Lunchtime Live

Is rural Ireland disadvantaged? Delivering for rural Ireland is the main focus of Fine Gael’s Special Conference tomorrow. Newstalk's Shane Coleman doesn’t think rural Ireland is disadvantaged.Andrea Gilligan was joined by listeners to discuss...

We have teamed up with Guaranteed Irish to bring you Newstalk’s Irish Christmas Guide. Over the next 4 weeks we'll feature ideas for gifting, decorations, and festive fare – all from Irish based businesses. Discover the best ideas to make Christmas all about supporting local enterprises, in association with guaranteedirishgifts.ie. This week we put our focus on festive decorations with Andrea chatting to Meadows & Byrne, ChristmasTree.ie, the Irish Handmade Glass Company & MaraBay Deco #GetTheGUnderTheTree

Róisín Tracey, who is a Sinn Féin Candidate for Ballyfermot-Drimnagh, told Lunchtime Live presenter Andrea Gilligan that she is already began receiving abuse on social media, before she’s ever even gotten a seat.

Seagulls should be put on the pill to stop them destroying towns  according to former politician Frank Godfrey in Drogheda. He says that the birds are causing absolute chaos and a contraceptive in their food is the only way of reducing their population.

The Office for National Statistics says the average age for new fathers is now 33.7 years – the highest since data collection for paternal age began in 1964. Newspaper columnist and political commentator, Alex Kane, who had his child Indy at age 62, spoke to Andrea.

Storm Debi caused much disruption yesterday as it swept across the country.  Red weather warnings were put in place for 10 counties which played havoc with public transport and school openings.  David Quinn, columnist and Iona Institute CEO, told Andrea how he thinks Met Eireann are too quick to issue red warnings. Andrea also spoke to Alan O’Reilly, of Carlow Weather and callers.

Newstalk’s Simon Tierney says that the hair transplant industry needs to stop portraying baldness as a condition that needs to be cured 

That time of week when you have the chance to put your questions to the GP. Dr Nina Byrnes joined Jess to discuss the benefits of data in medicine as well as tackling a wide range of medical queries.

A report from iWish has revealed 67% of teenage girls lack information regarding STEM careers. How do we break down barriers and encourage young women to pursue careers in STEM?Jess spoke to Caroline O'Driscoll, Corporate and International tax partner with Deloitte Ireland and co-founder of iWish, Eve O'Callaghan, a sixth-year student and STEM prefect at Mount Anville Secondary School, and Catherine Flanagan, Guidance Counsellor and TY Coordinator at Mount Anville.

TV Reviewer Sheena McGinley joined Jess to discuss her favourite boxsets to watch as the days get wintry and the evenings get dark.

It’s International Fraud Awareness Week, and we’ve teamed up with Bank of Ireland to help educate and inform how to protect our online profiles.When protecting yourself online, the rule is simple: Stop, Think, Check. Brian Honan, CEO of BH Consulting and listeners joined Jess to discuss. 

Every week, Cut-the-Cost offers tips and advice on how to save on everything from energy and the weekly shop to modern essentials like broadband and phone contracts.This time, Aoife Kearns joined Jess to unwrap the cost of wrapping paper ahead of Christmas.

Does your wearable tech help or hinder you? Does it encourage you on or just make you feel guilty if you don’t hit your goals?Fitness Goose Andrew Moore joined Jess to discuss.

There are 130,000 people with a gambling addiction in Ireland.We’re constantly being bombarded with ads to set up online betting accounts. It’s made very easy for us – but it is much harder to shut down an account than it is to close one.Jess spoke to Gambling Councillor Tony O'Reilly and other callers with personal experience of a gambling addiction.

We saw much disruption as Storm Debi swept across the country earlier this morning Red weather warnings were in place for 10 counties with power supplies, school openings and public transport affected.  But how do these weather warnings work and when are they sent out? Jess was joined by Gerry Murphy, Meteorologist and Weather Forecaster with Met Eireann. 

A letter written into the Irish Independent today detailed how someone had loaned a friend the sum of €600. The letter explained it had been two years and the friend hadn’t mentioned it since. Creating a difficult moral dilemmaBut is it ever a good idea to lend money to a friend? Does it lead to unhealthy Relationships? and how can you say no to a friend or loved one who has requested a loan?Joining Mairead Ronan to discuss this was Comedian Jim Elliot and Listeners of the show.

