Lunchtime Live

Electric Picnic is back after a two-year hiatus. Around 70,000 people are heading down to attend the music and arts festival at Stradbally Hall this weekend, and Andrea will be among them. This weekend is set to be the largest attendance on record and although we are scheduled for some rain hopefully everyone will be in good spirits that Electric Picnic is returning. We've heard from people heading to Stradbally for the weekend.

Every week we give you the chance to get access to an expert and this week, we put your motoring questions to Motoring Journalist Geraldine Herbert.

After an incident in Roscommon shocked onlookers, Andrea was joined by listeners to discuss what can be done to stamp out violence in sport.

Ten years ago, Derry and Sallyanne Clarke lost their 16 year old son Andrew to suicide. They joined Andrea to talk about the stigma around suicide and living and dealing with grief. If you are affected by any of these issues Pieta House operates a 24 hour crisis hotline (01) 4585490.

A video mocking Nadine Coyle’s distinct Derry accent has gone viral, that is the offending clip and it has racked up nearly 1 million views and 91 thousand likes on Tik Tok with a lot of comments taking aim at Nadine’s strong accent. Andrea was joined by listeners to discuss Irish stereotypes.

The GAA has launched a full investigation into an incident at an underage match in Roscommon last night. Early in the second half of the championship game, an incident occurred, which led to the referee requiring medical attention. The match was abandoned and an ambulance was called to the pitch. Andrea was joined by refs and members of the soccer association to discuss the incident.

Listener Antone joined Andrea to share his story of falling victim to a rental scam. He told Andrea that after moving over from France, and paying €1800 for accommodation, he discovered the room he was due to rent did not exist.

From airplane flings to long distance romance, Andrea spoke to listeners about their experiences of finding love in unusual places.

Younger workers face paying an extra €2,500 a year in taxes so that older people can retire at 66, the State’s budget watchdog warns today. The true cost of keeping the pension age down amid an ageing population is laid bare by the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council. Andrea was joined listeners to discuss how fair this system is and what are the repercussions for younger earners.

Clodagh O’Sullivan from Dingle, joined Andrea to share her story of finding love on Tinder. She described how she flew 7,000 miles for a Tinder date in Hawaii.

Arcade Fire have been hit with controversy as their lead singer Win Butler, has been accused of sexual misconduct from four people. He has denied the claims. There have been calls from fans for refunds, many people tried selling tickets, others didn’t attend the concert in Dublin last night despite having tickets. Andrea was joined by listeners to discuss if you can separate the art from the artist.

Fair City actor Bryan Murray has opened up about being diagnosed with Alzheimers. A condition that an estimated 64,000 people are living with in Ireland. Marguerite Keating is one of those and she is joined by Adrian to discuss her story.

Students waiting for their delayed leaving cert results around the country are being left with very little time to find a place to live. Some will have less than a week before their course starts. Adrian was joined by students to discuss the extra pressure these delays have lead to.

Netflix has announced they are searching for a body double for Lindsay Lohan for a new movie which will begin shooting in Ireland next week. Adrian was joined by listeners who have worked as a body double to discuss their experiences.

The rising price of energy is a huge issue for us all, but it could mean putting some smaller Irish companies out of business altogether. Adrian was joined by business owners and listeners to discuss the challenges and what the long term impact could be for businesses.

A Dublin pub has banned tracksuits from their pub. Many pubs across the country have a similar and Adrian was joined by publicans and People Before Profit TD Mick Barry to discuss how much of impact a dress code has on a venue.

A photo we spotted this morning has caused quite a stir online. It appears to show a sign in the window of Supermacs on O’Connell Street in Dublin offering accommodation for full time staff. Andrea was joined by listeners to discuss how they would feel about your employer being your landlord at the same time.

Listeners joined Adrian to discuss the pro's and con's of employers offering accommodation to employee's.

Residents living near Dublin airport have been complaining since the new runway opened last week. Adrian was joined by Mick O’Rourke, from St Margarets, The Ward Residents Association, and Joan Scales, Editor of travel2ireland.ie, to discuss what can be done to reduce noise levels for residents.

Carers aren't currently eligible to receive a pension. On the show, Andrea was joined by Jane, a carer, and Niall who lost his son earlier this year. Niall told Andrea how his wife was ineligible for her pension after caring full time for their son.

On the show today, Andrea was joined by callers from the FIRE movement which is a lifestyle movement of gaining financial independence and retiring early along with Finance Expert Eoin McGee to discuss the prospects of retiring early.

It's reported that 11 months of screening time has been lost during COVID according to Breastcheck Ireland. Andrea was joined by Breda and Lauren who were diagnosed through Breastcheck and worry for women who have been waiting for screening.

Dublin City Council has installed 22 new phone boxes across the capital with 180 set to be rolled out across Ireland. Andrea was joined by callers to discuss their thoughts on the new kiosks.

Our very own Bobby Kerr joined Andrea in the studio today for the last installment of Summer Memories.

Every week, we give you the chance to get access to an expert. This week, we put your interior design questions to Arlene McIntyre from Ventura.

It’s estimated that 120,000 people in Ireland are living with Long Covid, suffering from chronic fatigue, nausea, dizziness, vertigo, breathlessness and pain. Andrea was joined Grainne Kelly to discuss her experience of long covid and how it has impacted her life.

Fianna Fáil TD Robert Troy has said he will not apologise for being a landlord. He resigned yesterday after failing to declare all of his properties, but not because he owns them. Andrea was joined by listeners and Harun in Dublin, from Community Action Tenants Union, to discuss if we vilify landlords.

