts to look out for at EP.  

Retailer Brown Thomas have defended their decision to charge 60 cent for paper bags in their stores.  The charge, introduced last week, applies to the instantly recognisable Brown Thomas grey and white bags and Arnott's blue branded carriers and applies irrespective of the size of the bag a customer is given.  They say that all profits from the sale of paper carrier bags will be used to support Crann – Trees for Ireland with the aim of planting 100,000 trees in Ireland over the next 10 years.  What do you think about being charged for using a paper bag?  People carrying a Brown Thomas bag in Dublin city centre | Image: RollingNews.ie

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 High Performance Coach Gerry Hussey.

Efforts to get people living in rural areas to buy Electric cars are failing. The Government target of having one million EVs on the road by 2030 now feels less likely. So what would get you to buy an EV? Andrea chats to Tom Spencer, editor of IrishEVs . com and hears from listeners

Dr Niall Breen from the Portmarnock GP Clinic joined Andrea to tackle your medical questions!

Last weekend, Andrea Gilligan decided to go on a boating trip for the first time, hiring a boat in Carrick-On-Shannon in Leitrim and setting sail.She reports on the experience!

Would a €750 tax credit stop young people leaving Ireland?Enterprise Minister Peter Burke has suggested that people under 25 should get the credit which may help to stop them from emigrating as soon as they graduate. It would cost around 100 million euro a year.Would this help to keep young, skilled people in Ireland?Andrea is joined by Cllr Peter Melrose and listeners to discuss.

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 if you should be taking a boating trip around Ireland. Andrea was joined by content creator Joshua Nueva to discuss Ireland’s exciting water opportunities!

Could Ireland host an Olympic games? Senator Malcolm Byrne thinks so; he wants us to aim to bid for the 2072 Summer Olympics. Is this a bit mad, or could it really happen?Andrea Gilligan is joined by Senator Byrne, Barry Kenny from Irish Rail, Brian Caufield from Trinity College Dublin and more to discuss.

Former Olympic boxer (and gold medal winner at the 1992 Olympics!) Michael Carruth joined guest host Adrian Kennedy to share some of his favourite summer memories!

Should festivals work more with local communities and stock local products? Ballykilcavan Brewery in Stradbally is calling for Electric Picnic to stock their beer. They say that if the festival claims to be sustainable, supporting local should be an important element of that. David Walsh-Kemmis, owner of Ballykilcavan Brewery joins Adrian Kennedy to discuss.

So far, Team Ireland has won seven medals at the Paris 2024 Olympics, making it their most successful Olympics result ever. So, how does the team build on this success to do even better next time?Listeners, including former Tennis Professional Jenny Claffey, join guest host Adrian Kennedy to discuss.

Two NASA astronauts have been stuck on the International Space Station (ISS) for more than two months and could be forced to stay there until February next year!They originally only went up for 8 days, but concerns over the safety of the spacecraft that brought them there have meant they can’t leave.Joining Adrian Kennedy to tell more and discuss is Space Commentator Leo Enright and Rory Fitzpatrick, CEO of the National Space Centre.

From the hunt for black pudding in Mayo to finding love in a forest in Kilkenny. Breakfast briefing Presenter Shane Beatty joins Adrian Kennedy with his look at the stories from across the country this week.

A partner at a UK law firm has been banned from drinking alcohol at work events after he was accused of inappropriate behaviour during a business trip to Vienna. Is consuming alcohol with your colleagues appropriate? Should work events be alcohol free?To discuss, guest host Adrian Kennedy is joined by online personality Kayleigh Trappe, Padraig Wilson McCarthy, Content Creator and Ian O’Doherty, Columnist with the Irish Independent.

A lick of paint can be the cheapest and easiest ways to give a room a whole new look – but there’s more to it than just lashing in to it. From picking colours to the tools you need, our home squad are here with the tips and tricks of the trade. Andrea is joined by Roisin Lafferty, Founder and Creative Director of Roisin Lafferty along with Oisin Butler from Oisin Butler Ltd, Painting and Decorating Specialist.

Andrea Gilligan is joined by Laura Donnelly from the Newsroom; she went down to a FAI Cadbury Kick Fit. But, what exactly is it? She explains all, and speaks with those attending!(With thanks to Cadbury, supporter and a half of the women’s national team).Image: FAI

Andrea Gilligan has been trying a plant-based diet for over a week, and still finds that she’s spending the same amount of money as she would buying meat. A listener texted in on Tuesday saying that the government should subsidise vegan meals to tackle climate change. Should this be the case?Andrea is joined by listeners to discuss.

We’re sure you’ve all been glued to the Olympics, but one thing has stood out for listener Claire, who got in touch with the show.She joins Andrea to discuss whether or not the Olympic outfits for women are too skimpy. Stylist Laura Mullet and former Olympic Race Walker Perri Williams also join.

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: Sony Pictures

Columnist with the Irish Independent, Mary McCarthy, was on Newstalk Breakfast this morning chatting about a new movement amongst parents whereby they track their children’s locations using their smartphones. So, would you do it? Or are you doing it already?Andrea is joined by Siobhan O’Neill White from Mams.ie, Jen Hogan, Columnist with the Irish Times and mother of seven, Katie Makk from the Opinions Matter Podcast and listeners to discuss.