Have you ever wondered how animals are supplied and trained for Films and TV shows?Well for this week's edition of Ask Me Anything Mairead Ronan was joined by Eddie Drew, Animal Wrangler and Animal Co-Ordinator from Copsewood Aviaries in Bray who has been supplying animals for productions for many years

A sober festival is happening in Cork this weekend. Ecstatic Picnic aims to create a space where people can dance and connect through the medium of rave music without the hangover. The festival is open to all but is strictly a non-drug or alcohol use event.But are Gen Z ditching alcohol in favour of healthier lifestyles? When they do drink, are they doing it in a much more balanced way? And can you have a fun sober night out?To discuss this further Mairead Ronan was joined by Naoise Galvin, organiser of the festival, Natalie aka DJ Natmac, Stephanie from Babes Without Beers and Paul Walsh, Founder of Club Loosen sober rave to discussClub Loosen will be holding their New Year's Eve sober rave event on the 31st December in Complex Dublin, tickets will be announced this Monday.

Yesterday, Jozef Puska was convicted of murdering the 23-year-old primary school teacher Ashling Murphy who had gone out for a run in Tullamore, County Offaly in January last year.Mairead Ronan was joined by the CEO of Parent Line, Aileen Hickie, Gender Equality Rights Representative at UCC Alison Ní Threasaigh, Alexandra Ryan CEO of Goss.ie, Stylist Laura Mullet as well as listeners of the show to discuss.

Would you relocate to the countryside? Mairead spoke to city slickers who made the move to the countryside.

Dr Afif EL Khuffash, Consultant Neonatologist and Pediatrician at the Rotunda Hospital, spoke to Mairead about how we can spot the difference between good advice and medical misinformation when googling symptoms.

Listener Daniel got in touch about a poor experience he had in Dublin airport.Mairead Ronan spoke to Daniel and other callers about whether we are too accepting of bad service in Ireland.

'(I Am) Robbie Williams' the four-part Robbie Williams documentary has taken Netflix by storm.Mairead spoke to TV Reviewer Sheena McGinley, Former Xpose Presenter Glenda Gilson and Ray Dolan.

Keele University researchers have found that swearing can increase a person’s pain tolerance by up to 33%. The research found that swearing can help one withstand pain and even create intimacy with others.Mairead was joined by physicist, engineer and science communicator, Phil Smith and comedian, Steve Cummins to discuss the benefits of swearing.

The latest annual report from Bodywhys, The Eating Disorder Assocation of Ireland, found that calls to their helpline have jumped by almost 10% compared to 2022. Mairead spoke to callers Jess, Lisa, Micheál and Eoin on their experience living with an eating disorder For more information on Bodywhys  visit www.bodywhys.ie  The Bodywhys helpline: 01 2107906 - The helpline offers a non-judgemental and confidential support and information service.  

Spotify is planning to only start paying artists for streams after a track has reached 1,000 streams.  The company is set to adjust its royalty model in 2024. A new minimum annual threshold for streams will apply for a song to become eligible for royalties.Mairead spoke to Claire Beck, DJ and Broadcaster with Today FM, singer and songwriter, Mary Coughlan and Andrew Hendy from the Mary Wallopers.

Journalist John Gibbons posted an image of an SUV taking up half a footpath in Dun Laoighaire which sparked outrage online. Mairead Ronan asked John Gibbons and callers if it is time we ban SUVs from built up areas.

Listener Elaine got in touch in regards to the price she is paying for extra classes and activities in her child's primary school.

A Lily O'Brien's survey has revealed the most popular nicknames, which include 'Big Man', 'Ginge' and 'Spud'.Food-based nicknames such as 'Nugget' and 'Guinness ' rank highly too. Former rugby player Shane Byrne and Author and Agony Aunt Tina Koumarianos joined Andrea to chat about pet names and what they say about a person.

Abuse towards referees is certainly not a new story, but is it getting worse? And what needs to be done to deal with the problem? A Tullamore GAA player has been handed a proposed 96-week suspension for an incident which saw the referee being pushed to the ground.Mairead was joined by referees Pat, Sean, and Paul to get their take on abuse on the pitch.

Ireland’s first ever satellite is getting ready to be launched into space. EIRSAT-1, which has been developed by a team at UCD, has left Irish shores and is headed to California. It will be launched into space at the end of this month. Ireland is currently the only full member of the European Space Agency that does not have its own satellite.. Niamh Shaw, Science Communicator, Space Enthusiast and Writer, and David Moore, Editor of Astronomy Ireland magazine, joined Mairead to explain why investment in space is worth it.

When Coleen Rooney spoke about having a miscarriage in 2008, she said the grief knocked her husband Wayne "for six".Do we talk about the impact of miscarriage on male partners enough?Andrea was joined by Tony Owens of the baby loss support charity Féileacáin as well as listeners with personal experience of grief after miscarriage.If you are grieving after miscarriage, go to feileacain.ie for support.

For this week's Ask Me Anything, Andrea spoke to Soap Director Jason Brannigan, whose repertoire includes Fair City and EastEnders.