The latest ‘Children’s School Lives’ study finds that teachers are concerned that children starting school are “over-prepared” in academic skills .When, in reality the focus, at this age should be on social, emotional and self-management skills. Andrea was joined by listeners to discuss if kid's should be allowed to be kids, rather then overly focusing on academia.

Many women of a certain age are asked about their plans to have children. Andrea was joined by Marguerite Kiely, RSVP Magazine Art Editor, Margaret O’Connor ,Counsellor and Psychotherapist, and listeners to discuss if society can still be judgmental by those who decide to remain childless by choice.

Following on from the violent home invasion of 93 year old Una Farrell and her sons in county Roscommon this week, Andrea was joined by listeners and Seamus Boland CEO of Irish Rural Link, to discuss if people in rural communities felt safe in their own homes.

With so many people struggling with their housing situation, rescue centers are finding they have more dogs then ever looking for a home. Andrea was joined by Gina Hetherington from PAWs, Corina Fitzsimons from Dogs trust and Sinead Murphy, to discuss why people still pay for dogs when so many need to be rescued.

Dublin venue Bar 1661 has been crowned Ireland's Bar of the Year for 2022. Dolans in Co. Limerick was the people’s choice winner. The pub is a big part of life for many Irish people and Andrea was joined by bar owners and listeners to discuss what is so special about the Irish pub.

People from across the country have protested to get better access to medicinal cannabis. Andrea was joined by GP's and listeners to discuss what changes in legislation could mean for chronic pain suffers.

Following the assault of a tourist in Temple Bar over the weekend, some businesses are calling for more Gardai to patrol the area. Alan Cooke, from John J Cooke Silversmith in Temple Bar, joined Andrea to discuss what more could be done to ensure better safety in the city center.

Cash has become a less frequent method of payment in recent years. Paul Treyvaud from Treyvaud’s, Restaurant in Killarney joined Andrea to discuss if paying with cash could be a way of businesses avoiding having to pay credit card commission and could lead to a boost in profits.

In Donegal, someone has been spray painting road signs to remove the English versions of town names. Dozens of place name signs have been spray-painted out in support of the Irish language. Andrea was joined by local counsillor, Cllr Micheál Cholm Mac Giolla Easbuig, who supports the move.

Hazel Larkin posted a tweet about feeling disappointed in her achievements as she turns 49. She joined Andrea, Off The Ball's Colin Boohig and Barbara Scully, to discuss milestone ages and regret.

A Wallaby is missing after escaping near Omagh, County Tyrone. One of two marsupials which arrived at Glenpark Estate near Omagh, leapt over a fence after reportedly becoming startled. Andrea was joined by Owner of Glenpark Estate, Richard Beattie, to discuss what the public should do if it is spotted.

A new study has said women will lose five and a half weeks of sleep a year due to menopause. Disrupted sleep seems to be a symptom that affects most women going through menopause or perimenopause, Andrea was joined by Breeda Bermingham, Founder of the Midlife Women Rock Project, nurses and listeners to discuss their own experiences of menopause.

Thousands of children in Ireland could find out they’re without a seat in the school bus just a few weeks before school starts back. After the announcement that the services would be free this year to help with cost of living, there was a huge surge in families applying for a place. Andrea was joined by parents who are waiting to hear if their child has a seat on the school bus.

Andrea was joined by listeners to discuss if shoes should be allowed on carpets an, if its rude to ask visitors to remove their shoes before being allowed to enter carpeted area's.

Social care students in a Dublin college have been left outraged since learning they will not be able to be employed as social care workers when they graduate. Andrea was joined by students who spoke to describe their confusion and upset, upon hearing the news.

A headline in the Irish Independent really caught my attention this morning: ‘I had a passenger who completely lost it, he kicked in my door and threatened to kill me’. These were the experiences of one bus driver Paul Fitzpatrick who has been working as a driver on Bus Éireann’s Navan town service for the last two years. Do you work on public transport? What have you experienced? Are attacks on public transport becoming more common? And, how dangerous is it to work on public transport? Paul Fitzpatrick a Bus Driver in Navan joined Andrea Gilligan on the show this afternoon.

We’ve all been there- in the middle of a gorgeous wedding ceremony and a baby starts crying. Totally ruins the moment... Does the parent leave? Some do, and some don’t seem to recognize the social cues. Or what about when the invites go out and they don’t have the kids' names on them? we all have that friend who would try to bring their child anyway.

With 378 classroom vacancies in Irish secondary schools ad only weeks before children return to school – we’re asking, is teaching still an attractive job? Andrea was joined on the show by teachers who got in touch to discuss if teaching is an attractive job and some of the issues they face within the post.

Businesses across the country are feeling the effect of rising prices. Some fear they won’t survive. Finn Murray from the Hopsack – health store in Dublin and Kelly Lou Ging from Kelly Lou cakes in Portlaoise joined Andrea Gilligan on the show.

Every week, we give you the chance to get access to an expert- this week, we put your health insurance questions to Dermot Goode from Totalhealthcover.ie.

Green Party TD Patrick Costello says there is an urgent urgent need for more people to volunteer as foster parents. Andrea was joined by foster parents to discuss the experience and the rewards it can bring.

Lego fan's camped over night to be first in to Ireland's first Lego store. Andrea was joined by fan's to share their love of Lego and reminisce on what they used to build in childhood.

Joanna Murphy, Aontu rep in Ballincollig, joined Andrea to discuss incidences of vandalism in the area and what is behind the rise in incidents.