From costs to tariffs, for this week’s Ask the Expert, Andrea Gilligan is joined by Ruth Buggie, Head of Mobility and Smart Networks at SEAI to answer all of your home electricity questions!

Solo mum Becky Hayes has gone viral with her survival guides helping unattached women to get through anything from Sunday night to spending a birthday alone.Becky learned to embrace her alone time, and even look forward to it!Little did Becky know that buying some nice food and wine, going for a walk, tidying her flat and making a delicious meal would become the blueprint for her series of single survival guides that have gone viral on TikTok.She joins Andrea to discuss the success, and making the most out of being single.

Judges will be able to recommend minimum prison terms of 25, 30 years or longer for the worst crimes under new proposals to be published today. However, the judge’s recommendation will be non-binding. Does this go far enough?To discuss, Andrea is joined by Kathleen Chada, Founder of SAVE Action Group,Ruth Maxwell, survivor of a violent attack and Noeline Blackwell, Human Rights Lawyer.

Andrea Gilligan is taking a boat from Carrick-on-Shannon on Friday and, through her research, she was wondering whether we do enough to promote our waterways for holidaying in Ireland.To discuss, she is joined by Kay Baxter, President of Inland Waterways Association of Ireland, Mike Clinton, Marine Engineer & boat owner on the Shannon and Denis Baker, IWAI Royal Canal Branch Chairman.

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…

Have Irish people begun to take a sense of pride in their achievements?When it comes to recent achievements in this year's Olympics, Ireland’s most successful one yet, it appears to be a great example of how Irish attitudes have changed when it comes to honouring our wins.To discuss, Andrea is joined by Jon Rudd, Swimming Coach, James O'Callaghan. Performance Director with Irish Sailing, Coach Tadhg Leader and Performance Coach Gerry Hussey.

Welcome to The Pod Squad! We’ll review podcasts every Tuesday so you’ll have something new to listen to.  This week, Andrea was joined by Entertainment and Culture Journalist, Rory Cashin and Laura Donnelly from Newstalk’s Newsroom to review ‘Ghost in the Machine’.Image: Stak

Do you lie? Many of us are told as children to never lie, but researchers believe there is a lot we get wrong about dishonesty.Instead, they believe we should be teaching our kids, students and employees when and how to lie.So, is lying sometimes necessary? And where should you draw the line?Andrea is joined by Terry Prone from the Communications Clinic, Jason O’Callaghan, Mindfulness Expert and Psychologist and more to discuss.

Andrea Gilligan is on the second week of her vegan challenge. It was a challenging long weekend for her – especially as she went home to see her friends.And the idea of going to eat got her thinking – why don’t more places cater for vegans?Andrea is joined by vegan listeners as well as Sandra Higgins, Director of Go Vegan World, to discuss.

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 Jane Gormley, from Craicly Stories, to learn all about the value to be gained from storytelling!

Taoiseach Simon Harris had voiced his 'disgust' at the tricolour being flown at the Belfast protests.  Between this, and the use of it by Irish far right supporters- has the good gone out of the tricolour?To discuss, Andrea Gilligan is joined by Independent TD Michael Healy Rae, Joe O’Shea, Editor of CorkBeo, Michael Murphy, former Lieutenant Colonel and Shelly Cotter, spokesperson for WPDF (Wives and Partners of the Defence Forces).

With the school holidays truly underway, parents might be looking for ways to take a break with their families - but what are the best and most economical last-minute travel ideas?Guest host Adrian Kennedy was joined by Sarah Slattery, Owner of The Travel Expert to discuss.

Every week we chat to well known faces about their summer memories. This week Andrea chatted with Mario Rosenstock.

Henry Mckean joined Andrea live from Skibereen, where celebrations have started after Paul O'Donovan and Fintan McCarthy won gold in the men's lightweight double sculls.

A row has erupted at the boxing Olympics over the eligibility of some female boxers.Italy’s Angela Carini quit 46 seconds into her bout with Imane Khelif yesterday, leaving the ring in tears and refusing to shake her opponent’s hand. So what rules should be around ladies boxing? Andrea was joined by Diarmuid Pepper, Journalist with The Journal.ie and by Professor, Donal O'Shea, specialist in Endocrinology to discuss this  

How to cater to vegan guest when hosting a dinner party. Andrea was joined by Head Chef Glas Restaurant, Malte Half to discuss this

From an invasion of jellyfish to a woman who has kept meticulous records of every cinema trip for the past four decades,.  Breakfast briefing Presenter Shane Beatty has a roundup of this week’s story from across the country.  

The Lord Mayor of Dublin is now backing calls for statue of Sinéad O'Connor to be erected in city. But what are the protocols for putting up statues in Dublin City? Andrea was joined by listeners to debate this..

Always dreamed of packing up and hitting the road in a camper van? Well the Home Squad are here with advice on converting your own camper vanJenny Sheahan, Irish Examiner columnist and former winner of ‘Home of the Year’ is and Colin Baker from Decwells Expert Hardware joined Andrea to discuss this .

Whether you're a coach, player or a parent, being a competitive person can have both its ups and downs. Daniel Wiffen's mum credits his success in taking home gold at the Olympics all down to their 'highly competitive' family.  Andrea was joined by listeners to share their opinions on this.