Cabinet ministers are expected to overwhelmingly approve new guidelines on the banning of smartphones in schools. Under the changes, Education Minister Norma Foley will ask parents to take a “collective decision” not to buy smartphones for children.  It follows on from the successful example of eight schools in Greystones, Co. Wicklow, where parents of primary school children agreed not to buy smartphones for their children before they enter second-level education. Listeners joined Mairead to tell her what they thought of this approach.

On this week's Ask the GP, Mairead spoke to Dr Sumi Dunne who answered your medical queries.

If you spend your free time consuming celebrity news and gossip then you might be in for some bad news.... A study has found that those obsessed with celebrities are less intelligent. Entertainment journalist Sarina Bellisimo and Presenter Conor Behan joined Mairead to discuss.

Have you heard of the Pink Tax? This week's Cut-the-Cost explains the price differences in products marketed towards women.Companies charge more for everything from razors to kid's toys when the target audience is female, and this adds up.Newstalk Reporter Aoife Kearns joined Mairead to share her top tips on how to get around the Pink Tax.

Mairead asks: has all the fun gone out of after-school activities for kids?Parents are sometimes guilty of getting involved in football teams or drama clubs and putting too much pressure on kids to excel outside of the classroom - but does this behaviour push people to do well from a young age?Listeners joined Mairead to discuss the pros and cons of encouraging competition and camaraderie among children.

E-Scooters will be banned for under 16-year-olds, the government has announced.The ban is welcomed by many, but questions have arisen regarding how the Gardaí will enforce it.While listeners joining Mairead mainly agreed that some sort of regulation was necessary, some expressed concern about the age ban and its shortcomings.

Every year, the Dublin City Marathon transforms the capital. Some say we should embrace the event more than we currently do, while others complain that the Marathon is nothing more than an inconvenience that disrupts traffic.Mairead was joined by Councillor Mannix Flynn, Senator Marie Sherlock and other listeners to discuss the highs and lows of the annual event.

Listener to the show Fiona got in touch, after her brother Jamie tragically died last August by suicide. Jamie following his passing was brought to a Dublin City morgue where it took 6 days before the family were informed of his deathFiona, joined Andrea to reflect on Jamie's warm character and highlight the pain her family had to endure during the delay. She also expressed hope that priests can be trained better in dealing with sensitive passings within families.*Image of Jamie courtesy of his family.

 Kim Kardashian recently said she had hired a male nanny so her sons could have a male presence in their lives following her divorce from Kanye West. While uncommon just a few years ago, male nannies are springing up, especially in LondonAndrea was joined on the show by Sam McArdle who spent three years looking after children and wrote a play about his experience "The Manny".  And Ms Browns boys actor Fiona O’Carroll who herself has hired 3 Mannies to date to take care of her kids.

Plans to hike Dublin city centre on-street parking charges to €4 an hour have drawn criticism. The council reportedly plans to hike charges across all zones in Dublin from next year - with the most expensive 'yellow zone' increasing from €3.50 to €4 an hour.  Andrea was joined by listeners of the show to hear their opinions on the proposed changes and how it will affect residents and commuters in the city.

Hair loss is an issue that affects a lot of men and it seems that more and more Irish men are seeking out a solution for it. Daithi O'Shea joins Andrea to tell her about his decision to get a hair transplant.

Today ‘End of Life Ireland’ will gather at the Dail in hopes of bringing their message to politicians about legislation for Voluntary Assisted Dying. Andrea chats to caller David whose mother recently passed away: 'We had to endure ten days after a major stroke watching her deteriorate and it was difficult when there was no comeback.'

Author Sheila O'Flanagan talks to Andrea about the unusual attitudes she has encountered after deciding not to have children. 'If you are making that decision not to have children it's because you are living a life that is already full of joy and meaning'

Matthew Perry, who played Chandler Bing on TV show Friends passed away over the weekend at the age of 54. People were quick to share their disbelief and sadness online – and there was a real feeling of mourning among some people online. Iseult White, Psychotherapist and Author and Siobhán, a Friends fan joined Andfrea on Lunchtime Live...

Thousands of homeowners could have to abandon their houses in coming decades because of rising sea levels. The Government are now saying we need a ‘managed retreat’ – a move away from the coast. Andrea was joined by Councillor Martin McDermott from Donegal County Council and other listeners to discuss...

A new study has found that 45 percent of Irish people believe in ghosts with 48 percent of females believing in them compared to 43 percent of males. Do you believe in ghosts? Andrea was joined by Richard Morrison, co-founder of Paranormal Supernatural Investigations Ireland PJ from Púca Vogue, Paranormal investigator,

An Oireachtas committee has recommended that the State pension age increase should increase to 75.They say their recommendation was ‘in light of the fact that life expectancy has increased from 65 to 82 years old'.  Andrea was joined by Denis Naughten, Independent TD and Cathaoireach of the Committee on Social Protection and listeners to discuss...